Review Fix Exclusive: Ogre Talks ‘Proto-Doom’

Ogre is a band of many influences with a unique sound. The self-proclaimed “Proto-Doom” act from Maine is hot on the heels of their latest release “The Last Neanderthal” and they’ve got a lot to say. In this eye-opening interview the members of Ogre (Ed Cunningham, Will Broadbent and Ross Markonish) discuss their music, their albums, their influences, and all kinds of mayhem.

Review Fix: In a nutshell, describe Ogre for people who may not know the band. What are your influences and what songs/albums would you recommend to new audiences?

WILL: OGRE has been around since 1999. We take inspiration from many 70’s rock stalwarts like BLACK SABBATH, RUSH, DEEP PURPLE, AC/DC, as well as some of the lesser known stars of that era like BUDGIE, CACTUS, DUST, SIR LORD BALTIMORE and a host of others. We’re also very into traditional doom metal like SAINT VITUS and PENTAGRAM. If you’re a hard rock fan, and aren’t aware of some of the groups I’ve mentioned, I would suggest you track them down! Lots of great listening awaits you.

ROSS: I’ve said this before, but I like to call our music “proto-doom”. It’s not entirely doom metal but it’s not just straight up 70s rock imitation either. Our influences are pretty clear to anyone who has heard us, but I like to think that we do something original with them.

Review Fix: What was the process for recording “The Last Neanderthal?” How does Ogre get the ‘70’s sound that’s on there? Did you record in analog? Who engineered the album and what did they do?

ROSS: For me, the “70s sound” is more about feel and about songwriting, than it is about vintage gear and analog recording. The only album that we recorded on analog tape was our first one, “Dawn of the Proto-Man”. The rest have all been digital. As much as I would love to keep recording on tape, it’s just been a lot easier and cheaper to go digital. That said, we’ve been fortunate to work with an awesome engineer (Marc Bartholomew) who totally gets what we’re all about and makes sure that we capture that 70s sound as effectively as possible. Y’know, there are a lot of bands out there who make a big deal about “vintage this” and “analog that”, but if the songs don’t cut it, then all of that stuff just don’t mean a thing.

ED: Yeah, its kinda just who we are and what we like. Ross plays and SG and I play a Ric, so that sorta helps

Review Fix: For the introduction “Shadow Earth” and “White Plume Mountain” there are absurd ambiance noises. What are they and how did you come up with the arrangements?

ROSS: Guilty as charged. I’m typically the guy who comes up with all the stupid ideas to complicate matters, adding in synths and ambient passages. Ed’s the purist and Will usually falls somewhere in between, so it all balances out in the end. I dunno, I just think that ambient stuff adds some sonic variety and brings more of a psychedelic vibe to our sound. As a huge Pink Floyd fan, I’ve always dreamed about doing an album with all sorts of VCS3 and Moog synths, because I just love that stuff. For now, though, I’m just happy that the guys have indulged me with a few minutes here and there on the new album. I love experimenting in the studio, my philosophy being that, if it’s there, why not use it? For example, for the opening sound on “Shadow Earth”, I ended up banging the hell out of the strings of a broken up piano that was propped up in a corner of the studio. I happened to notice it as I was heading to the bathroom to take a piss and I thought to myself, “I wonder what it would sound like if I started hammering away on that?” Next thing I knew, we had a microphone set up and we were recording it. Ridiculous, yes, but I dig how it came out!

Review Fix: What types of gear do you guys use? What are your favorite pieces of gear?

ROSS: I’m really not much of a gear head, but I’ve got a pretty sweet rig that I’m satisfied with, so I don’t anticipate any changes in the near future. I play a Gibson SG through a Laney head (hmmm…I wonder where I got that idea from?), but the secret weapon is my Avatar cab. Avatar is an independent company that makes absolutely killer speaker cabinets…really solid, quality stuff. I can’t remember all the specs of my cab, but it was one of the last ones made in that style, and there’s just something sweet about how it matches up with my Laney. I get lots of compliments on my sound, especially in a live setting. My only “complaint” is that I still don’t think I’ve effectively replicated my live sound on record, though I probably came closest on “The Last Neanderthal”. Other than the SG/Laney/Avatar combo, I just use a delay pedal and my best friend, a Cry Baby wah.

WILL: I have a vintage, blue Ludwig Vistalite kit from 1978 with two 26 inch bass drums, which is my dream come true!

ROSS: Will’s drum kit is, indeed, a thing of beauty. Lately, he has had the entire kit (with double bass drums, extra toms, etc.) set up for rehearsal, and it sounds like a monster!

ED: I use a 4001 Ric and whatever bass amp I can find…the least gadgets and processing the better.

Review Fix: Ogre has that “organic jam band” vibe. Is that how you write your music?

