intervvindicator

VINDICATOR

VIC STOWN

Vindicator is a thrash metal band from South Amherst Ohio. They debuted in 2008 with the album There will be blood. The followup Antique Witcheries was released in 2010 and their third came out in 2012, titled United we fall. They have shared the stage with Hirax, Overkill, Onslaught and Artillery and things are going good for the Vindicator guys. Today I have interviewed Vic Stown, guitarist and vocalist in Vindicator.

We can start with a small presentation of Vindicator.

Vindicator formed in 2005 in the unheard of town of South Amherst, Ohio. Four friends with the same ideas and the same goals who attended the same school set out to reignite the thrash flame in the greater north eastern Ohio. The band has been met with incredibly adversity but has survived for a decade. I like to think we're doing something right, but that's just a matter of opinion.

In 2007 you appeared on the Speed kills again-compilation with Avenger of Blood, Enforcer, Merciless Death, Warbringer, Hatred and Toxic Holocaust. How did that happen?

We actually weren't on that sampler, although we were supposed to be. We were one of the first bands Heavy Artillery reached out to. At the time we felt we weren't ready for such a contract. We ended up signing with the label a few years later for the release of our second album The Antique Witcheries. Ironically enough, I was the one who suggested the label get Toxic Holocaust for that comp, though. The label was against the idea originally.

The following year you released your debut album There will be blood, what do you think of it in retrospect?

I feel There Will Be Blood was and still is a great album. Sure, aspects of it are very basic and it's certainly no masterpiece. But we weren't trying to reinvent the wheel. We had some great songs, some cool riffs, and some decent lyrics.

We knew what we liked, so we did what we liked. There Will Be Blood is the end result. I'm really a fan of the vibe, which was entirely unintentional. The production is real thin and it had an 80s feel to it. It sounds great on vinyl!

There Will Be Blood (2008)

What do you think about this thrash revival, is it a good thing and do you consider yourselves to be a part of it?

I think the Thrash Revival is dead. It was fun to be a part of it. Vindicator were one of the front runners of the whole thing. For a minute I thought we might make a career of it! But as the years wore on, it seemed to burn out as quickly as it ignited.

Over saturation is partly to blame as well as a lot of bands who weren't thrash using the sub genre to try and attract new fans. It's sad it didn't hold on. But it's not 1983. This isn't some new and exciting thing anymore. Current thrash bands play this music because they love it, not because it's paying the bills or getting them laid.

Bassist and vocalist Marshall Law left the band in 2012. Changing a vocalist is always hard but are you satisfied with how things turned out?

I was the frontman of the band I was in prior to forming Vindicator and I had written most of the material for the band, so stepping up to the mic wasn't hard for me, but it wasn't necessarily something I wanted to do. I was pretty uncertain of myself in that position, but a month out on the road changed my mind. I'm very happy with how things turned out and it seems the fans are as well.

The Sleeping with Evil EP was released a year ago, are you satisfied with how it has been received?

I am. The few people that noticed it, loved it. Our die hard fans love it. Overall, I wish it would have gotten a little bit more attention, but oh well. It was nice to have a release in 2014.

Over the years you have done shows with Destruction, Overkill, Hirax, Exodus, Onslaught and Artillery amongst others. How was it to play with such legends?

It's truly an honor, coming from a fan standpoint. Early on it was somewhat intimidating. These days it's an opportunity to showcase yourself. Seeing a band that influenced you or you love is just a perk.

Is it true that Tom Martin of Lich King designed your logo?

He didn't actually design it. It was designed by Marshall and myself. In 2011 I had Tom revamp it. Our logo was really hard to place on things like flyers and in artwork and people couldn't figure out that the A was an A. So I had Tom take it in, fix the A problem, and sharpen it up for me. It can still be difficult to place, but it's a wee bit easier now. I feel Sodom's pain.

Speaking of Lich King, You are now label mates on Stormspell Records. How come you signed a deal with them?

I worked with Stormspell on reissuing the Stutz (my Dad's band) back catalog. Iordan is a good dude and is a fan of Vindicator, so it just sort of worked out that way. Technically Vindicator aren't signed. We do various licensing deals with independent labels. Slaney and Stormspell are both stellar labels keeping the heavy metal flame alive.

What bands are you influenced by?

My heaviest influences are Megadeth, Iron Maiden, and Iced Earth. I take notes from Cracked Brain era Destruction, Artillery, and most of the thrash from the late eighties. But I draw from my roots which are bands my Dad was brought up on. A lot of rock and early metal.

United We Fall (2012)

Have you got any funny story to tell, if anything weird has happened while touring or so?

Touring is a blur. Not because of the drugs or the alcohol. Because, as they say, "time flies when you're having fun". You're very invested in the now. So many great stories from shows and touring. They come back in fleeting moments during conversation. One of my personal favs has to be from a few years back. We did a week long stint with Vicious Rumors and Seven Witches. After a gig in Detroit we loaded our gear and began our trek to the next destination.

We drove a quarter mile and were flagged down by a fan who had attended the show. "Your trailer is open." The trailer door of the moderately sized 10'x15' trailer we were using hadn't been secured. It was one of those ramp kind too. It had dragged for a quarter mile down the road in Detroit. Nothing fell out. Nothing was stolen. The rubber bumpers on the ramp had been shaved down quite a bit. But no other damage.

It was one of the finest Spinal Tap moments this band has seen to date. We always wondered what other drivers thought. We were fortunate to have been flagged down right before we got on the highway. I try to imagine being behind us. A big trailer throwing sparks, gear jiggling around inside, being pulled by an SUV with four tired long hairs. Hahaha, that would have been a sight.

Vindicator - Live

What's your plans for the near future?

This year will be a slow year for us. We'll probably be very reserved on the show spectrum. But we hope to release a few things. Obviously some day I'd like to make the trip across the pond as countless people tell me Vindicator needs to play over seas. But one just can't tell what will happen? So we take it day by day, haha.

What's the highlight of your career?

The month long trek we did with Canada's Aggressor and Virginia's Possessor in 2010. It was unforgettable. We made a lot of friends and contacts that year. It marked a solid period in the band's career.

Any last words to our readers?

Support your local music scene. Go to shows. Buy merch and music from your favorite underground bands so they can continue to make the music you enjoy. It's true we do this because we love this and it's everything but free.

Stay safe!

By/Ruthless


(01-01-2015)