Getting a flat out great metal record these days is hard to come by if you just want a solid piece of rock.  The debut from The Cursed solves that notion in spades as they unleash Room Full Of Sinners to an unsuspecting public.  Dan Lorenzo, the talented  guitarist/songwriter, took the time to fill Metal Exiles in on what made this collaboration possible. 

Jeffrey Easton interviewing Dan Lorenzo  

Jeffrey: The Cursed record is really good, a true departure from what I have normally heard from you and Blitz. 

Dan:  I think it sounds a lot like my three solo CDs and the Non-Fiction stuff. 

Jeffrey:  The only thing is that  is that the technical element of Non-Fiction is missing.  To me it sounds like you recorded an old school sounding KISS record. 

Dan: I do not hear that but KISS was such a huge influence on me.  People compare the record to KISS all the time but to me it is so much heavier. 

Jeffrey:  If the first three KISS albums had better production values they would sound a lot heavier.  This debut Cursed album just has that vibe to me. 

Dan:  I love the first seven  KISS albums, they were the first band I was into. 

Jeffrey:  How did The Cursed come together? 

Dan:  Blitz and I have known each other since the 80’s when Hades did some shows with Overkill.  In the early 90’s Non-Fiction opened for Overkill at L’Amour’s and D.D. said he was a big fan so we went out with Overkill for their American and European tour in 1993.   We all stayed in touch so when I sent my first solo CD to Blitz he loved it and wanted to sing on the second one.   I ended up sending some new riffs to Blitz so he wrote to some of them and said that we should do a project with them.   

Jeffrey:  There is not much out like the debut Cursed record so tell me what was the approach to writing this record?   

Dan:  I do not have an approach to writing, I just write.  There are many different styles on my solo CDs so I just do it.  I gave Blitz several song ideas and told him to pick what he liked so I saw what he was going for.  After some more writing and rehearsals I saw what style we was after so it was pointless to write different material and also make the band sound like a cross between Overkill and Hades.   It does not come naturally anymore to write like I did in Hades and Non-Fiction anyway.   

Jeffrey:  Why does it not feel natural anymore? 

Dan:  The technical alternate picking and thrash  never came natural to me but the Non-Fiction came natural to me.  There are very few technical players out there that can also write a great riff or a great song for that matter.    

Jeffrey: I like the tone on this record, what did you play and play through? 

Dan:  You might not believe me but I spent zero minutes getting my guitar tone.  I always play with a Les Paul and I plug into the closest amp in the studio.  I think it was a combination of a Marshall and a Mesa Boogie.   

Jeffrey:  Everybody has a rig now, so why not you? 

Dan:  I do not own any equipment besides two Les Paul’s, an Epiphone, a digital 8 track  and a pig nose amp to practice with in my loft.  I got rid of my Marshall Cabinets when I gave up trying to be a rock star.  I feel that my guitar is going to sound great no matter what I am plugged into.    

Jeffrey:  Then you have confidence.  

Dan:  Oh yea, I do. 

Jeffrey:  That is rare because most guitar players have 45 things between them and their amp.  When I go to the NAMM show I see so many people trying to dial into a particular sound  and it seems so tedious. 

Dan:  I have never been to a NAMM show because I am not a musician I am a song writer, there is a big difference.  

EI:  What is the difference?  Why do you not consider yourself a musician? 

Dan:  Because I am a mediocre guitar player who instead of practicing scales I just play.  I would be a lot better if I practiced but practicing is boring to me.   

Jeffrey:  Then you come from the KISS school of thought. 

Dan: I guess so because that is my roots, it is what I grew up on.  

Jeffrey:  Gene always said they were not great musicians but we write great songs.   

Dan: That is how I feel about myself.   

Jeffrey:  So the ideas for this record were basic? 

Dan:  I never like to think “lets write a thrash album” .  You can do that but you have to write what comes naturally  because it would just end up sounding forced.   

Jeffrey:  All of the songs on this album sound alike but yet they are different.   There might be a different lick or a different tone to set them slightly apart.  The album is cohesive, you know where it is going.   

Dan:  I agree with what you are saying and that it was we were going for.  All of these songs do sound like they belong together but you do not want to be monotonous and sound boring.   

Jeffrey:  As far as the songs are concerned, do you like Blitz’s ideas for the album?   

Dan:  Yes I do.  I did not know what to expect from him for this album.  My drummer and I have high opinions of ourselves.  We know we are not great musicians but we are king shit when it comes to creating music.  After the first few rehearsals we knew that Blitz was amazing and he wrote great melodies.  Who knew he was as great as us.  

Jeffrey:  Blitz is in a completely different school of thought than he used to be back in the early days of Overkill but I could not have pictured him doing this.   What is next for The Cursed, is there another CD? 

Dan:  I have been telling everybody I would love to do another Cursed CD but that depends on the buying public.  They need to go out and buy it and not download it if they want to see a follow up disc.  

Room Full Of Sinners is a solid ball of rock that will melt your CD player upon inserting it.