TYPE O NEGATIVE Drummer Discusses SEVENTH VOID Side Project

Alex Zander of MK Magazine recently conducted an interview with TYPE O NEGATIVE drummer Johnny Kelly. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

MK Magazine: The last time I saw you… You said, "Hey, check out my new band SEVENTH VOID." Now that I have, I must admit, I like it a lot. Is there any kind of recording available other than what's online?

Johnny Kelly: It's one of those things, Kenny and I have been so busy in the last year and a half with TYPE O and DANZIG and stuff. Whenever there are breaks in between we go in and try to finish what we are doing. We had this break in between the TYPE O tours Kenny was able to finish a lot of vocal s and most of his guitar parts. Now we have this other guitar player Matt Brown. He has to finish a few of his things and a few vocal things then we have to wait on Vinnie Paul [HELLYEAH, PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN].

MK Magazine: Vinnie Paul is playing on it?

Johnny Kelly: Vinnie Paul is producing it.

MK Magazine: Alright, I saw on the myspace page his label was one in the top of your friends list.

Johnny Kelly: It is looking like we are going to release it on that label.

MK Magazine: Is that the same label that the collaboration with David Allen Coe, REBEL MEETS REBEL, was released on?

Johnny Kelly: Yeah, REBEL MEETS REBEL. Kenny really digs this band. We have been working on this band for the better part of four years, you know, when ever time allowed. One time just before Dime (Dimebag Darrell) the guys were in New York. Tommy Victor [PRONG] was there and we all just hung out on the at Irving Plaza until 6:00 in the morning. We played a couple of track for Dime, and Dime flipped out about it and that is how this all started with Vince. Every time I'd see him he'd ask how the band was going and I told him it was going okay but we are really having a hard time with mixes. The recording is going well but it just isn't coming through when we are trying to mix it. He said, "Why don't you let me have a crack at it?" I was like… "Really? It would be an honor." He (Vince) said when Dime heard that all he did was talk about you guys, saying how much he loved it, so it would be an honor for me to work on it. So I sent him a track and he sent something back to my house and said he only had a little time to work on it. It just clicked. He got it and knew exactly what to do to make it sound great.

MK Magazine: How much do you have recorded?

Johnny Kelly: We have a whole album's worth of material. But like I said between every ones schedules it has been really hard to just sit down and say it's finished that is it. Now we are getting close and when this is done we will be able to finish the recordings, it should take longer than just a few days actually.

MK Magazine: So as far as TYPE O NEGATIVE what is happening after this tour, as far as the band? I haven't heard anything about a record but obviously the label [SPV] has been great to you.

Johnny Kelly: Yeah, they have done a really good job. They really put their best foot forward.

MK Magazine: That last Roadrunner record I loved it, it's one of my, vary favorite pieces of work that I own from you guys as a band. Roadrunner just dropped the ball on that fucking thing. They seriously did.

Johnny Kelly: The impression that I got from that is, because they knew we were at the end of our contract, they were just cutting their losses on it. Basically what they were telling us is that if you re-sign with us again we'll work this record really hard. Which kind of goes against any business principle. You still invested in something. Just because you aren't going to have the band back, why aren't you going to maximize the return on your investment?

MK Magazine: Jon at SPV couldn't wait to tell me that you'd signed with them. He said Zander don't tell anybody. We got them. They're in good hands.

Johnny Kelly: From the get-go we wanted to go with them in Europe. They're pretty well established over there. They are a very good label and they want to use us as their cornerstone for making a presence in the U.S. They made us an offer for a worldwide deal and it was great. Compared to what everyone else was offering their offer blew it out of the water. So it seemed pretty obvious what we needed to do. So far it's been pretty good. Any kind of record store I go into I see our records there. Before the record came out they did a ton of print ads.

Read the entire interview at this location.