Steve, would you say, that your older brother Timothy, bassist of Stryper aroused your interest in listening/enjoying hard rock/heavy metal?
Not at all, it was our sisters bringing home albums by Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix… and we both loved them. I started playing in bands before he did, but when he started, his success happened a lot quicker than mine.
How did you end up becoming vocalist, guitarist, bassist?
A very musical family. Everyone, including our parents sang and played instruments. My uncle and sisters released albums long before Tim or I did. I pursued guitar before turning to being a lead vocalist.
What were your views of the early L. A. scene?
It was very different for me than what the legend of the scene was to the rest of the world. I was watching bands play in the 1970’s, bands like Quiet Riot (yes, with Randy), and most of those that competed with Van Halen. I loved really heavy music – but this was also at the beginning of the punk/new wave thing. So a lot of these bands were chasing record deals and changed their styles. In the meantime us ’kids’ were begging for these bands to stay heavy, and when they didn’t, we created our own scene.
In your opinion, was it devided into two parts? On one hand there were the glam/hair outfits, such as Ratt, Mötley Crüe, Dokken, W. A. S. P. etc, while on the other hand there were the thrash/speed ones, such as Sceptre, Vermin, Slayer, Shellshock/Dark Angel, Metallica etc.?
It was divided into more parts than just 2. There were punk bands, pop bands, new wave bands, and several other genres too. The Thrash/speed bands were the genre that the industry ignored, which just made us more determined, and probably the reason why a scene exists 40+ years later.
Roxx Regime/Stryper and Tyrant/St. Vitus also emerged around those times, but were they out of line?
Out of line? No. I am not sure why you would think that. Unless you are speaking of ’just thrash/speed.’ Like your question above – all of those bands played shows together. We had to – we were trying to survive.
Do you have any experiences as musician, before you joined Abattoir?
I wrote songs, played and recorded with several bands. But the one that everyone forgets (they seem to believe I did nothin prior to Abattoir) is I was a founding member of Bloodlust. Wrote most of the lyrics on what became their Guilty As Sin album.
Do you still remember, at which point did you join ’em? Was Abattoir an established band, when you joined?
I do – it was a long arduous process over about 6 months. I auditioned for the band 3 times, and think I ended up with the gig by default ( the other vocalists were fired). But it was the summer of 1984 when Mark Caro called me and said ’no more BS. The gig is yours.’
They had a lot of singers, such as Mike Jagosz (R. I. P.), Chris Maleki, John Cyriis, Rich Deathcamp, Raul Preston before you, what was the reason of it? Were you the band’s first choice to become the new singer, by the way?
The band ultimately had 11 vocalists, I was their 7th. The reason? Abattoir didn’t know what to do with vocalists. They would find their ’savior’, and then fire him less than a year later. By the way, Mike Jagosz? I have never heard of him. Perhaps you are confusing him with another band? He never sang for Abattoir.
Were you familiar with the band’s demos and their appearance on the Metal Massacre IV compilation?
Very familiar. I knew all of their songs. Had rehearsal recordings, lyric sheets, knew how to play the songs on guitar and bass – I was more than a super-fan. MM4 was a mistake, in my opinion. Screams From the Grave had been getting radio play in Los Angeles with Raul on vocals. The decision to have Cyriis on the MM4 verison backfired. Radio play stopped, and everyone wanted the version with Raul.
Is it correct, that on February 17. and 19. 1984, Abattoir was the opening act of what would be the first-ever Megadeth live shows?
I am not exactly sure about the dates – I was not in the band at the time. But yes, it happened around that time – early 1984.
Were you prepared to record the debut album Vicious Attack, when you entered the Hitman Studios, Hollywood, CA.?
My opinion? Yes and no. We were so young, and had no idea what we were doing. Literally just setting up in the studio and crapping out songs. No preparation, no rehearsals (specific to recording, etc.). It just happened. Maybe that is the charm of it?
How did the recording sessions go?
They were rough. A lot of alcohol, and of course certain individuals brought ’substances’ that were illegal. Understand that the sessions were started when the band recorded demos with Rich Deathcamp on vocals. In fact, the drum tracks for Don’t Walk Alone and Stronger Than Evil are from these original sessions. But a lot of pressure, which created a lot of arguments… in hindsight it was not a good atmosphere. But what did we know? We were making an album – none of us had ever made one before.
Did you get on well Jay Jones and Karat Faye during the sessions with?
I suppose I did. There was very little communication other than when we were in the studio. It was always very encouraging – in fact Jay and Karat both let me take the point in arranging/producing the song ’Don’t Walk Alone.’ Not that they would have kept it had I made mistakes… but more of a ’let’s see what kind of producer you could be’ kind of thing. They ended up using the version I worked on, so it must have been okay. For what it’s worth, that’s probably the seed planting that is the reason I still make records 40 years later.
