A true athlete when it comes to traversing the fretboard of a Rickenbacker bass, Grays lead bass style and the way his playing seamlessly weaves with the Captains is a massive part of Evil Spirits musical bedrock. Frank Zappa? Not quite, but I'll take that as a compliment whether intended or not! I try not to step on anybodys toes but try not to get lost either. Captains songs are Gods gift because theyre so melodic. We have three drummers, theres a lot of low end, do you know what I mean? Genre politics and hyperbole aside, the Damned have always been the musicians band among the classic punks, and the group has always operated with a policy of lawlessness when it comes to the music they make. He took up an interest in music early on thanks to some guidance from his older brother William Jay Matthews, who introduced him to bands like Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper and KISS. (Image credit: John McMurtrie) "Yesterday we lost our brother, and the world seems a little smaller because of it," began Corey Taylor. Strings 2 : Electric Bass Nickel Plated Steel with NANOWEB Coating. His playing was informed by his early devotion to thrash, and that conversion to the bass. The world will never know another man as amazing as you.. Steve is an idol of mine and I actually got to meet him - I listened to him a lot because he's all over the bass when he plays.". TC Electronic Nova System I named all of them after the Captain, and I think maybe there will be a Captain Sensible pack at some point for the H9. It was as simple as that. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)), a beautifully unnerving departure for the band, setting quiet, sinister tension against wretched release. Rickenbacker 12-string (Atomic Studios), Amps I'm able to leave gear at home, and that was the same with Ibanez. He brought the knowledge and the enthusiasm, and he was the most social of all the people on the metal scene. During the press conference, percussionist Shawn Clown Crahan, who co-founded Slipknot with Paul, wanted the world to know how devastating his death was. I try to avoid soloing for its own sake and you have to judge when its run its course and its best to get out for something else to take over, or risk boring the listener for ones own ego gratification. Gray: We turned everything up full! Added by Bastien. All rights reserved. TDPRI, short for Telecaster Discussion Page Reissue, is the leading online community and marketplace for Telecaster guitars. Everyone in Thin Lizzy used those picks, even Phil Lynott. I'd just say, for people who are learning, try to keep changing things up and stay open minded to everything. During the recording sessions for All Hope Is Gone, Paul had called Shawn to say he was too sick to come to the studio. Premier Guitar sought an audience with Sensible and Gray to discuss the making of the Damneds triumphant return to studio recording, their philosophies and roots as players, the symbiosis that exists within their playing relationship, and even a bit of gear geekery. Im not just playing for Clown; Im playing for him, for his wife and daughter, his legacy, his love for the band, his love for music.. Has there ever been something that was just too far out for the Damned? Hellfest reveal 2023s line-up with headliners Iron Maiden, Slipknot, Mtley Cre and KISS. He had something going on in his mind, and I was like, OK, I need to back off I cant touch this. And if you listen to that song, you can tell that theres heartfelt pain in that., Shawn had never intended to join a metal band, but got sucked into the promise of what he could create with someone as talented as Paul. Gauges : Medium 46-63-80-102. I still do the same shit, man. The 77 I have has the toaster pickup, and that one is much filthier sounding. Tragically after writing, recording and touring four albums in the greatest metal band of a generation Paul passed away on May 24, 2010. You've mentioned quite a few genres there, so what's your favourite bassline of all time? Back in the late 1960s the bass player in my band (who was left-handed) purchased a Hofner. ), but i'm not 100% sure Apr 26, 2001 #3 Jman Mar 24, 2000 Waterport,NY Later he sometimes used strings wrapped with black nylon to get more of a thumping sound. But in the beginning, after we got our record deal, I went to Warwick actually. Eventually, he managed to procure a replacement. Fans held t-shirts aloft, while Shawn and Corey stood at the back of the stage, arms around each others shoulders, faces crumpled with emotion. Im a dreadful singer, but Ive got all of these melodies in my head and I kind of approach the bass as a tool for countermelody, and I weave between what the Captains playing and what Daves singing. Feed. The best record they ever made! Feb 11, 2014 #3. Captain is the primo