The Latest On Alex Marquez

An update on Alex Marquez that was intended to be in SDM Issue #6, but didn’t work out that way… Enjoy!

Interview By: Noel Smart

 

SDM: Where have you been all these years?

Alex: Recovering!  I had health issues and personal demons to conquer.  I feel great now, and am excited to be back.

SDM: What was the last release you played on before you had a change in life or, if you want to call it that, a reawakening?

Alex: Divine Empires – Doomed to Inherit.  After that, I had a lot of projects going that I couldn’t complete, or wouldn’t complete depends on who you talk to [laughing], but officially, the Divine Empires CD.

SDM:.With all the releases you played on, which is your favorite that showcases your true abilities as a drummer?

Alex: I would probably say Demolition Hammer’s "Time Bomb", although some people say it’s Resurrection’s "Embalmed Existence".

SDM: Why did you leave Malevolent Creation after "Stillborn", which was under a lot of controversy because many reviewers said the drums sounded like typewriters?

Alex: I never actually quit or got kicked out, we just kinda never played again.  Phil and I are good friends to this day, so we never had any problems.  As far as "Stillborn", well, they went to record that with another drummer, and I guess it wasn’t working, so Phil contacted me.  At the time I wasn’t even really playing drums; I was playing semi–pro football, but when he contacted me, I jumped at the chance.  The drums do sound like shit on that; actually, that whole CD sounds like shit, but I think it had more to do with the choice of producers rather than the performance of the individuals.  However, I am thankful for Phil contacting me again at that point cause that led to me hooking up with Demolition Hammer.

SDM: How did you manage to get involved with Resurrection?  Did you hear the new Resurrection ("Mistaken for Dead"), and what do you think of it?

Alex: I was and still am friends with John Astl’s brother Kevin who is the drummer in Adrift.  At that time, he came to Miami to hang out, and then invited us to hang with him and his band Epitaph in Tampa.  I met the Rez guys and shortly after that Scott Burns contacted me, saying they were having problems with their drummer, and asked if I wanted to do the record — of course I said yes, since John was a friend of mine, not to mention they were killer, so it was an easy choice.  I’ve only heard one song, actually; saw the video and loved it.  Gotta say, it was an awesome choice hiring Gus Rios to do the CD.  He is an awesome drummer, great producer, and a real good friend.  Gus is killer!

SDM: How is your relationship with the Divine Empire camp?

Alex: I have none.  Don’t know any of the new guys.  JP is a good friend, but he is gone, so whatever.  That’s all I’m gonna say about that.

SDM: Was the Divine Empire release "Doomed to Inherit" a good performance for you, or do you consider it mediocre?  I heard that a lot of editing had to be done with the drums before it was released.  I also know that there was a DVD that was released of the making of "Doomed to Inherit"; how did that go?

Alex: It was okay I guess.  I was all fucked up at that point; you know the old cliché: drugs, alcohol, et cetera, but I wasn’t the only one in that band with those problems!  I’m just the only one who will admit to them.  Who cares?  That’s ancient history.  No, man, the playing on that is all me.  Didn’t know about the DVD.

SDM: What ever did happen with your hardcore band Anger?

Alex: Man, we got old!  Nah, there was just too much partying and not enough practicing going on.  We did a couple of reunion shows a few years back in Miami, and those went real well.  I think I’m trying to bring back the Anger spirit in La Venganza, although it’ll never be the same without Gene, Kelly, and Dennis Muñoz.

SDM: How did you feel when you took over the drumming position of the late Vincent "Vinny Daze" Civitano from Demolition Hammer?  Did you make the drums from scratch, or did you have something to work with?  How long did you have to record the drum tracks for "Time Bomb"?

Alex: Well, he was gone before I was ever asked to do the CD, so replace him — I never did; and how do you replace Vinny Daze, not only as a drummer, but as a person?  You just don’t!  The few times that I got to talk to him, he was a very cool guy, and he is definitely missed in the metal world.  RIP Vinny.  You’re gone, but never forgotten!  As far as the CD, they would send me roughs of the songs with a drum machine, and that’s how I learned the tunes.  Then I went up to New York to rehearse, and added my style to it, and we got Time Bomb.  We did the drums in about five to six hours, I think.  We had more time, but we were well rehearsed for that recording, and working with Steve Reynolds and Derrick Sykes was a breeze.

SDM: With Resurrection, how did you create such great intricate time signatures on the band’s well-received album, "Embalmed Existence"?

Alex: Well, when you have great songs, it’s not that hard.  Again, we were well rehearsed for that as well, and John, Charlie, and the boys were super easy to work with.  Gotta add that Paul Degoyler is a blast, man; that dude is a riot!  I had a lot of fun doing that CD.  I think fun environments help with creativity.  You’re just so relaxed, you can get into the groove.

SDM: What’s it like now to even know that you’re influencing young drummers out there in the death metal scene, and having an effect on their playing, which can be heard on their albums like Adam Jarvis on Misery Index’s "Traitors"?

Alex: Man, very flattering.  Some of those guys can kick my ass behind the kit!  The speed at which some of these dudes play is unreal!  He was never influenced by me, but I gotta say that Derek Roddy never ceases to amaze me.  He is the best of the bunch right now, dude.  Adam’s fucking sick, too.  I’m just very, very, flattered.

SDM: With all the recording you have done, have you used triggers for any of it?

Alex: Only on the kick drums, and actually, what we do is sample the actual bass drum and use that.  We sampled the snare on the Retribution CD.  Solstice was all natural except sampling the kicks.