Abattoir had been around for a full seven years by the time this record was released, right?
8 years. The first version of Abattoir existed in 1977.
It was released July 7th, 1985, while Agent Steel’s debut Skeptics Apocalypse came out a month before, so did still Juan Garcia play the rhythm guitar parts?
You have the dates backwards. VA was released in April, if I recall correctly ( the same day as Killing Is My Business, Bonded By Blood, Hell Awaits, 7 Churches). Agent Steel was released a couple of weeks or months later. But yes – Juan did play on the album. So did drummer Robert Wayne, both were uncredited because of those arguments I mentioned above. In fact, one of those arguments was the deciding factor for Juan to leave and join Agent Steel.
Is the record a perfect example of creative destruction and an unpolished gem of early speed metal?
Well, that would be for you to say, not me. I agree 100% with the ’unpolished’ word. Clearly, that was part of the allure, especially looking back from 2025. I will say this, though. At the time it was recorded and released – we were a thrash metal band. The term speed metal wasn’t used to identify a genre until many years later. It does bother me a bit to see Abattoir (including me) tagged as a speed metal band. Speed metal (to me) conjures up the sound of a jet engine on a plane revving up for take off, with no change in pitch, or attack. Also, speed metal (as it is known now) would better apply to the follow up album ’The Only Safe Place.’ Again, that is my belief – but I was there. I know what we believed of ourselves, and I know what our peers called us. We were a thrash band at the time of VA.
Did it stomp its way through eight tracks of raw aggression, delivering a kind of relentless energy?
Again, that’s for you to say. Not me. If I was to say that, it would sound like I am quoting the record company’s promotional ’one sheet.’
Would you say, that Vicious Attack is rooted in speed metal, but there was something grittier and more feral about Abattoir’s approach?
Per my answer above – no. Absolutely not rooted in speed metal. The grittier/feral approach was early thrash. Our peers were Megadeth, Exodus, Slayer, etc. That is who we fraternized with. That was our community.
How do you think, that there’s not too much focus on precision here, no clean edges, but/and it is abrasive and natural with the production as raw and dirty?
You mean like ’thrash metal’? Haha, sorry. But you are even saying it here. It was too dirty to be speed metal.
Did the album strike a balance between faster and slower tracks, with moments that hint at where the band would later go?
No, I don’t think so. VA was recorded by a band in transition. From when recording VA and getting to the follow up album, 3 of the 5 members would be changed – one position (vocals) twice. And you lost a key member in Juan Garcia – I need to say, Juan’s DNA is all over Vicious Attack. He was without a doubt the creative force, especially the working relationship he and I had. We were the ones in the studio making sure the songs sounded right. Juan is a super creative force. And all due respect to Dan Oliverio, when Juan left Abattoir became something of a rudderless ship. That, along with the change of drummer and vocalist – was why Abattoir became known as a speed metal band on the next album (that is a whole different topic)
Is the opener, Screams from the Grave, a mission statement; blazing speed, catchy verses, and choruses?
Sort of, but remember – this was a record company decision to have it be the lead off track. To capitalize off of a song that was already popular.
Along with the title track, Don’t Walk Alone, Game of Death or The Enemy – the album’s standout tracks -, these songs showcase how Abattoir crafted their aggression into memorable, fist-pumping anthems, how do you explain this?
Those 3 you mention are some of my favorites. Sometimes when Anger As Art plays, we do a song from VA – most recently we did ’Game of Death.’ They always go over really well.
Do you mind, that the thrash moments are definitely there, but like most early speed/power the songs tend to follow a more -set- structure?
I think I have already answered the thrash/speed thing. Speed metal was not a thing when we recorded this album. The term came much later. Regarding structure? Very little thought was put into structure. We were just doing what we did, not really thinking about it.
Is the slower The Living & The Dead probably the only inclusion in the tracklisting that sees the band veering towards the more controlled tempos?
Again, no conscious thought to that. It was a really good and popular song with the audience, so there was no doubt that we would record it.
How do you view, that following a Phantom Of The Opera-like intro, The Enemy speeds along like a faster version Metallica’s Trapped Under Ice?
I don’t think I would ever have thought of those 2 songs being comparable. Interesting. For what it’s worth – I was pushing for The Enemy to be the album opener. I think that intro would have been a great ’table setter’ for what was to come.
Did with the catchy hooks and rhythms, lightning-fast solos, catchy choruses galore, and an appetite for speed, Abattoir’s debut definitely stand above one’s generic metal for its time?
