Karma: Thanks a lot for doing the interview Carl.

Carl: [Smiles] It’s not a problem!

Karma: How did the Confrontation Tour [with Into The Moat and Watch Them Die] go?

Carl: I’ll say half-half. Like half of the shows were really good and half were, nah, so-so. I meant it went for what; six weeks…it was a pretty long tour. We needed to end it up because our singer got sick; he got pneumonia in Memphis, so we had to end it short. Other than that I’d say it was awesome; it was like a comeback for us [especially] with all of the member changes and everything like that. For the first tour since we came back, it was a pretty awesome tour.

Karma: How do you think this one [The Doomsday Tour] will compare to others? Did you have any projections for it going in?

Karma: I can imagine it would be a new audience for you, which is awesome! It’s good exposure.

Carl: Yes it is. [Smiles]

Karma: Now as far as your nickname goes, I got Bouch reference considering your last name is Bouchard but why Dimebouch?

Karma: Yes, I am familiar with the board.

Carl: …oh, okay well it’s all of my friends over there and basically one day somebody was just joking and was like, “Hey what’s up Dimebouch?” for like Dimebag you know…

Karma: [Nods head and smiles] right…

Carl: …and it just kept going I guess and that’s it. [Laughs] And that MTV dude called me, you know for MTV News. He asked me, “What’s up with that name Dimebouch?” and I was like [look of innocence crosses his countenance as he shrugs shoulders], “I don’t know, it’s a nickname; it’s like a joke”, and then it went on MTV News and I was like, [intonation changes to a high pitch] “What”? [We all laugh] You know what the fuck! It’s just a nickname! [Hysterical laughter ensues] ‘Cos Bouch is my last name, Bouchard and just because I’m playing guitar [rolls eyes and shakes head] whatever! Well I mean it’s kinda crazy but hey…

Karma: Well it does make sense!

Carl: [Laughs]

Karma: I think it’s a great story on how you found Kevin [Randel] by placing a blurb on Blabbermouth.

Carl: Oh yeah, yeah! [Smiles]

Karma: Awesome concept since Blabbermouth covers a wide audience. How did this all come about?

Carl: Well the thing with Kevin is that he saw the advertisement on Blabbermouth and he emailed me and sent a link of his singing and I was like, “Oww shit!” He flew to Montreal to do some demo tracks and that was it, we got him. Then we toured that Confrontation Tour and we got into a fight within the band and whatever… I guess touring is too hard for him.

Karma: Guess the tour lived up to it’s name unfortunately.

Carl: Yeah! [Laughs] I hate changing members! It’s crazy right now but we found a good bass player now. [Dave] the guitar player’s not with us because he needed to work but as soon as we get back home it will clear up.

Karma: So then he just missed this tour?

Carl: Yeah, yeah.

Karma: So how’s Craig working out on vocals then?

Carl: He’s awesome. Thing is with Craig we know him for a long time and I never, never thought about him before. One day Yan [Chausse], the drummer said, “Man, what about Craig”? “Oh yeah, Craig”! He’s from Syracuse, New York and he played in a band called Darker Day Tomorrow it was like a mix between hardcore but with rock influences and he sang on it. His singing vocals are like, crazy! [Eyes brighten] I don’t know, we asked him and he accepted. We just hope he’s gonna stay in the band! [Laughter ensues]

Karma: Here’s to hoping! It would be nice to have stability with a strong line up to boot.

Carl: Yeah, it would be nice.

Karma: Speaking of a little more lineup issues, it’s nice that the break with Pierre [Remillard] was amicable especially since you were able to cut Strength Through Vengeance in his studio [Wild Studio].

Carl: Once again, that’s another crazy story! [Laughs] Just to have known this guy is crazy because he’s done a ton of Quebec production or whatever like he’s done Cryptopsy, Vovoid, Krisiun, and all of those international bands. One day I just met him and he was like, “Oh man, I just love your band”, blah, blah blah…He thought the sound was huge that it was a Canadian production and I was like, “No, no, it’s a US production” and he’s like, “Oh well fuck, it sounds amazing and the riffs and everything!” So we just hooked up, you know. He tried a lot [to be in the band] but he was just too busy with his own studio and he’s kinda older than us, he’s 38. So I don’t think he wants to be in a band that makes no money. I mean you know it’s not about the money it’s just that you come off tour without any penny basically, you know. He’s 38 and he has a life, I don’t! [Laughs] He’s going to be our next producer for all of our albums so we’re straight with him, it’s solid. [Smiles]

Karma: Awesome, that is good to hear indeed!

