RAGINPIT MAGAZINE

Larz - Former Raginpit Magazine Staff Writer

Contrary to what the band name implies, Skitzo is a tight, shred-to-ribbons, in-your-face, old-school thrash metal band. Enter Lance Ozanix, founding member of Skitzo and the guy who handles lead guitar, rhythm guitar and vocals as well as most of the songwriting. He's been the heart and soul of Skitzo for over 25 years. Not only has his heart and soul been part of Skitzo, his stomach often takes center stage. Since their inception, Skitzo has been known more for Lance's puking than they have been recognized for their musical efforts. As we'll discover, the puking is merely theatrics and a means to keep the band recognizable. Stints on Howard Stern, Jerry Springer and numerous other circus media as well as a homegrown DVD highlight the puking, but not the incredibly worthy thrash metal lurking as a backdrop for the band's accomplishments to date.

Lance may still do the puking on stage when he feels it is appropriate, but the band's mission these days is to capitalize on their 2005 release, Heavy Shit, obtain a new record deal and continue to crank out live shows for metal-hungry fans. Heavy Shit lives up to its name with guest spots from Jeff Becerra of Possessed fame, John Marshall (Blind Illusion, Metal Church) and Phil Demmel (Vio-Lence, Machine Head).

I recently had the opportunity to check out Skitzo at Chris' Club in Vallejo, California.

The first sign you know you are in for a killer show is when the guitarist performs his sound check, you hear a monstrous roar, and the bassist kicks in to get in tune with him. If they are in synch, it's obvious. It may seem like a small detail, especially since most people stand around impatiently during these moments of anticipation. In actuality, what this detail shows is the experience level of the musicians. Playing in a metal band is more than just lugging your gear on stage, plugging in and cranking up the decibels. It's all about mastering the art of live sound. It's knowing how to get the most out of your amplification by tweaking and experimenting, refining your technique and working within the confines of any particular venue's PA system on any given night. It's stepping up to the plate and knowing how to find the pocket created by your battery mates.

No problems on this night for Lance, who has drafted well to keep the Skitzo machine alive.

Noah Smith is a drummer beyond his youthful 25 years of age. He is obviously influenced by technical styles and is as much at home hammering through Skitzo's full force thrash attack as he would in a progressive metal band along the lines of Mastodon (who he cites as an influence).

Nasty Nate Clark carries a larger-than-life persona and the bass skills to live up to it. I wasn't sure he would be fully up to the task in meeting him before the show - he seemed so laid-back. Once on stage though, he proved me dead wrong. Nate can bust out with the best of them. I overheard a Gene Simmons comparison among the local crowd who may not all have been familiar with Skitzo's legacy or style, but welcomed the opportunity to start a pit once the show got going. Shouts of ,"Do some Gwar," between sets was met with, "we don't know any Gwar songs offhand, but..." Skitzo did a monstrous cover of Blue Oyster Cult's "Godzilla" eventually towards the end of their set.

I was stunned by the precision of Skitzo on all fronts. They displayed a remarkable ability to forge speed and thrash with elements of punk, some progressive pieces and even some stoner doom at times for a change of pace. Standout tunes included "Stab Her Goodnight," "Breeding the Disease," "We Are The Dead," "Crimson Executioner," "Gag Like a Maggot" and "Iron Fist," all of which blew the doors off. "The Tune Wasteland" (circa 1985) was a return to their epic roots. I hope to hear more of this type of old-school material from them live.

It's so easy for speed metal musicians to sound like they are coming from different directions. Skitzo hits the target like seasoned professionals: under control, delivering a walloping earful that sends us back to an era when metal was thrash. No posers allowed.

It doesn't get much better than "Curse of the Phoenix" for a signature tune. This could very well become a classic for them. It defines thrash and in many ways, defines the band.

The following is an interview I did with the band prior to the show at Chris' Club.

For people who are unfamiliar with Skitzo, tell us how the band came to be - what it's all about.

Lance: Around 25 years ago, around 1981, a bunch of us got together in Healdsburg, California and decided to call our band Venom if you can believe it. We had to change that pretty quick for obvious reasons. Skitzo came to mind and we set out to be a thrash band right from the start.

How was the band received by the Bay Area metal community, which at that time, thrash was very popular?

