Matt Camacho - Forbidden
In the 80’s thrash reigned supreme and Forbidden were right in the heart of it. Their records were dark, loud metal statements that were not to be forgotten. Fast forward to 2010 and they are back with a vengeance in the form of the nasty release Omega Wave. Matt Camacho, their bruising bass player, took the time for a Q & A to talk new record and how they got too it.
An interview with Matt Camacho of Forbidden.
By Jeffrey Easton
Metal Exiles: To start off with, how does it feel to have Forbidden recording and releasing a record almost 25 years after the start up of the band?
Matt Camacho: Since we’ve been at it for a couple of years it feels like I’ve never left and seems like second nature. However, a couple of years ago I never imagined I would be back here, so I’m totally excited to go from working and college to a new release and a new tour. I do have that same anxious feeling just like when I was a young kid before the album Forbidden Evil came out.
Metal Exiles: Considering the hiatuses of the band, what have you done musically besides Forbidden for the last decade?
Matt: After Forbidden broke up, everyone continued playing music except for me. The other guys all did various other projects, Russ’s was more on the local bar level. Craig, Steve and Tim all went on to play in some popular bands. I was personally disillusioned with the music business and put way to many expectations on us getting the right tours and support from the record company rather than just doing what I do best and what I Love and that’s playing Metal. I spent a good part of a decade back in school. Now that that I’m back in Forbidden I’ve never felt happier and have no regrets and giving my heart and soul to Forbidden.
Metal Exiles: 1997’s Green was the last record released by Forbidden. When you finally sat down to do a new record, what did you want to take from that album as a learning experience into Omega Wave?
Matt: There are always things that you take from past recording experiences, things that you may have wanted to do differently such as recording techniques, sounds, and performances. We more or less went back to our roots on this record. You get allot of the same sounds and feelings of our first two albums and I think that people who were into Green will catch elements of that style, but not only that you are getting allot of our original influences
Metal Exiles: Omega Wave is an astonishing testament to how great metal can still be in 2010. When were the seeds for this album planted and how did you know it was the right time for Forbidden to return?
Matt: At first this was going to be just for fun, we go out and play some festivals in Europe, maybe travel to some of the major cities around the States to play the old stuff, maybe we would make some dollars too. When we hit the European festival circuit we were blown away at the response. It had been almost 15 years since we were last in Europe and not only were there the older fans but we noticed a whole new younger generation and they were heavily into Forbidden. Then, there was this hippy looking guy with a Death Angel shirt following us around at a festival in Belgium, he had arranged a fan meet and Greet, and was talking to Craig over in the corner. It turns out that he was head of A&R from Nuclear Blast Records and said that he wanted to sign us and it began this process that lasted a little over a year where he constantly sold us on a new Forbidden album and how much Nuclear Blast would work for us. A few other labels expressed interest but in the end we concluded there is no better label for metal the Nuclear Blast.
Metal Exiles: A Lot of the tones on the album are reminiscent of the 80s thrash sound but with modern elements and production. What did you guys do in the studio to avoid coming off as a nostalgia act?
Matt: Thanks for the props; I believe there are two reasons for this. First, we intentionally reached back to our roots and you can hear the old school Bay Area sound that’s familiar on our first couple of records. Second, although Forbidden has been broken up for almost 13 years the other guys never stepped away from playing music, in addition to playing in other Metal Bands Craig, Steve, and Mark have all played in accomplished Rock and Punk bands which I think has only contributed to their maturity as song writers. The album’s ability to be fresh with a modern touch I believe can be contributed to all the different aspects of music everyone’s played.
Metal Exiles: Forsaken At the Gates is the first track to be released from the record. What does this track do for the band and what kind of impact is it making on the fan base?
Matt: When we contemplate the order of songs on the album we concentrate on the flow, how songs sound back to back, and with the first track it was important for us to really hit people over the head with total all out aggression. Forsaken not only has these elements but I think this is a pure Forbidden song as it relates to our most identifiable sounds.
Metal Exiles: Dragging My Casket has flourishes of heaviness but the main melody line features a hypnotic groove. What were the building blocks for that great track?
