MetalSucks

If there’s any justice in the world, The Red Chord’s excellent new album, Fed Through the Teeth Machine (read my four out of five horns review here), will cement Mike “Gunface” McKenzie’s status as one of his generation’s great guitar gods while introducing his truly unique playing to scores of new fans. Now The Red Chord’s sole axe slinger, Gunface really steps up his game on Teeth – the riffs and solos on this album are easily some of the year’s very best.

That being the case, I was very, very excited to have the opportunity to e-mail some questions to Gunface earlier this week. He follows bassist Greg Weeks and vocalist Guy Kozowyk as the latest member of The Red Chord to humor me by answering some truly idiotic (and hopefully a few intelligent) questions (I’m sure we’ll get to drummer Brad Fickeisen sooner or later). After the jump, get Gunface’s thoughts on the creation of Fed Through the Teeth Machine, writing solos, his various side projects, the value of the Death Star, and more.

Fed Through the Teeth Machine is out October 27 on Metal Blade.

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Cynic guitarist/vocalist Paul Masvidal was one of the chillest metal dudes I’ve ever met. When I sat down with him at a busy New York City diner as one of many journalists cycling through his busy day of press, he was completely calm, cool, collected and unphased by the relative pandemonium surrounding him. He was also well-spoken and articulate, and most of all very humble, willing to answer my questions about the band’s now-storied legacy, getting back together, writing and recording for Cynic’s new record Traced in Air [read our review], and what fuels him as a musician. Our conversation, after the fold.

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