It’s rare to come across a metal band today whose sound can be described as a refreshed NWOBHM meets power metal. It’s an even more unlikely occurrence to find out this band is right in your own back yard! Meet WASTOID, a metal band featuring the aforementioned traits, whose music is powerful, melodic, and heartfelt. I had the chance to ask bassist SOPHY some questions about herself and her band. Here’s what she had to say.
Interview by Anthony
1. First off, thank you Sophy for taking the time to do this interview. For anyone who has never heard the band before, please describe the sound of WASTOID, and tell a little about each member.
2. With a name like WASTIOD, my next question had to be where you got this name from, and what does it mean?
3. Before your joined WASTOID, you played drums? What bands did you perform in? How would you compare these bands and your work with them to what you do now with WASTOID?
I was more just goofing around with friends, fun bands, party bands. It’s funny to hear you call it ‘work’ cause it was always just for fun, and I never really took it seriously. I wasn’t serious about music until I started playing with Wastoid.
No, I don’t regret it. I wasn’t so much into Metal when I first started playing with Wastoid, but I loved the fact that music was difficult. I started listening to a lot of the old metal especially Maiden. Steve Harris’s bass playing is so phenomenal, and I thought, ‘oh, if I could do something like that, that’d be incredible’ The other bands I had played in didn’t present much of a challenge, and that really bothered me.
5. Did you find it difficult to switch from drums to bass? Are you self-taught?
I got to a certain level, and I realized that if I wanted to keep on with the band I simply had to take lessons. Metal is really complex music. I don’t think it’s possible, or at least not very wise, to try and tackle serious Metal just being self taught. Playing a show takes a lot of balance, you want to rock, but you want to play well too. You need to be very confident in your playing, and that’s what I got out of taking lessons.
6. How did the rest of WASTOID come into existence, before you joined the band? As of right now, what significant events hold a place in WASTOID’s time-line? Any crazy tour stories or encounters?
7. Where does the band draw its musical influence? How are the songs written, and what inspires the lyrics? Did you help write any of the songs on the “Say Your Prayers” album?
No, I’m very much just a ‘band member’. A Michael Anthony, if you will. I get all the fun of being in a really cool band and all I have to do is show up for practice, know my parts, and lug a few cabinets around. Chris & Chris do all the heavy lifting as far as song writing is concerned, they bring their almost finished songs to practice and then we finish the song up as group.
8. How did the band manage to play with MANOWAR? Did you meet them? Would you ever play a show with them again? Did the band do any special kind of stage show or play any particular songs for this event?
In Philly we totally have the home team advantage, but also I think we managed to make an impession on the people who book the venues. They know who to call when a big classic metal band needs an opener. The music business sucks but once in a while there is some justice.
There wasn’t a special stage show, we just worked really hard to pull off a tight performance. The crowd reaction was incredible!! We had a packed house for our whole set. Anybody who loves Manowar will most likely love Wastoid because we’re both fighting the same fight.
9. Describe your experiences while opening for the mighty JUDAS PRIEST!!! Were you nervous? How did WASTOID manage to get on the bill with PRIEST??? Did this help the band promotion wise?
I was totally nervous, we all were. My brother was in the dressing room with us video taping before we played, and I can barely watch the tape of it because we’re so nervous. But again, we practiced really hard and made sure we had everything just right for the show, that kind of stuff really pays off. A lot of people I met out in the crowd just assumed that we were on the tour with them. That’s an awesome compliment because it says that the audience see us as an opeing-for-Priest caliber band.
10. Seeing that WASTOID has opened for international acts, such as DIO, PRIEST, etc., I was curious to know if the band has been signed to a major record label. All these accomplishments speak for themselves…has there been any label interest? Has WASTOID shopped the “Say Your Prayers” album?
11. How did Chris Cozine incorporate a sword in the live performance of WASTOID? What statement is the band trying to make? What makes WASTOID different from other true/power metal bands that use a sword in their live performances?
