SEBASTIAN BACH: 'Don't Cheat On The One You Love'

Maximum Metal recently conducted an interview with former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Maximum Metal: "Kicking & Screaming" is a much-anticipated release and you worked with Bob Marlette as a producer, who has been famous for producing hit records for SALIVA, SHINEDOWN, SEETHER and FILTER to bands like BLACK STONE CHERRY and ALICE COOPER. What was that experience like working with him as a solo artist?

Bach: It was great. He's an amazing producer. He has a great bottom low end to his albums... and when I am doing all of my high screams, it's good to have the bass and low ends to level everything level out. He's also an incredible songwriter; we wrote two songs together "Dirty Power" and the title track. He wrote the music with [guitarist] Nick Sterling and I wrote the melodies. He laid down a lot of the songs a lot better than they were originally, plus he let me sing as many times as I wanted. I can be very picky and finicky in the studio, but Bob let me do as many tracks as I wanted. I would love to work with him again.

Maximum Metal: Going back to your earlier point about the sound of the new album being like [SKID ROW's] "Slave To The Grind", was that an intentional process for you, were you trying to revisit that sound or did it happen organically?

Bach: Not at all. My favorite artists, you know, I know what to expect when I buy their albums, like Ozzy [Osbourne], Neil Young, AC/DC... guys that just keep making albums. I want to give the same to my fans. I love when Neil Young puts out an album; I know I'm gonna like it. I don't have to hear a sample or anything, I go buy it. RUSH I know they aren't going to let me down. I know what to expect and I know it isn't going to suck. I hope after 20 years you know what to expect from me. I'm going to rock your fucking ass off. I just make the stuff I like, I just want to grab you by the collar and say, "Listen to this"! ...and I want to do that to the whole world; it is so heavy.

Maximum Metal: Well, Sebastian, you are 43, and while you are still in your prime, you've lived a full life... I have to ask, if you could go back to your 18-year old self, what would you tell the young Sebastian Philip Bierk [Bach's real name]? Is there one piece of advice you would give him?

Bach: (long pause) Wow, that's a tough question... There is an obvious answer. (pause) Don't cheat on the one you love. (pause) When you're young and dumb and full of cum, you don't think about love, but as you get older, love becomes extremely important... From the older to the younger, I would say, "Love is precious and rare, and it should be cherished." That is what I would say... and then my younger self would probably say "Go fuck yourself!"

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