Talking with . . . Skitzo
Interviewed 10/12/2005 by Brett VanPut
Interview with vocalist and guitarist Lance Ozanix
California thrashers Skitzo have always been one of my favorite bands. It's hard to believe that frontman Lance Ozanix put together the band nearly twenty five years ago but he's kept releasing new Skitzo c.d.'s year after year and they're all excellent metal and frequently feature metal legends as guests on each album. I never understood why they weren't huge. Skitzo has always had a dedicated cult following but never broke through to the mainstream. It's testament to Lance's integrity and hard work that he continues to put out killer metal with each album. He is preparing to release Skitzo's latest, Heavy Shit- their best work since 2000's Got Sick. It's always a great pleasure and honor to have this metal legend on our pages so without further ado... here's Lance.
Tell me about Heavy Shit.
It was great to record with the true metal stars we had; Jeff Becerra from Possessed, John Marshall from Metal Church, Sickie Wifebeater from the Mentors, Phil Demmel from Violence and Machine Head. It was unreal. We really kept the old school feel to the whole recording.
I see you're looking for a new record label, what are you looking for from prospective labels?
Good pressing and distribution, and some tour support.
Tell me about the guest appearances on Heavy Shit, how do you get so many cool people to guest on your discs?
All of them were friends and even old passes bandmates like John Crowhurst. He's infamous for the psycho punk cult group Abnormal Growth and Geetar Bob on the Blind Ill cover. Bret Fontain did first lead on "Gag Like A Maggot," among the other great guys I mentioned earlier.
I constantly see people who are surprised to find out that Skitzo has been around for so long- why have you not become a bigger name in the metal scene?
I think we are a limited type of band. We really limit ourselves to a one kind of crowd; a real metal crowd and they are small but loud. In my life I have gotten ten thousand fan mail letters, in the eighties- but those days are gone. Kids are much faster with new groups- here today, gone tomorrow. Flash in a pan and we ain't like that. We live out our dying fans. Our fans may get old, marry, have kids. Now we are started to see at our concerts third generations already- and I'm not even forty yet.
Do you think the more mainstream, safe metal labels are afraid to have a non trendy, no holds barred metal band like Skitzo?
I guess, I'm not sure. It's not like I never get a contract in the mail or by fax. I get a lot of offers, but I don't like the offers I get. They make the contract as to where I owe them money at the end of the day, that's not gonna happen.
You've been a guest on many talk shows, what is this experience like? Are people afraid or apalled by you?
Stern, Springer, Ripley's. What a wild ride that was. It was a job. But I had fun and t.v. had more money to burn than any industry I ever knew.
Skitzo has always stuck to their roots musically, do you still listen to bands like Motorhead and Venom after all these years?
Yes, I just got through listening to Kreator, Motorhead, Mercyful Fate, D.R.I.- and I heard them on my turntable.
Tell me about the other two members of Skitzo.
Nasty Nate from P.C.P. Great metal God from Napa, California and Noah Smith. He grew up in the same town as me. He was an old fan, then after he and his bandmates of Burner split, I asked him if he knew some material. He knew the whole c.d. of Synusar Sukus and it was on.
When will you make Heavy Shit available for the public or will you wait to sign with a new label?
People can hear it or download it here: www.magnatune.com/artists/skitzo
Final comments?
Check out www.myspace.com/skitzo667. Thanks for being the true metal mag in the world. And I mean it. You have never steered us wrong nor your fans and we appreciate your talent and metallic knowledge you give to the fans. Keep up the excellent work. Your pal in molting metal- Lance Ozanix. Fan email pukezone@hotmail.com and Skitzo phone hotline: 707-433-NUTS.
Discography:
2005... Heavy Shit
2002... Hellavator Musick (Mourning Star)
2000... Got Sick (Mourning Star)
1996... Psychobabble (Mourning Star)
1994... Synusarsukus (Mourning Star)
1992... Evilution
Current line-up:
Lance Ozanix... vocals and guitars
Nate Clark... bass
Drumming Dave... drums
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