Voice of the Underground

Interview with Guitarist James D. Gilmore

by John Ward

For well over a decade James has made a career of both impressing, entertaining, and scaring the hell out of other guitartist!

"RESURRECTION" James' first mostly vocal release! Impressive, Bombastic, and Intense, are terms that have all been rightfully used to describe this 14 track- over 1 hour Metal Masterpiece! "Resurrection" Features the talents of John Harper-Keys, Colin Frazier-Drums, Jay Klein-Bass, and Doug Bertram-Vocals. Along with virtuoso guitar solos, this release also showcases amazing vocals, song writing, musicianship,and fantastic production.

In your own words describe your sound, influences & style?

- When I began playing at age ten, my early influences were guys like Ace Frehley, Ted Nugent, Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi, and Jimi Hendrix. These guys were my foundation for everything from song writing to technique. They were the reason I first picked up a guitar! Then came players like Glen Tipton, K.K. Downing, Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and Michael Angelo. These guys showed me that the only limit to playing and creating was my own imagination. Deciding to go in the direction of progressive metal guitar was further enhanced by living in the Cincinnati area. I often went out on the weekends I wasn't playing anywhere to see guys like David Chastain and Michael Harris perform. The cover charge back then was only $3.00 to watch them play all night!

Where was "Resurrection" recorded?

- We cut Resurrection in my new home studio, JDG Studios. The centerpiece is a Roland VS890, 24 bit recording workstation. I also use Yamaha effects, a Fostex digital mixer, and Alesis monitors. There's tons of effects, Eq's, and a Sony mini disc deck for archiving the final mixdowns for mastering. Everything is state of the art digital from scratch tracks, to the final product. And the best part… the studio is open 24-7!

What's your long & short term goals as far as the music biz goes?

- In the long term, I'm pretty open to lot's of possibilities. Since I'm not only a guitarist, but an accredited songwriter and publisher with BMI, a live and studio engineer, and a record producer. I wear many hats, and that gives me a lot of directions to go in. Short term, I have a new CD "Method 2 Madness" coming soon and I'm currently writing material for the next CD "W M D" (Weapons of Mass Destruction). We'll also be releasing the long awaited "Instrumental Warfare - Live"! I've often been told I'm busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest… but I tend to like it that way!

What's your biggest gripe about the music industry?

- WOW, you don't know what you've hit on here! Where do I begin… First there was grunge, then alternative, and now modern rock. It seems the major labels will promote damn near anything that requires little or no talent. Back around 2000, I was approached by a major label A&R guy after one of my shows. He wanted to tell me how much he dug the performance and wished he could help me out. However, he explained the music scene has "Changed" and he wouldn't be able to do things he wished he could to help. He then admitted he was scouting for bands that we could easily blow off the stage due to their lack of talent, because that's what the label wanted. He went on to say that "Change" doesn't mean "Progress", it just means different. I've never confused the two again, and walked away with the compliment. Bottom line, the "Biz" SUCKS!

Give us the low-down to the writing & arrangements of your original tunes?

- My Drummer, Colin, recently commented on how carefully he felt I craft my material. He didn't feel that the songs were in any way just slapped together to capture a moment or whim. He was right! I have vast archives of ideas on tape, and anything that doesn't still move me after a period of time, gets discarded. I've seen other artist release really inspiring 1st and 2nd albums, but then the momentum seems to lag, and their other releases seem much more manufactured. It's my full intention to never release an uninspired song, much less album. There's a definite discipline to writing, and studying how other artist put arrangements together. It's also a great way to learn how to construct your own material. But at the end of the day, they have to be memorable, and they have to kick ass!

Who would you consider the best guitarist's of current?

- The best guitarist's these days are probably guys like Michael Angelo and Joe Stump. Amazing technique, power, and tone… everything major labels AREN'T looking for!

What brand of guitar do you play onstage as well as record with?

- Onstage and in the studio, I play Gibson Flying V's. My main guitar is a 1984 solid thru and doesn't have the faceplate most V's have so it has a thicker, sweeter tone than the others. The pickups are stock Dirtyfingers. My back up is a 1975 with a DiMarzio pickup in the bridge position.

Amps?

- I use a custom built "Jerid" amp. It's a one of a kind 100 watt head made in Cincinnati at Jerid Electronics. All solid state, it pushes 2 4X12" Cab's with Pyle speakers. I've been told that people who want to have children should never stand on my side of the stage. My rig can blow the nuts off a charging rhino at forty paces!

What do you feel sets your play'in apart from other Metal Guitarist?

- Probably the fact that playing guitar on a virtuoso level, is anything but second nature for me. It took a lot of years and persistence to reach the level I'm at today. That's why when I get compliments from guys like Steve Vai, and Michael Angelo, it means that much more. Not only that, it also makes me practice harder!

What is the most outrageous thing that ever happened to you on stage during a performance or rehersel?

- I still remember my first time onstage, getting flashed by a really cute blonde girl. Here's a statement I'm really comfortable standing by- "It never gets old!" God bless the girls gone wild!!

Your musical influences and why?

-Every great guitarist and band I've ever heard has had some kind of influence on me. When I hear something that's a cut above the rest, I soak it in and allow it to inspire and drive me to create things I never would have done before. A great example would be Jimi Hendrix. I definitely would be a different guitarist if I had never heard him play.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

- You mean besides broke and homeless?? Just kidding, I hope! Actually, I'm very focused on my solo albums at the moment and I hope to realize a strong and expanding catalog for fans to enjoy.

Who would you like to tour with and why?

- I would love to do a G3 style tour with players like Malmsteen, Angelo, Stump, Harris, and Chastain. Talk about a shred fest! It also wouldn't suck doing a major U.S. tour with a legendary band like Kiss, Sabbath, or Van Halen. SIGN ME UP!

Parting Shot

- Like the major label A&R Rep. once told me, "Don't confuse change for progress". They are two totally different things, especially in the music industry. For every musician out there reading this, let's hope the fans and the industry start to appreciate progress again!