All Interviews
Skullshifter
Tom Nolz and CJ Scioscia
Posted on Nov 27, 2005
by Anders
I was litteraly blown away the first time I laid ears upon Skullshifter's debut EP "Here In Hell", 3 hard boiled tracks of the best old school crossover, I had heard in a long time, still sounding fresh and very energetic. I simply had to hook up with the band, hailing from New Jersey, to get all my questions answered, and to my great luck, both guitarist CJ Scioscia and vocalist/guitarist Tom Nolz answered my questions, so all questions ended up being answered very thoroughly and all there is to know about the band, is more or less to be read below here, together with some great info on their upcoming full lenght album.
Hi there, how are things as we speak?
CJ: Not bad at all, Anders. We're busy getting ready for a show this coming weekend (18 Nov) with fellow New Jersey thrashers Delian League and writing some new material.
Tom: Very good... excited about the great response from Nocturnal Horde and others in the underground metal press and looking forward to getting out live to promote our EP.
Will you please start of by introducing yourself and tell us why you create havoc with Skullshifter?
CJ: I'm CJ Scioscia, guitarist, and I don't create as much havoc as I used to.
Tom: Tom Nolz, guitar and vocals. For me, Skullshifter provides a means for turning all the negative energy that builds up inside into something creative and positive. And don't let CJ fool you, he cuts loose with the best of 'em!
A small introduction of the rest of the band as well, together with a bit about what they contribute to Skullshifter with will be great as well!
CJ: On drums is Dan Davie. Tom and I have played with him a lot over the years. He's a great drummer, one of my absolute favourites. As for bassist J. McCaffrey, we've all been friends with him for years. He's a dynamo. Dan & J. we're actually the rhythm section in a band called Chronic Breakjob for about a year (1996-1997), so they also have a history and good chemistry.
Tom: Each member of the band brings a ton of experience and creativity to the table. Since we've all known each other for so long, there are no personality problems and egos to get in the way. Our friendship keeps the foundation solid.
You released your debut mini CD "Here In Hell" earlier this year, how has it been received?
CJ: It's been 2 months since we put it out, and all I can say is that the overall response has been very positive.
Tom: Agreed!
What do you expect of the release?
Tom: We didn't know what to expect, especially since what we're doing goes against just about every current trend in metal. So far we're happy with what most people are saying.
How do you in the band feel about it?
CJ: I think I can speak for all of us in saying it's the best thing we've ever released.
Tom: That's true. When we started, that was the standard we set for ourselves. Just to dig deep and write the strongest and best sounding songs we could. This is the first time I can truly say that I achieved my goal.
What do you want to accomplish with the release?
CJ: It's a building block in the foundation, really. We hope it'll garner us enough attention to gain a solid fanbase and, possibly, a record deal.
Tom: When we started out on this project we didn't know how far we were going to take it. After writing a bunch of songs and playing live to people that didn't know us and getting a great response, we felt that maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to put something out that people could get into all over the world. We hope to get the opportunity to secure the funds to put out a top-quality full length release sometime soon.
You are delivering a nice slap of old school crossover with quite a punch, how did you end playing that type of metal?
CJ: Ha, old school!! Well, that's where we hail from, actually.
Tom: Because our strongest influences are rooted in the earliest forms of metal, what comes out in Skullshifter is just natural to us. When CJ and I pick up our guitars, the riffs just come out more or less the way you hear them on the CD. We try not to over-think anything and go with what feels right. It comes from the gut.
Who are the main music writers in the band and how do you make the songs?
Tom: We've all shouldered the responsibility of writing music at this point. I'm good with just coming up with an idea and throwing it down on my home 4-track. J. is the same way. CJ is excellent at hearing something one of us has written and taking it to the next level and also coming up with stuff that the rest of us would never think of. Danny is great with arranging structures and coming up with original patterns and rhythms that become the foundation of some of our most distinctive riffs.
CJ: Chronologically, the initial batch of songs were written by Tom and myself. Dan made incredible contributions, though, when he got involved. J. is an integral part of the writing team now that he's on board. Tom's doing all the lyrics at this point.
Where do you find inspiration when you write music?
Tom: I'll hear an idea in my head or think of a particular rhythm, then try to remember enough of it to get it down on tape when I get home. Since we all have day jobs, it isn't easy to capture the ideas as soon as we get them! We also get inspired when we're just jamming around at rehearsal. Some great ideas come from those times when we're just letting loose.
Do you have to be in a certain mood when you make music, or does it just come to you?
