Interview with Al Kikuras of Unchain the Underground
I'm speechless. I don't know what to type here. Sorry I didn't ask you, Piston. It's just that last time I did an interview with two people it went totally crazy. I'm just not ready to interview two people right now. I will say however, TOXIC BRAIN WASTE KICKS ALL ASS!!!! HAIL PISTON ROD!
First of all, and I do this with everybody, you know, thank you for taking the time to do this.
My pleasure.
My first question is, what made you team up with Piston Rod to create such a kickass zine? And I'm not kissing ass, this was the first zine I ever encountered, and has been my favorite ever since.
Well, I started Unchain the Underground as a regular print zine, sans the porn, back in '89. I was young... around 15 at the time. I released a few issues and it got to be too much work with school and all, so I had to give it up. I stayed involved in the underground up until I decided to reincarnate Unchain the Underground. I just got the itch again and had to do it. I had learned HTML, web page design and internet marketing at my regular job, so decided to make it a web site since there is much less "overhead" involved. I've been friends with Piston for years. He is a total metalhead and huge pervert. We knocked heads and decided to focus on both metal and porn, two of our favorite things that had never really been combined in this way before, and unchain.com was born.
Well, I started my zine at 16, so I can understand the feeling.
16 and 15 are damn close... you've got a lot of great stuff ahead of you, being involved so young. Believe me, I know!
What was your most favorite interview?
That is hard to say. Do I have to pick just one??Or can I name a few?
You can name a few
As far as metal goes, one of them would have to be Chuck from Death/Control Denied...the interview was supposed to last a half hour, but we just started talking about metal as two fans and it went way past the alotted time. He is a GREAT guy and a good interview. Interviewing Eric Adams from Manowar was a lifelong dream come true. They are one of my all-time favorite bands, so that has to be up there. On the same note, interviewing Hades was another dream come true and wound up being the LONGEST and most in-depth interview I have done.
Longer than the Trey Azagthoth one? Wow!
Yes! Longer than Trey Azagthoth!! I guess you read that one.THAT was one of the most fun without a doubt! I forgot that one... it was very cool playing Playstation with Trey on the tour bus after the show that night!! What did you think?
Well, it was last year, probably about a month or so before I started MY zine. I couldn't understand a thing he was saying, but, well, as I got older (and started reading more heh) I began to understand his beliefs and he's right about most of it.
Well, it is hard to say if someone is "right" about beliefs. They are subjective. What he says does make a fair amount of sense. One thing that struck me as odd (and I think we pointed this out in the interview) was that he seemed to believe in purity of the body and the spirit, but there he was with a bottle of Jim Beam, smoking a bong.
I didn't know about the bong, but the Jim Beam was mentioned.
He actually smoked a bong after the interview, while we were playing Playstation. He asked if we were going to think he was a drug fiend if he smoked pot. I thought it was funny that he even cared. All the weird stuff aside, Trey is a pretty down to earth guy.
To name one more... Michael Ford from Black Funeral/Valefor. An epic interview - we covered so much. I don't think I have read another interview that good since.
What was the best album you ever reviewed?
Now that is another REALLY hard question to narrow down to just one. I would have to say that, of the stuff I received to review over the past few years, the one album that impressed me the most was Gorguts' "Obscura." They totally reinvented death metal and forged a new kind of music without sacrificing a drop of brutality or heaviness. It has since become one of my all-time favorite albums.
Is Piston Rod really a Poison fan?
(Answered by Piston Rod)Get off your high horse, Poison taught us how to rock. Before there was Pearl Jam, Nirvana, or Oasis, there was Poison. Everyone needs to start somewhere. I started with Poison. I know they aren't good, but they were my youth. Any way, who can refuse that C.C. had great hair? Poison were never as bad as the Alternacrap bands that came in the 90's. Poison could play circles around Smashing Pumpkins and Greenday. (Ed- Hey, I listen to Poison too! -SonyEstrella)
Now I'm gonna turn the tables on you here, because I'm sure UNCHAIN readers would like to know how you respond to some of the questions you have asked others in the past. Bwa-ha-ha-ha.
