Gravehuffer hails from Joplin, MO.
(Presently, I'm sitting about four hours east in St. Louis, MO as you surely know by now.)
So, lately on podcasts and what not, I've been saying I'm the guy who brings you the sophomore antics of some death metal guitarists that you didn't know you needed...and here right HERE is why!
But before you get into the tales of brutal awkward years... Gravehuffer has an LP coming out in January on Black Doomba Records. Check it out on BANDCAMP. I think I need to order a copy just out of Show Me State solidarity.
Check it out and get in on it and now, let's get to it.
1. There is nothing more awkward than sophomore year of high school. Tell me about your circle of friends.
My sophomore year would've been 1991-92 so I was really getting into death metal at the time. My circle of friends really changed a lot when I started playing guitar (which was about 2 years prior to this).
I started seeking out the musicians that were at school, and there were a pretty decent amount of them. Along with that came people that were somewhat looked down upon for how they dressed, looked, or what they listened to.
That attracted me right away, as I didn't really 'fit in' with the other peers groups that much. It was a turning point in my life for sure and I remember it very well. I'd meet someone in a class or at lunch, would see them in a certain bands shirt that I liked, or see them reading a guitar or metal magazine.
That was how you knew that 'maybe this person is cool.
Most of the time they were! Music was the instant bond, then it would go into other areas of personality, family life, or what instrument you played. Sometimes it would lead to jam sessions at each others house, and that was always cool!
2. By this time in my life, I'd given up on all extracurriculars in my school. Tell me about how you spent your afternoons.
This was when I started working a job so that was mainly what I did then, apart from studying for school. I did take my studies very seriously, and was brought up that education was important. That didn't stop me from always having music on.
One minute it would be an old favorite like Judas Priest, then the next, it was something that I read about in a guitar magazine, like Morbid Angel. As soon as I had any free time, I would play guitar.
I started taking lessons at a music store called Massey Music. The teacher there was named Johnny Rose. He was and still is an incredible musician! He could play guitar, bass, keyboard, just about anything you could throw at him.
The main thing I picked up from lessons was technique, and how to play by ear. I still use both to this day. That's not to say I didn't hang out with friends doing teenager boy things, like skateboard, bikes, play Nintendo, and go fishing.
Now that I think about it, how did I even sleep?! I've always been a busy body, that's for sure.
3. During this time is when I finally discovered Pink Floyd. I had a copy of The Wall on cassette. It was a grey one. That album was my escape. Let's hear about your favorite album from back then.
What format was it on?
Wow. Let me think a minute here. It was probably something om CD, as that format had just started to become affordable.
It was probably something like Morbid Angel's 'Blessed Are The Sick'. I do remember thinking how I had never heard anything quite like it at the time, and was very intrigued. It was so extreme sounding, but at the same time it really took you on this warped journey that I had never really been on before.
Death Metal was so new then, and at first I wasn't sure what I thought about it, but I listened with an open mind and it clicked with me pretty quickly after that.
I dove head first into other death metal bands of the time and even some grind and industrial stuff, like Carcass, Napalm Death, and Godflesh.
4. What was the name of your high school and did you have a favorite class?
My school was and still is called Joplin High School. It's the only high school in Joplin. We're a town of just over fifty thousand, so that's all we need.
As far as my favorite class the whole time I went there, it was probably Electronics class. It was a 3 hour class at the start of the morning during my junior year.
I learned so much cool stuff in that class, met loads of awesome friends, and our teacher was a drummer.
He would let us listen to music during lab, so there would be lots of thrash, death, classic metal in there for sure! It seemed that a lot of the kids in that class were metal heads or punks. It was great.
5. How did your school's football team do that season?
I honestly don't remember haha. I had a few friends that played but really didn't go to many games. We weren't that good if I remember right.
Now we're actually one of the best teams in our conference!
Sports was always a love/hate thing for me. I liked playing a bit and was not bad, but I wasn't into watching it much at the time. I did get into pro football in my late teens and still watch the Raiders, but that's it really.
6. What instrument were you playing at that time?
I was playing guitar, and all the time. I was working a decent paying job at the time and worked more hours than most of my friends. That meant I had a fair amount of disposable income.
I was always going to music stores in the area and trading guitars, amps, pedals, etc. hoping I could improve on what I previously had. I was and still am a tone chaser. I dabbled with keyboards but never enough to play very well.
I've had a few over the years and mainly just use them for texture or simple melodies. As far as guitars, I've had Harmonys, Kramers, Jacksons, Gibsons, Fenders, and now I have an endorsement with Solar Guitars. Amps have ranged from Peavys, Marshalls, Mesa/Boogies, and now I have an endorsement with Custom Audio Mutation amps.
Well this was a fun interview and thank you for having me! All the best, Ritchie.
Thanks again for the fun interview :)
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