Simply Waxing Lyrical – Daniel Wax Off

NORTH BERWICK’S FINEST SKATECORE THRASHERS SPILL THE BEANS ON ALL MANNER OF SUBJECTS TO STONEY!

BAND MEMBERS:

LD- Vocals, Smacky – Drums, Callan – Guitar, Taco – Guitar, The Fog-Bass

 

 

 So having had my first assault of the D.W.O. thrash-core attack and been thoroughly impressed by it, what brought you wee scamps to the classic mid 80’s hyper speed style of crossover? You’ve pretty much nailed the Wehrmacht/Cryptic Slaughter/Nuclear Assault sound, and it’s certainly not the easiest to do. Have you all got a long list of bands you were in before, or is D.W.O. your first attack on the scene?

DWO: Ok. LD and Smax have both been in bands before. LD was in FRONTSIDE BLUNTSLIDE, SCUMLINE and BUMPER CROP and Smax was in far too many to list but he is currently playing bass in THE HAPPY SPASTICS and SOCIAL INSECURITY. Callan was in a deathcore band but he left and Taco has just started a blackened thrash band. This is Fogle’s first outing.

 You’re all skaters I think, so is the skate-core scene alive and well in Scotland and the UK in general? Do you fellas get to play many gigs out and about?

DWO: Two of the band skate: LD and Taco. Smax used to in the 80s and Callan did for a bit. Fogle doesn’t but a lot of the ex-members did. Steve, Max and Doug. The skate core scene is very much alive and well as a whole, just not in Scotland and there are loads of great bands that people should check out such as CRIPPLED FOX, THE SHINING, DFC, BANDANOS to name a few. We have played loads of gigs in Scotland and been over to Northern Ireland a couple of times, as well as one disastrous trip to Newcastle!!!!!

Who are some of your favourite bands to gig with, and any bands to look out for that might not be overly well-known south of the great Berwick divide?

DWO: Ok that’s a tough one as they have all been good. KINGPIN, THE SHINING, VILLA FUNGUS, DIPOSABLE, STABBING DEVICE, BURT WARD, SCUMPULSE, ACID AGE, DEATHBUS, THE SLM, DUNT, SHATTERHAND, HELLRIPPER, to name a few. Go check ‘em out.

 Having blasted through your split with the Fastplants on Beer City Records, I was wondering how that came about? Beer City is a pretty well-known label and obviously a big part of the Skate Punk scene. Getting a release via them is a pretty decent way to get yourselves known out in the wider scene. Any plans to hit the road down South to England or Europe?

DWO: We pretty much just sent Mike Beer a link as said check us out. Then he got back to us and asked if we would record a split with THE FASTPLANTS…so we did. We all love DRI and ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, so it only seemed natural to take a chance. We would love to play England and we have tried to get gigs but nothing yet. Any offers get in touch. Europe is on the cards and we are back to Ireland in December to play the Warzone In Belfast.

 Clearly LD doesn’t take life overly seriously, and loves a good laugh in general. The Rogan Mosh is a classic example of the tale of too much spice in your life. so fellas, give us a list of your favourite curry houses in Edinburgh and a recommendation of menu choice!

DWO: OK just to clear this up… We all take life very seriously and we are 100% political in our own rights, just not in DWO. This is a release to get away from all that. The best curry in the world is the one you make yourself… DIY!!!!!!

 What’s your top 5 crossover records for anyone who’s missed out on the best music from the 80’s? (It seems to me there’s too many folks who think everything stopped at the Big 4 thrash bands, when in fact S.O.D., Excel, Ludichrist D.R.I. and others were turning out amazing albums that influenced the thrash metal crowd to go faster and harder). Fire at will.

DWO: We are going to do a top 10:
INTENSE DEGREE-WAR IN MY HEAD
TRANSGRESSION-COLD WORLD
DRESDEN 45-PARADISE LOST
NO MERCY-WIDESPREAD BLOODSHED
EXCEL-SPLIT IMAGE
ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT-NO MORE MR NICE GUY
DRI-FOUR OF A KIND
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES-JOIN THE ARMY
ROSEROSE-MOSH OF ASS
LEEWAY-BORN TO EXPIRE

 You played an unusual choice of cover at Bannerman’s when you supported Hellbastard. What made you choose, I think, Jailcell Recipes as a cover? I was fully expecting Hang The Pope or Money Talks. Top marks for the curveball. Always like to see bands do the unexpected, and I wasn’t the only person impressed by it.

DWO: LD and Smax are both 80s skate rats and grew up on the NORTH ATLANTIC NOISE ATTACK comp, SKATEBOARD! summer sampler, THE STUPIDS, SPERMBIRDS, THRASHER and PUSHEAD. So the JAILCELL RECIPES are a huge influence on us as a band. We also cover Skatebored by INTENSE DEGREE. Gotta love a curve ball….

