Donais and Bachand recently gave us the lowdown on their new album and their new B.C. Rich signature guitars, as well as what it’s like to navigate the shark-infested waters of the music world.
How did Adam Dutkiewicz end up producing Fire From the Sky?
Bachand: We’ve wanted to work with Adam but the timing just never worked out. When I joined up with Times of Grace, it gave us an opportunity to talk about it. During that tour, I spent time with him playing demos and picking it apart, so the pre-production process actually went on for quite some time—more than usual, actually. We had a lot of time to digest the material because I was out with him for several months.
Did having him onboard result in any unexpected surprises?
Bachand: Over the last 16 years, we’ve pretty much thrown everything out there, stylistically. I wouldn’t say there are any surprises on Fire From the Sky, I’d just say it’s an evolution forward.
In what way?
Bachand: We’re trying to take everything that’s been great and turn it into one complete album, rather than just having a bunch of filler songs. We’ve seen over the years what type of songs actually work with the band and which ones aren’t so popular. Adam really helped us with adding layers and trimming the fat.
Listen to "Nothing Remains" from Fire From the Sky:
Tell us about the writing sessions.
Donais: First, Matt and I demo a lot of stuff together and then we bring the skeletons in to the rest of the guys. I play guitar every day and write and record ideas on the road into my Zoom H2, so I always have a stockpile of stuff. As I record ideas, I’ll specify whether the riff is a verse or a chorus, so I’ll have an idea when I bring it to the guys.
Bachand: There was only one exception to our usual songwriting approach that happened on this record. It turned out that we just needed some extra material. We were halfway through tracking the drums and I was just struggling with some parts, trying to slap another song together. I had a bunch of pieces and it just wasn’t working out. I was like, “Shit, I gotta get this thing done,” and somehow it just came together in the studio over the course of an hour. Jon just came into the room and said, “You need a chorus? I got your chorus,” and he just played one riff then put down the guitar and said, “I’m done.” [Laughs.]
Which song is it?
Bachand: It’s the track, “Divide and Conquer.”
The opening riffs on “Divide and Conquer,” and songs like “Walk the Edge,” sound seriously tight. Do you guys work out the fine details of the riffs—like picking versus hammer-ons and pull-offs— to make it sound like one massive guitar?
Donais: We don’t go that far. For our recording process, whoever writes it plays it on the record. If it’s my riff, I’ll play it, and if it’s Matt’s riff, he’ll play it. No matter how great two guitar players are, it will sound different because everyone plays different, and gets a different tone because of the difference in their hands. For instance, I’ve noticed sometimes Matt might do a pull-off and I won’t. We’re playing the riffs right, we’re just not locking up as one person playing it, obviously. But we’re getting it as close as we can. In a live and loud environment, I don’t think anyone can hear the difference. Maybe some super Berklee guy with dog ears can pick it out.
Bachand: Live, there’s always room for interpretation and improv. We also don’t like to play the exact same thing all the time. In a lot of cases, it’s out of necessity. Since I do a lot of singing as well, there are just some riffs that are too damn hard for me to sing and play at the same time.
What do you do in those cases?
Bachand: Even if it’s a crazy riff on the record, I might just strip it back a little when playing it live. I’ll find the root note and maybe play octaves on top of it just to add another texture. It’ll still make sense in the song but will be easier for me to pull off both at the same time.
So you might not necessarily reproduce all of the recorded parts in a live show?
Donais: Live, if it’s a lead harmony, it won’t be done because Matt doesn’t play lead, and I don’t use any harmonizer pedals. In that case, I’ll just play only one of the guitar parts. If it’s a rhythm part that’s harmonized, we’ll do it. Some of the fast runs I do on the record might not be exactly the same each time live but I’d say I play 90 percent of what’s on the record. I come as close as I can.
Do you ever not put a part on record because it might be too difficult to pull off live?
Donais: Let’s put it this way: I won’t write anything that I can’t play. I mean, who wants to look like a jackass up there?
Speaking of difficult, the opening track, “The Unknown,” is an alternate picking tour de force.
Donais: I really like to work out the fine details of my picking. Even when I write out my solos, I try every combination like picking some notes, picking all of them, or doing legato.
Bachand: I was always more into rhythm guitar. I always wanted to be the Scott Ian or the James Hetfield. I’m more about writing a song for structure and being memorable as opposed to showing off, which is amazing, but nothing that I ever personally wanted to do.