Uh oh...By the way, that Morbid Angel "G" album thing on your site is hilarious.
Thank you! I'm really proud of that one.
Would you rather have a tiny dick or large unsightly balls?
Large, unsightly balls. I have them already, which is why I always ask that one!
So your pic is on every freak page I've seen?
My balls are quite notorious.
Damn, you're famous hahaha...Is your wife Mrs. Kikuras?
I'm not married. Well, I AM married to the sea, but that doesn't count.
Ummm.....buh?
Heheheheh.
That must be great sex then!
The sea is a tempermental woman. One second she is lulling and soft, the next raging at the walls. You never know with her...
Oh man, hahaha...If you were at a CD store and had only one choice of the following 4 CDs, and you couldn't leave without buying one of them, which of the following would you pick?
1. Dokken: Under Lock and Key
2. Thomas Dolby: The Best of Thomas Dolby Restrospectacle
3. Cyndi Lauper: She's So Unusual
4. Some really cheesy chickendance-polka spanish music (I don't need to name an artist there, they're all the same)
Can I pick which cheesy chickendance-polka spanish music CD?
I guess, but they all sound exactly the same *laughs*
No, they don't! I would pick #4, and it would be Frankie Yankovic and His Yanks' Greatest Hits. There is a song on there called "In Brazil They're Nuts About the Polka" that is a polka-mambo. I can quote lyrics, if you'd like...
Sure!
"A fella from Chicago went to Brazil to find a senorita who just filled the bill.
He told her he loved her and soon she'd be his bride
so she learned to make him tacos with kielbasa stuffed inside!" Tell me that isn't more evil than anything those black metal guys have done!!
*laughs loudly* Ack! I just snarfed orange juice out of my nose!
I am honored! I will send you a copy of the song some time, you'll shit your pants.
If not # 4, then #2. The song "She Blinded Me With Science" rules!!
I have the video!
Amazing, eh??
Is there anything you listen to that fans of UNCHAIN would never in a lifetime catch you listening to?
Probably not. I am pretty open about my musical tastes, but I am sure there is some stuff that would shock the hell out of them.
Me too. I listen to metal and anything before 1993.
I love Bon Jovi's Crossroads album. When I was in 7th grade, I was on a "Kill Bon Jovi" campaign, but now I love it. I love singing the cheesy power ballads at the top of my lungs.
I have that album!!
It rocks!! I also love Prince, Tori Amos, Paul Robeson, Ry Cooder, Johnny Cash. I even like Willie Nelson. I can go on and on, but the interview would be one big list.
Tori Amos is awesome. Is there anything you would like to ask me, just for shits and giggles, because I WILL answer it! Just ask Nick and Vince from Evoken! haha. (Ed- Citing precedent once again!-SonyEstrella)
I interviewed Vince as well. Evoken are an excellent band, one of the greatest doom bands of all time.
If you had the choice between one big bean and hundreds of little beans, which would you pick?
I would pick the hundreds of little beans
When was the last time you shit your pants?
Umm....probably last time my brother had an alcohol party, I usually take the leftovers (as long as they're unopened) and finish them up in like less than an hour.
And you got so drunk you shit yourself??
It wasn't even that much, I thought I had to fart, but apparently not.
I am in the midst of enlisting people to take part in a voluntary pants shitting. I have a few friends that are going to participate. The plan is to buy depends undergarments, go out to eat, then come home and shit ourselves and record the whole thing. Then see how long we can hang out without changing the depends or cleaning ourselves. First one out loses.
Well, I would participate, but I'm in Idaho and I'm broke as fuck
Well, look at the bright side. Shitting your pants is free. You can do it from a remote location. It will be a Teleshitting Session
Well, sorry to say, this interview must come to a close now. Is there anything you want to add?
If you fall down in the woods and there is no one around to see it, you had may as well take off your pants.
True words of wisdom. Okay, one more question. Do you know if Frank Yankovic was related to Weird Al?
Yes, I know
Well, are they?
Nope. They have played together though.
