Axemaster were formed in 1982 and have since carried out their heavy metal assaults in sporadic bursts, never allowing problems, lineup changes, breakups, or periods of inactivity to bring them down. The band has remained firmly anchored by founder Joe Sims’ uncompromising vision. As they prepare to unleash their new, fifth album “Of Beasts and Plagues”, Axemaster return not as a nostalgic relic, but as a living, evolving force in traditional heavy metal. In this exclusive interview of Joe Sims (guitars) and Geoff McGraw (vocals) for Myth of Rock, we dive deep into their history, struggles, and enduring fire that refuses to burn out!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
You’re about to release your new album, “Of Beasts and Plagues”. How are you feeling at this stage—and how would you describe the album to your fans?
Joe: We’re feeling GREAT, and I’m feeling way beyond great! Years of work went into this album, there were a lot of HUGE obstacles in production that I had to overcome in order for the project to move forward. Any sane person would have probably given up on producing the album after all the problems I had; but I’m not sane when it comes to my music!!!! So it feels extra great that after all the hard work, time, and effort, that the new album is finally going to be released properly!
To describe the new album, the material, it’s mostly traditional metal with some elements of thrash and doom metal sprinkled it. The stuff is INTENSE, that’s kind of the theme of all the tracks: intense, aggressive, and energetic, both in performance and production. The songs I write are never SIMPLE, I try to always make the music interesting, but don’t go into the progressive realm so much that only musicians can fully appreciate it, stuff you can tap your foot and headbang to! To me, our singer Geoff McGraw’s vocals are a real highlight throughout the album, he really out did himself. This is the third album he’s done with Axemaster and I think this new one is definitely his best. A lot of emotion and power.
Geoff: Joe is right about this album, it is intense. It’s also somewhat diverse, we have some of what I think are the heaviest moments Axemaster has ever produced on this album. We also have delved into riffs that are reminiscent of the bouncy feel of 10,000 Pound Hammer from the last album. All in all, I believe it’s fantastic and will surprise and delight metalheads!
When and where did you record the new album? Who did the production, the mixing and the mastering?
Joe: I pretty much did it all. The only thing I didn’t do at my little studio was record bass and drums. We did that at my buddy Andy Sartain’s studio, Mindfield studio in Kent, Ohio; he engineered and I produced. I recorded everything else, produced, edited, mixed, and mastered it all here.
How did you compose the songs of the new album? Where do your lyrics refer to?
Joe: I wrote most of the music during the 2020 Covid lockdown. We didn’t have a drummer or second guitarist at the time and were obviously not rehearsing, so I recorded pre-production demos of the stuff I had written, and played the tunes for Geoff and our bassist at the time, got their opinions, and changed a few things we agreed on. Then I recorded all the final guitar to a click (metronome) track, that’s what the drummer we eventually added used to come up with his parts (and to eventually record to). Him and I worked together a lot on writing the drum parts. The whole album was actually a work in progress through the entire production process, I added little things throughout the time I spent on production. Hell, I added a few little guitar parts while I was in the middle of mastering. That’s one of the huge advantages to being able to record a label-quality album yourself!!!!!!
Geoff: Lyrics on this one came several members this time out. With Joe writing lyrics for “The Dark Side” and “Dealers”. “Clinging To Life” came from our drummer at the time Craig. My Lyrics almost always address the darker side of life and fantasy. This album features our third in my trilogy of HP Lovecraft inspired songs “Dagon Rising”, our first single “Murder Of Crows” is about the plague doctors during the spread of the black death in Europe. “Machine” is a dark mechanical fantasy, but I think I’ll stop there I like to let the listener to insert themselves in the songs and decide wat it means to them.
Axemaster has been around in some form since the early ‘80s—what keeps that fire alive after all these years?
Joe: For me, it’s an absolute passion for metal music and writing songs. Of course, I love playing and performing, but writing music is my favorite thing to do. I’m really super proud of the fact that I’ve written the music for hundreds of songs and written thousands upon thousands of riffs over the last 45 years, and I’m still able to write stuff that’s new and fresh, different than anything I’ve written in the past. And it’s actually still coming, because I’ve written some stuff for the next Axemaster album that I really, really like A LOT!!!! Anyway, writing and playing metal is as much a part of me as breathing, I can’t imagine myself NOT doing what I do!!!!