Jon, your solo on “Lost Within” contains concise and distinct phrases, all neatly arranged into four-, eight-, or even two-measure chunks. Where do you get your sense of structure?
Donais: I always like to balance things out. I feel the solo should be a part of the song. You want to hear that solo live because it’s a part of the song just like somebody singing a chorus. I like to do a couple of measures of going crazy, then slow down and play melodically to let somebody who doesn’t play the guitar have a chance to get into the solo. Plus, people who do play the guitar will like it, too, because there’s some fancy stuff in there.
You guys have seen the music business totally change since your formation. How have you adapted to this?
Donais: It’s a lot harder now. It’s just totally different from when we started. The record companies don’t have any money to support you. A lot of people that don’t see that side of the business don’t really understand. They’re like, “The music should be free and you can make money on the tickets.” Well, no because now everyone wants a cheap ticket price and a stacked bill so bands can’t afford to go out on tour like they used to. People have families and houses to pay for. It’s kind of tough to get out there and do your thing for the fans when you’ve got a friggin’ day job at Dunkin’ Donuts.
Bachand: It’s a pretty scary time in the business. I don’t think anyone can adapt to it at this point. When you think you’ve got it figured out then something else just gets in the way and it completely changes again. There really isn’t any structure anymore and it’s kind of hard to guess what’s going to happen next.
Does this affect how you operate as a band?
Bachand: Obviously we want to make the best record we can, and make it sound as good as possible. But at the end of the day, the budgets that the labels are giving to record an album are that much smaller because no one’s buying records. And if you simply don't have the budget to record it, there’s nothing you can do. Say you have two weeks in the studio and that’s all you can afford when normally you’d have two months in the studio and have time to put out the best product you can. Well, now you’re rushing to get it done because you only have X amount of dollars.
Matt, I understand that you also took some music business courses at Berkleemusic.com, even after you guys were already established.
Bachand: I strictly did the music business course. Yes, we were already busy and doing stuff but the number one thing band members can do to help themselves is to learn the business because if you don’t, someone is going to come in and they are going to screw you over. There’s so much to learn as far as publishing and mechanical royalties, and all of these things that people don’t really understand. I’m not saying you have to know it backwards and forwards but it’s definitely helpful for a band to know at least a little bit about what’s going on in terms of business because there’s so many other sides to it besides just making records and going on tour. On a certain level, you simply can’t afford to live just on being a touring band anymore. I’m always looking for new projects.
Matt, Is that why you engage in side projects like Times of Grace and Trumpet the Harlot?
Bachand: I’m a workaholic, man, I’m going 24–7. I can’t stop. I’m one of those people that gets real bored, real easily. I don’t have any of my own “relax” time, where I sit in front of the TV and do nothing. It just doesn’t happen. I’m always looking for something to do, whether it’s repairing amps and guitars, recording stuff in the studio, or helping other bands. I’ve been booking tours for Trumpet the Harlot and helping them on the management side of things now. I’m just trying to stay involved in any way I can, staying busy within the business.
Tell us what got you interested in working with B.C. Rich guitars on your signature models.
Bachand: The first thing, obviously, is that they’re willing to build us what we’re looking for with the exact specs. They were proactively interested in working with us on all kinds of levels like putting us on clinic tours, which I’m interested in starting to do as well, as opposed to a company that just says, “Here’s a couple of guitars, have fun.”
Donais: Right now I’m playing a regular, USA-made Gunslinger. Grover Jackson is actually making them, and I’m totally psyched about that. This is the only model he makes for B.C. Rich. I have a B.C. Rich signature Gunslinger coming out. I moved the volume knob out of the way on that one. A big problem for me used to be that I would accidentally turn the volume knob down because I play with my fingers open.
Like the way George Lynch has his picking-hand fingers splayed out?
Donais:
Yeah. Now I just move everything out of the way—any kind of toggle
switches or anything—so it will be comfortable for anybody who plays
with that kind of fanned fingers out.
What about amps?
Donais: I’m using a Rivera Knucklehead, the reverb one. I was at NAMM and started talking to Paul Rivera Jr. and he said, “Hey man, just come in the booth and check it out,” and I plugged it in and was like, “Wow, this is awesome.”
