by Bhuvanesh Santharam
3000AD is a three piece thrash metal band based in Christchurch, New Zealand. Doors Magazine interviewed guitarist of 3000AD Sam Pryor in view of the upcoming debut album The Void.
Thrash metal is a genre of metal that was born in the early 1980s. The pioneers of this genre were Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax - also known as the 'Big Four.' Thrash metal is identified with its fast paced riffs, cut throat vocals and rapid drum beats. The genre saw its peak in the '80s and eventually slowed down over the years. However there are upcoming musicians taking up the responsibility of preserving and reviving the genre that was once the headbanger’s choice.
Bhuvanesh: Where are you based?
Sam Pryor: Currently we are in Christchurch, New Zealand.
B: When was the band established and how long have you guys been playing music?
Sam: The band in its current form has been around for about three years, but the three of us have been working on various musical projects since high school.
B: Did you have to go out of your way to collect funds for your album?
Sam: It was a bit of a stretch, yes. Studio time is expensive but we did everything we could to make the process as cost effective as possible without compromising on quality. Basically we just did the drum tracking in studio and handled the guitar / vocal recording ourselves. Our drummer / singer is also a professional recording engineer which comes in handy.
B: How was your experience working with Eliran Kantor, who has made cover art for famous bands? Could you tell us something about how your association with Kantor might help your future prospects?
Sam: I really can’t speak highly enough of Eliran. He has an ability to dig deep into the music and ideas of an album and translate that “vibe” into amazing, unique visual compositions. We spent a lot of time writing and recording the album so the last thing we wanted to do was compromise it with sub-par artwork. Eliran definitely adds that extra layer of creditability to the project, which is invaluable in a saturated market.
B: How did your interest(s) for Thrash Metal develop and what drew you toward this particular genre?
Sam: My entry point to metal in general was 90’s era Metallica, after which I worked my way backwards and discovered thrash metal. I think thrash as a metal subgenre has a really good balance of heaviness, speed and melody. The other guys came from more of a punk background, stuff like Bad Religion, The Misfits, Rancid. There was enough crossover between our influences that we developed our own sound on that foundation.
B: What are the challenges you faced while making music that saw its peak in the 80s?
Sam: Thrash is definitely not the predominant metal subgenre in our local scene. So often we would end up playing with death metal / grindcore bands which was less than ideal. Plus New Zealand is a very small country so your audience potential is already quite limited. Long term we will probably relocate to Europe where this style is better understood and appreciated.
B: Who are your main sources of inspiration?
Sam: Inspiration can literally come from anywhere and sometimes seemingly from nowhere. You have traditional sources like music / books / movies. But then sometimes an idea will just pop into your head or a song will almost write itself. It’s very hard to pin down, but the recurring feature I’ve noticed and have heard mentioned by other musicians, is that the best stuff usually comes spontaneously. If you sit down and try to do something specific it generally doesn’t work out, at least not for me!
B: Is 3000 AD a full time project or do you also pursue careers outside the music industry?
Sam: We all have day jobs currently, it’s no secret that music is not the most lucrative career choice, especially in the developing stages of a band. Thankfully our day jobs can contribute to the band. As mentioned our singer is a recording engineer and I work in website development and marketing so that saves us some money for sure.
B: What kind of music do you guys listen to?
Sam: Musically for me it’s old Metallica, Slayer and Sepultura primarily. But I also love the groove of Pantera and the melody and riffs of old In Flames. I guess riff wise that’s the hybrid, thrash metal style blended with melodic death metal style. Vocally I think that’s where more of the punk influences come into play.
B: How long have you been working on The Void?
Sam: It’s been about 5 years in the making I believe, at times it seemed like it would never be finished! Ultimately I’m glad we took our time though, it’s definitely made it a stronger album. In fact we are still making minor refinements to some of the songs but I guess that will just be for live performances.
B: What, in your opinion is the future of metal in the world?
Sam: I think as the world becomes more connected via technology it can only help spread metal further than ever before. You see documentaries about thriving metal scenes in very isolated African countries now, I can’t imagine that would have been the case a few years back.
B: How difficult is it to make original music in an industry driven by technology?
Sam: This is a good question, I think sonically you can certainly run into trouble sounding original if too many bands start using the same guitar plugins and drum samples. You risk everything starting to sound a bit sterile. That’s one of the reasons we committed to studio drum recordings and real amps for the guitar sound on The Void.
B: Do you have plans to tour/perform live in the near future?
Sam: We are looking at touring Europe later this year when the album comes out. After that I guess we will just see where the demand lies to determine our next move.
B: India has a fairly large metal fan base. Bands such as Lamb of God, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Meshuggah and Megadeth among many others have performed in the country. How do you hope to introduce your presence in the metal universe to India?
Sam: Well via this magazine is a good start! That’s great to hear the metal scene is strong in India. I do remember seeing a few Indian guys at the local metal bars (back before the earthquake here demolished them) but I had no idea that it was doing well in the mother country too, that’s awesome.
B: What is it about metal that you all love, and what sets the genre apart from, say, EDM, pop, blues and country?
Sam: I think for me it was always the energy and the power. I think the difference with metal is once you get into it, the more mainstream genres seem very weak sounding in comparison. I also think its genuineness sets it apart and adds to its longevity. True metal was never a trend and was never overly image based, it’s just about the music.
B: What can your fans expect from your new release?
Sam: A modern interpretation of the classic thrash sound and lyrically an epic journey through an apocalyptic dystopian future.
B: How is the response for your music in your country?
Sam: We have only released bits and pieces of the album at this stage but the response has been overwhelmingly positive. We’re excited to get the full product out there.
B: Metal, from the very start, has been seen as a rebellious, loud and dangerous genre of music. Do you see yourselves as rebels or people with a mission to change the way people think and act?
Sam: I think every metal fan is a rebel to some degree. As a starting point you have to reject what is shoved down your throat by the mainstream music gatekeepers. This is a music style that has never been properly respected or treated fairly and yet people continue to gravitate towards it. As for if we (as a band) have a mission, we don’t tend to like bands that are too agenda driven and so shy away from that.
B: What is your philosophy in life?
Sam: Don’t be an asshole and don’t let others get away with being an asshole to you.
B: How did your families respond when you began pursuing a career in the music industry?
Sam: My parents definitely thought I was wasting my time in the early days. Their generation have a tough time understanding this style of music I think. You can’t let that discourage you though, in my case it actually fuelled me to push harder.
B: What are your songs about, what are they based on?
Sam: All the songs on The Void are based around this theme of an apocalyptic dystopian future where the earth essentially becomes unviable. It was never intended to be a “concept” album but we quickly identified the common thread in the lyrics. I think Eliran’s art captures this vision extremely well.
B: Finally, what is your message to the metal world?
Sam: Don’t be shy to share your love of metal. You will find allies in unlikely places.
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