ROSS: As much as I would hate to get associated with the dreaded “jam band” scene, I would agree that our songwriting is pretty organic. Typically, I’ll come up with some sort of riff and then bring it to practice. We’ll all jam out on it for awhile, adding parts here and there, and then eventually some sort of full-fledged song emerges. Though there have been some instances when I’ve come in with a full arrangement and presented it to the band, some of our most successful songs have been those that have come out of random jams that we usually start practices with. “The Hermit” off the new album is an example of a song that completely evolved out of jam sessions.

Review Fix: On the album you covered the 70’s band Ogre. Who’s idea was that and why?

ROSS: Many years back, probably around the time of our Seven Hells album, we were randomly contacted via MySpace by a guy who said his brother was in a band called Ogre, based out of Lewiston, Idaho, back in the early 70s. He eventually sent us a bunch of rehearsal and live tapes that the band recorded back then, and we were floored. In addition to covers of such songs as the Stooges’ “Search and Destroy”, these dudes also recorded a few original tunes, the standout being “Soulless Woman”. For someone like me, who is always on the search for new obscure 70s rock bands, this was the ultimate grail! Anyway, at the time, this guy said that the modern day OGRE should cover a song by the 70s Ogre. Fast forward a few years…During the writing of the songs for “Last Neanderthal”, we started jamming on “Soulless Woman” and tossed around the idea of recording it for the album. It was sort of a last minute decision, and we weren’t even sure we actually were going to record the song once we got to the studio. At some point, though, we gave it a try, busted it out in one take (I think), and decided that it needed to make it onto the album. We were a little hesitant at first, because it didn’t seem to fit in with the other songs, but it’s been getting a lot of positive response so far, so I’m happy we decided to keep it on there!

Review Fix: What’s next for Ogre?

WILL: We are rehearsing for some live appearances, and possibly recording a bonus track for the vinyl edition of “The Last Neanderthal” that will probably come out later this year.

Review Fix: Who would you most like to tour with?

ROSS: I would love to do a full-fledged tour with Church of Misery, preferably in Europe. Playing with those guys in Japan was one of the musical highlights of my life, and it would be incredible to watch them destroy on stage every night on tour.

WILL: I would love to play with Church of Misery again, as well. Playing shows with Saint Vitus would be a dream come true. We are friends with groups like Revelation, Iron Man and Argus, so any chance to play with those guys again would be a blast! We definitely want to make it to Europe soon.

ED: Ditto, esp. the Europe part. I admire all the bands listed, but I have an especially soft spot for Revelation.

Review Fix: What do you guys do when you aren’t doing anything Ogre related?

ROSS: Y’know, the usual life trip – work and family. To be honest, I’ve got a remarkably un-rock ‘n’ roll life, so it’s nice to have OGRE to help me kick out the jams once in a while. I also listen to a shit-ton of music in my spare time…I’ve pretty much got tunes blasting at almost every moment of the day. My only addiction is buying music.

WILL: I work hard at promoting the family business, an antique store in York, ME called The Little Red Hen. Stop by and see me this summer if you’re in the area. I am a huge fan of vintage comic books. I am an illustrator, and I’ve actually done the artwork for our last three releases, which was really fun. I’ve done a bunch of other record covers, comic books, t shirt designs, etc.. If you want to check out my work, you can go to: https://www.facebook.com/WilliamBroadbentIllustration.

ED: Well, I started my own property maintenance company called Low Carbon Lawn Care. I use electric and propane powered mowers along with more regular machines. Plus, I’ve got a family, etc. and that keeps me pretty busy.

Review Fix: Create an all-star band of members living or dead. Who plays what and what do you call them?

ROSS: Oh man, that’s a hard one! I definitely would have Keith Moon on drums, maybe Geddy Lee on bass. Hendrix on guitar. Let’s put Ian Gillan (in his prime) on vocals, just for the hell of it. I’m not sure I could put a name on the aural madness that would come out of that unholy combination!

WILL: I would have Ian Gillan out in front as well. On drums would be Carmine Appice, bass would be John Entwistle, on guitar would be the one and only Angus Young, I would also include Jon Lord on keys, and I would be on the road crew!

ED: Well, how ‘bout John Bonham on drums. He could always play straight thru whatever yodeling and bow twiddling that was going on and make it sound powerful and great. He held the Hindenburg together. For bass I would have to pick Geezer Butler. I love Geddy Lee, but I don’t/can’t really play like him. Cliff Burton is one of my idols, too, but I’d have to say it would be Geezer for the best tone and the coolest pentatonic riffs. For guitar I would say Alex Liefson. If you don’t think he’s heavy enough, you haven’t listened to early Rush: Les Paul through a Marshall stack with just a volume pedal. He was unstoppable. Ok and for vocals? How about John Lennon. I know “What the!?!” but think of it. He actually had a gritty, powerful voice. Just imagine if all these guys met around 1970 and their ages were the same. They would have influenced each other and I think would have written amazing songs. I would call them FRIGATE…after the ship, of course.