In an exclusive interview with music writer and long time BraveWords supporter Joel Gausten, former Slayer/current Philm drummer Dave Lombardo reflects on his former band Grip Inc., his relationship with the band's late singer Gus Chambers and the June 9th release of a four-song EP of previously unreleased Grip Inc. material called Hostage To Heaven. An excerpt from the chat appears below:

Gausten: What really struck me when I first heard the band was the fact that Gus was such a different kind of frontman compared to a lot of other singers in Metal at the time. When you were getting this band together, what ultimately made you think Gus was the guy as opposed to going for a more traditional Metal or Thrash singer?

Lombardo: "He was unique and he had a powerful voice. There are singers who have voices that are very thin and they rely on cupping the microphone to give them the typical growl or whatever it is they do today – that Cookie Monster voice. Gus not only had a range, but he had an attack in his voice and this aggression that was actually punk. It came out of his gut; it came from his soul. It wasn't something that he was faking. He was the real deal. When I first met him and considered him, I was like, 'Man, this is the guy!' His posture, his attitude...It was exactly what I wanted in a singer... He lived the part; he was a singer. He was real punk rocker. The guy was a bad-ass."

Gausten: Sadly, Gus is no longer with us. Looking back, what remain some of the best memories you have of your time with him?

Lombardo: "Gus was a positive, funny guy. He was always full of jokes; he was always doing some kind of crazy antic that would make you laugh. He was a very warm, kind and gentle person, but there was this aggressive punk side to him that I equally loved. It was part of his character and nature, and you just had to love that as well as his other side to really understand who Gus was. He's definitely missed; there are a lot of times where I reflect and think, 'Damn, I wish he was still around. We could have done something together again.' It's unfortunate and it really sucks that this happened.

What sucks about when musicians pass on is that not only do people who were close to them know they're not there – and that hurts – but it's compounded because there's this magic and feeling you have when you play music together with other musicians. When they're gone, you realize you'll never experience those sounds or that voice again. It bums you out.

We recorded all the albums in Germany. He had lived in Germany for a while and he picked up on some of the German language. I'd say to Gus, 'Hey's, let's go get a doner kebob or a bratwurst or currywurst.' He loved currywurst with 'extra sosse,' as he used to say. We'd go, and he'd crack jokes on the way there and on the way back. He was just a character; he was just great."

Gausten: Now that Grip Inc is very much in the rearview mirror for you, what would you say was ultimately the band's greatest accomplishment?

Lombardo: "I don't really look at things as being accomplishments. What I am most proud of was the fact that during a time when music was changing, we were still thrash metal, punk, whatever we were and pushing forward. We were going against the grain where everyone around us in LA was wearing baggy pants and singing 'Jump! Jump! Jump!' and crossing that hip hop line with heavy music – which is all good, because it's fine and awesome – but we were going against the grain and were like, 'No, we're not going to fall into that.' So I think being unique was something that I was really proud of. We didn't change the course of what we set out to do, which was making music as heavy as possible."

The complete interview is available at this location.

For the first time ever, Grip Inc, are making four previously unreleased tracks available digitally worldwide, as part of their Hostage To Heaven EP.

These four tracks have been sourced from the Grip Inc. Vault, and as such feature three unreleased tracks and an alternate never before released version of “Hostage To Heaven” (The Power Of Inner Strength), it’s been 11 years since Grip Inc. released their last album, Incorporated and 7 years since the passing of vocalist, Gus Chambers. Hostage To Heaven serves as a bookend and tribute to the talent and contributions of late great front man, as well as a true testament to the legacy and deep impression he left.

Tracklisting:

“Hostage To Heaven”
“Dragging Me Down”
“Bittersweet”
“Crawl”

Preorders are available on iTunes. The released date is set for June 9.

Dave Lombardo comments:

“Grip Inc. is an exceptional band that I am very honored to have co-created.  Gus Chambers was easily one of the most effective and distinctive vocalists/frontmen in the business.  To be able to release music that pays tribute to Gus and his talent, memorializing the unique sound that the four of us created is a gift... not just to us, but also to the fans that always hoped for more.

“Gus can't be replaced.  Grip Inc. will never be Grip Inc. without him.  We could try and replace him, but it would never be the same as the original four.  This is the closest thing we have to working with Gus again.  This release is without question a tribute to his talent and his legacy.”

Waldemar Sorychta comments :

“I always like to experiment with songs that we have already released from our past albums, so needless to say I have many versions of ‘Hostage To Heaven’ (a techno version, church organ, acoustic and the slow version).

“The slow version of, ‘Hostage To Heaven’, is the only version with the original vocals from Gus, recorded while we were making the album Nemesis.

“Actually it gave me the main idea for the song ‘Rusty Nail’. While we were playing the slow version of ‘Hostage To Heaven’, we changed some rhythms and worked out some other parts and ‘Rusty Nail’ was born. I really like how it all came together especially the solo that was more or less just improvised. Overall it’s a great version which shows that good songs still have a drive even when you change the way of playing them.

“We always improvised at rehearsals, sometimes even live. In rehearsal we used to jam even more then rehearse our songs. Many Ideas and songs got started like this. Even at every recording session we jammed between main recordings. We have never looked at recording a record as a kind of job that has to be done, well, we always had a professional way of recording but, we always made sure to also keep it fun and spontaneous. The main point was always, love for music!

“In hindsight, I am glad we always recorded more then just the album tracks and always tried to experiment. It’s just a shame that many of these songs don’t have Gus’s vocals. Don’t misunderstand me; these songs aren’t leftovers or anything like that! We had always planned to record them but some just didn’t make that album or didn’t have the time in the studio, really we had the chance while we were recording the albums, and we just wanted to take advantage of the studio environment.

“To release these tracks 20 years after Power of Inner Strength means a lot to me. After Gus’s death there has been an empty place in my heart that will never be filled. I miss our craziness, I miss our friendship, and above all our passion for music. We all came from different countries, with different backgrounds but Grip Inc. united us all under the same goal. We were ‘ONE’! Simply a great example of how powerful music really is. But music in itself doesn’t make a friendship; ours went very deep and will stay forever.

“Since the 13th of October 2008 I have found life is much harder to catch a day with a relaxed smile, always thinking of my friend. Life goes on but the knowledge that a big part of you isn't there anymore is sad. Gus I will always miss you!”

Photo by Alex Solca