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Daryl, Justin, Todd, Larry & Dave are already being
declared as one of the hottest bands to watch for at
Ozzfest 2002 and are an highly anticipated draw
from this years Vans Warped Tour as well. They're unique
blend of punk, hardcore, metal and emo has earned them
bones throughout the entire U.S. winning over kudos
from both metal and punk rock crowds alike. "We gained
a lot of fans that are fans of Soulfly and Deftones
fans and Slipknot fans and all those nu-metal kind of
bands cus'f our affiliation with Roadrunner, so it makes
sense for us to do Ozzfest." Palumbo raves, "Just because
I hate a lot of the bands that those Ozzfest kids listen
to doesn't mean that I don't want them as fans, ya know..
They're great people, great kids and it was smart for
us to bring those kids into the whole Glassjaw family.
Also, because we're a hardcore band with a melodic side
we also gained the fans that go to the Warped Tour,
you know those kids who wear the skater gear and shit,
power to those kids.. (Laughs) I just knew that by serving
a little bit of time on both of those tours would be
totally beneficial and we're very excited to do it."
The 5-piece underground band paid their dues within
the Long Island, NY punk scene since they were young
teens. Although they couldn't play any instruments when
they first began they knew one thing for sure- It makes
more sense to stand out like a sore thumb then to bend
with the pack. Their theory was right and their unique
brand of hardcore- punk was completely different then
anything else that was going onat the time and as a
result they were snatched up by Indy label Roadrunner
Records.
 The
now legendary Ross Robinson, (the guys responsible for
Korn & Limb Bizkit) heard their demo and knew that Glassjaw
was something special. He envisioned them as "The new
post-millennial destroyers of Adidas rock," yes the
music he helped create, Robinson now wanted to destroy
and he knew that Glassjaw were the right cats for the
job. "Ross is a legend," gleams the 23 year-old vocalist.
"He is the greatest producer in rock history, I'll easily
put Ross Robinson, who is one of my closest friends,
he is a member of my family and a member in the band,
I'll put him right next to George Martin who produced
the Beatles records."
Ross brings not only the best, but the worst out in
me and that is what is needed to create a record that
spans the spectrum of human emotion. A lot of bands
will do a pop record and it's run of the mill, straight
down the middle pop record and it sounds like this one
plateau Uni- dimensional entity. It has no real emotion
and the thing with us is that we do bare emotion from
all the way to the left to all the way to the right
of the spectrum. In order to sound that way we actually
have to be exhibiting that in the studio and Ross gets
us everywhere from happy to pissed to the most rabid
and angry." Robinson earned such enourmous priase because
of his uncanny ability to draw out deep inbedded emotions
from the band and project it into their music. His knack
for getting the best out of the band became a staple
of the final product and by 2000 they released their
debut, "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Science"
and Glassjaw's raw, intense emotional outlet would create
a major buzz throughout Hardcore punk circles.
Fans from all over the place quickly became believers
in Glassjaw's music and would soon build a cult-like
following. Things could have gone even further says
Palumbo, if Roadrunner would have added them to more
national tours. "We never toured half as much as we
wanted to, I just wish we got to tour more in support
of that last record," he said, "It's just a shame that
we never had the opportunity to really get out there
and tour."
Although they were signed and had released their first
record Palumbo and the boys still were not satisfied
and felt wronged and cheated by their label. "We were
on Roadrunner for a couple of years and Roadrunner was
a joke, a fuckin' joke of a label. They are a miserable
fuckin' cooperation that does not bend for their bands,
does not give their bands anything and they're just
terrible businessmen. They are a giant joke of a label.
They had 2 cash cows, Slipknot and Nickelback, and every
other project they had rode backseat to those bands
and then the second that the new Slipknot record came
out and didn't go quadruple Platinum in the first few
hours it was released they fuckin' turned their backs
on Slipknot. That label just wants instant gratification
where it sells its units and that's a joke. You can't
run a major corporation with that as your business strategy."
This year, Glassjaw had finally left Roadrunner Records
after 3 years of feeling slighted and unappreciated.
They found a new home with the folks over at Warner
Brothers Records and took the giant leap from an Indy
to a major. "It's 2 totally different worlds," says
the Glassjaw front man, "I, myself am not usually friendly
towards major labels, I'm not really an advocate of
underground bands with a sub-level mentality signing
to majors, but if you find someplace that you feel at
home then do it.. If you find a label where you can
call home and not compromise any of your art or compromise
any of your integrity and never have to give in to any
'Big-Label-Bullshit' then take advantage of it and do
it. We managed to find a spot where we call home right
now.. Warner Brothers feels like fuckin' home to us."
