IRON STEEL EXCLUSIVE BLOG ENTRY #2: CHIMAIRA’S JIM LAMARCA PONTIFICATES BAND BREAKUP, THE MEANING OF ‘METAL’
[Welcome to the second entry of our exclusive blog series from the new thrash supergroup Iron Steel, featuring Morgan Rose (Sevendust) on drums; Jim LaMarca (Chimaira), Dave Ellefson (ex-Megadeth) and Rachel Bolan (Skid Row) all on bass (!); with vocalist and guitarist Fran Strine and guitarist Tommy Redd. Each week a different member will be posting a blog entry at MetalSucks. This week Chimaira’s Jim LaMarca reports on the post-NAMM show apocalypse.]
As the wild NAMM weekend came to a close, Iron Steel almost broke up. Hung over from our release party, we had our first band meeting. Tommy was late, as usual, because he and Diggity Dave from Pimp My Ride closed down the party and moved it over to the custom shop, bringing the majority of the women in attendance with them. Fran had been barricaded in the bathroom of his hotel suite, hiding from Lacey from Rock of Love. She stalked him during the party and chased him all the way back to his hotel room. Morgan took his Sevendust bandmates, John Connolly and Sonny Mayo, left the party early and somehow wound up in jail for performing lewd acts at nearby Disneyland. Ellefson, in his usual ‘work mode’ did an impromptu ‘side-side project’ with some of the remaining musicians in attendance at the party – recruiting Mick Thomson (Slipknot), Josh Rand (Stone Sour), Marc Rizzo (Soulfly), Doc (God Forbid) – into a band that was all guitar players – and he was the only bassist (finally). I observed it all with Rob and Matt from my other band, Chimaira, sitting in the ultra-ultra-VIP section where nobody could see or speak to us – it was an invisibility chamber, actually – created just for Iron Steel.
Since the meeting was called for Noon, at 3pm we settled down to talk. Since there were so many weak-ass, LA scumbags trying to weasel their way into our entourage we had to decide where to draw the line. The barometer of who was Metal enough to open for us, join our posse or even be in our presence was a point of contention. Fran insisted that your band had to have been covered in Metal Maniacs to even speak to one of us. Ellefson insisted that you had to be able to play the bass-line of “Peace Sells…” while hanging upside down with your hair on fire. I just figured if you really ‘got’ the irony of MetalSucks.net that you would be ok by us. Voices were raised, fists were flying – the breakup was official. Chairs were thrown, windows were smashed, a passer-by had his nose broken, but once we hashed it out with our fists, we settled down and decided to get back together.
We went to the Anaheim airport to leave for parts unknown with black eyes and bruises barely covered by our tattoos, but a richer understanding of how totally fucking Metal we all were. The EP was unleashed at NAMM, the press was alerted, the fans got to experience the majesty of Iron Steel and we – as brothers in Metal – showed Anaheim, CA how to ROCK. Those who are in our path – watch out! We will have your water turned off!!!
-Jim LaMarca, IRON STEEL
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