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Interview with Ultimatum
JesusMetal: Could you please give an introduction to yourself and the band.
Scott: My name is Scott Waters, I am Ultimatum's vocalist.
Besides Rob (bass) and Robert (guitars), we also have Alan Tuma on drums. Alan has also played with bands like The Mosketeers and Combat Faith.
JesusMetal: Ultimatum has been around for quite some years now, could you share some 'best moments' ?
Robert:
JesusMetal: You guys have released a couple of releases, which one is your fav. And why ?
Scott: If I had to pick one, and didn't include the latest one that hasn't been released yet, I'd probably go with "Puppet of
Destruction". I love the songs on there and we still play a lot of them live. My only complaint about that CD is I am not happy
with the mastering that was done in Australia. We hope that CD will be reissued soon and remastered. I've heard it remastered
in our current studio and it sounds fantastic. The bottom end is back in the mix. My favorite song from"Puppet" is probably
"Never". It's just such a great metal song. It's incredibly fast. Robert's downpicking on that song is insane.
JesusMetal: How do you get in the mood for writing songs, what bands influence you guys musically
Scott: Since I write most of the lyrics, I tend to get ideas when I am reading, or sitting in church, or reading a book, or
driving down the road. LOL! Actually, I get ideas from all over the place. I have napkins in my car with lyric ideas on them.
I don't know that it's a mood for me, so much as inspiration. Things inspire me. Sometimes it's things that tick me off.
"Violence & Bloodshed" was written because of a debate between myself and one of the guys in Usurper. At one point he stated
that metal was about "violence" and couldn't be about "love and forgiveness". It was that comment that inspired me to write
that song.
JesusMetal: The last year has been quite hectic for Ultimatum it seems, a lot of changes, members that quit, etc. In what way will this have consequenses for the band ?
Rob: Augustine leaving was quite a setback as far as playing live goes. Ultimatum has always been a 2 guitar band, all of the
songs were written with 2 guitars. We will carry on, however. Robert is an excellent guitarist and more than capable of
handling it himself. The drummer change went very smoothly. We didn’t even miss a practice. Alan stepped right in as soon as
Sean left the band. We are very thankful for him. We are still looking for guitarist though.
JesusMetal: Into the Pit is the new album, what can we expect, will it be a concept album ?
Rob: It is full on Ultimatum metal. If you liked Til The End then you’ll love Into The Pit. It is not a
concept album.
JesusMetal: Congratulations on the coverart ! Which is done by Rexorcist, are you guys happy with the result ?
How is it to work with Rexorcist, would you do it again?
Scott: I was actually the one who worked with Rex. He is a friend of mine from the Christian Metal Realm. One day he emailed me
a sketch of a demon like creature he had drawn in pencil. I told him I really liked it and was thinking about using something
like that for our next CD. I gave him some of my ideas and a Scripture out of Revelation. He then came up with the cover, pretty
much as you see it now. The only difference between the first draft and the final draft was the addition of more chains. I am
extremely happy with the cover art. I think it came out fantastic. It's actually the first album cover I didn't draw and design
for the band.
JesusMetal: Scott, you have a unique voice, are you and the guys happy with it ? And how do the people react to it ?
Scott: Thanks. People seem to react differently to it. I think my style is either a 'love it or hate it' style. I often get
compared to guys like Udo, Dave Mustaine, Zetro Souza and Blitz from Overkill. Honestly, it's an honor to
be compared to these legends. However, I've never set out to sound like any of them. I just sing like I sing and what comes out
is all me.
JesusMetal: Has Ultimatum had an impact on your life ? If yes, in which way ?
Scott: Ultimatum has been a huge part of my life for the past 14 - 15 years. It's more than just music and ministry for
me, it's a part of who I am.
JesusMetal: Ultimatums songs, what are they generally about (lyrically)?
Scott: I've written 95% of the lyrics in Ultimatum. Our songs are about different subjects. It would be hard to give a song by
song overview, but in general, I write about things that affect my life, from a Christian perspective. A song like "Never"
is about selling out. It could just be seen as a song about staying true to metal, or it could also be seen as staying strong
in your faith. I've written songs about issues like the debate between Creationism and Evolution, the abortion debate, greed in
the church, cults, etc. Other songs are just basicaly praises to the Lord. On the new album, Into the Pit, many of the
songs are just songs of thanks to the Lord. Other songs talk about overcoming sin. "Heart of Metal" is just a fun metal
anthem. So, as you can see, the subject matters vary from song to song.
JesusMetal: If you got a concert and you got only 3 songs to play, which 3 songs would it be ? Why ?
Scott: Greed Regime, Never and Heart of Metal. Why? I don't know. I just picked some of my favorite songs to play live.
JesusMetal: Do you guys have sideprojects ? If so, could you give some info on them ?
Scott: I sang for Once Dead for about two years. Other than that, Ultimatum keeps me plenty busy.
JesusMetal: Any final comments?
Scott: Thanks for the interview. Be sure to check out our sites at www.myspace.com/ultimatummetal and www.ultimatum.net
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