Kevin Stewart-Panko: They approached me. I had never known who Albert (Mudrian, the editor) was until his book Choosing Death came out. One day I got an email from him and said he was starting up a magazine through Red Flag Publishing and asked me if I was interested in writing for it. I said sure. He sent me a prototype of the first issue, which blew away most of what was out there already. It was pretty cool.
You also write for Alternative Press and View Weekly.
Alternative Press was looking for metal writers. The former managing editor used to write for Terrorizer and contacted me when they were looking for metal people. View is the weekly entertainment paper here in town. That was through a friend. They were looking for writers, and a friend of mine was already writing for them. I approached them with his recommendation and sent them clips.
Now it seems you write for every metal magazine in existence.
I’m still trying to get into a couple of places. I don’t really have an allegiance to anybody in particular. I like certain magazines over other ones, but I don’t have a hidden agenda. I’m not trying to push a certain band. I just want to write about bands that I like and good music for whoever wants to print it.
Are you able to make a living as a metal writer?
If I really wanted to write full time, I probably could. It’s a bit more difficult because I have son now who’s five. It’s also difficult because the Canadian dollar is so strong, and most of the magazines pay me in U.S. dollars. I work at home Monday, Thursday and Friday. I go to work in Toronto on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was originally my touring job. I’m making a crazy amount of money for what I do. It’s a lot of manual labor and unnecessary lifting.
What was the first metal album you ever bought?
With my own money, probably either Mercyful Fate's Melissa, Metallica’s Kill 'Em All or an early Iron Maiden album. There were many hard rock and metal albums that my dad would buy for me before I was responsible enough to carry money around without losing it. Funnily, he never questioned any of them, regardless of how brutal or ridiculous the cover art was.
Do you prefer in-person or telephone interviews when you’re speaking with a band or musician?
I prefer telephone. You could count on two hands the number of in-person interviews I’ve done. I’m not a real people person in person. I’m more sociable over the phone. I feel more comfortable here in my home office. That comes out in conversation. Some in-person interviews have been cool, but others have been really rushed or they are grouchy. I’ve had to jump through hoops just to get the interview, and by the time I get there the whole experience has been degenerated.
Do you have any favorite or least favorite interviews that come to mind?
I do more interviews in a month than a lot of people do all year. It’s hard to say. Most recently I’d say I really enjoyed talking to John Baizley from Baroness. Whenever I talk to Ben (Weinman) from Dillinger Escape Plan it’s always a good time because I’ve known that guy for ten years. Even the off the record stuff is hilarious. He and I have similar personalities. One of the best interviews I’ve ever done, and the one that crystallized that I like the interview aspect of this job was Dustin Donaldson of the band Thought Industry. They had just put out their first record on Metal Blade and were on tour with Skinny Puppy. I love that band and was so happy to talk with him.
I approach interviews a little differently. I don’t want to know how many hours you spent in the studio and what effects processor you used on song 3. I approach it more like a conversation and get a sense of who they are and what they do and why they do it. I only interview bands that I want to talk to, bands I like, and bands I think have something to say.
Do you come into an interview with a list of questions, or is everything off the cuff?
I won’t have a list of questions, just a couple of ideas written down about what to talk about. Hopefully what I get in response will be decent.
Have you ever interviewed someone that’s been a complete jerk?
There have been people who haven’t really been into the interview. I don’t know if it’s because that person is a jerk, or if I just caught them at a bad time or whatever the case may be. One that stands out recently is when I did the Decibel Hall Of Fame for Bad Brains first record. I interviewed Doctor Know. He seemed pretty grumpy. He didn’t seem like that in other interviews I read, but he seemed kind of down. That was one of those interviews where you just want to give it up and become an investment banker. But I’m not going to let that affect what I think of Bad Brains’ music. I still think their first handful of records are awesome.
There are a few artists that are notoriously difficult interviews. Have you ever gone into an interview expecting the worst and being pleasantly surprised?
For me, I prefer or have been the guy who ends up interviewing bands that are on their first or second record. The only real big interview I’ve done of someone that’s been of stature was Kerry King. I did an interview with him last year for Terrorizer. He didn’t say a lot, but he wasn’t a dick to me. I can understand why he didn’t say a lot, because the guy has done 17 million interviews and has answered the same questions thousands of times. I try to approach it on a different angle, but he doesn’t care, he’s Kerry King. I shy away from doing interviews with the big name dudes who have been around for 20 plus years, mainly because other people are more excited about doing those kinds of interviews and talking with people they idolized when they were younger.