guitarist in my book.We both share a love of pop songs. Although not as light as some other guys on this . Who wants to go onstage with an unblemished guitar slung round their neck? They started sending me Soundgears but I didn't want to play them and I said, 'If you start making these ATK's again like this one, I'll switch companies'. There was one problem: hed never played bass. 1990s British-made handwired Vox AC30 reissue Those killer riffs on Surfacing, which switch from propulsive to filthy, came from his death metal project, Body Pit. While their 1999 self-titled debut would prove to be a landmark, 2001s Iowa earned them a No.1 in the UK, while 2004s Vol. I will miss him with every fibre of my heart, as will everybody at this table and everyone who knew him he was the best of us.. When it came to music, Paul was up there with some of the greats, remembered Corey, in a heartfelt tribute to his old bandmate. "We were on Ozzfest and I had the one Soundgear bass, which was really old, with no back-up guitar and we were playing all these shows. We unselfishly say, Lets play Paul Gray riffs, or do it the way Paul would want it., Paul lives on through his family, music, and the army of maggots who hold him close. It really fascinates me how basses that are essentially the same can still be so different. Rotosound (.009.042) Not I; thats for sure. Actually I played guitar first - hang on, my sunglasses are totally fucking up here - I played guitar first and never picked up a bass, wasn't interested in it at all. Also my fingers aren't that fast, I can get to a decent speed but I'm not freaking Billy Sheehan.". Gray: I used the 1980 Ric that I used on TheBlack Album, but the one that ended up on most of the tracks was my very early '74. 9. These guitars come to Paul with pickups and volume and tone controls already installed. Actually, none that I can think of. For nylon strings Chet and I both used D'Addario Pro-Art, although both of us at times have used LaBella 500p Professional concert & recording strings. It makes pedals sound great, so my live setup, which was formerly my travel rig, but sounded so good it became the main one, is a Dunlop wah into the TC Nova System through a Marshall EL84 20/20 and a Marshall 4x12. Thanks! The great thing about those basses is that theyre so individual to how you want them to sound. Paul had previously dabbled in a band in Minneapolis called F.O.R., toured with Kyuss offshoot Unida, recorded with rockers Reggie And The Full Effect, and was poised to go out with metal super- group Hail!. I made Paul punch in a lot, but a lot of it comes with modifying parts and changing things to be something a little different without changing their overall feel or what theyre trying to say as players. I've heard this too. After then he used steel strings. 19 years ago Wow, I'm getting old! 1974 Rickenbacker 4001, Amps On Octobers behalf, the Gray family sued pain relief specialist Dr. Daniel Baldi and his former employers, alleging Paul hadnt been properly monitored during his drug addiction treatment. Gray: Yeah! Its not that he didnt like them of course he did, he went and saw Stone Sour, Murderdolls but when Paul would come home he would get really sad because all hed want to do was Slipknot. Slipknots first gig was on April 4, 1996. I never took lessons or anything, I was always self-taught, listening to albums and just trying to figure stuff off of that.. The bass fills he did, I really had to fucking rewind tapes and play them over and over to get it.". As Slipknot put it in Skeptic, The world will never see another crazy motherfucker like you. I was lucky enough to see them all play club venues, where you could really watch what their fingers were doing. Oh, and he didnt have a bass, either. Technical Editor Bass Gear Magazine. When asked, three albums in, if this is what he imagined being a rock star would be like, he humbly replied, I dont really consider myself a rock star, but obviously I guess I am. Here we go again motherfucker, indeed. He is honoured, but can never be replaced. Sensible: Unlike some punk bassists who could only play by numbers, with the potential song disintegration if they lost their way, Paul can really busk it up! Actually, I did go on and try to compose something better, but we liked the skin-of-your-teeth excitement of the originals best. Ibanez and Peavey have somebody everywhere.". Guitars Rock n roll needs its rough edges. Listened to 4 Beatles LPs (yes; these black huge 33 1/3 things) the last days. Did he have any interesting methods for capturing the powerful guitar sound on Evil Spirits? Prior to joining Metal Hammer, El spent three years as Production Editor at Kerrang! "Finger stretches? It was hard to comprehend. One has a clanky sound and one has much more growl. Never having had a lesson, I play completely by ear and I often overstretch myself. If you listen to Pauls note choices on Vermilion, he was all over the shop and it sounded great I wanted to try things like that.. Duality (Vol. This prompted Jim to write the opening line of Til We Die: My friends are all hurting., There was a real fear that he wasnt doing well, said Shawn. Freddie used .010, .011, and .012 on his top strings and light to medium strings on the bass (wound) strings. And what about tunings, do you experiment when you're writing? Let your thoughts out and dont let anyone stop you from what you feel and what you think! So now Ive got his blood boiling in my veins. With the emergence of Eddie Van Halen as a phenomenon in the late 1970s and 1980s . Theres a reason why the low-end on the debut album closer feels extra rumbly, even ghostly, at points. The 1980s were yet another decade that brought massive changes in music. The Kerrang! I imagine you must use Rotosound strings, based on your influences and the tones youve gone for over the years? Slipknot have just released a brand-new song, Bone Church, which started life in a jam room on the .5: The Gray Chapter tour. From triumph to tragedy, here is his story. I havent a clue about scales and stuff. There had been a headline-generating arrest for drugs and drink-driving in 2003, sobriety, relapses and recent treatment for addiction. Seven years ago today, extreme metal music lost one of its most radiant beacons - Paul Gray of Slipknot. Luckily, it didnt choke at the Albert Hall during our 40th anniversary show. Works 23; All; Songs written by Paul Gray [US1] Original songs. Paul was there from the very, very beginning. Lots of discussion about this all over this board. What gauge is the low E string? "I have to find my place in Slipknot and stay away from just following the guitars, so I play along with what the drums are doing. The Damned opened for T. Rex back in the day, and I even asked Captain why we never did this before. There was a band in our town that had a great bass player called Mark and he could play jazz and funk, so I sat down with him about five or six times and learned a lot of techniques. Title Written by Originally by Original date Covered by ; Before I Forget . Gray: I used the 1980 Ric that I used on TheBlack Album, but the one that ended up on most of the tracks was my very early 74. I always watch other bass players no matter what kind of band they're in, how long they've been playing for or if they're any good, because you can always learn something from someone else to add to your technique and make you play better. Simple as it may be, especially when compared to their earlier tracks, Duality is also the sound of The Nine at their most effective its four minutes and 12 seconds condensed down to three and a half for a single version that would become directly responsible for converting new armies of metalheads around the world. What's Inside show One has a very chunky neck, and thats a 74, and the 77 has a thinner neck than a Fender Jazz bass. I had to go back and listen to them. There is no definitive answer to this question as Paul McCartney has been known to use a variety of different strings on his Hofner bass over the years. Ive always used .009.042 gauge strings: Rotosounds if we can get hold of them. That evening, the eight remaining members of the Knot, aided by early bandmember/stand-in bassist Donnie Steele, provided their own loud tribute. If that bass went down that was it. The main guitar is a 1959 Les Paul Standard . Reviews. Early producer Ross Robinson, who worked on the groups self-titled debut and its Iowa follow-up, went as far as labelling him the bands secret weapon, blessed with absolute integrity and a talent for coming out with the most unbelievable ideas. It required the heaviest gauge top string he could find in order to hold the notes well enough to record. I knew the guitar lines and could have jammed those, but the bass parts were totally different and I was like, 'Fuck!' He will never be forgotten. Being back in New York brought that whole Damned relationship back to all of us, honestly. But my favorite was Tony McPhee of the Groundhogs. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Marshall EL84 20/20 stereo power amps, Effects After the bassist's family attempted to stage another intervention over his drug use, Gray left home on May 22, 2010, and . I went into the local music store and heard some guys talking about needing a bass player for their band, they did covers of Slayer and Metallica songs, So, not knowing anybody and wanting to meet people, I told them I could play bass even though I had never played one in my life. I go to the same fucking bar and hang out with the same fucking people, so I really havent changed that much. We had confidence in each other that it would work, and we hadnt played together [in the studio] for nearly 22 years! You can coax many different sounds out of a Rickenbacker depending on your fingering technique, what gauge pick you use, what year it is. I think they picked me because they collectively like various albums Ive made: especially the T. Rex and Bowie stuff. A fan of British blues-rock players like the Groundhogs Tony McPhee and Frees Paul Kossoff, and of Summer of Love psych-rock and the pomp of 60s orchestral pop music, the Captain has never relied merely on power chords and beeralthough those have often been a part of his recipe. They were a menacing presence, ready to inflict pain on themselves in the name of catharsis. He spent the several decades with Spirocore Mittels. What was the first bassline you ever tried to play? Bath Those strings are absolutely the go-to strings for me and I absolutely love them. Whats the writing process in the band today?Sensible: We write as individuals, then throw our stuff into the Damned pot and see what it sounds like. Sprayed sparks all over the place. It took me 15 years to figure out that all they were really playing was the pentatonic scale with some extra notes chucked in! I didnt know any of the bass lines but I knew all the guitar parts, so I faked it. Inkcarceration announces headliners Slipknot and Limp Bizkit alongside Megadeth, Lamb Of God, In This Moment and more. A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. Taking his place in a finalised line-up of vocalist Corey Taylor, percussionists Shawn Crahan and Chris Fehn, drummer Joey Jordison, guitarists Jim Root and Mick Thomson, sampler Craig Jones and turntablist Sid Wilson, they exploded on the brink of a new millennium, in a mass of masks and coveralls, attracting growing crowds of writhing, devoted maggots. I introduced him to the wonderful world of Eventide, and we used the H9 a lot. It broke in a roaring cheer. One of my brothers friends had a weird right-handed bass, which I strung left-handed, and a practice amp. An autopsy revealed he had. In tribute to Paul's indelible legacy and legend, we're going to look at a side of the man that was rarely seen, let alone written about. Paul himself remarked on how it was a sound you felt rather than heard, more atmospheric than melodic in nature. As far as opening gambits go, the first musical track on Slipknots debut is as good as it gets. HiddenCharms said: I don't know if this is true, but I remember reading that Duane Allman and Jimi Hendrix used Fender Rock'n'Roll Strings guaged 10-38. I didn't think they would, but they called me up and said, 'Here you go!'". A guitar most often associated with him is the 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard "Greeny".Now a famous guitar, once owned by Peter Green of the Fleetwood Mac, and now in the possession of Metallica's Kirk Hammett.Another one worth singling out is the Les Paul Standard nicknamed . Im not a control freak and I want them to express themselves, and I wouldnt work with them if they werent great musiciansthats my criteria. "But then I ended up going to Ibanez on the last album because - I can't remember where we were - but I went to a pawn shop and picked up this Ibanez ATK that they've stopped making and I just loved the way it played and sounded, so I started playing it too and Ibanez approached me to offer me a deal. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Most of the guys you cited developed their sounds around a Rickenbacker bass, and thats been your instrument of choice over the years. The same was said of his personality, Corey often describing him as the glue of the band the one member who lived and breathed Slipknot all day every day, the worlds best cheerleader to bring them together no matter what challenge or hurdle lay ahead. As a standing tribute to the late Paul Gray, TG presents this never-before published interview with the Slipknot bassist. What gear was integral to creating the guitar tones on the album? But more importantly than anything else, Paul Grays songs and performances have resonated louder and prouder with each and every passing year. What gear are you using live?Sensible: We have built up a collection of Marshall EL84 20/20 20-watt stereo power amps, which might even have warmed up Mrs. Thatchers cold heart if someone had thought of it! . Shawn speculated this had a detrimental effect on his mental wellbeing. I recall after releasing a self indulgent double album featuring quite a lot of trippy guitar noodling, one critic asked, Who does he think he is? Their string of hits included Stimulation and I Could Make You Love Me. They toured All Hope Is Gone across nine gruelling legs, starting in July 2008 in Washington, taking in Download in June 2009, and finishing in Las Vegas that October. Gray: I