Was there ever a point where you thought Axemaster was truly finished?
Joe: Oh yeah. From like 1995 to 2005 when I was first in the band Reign, then did solo stuff that ended up becoming the band Dream or Nightmare, I had no thought whatsoever that I would ever bring the Axemaster brand back. Then in around 2005 I was not happy in DorN and began to realize that, even though Axemaster had not been active for 11-12 years, the name was still very relevant. I would search for Axemaster on the internet and find stuff about us all over the place. So, it was a MEGA easy decision to bring the name back. I wrote 95% of the stuff we did back in the 80’s and early 90’s, so I figured that as long as I was there, even with new members, Axemaster would still be AXEMASTER. Of course, not EXACTLY the same as the old Axemaster, but the same basic style and sound, just updated!!!!
The ‘80s underground metal scene had a very unique energy. What do you remember most vividly from that era?
Joe: Well, to be honest, the underground scene it the area where I lived (and still live) was NOT that great. Yeah, the big metal bands were huge around here, but unless your band was on the Cleveland metal label Auburn Records, it was a real struggle. Clubs just wanted to book cover bands, was hard finding local shows even playing for free. The tough time we had with the scene here was a big reason why I first reached out and contacted A LOT of people from all over the US and Europe, especially those who did zines and radio shows, and we ended up getting GREAT responses. Hell, our first record label was from Los Angeles, 2,000 miles away, while we were ignored by a label thirty miles away (shows you the kind of struggle we had around here)!!! The scene was obviously fantastic in other areas, and they loved us, so I took advantage of that and made tons of connections from all over. But I will tell you what, I still had a hell of a lot of fun in those days!!!!!
Geoff: Honestly, the underground scene has always been a bit of a struggle, and cover/tribute bands still do much better than most original bands, so musicians absolutely have to have a passion for what they do. The 80s were so much fun, everything was new and exciting and metal was really taking off, no matter the genre.
Your sound blends traditional heavy metal, doom metal and thrash metal—does that come naturally or is it a conscious balance?
Joe: Mostly naturally. Basically, I write what I like, and I like all those styles, so the riffs I use naturally come out that way. I only use riffs that I like listening to, that’s how I’ve always written. How it mainly happens is when I’m warming up on guitar, I come up with a dark riff that I really like, so I immediately record it then later figure out what to do with it. A lot of the riffs I write would be great for a doom metal song if they were slowed down and the drums were plodding and slow. But I usually speed it up to be like a slower thrash style.
Which bands/artists have influenced you the most?
Joe: For songwriting, Tony Iommi has always been a HUGE influence for me. The dark riffs he writes is the kind of thing that I LOVE, and the kind of riffs I write 99% of the time. Other guitarists that influenced me have been Michael Schenker, Angus Young, Jake E Lee, Kirk Hammett, George Lynch, and Yngwie. Bands would be (of course) Black Sabbath (especially the Dio era), old Savatage, old Metallica, Slayer, old Queensryche, and Judas Priest.
Geoff: Joe and I both count Tony Iommi heavily among our influences. I also lean heavily towards the rhythm guitar work of Scott Ian, “Rocky” George and Lenny Rutledge. Vocally, while I cannot match their ranges, I am greatly influenced in my choice of phrasing and timing by the late great Ronnie James Dio, Freddie Mercury, and Warrel Dane who, like me, was a natural baritone. As for bands, my top list includes Black Sabbath, Megadeth, Anthrax, Dio, Sanctuary, Queen, Nevermore…really too any to even list.
Where would you trace the differences between the new album and your previous material? How much has Axemaster progressed?
Joe: My writing and Axemaster has progressed a lot since the early days. We were a one guitar band back then, and mostly everything I wrote could be easily played live with one guitar. But through the years, I discovered the endless amount of things you could do with dual guitar and guitar layering, and that’s now a huge part of my songwriting. I also discovered how many different things I could do writing with a dropped (tuned down) low E string. So, although most of our stuff is tuned to D standard on guitar, there are a significant number of songs that are tuned to Drop C. Plus I’m more into thrash now than I was in the early days, and a quite a few of our songs reflect that. Most of our newer stuff is basically the same kind of style that we have always done (especially the two albums we did from 88-91), but there are definite differences that show how I’ve progressed as a songwriter.
