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Jack Frost is the consummate metal guitarist. In a career that has spanned over a decade Jack has played on some incredible metal records with some of the most prolific metal bands and performers.  Now he has come back armed with his most diverse record to date, Amped.  Signed to Candlelight in America now, he has unleashed a record that is as diverse as the guys assembled to make it.  I had a chance to talk to Jack Frost about the record and the hiring of metal legend Alan Tecchio to replace the departed James Rivera.  I hope you enjoy the conversation before you.

Jeffrey Easton interviewing Jack Frost

 Jeff: For the new CD, you have a new singer.  What happened?

Jack:  It was not on purpose, James and I made two great records together and people change.  No hard feelings, James was offered the gig in Vicious Rumors and I am not the type a guy that says you do not have to stay in my band. If you are not happy with what we are doing or the direction, I am not going to make you stay.  People ask me how was I going to top James, well I got Alan Tecchio, that is how I topped it.  The guy is another legend with him being in Hades, Watchtower, Non-Fiction and I felt he would be a perfect it.

Jeff:  How did you get Alan in the band?

Jack: He came really cheap. (laughter) I was into his earlier bands and I love his voice.  I asked if he was interested and I told him that he would he a full member and I offered him what I could and he agreed.  It was a Godsend in the end as he has brought more to the table than any other vocalist has.

Jeff: What does he do differently vocally than James did?

Jack:  I think Alan is more black and white where as James has more color. Alan can sound like Disturbed if he has to and he can sound like Halford without even trying.  He is the best chameleon singer I have ever worked with. There were no times that we said we cannot go there because of the limits on the vocalist.  As far as the lyrics are concerned, these are the most meaningful lyrics I have heard, it is like having Neal Pert in the band.  After making five records of fist in the air metal, it was getting clichéd.

Jeff:   What did it take to make Amped?

Jack:   It was pretty easy, I sent Alan songs, he loved them and he would finish them.  This was the first time I have ever let a singer run with the ball.  I did not tell him how to sing, tell him what lyrics I wanted, I just let him do what he wanted because I believed in him.  I think hat was the big difference because it was a family thing. On the last few records, James ad I would do the words but with this I did not write a single thing, that is how much I trusted him.

Jeff:  You have controlled Seven Witches for so long, what made you decide to hand your baby over to Alan?

Jack:  It was trust, as simple as that.  I have always controlled the band but I never said that a singer could not do what they what wanted to. In the press it seems like I am a cock, I am the Jeff Waters of this band.  I am just focused on what I do and I think that people lose site of that, I just want to have the band be the best it can be. 

Jeff: The people who say that are the people who do not know.

Jack: On the front cover, people are going to say he cannot keep a singer or a drummer; he must be a dick to work with.

Jeff:  I saw that on a message board.

Jack:  Of course you did, that is what they are going to say. I would think the same thing but it s not like that.  When you join my band, you make what I make but the scene is not that big, the money is not there but we do make a living doing this. 

Jeff:  You put on your website one time about people who post on message boards about you being dick, what do you think about that?

Jack:  If they need to do that, then God Bless them.  I you need to criticize me, then do what you need to do.  Why don’t people find something else to do and leave me alone, you never hear me criticizing anybody.

Jeff:  So where did the material come from on this CD, where was Alan’s head at?

Jack:  He is just so intelligent and he just writes such meaningful material.  He teaches motorcycles, he reads a lot, knows all world events, I think he should be a politician.  He just wants to write substance, his head is really everywhere.  Dishonor Killings, he explained that it was about Muslims killing their wives and mothers. I your wife cheats on you, you are allowed to kill her.  With GP Fix, he is Mr. Race guy and it is about the Italians racing, he names off the racers.

Jeff:  With Seven Witches being a revolving door from the first album to now, what has the cohesive factor been so far?

Jack:  I would have to say it would be the fans. I never turn my back even though we have had a few record deals.  You know that Regain in Europe hated the new record?

Jeff:  Why is that?

Jack:  They asked what it was, that we sound like Disturbed and Sevendust.  They told us to go back and redo the vocals and remix and I said no.  They could not believe how I stuck to my guns and how much I believed in Alan. Alan said that nobody before had showed so much faith in him.  He funny thing is that Regain came back to me and said that the first pressing had already sold out and that we had another record with them. This record does have a more modern vibe to it, a little more of a nastier sound to it.

