As you may know…if not, I was the Editor of a FAN/MAGAZINE named ROCKBOTTOM since I was 14 years old….psssst….i’ll probably be 51 by the time this is printed. WC, WCA or SAZ graced the pages one way or another in EVERY issue. Anyway, this article was written up by SHANNON LARKIN for me quite a while back. The first issue of ROCK BOTTOM it was in was #9 (April-June 1993) then it graced the pages of my last printed issue (July 2013). If you didn’t get a chance to read SHANNON’S ramblings in any of those issues, here it is for you on BALLBUSTER’S WEBPAGE and I THANK YOU for reading it! I hope you enjoy it…
FLASHBACK with SHANNON LARKIN
(Summer 2013 RB Issue)
There were rumors of a WRATHCHILD reunion this Summer but as far as I know (which isn’t much but enough)…it was just rumored? Anyway, this article was featured in issue #9 (April/June 1993) of ROCKBOTTOM ‘ZINE. Not as many people knew who SHANNON was back in those days but everyone sure knows who he is now, and if you don’t, well….hint, hint… GODSMACK or if you didn’t know, start listening to gospel music or perhaps kids’ music…. As far as I know he doesn’t play gospel or kids’ music but HEEEEEY…WHO KNOWS???!! I deleted some of my rambling (YAH4U!), let’s get on with this kick-ass article written by the one and only SHANNON LARKIN.
~While Brad and Jay were in the studio for a month straight, producing their third album, Shannon was nice enough to update me on WRATHCHILD AMERICA/SOULZ AT ZERO. Hope you enjoy the write-up. I sure did! by: MARCY MILLER
When WRATHCHILD received the call from Atlantic passing on the third album option at first, it was devastating, so we held a band meeting to figure out what our next move would be. Giving up just wasn’t an option. Hate was. Our blood was like ice in our veins when we started rehearsing again. Out came our first post-Atlantic song, “FRUSTRATION.” It was far more brutal than anything ever written by us and it made us very happy to be off Atlantic. We knew we would get signed again, and we knew we had to portray our anger through our music, much like a pig stuck with a huge needle, then hog-tied and sliced with a razor between the nostrils. After a while and never take a break from the stage (never have, never will). We landed at Planet Oz in Baltimore, MD, for our first demo. Tension, rage, frustration and Drew Mazurek in the studio. On a plane to L.A. to play Concrete Foundations Forum. Turn this piece of shit around, back to Baltimore. Enter Energy Records, Perialis, E-man, Egan. We are signed, and we are proud. Back to Oz for demo two, more live shows, and haircuts. Trying to feed off the Grey matter. Time for album number three….BUT WAIT! I can’t deal with the WRATHCHILD, WRAITHCHILD, and endless misspellings. What’s up with the AMERICA? We’re proud Americans, but we were WRATHCHILD for seven years! Not to be mistaken for the GLAM band from England. The straw that broke the camel’s balls. Name changed! Label behind us all the way! Two long hair with a serious attitude and two short hairs with….well, serious attitudes. Beating our heads against the wall (or dictionary), looking for the right feeling. SCISSORHEAD? It has to be deeper and has to come from the soul. We’re starting over. We’re at zero! Once again, we’re back fuckin’ shit up G, the S-O-U-L-S at the Z. remember Brad? I know you know me, and in the house, we got the J and the T. We used to be known as the WC, but fuck it now; it’s history. We’ve got Energy backing us up now, see? We’re the hardest muthafuckers on eight feet. Anyone that liked us before in the good ol’ US of A, Japan, Germany, Holland. Belgium and any other countries that we played in or sold records, I think you’ll REALLY like us now. Good luck to you all, look for our new record in June or July…and most of all….see you on tour!!!
by: SHANNON LARKIN