Tom: As I said above, you never know when the mood will strike, but keeping an open mind really helps. Metal is in our blood, so the feelings that trigger inspiration are always there, no matter what we're doing at the time.
Can you pull out 3 bands and songs that have meant a lot to you and your way of playing/making music?
CJ: Limiting it to 3 is tough, but here goes... Voivod, Candlemass and Trouble (you can't mention one without the other) and Rush - specifically the "A Farewell To Kings" and "Hemispheres" albums. OK, I have to sneak in Pink Floyd and Napalm Death as well. That's way more than 3... oops.
Tom: Like CJ and the other guys, my list goes on and on. I'm not that interested in learning or playing what my favorite bands have done, so what comes out in my writing is just a mixture of everything I've listened to over the years. My favorite bands include Overkill, Trouble, Rush, Pro-Pain, The Haunted, Judas Priest, Kiss... pretty diverse.
CJ: Wow, I forgot Overkill. We've seen them so many times over the years, all the way back to their demo days.
The lyrics and vocals seems to be a big part of the band, how important is the lyrics compared to the music?
CJ: Equally important. Tom has a lot to say.
Tom: I never really thought of it that way. To me, all the elements are equal and should support each other. Almost always, the music is written first. Then the lyrics develop based on the mood I get from the music. I do have a tendency to write a lot of words for each song, mainly because I like the lyrics to tell a complete story. Much like you'll find in songs by Rush.
Do you have a message for your listeners and what is it?
Tom: Though the lyrics deal with a lot of dark subjects, I'd say the overall message is to be strong and to face the difficulties and challenges in life head-on and try to come out of it with something positive. It's all about channelling the negatives into something better.
Where is the inspiration for the lyrics found?
Tom: My lyrical ideas come from everywhere... personal experiences, people I've known, movies, art, everything. I try not to get involved as much with world events and politics, but focus more on how those things make me feel. I'm an artist/designer as well, so I've always been an observer of the world around me and I like to try to paint a visual picture with my words and communicate ideas.
Will you please go through the 3 killer tracks on "Here In Hell" and tell us how they were made, the content of the lyrics, how the inspiration came etc…?
Tom: These 3 songs came along at different points in the writing process with other ones in between. We selected these 3 for the EP because we felt they presented some of the diversity in our writing and because each song can stand strongly on its own outside the context of an album.
As far as the content of the songs goes, 'I, Punishment' is about 2 people that find each other in a random way and develop an obsessive -- and ultimately destructive -- relationship. 'Engines' deals with the insanely fast pace and stress of modern life. 'Here In Hell' is a tale of revenge, a fantasy about what it could feel like to turn one's pain and suffering into the inspiration for retribution. I try not give any answers in my lyrics, only show one possible path that a person could take in a certain situation. I want listeners to be able to identify with the story and see it from their own perspective.
You have gotten the material on "Here In Hell" mixed by Simon Efemey, why did you choose such an ambitious move from the start?
CJ: In short, I worked with Simon when I was a roadie for Napalm Death in 2004 here in the US. I struck up a friendship with him and asked if he'd be interested, and he said yes. I mentioned this to the guys when I got back from the tour, and they thought it was a great idea. When we decided to release an EP first that allowed us to bring in Simon. If we went with a full-length we wouldn't had enough money to have him mix it. He was able to get a good deal for us at Chapel Studio. We then sent him the tracks and he did his thing.
Tom: We were very fortunate to be able to get Simon involved, and if it wasn't for CJ's touring experience with Napalm Death, it probably wouldn't have happened. We always wanted to make the best sounding recording possible, and when we found out that Simon was interested in helping us, we knew that fate was telling us there was no other way to go.
Are you satisfied with his work on the mix?
CJ: ABSOLUTELY!!
Tom: 100%!
How did you end up with the band name Skullshifter, what does it mean to you?
Tom: In addition to my life-long love of metal, I am a car fanatic as well. Specifically hot rods and American muscle cars. I was watching on of those car building TV shows one night and they installed a 'skull shifter' on a 1932 Ford hot rod. At that moment, I knew that Skullshifter had to be our name. There is something raw, powerful and rebellious about those old cars and I think that we're the same way. I also like the double meaning of it, in that our music may change one's mindset about what heavy metal can sound like in the year 2005.
The same can be asked about the album title "Here In Hell" what does it symbolize and what are your thoughts behind it?
Tom: "Here In Hell" is symbolic of the daily struggle of getting through life when you have no choice but to take on everything that comes your way and find a way to survive. It's about dealing with forces beyond your control and never giving up the fight.