Jeff:  I noticed that the production sound from the last CD to this one was a lot different.

Jack:  That one was a lot more slick while is one was nastier.  I am not turning my back on metal but there are enough records out there that sound like that.

Jeff:  As far as your deals are concerned, what happened with your deal with Noise?

Jack:  We had three records with them and they offered to resign us. We have a few friends with the label and they told us to stay away, we are going to go bankrupt.

Jeff:  They are owned by Sanctuary who is having some problems.

Jack:  Noise was great when I was just Noise by themselves.  As soon as Sanctuary took over they had more money behind them but look at where they are now.  

Jeff:  I do have a lot of great stuff from Noise though.

Jack:  They have amazing stuff including the Watchtower reissues. The Year Of The Witch was a great record and a day before the record came out three of the people working the record quit.  So there is our record just sitting there.

Jeff:  And the people backing it are gone.

Jack:  I just stick to my guns and I got lucky. I could have lost everything but look it paid off for me.  Paula Hogan has been nothing but great to me so we will see what happens.  I think this record will do better in America than it will do in Europe.

Jeff:  Why is that?  I do know that people in America have slightly different tastes than they do in Europe.

Jack:  I kind of think that this record has a bit more of USA vibe to it and even the cover is more modern.

Jeff:  I am sure you can turn the Disturbed fans on to this but do you think they will be turned off by the name of the band?

Jack:  We did talk about that and thought “well, should we change the name of the band to Amped?”  The answer is no, we are going to show them what kind of band we are.  We have not changed our direction that much so hopefully the people who have never noticed us will take notice to us.  When I write a record, I write for me and it shows in the music and I am not being jerk about it. When a record company tells me that this record has to sound like this I just say you have the wrong guy.  I have 16 records under my belt and I have seen he world a million times, I think I know what I am doing by now.

Jeff:  At the end of the day or at the end of your career, if you just wrote to satisfy other people then I would think you would feel like an empty artist.

Jack:  If it all ended today, I think I have made a nick on the world.  Like me or dislike me, I think will be remembered a little bit, I just wanted to make a little buzz happen.

Jeff:  Do you think you have?

Jack:  I think I have left my mark on the metal scene.

Jeff: What did you think of your short time in Savatage?

Jack:  It was the most amazing time of my life.  No hard feelings, it was not the guys in the band.  Somewhere down the road if they do a farewell tour they will call me, as we are still the best of friends.

Jeff: Do you wish you could have recorded a record with them?

Jack:  Of course I do, there are a lot of Witches songs that would have been perfect for Savatage.  Oliva did sing on Widows And Orphans on the new Witches record so I am stoked that he sang for me.

Jeff: You put out a solo record a few years ago that was very diverse affair.

Jack:  Have you heard the new one?

Jeff:  No but I have to hear it.  The first one was a lot like the 80’s stuff, where was your head at for this one considering your Witches material. 

Jack:  I am still a poseur deep down inside.  On my new record Ted from Danger Danger sings on it, Terry from XYZ sings on it, I even have me country songs on there.  I love Keith Urban I admit it.  When I get out of metal I would like to play for someone like Toby Keith.

Jeff:  Could you get out of metal?

Jack:  Nah, it is too much in my blood.

Jeff:  How long have you been playing?

Jack:  A long time, I did a lot of ghost playing when I first came out to L.A.  I played on a lot of records in the‘80s that nobody knows about.

Jeff: Like whom?

Jack:  I cannot say anything about that but I was a really good session guy.

Jeff: You have your solo cd, Witches CD and a Bronx Casket Company, how do you find the time for it. 

Jack:  I just get into it and lock myself in.

Jeff:  How do you do it when you have certain other bands that take for or five years to put something out?

Jack:  I am tired of hearing about these bands that act like they have to take 50 years to write a song.  Just write the song, when you start thinking about it too much it doesn’t work.

Jeff:  In closing, what do you have to say to your fans?

Jack:  Thanks for letting me live my dream and sticking behind me.  I will always give them the best record and line up but remember that I cannot make everybody happy.

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