Again, that is for the listener to decide. I can’t really comment beyond ’yes’ or ’no’ – because then I am telling the listener what he/she is supposed to receive from the song. I would certainly hope for that reaction, but cannot suggest it. Does that make sense?
You got a great range and put out a decently aggressive performance, and your shrieks fit perfectly…
Thank you. I honestly didn’t know what I was doing at the time. Just singing what fit the song. I learned so much more about my voice in later years… but all of the notes are still there in my range at age 60.
Tons of fast and catchy riffs to be heard here, layered with razor-sharp and brilliant solos and the drums are executed nicely as well, and keep the demand for speed flowing…
(no comment needed)
Is it a blast from the start to the end; an admirable amalgam of ferocity and catchiness bridging the power and speed realms?
Everyone else thinks so. We didn’t. We were a thrash band before thrash morphed into the ’high tops and skateboards’ thing that it became later. Again, the terms ’power metal and speed metal’ did not exist yet.
Did/Does Vicious Attack stand as a fiery monument of speed metal?
No, for reasons stated above. Maybe a monument of early thrash. But telling a meat eater that he is a vegan doesn’t make him a vegan.
Did the album offer a fresh nuance to the growing extreme metal scene, though it never got the full recognition it deserved?
I think that’s fair. We did what we did in 1984 here… and by later in 1984 the extremes had already progressed (Haunting The Chapel changed everything. We finished VA before that EP was released). The album can be seen as a milestone or stepping stone to later genres.
Is the production job particularly rough and ready, even for a mid-80’s speed metal record?
It was the standard, low budget production of all early thrash albums from Metal Blade and Combat. No one had particularly good production until years later. But, again, that is the charm of it. Naivety.
Were there any shows/tours in support of the album?
No, and this was part of why the band fell apart. We were offered direct support for Mercyful Fate on their ’Don’t Break The Oath’ tour, but one member refused. That was a driving factor for why Juan left. Then we were offered a 40 date co-headline tour with Megadeth, and the same one member refused. Dave Mustaine actually took me aside, and told me to convince the band to do the tour, because they were getting ready to fire me – and this was the only way I could save my job. We didn’t do the tour. Dark Angel did – in support of We Have Arrived. (and the rest is history there). We did 7 shows in support of Vicious Attack. 6 in Los Angeles, one at Ruthies Inn in the bay area. We were supposed to play in San Francisco the following night – but this one same member wanted to go home because he thought the show wasn’t promoted. We went back to Los Angeles, and the venue (Mabuhay Gardens) found a last minute replacement band – in an unknown Death Angel. The rest is history there. Abattoir committed professional suicide in appeasing one member.
Why and when did you leave the band in the end? Can you tell us more about your Bloodlust period?
My departure from the band was twofold. On the surface – you need to recall that Abattoir changed singers like some people change underwear. This was right after Maiden had replaced DiAnno with Dickinson, and in Los Angeles – EVERYONE was looking for the next John Bush (Armored Saint). John is a friend of mine, but having another JB didn’t make sense. Vocalists needed to be individuals. They wanted a better looking guy (no joke – I was told that). With that going on in the background, and seeing he personnel changes, the mkstakes being made with touring, watching all of our peers get bigger, I tried working with management ad the band to keep Abattoir on the same path. I wrote songs for album #2 (all were rejected until they got in the studio with Mike and decided to use one of my songs without permission), tried to assume Juan’s creativity. I was instructed to do as I was told, nothing more. So I became an obnoxious drunk, and blew my voice out by not taking care of myself. Needless to say, I was fired.
Bloodlust was a band I was a founding member of in 1983. I answered some of this in the previous questions, but I was working on getting Bloodlust into the same category as Abattoir. Not too sure the guys realized that they were kind of drifting in the scene until after I was with Abattoir. Regardless, we showcased to Roadracer, and the label boss wanted a different vocalist, so they fired me. Immediately realising their mistake, they brought me back – but it was very tense. When Abattoir called me finally, I had no trouble leaving.
After Abattoir, I started a band called Tactics (which ultimately had a long career) , but the first incarnation was short lived. I cam back into Bloodlust in late 1987. And we did the work then that the world knows me for as a member. But my history is much longer than 87/88.
Steve, thanks a lot for your answers, what are your closing words for our readers?
Thank you. To be honest, most of what we talked about here has been well-documented. There are many other interviews where these questions were asked and answered. But the amazing thing to me is that everyone overlooks the work these artists have continued to do. For example, I have been a member of Anger As Art for 21 years now. We have released 7 albums, our most recent release was Virtual Sympathy in 2023, and our label is re-issuing out debut album this spring 2025. Go to www.nolifetilmetal.com for more information.