When will we hear more material from you, what will your next output be and have you been approached by any interested labels yet?
CJ: Well, the other 7 songs from the album sessions are basically in the can. There's a few solos left to do, and then the mixdown. No exact date has been put aside for the album's release. We have not shopped "Here In Hell" to labels yet, so no offers.
Tom: Now that the EP is out and we're getting some good feedback, we hope that some label will be interested in helping us make the next step to a full album. We wanted to concentrate on getting the word out first, so like CJ said, we haven't shopped anything yet. We're not in any hurry, so we are willing to wait until the time feels right and the right offer comes along.
Are you working on new material, do you have some good news in form of song titles, directions etc…?
CJ: The remaining 7 tunes from the album are as follows: 'Exploiter'; 'Etched In Sand'; 'Day In The Sun'; 'Enemy'; 'Positively Negative'; 'Breaking Point'; and 'Forward Rearview'. We have one song that was not recorded, entitled 'Spiders'. There are also 3 new songs at this point, but only one - 'Strain' - has lyrics. We'll be busting that one out live for the first time at this upcoming gig.
Tom: You can be sure of one thing -- there's a lot more good stuff in our hands! While we feel the EP is strong, a full album will better showcase what we do best. Our latest songs are already sounding heavier and darker, so we'll have much to choose from when it comes time to do the full-length CD.
How do you look upon the future of Skullshifter and what can we the fans expect of it?
CJ: The plan is to continue to write tunes that we dig. If it feels right then that's good enough for us.
Tom: We want to reach as many metal fans as possible with our music. Some will like it, others won't. We have no thoughts about trying to please anyone but ourselves. As long as we continue to push ourselves to the limit of our abilities, we'll be satisfied. If people get into it, that's even better.
Will you share your 5 all time favourite albums with the readers of Nocturnal Horde?
Tom: Here's 7 off the top of my head:
Kiss - Alive!
Trouble - Trouble and Manic Frustration,
Overkill - Feel The Fire and Years Of Decay
Judas Priest - Unleashed In The East
Rush - Permanent Waves
CJ:
Death - Symbolic
Deep Purple - Made In Japan
Napalm Death - Enemy Of The Music Business
Obituary - Cause Of Death
Pink Floyd - Animals
Thanks a ton for answering my questions, if you have anything to add, feel free to add it now!
CJ: Thank you for the interview, Anders!! Hopefully everyone will be hearing our debut full-length album, "Inner Demons", in short order.
Tom: Thanks again for your support and the support of your readers!
CJ: Not bad at all, Anders. We're busy getting ready for a show this coming weekend (18 Nov) with fellow New Jersey thrashers Delian League and writing some new material.
Tom: Very good... excited about the great response from Nocturnal Horde and others in the underground metal press and looking forward to getting out live to promote our EP.
Will you please start of by introducing yourself and tell us why you create havoc with Skullshifter?
CJ: I'm CJ Scioscia, guitarist, and I don't create as much havoc as I used to.
Tom: Tom Nolz, guitar and vocals. For me, Skullshifter provides a means for turning all the negative energy that builds up inside into something creative and positive. And don't let CJ fool you, he cuts loose with the best of 'em!
A small introduction of the rest of the band as well, together with a bit about what they contribute to Skullshifter with will be great as well!
CJ: On drums is Dan Davie. Tom and I have played with him a lot over the years. He's a great drummer, one of my absolute favourites. As for bassist J. McCaffrey, we've all been friends with him for years. He's a dynamo. Dan & J. we're actually the rhythm section in a band called Chronic Breakjob for about a year (1996-1997), so they also have a history and good chemistry.
Tom: Each member of the band brings a ton of experience and creativity to the table. Since we've all known each other for so long, there are no personality problems and egos to get in the way. Our friendship keeps the foundation solid.
You released your debut mini CD "Here In Hell" earlier this year, how has it been received?
CJ: It's been 2 months since we put it out, and all I can say is that the overall response has been very positive.
Tom: Agreed!
What do you expect of the release?
Tom: We didn't know what to expect, especially since what we're doing goes against just about every current trend in metal. So far we're happy with what most people are saying.
How do you in the band feel about it?
CJ: I think I can speak for all of us in saying it's the best thing we've ever released.
Tom: That's true. When we started, that was the standard we set for ourselves. Just to dig deep and write the strongest and best sounding songs we could. This is the first time I can truly say that I achieved my goal.
