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 LIZZY BORDEN has spent nearly 25 years creating some of the most
theatrical metal in existence and in the process has become nothing
short of a metal icon. Releasing classics such as “Love You to Pieces”
(1985) and “Master of Disguise” (1989) and obliterating audiences
worldwide with a stage show that rivals that of MARILYIN MANSON and
ALICE COOPER.
With the new album 'Appointment With Death' out now, Komodo Rock took the opportunity to catch up with Lizzy to find out more.
Komodo Rock: Your back with your first album in almost 8 years with
'Appointment With Death'. Why was there such a break between releases?
LB: We we’re working. We recorded a Lizzy Borden
record that took a year and a half that we never released. We recorded
two Starwood records, one that has been released and one that will be
released next year. We toured a bit in between all of that, and spent
a good amount of time
Working on and recording Appointment with death.
KR: 'Appointment With Death' is a concept album. Could you tell us a little more about the idea behind it?
LB: Each song is a story within a story, the
connecting line is death. I still try and write songs where the reader
ultimately connects the dots, Identifying and creating with their own
imagination what it means to them. I think that’s the definition of
true art and that is my goal.
I call them theme records, the theme this time around that I chose to write about was death.
The death of life... The death of love... The desire for finality...
Mass extinction... Remembrance of the dead, as well as the celebration
of it.
I tried to embrace this theme from all directions.
KR: Would you take us through some of the important tracks on the album?
 LB:
If I don’t view them all as important then what do I have? I don’t like
to reveal what my lyrics are about in detail because then there would
be no reason to read them. I like people to search through the lyrics
on their own and find out what the story is about, let them use their
own imagination. Appointment With Death is a record about facing the
reality that we all will be having a conversation with the Angel of
Death at some point in our lives.
KR: What inspired you to write a concept album?
LB: Every Lizzy Borden record is a theme oriented
record, so, I’ve done that from the beginning. what we tried to do
with this record was make a traditional Lizzy Borden record, that meant
going back to 1983 all the way to 2000 and try and encompass years of
making music and weave that into the music that were making now. I
think we succeeded; there are 11 songs on the record and to me each
song could very well have gone on different records from the past and
that’s what we wanted.
KR: How different is the writing process for a concept album compared to a more conventional release?
LB: I don’t know, I’ve always done it this way.
KR: What do you hope listeners will take away from the album after listening to it?
LB: I hope they’re entertained by it, I hope they
find something in the lyrics they can identify with. I hope the music
moves them in some way.
KR: With 'Appointment With Death' you have managed to assemble a
plethora of renowned musicians to guest on the album, George Lynch and
Dave Meniketti being two of them. How did those collaborations come
about?
LB: We decided to invite some of our friends to
come and play on the record, some came into the studio and some did it
at their own studios. Their contribution is insurmountable. Everybody
that played on this record whether a guest or in the band added a piece
of the puzzle, and now looking back if you take any one person away
from this album it becomes less great, I guess that’s how you measure
their contribution.
KR: You've announced that you filmed a video for 'Tomorrow Never Comes'
from the album. Can you tell us a little more about the idea behind the
video?
LB: The video shoot was filmed in an abandoned
hospital in downtown Los Angeles. It’s about a girl trying to escape
the mental ward. There are lots of unanswered questions about this girl
and if we continue with the storyline in the next video those questions
may be answered, or again we may leave it to your own imagination. But
the girl in the video represents one of the characters on the record.
The
meaning behind the lyrics in a nutshell is, do it today because there
might not be a tomorrow. The video is about a girl locked in this
insane asylum trying to get out; every day is the same and every day
she is just stuck in this hospital and for her, tomorrow never comes.
For me, the asylum is a metaphor for life and she’s stuck in the
revolving door searching for a way out.
KR: How did the shoot go?
LB: Long!
KR: Why did you choose to work with Kevin McVey on the video?
LB: I liked one of his other videos by a band I
can’t remember at the moment, he also wrote a really good treatment for
the video.
KR: You announced that you would tour with a show based around the new
album. Are you going to be playing the album in it's entirety?
LB: No, but we will play a lot of it, at least 50/50 with the older stuff.
KR: Any news on when the tour will happen, and any plans to come to Europe and the UK?
 B:
We are doing Sweden Rock and the Bang Your Head festivals so far. We
are in the midst of booking many shows around the world. We plan on
doing a lot of touring for Appointment With Death.
KR: You appeared in the documentary ³The Decline of Western
Civilization Part 2: The Metal Years² in the late 80's. How did that
come about, and what do you feel about the documentary looking back on
it?
LB: I’m proud to be in one of the only documented
movies about a musical movement that changed the world. It all started
in Hollywood and I was there at the beginning and watched it turn into
the monster. And some of that is in that movie and that’s the only
thing that we have that documents that time in that place that I know
of.
KR: With the bands career stretching back to 1983, how have you seen the music industry change over the years?
LB: We’ll it’s very difficult to sell records now
that everyone pretty much gets it for free. But some things have
changed in a good way, like the recording process, it’s a lot more fun
and not so rushed.
KR: Have you found the internet to be a useful tool, with profiles on myspace for example?
LB: Yes, it’s a direct connection with the fans,
they tell us what they like and it’s the kind of feedback that you
never get anywhere else, I love it!
KR: What has been the biggest highlight of your career?
LB: Playing the Reading Festival with Alice
Cooper, 50,000 people. Playing Bang Your Head and the Waken
festivals. Putting out what people are saying is our best record 25
years in.
KR: And the lowest point?
LB: The death of my friend and guitar player Alex Nelson.
KR: Who do you rate as the best up and coming rock band out there right now?
LB: I don’t know who the best is but recently I
have been listening to avenged sevenfold, my chemical Romance, as I lay
dying and Trivium. They all have things I like about them.
KR: Can you give our readers links to any important Lizzy Borden websites?
LB: www.Lizzyborden.com myspace.com/lizzybordenband
KR: A big thank you for taking the time to talk with us.
LB: Please download all you want but at least buy
one copy of Appointment with death to support the band and metal.
Thanks and see you on the appointment with death tour, and yes, oh yes,
there will be blood.
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