Matt: Around the half way point of the song writing Craig started to explain some of the song concepts he was working on, Government entities controlled by corporations and secret societies, intentionally altered vaccines, a phony and unsustainable economic and political system leading to eventual doom of our society, and what life would be like once society falls apart. I thought if Craig believed half of this stuff how could he walk around in everyday life feeling optimistic and not suffer from our impending doom. The title “Dragging My Casket” is my contrarian take to someone who is bothered by these conspiracies. I thought there must be such a burden of knowing that your world is coming to an end, it must feel as if you were pulling death right along with you. I jotted down a few versus and worked on a simple but dark sounding guitar and vocal melody. One of Craig’s fortes is taking an idea and creating a spark and expands sometimes in total different directions. The simple melody led to a heavy guitar verse and then he just started flowing along with Mark and the many different rhythms and changes this song has. When Craig and Russ worked on the melodies the end result is a person at the end of his rope, one foot in the grave, begging for help from all the confusion of knowing he’s guided by conspiracies, what sets this tune apart is that I can hear and feel the pain and fear in Russ’s voice.
Metal Exiles: Chatter is an interesting insertion into the album. What is behind that track and why did the band create it?
Matt: Chatter was an idea spawned by Craig and our guitar tech, Ed Koeller, months before we recorded Omega Wave. So much of the record has to do with information over-load and what to believe amongst the chaos on the news, TV, radio and the internet, that it felt necessary to create a piece of music that sets up that anxiety. There are so many different theories about the means to humanity's end that one couldn't possibly pick just one or make sense of all of them. Choose your fate, so to speak. So Chatter sets up Dragging my Casket, it's the perfect paranoid backdrop.
Metal Exiles: Swine is a slow, dark brooding piece. What is the meaning behind that track and where did the music come from to back it up?
Matt: The music for Omega Wave was primarily written by Craig Locicero. It was also one of the first songs written for the album, and when I heard it for the first time, I thought what a departure from the previous tracks. This tune has such a slow heavy doom feel but then as you are in this mode it suddenly reverts to super fast and heavy middle section that blows my mind away. This track also has one of my favorite solo sections; Steve Smyth hits it out of the Ball Park here. Craig and Russ wrote the lyrics around the time of the Swine Flu epidemic, and allot of the conspiracy internet theories regarding Government and Corporations intentionally causing the Swine pandemic. It blows me away at all of the credible sources and rumors going back and forth at this time, but I have the feeling that the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Metal Exiles: The album art work is classic Forbidden with one of the your original artists, Kent Mathieu, back on board. How did you get him back and what was the basis behind this great piece of art?
Matt: Around the time that we inked our deal with Nuclear Blast our A&R guy had said he had been in recent contact with Kent. It was perfect timing to reach out to him since we were intentionally using allot of our old school elements for this new album. I also liked the fact that by using Kent we would have somewhat of a Retro old school type cover. It appeared to me that so many of the current bands of our genre had very similar album covers and Kent is a painter and not a graphic artist, the old school way would definitely set us apart. We also intended to use the theme of the Forbidden Evil Album, when you think of Forbidden past and present, you think of the crashing skulls. This is our trademark, the Good Versus Evil, so symbolic and so many people have their own take on this. The skulls also look great as tattoos and on merchandise. Craig was the one that came up with the album cover concept of using the Mayan Crystal Skull and incorporate the two crashing skulls together. Were all familiar with the Mayan 2012 prophecies and the mysteries of the crystal skull so it all ties in with the theme of Omega Wave lyrical content
Metal Exiles: With the album done and set for release, are any jitters of “Will the fans like this record” gone? What are your feelings overall on Omega Wave?
Metal Exiles: I’ve learned that this stuff is out of my control, but one thing I can say for certain, more than any other Forbidden Record is that no matter what happens I can die happy because I’m so proud of the music and concepts. To be a part of Omega Wave, to have input on such a great record that I think will stand the test of time. Whether or not it achieves enough success so that we can continue to create music will be determined over the next year.
Metal Exiles: You have two new members in the form of Steve Smyth on guitar and Mark Hernandez on drums. How did you get these guys in the band and what did they bring to the table?