Their Warner Brothers debut, "Worship and Tribute" is
a unique post hardcore hybrid with a tight original
sound that is expected to bridge the gap between all
genres of hard rock music. Their sound is blunt and
in-your-face, yet at times, soothing and calm; imagine
Fugazi meets Elvis Costello or Bowe meets The Deftones.
Their influences are many and this record is a statement
to pay tribute to all of those they worshiped throughout
their lives. "You are only a sum of all of your influences
and that's what we are," Palumbo says. "Look, I think
that we're original and I think that what we're doing
is different and that's something I always knew we had
on our side, but no matter how original you are you're
still just a sum of your influences."
Glassjaw falls under a new breed of bands that pay homage
to the traditional old-school NYHC (New York Hard Core)
and punk as well as nu-metal and emocore. Thier music
is a roller coaster ride of emotions and rhythms that
will have you dizzy mid way through the record. Although
"Worship and Tribute" carries an Indy aesthetic songs
like "Pink Roses," "Ape Dos Mil," "Cosmopolitan Bloodloss"
and "Must've Run All Day" are much more complex and
sophisticated than "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know
About Science." This record sets aside negativity tackling
more positive subject matter and certainly logs their
growth as if in a journal. "We've grown tremendously
since that first record," Palumbo explains, "It's not
like we did that first record when we were 30 and now
we're 35.. We did that first record when I was 19 when
we started writing it and I'm 23 now. It's like, imagine
4 years of your life gone by and it wasn't just any
4 random years, this was the 4 years where you get shaped
who I am as a human being and I became an adult."
"The last record was like, 'everything is bad, everything
is bad. I'm miserable and it's not gonna get better,
I'm gonna loose and it fuckin' take myself (Laughs)
and this record is more like, 'no matter how bad it
is, I'm gonna work to make my situation better,' it's
optimistic. Unfortunately the way I conducted myself
on that first record, I wasn't mature enough to know
how to handle being in a band that anybody in the world
can listen to and I should have been more positive and
guide people in a positive way. But, at the same time,
you have to grow up and learn."
Their new album, "Worship & Tribute" is out on stores
now and for more info on Glassjaw check their web site
at: www.glassjaw.com
Don Sill for Crud Magazine© 2002
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|
| 04/02 1 Giant Leap - My Culture
04/02 Elfpower Interview - Andrew Rieger - Creatures
04/02 Frou Frou Interview - Guy Sigsworth/Imogen Heap
04/02 Gomez Interview - Ian Ball
04/02 Idlewild - Live - London Astoria
04/02 K's Choice Interview
04/02 Leaves - Live - Camden Dingwall
04/02 Longwave Interview - Exit
04/02 Lucy Mongrel Interview
04/02 Oasis - The Hindu Times
04/02 Phantom Planet - Interview
04/02 Unwritten Law - Interview
04/02 VUE - Coordinates Interview
05/02 BRMC - LIve - Kentish Town, London
05/02 Breeders - Title K
05/02 FC Kahuna - Machine Says Yes
05/02 Moco - Live - London Monarch
05/02 Need New Body - Interview
05/02 The Soundtrack of Our Lives - Live - Soundhause, Northampton
05/02 The Bellrays - Meet The Bellrays
06/02 Fleadh Festival - Finsbury Park
06/02 Frou Frou Coordinates Interview
06/02 Incubus - Interview - Mark Einziger
06/02 North Mississippi Allstars - Interview
06/02 Papa Roach - She Loves Me Not
06/02 Proud Mary - Live - Northampton, Soundhaus
06/02 Pulp - Live - Sherwood Pines, Edwinstowe
06/02 Reindeer section - You Are My Joy
06/02 Silverchair - Diorama
|  | 06/02 Something Corporate - Leaving Through The Window
06/02 Soinc Youth - Interview
06/02 The Burn - The Smiling Face
06/02 The Coral - Live - Roadmender, Northampton
06/02 The LIbertines - Live - The Social, Nottingham
06/02 The Vines, Sheffield Leadmill
06/02 Trik Turner - Interview
06/02 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Live, Soundhaus, Northampton
07/02 12 Stones Interview
07/02 Arolo -Interview
07/02 Buy To Let Doncaster - Anti Social Behaviour
07/02 Cassius - Interview
07/02 Farrah - Interview
07/02 Glassjaw - Interview
07/02 Neil Michael Haggerty - Interview
07/02 Hoobastank - Running Away
07/02 Leaves - Interview
07/02 LL Cool Jay Interview
07/02 Oasis - Live - Finsbury Park, London
07/02 Polyphonic Spree - Live - Camden Monarch
07/02 Queens of the Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf
07/02 Super Furry Animals - Interview
07/02 The Beatings - Live - Metro Club London
07/02 The Bellrays + The D4 - Virgin Megastore, Oxford Street London
January 2001
July - August 2001
September - October 2001
November - December 2001
January - March 2002
April - July 2002
August - December 2002 | |
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