 With the likes of Municipal Waste, the off shoot Iron Reagan, Toxic Holocaust and others breaking out and stirring up a rebirth of sorts for the classic thrash/crossover sound, who would be your dream band to tour with? What’s your thoughts on that whole scene, do you see it a bit of nostalgia or a genuine rebirth?

DWO: Tough question. Er MCRAD, INTENSE DEGREE, SPERMBIRDS, THE STUPIDS, JAILCELL. Yeah, pretty much anyone from that scene. AH HA!!!!! We would play with anyone actually, the more interesting the bill the better. That’s true crossover.
There are loads of great new crossover bands from the last ten years. Here’s yer list, go check ‘em out:
CRATERFACE, PARTY VIBEZ, ATOMIC DATH SQUAD, DISINTEGRATOR, BANDANOS, CROSS EXAMINATION, SxTxRxExExTxS, ED, INSANITY ALERT, SMASH POTATER, CRIPPLED FOX, DFC, BBQ CHICKENS, CYCOSIS, WAKING THE DEAD, THE SHINING, THE TERRORDACTYLS, TROPICAL STORM!, VERBAL RAZORS, REANIMANIACS, POSSUIDO PELO CAO, SSS, LOWLIFE, LEI DO CAO, BITING SOX ,NEGATIVE SELF, are a few.

 There’s a bit of debate over the last few years, and again recently about Slayer becoming the “Kerry King show” and arguments about money and contracts behind the scenes. Added to the fact that the last few albums haven’t been that great in honesty. Gary Holt’s playing out of his skin in Exodus, but pretty much is allowed to put a few leads on Kings riffs here n there. What d’you fellas think? (Contentious question alert! lol)

DWO: LD is going to try and answer this question. Kerry King is a dick. RIP Jeff. We do like old SLAYER and some of the guitar solos may sound like ‘em, but I think both Taco and Callan, as far as riffs and stuff are concerned, are too busy listening to every obscure thrash band from all over the world than to be that bothered about Kerry King. Gary Holt on the other hand, like Jeff, is a true legend.

 With Discharge releasing arguably their best album since Hear Nothing, Se Nothing, Say Nothing, certainly the first time in a long time a real hardcore album bothered the national chart here. Then Warwound dropping the awesome Burning The Blindfolds Of Bigots this year, do you see hardcore taking an up-swing?

DWO: Hardcore and punk in general has never really died ,so to speak. There’s new stuff that’s coming out from all over the world seriously kicks ass, you just have to find it. Bandcamp can be good for that. So yeah, things are getting better we think.

 That said, with your split just coming out this year, have you any more releases in the pipeline yourselves?

DWO: We just released a split with the mighty Deathbus that’s on Bandcamp and will be released on tape soon on DRINKING BEER IN BANDANA RECORDS. Other than that we have pretty much enough new songs to start recording another album very soon.

 As a now long retired skater myself, (I packed in coz permanently swollen hands made guitar playing painful at best! lol) Do you fellas not any issues with playing through skate injuries? A sprained ankle or jammed finger makes riffing or double bass drumming a bloody nightmare surely? Any horror stories for the kids?

 

DWO: Ok. We all have old injuries that come back to haunt us. LD is pretty much falling apart from both playing live, getting drunk, skateboarding and work. You just gotta battle on. As far as injuries go through skateboarding: LD has had some bad ones, check out his toes!

 Out of interest what do you fellas prefer in decks. The classic 80’s fish tail shape or the modern Rod Mullen style oval decks? What setups do you fellas ride and let’s have some deck pics? My favourite deck was the old Grosso devil by Santa Cruz, but any Zorlac deck is a cool ride. I still have my Metallica deck from the first run and it’s thrashed to buggery but not going anywhere so don’t ask.

DWO: Taco rides Creature and Anti Hero 8.75s LD rides shaped boards. Welcome, Black Label Skull Skates and he is riding 9.5 Blast Skates at the moment. Independent Trucks, Spitfire Wheels or Bones and rails are mandatory. Go check out Blast Skates decks here.
http://www.blastskates.com/board-series.html
and Welcome here
https://www.welcomeskateboards.com/
Favourite companies from 80s
POORHOUSE, H STREET, SMA, ZORLAC, DEATHBOX, SCHMITT STIX, DOGTOWN etc

 Last question from is: what’s your plans to spread the gospel of Worlwide Ballistic Thrash Attack and anything you want to add?

DWO: Keep playing, keep recording, keep it real. Teach the kids to circle pit and not do karate.

 Oh, forgot one…… As proud Scotsmen, where do you fellas stand on the most important debate in Scotland? Sausages: should they be round or square? Come on get it said, which way do you take your sausage?

DWO: Sausage is sausage. Keep it in yer pants. Flies spread disease so keep ‘em shut!

 

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