Matt: I’ve been with Forbidden since 1987 and on every record. I think this is truly the best line up ever. Not taking away from all of the fabulous talent that has been in Forbidden but I think the difference is all of our experiences and the lack of hang-ups that we had when we were teenagers. During the previous albums I remember all of us taking things way to personal, band fights and disagreements were so common which I feel might have held us back at times. But now we rarely take things personal, we all communicate better, and we accept each other’s shortcomings. Everyone in Forbidden is a veteran of the music scene, did years of touring and all have been through this process before and by having these experiences it allows us to concentrate mostly on the music.
We have known both Steve and Mark for years now. Steve was gigging in Testament for years and even filled in for Craig for Thrash of the Titans when Craig was held up in the studio. Steve has brought so much to the table not only Riffs but whole song ideas, his writing style is based from the same early bay area influences and he is not only a great lead guitarist but his solo compositions and melodies truly stick in your head. Mark Hernandez is another phenomenal drummer who was already well known in the Bay from his stints with Violence, Heathen and the legendary punk band Social Unrest. I’ve played with Paul Bostaph, Steve Jacobs, and Gene Hoglan, and I would have to say that Mark’s the tightest drummer I’ve ever played with
Metal Exiles: Your bass playing laid a great foundation for the record while supplying a great groove. What were your contributions to the album and what goes into your bass playing?
Matt: Thanks, I happen to play with some phenomenal musicians and didn’t contribute as much as Craig and Steve but I have two writing credits on the album: Dragging My Casket and Hopenosis. I brought in the riffs that started the spark for those songs. However, one of the great things about being in this band is we structure riffs together, recorded everything and we all get to put in our two cents on the arrangements. As far as my bass playing, I’m a work still in progress, I took almost 10 yrs off to return to College and didn’t get back to serious playing to shortly before we recorded. Although I played better than I ever have I feel so excited to be able to mostly concentrate on playing full time this year as we tour and have time at home to write rather than work.
Metal Exiles: What set up did you use for the record as far as what you played and why?
Matt: I used Ernie Ball Music Man Basses because they have a certain high end mid range cut that is so crucial with the huge guitar and drum sounds. As far as Bass gear, I play Ampeg SVT Bass pro tube heads with the refrigerator 8 x 10” speakers. This was blended in with a Line 6 Bass pod, and then we also had a clean track running through the mixing board. Also, Sean Beavin, the guy that mixed the album, added a little bit of dirtiness to the tone for a few of the songs.
Metal Exiles: To step back for a moment, like Laaz Rockit, Nuclear Assault and some of the other bands from the late 80s era, you guys never made it to the big time. What do you think was missing as far as label support etc that kept Forbidden from grabbing the next ring?
Matt: I think we did our fair share blaming and making excuses why we didn’t make it to the next level. It could have been timing, decisions, song writing, record company, members leaving, delays in securing record deal, and management. It could be all of these or just a couple of these choices but I think now we spend less time worrying about becoming popular then just doing what we love and letting go of the past. I think we all feel a sense of gratitude that we get another shot at recording an album, a great label to support it, and some cool tours coming up. At this age and this stage of the game I realize that music is cylindrical, it took a whole decade for Thrash to be relevant again and I’m sure this run will end again and then years later return again, if we can be remembered as a decent band then we did good.
Metal Exiles: On that same note, you guys still have a cadre of stalwart fans that never gave up on you. Is that the same as making to the big time in your heads?
Matt: When we broke up we were playing local shows in the SF Bay area in front of about 200 fans. I always thought that we probably should have broken up several years earlier. But then fast forward to 2008 and I had been in school, working full time, bringing up a family and then Craig and Paul reached out to do the European Reunion festivals, and Holy Shit. I’ll never forget walking on stage in front of 35,000 people opening for Kiss in Belgium. Of course the majority was there for Kiss, but to be considered relevant enough to open! That was so awesome after thinking I would never play in Forbidden again. The amazing thing was the autograph signing sessions we did, we really got to talk to the fans and what our music did for them. It was such an honor and although we’ve never had commercial success the fact that we’ve touched and inspired lives, I can’t ever complain.
Metal Exiles: What do the fans have to look forward to after the release of the album as far as touring and other promotions for the album?