Carl: Yeah it is awesome!

Carl: Oh yeah! No, because we’ve learned so many things doing this album like the drums. We wanted to have a natural sound for it.

Karma: Thus the use of the 25 microphones to track/record Yan’s drums.

Carl: [Smiles] Yeah because everyone’s using trigger these days and I kinda hate it. I mean you can barely tap on it and it’s going to be steady [imitates the consistent beat with hands]. So we wanted use as much room as we can and use as many mics as we can. The result was there and I guess it was pretty huge.

Karma: Seems that with the song writing it must be a pure release unleashing aggressions in a positive manner especially considering you guys are so outspoken in your beliefs.

Carl: That was really all Kevin, me and Yan do everything, I wrote every riff, every bass line on the last album, guitar solos, rhythm, acoustic guitar…everything. It’s pretty easy because me and Yan got to rehearse and try some things. When we got to the studio, we have a way to work like I do everything except I don’t want to do the bass anymore ‘cos I hate bass!

Karma: Why is that?

Carl: Because it’s really different from guitar, it’s like those u strings…I don’t know, it kind of hurts my fingers! [Laughs] Since I write both things when I’m in the studio if I do both guitars it’s kind of obvious [the sound’s] going to be tighter because it’s my riff. Even if I showed it to anybody else, maybe they get the riff but not as good as me because I invented it. It’s like how Metallica do things like James Hetfield do every guitar track because its more tighter and everything. It is the way we work too.

Karma: Okay, well what is your favorite off Strength?

Carl: “Strength”.

Karma: Is there APM song that sums up your life in a nutshell?

Carl: Maybe “Timebomb” off the last record Unbroken because it’s about straightedge, I don’t know if you’re familiar with that?

Karma: Yes, I am.

Carl: We’re basically all straightedge in the band and it just represents the way of life that we all live right now. But on the new album the thing with the lyrics is that it is really personal. It’s like Kevin way, I would think. “Strength Through Vengeance” it’s cool because basically what’s unbroken still remains unbroken like if anything happens, it’s still there, you keep going! So that’s basically “Strength Through Vengeance” is all that bullshit that happened and everything, we’re still here and we’re stronger than ever! Fuck you all, we’re there! [We all laugh] So those two songs can be like that.

Karma: Of course you have collaborated with some cool people including Karl Buechner [Freya ex-Earth Crisis, Nemesis], who would you like to work with in the future?

Carl: Oh yeah, there’s always tons of people but we want to have Chuck Billy from Testament but we never reached him or whatever. But I’d like to do something with him, anybody like him… I mean it would never happen but Kirk Hammett, like a solo thing!

Erika: You never know who’s listening!

Carl: Yeah..well, maybe Dave Mustaine. I don’t know, someone with a huge past, someone I can learn from. I want to listen to those bands because they were the first bands and people to do that kind of music. I grew up with that stuff and to me it’s like Metallica, WOW! They are the greatest band ever. If I got James to sing on my record, I could die tomorrow and that would be cool [We all laugh]

Karma: If you could commission a band to cover APM song, which song would you chose and who would cover it?

Carl: Wow! I’d say Tears From The Sky, they are a band from where I live these are all my best friends and they are awesome. The song would be, I don’t know…that’s hard question probably something from Unbroken. Let’s say the last song, “Another Day, Another Plague” just because it has that chill feeling and those guys are really, really chill.

Karma: What’s on your Christmas wish list?

Carl: Hmm, I’d say health, like having good health. I mean I live in Canada and have free care health so that’s cool. [Laughs] I mean health in general and tour as much as possible, get bigger and bigger and be happy! [Laughs]

Karma: Hope you’ve been a good boy in 2005, that’s a mighty big list! It’s a good one nonetheless! [We all laugh]

Carl: Yeah!

Karma: Any last comments? 

Carl: Well thank you for the interview that was awesome, good questions!

Karma: Well thank you Carl!

Carl: Well, that’s pretty much it.

Karma: Good luck on the rest of the tour.