What do you want to accomplish with the release?
CJ: It's a building block in the foundation, really. We hope it'll garner us enough attention to gain a solid fanbase and, possibly, a record deal.
Tom: When we started out on this project we didn't know how far we were going to take it. After writing a bunch of songs and playing live to people that didn't know us and getting a great response, we felt that maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to put something out that people could get into all over the world. We hope to get the opportunity to secure the funds to put out a top-quality full length release sometime soon.
You are delivering a nice slap of old school crossover with quite a punch, how did you end playing that type of metal?
CJ: Ha, old school!! Well, that's where we hail from, actually.
Tom: Because our strongest influences are rooted in the earliest forms of metal, what comes out in Skullshifter is just natural to us. When CJ and I pick up our guitars, the riffs just come out more or less the way you hear them on the CD. We try not to over-think anything and go with what feels right. It comes from the gut.
Who are the main music writers in the band and how do you make the songs?
Tom: We've all shouldered the responsibility of writing music at this point. I'm good with just coming up with an idea and throwing it down on my home 4-track. J. is the same way. CJ is excellent at hearing something one of us has written and taking it to the next level and also coming up with stuff that the rest of us would never think of. Danny is great with arranging structures and coming up with original patterns and rhythms that become the foundation of some of our most distinctive riffs.
CJ: Chronologically, the initial batch of songs were written by Tom and myself. Dan made incredible contributions, though, when he got involved. J. is an integral part of the writing team now that he's on board. Tom's doing all the lyrics at this point.
Where do you find inspiration when you write music?
Tom: I'll hear an idea in my head or think of a particular rhythm, then try to remember enough of it to get it down on tape when I get home. Since we all have day jobs, it isn't easy to capture the ideas as soon as we get them! We also get inspired when we're just jamming around at rehearsal. Some great ideas come from those times when we're just letting loose.
Do you have to be in a certain mood when you make music, or does it just come to you?
Tom: As I said above, you never know when the mood will strike, but keeping an open mind really helps. Metal is in our blood, so the feelings that trigger inspiration are always there, no matter what we're doing at the time.
Can you pull out 3 bands and songs that have meant a lot to you and your way of playing/making music?
CJ: Limiting it to 3 is tough, but here goes... Voivod, Candlemass and Trouble (you can't mention one without the other) and Rush - specifically the "A Farewell To Kings" and "Hemispheres" albums. OK, I have to sneak in Pink Floyd and Napalm Death as well. That's way more than 3... oops.
Tom: Like CJ and the other guys, my list goes on and on. I'm not that interested in learning or playing what my favorite bands have done, so what comes out in my writing is just a mixture of everything I've listened to over the years. My favorite bands include Overkill, Trouble, Rush, Pro-Pain, The Haunted, Judas Priest, Kiss... pretty diverse.
CJ: Wow, I forgot Overkill. We've seen them so many times over the years, all the way back to their demo days.
The lyrics and vocals seems to be a big part of the band, how important is the lyrics compared to the music?
CJ: Equally important. Tom has a lot to say.
Tom: I never really thought of it that way. To me, all the elements are equal and should support each other. Almost always, the music is written first. Then the lyrics develop based on the mood I get from the music. I do have a tendency to write a lot of words for each song, mainly because I like the lyrics to tell a complete story. Much like you'll find in songs by Rush.
Do you have a message for your listeners and what is it?
Tom: Though the lyrics deal with a lot of dark subjects, I'd say the overall message is to be strong and to face the difficulties and challenges in life head-on and try to come out of it with something positive. It's all about channelling the negatives into something better.
Where is the inspiration for the lyrics found?
Tom: My lyrical ideas come from everywhere... personal experiences, people I've known, movies, art, everything. I try not to get involved as much with world events and politics, but focus more on how those things make me feel. I'm an artist/designer as well, so I've always been an observer of the world around me and I like to try to paint a visual picture with my words and communicate ideas.
Will you please go through the 3 killer tracks on "Here In Hell" and tell us how they were made, the content of the lyrics, how the inspiration came etc…?
Tom: These 3 songs came along at different points in the writing process with other ones in between. We selected these 3 for the EP because we felt they presented some of the diversity in our writing and because each song can stand strongly on its own outside the context of an album.
As far as the content of the songs goes, 'I, Punishment' is about 2 people that find each other in a random way and develop an obsessive -- and ultimately destructive -- relationship. 'Engines' deals with the insanely fast pace and stress of modern life. 'Here In Hell' is a tale of revenge, a fantasy about what it could feel like to turn one's pain and suffering into the inspiration for retribution. I try not give any answers in my lyrics, only show one possible path that a person could take in a certain situation. I want listeners to be able to identify with the story and see it from their own perspective.