SDM: Tell us about your playing in Hell-witch?

Alex: Pat rules, dude.  Probably one of the most laidback dudes I’ve ever met.  Lost touch with him a while back, so Pat, if you read this, where the hell are ya?  Never recorded with them, and really wish I had.  Maybe we will cover Nosferatu, Satan’s Wrath, or Torture Chamber with Sargon.  Gotta run it by the lads, but all three songs are classic and rule!

SDM: On the Disincarnate demo "Soul Erosion", how come you only played on the demo, and not the actual full length "Dreams of the Carrion Kind"?  How much of the Disincarnate material on drums did you write compared to Tommy Viator?

Alex: Well, James wanted to have a full band for the CD, and I was busy doing Solstice, I think, at the time, and he had to get the album done.  That is one I really regret not doing.  I love James, and would’ve loved to do that CD.  Ironically, he played a big chunk of the solos on the Solstice CD.  Go figure.  Best lead player at the time for sure, and a hell of a guy!

SDM: How do you feel about all your old band releases being re-released by record companies like Metal Mind Productions and Displeased Records?

Alex: Wow, news to me.  Didn’t know.  Gonna have to check that out.  Man, I’m lost, ain’t I?

SDM: Do you receive any royalties from any of your old releases?

Alex: None!  I did it for the love of this music, but damn, everybody else is making money but me.

SDM: Are you the type of drummer that checks out all of your replacements and sees how they play your material?  Are there some you’re happy with, and some you’re disappointed with?  If so, who?

Alex: Yes, of course I do.  Can’t help myself!  Nah, they are all awesome.  My favorite is Dave Culross, though.  He is Malevolent’s best drummer by a long shot.  Resurrection with Gus Rios is also awesome, and he played the Malevolent stuff well, also.  Waiting to hear my bro Brian Harris on the new Solstice, but no worries, the man is killer.

SDM: How much time did you have to write the first and second Solstice albums?  Will you ever do that project again?

Alex: A few years on the first, and about a year or maybe less on the second.  Don’t know.  They have another drummer now, and he is awesome, and a good friend, so who knows, but they are just fine right now.

SDM: You play drums and do vocals in your power metal band Apocalypse Rising.  What can you tell us about that?

Alex: Well, it was a project I was doing with a friend, and I became the singer by default, because truthfully, I was sounding better than the guys we auditioned, so Wil Medina, the guitar player, said, "Dude, fuck it, you sing".  We are re-recording that stuff right now, and I think the material is pretty good, so we will see what happens.

SDM: What was your involvement with The Mortuary Society’s "The Second Coming" 1992 demo and Wreckage’s "Depth of Misery" 1992 demo?

Alex: Again, hired gun just for the demo.  Fun times with Tracy and them.  Wreckage, I was in the band for years.  More of a Bay-area thrash type band.

SDM: How did you come up so many incredible parts for Malevolent Creation’s "Retribution" (such as "Coronation of our Domain")?

Alex: Again, well-rehearsed.  I think we practiced about six times a week for that, so we were on fire, as Phil puts it.  On the Coronation intro, Phil was 110% influenced by Scott Travis (the end of "Leather Rebels").

SDM: What type of influences were you listening to in the early 90s when recording at Morrisound Studios with the legendary Scott Burns?

Alex: Gene Hoglan, Pete Sandoval, Sean Reinert (quite a bit, as we had a warehouse around the corner from Cynic), Dave Lombardo, and did I mention Gene Hoglan?  Oh yeah, I forgot: Gene Hoglan!

SDM: Did you play on the Malevolent Creation split compilation "Live Death" with Suffocation, Cancer, and Exhorder?  If so, could you tell us about that experience?

Alex: That was at the Milwaukee Metalfest, I believe.  The best part was being introduced by King Diamond.  Sick!

SDM: Did you ever win the Slammie award for the best Florida death metal drummer?

Alex: No, I did not, although one year, Nicko McBrain thought I should’ve won.  I mean, Sean Reinert didn’t win one, either, so that ought to tell you a lot about that.  It was a popularity contest.

SDM: How do you approach playing these days?  Do you still listen to death metal?  What do you think of these new death metal bands out there playing brutal death metal with gravity blasts and so on?

Alex: Well, I approach playing just about the same, just that I have to push myself harder nowadays.  Reinert wrote to me the other day and said, "man, I feel like an old man in a young man’s game", and he couldn’t have been more on the mark.  It’s like an old football player trying to keep up with the rookies: it’s hard work!  The gravity blast is something truly inhuman, although not for me.  I think the only criticism toward younger drummers is the lack of feel and groove in their playing, but as far as speed — light years ahead of us old folks!

SDM: In your opinion, who is the most influential drummer to you for playing blast beats?  Who had a dramatic impact on your early playing?

Alex: Without a doubt, Pete Sandoval with the blast beats!  One name: Terrorizer!  As far as my early playing, my biggest influence was Tommy Aldridge, without question.

SDM: What do you listen to now for inspiration?  Do you ever go back to the old albums and play to them just to see if you can still do it?

Alex: Yeah, actually that’s how I got my stamina back: playing to Retribution, the first Solstice, and Leave Scars by Dark Angel.  I went back to my roots for inspiration, so right now,, here is what I’m listening to the most for drum inspiration: Dark Angel – Leave Scars, Morbid Angel – Altars of Madness, M.A.R.S. – Project: Driver (featuring Tommy Aldridge)