Driven Far Off

I recently had the chance to talk to guitarist Randy Weitzel of the band Flatline. Check out what he has to say about the band, the new record, and their upcoming plans.

Thank you Randy for taking the time to answer these questions and Jerry Grahm for setting up this interview.

Can you please state your name and what your role is in Flatline?

Hey guys, this is Randy, I’m one of the guitarists in the band.

So, what is the story behind the band? How did you all meet?

We were summoned by the Gods of Metal to fill a void with pummeling shred. We are Tim Hassemer on drums, Hector Gonzalez is Bass, Paulo Guerra & I on guitar, and Travis Johnson vocals. Stand and Deliver Records is helping us to achieve world domination.

Your newest album, Pave The Way, was released a few months ago. Overall, how do you feel about the album? What has been the general response from fans?

I think it turned out pretty bad-ass. We were in total control of the music and didn’t have anybody nagging us to dumb our shit down or to attach a “core” to it to sell some records. We are pretty much naturally just a straight up metal band. We basically said “you know, we don’t have to reinvent this. Let’s just make it kick ass!” and that’s exactly what we did. I’ve been in speed and thrash bands since the beginning, so my personal goal, and that of the band, is to strip away the years of shit that has been added to Metal and simply try to write some heavy fucking songs – Simple, crack-you-in-the-ribs Metal. The guys in the band are all different ages and have many different influences, so you’ll surely hear some different flavors, but basically our main goal is to help pave the way back to real Metal. The fans get it. Some of the record critics don’t but, that’s ok. You know what they say in this business, “Just spell my name right!””¦that’s “F-L-A-T-L-I-N-E” bitches!”

What songs would you say you are most proud from Pave The Way and why?

Blessed by Death, Nefarious, I love all of ’em. I think the breakdown in Generations Fall is personally my favorite piece. The way the acoustic lead comes in and then builds and builds with heavy guitar harmonies and layers. I really like what Travis put over the top of the music there, heavy vocals, with a hint of melody behind it.

Do you have any touring plans to support Pave The Way this year? What about any festivals?

We are heading out with Straight Line Stitch in a few days and we have some killer shit in the works for summer. Stay tuned to our Myspace page. (www.myspace.com/flatlinemetal)

What have been some of your favorite bands to tour with and why?

Recently we did some dates with In this Moment in New Mexico. That was a blast because we all started out together here in LA a few years back. It was good to see them all again and I congratulate them on all of their success. Plus New Mexico is fucking so awesome I can’t even tell you. The kids there are fucking Metal Heads through and through. We loved it. Also, 36 Crazyfists equals a good fuckin time!

I can imagine Flatline putting on a show that is just fucking crazy. Do you think this is true for your shows?

We just provide the crunch, but you guys are the show”¦ Get in the pit and prepare for a brutal case of whiplash.

Do you have any interesting or funny stories to share from touring or recording?

Going back to that breakdown part in Generations Fall, when we record vocals Travis always clears his pipes by singing his heavy vocal parts in a really funny 80’s voice before the real heavy take. It seems to warm him up somehow and it’s funny as hell”¦ When we demoed Generations and he did that 80’s voice for the line, “why do we?” I said, “dude, let’s record that under the heavy vocal and see what it sounds like”. He said “no fucking way” but somehow we just tried it. We doubled it, I mixed it in low with some hall reverb and it made the entire piece shine. We ended up doing it with Logan (Mader/Machinehead) in the studio for the record. We used that formula in Worn Thin too.

What are some of your musical influences?

Like I said earlier, we all have a ton but mine started out with KISS!

How did you get involved with music? Did you always know you wanted to be a musician or did you have other plans at one point?

KISS was everything to me in the 70’s and I never had any other plans than to be in a band, ever. I have had careers in the kitchen but only because I had to. Ace made me want to grow my hair long and play guitar. Then James and Kirk made me want to play fast.

What goals do you have for Flatline?

We just want to play like crazy and create more metal jams. We are damn lucky to be doing this. There was a time in heavy music when all my lead guitar skills were rendered useless but we are fighting the good fight and we will do our part to keep this style of Metal alive and relevant. There is a younger generation of metalheads out there that haven’t experienced ‘old-school’ metal with no frills attached. We want to bring our balls out approach to them and show them our roots”¦ school them on the way metal should be. And for fans who grew up in an era of trendsetting metal – We won’t let you down.

Lastly, do you have any last words for our readers at drivenfaroff.com?

Thank you to everyone who has supported us, messaged us every day, bought the cds and shirts and all that. We are your fans!!!

Thank you Randy for taking the time to answer these questions and Jerry Grahm for setting up this interview.