As most
lovers of heavy are quick to tell you, there is nothing like a band who knows
when to stop dicking around and when to cut to the chase to deliver the goods.
We have a near-unlimited supply of heavy metal in this day and age, but it is a
rare to find bands who give you that fine balance of energy, power, and a
shameless love for all things fantastical, while also maintaining a sense of
precision, fun, and general badassery. Some lay it down slow and low, others
pack a hard, fast punch with speedy riffs, galloping rhythms and lightning
leads. North Carolina’s Colossus are certainly the latter.
After a solid hard-partying decade of slaying stages alongside groups like Slough Feg,
Skeleton Witch
andValient Thorr, Colossus is currently celebrating their
10 year anniversary with a new video, titled “YOU DIED.” I caught up with the
band’s vocalist, Sean Buchanan, and their drummer, Milton “Doza” Hawes, to
discuss the good times they’ve had as a band, and their hilariously demented
video, (which features possibly the best deathride through hell ever imagined.)
Sludgelord: So Colossus has been going strong for 10 years
now. Congratulations! Most bands don't even make it for half of that. What's
kept you all together for so long?
Sean: Honestly
we just really enjoy what we do and our fans have always been super supportive
of it. We also all get along really well, the days of band fights are long
behind us.
Doza: I
think it comes down to the fact that we have a shitload of fun together. Our
music is in the spirit of fun, which is really an extension of the fun we have
together as people, and those good vibes naturally branch out to our fans. We
love hanging out and bullshitting, riding around between cities in the van,
recording in the studio-- it's always a killer time and none of us want it to
stop!
Sludgelord:
Your new video is a rocking tune, is really well made, and is damn funny. Humor
seems to be a big part of what Colossus is
all about. What would you say is the most hilarious memory for you guys as a
band?
Sean: Man,
there are so so many. Not sure how many would translate but I do remember one
time we went to a party after a show and nobody there had actually been to our
show. When they realized we didn’t know anybody there they kicked us out. Our
previous drummer Ben Smith decided to take off his shirt outside and then
wander around inside pretending to look for it while we all watched through a
big plate glass window. Then when he came back out the guy who lived there
followed him and was like, “Oh you guys are friends with Shirtless Dude? Come
on inside!” That was pretty damn funny.
Doza: Humor
definitely is a big part of what we do, not that we make joke songs per se, but
we have a damn good time and are one of the few metal bands that smiles
onstage. There are so many ridiculous memories, it's hard to pick one, but the Colossus Challenge always brings out some
hilarious moments. It works like this: If someone can beat each band member at
a test, either physical or mental, they win a prize. We had a literal giant
challenge us recently, a very drunk 7 plus foot tall metalhead with long hair
and a sweet GWAR tattoo. He had to beat Ry, our bass player in
a beer chugging contest. He lost. And then projectile vomited. All over me. I
got puked on by a giant?! Yes I did. It really happened.
Sludgelord:
The people of Raleigh definitely love to party with Colossus. Since you guys are an active touring
band, what other cities would you say people have really gotten into you guys?
Sean: We
have a ton of awesome friends all over but I think some of the largest
concentrations of fans are in Detroit, Columbus, Athens, Wilmington, Austin to
name a few. Our buddies in all those places always hook us up with fun shows
and crazy times.
Doza: Wilmington
NC is incredible. So many great bands and music lovers down there that really
support us. Same for Athens GA, amazing town and people. New York has been most
welcoming of Colossus. Columbus
Ohio is always a blast. Detroit Michigan is home to our kindred spirits, the
Beggars. We try to tour at least once a year with those awesome dudes. They
aren't necessarily a metal band, but they completely rule and our shows mesh
perfectly.
Sludgelord: Maiden seems to be an obvious influence for Colossus. What other bands have inspired you?
Sean:
I heard the Lord
Weird Slough Feg’s (Now simply know as
Slough Feg)
Atavism on a trip out to California shortly before the band formed and later
realized how much it had inspired me. Always been heavily influenced by Rob
Halford’s golden pipes, and although I can’t sing like him I’ve always
respected Dio’s lyrical skills.
Doza:
As a drummer, I'm super into Cozy Powell, especially his work with Rainbow.
Vinny Appice, either with Sabbath or Dio, is probably my greatest influence. He
has incredible feel and the way he throws firework barrage drum fills into a
song is just perfection. Before I do anything with Colossus, I always check out
Scott Travis. His modern interpretations of older Priest songs are so on point
for me.