Matt: This album is worth every penny, front to back; true metal fans will love for sure. We are in the process of preparing to step up our game and hit the stage giving it our all live and we will not disappoint.
Forbidden MySpace!
BUY OMEGA WAVE!!
An interview with Matt Camacho of Forbidden.
By Jeffrey Easton
Metal Exiles: To start off with, how does it feel to have Forbidden recording and releasing a record almost 25 years after the start up of the band?
Matt Camacho: Since we’ve been at it for a couple of years it feels like I’ve never left and seems like second nature. However, a couple of years ago I never imagined I would be back here, so I’m totally excited to go from working and college to a new release and a new tour. I do have that same anxious feeling just like when I was a young kid before the album Forbidden Evil came out.
Metal Exiles: Considering the hiatuses of the band, what have you done musically besides Forbidden for the last decade?
Matt: After Forbidden broke up, everyone continued playing music except for me. The other guys all did various other projects, Russ’s was more on the local bar level. Craig, Steve and Tim all went on to play in some popular bands. I was personally disillusioned with the music business and put way to many expectations on us getting the right tours and support from the record company rather than just doing what I do best and what I Love and that’s playing Metal. I spent a good part of a decade back in school. Now that that I’m back in Forbidden I’ve never felt happier and have no regrets and giving my heart and soul to Forbidden.
Metal Exiles: 1997’s Green was the last record released by Forbidden. When you finally sat down to do a new record, what did you want to take from that album as a learning experience into Omega Wave?
Matt: There are always things that you take from past recording experiences, things that you may have wanted to do differently such as recording techniques, sounds, and performances. We more or less went back to our roots on this record. You get allot of the same sounds and feelings of our first two albums and I think that people who were into Green will catch elements of that style, but not only that you are getting allot of our original influences
Metal Exiles: Omega Wave is an astonishing testament to how great metal can still be in 2010. When were the seeds for this album planted and how did you know it was the right time for Forbidden to return?
Matt: At first this was going to be just for fun, we go out and play some festivals in Europe, maybe travel to some of the major cities around the States to play the old stuff, maybe we would make some dollars too. When we hit the European festival circuit we were blown away at the response. It had been almost 15 years since we were last in Europe and not only were there the older fans but we noticed a whole new younger generation and they were heavily into Forbidden. Then, there was this hippy looking guy with a Death Angel shirt following us around at a festival in Belgium, he had arranged a fan meet and Greet, and was talking to Craig over in the corner. It turns out that he was head of A&R from Nuclear Blast Records and said that he wanted to sign us and it began this process that lasted a little over a year where he constantly sold us on a new Forbidden album and how much Nuclear Blast would work for us. A few other labels expressed interest but in the end we concluded there is no better label for metal the Nuclear Blast.
Metal Exiles: A Lot of the tones on the album are reminiscent of the 80s thrash sound but with modern elements and production. What did you guys do in the studio to avoid coming off as a nostalgia act?
Matt: Thanks for the props; I believe there are two reasons for this. First, we intentionally reached back to our roots and you can hear the old school Bay Area sound that’s familiar on our first couple of records. Second, although Forbidden has been broken up for almost 13 years the other guys never stepped away from playing music, in addition to playing in other Metal Bands Craig, Steve, and Mark have all played in accomplished Rock and Punk bands which I think has only contributed to their maturity as song writers. The album’s ability to be fresh with a modern touch I believe can be contributed to all the different aspects of music everyone’s played.
Metal Exiles: Forsaken At the Gates is the first track to be released from the record. What does this track do for the band and what kind of impact is it making on the fan base?
Matt: When we contemplate the order of songs on the album we concentrate on the flow, how songs sound back to back, and with the first track it was important for us to really hit people over the head with total all out aggression. Forsaken not only has these elements but I think this is a pure Forbidden song as it relates to our most identifiable sounds.
Metal Exiles: Dragging My Casket has flourishes of heaviness but the main melody line features a hypnotic groove. What were the building blocks for that great track?
