In a brand new interview with Rock Music, Man, SPINESHANK vocalist Jonny Santos spoke concerning the reunion of the Los Angeles-based nu steel/industrial steel band. Becoming a member of Santos, drummer Tommy Decker and bassist/vocalist Robert Garcia in SPINESHANK‘s 2025 lineup are new recruits Tommy Decker, Jr. (Tommy Decker‘s son) and Jason Hager (ex-CHIMAIRA) on guitar. Santos stated (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): ”It is unreal. The final time we toured, it was a really dangerous local weather for brand spanking new steel bands of our period, and it was virtually demoralizing. After we went out on tour, bands like us, we have been like a fucking pariah. And so we got here off that final tour, and the morale was simply low — low ticket gross sales, and simply we have been struggling on the market. And that is once we sort of thought that it was over. So once they requested us to get again collectively to do that [reunion], we have been, like, ‘Are you guys loopy? Have you learnt what occurred on our final tour?’ And now we’re popping out, and the fucking exhibits — it is insane. The individuals are popping out in droves. Our U.Okay. tour is half offered out already. We simply offered out fucking London the opposite night time, and it is, like, ‘What the fuck is happening?’ So we’re extraordinarily blown away.”
Looking forward to SPINESHANK‘s future, Santos stated: “If we determine to go ahead and perhaps do some new music, that’d be one factor, but when we determine to not, at the very least we get to provide the band a warrior’s dying. I wish to see the band go ahead with a pair songs and see how they do. However I believe that at this level, this tour has proven me thus far is we have solidified our place on this group. And so I believe we may nonetheless proceed to tour yearly or once in a while. And it is simply very vindicating, as a result of numerous bands like us received thrown away throughout that complete ‘fuck nu steel’ period. So it is actually vindicating. I see you individuals on the market, the motherfuckers, you have been speaking shit, and now I see you on the market going, ‘Oh, SPINESHANK‘s again.’ I fucking see you. [Laughs]”
Earlier this month, Decker spoke to Discoveringbands by Michael Nagy < spoke about the potential for new SPINESHANK music. He stated on the time: “There’s some stuff [in the works]. There’s some stuff. It could be a short time [before it’s released]. We have gotta Tommy Junior and Hager, the brand new additions to the band, [on it]. So we received a number of songs. We’ll see what occurs. [It will arrive] in all probability someday subsequent yr.”
Requested concerning the musical route of the brand new SPINESHANK materials, Decker stated: “It is extra SPINESHANK. We wish to have the heaviness. We wish to have the melody. Everybody desires the electronics. So it is simply SPINESHANK 13 years later. It is all the time gonna be heavy. It is all the time gonna be a pleasant hook and there is all the time gonna be electronics. So it is who we’re.”
SPINESHANK performed its first present in almost 13 years on July 9 at Jake’s Sports activities Cafe & Backroom in Lubbock, Texas.
SPINESHANK teamed up with THE UNION UNDERGROUND for the “25 Years Of Revolt & Callousness” tour this summer season. This commemorative, co-headline trek, with particular visitors ADEMA and SICKSENSE, is celebrating the twenty fifth anniversaries of SPINESHANK‘s sophomore studio album “The Top Of Callousness” and THE UNION UNDERGROUND sole studio LP, “…An Schooling In Revolt”.
This previous June, Santos confirmed to Rock Feed {that a} new music from SPINESHANK would arrive within the coming weeks. “We’re actually within the studio making an attempt to complete proper now,” he stated. “The music has been recorded. Proper now it is within the last means of being edited. We’re gonna truly begin listening to roughs this week.”
Santos additionally addressed the rationale he and the remainder of SPINESHANK‘s 2025 lineup have determined to launch one observe versus specializing in making a full-length report. “Individuals are, like, nicely, why are we solely doing one music?’ Jonny stated. “‘Trigger we do not know. We’ve not put a report out in 12 years. “Trigger let’s face it, the SHINESHANK factor proper now, [the upcoming tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of] ‘The Top Of Callousness’, that is nostalgic. We’re not on the market pumping a brand new report. We’re celebrating one in all our greatest information. That is what we’re doing. So what we determined to do is… Will we wanna do a brand new report? ‘Trigger now now we have little Tommy taking part in guitar, which is fucking superior; he shreds. And we have Jason Hager; all people is aware of Jason. He is from CHIMAIRA. So we get these two new guys, they usually clearly wanna do a brand new report. However 5 months in the past, we did not even know individuals even cared about SPINESHANK. So let’s maintain on right here a second earlier than we begin placing new information out. I stated, ‘Let’s do one music. Let’s put this music on the market. We’ll get it out to the plenty, and let’s examine the way it’s obtained.’ That is gonna inform us proper there — I really feel it’s going to inform us if we’re only a nostalgic act, that individuals simply wanna come hear the hits and really feel like they’re 18 once more, or we put this new music out. Does it pattern? Does it fucking blow up? Then that can point out proper there, ‘Okay, guys, let’s go do a brand new report and begin placing new songs out.’ And I believe that is a good manner to take a look at it as a substitute of simply assuming that since we’re doing nicely and exhibits are promoting out proper now, that we’re simply gonna put an album and all people’s gonna find it irresistible.”