The band went through many lineup changes over the years. Was this instability a setback for the band? How do you see the current line-up of the band?
Joe: Yeah, it definitely has been, especially early on when we had three different singers in six years, and those singers were very different from each other, completely different vocal feels each on the last three albums we did. We have had a lot of lineup changes since I brought Axemaster back 16 years ago (wow, it’s been THAT LONG!), but the mega important thing has been that Geoff has been my singer for something like 14 years, three albums now. So, the vocal presence has been totally stable with a GREAT singer. There’s no other singer in the world I’d rather work with than Geoff! So, the lineup changes have caused major setbacks with being able to play shows, but the three albums we’ve done have featured the same singer, same guitarist, and same songwriters (Geoff has written most of our lyrics and contributed the music for song and some riffs musically on guitar). So, because of that, I believe the releases by the “new” Axemaster sound far more consistent with a recognizable sound and feel than the three albums the band did from 86-91.
As I’m doing this interview, we no longer have a second lead guitarist and are going as a four piece for the time being. We DO intend on adding a guitar player, so the lineup we have now is incomplete. But I WILL say that currently we have the best technical bass player and drummer that I’ve ever worked with. The drummer is a somewhat current addition because the guy who played on “Plagues”, Craig Gribben, had to retire from music due to having lung cancer. So, we’ve spent a long time trying to get a set tight with him. But I can say confidently that once we hit the stage, we’re gonna have the best rhythm section that Axemaster has ever had!!!!
The reissues of your older material have introduced Axemaster to the new generations. How differently do younger fans react to your music?
Joe: Yes, the re-releases have ABSOLUTELY helped keep the band’s music out there and get it to new people. The couple CDs that came out when the band wasn’t active REALLY helped keep the Axemaster name relevant and gained us new fans. Actually, there will be a new re-issue very soon!!! Conjuring Records is going to re-release our 2015 album “Overture to Madness” (Pure Steel Records) on vinyl. ALWAYS LOVE to be on vinyl!!!! It will be a short run to begin with, only 100 produced. But if sales are good, the label is going to do a second and maybe third run.
We have had great responses from younger people, but not that much different than it has been all along. Metal has definitely come back quite a bit and there are more younger people getting into it. Hell, our bass player is only 25! One thing I have gotten a lot from those who first listen to our old stuff has been “why aren’t you guys really big?”. I have heard that so much that I have a ready-made response to it HAHAHAHA!
After so many years in the underground, do you still feel like Axemaster is a “cult band” or has that changed?
Joe: Well, I guess we could still be considered a “cult band”, even though a lot more people know about us, have heard our music, and have become fans than ever before. I’m really hoping that because of the great promo Cosmic Fire is/will be doing for “Of Beasts and Plages”, that the album will get us to where we have enough fans to push us to the next level past cult status. The problem has always been that not enough people have heard our music because 99% of the people I meet (both in person and online) who hear our stuff for the first time, really like it. There have been a select number of people who I have allowed to hear the new album, and most of them have said that they think it’s the best thing I have ever been a part of. WE JUST NEED THE MUSIC TO BE HEARD!!!!!
What do you think about internet and its impact on the music industry in our days?
Joe: UGGHHH! That’s a tough question because there has been some good impact, and some VERY BAD impact the internet has had on music. The bad is pretty obvious, people sharing music/albums to others while the band or label doesn’t see a cent for it. Also, now with home recording, any small garage band (who often suck) can put out an album and get it all over the internet, which has really flooded the market to where a lot of people don’t pay attention to new bands/music at all. Many people have been overloaded with so many bands that they have become completely apathetic where they are concerned. It’s damaged record labels so bad that many cool mid-level and even major indie labels have either sold their brand to a major label (which limits new band access) or went out of business completely. Major indies can no longer “take a chance” on a band, they can’t financially afford a failure like they were able to absorb in the 80’s. So, it’s really tough for a band to catch on with a good company. The good, personally, is that, being someone who always worked their ass off on promo with little or no budget, I’m able to do so much more promo because I no longer have the cost of sending physical product through postal mail most of the time. I’m able to reach many more people than I could in the past, and, surprisingly, a lot of those people actually take me/us seriously. Are not apathetic about Axemaster thankfully!!!!