Matt: Around the half way point of the song writing Craig started to explain some of the song concepts he was working on, Government entities controlled by corporations and secret societies, intentionally altered vaccines, a phony and unsustainable economic and political system leading to eventual doom of our society, and what life would be like once society falls apart. I thought if Craig believed half of this stuff how could he walk around in everyday life feeling optimistic and not suffer from our impending doom. The title “Dragging My Casket” is my contrarian take to someone who is bothered by these conspiracies. I thought there must be such a burden of knowing that your world is coming to an end, it must feel as if you were pulling death right along with you. I jotted down a few versus and worked on a simple but dark sounding guitar and vocal melody. One of Craig’s fortes is taking an idea and creating a spark and expands sometimes in total different directions. The simple melody led to a heavy guitar verse and then he just started flowing along with Mark and the many different rhythms and changes this song has. When Craig and Russ worked on the melodies the end result is a person at the end of his rope, one foot in the grave, begging for help from all the confusion of knowing he’s guided by conspiracies, what sets this tune apart is that I can hear and feel the pain and fear in Russ’s voice.
Metal Exiles: Chatter is an interesting insertion into the album. What is behind that track and why did the band create it?
Matt: Chatter was an idea spawned by Craig and our guitar tech, Ed Koeller, months before we recorded Omega Wave. So much of the record has to do with information over-load and what to believe amongst the chaos on the news, TV, radio and the internet, that it felt necessary to create a piece of music that sets up that anxiety. There are so many different theories about the means to humanity's end that one couldn't possibly pick just one or make sense of all of them. Choose your fate, so to speak. So Chatter sets up Dragging my Casket, it's the perfect paranoid backdrop.
Metal Exiles: Swine is a slow, dark brooding piece. What is the meaning behind that track and where did the music come from to back it up?
Matt: The music for Omega Wave was primarily written by Craig Locicero. It was also one of the first songs written for the album, and when I heard it for the first time, I thought what a departure from the previous tracks. This tune has such a slow heavy doom feel but then as you are in this mode it suddenly reverts to super fast and heavy middle section that blows my mind away. This track also has one of my favorite solo sections; Steve Smyth hits it out of the Ball Park here. Craig and Russ wrote the lyrics around the time of the Swine Flu epidemic, and allot of the conspiracy internet theories regarding Government and Corporations intentionally causing the Swine pandemic. It blows me away at all of the credible sources and rumors going back and forth at this time, but I have the feeling that the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Metal Exiles: The album art work is classic Forbidden with one of the your original artists, Kent Mathieu, back on board. How did you get him back and what was the basis behind this great piece of art?
Matt: Around the time that we inked our deal with Nuclear Blast our A&R guy had said he had been in recent contact with Kent. It was perfect timing to reach out to him since we were intentionally using allot of our old school elements for this new album. I also liked the fact that by using Kent we would have somewhat of a Retro old school type cover. It appeared to me that so many of the current bands of our genre had very similar album covers and Kent is a painter and not a graphic artist, the old school way would definitely set us apart. We also intended to use the theme of the Forbidden Evil Album, when you think of Forbidden past and present, you think of the crashing skulls. This is our trademark, the Good Versus Evil, so symbolic and so many people have their own take on this. The skulls also look great as tattoos and on merchandise. Craig was the one that came up with the album cover concept of using the Mayan Crystal Skull and incorporate the two crashing skulls together. Were all familiar with the Mayan 2012 prophecies and the mysteries of the crystal skull so it all ties in with the theme of Omega Wave lyrical content
Metal Exiles: With the album done and set for release, are any jitters of “Will the fans like this record” gone? What are your feelings overall on Omega Wave?
Metal Exiles: I’ve learned that this stuff is out of my control, but one thing I can say for certain, more than any other Forbidden Record is that no matter what happens I can die happy because I’m so proud of the music and concepts. To be a part of Omega Wave, to have input on such a great record that I think will stand the test of time. Whether or not it achieves enough success so that we can continue to create music will be determined over the next year.
Metal Exiles: You have two new members in the form of Steve Smyth on guitar and Mark Hernandez on drums. How did you get these guys in the band and what did they bring to the table?