You have gotten the material on "Here In Hell" mixed by Simon Efemey, why did you choose such an ambitious move from the start?
CJ: In short, I worked with Simon when I was a roadie for Napalm Death in 2004 here in the US. I struck up a friendship with him and asked if he'd be interested, and he said yes. I mentioned this to the guys when I got back from the tour, and they thought it was a great idea. When we decided to release an EP first that allowed us to bring in Simon. If we went with a full-length we wouldn't had enough money to have him mix it. He was able to get a good deal for us at Chapel Studio. We then sent him the tracks and he did his thing.
Tom: We were very fortunate to be able to get Simon involved, and if it wasn't for CJ's touring experience with Napalm Death, it probably wouldn't have happened. We always wanted to make the best sounding recording possible, and when we found out that Simon was interested in helping us, we knew that fate was telling us there was no other way to go.
Are you satisfied with his work on the mix?
CJ: ABSOLUTELY!!
Tom: 100%!
How did you end up with the band name Skullshifter, what does it mean to you?
Tom: In addition to my life-long love of metal, I am a car fanatic as well. Specifically hot rods and American muscle cars. I was watching on of those car building TV shows one night and they installed a 'skull shifter' on a 1932 Ford hot rod. At that moment, I knew that Skullshifter had to be our name. There is something raw, powerful and rebellious about those old cars and I think that we're the same way. I also like the double meaning of it, in that our music may change one's mindset about what heavy metal can sound like in the year 2005.
The same can be asked about the album title "Here In Hell" what does it symbolize and what are your thoughts behind it?
Tom: "Here In Hell" is symbolic of the daily struggle of getting through life when you have no choice but to take on everything that comes your way and find a way to survive. It's about dealing with forces beyond your control and never giving up the fight.
When will we hear more material from you, what will your next output be and have you been approached by any interested labels yet?
CJ: Well, the other 7 songs from the album sessions are basically in the can. There's a few solos left to do, and then the mixdown. No exact date has been put aside for the album's release. We have not shopped "Here In Hell" to labels yet, so no offers.
Tom: Now that the EP is out and we're getting some good feedback, we hope that some label will be interested in helping us make the next step to a full album. We wanted to concentrate on getting the word out first, so like CJ said, we haven't shopped anything yet. We're not in any hurry, so we are willing to wait until the time feels right and the right offer comes along.
Are you working on new material, do you have some good news in form of song titles, directions etc…?
CJ: The remaining 7 tunes from the album are as follows: 'Exploiter'; 'Etched In Sand'; 'Day In The Sun'; 'Enemy'; 'Positively Negative'; 'Breaking Point'; and 'Forward Rearview'. We have one song that was not recorded, entitled 'Spiders'. There are also 3 new songs at this point, but only one - 'Strain' - has lyrics. We'll be busting that one out live for the first time at this upcoming gig.
Tom: You can be sure of one thing -- there's a lot more good stuff in our hands! While we feel the EP is strong, a full album will better showcase what we do best. Our latest songs are already sounding heavier and darker, so we'll have much to choose from when it comes time to do the full-length CD.
How do you look upon the future of Skullshifter and what can we the fans expect of it?
CJ: The plan is to continue to write tunes that we dig. If it feels right then that's good enough for us.
Tom: We want to reach as many metal fans as possible with our music. Some will like it, others won't. We have no thoughts about trying to please anyone but ourselves. As long as we continue to push ourselves to the limit of our abilities, we'll be satisfied. If people get into it, that's even better.
Will you share your 5 all time favourite albums with the readers of Nocturnal Horde?
Tom: Here's 7 off the top of my head:
Kiss - Alive!
Trouble - Trouble and Manic Frustration,
Overkill - Feel The Fire and Years Of Decay
Judas Priest - Unleashed In The East
Rush - Permanent Waves
CJ:
Death - Symbolic
Deep Purple - Made In Japan
Napalm Death - Enemy Of The Music Business
Obituary - Cause Of Death
Pink Floyd - Animals
Thanks a ton for answering my questions, if you have anything to add, feel free to add it now!
CJ: Thank you for the interview, Anders!! Hopefully everyone will be hearing our debut full-length album, "Inner Demons", in short order.
Tom: Thanks again for your support and the support of your readers!
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