Bachand: Since I made the move to ENGLs amps, it’s been exactly what I’ve been looking for. I have the Fireball and the Powerball.
Jon, did the NAMM noise police interfere with your trying out of the Rivera amp?
Donais: Rivera had one of those soundproof booths so I could kind of get an idea. But I wanted to run the amp with my guitars and pedals to see how it worked with my setup, and also use it to jam with the band to see how I liked it, so they sent one over to me and I fell in love with it right away.
Matt, which ENGL are you bringing on the road?
Bachand: I will make that decision today actually [laughs].
What’s going to be the deciding factor?
Bachand: I don't know. I really don’t. I’m just going to plug both of them in tonight down in the basement and see which one I like better.
Jonathan Donais’ Gear
Guitars
B.C. Rich Signature Gunslinger
Amps
Rivera Knucklehead Tre Reverb
Effects
Dunlop Jimi Hendrix wah, Maxon OD-9, MXR Carbon Copy (through effects loop), Boss NS-2
Strings
DR Strings .010–.052, tuned to D and dropped-C
Picks
Dunlop Jazz III XL
Cables and Straps
Planet Waves
Matt Bachand’s Gear
GuitarsB.C. Rich Signature, Takamine ETN10BC
Amps
ENGL Fireball head, ENGL Powerball head, ENGL 4x12 cabinet
Effects
Rocktron Hush, Maxon OD808, BBE Acoustimax
Strings
DR Strings Dragon Skin .011–.050
Picks
Dunlop .88 mm
Cables and Straps
Planet Waves
YouTube It
Watch Shadows Fall cast doom upon their fans in the following clips on YouTube.com.
Lead guitarist Jonathan Donais dominates sweep-picked arpeggios (2:45) during Shadows Fall’s Grammy-nominated hit “Redemption” at the 2007 Download Festival in Donington Park, England.
Shadows Fall brings the sound of American metal to the land of the rising sun while performing at Shibuya Club Quattro in Tokyo, Japan.
Shadows Fall pay tribute to the Ozzman with “Bark at the Moon.”
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$0It wasn’t long after learning my first arpeggio that I started thinking about what my rock ’n’ roll life was going to look like. When I first opened up Van Halen’s Diver Down and saw that photo of a packed stadium and a happy band, I knew it was for me. And as I got a little older, learned a few songs, and watched countless videos on MTV of bands playing to thousands of adoring fans, I realized I had to have a proper bass rig to satisfy my eventual fandom. I knew I needed an SVT.$0
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$0Fast-forward to three days after my 23rd birthday when, in a freak accident, I crushed a vertebra in my back. Not long after recovering from the accident, I was determined as ever to buy my first “real” bass rig. But as soon as I tried to lift the SVT I was checking out, I knew I would never actually own any gear that weighed that much. I’ve heard many musicians joke that they are only paid to move equipment back-and-forth, and that playing is just a bonus. With that thought in mind, I’ve always purchased gear I could move without the help of a forklift. My dreams of owning that SVT sound were unfortunately dashed with the constraints of my lingering injury.$0
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But with the cut switch flipped on, the tones evened out and the highs rang out loud and clear, giving my fills and arpeggios more life and vibrancy. $0
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$0Fortunately, those dreams were recently reignited. With the release of the new B-Peg V3 overdrive from Swell Pedals, I found that getting that SVT-esque sound was possible while still being easily transportable.$0
$0The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of$0
Similar to Swell’s other pedal offerings, the B-Peg V3 Overdrive is housed in a sturdy, powder-coated metal encasement and its die-cast aluminum construction and interlocking lid ensure complete RF shielding. Even with the pedal’s internal 12AX7 tube, the rugged design of this 100 percent analog unit left me little to worry about when transporting and handling it from gig to gig. With a Fender Jazz through a Trace Elliot GP12 SMX 4001 head and an SWR 4x10 cab, I used the B-Peg right out of the box and ran it through its paces at four live shows—two small clubs and twice in festival settings. $0
$0Remember, This Is a Teenage Fantasy, So Make it Easy$0
For anyone who’s always wanted the big sound of an SVT, but not wanted to pay for it, or in my case, heft the “bigness” of it, the B-Peg V3 pedal delivers in both tone and ease-of-use. And within seconds of plugging it in, I knew exactly what it could do. Alongside the gold-plated Switchcraft jacks for the input and output is a record-out jack with speaker simulation, all of which are top-mounted. And though the B-Peg V3 does come with a power adaptor—often a bonus when it comes to effects pedals—it does not run on battery power. That’s not a deal breaker for me, but a small disappointment nonetheless.
