M. Inc Interview with Rick Rozz

I had the great pleasure of interviewing Rick Rozz of Death and Massacre fame one of my biggest influences. He's one of the most down to earth guys you'd ever meet. He discussed various topics and is gonna fill the world in on what he's been doing these days as well as talk about his legendary bands that got him where he is today. He's back on the Death Metal scene and you can hear his new band M. Inc here:

M. Inc Myspace



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It's been quite a while since you've been on the Death Metal scene what got you back into it?:

I'd say to be honest with you I knew a dude named Ben who used to be in a band called Nasty Savage. He heard that Massacre did a tour and they he was at a local show Massacre was playing in Tampa and he said to me "I heard your name announced on the microphone and their singer was talking smack right on the mic at the show. I basically laughed about the fact that he was talking shit and after that he then said "why did they take it that far and say all those things you haven't said anything about them". That's what lit a fire under my butt and got me going. What really got me though is my girlfriend found something on Blabber Mouth about the new Massacre shows happening in 07. The headline said "Rick Rozz will not be on this tour" and there was a lot of shit talking and people asking where I was but it's not like I'm going to start crap about that. However that's what got me going anyway.

Tell us all about M. Inc and how it began.:

We never went about it feeling like it would be anything but we just started jammin'. Timmy V came into the picture who is currently the one producing the demo (who also is going to play bass) and is the owner of CGM studios. So basically his drummer Ian who was with him in a band called Devolved loned his drum set to M. Inc to record pre-production tracks for Myspace because Mike didn't have his own set at the time. After we did that it felt pretty good. We started jammin' alot no one else was in this track at this time besides me and Mike we started jamming as a two piece and we were gonna get the guitarist and vocalist from Shine to play bass and sing in M. Inc and we were going to be a three piece originally. His name was Terry and he was in Ohio at the time and was getting shit ready to make the move back to Florida. So me and mike we continued to jam and Mike found a brand new double bass kit at a store and it was bonus because he didn't have one of his own and double bass equipped sets are hard to find around here. So Terry made the move to Florida and me and Mike had four songs ready at that point so then we went into the studio after Terry rehearsed with us for a while and it sounded good at practice but I didn't have a PA so we couldn't hear him and so basically he was singing at the top of his lungs without a PA with us blasting and from what we could tell it was pretty good sounding at the time but when he actually got on the mic it didn't really work but no disrespect to him. Mike and I were bummed out because we wanted to be a three piece and plus we were friends. However friends and business are different from each other and it is my belief that good friends would understand that. So basically Timmy brought it up that Chris Jack would work. Chris heard it once and rode in his car wrote some lyrics within a day and wrote Bone Dust and recorded vocals for it the next day. We sat down I talked to Chris and told him it was awesome! Pretty soon after that we had the song on a compilation. Dave McColl contacted us about doing it and it was released in the UK and Scottland and the name of the compilation was Fallen Souls. It was released of Fall of Eden Records. It's been out since last fall.

I've loved what I've heard so far of M. Inc but can you tell everyone else what's to come?:

We just finished up guitar/bass and drums they've been done for two months and the reason for delay is Timmy was away for business and so we had down time for recording but plenty of writing. Bone Dust is kind of the single but fans won't know what to expect with the rest they'll have to wait and see. Basically Death/Speed Metal 101 is what they can expect.

Discuss the annual Michigan Deathfest spot that you landed.:

I pretty much started the myspace 10 months ago and remember seeing flyers and it came to pass and I met Metal Mom who I met at Blondies originally back in the day during the Leprosy tour in 88 and I met her again in late 09 on nvasion radio with Kenny DJ Vulger. That's where she made the invite to the Michigan deathfest 20th aniversary and we have a good spot on the bill 10:00 pm second day. There's a lot of respect being shown and it's great.

What do you think about today's Florida scene?:

I can't really answer I know nothing of the scene nowadays. I know that some of the old bands are still going.

Can you explain what led to your last days in Massacre?:

The Promise record which shouldn't have been a Massacre record. I was going along with it the singer had a different view on some stuff. He was getting into the whole vampire thing Type O Negative and we wrote all that stuff in his house. I was going along with it I never second guessed it nor did Pete Sison the bassist and Sirus Peters the drummer. Basically there were hard times recording it though and Earache came to the sessions in Florida and payed the studio man in full and he got a lot. The studio owner was getting nothing done and it turned into a nightmare he was thowing partys and not really paying attention to the record. He just sucked bottom line bad news all around. I decided to let it be done and leave because it wasn't Massacre I didn't want to tour a record I didn't support and I'll leave it at that.

How about the Leprosy album with Death can you tell us about the time you recorded that album and how it came to be?:

As far as that goes Chuck recorded with Chris Reifert after I was fired the first time pre-Scream Bloody Gore. Chuck moved to back to Florida from Cali and Massacre was still together at the time pre Earache days and Chuck needed a band. I heard about it after some promoter screwed us at a Massacre gig and a friend told me that Chuck was back in town. I showed up at his house unannounced. He had a look like "what are you doing here" and basically I said "I can tell this is a tough situation I heard you were having issues and Massacre is having issues so if you wanna give me a buzz sometime and chit chat let me know" and he called the next day and set up a meeting. We sat at his house and talked about Chris not making the move to Florida with Chuck and I just told him that Massacre was finished and I told him I knew a bassist and drummer and I called Bill and Terry. Chuck approved so we basically started rehearals for SBG and toured that motherfucker! At that time we were writing Leprosy in soundchecks. So pretty much that's how it came about. It was great when we recorded it good times. They triggered the snare and sampled it with two inch tape this wasn't digital all analog. I didn't care for the snare sound only dissapointment with the whole record. I loved that record though.