Believe me, we’d have castles and moats on stage if we could afford it!!
12. How did the band manage to play Classic Metalfest III? Did you feel it was worth the trip? What other bands did you enjoy from that weekend? Is there a chance WASTOID will return to play another CMF?
Hell yeah we’ll play there again!! And many thanks to Brad Youngblood for putting on such a cool event and adding us at the last minute!! I was bummed that we didn’t get to stay for the whole weekend, we had to get our drummer back by Sunday, so that meant leaving early on Saturday. But Iron Cross was great, Chris (DiPinto) and I got to see October 31st a few weeks later when they played in this area and I thought they were great too.
13. Seeing the band has so much potential, is there a chance WASTIOD will play Europe. There are MANY metalfests, such as Wacken, Keep It True, Dynamo, etc. Why hasn’t WATOID played the Metal Meltdown in New Jersey? Are there any plans for some east coast shows?
If I knew how to get us over to Germany and into any of these festivals or on tour, I’d do it in a second. I think we’d do pretty well over there. But how do you break into that with out knowing anybody? There’s so much competition, and so many really great signed bands that can’t even get in, you feel like what chance does some unsigned band with no connections have?
A lot of the Metal Fests in the US are pay-to-play deals, where you buy maybe $1,000 worth of tickets and you get to play. We can never bring ourselves to do that, that’s why we don’t play them.
14. What do you like best about being a part of WASTOID? As a woman, do you find it difficult being in a metal band? What advice would you give to the women out there who aspire to do what you do?
If I paid more attention to it I guess I could find difficulties with the women-in-rock thing, but I really do my try to be ‘just one of the guys’ and not really demand special attention or anything like that.
Advice for women who want to play? Practice, and have confidence in your playing. Pay attention to what other musicians are doing, you can learn a lot of tricks by really watching what a band does on stage and what kind of gear they’re using.
15. Is there a new album in the works? How would you describe the band’s sound now to how it was when you first joined? Where is the band’s progression leading? What is the band up to right now?
Well, right now we’re trying out drummers so we can start playing shows again!! I really miss playing out and that’s our priority right now. We have a full album’s worth of new material that’s ready to record once we find the right person. Our material has really evolved since Joe’s been in the band, he and Chris really work well together, they’re always trying to out do each other I think, but it’s a very friendly competition and it makes for some amazing guitar work! Chris Cozine has been writing a lot of more epic songs, lots of really great stuff. So I guess the directions we’re heading is more straight-ahead metal and less classic rock.
16. Describe the metal scene in Philly. Are there any other power metal bands in the area WASTOID performs with? How does WASTOID compare with all the newer power metal bands popping up lately? Where do you feel the band stands as far as older bands making comebacks? Do you feel this takes attention and opportunity away from the band, or just the opposite?
The more Metal is out there the better, but your not going to find much besides us. And let’s face it, Judas Priest getting back together is going to get a lot of attention to the scene in general. It might just get people looking more for that style music and that can only be good for us. We seem to always find ourselves just on the outside of what’s ‘popular’ in Metal, even though people like our CD and our live show. We always get pigeonholed as being to retro, though a classic metal renaissance could change all that.
17. What do you do in your spare time, outside of WASTOID? What are your thoughts on the return of MTV’s Head-Banger’s Ball?
Well, I don’t watch much MTV that’s for sure. Although I heard they were playing Manowar videos, so that’s cool.
18. What is your primary objective as a musician? Do you see yourself performing in WASTOID five or ten years from now?
My primary objective? I guess to keep playing music that I like and find interesting and challenging. As long as people want to see us, we’ll keep playing.
19. Give your thoughts on the following please:
a. Rob Halford rejoining JUDAS PRIEST.