A great feature of the B-Peg V3 is the pair of separate gains that are selectable via true-bypass footswitching. Need one sound when playing the verse, and something a bit more aggressive for the chorus? Done. And the dual gains can be switched back and forth quickly and easily with the clearly marked controls. The on/off footswitch illuminates in red indicating the pedal is powered up, while the Gain-2 footswitch lights up in green when the second gain’s settings are engaged. Am I easily impressed? Maybe. But there is beauty in simplicity, and as a gigging musician, I love when something is engineered to be “idiot proof.” Amidst the confusion of a poorly lit stage, it can be easy to forget which stomp does what. Using a pedal I wasn’t familiar with in a live setting, it was nice to have my options be so clear. $0
$0I Sound Like Me, But Awesome$0
Using the Gain-1 control knob for settings below 12 o’clock and the Gain-2 for anything above noon, the B-Peg V3 filled up and rounded out the pickups on my Jazz with a fuller and warmer tone. The gain settings below 12 o’clock amplified my entire sound and filled out the low end nicely, while higher-level settings on the second gain gave me a similar feel with an added aggressive nature—excellent for driving lines. $0
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$0Ratings$0
$0Pros:$0
Great tone with plenty of control. Easy to use and well constructed.$0
$0Cons:$0
No 9V battery option. Priced for the professional player.$0
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$0Street: $0
$349$0
$0SWELL Pedals$0
swellpedals.com$0
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$0Along with control knobs for tone and master volume, the B-Peg’s pair of 2-position toggle switches for fat and cut allow for some additional tonal variety. While the fat switch is onboard to add low end, I found it to be unnecessary for the most part. The pedal provided such depth and a definitive thud to my sound that the fat switch seemed to be just a step too far. However, I imagine it would be a great asset for someone with cheaper pickups or in need of a huge boost. Because the pedal already adds so much roundness and phatness to the tone, it would be easy to imagine that the higher frequencies would have difficulty cutting through. That said, I was impressed with the way the highs performed before I even touched the cut switch. But with the cut switch flipped on, the tones evened out and the highs rang out loud and clear, giving my fills and arpeggios more life and vibrancy. $0
$0Though I kept the pedal’s master volume dialed back at smaller club gigs, the festival environment allowed me the flexibility to crank up the master and really hear what the pedal could do. With each note, walking line, or driving line, the tone cut through everything else going on. I was going through a Trace, but my huge sound was reminiscent of a mid-’70s SVT. The thud of the drummer’s kick with my bass tone was enough to make us both look at each other and smile right when I first plugged in. Always conscious of the job the sound engineer has to do, I asked the engineer at the first gig if I was too loud. “Nope,” he said, “you sound better than I’ve ever heard you.” $0
$0The Verdict$0
Am I going to be playing at a baseball stadium filled with fans dying to hear my greatest hits? It’s not likely for me or the other 99.99 percent of people that pick up an instrument. With the Swell B-Peg V3, I felt like I could get some of that tone that’s fit for an arena with its unrefined, dreamlike warmth—the SVT tone of my adolescent dreams, but without breaking my back. And that was awesome. So if you are looking for a simpler way to get to that classic overdriven sound, with plenty of control on tap, Swell’s B-Peg V3 pedal just find a home on your pedalboard. $0
Running Down A Dream
The Dream Solo 4 is very well built, utilizing 12mm Baltic Birch cabinet construction, covered in a thick layer of black vinyl with a salt and pepper grille. The light and strong Baltic Birch helps reduce the weight of the already hefty combo to 44 lbs. Some of the amp’s considerable weight is attributable to the triangle-shaped chamber that surrounds the amp's 12", 50-watt Eminence Legend V128 speaker. Scott claims the configuration reduces standing waves and reflections that normally bounce around inside a standard square enclosure, so you get more directional and pure speaker output and tone. The audible result is a much tighter low end, smoother response, a wider sound, and a ton of power. The cabinet's closed back also sports a small, triangular port that's covered in wire mesh to let air reach the tubes.
