- - - - -Interview with Chris South
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Singer with Downside of Truth
The Time : Late May 2005
By Philip Kramer
PK : What do you think of playing the May 29th SOIL show at Star Central?
The Time : Late May 2005
By Philip Kramer
PK : What do you think of playing the May 29th SOIL show at Star Central?
CS : It was a pretty good feeling to be sharing the stage with a band like SOIL.
I've been a fan of their's myself for quite a while now. I'll admit it was a
bit different seeing the new lead singer with them.
The sound was a little different in places, but all in all he pulled his weight which is always
good to see when a change like that is made within an already established
band. And STAIJA, man what a killer band. I've been a fan of their's since
the first time I saw them a couple of years ago. It was quite the satifying
feeling to finally be able to share the stage with such a high
caliber band within the same scene. I don't think those guys could ever
put on a bad show. It's just not possible. Also, I gave SCARRED a bit of a
listen. Not bad for a new band. It's always tough starting out and doing your
first few shows to get yourself established, but I think those guys will
prove themselves in the long run. In a nutshell it was a great show and
everything went pretty smoothly throughout the night. Kudos to all the
bands and I hope to work with them again once I'm in a new project
and ready to dominate once again.
PK : What are some of the bands you enjoyed playing with on the road or in
the Twin Cities?
CS : Dude, that's a tall order right there. The list is pretty long, but I'd have to say a good few are BANEHINGE, R-EVOLUTION, BLACK FLOOD DIESEL, NUISANCE CREW, LIFE OF SIN, VAIN, MINUS 3, B!, LIKWID BLU, THOUGHTCLOUD, EPICUREAN, NECROMIS, AESMA DAEVA, 13th STEP, FACECAGE (Iowa), SHATTERBONE (Iowa), IMPALER, NARCOTIC SELF (Nebraska), and many more.
PK : How did Downside of Truth come together as a band?
CS : Originally, it was Chad Betsinger and Matt James who approached me with the music for "Burn With Me" and "Judgement Day" without any lyrics. I wrote the lyrics, sang the tunes at our first practice, and it was basically all downhill from there. I later gave us the name "Downside of Truth" as that is exactly what alot of the lyrics tell. Our first bassist, Johnny D'Shea, left early in the project and soon after we discovered Bob Jeske. And after about a year, we parted ways with Chad Betsinger and recruited Chris Winter. Things have picked up quite a bit along the way.
PK : What type of music did you listen to before you brought together Downside of Truth?
SC : Mainly stuff like Godsmack, Disturbed, Slipknot, Pantera, Overkill, Metallica (older)
Chimaira, Six Feet Under, Soil, Drowning Pool, American Head Charge, Rob Zombie, etc.
PK : Were you not in some other bands before Downside?
CS : I was in a project called RAGS for a while from my hometown of St. Louis, MO, but that was only about a year. Before that I had been in various lower level bands that never really went anywhere due to lack of ambition.
PK : The song 'Determination' is rather popular with fans, what would you like to say about the earlier songs and the new material?
CS : I'd say we've made a pretty decent progression from the start up to now. Alot of our material is first level stuff for us, but still stands strong with the fans. I especially give credit for "Determination" to our drummer, Matt James, for writing the original lyrics. It's become quite the "anthem" type song to the fans.
PK : What would you like to say about your fellow band members?
CS : All I can say is that these are some hardworking guys and they put everything they've got into every performance. People come to see a show, and that's exactly what we deliver.
PK : Are you looking to play bigger and better shows with new material and performance impact to more so reach out to a wider group of fans?
CS : Right now we're just keeping on and getting what we can and hope to reach as many people as we possibly can. So far alot of our out of town shows have been paying off as our fanbase has grown considerably.
PK : Over the years, there has been a number of musicians and bands that have stirred up a lasting impression on the music arena mix that is rock, metal, punk and so forth. Who are some of the heroes and unsung heroes in your mind?
CS : Truly I think some of the biggest influences have been Pantera, White Zombie, and some older bands like Slayer and Metallica. As far as unsung heros go, I think bands like Overkill, Six Feet Under, WASP, and many others aren't given the press they deserve.
Note : Chris South departed with Downside of Truth in June 2005. His vocal style and approach brought much to D.O.T. and will likely rise up with another project.
CS : Dude, that's a tall order right there. The list is pretty long, but I'd have to say a good few are BANEHINGE, R-EVOLUTION, BLACK FLOOD DIESEL, NUISANCE CREW, LIFE OF SIN, VAIN, MINUS 3, B!, LIKWID BLU, THOUGHTCLOUD, EPICUREAN, NECROMIS, AESMA DAEVA, 13th STEP, FACECAGE (Iowa), SHATTERBONE (Iowa), IMPALER, NARCOTIC SELF (Nebraska), and many more.
PK : How did Downside of Truth come together as a band?
CS : Originally, it was Chad Betsinger and Matt James who approached me with the music for "Burn With Me" and "Judgement Day" without any lyrics. I wrote the lyrics, sang the tunes at our first practice, and it was basically all downhill from there. I later gave us the name "Downside of Truth" as that is exactly what alot of the lyrics tell. Our first bassist, Johnny D'Shea, left early in the project and soon after we discovered Bob Jeske. And after about a year, we parted ways with Chad Betsinger and recruited Chris Winter. Things have picked up quite a bit along the way.
PK : What type of music did you listen to before you brought together Downside of Truth?
SC : Mainly stuff like Godsmack, Disturbed, Slipknot, Pantera, Overkill, Metallica (older)
Chimaira, Six Feet Under, Soil, Drowning Pool, American Head Charge, Rob Zombie, etc.
PK : Were you not in some other bands before Downside?
CS : I was in a project called RAGS for a while from my hometown of St. Louis, MO, but that was only about a year. Before that I had been in various lower level bands that never really went anywhere due to lack of ambition.
PK : The song 'Determination' is rather popular with fans, what would you like to say about the earlier songs and the new material?
CS : I'd say we've made a pretty decent progression from the start up to now. Alot of our material is first level stuff for us, but still stands strong with the fans. I especially give credit for "Determination" to our drummer, Matt James, for writing the original lyrics. It's become quite the "anthem" type song to the fans.
PK : What would you like to say about your fellow band members?
CS : All I can say is that these are some hardworking guys and they put everything they've got into every performance. People come to see a show, and that's exactly what we deliver.
PK : Are you looking to play bigger and better shows with new material and performance impact to more so reach out to a wider group of fans?
CS : Right now we're just keeping on and getting what we can and hope to reach as many people as we possibly can. So far alot of our out of town shows have been paying off as our fanbase has grown considerably.
PK : Over the years, there has been a number of musicians and bands that have stirred up a lasting impression on the music arena mix that is rock, metal, punk and so forth. Who are some of the heroes and unsung heroes in your mind?
CS : Truly I think some of the biggest influences have been Pantera, White Zombie, and some older bands like Slayer and Metallica. As far as unsung heros go, I think bands like Overkill, Six Feet Under, WASP, and many others aren't given the press they deserve.
Note : Chris South departed with Downside of Truth in June 2005. His vocal style and approach brought much to D.O.T. and will likely rise up with another project.
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www.downsideoftruth.com
Downside of Truth is based in Minnesota