Interview with Eric Lee from Hellbender

Hellbender is a Sonoma County based metal act that knows how to throw down some crushing riffs of nuclear sounding devastation. I have seen them live a few times and when writing concert reviews I always enjoyed describing their straight forward brand of hard hitting heavy metal. Finally the opportunity came up to interview a member from the band and talk all things Hellbender and learn a little more about the band. So here is an interview with their bass player Eric Lee...

     Hi Eric, thanks for taking the time to do this interview. After seeing Hellbender a few times over the last couple years and writing articles about some of those shows, it is great to talk with someone from the band. To begin I wanted to talk about the history of Hellbender. When did you guys first form? What sort of led to the formation of the band?         

Eric: Hey thanks for coming to our shows lol!! That was an awesome little intro there. Well, the band started to form back in 2011. My friend Clee, who plays guitar, and I have been friends since the 1970's back in 1st and 2nd grade at Grant elementary school in Petaluma. Over the years, we have played in many bands together such as Wingnut, Crimeseen and Porterhouse. We've been playing in the local music scene with those bands back to the late 1990's. So having done so many projects together we wanted to something new but heavier than anything we've done before. So myself on bass, Clee on guitar would jam in a little shack playing thrash metal with our first drummer Todd from the Heat Creeps. We played our first shows after we got Dollar Bill from Seeds of Hate, Indulgence, Bomb Squad! After a few jams Bill was sold and wanted in. We had our frontman!! He had an awesome resume of bands that he was in and myself and Clee had seen Bill perform before so we knew exactly what he was bringing to the table. We came up with the name Hellbender and played our first show at Spankys with The King Must Die at Quincys in Rohnert Park on Nov 1, 2011. We started playing shows around the North Bay as well as the rest of the Bay Area. We recorded and released our first demo Steel, Blood and Bone in March 2014. At that point, we really started to branch out with playing gigs down in LA. We got our second drummer, Matt McKill, to take over the drum throne around November 2014.  He would remain our drummer for the next 3 years, which he played on the Falling Down CD. Once our 2nd CD dropped, things really started to take off for us. We opened for Prong, one of my favorite bands.  We played more shows around the North Bay and the greater Bay Area. We were playing metal and people were digging it, so let's keep this going. We land a management deal with Distilled Entertainment, then WE GOT THE SUMMER TOUR WITH DESTRUCTION & WARBRINGER, HOOOOLLLLLY SHIIIIIIIITT!!! We learned a lot on that first tour and had a lot of fun, you know!! Made some great new connections with all those folks and really got out and played outside of California for the first time. I was a grown teenager living his dream playing metal on tour with a band I grew up listening to when I first started playing bass in 1982. Anyways, it was really a mind blown experience, I remember HUGGING Dollar bill in LA the last night on tour overlooking the SOLD OUT crowd, it was just surreal and inspirational as a lifelong musician. We ended last year, opening the Death Angel Christmas Show at Slims to finish the year off. All things aside, the new year brought change. So, low and behold,  we have changed drummers AGAIN.  We now have Tim Bailey on the kit. He used to play in Nuclear Rabbit for years and as well recently, Trinity Fallen. We wish Matt all the best but it was time to change. We found Tim luckily thru another mutual friend and we jumped at the chance to nail this guy as our drummer. We are very excited about what Tim brings to the table. We have several new songs in the works with him already. We played our first show with him a few weeks ago, in March at the Phoenix for Act of Defience. What a great first show it was super fun! Those guys shredded!!!

  Hellbender has been quite busy over the last few years and the band has played some killer shows and tours with acts like Death Angel and Destruction. Is there any show that stands out or any tour where you could not believe you were playing alongside a certain band?         

Eric: I actually just mentioned that, haha! But I'll go into more juicy details... the last show of the tour in LA, we played at the awesome Regent Theater. It was sold out! Line of kids down the block when we got there. By the time the doors opened, the theater started to fill up quick. We were the second band and when we hit the stage, we were playing in front of about 400+!!!People were headbanging, some even knew and were singing our songs!! Hell yes!! Everyone was pumped and it gave us an extra boost. And like I said before, at the end of the night, Bill and myself were standing up in the balcony watching Destruction overlooking the huge crowd of moshers, just going wild and I was just soaking it all in and loving every single moment of that night. Best Night of the Tour!!!! So cool.