Matt: I’ve been with Forbidden since 1987 and on every record. I think this is truly the best line up ever. Not taking away from all of the fabulous talent that has been in Forbidden but I think the difference is all of our experiences and the lack of hang-ups that we had when we were teenagers. During the previous albums I remember all of us taking things way to personal, band fights and disagreements were so common which I feel might have held us back at times. But now we rarely take things personal, we all communicate better, and we accept each other’s shortcomings. Everyone in Forbidden is a veteran of the music scene, did years of touring and all have been through this process before and by having these experiences it allows us to concentrate mostly on the music.
We have known both Steve and Mark for years now. Steve was gigging in Testament for years and even filled in for Craig for Thrash of the Titans when Craig was held up in the studio. Steve has brought so much to the table not only Riffs but whole song ideas, his writing style is based from the same early bay area influences and he is not only a great lead guitarist but his solo compositions and melodies truly stick in your head. Mark Hernandez is another phenomenal drummer who was already well known in the Bay from his stints with Violence, Heathen and the legendary punk band Social Unrest. I’ve played with Paul Bostaph, Steve Jacobs, and Gene Hoglan, and I would have to say that Mark’s the tightest drummer I’ve ever played with
Metal Exiles: Your bass playing laid a great foundation for the record while supplying a great groove. What were your contributions to the album and what goes into your bass playing?
Matt: Thanks, I happen to play with some phenomenal musicians and didn’t contribute as much as Craig and Steve but I have two writing credits on the album: Dragging My Casket and Hopenosis. I brought in the riffs that started the spark for those songs. However, one of the great things about being in this band is we structure riffs together, recorded everything and we all get to put in our two cents on the arrangements. As far as my bass playing, I’m a work still in progress, I took almost 10 yrs off to return to College and didn’t get back to serious playing to shortly before we recorded. Although I played better than I ever have I feel so excited to be able to mostly concentrate on playing full time this year as we tour and have time at home to write rather than work.
Metal Exiles: What set up did you use for the record as far as what you played and why?
Matt: I used Ernie Ball Music Man Basses because they have a certain high end mid range cut that is so crucial with the huge guitar and drum sounds. As far as Bass gear, I play Ampeg SVT Bass pro tube heads with the refrigerator 8 x 10” speakers. This was blended in with a Line 6 Bass pod, and then we also had a clean track running through the mixing board. Also, Sean Beavin, the guy that mixed the album, added a little bit of dirtiness to the tone for a few of the songs.
Metal Exiles: To step back for a moment, like Laaz Rockit, Nuclear Assault and some of the other bands from the late 80s era, you guys never made it to the big time. What do you think was missing as far as label support etc that kept Forbidden from grabbing the next ring?
Matt: I think we did our fair share blaming and making excuses why we didn’t make it to the next level. It could have been timing, decisions, song writing, record company, members leaving, delays in securing record deal, and management. It could be all of these or just a couple of these choices but I think now we spend less time worrying about becoming popular then just doing what we love and letting go of the past. I think we all feel a sense of gratitude that we get another shot at recording an album, a great label to support it, and some cool tours coming up. At this age and this stage of the game I realize that music is cylindrical, it took a whole decade for Thrash to be relevant again and I’m sure this run will end again and then years later return again, if we can be remembered as a decent band then we did good.
Metal Exiles: On that same note, you guys still have a cadre of stalwart fans that never gave up on you. Is that the same as making to the big time in your heads?
Matt: When we broke up we were playing local shows in the SF Bay area in front of about 200 fans. I always thought that we probably should have broken up several years earlier. But then fast forward to 2008 and I had been in school, working full time, bringing up a family and then Craig and Paul reached out to do the European Reunion festivals, and Holy Shit. I’ll never forget walking on stage in front of 35,000 people opening for Kiss in Belgium. Of course the majority was there for Kiss, but to be considered relevant enough to open! That was so awesome after thinking I would never play in Forbidden again. The amazing thing was the autograph signing sessions we did, we really got to talk to the fans and what our music did for them. It was such an honor and although we’ve never had commercial success the fact that we’ve touched and inspired lives, I can’t ever complain.
Metal Exiles: What do the fans have to look forward to after the release of the album as far as touring and other promotions for the album?
Matt: This album is worth every penny, front to back; true metal fans will love for sure. We are in the process of preparing to step up our game and hit the stage giving it our all live and we will not disappoint.
Forbidden MySpace!
BUY OMEGA WAVE!!