Lance: We were a part of the Bay Area metal community. We were partying and doing shows. Though I think we scared some people away because of the puking.

Maybe this is a good time to ask - what's with the puking?

Lance: It's a stunt I have done at the end of shows. It's sort of our trademark so people know us and remember us. It's just an added bonus.

Do you think that it got in the way of being recognized for your musical efforts?

Lance: Yeah, I mean we were friends with those guys, Paul Baloff and Exodus, Blind Illusion and later on Defiance, Possessed, Death Angel... but I always felt the puking was what kept those bands from asking us to go on tour with them or promoting us when they got record deals. It was never stated to us that's what it was, but that's the conclusion we drew. No one ever took us under their wing, dammit.

Do you think maybe being so far north in the Healdsburg area may have kept you guys sort of out of the Bay Area thrash spotlight?

Lance: I don't think so because we were down here playing shows. It's not like no one knew us. We actually played at James Hetfield's 26th birthday party. This was our scene as much as anyone's at the time.

Did you have any releases - I guess this would have been vinyl or cassette in the 80's?

Lance: Yeah, we did, but unfortunately, for various reasons, it never had the distribution it needed and they became out of print rarities. Every now and then I'll see one of our records selling on eBay for upwards of $100 or even $200.

Any plans for re-issuing any of your material?

Lance: We have a lot of our stuff available, but unfortunately, much of the real old material is gone. There's actually a live recording, probably one of the best shows we've ever done. It was us, Spastic Children, Metallica, Blind Illusion and Vio-Lence. I've tried to get in touch with the owner of the recording, but I was told it was sold to some guy in Europe.

So there's a piece of Skitzo history missing.

Lance: Oh yeah - for all those other bands too. This was a compilation album called Eastern Front II.

What year was this?

Lance: 1987, recorded at Turk Street Studios where a guy got stabbed out front. Paul Baloff screamed out, "Kill that poser and bring his dead body up here on stage." Someone actually went out and stabbed a guy in the neck. It was a guy with a Motley Crue type hairstyle. I don't know if he died or not, but someone cut him just because of his hairstyle.

I want to ask you guys about your opinion on the state of heavy metal today. Why do think metal has struggled in the 90's?

Nate: Nu-metal crap.

Noah: I also think the popularization of dance music culture. It seems you have more DJs than bands now.

What's your opinion as to why hardcore is more popular than old-school metal right now?

Nate: Hardcore is about the kids. It's all about brotherhood.

Lance: Which is really what thrash was all about in the 80's - unity, anger...

It's a way for kids to identify with each other.

Lance: That's a good analogy.

Nate: Thrash metal these days is kind of the loner.

Lance: The red headed step-child.

Noah: But that's ok because there's some seriously strong metal coming out these days too that's flying under the radar. It's all based on taste, but if you follow metal, you can find something you like. For me, it would be Strapping Young Lad and Mastodon which are technically phenomenal bands. If you're into old-school Sabbath type metal, High on Fire is the band to listen to. Good stuff.

What are some of your bigger musical influences who maybe have helped keep you going all these years in writing, recording and playing live?

Nate: Motorhead. I just look at a 60 year old man up there still doing it and think, if he can still do it then I can still do it.

Lance: Yeah, Motorhead would be up there.

Noah: Classic Slayer and Pantera holds up for me.

Have you guys ever toured nationally or internationally?

Lance: Off and on, yes. We didn't have tour buses though. We had trailers. It was all do-it-yourself type stuff.

Noah: Most recently we did the Angry White Male Tour in 2001.

Nate: ...and in the 80's we toured with Crumbsuckers.

Lance: Yeah, we stick to the West Coast these days unless we get picked up by a label or get some sort of deal.

Cool. So, anything you want to add or say to the metal community?

Nate: Skitzo's a band you may have never heard of, but it's been there since day one and we're still doing it.

Noah: As far as rep goes, Skitzo is more known for its stage act with the vomiting, but we'd really like to be known more for our music. We're a killer thrash band. We're solid so give us a listen.

I've noticed Myspace is your primary web page. Any plans to do a Skitzo web site with more music and details on your accomplishments and releases?

Nate: We're having web issues right now, but we'll have that covered soon enough.

Cool, well thanks a lot for your time.

Lance: Hell yeah.

For more information on Skitzo, check out their web site: http://www.myspace.com/skitzo667