KATAKLYSM Guitarist On DEVILDRIVER Feud: 'Everything's Cool'

May 7, 2007

In a recent interview with Live-Metal.net, KATAKLYSM guitarist J-F Dagenais downplayed the band's much-publicized feud with DEVILDRIVER, and talked about his new guitar endorsement deal and the current tour with DIMMU BORGIR, UNEARTH and DEVILDRIVER. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Live-Metal.net: [In late 2003/early 2004] there was a lot of animosity towards DEVILDRIVER, with you guys trying to get on the OPETH tour and DEVILDRIVER got put on there instead [see previous BLABBERMOUTH.NETstories]. You guys even said that you didn't care for their music. Has the situation been ironed out?

Dagenais: Yeah, we worked it out before this tour. We knew we had to share some stuff and we're actually sharing a bus on tour. And since we are the two openers of the tour we have to share gear and make things work, so we had a talk with them. Basically for us the situation was not even personal; it was really political. We got pissed off about the way things happened and got bumped out of that tour for political reasons. We acted naturally by getting pissed. "Who are these guys?" At that time, we had never heard of DEVILDRIVER, and then they're coming out and bumping us off the tour? But it turns out they're actually nice guys, and we're having a good time. Everything's cool.

Live-Metal.net: You just got a big [guitar] endorsement deal?

Dagenais: Yeah, that's amazing. I went to visit Washburn in the office and got to meet everybody working there. Washburn is like a big Wal-Mart of guitars [laughter]. Every department made me choose every piece of the guitar and what I wanted to get. I'm not a big gear freak, but I got to pick everything I really liked. And they made it for me. I went three weeks later to pick up the guitar and was like, "Oh my god!" So they gave me the guitar and two Randall stacks and two bass stacks. I guess they really liked the band and really wanted to support us. [The guy from] Randall told us they really want to work with bands they like and really have talent, so we are very honored to work with them.

Live-Metal.net: So it's a signature?

Dagenais: Yeah, the Heartbeast. Washburn saw it and were really impressed and think they can maybe sell it, so we'll see, I guess.

Live-Metal.net: Speaking of the Heartbeast, you have a new band member?

Dagenais: Yeah, he's gonna be there on the album covers, and we're thinking of crazy T-shirt designs for him. We actually started thinking about bringing him on stage on our next album. We were talking to Nuclear Blast about it and think it's gonna be a big thing for the next record. So far on this album we're keeping things they way they are. We're just gonna finish. I think we have six months left of touring for that record. But after next album I think we're gonna try and step up things and have something really cool.

Read the entire interview at Live-Metal.net.

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