What do you think about AI and the use of it in art and music?
Joe: It’s actually really scary for TRUE musicians. I can’t believe that someone who has absolutely no knowledge about music can “create” songs that sound pretty real using AI, it’s insane! Now if people just use it for small things, like things they just want to put up on YouTube, Instagram, etc., that’s no big deal. I have a friend who writes songs on keyboards and guitar, then uses AI for drums and bass, but it’s not on a major scope so I’m totally cool with that. But what disgusts me is when AI created ANYTHING comes out on a decent label. IT’S A FUCKING LIE!!!! It takes TRUE musicians out of the equation, a real musician then obviously loses out on an opportunity to play on a well promoted/distributed CD/vinyl/digital release. Using it for that pisses me off and makes me sick. AXEMASTER NEVER HAS AND NEVER WILL USE AI FOR ANYTHING ON AN ALBUM. Hell, we have never even used auto-tune for vocals! EVERYTHING Axemaster has done or will do is REAL!!!!!!
Looking back, are there any unreleased or overlooked Axemaster tracks you’d love to revisit or re-record?
Joe: YES YES YES!!!! One song I would especially love to re-do that was never released is called “Call to the Master”, LOVE that tune, but the only recording I have of it is live and part of a medley, nothing we could release as it is. There are a couple more too, and I would like to possibly re-do a couple songs from our “Death Before Dishonor” album. There are some great songs on there that have very poor sound because we didn’t have the money to go to the studio and had to record it on an old cassette four track. Would like to do a couple of those with MUCH better sound!!!!
Looking back, which Axemaster release is your favorite until now and why?
Joe: My fave is “Overture to Madness” from 2015. It’s a little more progressive than other Axemaster releases, all kinds of super cool changes and riffs, some using different time signatures. I LOVE the guitar parts I wrote for the album, at times I honestly can’t believe that I actually came up with some of those parts!!!!! And Geoff’s vocals are excellent, powerful and aggressive. Just a GREAT album all the way around! Actually, in June, a re-mastered version of “Overture” is going to be released ON VINYL by Conjuring Records. My re-mastering improved the sound quite a bit over the CD. We want to push the release because like I said, they are only producing 100 to begin with, but if sales are good enough, they will do another run. I want there to be as many copies in circulation as possible!!!!
If you had the opportunity to cooperate with a famous musician on an Axemaster song, who would he/she be and why?
JOE: It would ABSOLUTELY be Tony Iommi!!!! He’s the godfather of metal and, as I mentioned before, is a HUGE influence on my songwriting. He was the first to use certain note and chord progressions that give that dark, haunting sound; the flatted 5th, what was known as “Diabolus In Musica” for it’s dark, evil feel. I use similar note and chord progressions in a different way that’s uniquely my own, but very much influenced by Tony’s writing.
If you had the opportunity to form a tribute band, what tribute band would it be and why?
Joe: An Axemaster tribute HAHAHAHA! I’m not a big fan of tribute bands, but I guess if I had to choose a band that I think would be the coolest to do, it would be Dio, both from his solo band and his time in Sabbath. Another cool one would be old Savatage, but that would be pretty obscure………
Which are your future plans? Any thoughts of getting to the stage—maybe for live shows or even a full tour?
Joe: We will DEFINITELY be hitting the stage and playing shows!!!! We would like to tour, and we would like to play some European festivals, it’s just a matter of cash, which we don’t have and both require. We could do a more local mini-tour, but nothing more. It really sucks, but unless we get help with financing, extensive touring and playing Europe is beyond us at the moment. Other than that, I will be writing material for the next Axemaster album, and promoting the hell out of the “Plagues” and “Overture” releases.
Send your message to your fans!
Joe: First of all, THANK YOU! So many of our fans/friends stepped up and donated to and pre-ordered our new album that our recent Kickstarter goal was met, which allowed our new album to be released, that means EVERYTHING to us!!!!! Our fans and metalheads in general are THE VERY BEST, YOU KICK ASS!!!! In case you haven’t heard about Axemaster or any of our material, I invite you to visit our website at https://axemasterofficial.com/. There you can read about the band’s long history, see videos, view tons of photos, and check out some of the 57 older songs we have streaming there for free. Lastly, get ready to have your face melted by “Of Beasts and Plagues”!!!!!!