  Now I wanted to discuss your album, “Falling Down,” which from my understanding is your most recent release. How do you feel about that release and what has the feedback been like? I really like the production of the songs and was wondering where you guys recorded the album? Also, how long did it take to record?                 

  Eric: Yes, it is our most recent release and we actually just put out a video of that song, directed by our good friend Mr. Mike Sloat. You can find it on our website “www.Hellbender707.com." Anyway, we recorded the drums at Zone Music with Nick Botelho in November 2015. In January and Feb. 2016 we did my bass tracks and Clee's guitars at our friend from Profits of Doom, Julian Kidd's home studio. Then, April and May 2016, Bill and I finished the main vocal and backing vocals, also with a little help on a few songs from Ken Calmer of Outrage. Nick then mixed it in June/July and we released that in August 2016, jeez... seems so long ago. Two songs were previously on our first CD, Steel, Blood & Bone, but we decided it was worth redoing. And there is a surprise song on there, if you didn't already know, haha since it's been out for 2 years. Yeah, we did Live Wire. So there's actually 8 songs, even though we list 7!  Marketing genius!!! Also, we didn't want to pay Motley Crue, they get enough royalties,  haha! We have been extremely excited about the overall outcome of the record. We spent a lot of time on that record. The production was amazing working with Nick and Julian was super fun. We wanted to take our time and make a record that people enjoyed and I think we achieved that. I was really excited about the drum, guitar and bass tones we got. Also, the vocal production was pretty fuckin' brutal as well, We were all very pleased with the overall production and sound that we got on this record. You put it on and it just slams you in the fuckin' face!! That's what we were going for, so yes we are extremely happy with the outcome of this record!

  Being involved in the Sonoma County Metal Community, what have you noticed over the last fews years? Are more young bands coming through and do you feel like the scene is beginning to really grow?

  Eric: Yeah, we definitely feel that the scene has been growing over the last few years. It's not like it was in the 1990's when you could pack the Phoenix on a weekend. BUT, it seems like people are coming out more and more to shows now. There's a lot of great local bands out there! Skitzo hello, been ruling the scene since the 1980's. Other bands like ourselves, The King Must Die, Trial by Combat and Profits of Doom (also, Oden's Sun) and Aberration have all been making noise around Sonoma County. Ernest who runs the Sonoma County Metal and Hardcore has been the one who gets the National acts to come play in our local venues and that's really been a game changer. Now, bands like Soulfly, Dying Fetus, Prong and  Black Dahlia Murder want to come play in our backyard. This also brings opportunity not only for ourselves but also for younger bands like Trecelence, Incredulous and some others to get out there and play in front of a crowd of friends. So, yes, the scene is growing and it's awesome. Keep going to local shows folks, it's better then sitting on the couch all night. haha! Get out and get your Metal!!

    So I wanted to maybe get a little more background info on how you became a metal maniac and was wondering what were some of the bands who influenced you growing up? Being a bass player who were some of your favorite bass players?     

  Eric: I was 13 and went to see my first metal show, which was Iron Maiden & Scorpions at the Oakland Arena. Holy crap, that opened my eyes, I was front row about 10 feet from Steve Harris playing his bass like a freakin' maniac, wow these guys are badass. So I went and bought my first bass in 1982. Then, my first thrash show was SLAYER and Death Angel at the Stone in 1983'sh. Death Angel came out and killed everyone, but Slayer was just awe-inspiring. At the time, growing up a teenager in this area, we started listening to the first demos from Death Angel, Exodus, Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer. It was a great time for metal, also European bands like Kreator, Destruction, Venom and Mercyful Fate were also huge in my listening collection in the early '80s. Some of my favorite players are too many to mention but the big ones for me would be, for sure Steve Harris, Gene Simmons, Tom Araya, Rex Brown, Les Claypool and of course the man, Geezer F'n Butler.