Sludgelord: Doza, you also
played briefly with the doom legends, Hour of 13,
and also toured and recorded with Bloody Hammers.
Both killer bands, but both very stylistically different from Colossus. From a musician's standpoint, do you
feel it benefits you to try different things?
Doza:
Thanks for the kind words about Hour of 13
and Bloody Hammers,
much appreciated. It has been an honor to play with each of those bands. I have
gotten to play some amazing shows with both of them, the 2014 European tour
that Bill (guitarist of Colossus) and I did with Bloody Hammers was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I
learned a ton about touring and playing huge shows. Download festival was
amazing. Musically, it's definitely made me a better musician to branch out and
play with different bands. Colossus is 110%, full blast the entire time,
whereas the other bands I have played with have been on the doomier side of the
spectrum, with slower tempos and more air in the songs. I love both!
Sludgelord: Colossus has played with many great bands
throughout the years. You recently played an after party for Mastodon,
Graveyard, and Clutch,
and have an upcoming gig with Nashville Pussy.
Who are some your favorite bands that you've played with?
Sean: The
big shows are a blast but most of my favorite memories are of bands that are
fun to tour with like The Beggars, Thunderlip and recently Sunshine State.
Doza:
We've played with so many killer bands!! Valient Thorr - Those dudes put on a hell of a
show and they're super awesome people as well. Slough Feg -This show happened
before I joined the band and I hope to get to play with them some day, they're
a huge influence on Colossus! He is Legend - We played with them
at the Soapbox in Wilmington and there was a line around the block to get in.
Sold out show! Also: The Beggars from Detroit, Savagist from GA, White Tiger
and the Bed
of Roses, Salvacion, Thunderlip, and the rest of the
Wilmington, NC scene. Demon Eye, Solar Halos, Caltrop,
and the amazing Raleigh/Triangle NC Metal scene. Despite all the challenges of
this day and age for musicians, great music is still happening and we're proud
to get to play with these killer bands.
Sludgelord: One thing I love
about you guys is your shameless love for fantasy and sci-fi. Your songs
reference everything from Conan to Dune to the Song of Ice and Fire. As kids
who grew up during the '80s, the time when a major fantasy/sci-fi boom was
happening, was there a particular film or book that has truly resonated with
you? What would you say is your all-time favorite and why?
Sean:
I have yet to write a song about it because the final book hasn’t come out yet
but I can’t wait to read The Doors of Stone
by Patrick Rothfuss and then write a song about The Kingkiller Chronicles.
It’s some bad ass fantasy, I highly recommend it. And he’s not a billion years
old so hopefully he’ll actually put out the last book! Also reading the Wheel
of Time and pretty excited about doing a song or two from there.
Doza: For
movies, it was Conan the Barbarian. That is still one of my favorite movies of
all time. It's perfect. Next would be the animated Tolkien movies. Those blew
my mind as a kid, as did the Last Unicorn. I have posters of Krull, Ice
Pirates, and Solarbabies in my practice room. I was an avid reader as a
kid, and CS Lewis really spoke to me. I read all the Narnia books, 7 I think?
And his Space Trilogy is really fun, I've read that over and over. I love older
Sci Fi that was written before the scientific breakthroughs of the 20th century.
What they imagined back then was so much cooler than what actually happened.
Currently, I'm reading Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, by Fritz Leiber. These books
are hilarious barbarian adventure stories and have influenced several Colossus
songs.
Sludgelord: So what's next for Colossus?
Sean:
We are planning to film a live concert DVD for the bands 10th
anniversary this fall so fans who have never seen Colossus can experience the live
show. We’ll be bringing back some past band members to perform, should be a fun
time. And we also are working on finishing a new full length that should be out
soon.
Sludgelord: Anything else you'd
like to add?
Sean:
Thanks to Sludgelord for premiering the video! Hope you guys like it and check
out our website to for any news about upcoming releases and tours!
Doza:
On behalf of Colossus I'd like to extend a
huge thanks to Jonny Gillette, who did a tremendous amount of work on our video
for "You Died." He came up with the concept, produced, directed, and
edited the video, and is an all around awesome dude! Also Sherri Di Fillipo put
in countless hours building our cave set and doing some ultra rad claymation.
Finally a huge thanks to all our friends and fans who came out and got weird
with us, this video was a huge blast to make, we hope you enjoy it!
Check out the premiere of ‘You Died’. Enjoy!