The time is right for it. Some people might call it a sell out, but there’s a whole generation of Metalheads who have never seen Priest with Halford, and I think this will be very important to them. I just hope they stick to their guns as far as new material is concerned. They know what the people want, let’s just see if they can deliver the goods.
b. Bruce Dickenson and Adrian Smith returning to Maiden.
For some reason, it just doesn’t sound like Maiden without Bruce Dickenson, and its nice to see Adrian Smith these days. I saw the tour they did this summer with Dio and Motorhead, it was a great bill all around but Iron Maiden really kicked some ass. It was the best show I’d seen in a really long time.
NU-Metal.
c.
An embarrassing phase, much like disco.
The war on terrorism
d.
A fabrication of the government to keep us scared. The very notion of a war on terror is ridiculous, if you’re going to fight terrorism, you have to start by not being afraid. You can tell by that last sentence that you don’t want to get me started….
This webzine
e.
I think it’s awesome. People don’t realize how much time and effort goes into a webzines. I maintain a website for work and I also do the one for the band, so I know how much work it can be. It’s a testament to the individuality of those who make the webzines and those who read them.
20. Thank you, Sophy, for doing this interview. If there’s anything you feel I over-looked, or something you wish to add, please do so here.
Thanks for asking!
THANK YOU!!! -Anthony
DISCOGRAPHY
Say Your Prayers - 2002/2003?
LINKS
NWOBHM!! Wastoid is total old-school dual guitar Metal , we play Judas Priest, Iron Maiden style Metal. This band is really the brainchild of Chris DiPinto, he really should have been in an 80’s arena rock band because that’s totally where his heart is at. The epic songs, the big show a lot of that comes from him. Chris Cozine really surprised us when he came and sang for us the first time, we knew him as being a bass player, and kind of a quiet guy, but when he’s singing something just turns on inside him and he really fills up the stage. Joe’s kind of quiet too, and very serious, and just very very dedicated to guitar playing in general, and metal specifically. It’s literally all he does.
Well, the name really has a lot to do with the way people are perceived as opposed to the way they are. A lot of people would look at your average metal head and right away dismiss them as being a ‘Wastoid’, or something like that. The facts can be so opposite: many metal heads are really intelligent, and the term ‘wastoid’ wouldn’t describe any of us. So it’s just extra confusion for the already confused majority of people who refuse to think for themselves, and will assume that we are, in fact, ‘wastoids’ cause of the way we look and the fact that we play in a Metal band. The best way to overcome a stereotype is to embrace it.
4. How did you find yourself joining WASTOID? Do you regret leaving your former band(s) behind?
I was in the band from the start. It’s actually a very different band now then when we began. This band is really very much a product of the chemistry of the members, really the most significant turning points in the band musically were meeting up with Cozine, and then with Joe. At both those points, because of their abilities, we were able to go to the next level musically. I wish I had crazy tour stories, we don’t get to play beyond Phila/NYC too much.
We didn’t open up for them though, the show was an afterparty which can be kind of tricky. The hall where Manowar played has an upstairs balcony which is where you can go to drink at all-ages shows, and there’s also a stage at the back of this balcony and they have smaller show there. So the deal is, after the mainstage show is over they have another show up on the balcony. It’s tricky because the crowd has just seen the band they came out to see, and you have to convince them that no, your night isn’t over, you want to stay and see one more band. We’ve played afterparties before that were just disastrous, the crowd hangs out for one or two songs and then by then end of the set there’s nobody there. The Manowar show was our triumphant return to the theater of Metal. We hadn’t played in a long time because we couldn’t find a second guitarist. This show came up right after we met Joe and started practicing with him.
We’ve sent it out to tons of labels but so far, no bites. We recorded a demo last spring of new material, and we’ve sent that out as well. We’ve got more than an album’s worth of new material that’s really exciting, but we just haven’t found a label ready to run with the classic metal wave yet. We’ve got some distributors that sell our CD’s, Sentinel Steel is a great one, also Iron Glory and Else’s, and that’s been awesome.