Eric Lee with Chris Broderick 

    I always like asking this question because some of the shows people come up with sound unbelievably awesome. If you could book a show with three bands along with your own, who would you like to see Hellbender share the stage with for one night?

  Eric: Damn bro, ok, great question there. Thousands of bands come to mind of course, but, if there's any chance to make it happen, this would be amazing. Because they are 2 newer bands compared to old school thrash bands. And they are 2 bands that are the next ones to take over the throne after Slayer leaves. Come to think of it they were the 2 bands that I saw open the Slayer on the Christ Illusion Tour.  That would be LAMB OF GOD & MASTODON. When we started this band, those were 2 bands that were very influential in our development of our sound. Not that we wanted to copy them, but we wanted something new and something we hadn't done before. And both bands we love!! That one show would have to be at Budokan, Japan to a sold out crowd, oh man that would be so fucking' epic!!! Maybe someday Hellbender will tour Japan, sky is the limit my friend, haha!!!

    What can we expect next from Hellbender and what are some goals you have for the band in these coming months? 

  Eric: Summer is here and the time is right, to play some killer shows baby!! We have the Cinco De Mayo Slayer-bration @Spanky's, paying tribute to one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Dollar Bill, Timmy and myself will be playing a few Slayer tunes that night along with some other local musicians. We also have some shows coming up with East Bay thrashers Hand of Fire and Cultural Warfare. Maybe play some Sacramento and San Francisco shows. There's also talk of doing some more LA/San Diego shows, anything is possible with us. Hellbender is always looking for new opportunities and markets to crack into, within reason of course. We are not looking to go on the road for 6 weeks or anything like that. That would be nice but it's not realistic for us. Since we have to work to make money, touring is not cheap or easy. It's hard to do, and costs a lot of money, A LOT!!! So, we just spreading our wings as much as we can, do interviews like this and just trying to get our name out to the Metal Community!! We know you are out there!! haha!! So, we are also write new tunes for what will become our 3rd record, which will hopefully come out by the end of the year?... But I'm not making any promises because there is still a lot of work to be had! Henceforth, we shall bestow upon thee most brutal and in your face metal that we can deliver!... Sorry, I sometimes bust out in Old English banter!! Anyways, we are really excited to be working with Timmy our new drummer who has a ton of experience. We set the bar high for ourselves with Falling Down and our plan is to crush that last record! Things are coming together for us, so we are excited about starting that process of recording when we are armed and ready for it!!

  Well Eric, once again thanks for taking the time to do this interview and look forward to seeing you guys live again down the road!

Eric: Yes, thanks again for this opportunity. Hellbender is excited for the new year and really wanting to get a new record out again because music makes the world go 'round! We will continue to play around Sonoma County as well as the greater Bay Area, so watch our facebook.com/Hellbender707 page for show announcements, live updates, videos, etc but also check out our website www.hellbender707.com... & Remember to kick back with some friends, crack a beers, spark up a fattie and crank some mother F'ing HELLBENDER!!!!!!! Rock On!!!!



Hellbender Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/hellbender707/

Concert Review: Act of Defiance, Trecelence, Hellbender, Trial by Combat and Secura

    The last time I attended a show at the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma, CA was about a year ago. For some people that may not be a long period of time, however, as someone who used to review concerts at the venue quite frequently, it seemed like an eternity. Lucky for me my return was greeted with an epic metal show featuring five brilliant head crushing bands.

  Act of Defiance, Trecelence, Hellbender, Trial by Combat and Secure was a line-up that brought out the die hard headbangers and once again proved why Sonoma County is a strong metal and hardcore scene that continues to gain more recognition. When I attended school at Sonoma State I was fortunate enough to get to know a decent amount of the local acts. Trecelence for example is one band that I interviewed during my radio show and became good friends with over the years. This show I felt meant a lot to the local musicians as it was an opportunity to share the stage with a well respected national touring act like Act of Defiance, and to showcase their extreme music making talents.

  Upon arriving at the historic music venue I noticed the metal fanatics were already waiting outside with great anticipation. After going around and seeing some old friends, I found myself gazing at that all familiar main stage where the first band was starting to get ready. Taking the stage first was, Secura, a new local act I would be seeing for the first time. I could tell playing this show meant a lot to them and for a young band they handled themselves fairly well. Their brand of thrash is rather unique and I would like to hear them push that progressive quality a bit more. The two guitar players seemed to work well together, so utilizing the dual guitar attack will hopefully yield more wicked sounding tracks in the future.

