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Chartattack 'Amen bring the chaos' - 19 Feburary 2001 Say your prayers. Amen are coming to town, and they're ready to whip your sorry metal asses. Becoming renowned for their riff-driven, heavy sound coupled with stage antics that would make Pete Townshend blush (flying cymbals almost decapitated one member a few days ago), Amen are on a steady path to the top of the heavy music heap. Excited at finally crossing the 49th parallel, they're chopping at the bit to attack their Canuck fanbase with blazing guitars and general mayhem. And while it is their first full-fledged Canadian tour, guitarist Paul Fig downplays the havoc that will ensue. "We'll be having some fun, but I don't think we'll get too crazy," he jests. "It's never a good idea to go nuts in a strange country." Especially since the band's rebellious nature prevented their last Canadian jaunt with Slipknot from even happening. "Our bass player has a record, so our last effort to get into Canada resulted in us missing every show. We were sitting on our bus for five days while Slipknot did their thing. But it's all cleared up now." Kicking around since 1994, Amen is finally receiving some of the recognition they deserve. Frustrated with the tepid assistance from MTV and stateside radio, guitarist Paul Fig is finally seeing the tide turn. "In Europe, the kids are going nuts, and we've heard good things about Canada. MTV and radio are so gay. They control the kids and they're afraid to touch anything even slightly edgy." Yet Fig and crew (singer Casey Chaos, former Ugly Kid Joe drummer Shannon Larkin and ex-Snot members guitarist Sonny Mayo and bassist John "Tumor" Fahnestock openly refuse to toe the corporate line. States Fig, "We want to stay away from the formula. We don't want to be another Papa Roach. We aren't in this for a hit record; we're in it for a GREAT record." Although the nu-metal connotation is bound to happen given Amen's dealings with nu-metal guru Ross Robinson, the band believe that their breed of heavy music is unique. It forges a new path in, dare we say, (gasp!) progressive? "Listen to our latest album, We Have Come For Your Parents (Virgin)," states Fig. "That'll tell you all you need to know. Then come to the show. If you can still move afterwards, you'll understand." by Keith Carman |