Relating to the musical route of the brand new SPINESHANK music, Jonny stated: “Effectively, I’ll inform you this a lot. It is received all the weather that’s what is SPINESHANK. One of many greatest complaints we had on the final SPINESHANK report was followers have been, like, ‘It is not digital sufficient.’ And I noticed that. I felt that in a manner. There was numerous programming on that album; we have been simply utilizing natural sounds because the loops and stuff. However I perceive what the followers meant. So this time round, the SPINESHANK recipe, if you’ll — the music’s gotta have vitality. It is gotta be heavy. It is gotta be catchy. It is gotta have a hook. I do not care. I fucking love singing in fucking steel songs. All these individuals on the market [who say], ‘That is lame that you simply sing’ — fuck you. You have gotta deliver ladies to the present too. So you have gotta have vitality. It is gotta be heavy. You have gotta have a hook. And with SPINESHANK, it is gotta have that digital side and that soiled, nasty, digital side. Very industrial — ‘Antichrist Celebrity’ [MARILYN MANSON] industrial. I really like when you’ve got a cool loop. Distort that motherfucker. So it is that complete ATARI TEENAGE RIOT dirtiness to it.”
After releasing three profitable albums (“Strictly Diesel”, “The Top Of Callousness” and “Self-Damaging Sample”),acting on numerous world excursions (together with appearances on Ozzfest and the Obtain pageant) and a Grammy nomination in 2004, SPINESHANK went on a hiatus.
SPINESHANK‘s fourth album, “Anger Denial Acceptance”, was launched in June 2012 by way of Century Media Information. The CD was produced by SPINESHANK guitarist Mike Sarkisyan and drummer Tommy Decker and blended by Mike Plotnikoff (PAPA ROACH, BUCKCHERRY).
SPINESHANK‘s third LP, “Self-Damaging Sample”, was launched in September 2003. The album’s lead single, “Smothered”, was nominated for a Grammy within the class of “Finest Steel Efficiency”.
This previous April, Jonny advised the “Discuss Toomey” podcast about the potential for SPINESHANK releasing new music to coincide with the present tour: ”We by no means received an opportunity to essentially exit on a excessive be aware. And so once we first began on the point of do all this, doing one other report wasn’t actually even talked about. It was extra of simply, like, ‘Hey, let’s simply exit and do [‘The Height Of Callousness’] in its entirety’ and provides the band its warrior’s dying, if you’ll — going out on a powerful be aware as a substitute of simply falling into obscurity.
“Now it is gotten to the purpose… So proper now I am within the studio ending up some edits and mixing the primary SPINESHANK music since 2012,” Santos defined. “So now we have one new music popping out. As a result of I believe the best way that we really feel that we’ll know is, let’s examine how this SPINESHANK music does. If it is accepted nicely and individuals are enthusiastic about it, if it does nicely, then perhaps there could possibly be one other album within the works. Or if something, perhaps even an EP. Who is aware of?”
Referencing the resurgence of “nu steel” in recent times, Jonny continued: “It is sort of bizarre how — it is uncharted territory. It is, like, is that this right here to remain? Is that this gonna be a staple in heavy music or is that this only a trend fad for teenagers at the moment? So I believe as soon as we launch this new music and tour for the higher a part of this yr, then I believe we’ll know if we’re gonna put a brand new report out subsequent yr or not. I wish to, however I solely wanna put a report out if it is gonna matter. I do not wanna put a report out if no person’s gonna give a shit.”
Elaborating on his reluctance to launch a full-length assortment of latest materials, Jonny stated: “Not evaluating us to the scale of THE ROLLING STONES or something, but when I used to be gonna go see THE ROLLING STONES, I am not too involved with something that they’ve achieved submit 1979. You already know what I am saying? I believe you hit a sure level in your profession as a band when you’ve got a authentic and fixed following that individuals simply wanna go hear the hits.
“I’ve seen, I will put music out or no matter, and individuals are, like, ‘Oh, man, it does not sound like ‘The Top Of Callousness’.’ It is simply, like, dude, me placing out the identical report twice isn’t gonna make you younger once more,” he stated. “As a result of that is how it’s.
“Only a few bands can get away with placing the identical report out. AC/DC‘s achieved it. SLAYER‘s achieved it. But it surely works — that works for them, and it is fucking superior. However for me, it does not.
“The considered placing a brand new SPINESHANK report on the market, it is thrilling. However on the similar time, we’re gonna see how this goes.
“We’re going into this with no expectations. That is actually enjoyable for us to do, and I believe it is an opportunity for lots of people which have grow to be SPINESHANK followers within the final decade or in order that have by no means seen us to get to see us. And being that ‘The Top Of Callousness’ was by far our best-received album, I can not consider a greater report to do in its entirety out of our catalog.”
Picture credit score: RyanNinja