Secura

  The next band was honestly the band I was most eager to see, especially since the last time I saw Trecelence live was at their album release show. I have watched Trecelence over the years evolve and become one of Sonoma County’s most accomplished up and coming metal acts. Their hard work and dedication has produced phenomenal songs and given them the chance to open up for some iconic metal bands like Possessed and Death Angel. This show with Act of Defiance was yet another piece in the continuing legacy of the band and would mark the first show without bassist and vocalist Zane Covington. Guitarist Chris Olney Burnett would be taking over on bass and vocals leaving just Donnie Small to handle the guitar duties. I was interested in seeing how Trecelence would sound without their twin guitar act that made them such a force too be reckoned with musically.

Trecelence (Also in photo Elias Small of Scythe)

  As a trio I thought the band did an outstanding job and each member played with an amazing amount of enthusiasm and raw energy. Drummer Ilan Cabrera unleashed a merciless assault from behind his drum kit while Chris and Donnie shredded together in exquisite style. Chris especially stepped up to the plate by slapping his fretless bass with authority and singing with a certain profound confidence. During the first song Chris shouted into the microphone, “We are Trecelence and we’re not fucking going anywhere,” giving people a reassuring statement that the band had no plans stopping anytime soon. I personally felt like this was one of their best performances, mainly due to the three members playing with such ferocity and passion. Looking to the future I am really excited to see what they can create after watching them put on a stellar performance.

  The night’s third act, Trial By Combat, is a veteran band from Sonoma County that have seen live a few times live. They delivered a deafening blow to the audience of bombastic thrash metal music. Singer Dashiel McKenzie is a solid frontman and his brutal vocal style offers up some monstrous vocal parts to compliment the vicious instrumental compositions. Overall I have always enjoyed Trial by Combat’s sound and think that their presence in the scene is very important. Here is an act that has a strong sound and gets the job done when performing live. I hope to see them maybe channel that same aggressive live energy into a killer full-length album one day.

Trial by Combat 

  Taking the stage next was, Hellbender, yet another veteran metal act from the scene that I have had the opportunity of seeing live before. Their style is very straight forward hard hitting heavy metal where the riffs are simple yet provide a punch right to the gut. The singer seemed to be thrilled opening for Act of Defiance along with the other members who were all in good spirits throughout their performance. I also really liked during one of their songs when the bass player turned on a bass effect to make his bass tone vividly standout. Sometimes guitarists steal show with all their fancy effects pedals, so it was great to hear the bassist taking control.

Hellbender 

  When the show’s headliner, Act of Defiance, finally took the stage I was not surprised to hear such a loud response from the crowd for this out of town band. Even after four bands and plenty of headbanging, the audience was full engaged and ready for some more rancorous metal music. Act of Defiance guitarist Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover both used to play together in Megadeth, while bassist Matt Bachard is known for his work with Shadows Fall. Singer Henry Derek is an accomplished vocalist who used to sing in Scar the Martyr and I thought sounded really good live. All four of these musicians are extremely talented and I think make a solid sounding overall band. Chris Broderick is without question a extremely talented guitarist who plays with precision and can construct some fluid lead parts. The band’s aggressive thrashing sound allowed for a fair amount of mosh pits to form along with some stage diving. I thought the band during their set played with a certain professional quality to where the audience was not losing interest and constantly banging their heads.

Act of Defiance 

  At the end of the night one could feel the positive vibes from the entire show and Act of Defiance even showed how they were a class act by sticking around and meeting with the fans. I was reminded why the Phoenix Theater is such an important venue and a sanctuary for metal music. Getting to see young up and coming talent mixed with veteran bands and a national touring act like Act of Defiance is a testament to the power of heavy metal. The scene continues to thrive thanks to these bands keeping the metal spirit alive. And remember metal never dies... because it is not FUCKING GOING ANYWHERE!


Video of Trecelence performing live at the show: