Interview George Moore & Sean Robbins The Autumn Offering

Lineup: Dennis Miller - Vocals George Moore - Guitar/vocals Matt Johnson - Guitar Sean Robbins - Bass Nick Gelyon - Drums

BACK TO THE WORM TOUR Cryptopsy Cattle Decapitation THE AUTUMN OFFERING DevilInside HOB 3/22/05 Interviewer: Karma E. Omowale Transcription & Photos: Sharita Lumpkin

On one fateful night, March 22nd, 2005, The Autumn Offering's evening didn't exactly start off on the right foot. During their set, drummer, Nick Gelyon, experienced some technical difficulties with a broken drumhead then a rash of rather bizarre events occurred during this interview. Trying to trip us up, Josh Nelson, the bassist for the band DevilInside, was constantly introduced as the band's bassist, Sean Robbins. By my interviewing Josh's band a mere month prior, I knew better. And to add to the confusion, Cattle Decapitation's bassist, Troy Oftedal, passing through to his dressing area slaps guitarist/vocalist George Moore. It was a battle of the tourmate bassists! Needless to say this interview ran amuck! I gave it the good old college try to pull it back to the land of civilization, but failed on several attempts.

An executive decision was made to edit a many a portion of recently departed George Moore's commentary. A headline was also decided against because hey, the body of this interview pretty much speaks for itself. Believe it or not, some subjects were successfully covered like the concept behind the cover of the band's latest release, Revelations of the Unsung, collaborations with members of All That Remains, etc. Read on…

Karma: Thanks for doing the interview!

George: You’re quite welcome. [Smiles]

Karma: So, tell me a little about the history of The Autumn Offering and how you hooked up with Stillborn?

George: Sean, our bass player, and I started this band when we were 15 years old with all these different people. It was a different band with different songs. Since then, we had a bunch of other different people, a bunch of different songs, and two other names. [Laughs]

As far as The Autumn Offering goes, it’s been 3 years, and Sean and I found our singer Dennis. We had a different guitar player and drummer, since then we got Matt, our guitar player, and Nick, our drummer. They are two great guys who we’re really glad to have now. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them pretty much. [Laughs] Ever since they joined, that’s when shit started happening for us. That’s when we played with Hatebreed and Jamey [Jasta] signed us. We did the tour and all kinds of shit so pretty much this lineup has been doin’ it for about 2 ½ years. Sean and I had the original idea.

Karma: What made you pick The Autumn Offering for the band's name?

George: That was actually our old drummer, not him. [As he points to Nick Gelyon] [Laughs] You don’t want the credit for that one! We had all these names, our first name was Up In Arms and [we found out that] a hardcore band from Milwaukee had that name. Then, we went through this period where we had no name at all. It was just me, Sean, and the drummer.  We wrote a couple of songs and he was like, "Oh let’s just be The Autumn Offering, no one has that!" So we’re like, "Okay, Whatever!" We’re not too happy with the name right now; but we’ve had it for too long.

Karma: Really? Why Not?

George: We get a lot of From Autumn To Ashes shit, let’s put it that way.  I’m sure a lot of bands have to deal with that, Hatebreed, Hate Eternal, Every Time I Die…

Karma: All those dying bands…[Laughs]

George: Trust me, I’m very happy we don’t have death in our name! [Laughs]

Karma: Or Bury, or anything like that.  So how’s the tour going so far?

George: It’s been really good, this has been the longest outing we’ve ever done. We left in December. As a band we’ve been out for like 3 months, since then, we’ve done a couple festivals. Two weeks with Hatebreed, a month with Otep, and we’re just finishing up with Cryptopsy.  Then we hop on the Kreator tour right after this. After that, we have maybe 7 to 10 days with Mastodon in the southeast. After that, I think we’re gonna go home for a little bit. [Takes a swig of beer]

Karma: You must be really homesick since you are going back out with Vader. [Laughs]

George: Yeah…[Laughs] you homesick Nick?

Nick: I’m not homesick; I’m insane!

George: I’ll go with that! [Laughs]

Karma: Can you remember your home?

George: We were just there about a week ago. When we came on this tour, we played three Florida dates; one in Orlando, the others, in Fort Lauderdale and Tampa. I got to go home and sleep in my own bed those nights. It was a little weird, we were kind of used to the van, and it was very out of the ordinary.

Karma: There weren’t any smells or anything?

George: Yeah, I almost missed Sean’s smell. [Laughs] No, I’m kidding. I was grateful [to be] in my warm, clean bed with my dog and my girlfriend.

Karma: Ok, do you have any crazy tour stories to tell?

George: We were in Canada one time, wasn’t even for a show, we were just off in Niagara.  Should I even tell this story [as he stops himself dead in his own tracks] or think of another one? [Laughs] Yeah…but that night was just crazy because we went to some strip club in Canada and they don’t have dollar bills there, they have coins. So, our singer Dennis, is thinking, "Hey I got a bunch of American dimes", so he puts them in his mouth and lays on the stage and waits for the girls to come up to him. [Laughs] That’s the procedure, that’s how you do it…

Karma: Oh no… [Laughs as a look of horror washes over her face]

George: They grab it with a certain technique. [Laughs] So Dennis started doing that, then the real snobby [stripper] that gave me a shitty lap dance, she fuckin’ came up and said, "Oh no, no, no!" She walked away and she’s like, ‘Security, security’, but Sean’s up there too laying on stage, but I think he had an actual coin. So then, security comes and hauls Dennis and Sean out of the place, while me, Matt, and Nick are standing there, drinking and we’re like, "Okay!" [Laughs] 

We didn’t think anything of it at first. Then we go outside and of course, my fuckin' mentally deficient bass player, Sean, is freaking out because he can’t understand why he got kicked out of a place when he didn’t do anything. [Laughs] He also, can’t understand the current situation so all hell breaks loose.  So, he’s flippin’ out and immediately blames our singer because our singer was the one who did it. He was like, [changes voice] “You mother fucker, you got me kicked out", blah, blah…” he’s just freaking out on him as we’re tryin’ to walk 3 miles back to the border, where the van is.

Karma: Oh no…[Laughs]

George: While we were walking, Sean is still flippin’ out and meanwhile our singer is still really drunk…

Nick: he doesn’t drink that much either… [At this point, Nick makes an exit]

Karma: So are you on the bridge?

George: We’re not even near there yet! [Laughter fills the room] We in like downtown Ontario, whatever the closest town is to Niagara Falls. I turn around to see what’s goin’ on and a pickup truck pulls up behind me and stops at the corner, I’m like, "Why is it stopping?" Then it starts driving away and [there stands] this little Puerto Rican girl with lots of makeup on. I’m like, "Gee, I wonder what her job is!" [Laughs] That was just an observation, I didn’t care, and I’m like Canadian whore, more or less. That’s when the violence breaks out and she’s like “Yo, you need to bring that somewhere else because I’m trying to work here, that’s my corner” [said in his best ghetto voice possible] and we’re like, "Ok!"

Karma: After all the excitement… [Speaking of which, this is the point where Nick exits the room]

George: There wasn’t even a show that day! [Laughs]

Karma: Oh my God! Ok! [Clears throat] As far as the cover art for Revelations of the Unsung goes it’s really awesome. You got the guy…

George:  …I have to give Sean credit for that one; that was his vision. He initially thought of it when we were on the As I Lay Dying/HIMSA [STHRSS] Tour, and the dude from Stillborn contacted us to do the album art before we even recorded it. Sean was like, [changes voice] "I have this vision, of this guys face with his mouth open, with a burning city coming out of it", blah, blah, blah. So that was pretty much how that occurred. Aaron Marsh from Atlanta is the guy that did it. He’s cool as hell and does great work. He did a Thousand Falling Skies cover also. Their album came out the same day as ours and they are on the same label.

Karma: Awesome! Are you guys satisfied with the way Revelations turned out?

George: Yes and no, but at the same time the parts I don’t like, I have to…the only thing I had a problem with was, we were really rushed to record drum tracks. We thought we had only a week to record the entire album. I was like, "Fuck!" Even our engineer, Zeuss, was freakin’ out. "I can’t wait Jamey, we gotta fuckin’ do this album man!" "I can’t do this in no fuckin week!" So, were tryin’ to go through drum tracks the first couple of days, and our goal was to do all of them in one day, but it ended up taking three. That’s the part I wasn’t really satisfied with! Some of the tempo changes sound kind of drastic as far as the ending goes.  But now after listening to the album, I’ve almost grown to like that part cause, it adds to the feel of the record. It kind of changes tempo all the way through and it catches you off guard. A lot of the reviews we’ve gotten [cite the tempo changes] and they’ve been all positive. [Laughs] Everything else was awesome, even though vocals were a little rushed too.

Karma: Must have been pretty awesome to have Jamey Jasta produce your record as well.

George: Oh yeah, he was great. He came in and put a lot in it. Most of the material stayed the same, but one song did change a lot; the last track was the first song we’d written as a band. It was a very simple, high school metal song. [Laughs] I mean we were in high school what do you expect? [Laughs] Through the chorus, he had a guitar melody that made it go really well.

Karma: Tell me about these nicknames.

George: Nicknames? We don't have nicknames.

Karma: Yeah you do, obviously...

George: …oh, on the website?

Karma: Yeah! [Laughs]

George: Oh, you put the mouse over the picture!

Karma: Yeah, I did! Ha-ha! [Laughs] Dennis “Thriller”, George “Dirty”, Matt “Dong”, Sean “Hollywood”, Nick “Nasty”.

George: Dennis is Dennis Miller, I’m sure you’ve heard of him. [Laughs] He said, "I’m not too glad about that so I’m gonna be the Thriller". [Laughs] So were like all right, that’s cool. I’m dirty, but not anymore. I used to be dirty; I dunno what I am now.

Karma: Matt is "Dong".

George: Rumor has it that Matt has a really large penis, or so we hear. I would like to challenge him. [Hysterical laughter again fills the room] Just for the record, I don’t think anyone’s down for that so it will forever remain a mystery.

Karma: Sean is "Hollywood"

George: Because that motherfucker should’ve been born in Los Angeles in 1976, not even 76, 1971. Then he would be the age he is now in 1985. [We all laugh] He needed to be in LA in the 8o’s. He doesn’t fit in 2005! [Laughs] Look at him with the Guns n' Roses t-shirt, Jesus Christ! He’s more about the glamour, let’s just put it that way!

Karma: Nick is named "Nasty"

George: Nick is named "Nasty" because he says some nasty things. I wish he were here so he could say some nasty things. [Laughs mischievously] If he sees a pretty girl in a mall he’ll say something like [voice changes] "Man I wanna lick those tits and get in that asshole!",  something like that, as soon as she's out of earshot. He grits his teeth while doing it! [Imitating Matt]

At this point, Cattle Decapitation's Troy Oftedal, greets everyone in the room as he take a shortcut through TAO's dressing room to get to his, jokingly slaps George on the way through.

Karma: Ok that was crazy. [Attempts to compose self] So what is your favorite song off Revelation?

George: The one we chose for the single, if you want to call it that. That was the second most recent one we’d written too. I put a lot of time into "Revelations".

Karma: The song itself?

George: Yes, the second song on the record. That probably represents what we want to do best; as far as like really, epic, heavy metal, rock and roll.  That’s what we’re really going for.  

Karma: You cite At the Gates and Shadows Fall as some of your musical influences…

George: …there are too many influences to name; I could go on and on. We look up to a lot of the newer bands that are out now. Like Lamb Of God, Shadows Fall, Hatebreed, all those guys. They’re doin’ what we want to do, playin’ the same shit. Of course we look up to them and listen to them all the time. A lot of the older bands that we used to listen to when we were fuckin pre-teens and shit. We listen to a lot of classic rock, but the majority is not metal. Things you wouldn’t think we listen to. If I could name one band as the biggest influence, I would say Pantera.  

Karma: Who are some of your favorite bands in the scene right now?

George: Lamb Of God, I am the worst guy at remembering the music that I like. I’m the one that goes lets see where my CD booklet is, oh shit I have these CD’s, and let's listen to it. [Laughs] I listen to so much shit, I forget what I like. Definitely, Lamb of God, Shadows Fall, there’s a lot of bands out there that I like! HIMSA, their new album is gonna be the shit.

Karma: I think it will be as well. I’d like to see TAO’s name on a marquee next to_____.

George: Pantera. Realistically, Megadeth.

Karma: What can the fan of TAO look to in the future?

George: Well, we’ll probably play your town or a town near you. Odds are our equipment will break on at least one us. I personally want to start writing a new album really soon. The other guys want to just get out and tour off this one. I’m shootin’ for 2006!

Karma: A couple of members of All That Remains made some appearances on the album [Phil Labonte appears on track “Homecoming” & Matt Deis appears on track "Revelation" on keyboards] how did this come about?

George: We were both on Stillborn fest. Playin’ a couple of off dates, some of them we booked ourselves, some Jamey did. This was a clusterfuck of shows! We ended up playing at the Fat Cat with The Acacia Strain and Phil was there. He didn’t really know us. I had heard of them because I saw them with Darkest Hour and The Crown a couple of years ago when the first All That Remains album came out. He saw us play and he really liked us, bought a shirt and became friends with us. After that, we played a show in Massachusetts with Full Blown Chaos and ATR. That’s when Matt came up and became really friendly with us, so we just got really down with them. We went to record the album in Massachusetts, and since these were the only two guys we knew there, we called Matt up and asked if we could stay in his basement.

So, to make a long story short, we didn’t have money to stay in a hotel.  We called up Matt and asked to stay with him. He let us stay for two weeks and his mom got really pissed cause we had all this beer and porno in there. [Laughs] But she was really cool, she wasn’t like, [changes voice] "You assholes get the fuck outta’ my house!" Nothing like that. So Matt let us stay there and he didn’t have anything to do so he’d come to the studio with us everyday and just chill. We really wanted a keyboard part on "Revelation" so he ended up playing the part. There was a clean vocal part on one song that we thought Phil would sound really good, so while chillin’ out we asked him if he wanted to sing on it. He was like, "Yeah!" So it was cool!

At this point Sean (TAO) and Josh from DevilInside have walked in and reintroduced themselves during the interview. Sean and George banter back in forth and this causes some hysterical laughter. Sean decides to stay in the room with us.

George: I want to ask Sean a question. Sean, how many interviews have you done by yourself?

Sean: Ah, over ten. [Sean proceeds to go on about how he asks everyone in the band to participate in the interviews but no one does, so he ends up doing it all himself]

Karma: If you could collaborate with anyone, whom would you choose?

George: Vinnie Paul and Phil Anselmo!

Sean: Guns n' Roses and Dimebag Darrell.

Karma: What mark would you like to leave on your fans?

George: [Pauses] We’re just chokin’…

Sean: I came up with an upside down pentagram on their forehead…

George: We’re not Deicide!!!

Sean: I’d like to be remembered as the most honest, fuckin’, forefront metal bands of all time, played rock and roll, drank and hung out with their fans; whatever.

Karma: Here's a quick  Speed Round of Questions for you. Do you have a mantra?

Sean: Heavy fucking metal [After much banter between the two, they both decide on "heavy fucking metal"]

Karma: Favorite color?

George: Green

Sean: Red

Karma: If not music then what?

George: Suicide

Sean: I would agree with that and we haven’t agreed in like, 6 years.

George: I haven’t even known you 6 years! [Laughter ensues]

Karma: Do you possess a special talent?

George: [Shows us how the hole in his chest and the fact that he has the ability to roll his stomach]

Karma: How about you?

Sean: I play my belly fat! [Then he demonstrates]

Karma: Okay! Furthest point from home?

George: Seattle.

Karma: Hugs or kisses?

George: I know this guy is all about hugs! [Speaking of Sean] I’ll take kisses over hugs any day.

Sean: Is this from my mom or random people?

Karma: Random people.

Sean: I think I like kissing my mom actually…

Karma: Ohkay! [Hysterical laughter ensues] Would you marry your best friend if he were a woman?

George: Would he have to look the same?

Karma: No.

George: Would he have the same voice?

Karma: No, just the qualities.

Sean: No, but I have beers with him cause he’s fuckin’ hilarious.

Karma: First job?

George: Makin’ Subs

Sean: I was a janitor in a radiator shop.

Karma: How many candles did you blow out on your last b-day and on which date?

George: 20 on Jan 4 when we were staying at Nick’s brothers house in Niagara Falls and I didn’t have a candle or a cake but my girlfriend was there. [Awws fill the room]

Sean: I’m 21 if you ask, I threw a barstool through a wall on March 5 of this year.

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

George: He would like to see GNR cover "Revelation" but personally, I’d like to see Pantera doing the "Great Escape". Oh shit, I want Metallica to do "Shadows of Betrayal"!

Karma: If you could take a bath with anyone, who would be your perfect Bath Mate?

George: My girlfriend.

Sean: My ex-girlfriend. My baby brother.

George: He doesn’t have a brother! [Laughs] I have a brother; you’re not talking about mine are you?

Sean: Uh actually it would be a four way, Christina Ricci, Wynona Rider and Shannon.

Karma: Choice of 3 CDs to make your Bubble Bath Soundtrack.

George: Go Sean, you first.

Sean: G’N’R Appetite for Destruction, Use Your Illusion 1 and 2.

George: Velvet Revolver’s Contraband, Seemless, and Led Zeppelin.

Karma: Boxers or briefs? [A question from Erika who had recently entered the room]

George: I’m pretty sure everyone does, you kind of figure that out after being in a van with each other for 4 months.

Sean: Uh, I don’t wear anything, I just free ball in front of my friends.

George: You wear boxers motherfucker I’ve seen em’! [Laughs] I’ve been in a van with you for 4 months. You motherfuckers’ just change your clothes right in front of me!

Karma: Well thank you very much!

George: Thank you, Karma!!!

I'd like to thank Stillborn Records and George Moore for setting up this interview for this entertaining interview.

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