Brad Fickeisen

Keep up with Brad here:

https://www.facebook.com/thehellinterface

I was about 8 years old when I first heard the term “metal.” Back then it was through bands like Skid Row and Megadeth. I wasn’t the biggest fan of either band but came across other bands in the search for more “raw” material. I think the first tape I ever purchased from the cash out of my own pocket was Napalm Death’s S.C.U.M. From there I found some other lesser-known bands like Mortification, Tourniquet, and Believer, to name a few. I’m sure it was the band’s logos or something that turned me onto it because I certainly didn’t understand what the hell was going on at that age. I had cancer when I was 9 and went through 6 months of chemotherapy. When I finished, I started out by stacking cardboard boxes in my room with tin cans and pots and pans as cymbals. I must have played on that setup for half a year before my parents finally broke down and decided to buy a drumkit for me.

My first kit was a Remo classic 3 piece, hahaha. It had probably an 18″ kick, and a 13″ rack tom, and snare. Single kick pedal, total shit hi-hats, and a crash/ride. My family moved around the U.S. a lot when I was growing up so more than a few neighbors had the awesome experience of hearing my 11-year-old blast beats. And by 11 years old, I mean my age. I sucked. After a few months of living in Bethel Park, PA, my neighbor Mike Petrossi came over and offered to give me drum lessons. I started out with him for a few months and he came to the conclusion that I was a little more talented than he was ready to handle. After this, my folks purchased a larger 5 piece Pearl Export series kit. I continued on this kit playing to bands like Carcass, Death, Napalm Death, and many others for years.

I think my biggest influences are Gene Hoglan and Tomas Haake. Death and Meshuggah have been in my top 5 bands since I was probably 14 or 15. I never accomplished getting a band together (or one that remotely did anything) until I was about 17. Through numerous bands I played with until I was 22, I also played as many of the guitar-center drum off’s as I could. Even though the judging (in my opinion) was a little unfair/unprofessional, it was a great way to get noticed. Finally, in September 2004 (I think) a few friends of mine emailed me saying that The Red Chord was in search of a new drummer. I went and tried out, and continued coming back until they decided to ask me to join. From there I recorded Clients, on Metalblade Records, in 2005, and have had an extremely extensive touring career since.

Brad Fickeisen Interview:

SDM.com: What do you like and dislike most about touring??

Brad: Well, the likes are of course getting to see the world and meeting new people. Dislikes would fall in the living on the road category. It’s not the easiest thing being in a death/grind band and having to live with 5 other dudes in one van. But I can’t complain it’s been amazing thus far.

SDM.com: What was it like touring with Gwar? Any particular stories come to mind?

Brad: The GWAR tour was probably my favorite tour so far. We met them on Sounds of the Underground 2005 and that was awesome. They hand-picked us to come out with them as well as another kick ass band Municipal Waste, which have been good friends of ours since the Converge tour we did together in 2005. The GWAR tour was such a long tour that I can’t even remember everything, but I will say that the most memorable thing to happen was the last night of the tour. All of us (The Red Chord, Municipal Waste, merch guys, and crew) stripped down and rushed the stage when GWAR was playing the last song of their encore. Being sprayed by blood and other tasty bodily fluids was one experience I will never forget.

SDM.com: How old were you when you started playing?

Brad: I think I was about 8 or 9 years old. That’s also if you count playing on cardboard boxes and tin cans as “playing”.

SDM.com: Did you play in a school band or any drum corps?

Brad: I was in school band from 5th grade on. I also played in the jazz ensemble in high school, as well as all 4 years of drum corps.

SDM.com: Ever take any lessons?

Brad: I took lessons from 2 different people in my entire life. Mike Petrossi, when I was around 13, maybe 14 for a few months. And a dude when I was just starting out in 4th or 5th grade, but it was only a week or two and then I bailed.

SDM.com: Who are your top 5 influences?

Brad: Top 5: In no particular order – Tomas Haake, Gene Hoglan, Marco Minnemann, Morgan Agren and Jon Bonham…

SDM.com: Assuming that influences doesn’t mean favorites, who are your favorites?

Brad: Hah, I think my top 5 influences are my 5 favorites as well. I could throw Akira Jimbo in there.

SDM.com: Let us know 5 CD’s that are in your current rotation

Brad: Decapitated: Organic Hallucinosis, Fredrik Thordendal: Special Defects 3.33, Meshuggah: Catch 33, Aphex Twin: Drukqs, Deathspell Omega: Crushing the Holy Trinity.

SDM.com: Do you practice any specific rudiments or combos regularly?

Brad: I switch up my routine a lot, but a few rudiments that I keep consistent are flam-a-diddles, para-diddles, and accenting different parts/hits in a fast, single stroke roll.

SDM.com: What is your favorite part of your drum kit?

Brad: This is a constant change for me, but right now it’s my snare. Its nothing special, just a 5.5″ x 14″ Pearl maple, but getting new sounds out of it and working with it is always interesting.

SDM.com: Do you have any pre-show rituals?

Brad: Honestly, stretching, and maybe a beer or 2 loosen me up pretty well. This past tour (GWAR) was the longest set I’ve had to play in my career with The Red Chord. Something like 57 shows in a row, and 45 minutes of playing a night was really intense at first, but yeah – stretching and playing rudiments or whatever warm-ups on whatever I can before we go on stage.

SDM.com: If you could give one piece of advice to young drummers, it would be…

Brad: Drumming takes serious practice unless you have some great talent out of nowhere. Its the hardest thing I’ve worked at in my entire life. Don’t give up just because you’re struggling or because you’re not in a band or something. Play to CDs. Playing to CDs helped me more than anything.

SDM.com: Who gave the best live performance you’ve ever seen?

Brad: Definitely Meshuggah. I think it was 98? They came to the states supporting Sick of It All, and Slayer. To be honest, I only showed up for Meshuggah. I quick story that will live with me forever: I was supposed to play one song live with them. I chose Humiliative off of the None EP, and they (Fredrik Thordendal) asked me how they were supposed to know if I could play their material or not. My father paid for me to have the drum tracks on 3 of Meshuggah’s albums lowered and mine put in. I sent it to them and they asked which song. Unfortunately, Sick of It All played a longer set and it cut into Meshuggah’s stage time, so I backed out.

SDM.com: If you had to stop drumming, what else would you want to do with your life?

Brad: Hopefully that won’t happen until I’m too old to do anything else.