Any funny stories about Chuck back in the day that you'd care to share?:

Me and Chuck had our own lauguange and would say stuff that wasn't even words and we'd just laugh. We'd record them them on tape and play it back ourselves.

What's your best tour experience in any band?:

The Ultimate Revenge II tour in 1988 with Raven, Dark Angel, Forbidden, Fade Of Fear and us. I was in Dark Angel's moterhome the whole tour not really as much with Death. Gene Hoglan was hilarious! Great times.

How did you originally come up with the stage name Rozz?:

Basically the start why I did that is I spoke to a couple of people about stage names because I was searching for a name. I got it from Mick Mars from Motely Crue they sounded simliar you know "Mick Mars" and "Rick Rozz" plus it had the same cool ring.

Who inspired you to start playing?:

I would say the very first was in 77 my dad gave me Steve Miller and it turned me onto guitar and then Ace Frehley took to the next level.

Who are your biggest influences?

For whammy stuff K.K. Downing, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai and later on Kerry and Jeff from Slayer. For non-whammy stuff Billy Gibbons, Ace, Steve Miller and just blues. For Metal rhythm influences the same people I mentioned before also some Black Metal Celtic Frost, Bathory and all that vintage shit.

Tell us about your other projects like for example Flo and Shine.:

I did an Industrial band called Schnitt Acht a bit after Massacre and it did alright and I was hired it wasn't my band. It was for about a year. In a perspective Flo was outside of Metal but it still had a strength to it and the vocalist was great. He was Robert Plant and Chris Cornell mixed and sounded a bit like Phil Anselmo even though he wasn't aware of that fact. He had never even heard of Pantera! It did well locally and people around the area supported it, local radio was behind it. It was fun and it lasted four years. Shine was the next project which was another four years. Then Rock Candi which was an acoustic project which I did with a good friend mine named Kandi that was for a year and a half and we did a couple of shows acoustic gigs.

I am a listener of your radio show on metalmessiahradio.com The Oldschool as you know. What do you have to tell to your fans about this?:

I'm gonna say it's one of the biggest internet radio stations. I was offerred the gig by LC to have mine own little show and people were digging it. I do it from out of my house.

I am a whammy man myself what do you have to say to other fellow tremello abusers?:

Abuse it! That's it that's what there for! If your feelin' it go for it. The shredders will choke on it!

What is your favorite gear to use?:

As far as playing this type of music I'm sticking with B.C. Rich. I'm using Mockingbirds now always with the Floyd. Never forget the Floyd! For amps back in the day Marshalls. Now I'm using an 800 watt power amp no tubes solid state PSC 800. It's bad ass for the power factor and then two Randall jaguar speakers.

Which members of Massacre and Death do you still talk to?:

I still correspond with Bill Andrews he's in Japan and Terry Butler. I saw Terry at an Obituary show a month and a half ago in Tampa. We hung out talked a bit and hung out with his wife good times.

So how were you with Chuck in his last years?:

We really didnt speak that much it wasn't like we talked alot not as much. I heard about his medical issue and by coincidence bumped into him after his first surgery and it was at Firm Park station. We spoke for about two hours had some drinks and left at the same it was a strange coiencidence. It was early 2001. Like I said it was right after his surgery and he was telling me how good it went we talked about old times. It was casual we had no anger. It was like when we met in 1982.

Favorite new band?:

I couldn't even tell you don't know any new bands. I guess keep an eye for Burial Ritual, God Hate and Imperial Conquest. Throne To The Fallen is good too.

Which were your favorite Massacre and Death tunes to play live:?

I like em' all they're all cool. Pull the plug, Sacrificial Cunt, Choke On It. As far as Massacre songs Succubus, From Beyond, Corpsegrinder they're all fun.

It is my understanding you have met The King (King Diamond) what was that experience like?:

It was unbelievable I met him when I played Milwaukee Metalfest he was the headliner.

Favorite beer?:

Not a beer drinker but when I was I drank Heineken. Now I'm a whiskey guy.

Favorite Nightmare On Elmstreet movie?:

The first one of course.

What do you think of internet downloading?:

More power to whoever's dowloading. Internet does well for one part of promotion by getting it out to the masses but I think people need to do the oldschool footwork. They still need to flyer shows and people still need to do the old school thing and pick up the phone and dial.

Has the Rozzman met the Ozzman?:

I have not but would love to.

What are the Rozzman's last thoughts?:

Embrace what means a lot to you no matter what you're doing. If there's a positive feeling just embrace it and thank you for the interview Thomas Cross! Keep your ears open for M. Inc. I also wanna thank Metal Mom from Castle Blakk Promotions. The M. Inc debut show has been moved to August 20th and 21st at Blondie's in Detroit.

My sig already says it all about this question response. Good interview.

Rick seems like a really awesome guy; I'm really hoping you'll stay in contact with him

Will do for sure!

Cool interview bro

"Not a beer drinker but when I was I drank Heineken"

If its not scottish, its crap.

If its not Scottish, Belgian, or Bostonian, or Wisconsinian I wont touch it.

So when is the next interview, and who's it with?

I think he said it was going to be someone local

Better questions pretty good interview.

Cant wait for the interview with the local artist

The only things i dont touch are things from france,canada, middle east, mexican but i touch the taco's and burritos and cuba

Nice interview haha.

SHUT YOUR FUCKING WHORE MOUTH JOHNNY YOUR MOVIES SUCK!!!!

LoL win

Cool interview and cool boards but you need to do more interviews.