 Interviews - Gargantula
06-04-2005, 06:26 PM
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by Chris Barnes
Photos by www.photografiti.net
June 4, 2005
 There is ominous rumbling coming from the bucolic surf/university town of Santa Cruz, CA, and it’s not the cops in helicopters looking for all that great weed up there either. It’s Gargantula, a ten-ton sonic juggernaut, a foreboding amalgam of Slayer-like riffs, Frost-ish power and Rush-esque prog. Made up of a very impressive resume consisting of former members of SST golden-era bruisers BL’AST and math-metal magicians Spaceboy, Gargantula take metal to a whole new punishing art form. They have a new album out called Infinitasm, and here to promote it and give us the lowdown on Gargantula is vocalist Clifford. Please give him your rapt attention, he is dangerous when agitated.
Hellride Music: Congrats on "Infinitasm", I think anyone who has heard it has been sufficiently blown away. Can you give us a bio on the band and who plays what?
Clifford: We played our first show as Gargantula in April 2003; and have been rocking out ever since.
Gargantula is: Bill Blair- guitar
Chris Gonzales-drums
Josh Barnett-bass
Clifford-vocals
Hellride Music: Gargantula has blood lines from SST metal/hardcore/punk legends BL'AST, metal mathematicians Spaceboy as well as The Unknown and now you've added Chris Gonzales, who used to drum for Comets on Fire. But Gargantula really sounds like none of those.... it's more straight-ahead metal sounding to me, kinda along the lines of Celtic Frost with hints of Venom if they both had Rush tendencies for technical prowess. After Spaceboy and the BL'AST reunion ended, was the sound of Gargantula already mapped out? Did you set out to create heavy metal or did the sound just evolve?
Clifford: Because Bill is the primary music writer, we definitely knew it was going to be really heavy and very metal. Most of the songs on Infinitasm were pieced together by Bill and I from a tape that Bill gave me that we refer to as the “Bank of Infinite Riffs”. With Gargantula, we wanted to create really driving, heavy anthem-like songs that people could really sink their teeth into.
Hellride Music: It seems like you succeeded. I’ve mentioned Frost, Venom and Rush - maybe even Nevermore in the modern metal department - but who do you guys look to as inspiration for the Gargantula sound? I mean it's raw and aggressive, but the technical aspects... sheesh!
Clifford:  I think our main inspiration came from within ourselves; just being sick of all the contrived, crappy music that people try to pawn off as metal these days. Personally, my inspiration came on a more megalomaniacal level of tripping on bands like Sabbath, Zeppelin, Slayer, and other bands that have created an original timeless sound that has held up over the years.
Hellride Music: How did it come to pass that original drummer Andrew Legrande left the drummer seat and Chris Gonzales came in to fill it? What does Chris bring to the band that's new or different?
Clifford:  Andrew decided to move to L.A., and Chris gladly took over. The ironic part is that when Bill and I were dreaming up the concept of Gargantula Chris G. was who we had in mind from the very beginning; but he was to involved in other projects. In terms of what Chris brings out in the band…. well volume for one thing. His sound is huge and powerful; and brings out the true potential of Gargantula. I am truly afraid of how heavy our next record will be when Billy Anderson gets his hands on the “G-Man”.
Hellride Music: One of the great things about Infinitasm is what appears to be thinly-veiled jabs and general commentary on current events. First, how close am I or am I reading into the lyric-thing too much, and whose the man/men behind the lyrics?
Clifford: Due to the absurdity of the time period we live in, my lyrics are stabs straight to the hearts of the maggots that are railroading this country, and the whole world into a horrible, nightmarish replica of Nazi-era Germany.
Hellride Music: Do lyrics come first, then the music or vice versa? Is it something in the music that flips a switch in the brain and tells you to write about a certain subject or the other way around? Or neither?
Clifford: The music always comes first. I listen to tapes of the songs and eventually place words that help define the overall structure. There’s and endless process of editing until the song is finished and kicked out of the nest.
Hellride Music: How did it go recording Infinitasm? How was it working with Billy Anderson?
Clifford: The recording went smooth, we did it in five days. Recording with Billy Anderson is great. We would never even consider going with anyone else.
Hellride Music: Is Gargantula now a full-time project for everyone involved?
Clifford: Gargantula is definitely a full time project.
Hellride Music: How about Gargantula live - who have you guys played with? What was your best show so far and how come?
Clifford:  Every show has been great, some of the bands we have been fortunate enough to play with include: High on Fire, Mastadon, Fu Manchu, 400 Blows, Blood Hag, Yob, OM, etc.
Hellride Music: What's one thing about the band that everyone should know?
Clifford: Everyone should know that infinitasm is distributed by Southern Lord, is available here at the Hellride Music Superstore or can be purchased via Pay-Pal at Gargantula.com.
Hellride Music: Thanks for the interview - any last words for the Hellride readers?
Clifford: Rock on!! Thank you for your interest in Gargantula.
 Purchase Infinitasm at the Hellride Music Superstore
Download a MP3 of Angelically Dusted
Read the Hellride review of Infinitasm
Visit the Gargantula website at www.gargantula.com
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