In this edition of Mosher Matters, we got hold of deathcore titans Whitechapel. The band is about to release their first DVD, “The Brotherhood of the Blade”, and we fired a quick round of questions at guitarist Zach Householder. Take a look!
What you thing of the moshing culture? Is a normal thing at your gigs? Are you cool with it?
Moshing has changed a lot over the years, as far as when I was younger and where it’s at now. I love nothing more than seeing a bunch of people out there just running around in circles or pushing each other and moshing… When it comes to the hardcore dancing and stuff like that, whatever; do your own thing. But when it comes to people intentionally hurting each other and hitting each other: yeah, I’m old and that shit’s stupid! I prefer people just having fun and picking each other back up [when] they fall down. Metal is about brotherhood and [when it comes to] that hardcore dancing shit when you’re just intentionally trying to hit people that are around you: fuck off. I could give a shit about it. So, take care of people around you when doing it and fun doing it. That’s the most important part.
What albums would you recommend to a teenager wanting to get into metal?
I started young, man. It’s different now. Even though it’s a classic, I couldn’t sit down and let people hear Fear Factory’s Demanufacture. They probably wouldn’t take it the same way I took it because it sounds nothing like anything that’s coming out today. When I was younger, that album was a staple in my childhood. It was on the Mortal Kombat soundtrack for the movie and I think that’s what open a lot of doorways for me.
What were your biggest influences in terms of playing style?
As far as playing, influence-wise it was a lot of… everybody starts pretty basic. I started with a lot of Metallica, Misfits, Iron Maiden, Fear Factory. As I got older, I got more into In Flames (I think they’re an incredible band), At the Gates… I learned to play a lot of that stuff when I was a kid and that kinda got me started on my metal roots. I didn’t actually started playing in a lot of bands that played stuff like that, but I played it a lot outside the bands. That’s a good start, anyway. Even Dimmu Borgir and Old Man’s Child - that’s good riffs! Testament… you can start there if you want some classics. Older metal style feel for some influence are definitely the bands to go to.
"Metal is about brotherhood"
- Zach
What's the least metal band you actually enjoy listening to?
I wouldn’t call them “metal”, necessarily, but they have a metal vibe: I love Ghost. I know people are on and off the wagon with Ghost, but I love them. I can’t help it. I think they’re incredible. I’m a big oldies and classic rock kind of guy, too. I grew up on that. So, the older I get, the more I find myself listening to it. Just to change the pace. As far as actual artists, I have a ton of guilty pleasures; we’d be here all day!
You've now played with great bands like Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth, The Black Dahlia Murder, Trivium, etc... what was the most fun tour to have played and why?
I think there’s two there: the first tour when we did Mayhem [Fest] and Marilyn Manson headlined. Our stage was a Metal Blade stage: it was us [Whitechapel] opening it, then there was Job for a Cowboy, The Black Dahlia Murder, Behemoth… and Cannibal Corpse headlined it. Of course, me being a fan of the majority of those bands there (I already knew the Job guys, I already knew the Black Dahlia guys…); but Behemoth and Cannibal - that was a pretty big fanboy moment for me. That was an incredible tour for me.
The next Mayhem we did in 2012, that was the one when Slipknot headlined it. I’m a huge Slipknot fan and a lot of people seem to be on the fence about them, but - honestly - if you experience them live, it changes everything if you weren’t a fan before. During that tour in, that was incredible. I think there was a week of that whole tour that I didn’t watch Slipknot. I think I watched them almost every night. And, of course, Slayer’s on there. Every time we’ve done Mayhem, Slayer’s been on it. So, those are milestones for me. If Whitechapel broke up tomorrow, I’ll at least think I did something with my life.
This short, exclusive set of questions is a part of a full interview to be featured on the first edition of the portuguese magazine Ultraje that comes out in November 9, and which you can (should!) pre-order here: http://ultraje.pt/ultraje-magazine/
Whitechapel’s Indiegogo funded DVD “The Brotherhood of the Blade” will hit the stores October 30th, preorder here: www.metalblade.com/whitechapel
Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitechapelmetal
Official Site: www.whitechapelband.com
Zack’s Twitter: www.twitter.com/Zachchapel
Photography: all rights reserved to the band.