STONE SOUR's MAYORGA On Performing With SOULFLY, SEPULTURA And Other Collaborations

Hungarian webzine HitKit recently conducted an interview with drummer Roy Mayorga (STONE SOUR, AMEBIX, ex-SOULFLY, SEPULTURA, MEDICATION). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow.

HitKit: You played in a song with the Russian band ANJlet us know something about that

Mayorga: Hmmthat was an unexpected session. A good friend of mine, John Travis (producer/engineer),was called in to do some work with them on arranging their songs. The members of ANJ involved was the singer and guitar player Anatoly and Oleg. They came to work with John Travis in search for a different kinda of approach and sound. So John gave them the idea of hiring me and one other guitar player named Levon Sultanian (ONESIDEZERO, ABLOOM). He's an incredible guitar player. Lev and I used to play together in ABLOOM. So we got together in the studio, We learned the gist of the song and added what we thought could enhance what they had written. Definitely a cool experience. a melding of the musical cultures Russian, Armenian and Latin.

HitKit: As for STONE SOUR. What the status of the band now? Seems that SLIPKNOT is gettin active, it means you are on a small lay-off?

Mayorga: Yeah, STONE SOUR is on a break until end of 2009until then I'll be doing drum clinics/sessions and touring with AMEBIX in December/January tentatively. Also BLACK PRESIDENTS on Warped Tour August 2008. I'll also have time to develop myself and work on new ideas with drumming/composing and what not. Very excited about that.

HitKit: Tell us something about your period in SOULFLY.whats the most important thing you learned this era and by working with Max Cavalera?

Mayorga: My period with SOULFLY? That was an amazing adventure. That was a very special time in my life I hold very dear to my heart though i wish it could have been longer. But, you know, things happen and people move on. One has to walk the path that is set before them. But doesn't mean we won't work together again in the future. I ran into Max a year ago whilst touring with STONE SOUR. We actually played a couple festival shows togetherit was great to hang with with him again. It's been awhile since we've seen each other. We did talk about working together sometime down the road later on in life. Max and I always had good chemistry. I have a strong feeling that our business is not quite finished just yet.

HitKit: You also toured with SEPULTURA after Igor Cavalera split with the band. How you remember those times and how Igor influenced you as a musician back in the day?

Mayorga: Once again, another unexpected quest. That was awesome..never in a million years did I think. This is how that happened As you know, I was involved with the "Roadrunner United" recording and show. Through that experience is what I guess gave the idea to Andreas [Kisser] to ask me to play for SEPULTURA. I already knew the songs from playing them with Max that whole time in SOULFLY so it was just a matter of me going down to Brazil to practice with the guys and get the songs down even tighter. SEPULTURA were great to me they took me in as a brother. All we did was laugh the whole time. Igor is definitely an inspiration but my influence for tribal drumming came long before I listened to Igor and SEPULTURA. All through the '80s I was very into bands and styles other than punk or metal like KILLING JOKE, EINSTRZENDE NEUBAUTEN, TEST DEPT. and a lot of Moroccan music (specifically MASTER MUSICIANS OF JAJOUKA) as well as the rest of the drumming culture of Africa. Another favorite of mine to listen to for influence is "Passion Sources" it's a record that PETER GABRIEL put together in circa '88-'89 i haven't stopped listening to it since. Also growing up in New York City, I always heard a lot of salsa, mambo. where I lived there was a lot of Puerto Rican and Dominican influence in my neighborhood and in all the corner deli stores is where I would hear it just full volume as loud as it can go It's pretty awesomefun times."

Read the entire interview from HitKit.