When I was a kid, growing up in a house with Cat Stevens, Neil Diamond, and Simon and Garfunkel, the first time I ever heard Kiss's "Detroit Rock City," it was a moment of musical epiphany. It was just so vicious, aggressive and mean. It changed the way I listened to music. I've had a few minor epiphany's since then, when you come across a band that just brings something new and revolutionary to your ears.
What have been your musical epiphany moments?
There are so many but one that stands out occurred before we became Wizzerd. One afternoon we plugged a phone into a bass amplifier and blasted Elder’s self titled record. That was the day that we became overtaken by the Doom.
Talk to us about the song-writing process for you. What comes first, the idea? A riff? The lyrics? How does it all fall into place?
Every song has a different story, it is a very collective effort all around.
Who has influenced you the most?
Tony Iommi.
Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new motivation?
The road, and we’re missing that quite a bit lately.
Kalispell, Montana is a bit removed. The scenery is beautiful and the mountainous landscape definitely reflects tonally. In addition, being removed as well as being in a place with not a huge rock’n’roll population definitely adds to some of the energy.
Where'd the band name come from?
It was granted to us by the food of the gods.
You have one chance, what movie are you going to write the soundtrack for?
Shrek 5.
You now write for a music publication (The Ripple Effect?). You're going to write a 1,000 word essay on one song. Which would it be and why?
Anything by Frank Zappa would be good for this.
Come on, share with us a couple of your great, Spinal Tap, rock and roll moments?
Well, we have lots of guitars and we throw up on tour a lot. Plus there was this one time that Sam and Layne couldn’t find their way to the stage from the green room.
Tell us about playing live and the live experience for you and for your fans?
We thrive on high energy shows. We like intimate settings; the best shows have been in sweaty basements. If you come to see us, expect to get wet.
Basically take what Merlin does, and do the opposite. (Go listen to Merlin and find out if you’re not a fan of your ears https://merlin666.bandcamp.com)
Tell us about the first song you ever wrote?
The first Wizzerd song was Forest. We had other bands beforehand and had been playing together for a while, but this song was the first one to stick and give us some direction. We performed it multiple times before the band name Wizzerd came into play.
What piece of your music are particularly proud of?
I think the most proud we have been of anything we’ve ever done, is of the stuff we recorded last year which hasn’t been released yet. So keep an eye out...
Who today, writes great songs? Who just kicks your ass? Why?
There are so many great things happening in music right now, it’s hard to narrow down. So let’s just highlight one artist who doesn’t, and that’s - you guessed it - Merlin.
Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?
All three, with a special love for vinyl.
Whiskey or beer? And defend your choice
White Claw. No defense necessary.
Old School Records in downtown Kalispell, Montana.
What's next for the band?
As mentioned earlier, we have lots recorded that we are just waiting to unleash. Plus we are very much looking forward to the return of live music and touring. Follow us to find out more! @wizzerddoom on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc
Any final comments or thoughts you'd like to share with our readers, the waveriders?
Praise Iommi
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