wish I could analyze it, but its one of those musical relationships thats just worked from the get-go! Most of the patches we used for the H9 were custom made by myself. The founding bassists untimely passing remains one of metals most heartbreaking tragedies, Slipknots loyal legions left no choice but to ponder the prodigious creations his mind would have gone on to conceive. Jim and I would be writing, and wed get close to some stuff and be like, What would Paul do? We try to utilise that all the time. He had an ear for nuances that I dont think a lot of people understood. And thats what hes left behind for us, is absolute love.. Sensible: I didnt think there was any chance my colleagues would go for a 14-minute krautrock wig-out (Dark Asteroid) last time out, but I was wrong. I'm . He was everything that was wonderful about this band and about this group of people. No tricks, no pedals, no nothing. What did you hope to get out of the Damned in the studio? The day after it happened, we were all over the place, and we all kind of made our way to my house, he recalled. I was writing lyrics when Paul and Joey played this to me, Corey told Kerrang! Despite being less overtly punk than the typical Damned record, I managed to squeeze the odd solo in here and there. That changed my world, he recounted in Paul Gray: Behind The Player. So between that and jamming along with the records is how I got my fairly unorthodox guitar technique together. The only tweaking was in the mix with a bit of reamping. He wrote the kind of music with Joey that made me want to put my face through glass, he said. and four years as Production Editor and Deputy Editor at Bizarre. Did McCartney use flatwound strings on his Hofner bass from the very begnning or did use round wound on it at some point? Theyre just magnificent! Paul and Joey even formed grindcore outfit Anal Blast. At one point, Paul drifted back to LA, but was persuaded back by Anders and Shawn. It's worked for me So far anyway! Any doubts over Slipknot sustaining the brain-melting brutality of their debut were answered in a vicious storm of blastbeats and tremolo-picked guitars that felt even angrier and more possessed than before. Paul didnt know anyone in Iowa, so six months in, when he overheard some guys in a local record store talking about needing a bass player for Metallica and Slayer covers, he volunteered his services. What is it about them that you like so much?Gray: I was very much drawn to Rickenbacker sounds, to the point where Id listen to the radio as a kid and was always trying to figure out if it was a Rickenbacker I was hearing. With Mountain, Flowers of Evil has a live side, and the bass and guitar interplay on that album is just magnificent, and I love that really filthy sound Felix P. had: electric farts, we call it in the Damned. It was always the singer or the guitarist that got the glory, so I liked the slightly subversive nature of those bass players. Although the low E changed every now and then especially in the late 80's. He would typically use the .058 string gauge but has intermittently used .060's and even .074's. The first five strings are relatively light . Sensible: Theres something about the Gibson SG 60s Tribute. I had to get a real guitar and do it. Forever #2 of 9. Or any money to buy one. We really textured it very heavily. Permutations! Ampeg was also really great to me and I can't say anything bad about them. There's a heavy difference in style between the two basses, that's for sure. I recall Visconti lounging in his producer's chair dialing up sounds on his iPhone. When I moved to Iowa, I didnt have any friends or know anybody. 1977 Rickenbacker 4001 "Actually it was some Sabbath and Metallica stuff. Captain Sensible: In the late 60s, this amazing bunch of blues guitarists appeared on the U.K. scene at the same time I started going to gigs: Paul Kossoff, Tony Iommi, Ritchie Blackmore, Mick Abrahams, Peter Green, Jimmy Page. It allows you to throw things into the set on the flyjust call out a key and hell have a go at it. In December 2010, they announced they would headline 2011s Sonisphere to honour the legacy of their fallen friend. thats corey's stone sour. When his pregnant wife, Brenna, and their family had tried to stage an intervention to prevent Paul from harming himself, he checked into a hotel. To make it worth your while, you must consider how much sugar was added to their . So all those prominent bass players really caught my ear and I thought it was so great, because it was such an important part of the song. 1980 Rickenbacker 4001 Heres how it works. On July 10, at 2pm, thousands of Sonisphere-goers joined together in a two-minute silence for #2. scullyfan. But life was still difficult, so he contacted his mum, who by this time had managed to secure a house in Iowa.