SOIL Bassist On Reunion With Singer MCCOMBS: 'We All Decided That The Past Was In The Past'

Chris Akin of Pitriff.com recently conducted an interview with bassist Tim King of Chicago heavy rockers SOIL. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Pitriff.com: Talk about how the band came back together with [singer] Ryan [McCombs]? Was it as simple as a phone call and a couple of drinks at the bar, or were there a lot of issues that had to be worked out to come back together?

Tim: We had been talking about it for awhile and it was time to do it. There were some issues that had to be worked out and we sat down and discussed everything. We all decided that the past was in the past and that we had missed playing together. We decided to leave all the problems of the past behind us and start fresh with a new outlook and viewpoint.

Pitriff.com: Obviously a large part of SOIL's career featured AJ Cavalier as the vocalist. Songs like "Lesser Man" and "Like It Is" have become fan favorites. Will those songs be retired or will Ryan do the "Bruce Dickinson" thing and put his spin on those songs?

Tim: Ryan is the original voice of SOIL. The decision would be up to him. Right now we are focused on the older favorites and working on new material.

Pitriff.com: Is this a [full-fledged] reunion, or a reunion for the DVD and some shows only?

Tim: We at first wanted to "play it by ear" and see how the U.K. tour went. It has since blossomed into a full commitment with us and we are moving forward with more shows and writing new material.

Pitriff.com: Why is [former SOIL guitarist] Shaun Glass not part of the reunion?

Tim: It was not a consideration.

Pitriff.com: If I remember right, there weren't the kindest words exchanged about each other from Ryan or from the remainder of the band when Ryan first left. Specifically, you called out Ryan pretty harshly for lying to the fans about his reasons for leaving SOIL. How did the band get past that, especially when things were said so publicly?

Tim: Well, like I said in the beginning of this interview, we had some things to work out. In life, sometimes your emotions get the best of you and you say or do things you don't necessarily mean or you regret. This is one of those times. We are fortunate enough to all be adults and forgive and learn from past mistakes. The past is in the past and we are looking forward to a new era and new changes.

Read the entire interview from Pitriff.com.