For the Dream Solo series, 3rd Power used point-to-point turret boards. The all-tube circuit uses 12AX7 preamp tubes, which funnel the signal to two 6V6 power tubes and a custom-voiced output transformer for 22 watts of power. If the amp’s wattage is too much for a given situation, there's a knob on the back for controlling the HybridMASTER circuit, which keeps the tone robust at all volumes by simultaneously changing several attenuation, filtering, and voltage regulation stages. Additional noise generated by the tube circuit is held at bay by 3rd Power's NoiseREDUX technology, an analog noise-reducing algorithm that's a new feature now included in every amp model that they make.
For all the features on this little amp amp, the interface is simple and familiar. The front panel features a fuss-free control set with Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass, and Presence controls, exactly like the old, non-master volume Plexi that inspired the Dream Solo 4. If you want some grit and gain on the tone, you'll have to apply it the old fashioned way—by turning it up!
Dream On
The Dream Solo 4 captures the slicing bite and snarl of a Marshall with remarkable accuracy—particularly given the very different tube complement. But there are also noticeable differences that give the 3rd Power its own voice. A Telecaster hooked up to the 3rd Power emitted a crisp and detailed range of clean tones, infused with the natural upper midrange emphasis that 6V6 power tubes are known for. The highs tended to feel less strong as the rest of the frequencies, but it’s a great foundation for late ’60s-style Hendrix clean work, where soft, present high end works more effectively than the intense, pingy highs a Marshall can generate at lower volumes.
Each of the EQ controls were effective through their respective frequency ranges, but your attack and the guitar you use bring different aspects of the Dream Solo’s personality alive. The P-90s in a Gibson SG pushed the upper mids harder and applied a raunchier edge, while the Tele pulled back the mids and squeezed a snappier range of highs. And the amp also had outstanding touch sensitivity, with the mids contracting and expanding depending on how aggressively I played.
Ratings
Pros:
Juicy, musical tones. Excellent sensitivity and dynamics. Plenty of volume when needed. Great tone at lower levels.
Cons:
Single channel design is not for everyone, especially modern players—clean to dirty is only achievable from the guitar's volume knob. Expensive.
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Ease of Use:
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Street:
$1,999 (combo) $1,699 (head)
3rd Power Amplification
3rdpower.com
Cranking up the volume to saturate the 6V6s summoned grittier tones that still retained a warm tonality and soft top end. A Stratocaster in the neck position could deliver the sustaining bluesy licks of Slash's first solo from "November Rain" in this configuration perfectly, while highlighting the amp's woody and thick midrange and an expanded low end. There was a certain element of greasiness to the overdrive, which had a trace of very appropriate EL84 vibe, but with more aggression and a faster attack. 3rd Power's choice to go with 6V6s really stood out in this instance—offering a great middle ground between the definition and stalwart nature of a good 6L6 and the full punchiness of an EL34 pushed to high heaven.
Even though the amp's dynamic range is impressive, it's also very responsive to changes from a guitar's volume knob, just like an old Plexi. Backing off of the guitar's volume not only cleans up the tone and keeps the volume level intact, it keeps the amp in its sagging, overworked state—yielding an entirely new range of softer, greasier tones that are perfect for overdriven blues and blues-rock work, more in the way of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts.
Finding this range of tones wouldn't have been possible without cranking the living hell out of the power amp and dropping the guitar's volume. But The HybridMASTER control made sure that I was able to keep everything at a manageable volume without destroying the amp's impressive dynamic range, even at bedroom levels. It was such a useful tool that I wished 3rd Power had made it footswitchable, so I could choose between drastically different volume levels while being able to control the amp's dynamics from my guitar's volume control.
The Verdict
3rd Power's attempt to pack the smooth, velvety tones of a classic Marshall Plexi into a 1x12 combo is impressive. They've managed to capture the feeling and essence of the quintessential Plexi tones in a package you can actually fit in the trunk of a car. The 6V6 power tubes can at times slather a little extra grease on those classic tones, but it’s a cool twist on your average Marshall flavor. If you're a die-hard Plexi fanatic, or have been interested in experiencing some of the best tones that rock and roll has ever offered for the first time—without having to withstand the pants-flapping volume of an original model or tick off your sound engineer, 3rd Power’s latest trick fits the bill.
Watch our video review: