Domenic Romeo (Integrity, Pulling Teeth, A389 recordings)

Dom Romeo is slowly building one of the most impressive resumes in modern hardcore. After getting started with Day of Mourning out of Toronto, he went on to form the amazingly fun Slumlords with Jeff Perlin of Breakdown fame and then Pulling Teeth, whose legend only seems to grow ever since their break-up. But that was all before finally joining the legendary Integrity, who happen to be my favorite hardcore band ever. It is a true pleasure to finally see him on stage with the band after having talked about them pretty much every time we’ve met over the past 20 years!

Oh, and did I mention that Dom also ran the almighty A389 Recordings (RIP), building a truly remarkable list of alumni? Yeah, impressive is the word. What an honor to have him as the first ever guest on The Thanks List! Enjoy.

– Ben F.

Name five songs that you consider “perfect songs” and explain why or what they mean to you.
DURAN DURAN – Hungry Like The Wolf
I love songs that sound like two totally different songs going back and forth. This is two perfect pop songs intertwined as one.  The catchiness of the verse and the chorus are just undeniable.

BEATLES – Happiness Is A Warm Gun
This song perfectly exemplifies how to disregard a traditional verse / chorus arrangement and end up with something unforgettable.  It sounds like five amazing mini-songs strung together.

TWISTED SISTER – We’re Not Gonna Take It
A timeless anthem.  I loved this song when I was a kid and it still pumps me up as an adult.  I recently showed it to my kids, and they constantly demand it / sing along to every word.  

RANDY UCHIDA GROUP – Deathly Fighter
Such an energetic charge of driving rhythm, memorable vocal melodies and guitar heroics that you don’t even notice the song is being sung in Japanese. 

HAYDEN – Dynamite Walls
Such a calm, beautiful and unpretentious song.  My soundtrack for a quick mental escape any time I need one.

Which music genre do you listen to the most? List your five favorite albums in that genre.
Honestly that’s a tough one I often move from genre to genre a lot.  If we’re going by statistics its definitely going to lean hard on 70s rock / 80’s metal.
AC/DC – Highway To Hell
OZZY OSBOURNE – Blizzard Of Ozz
KISS – Hotter Than Hell
BLACK SABBATH – Born Again
SCORPIONS – Taken By Force

Five greatest hardcore EP’s of all time?
INTEGRITY – Humanity Is the Devil
GISM – Detestation
BREAKDOWN – 87 Demo
AGAINST ALL HOPE – Dry Wall
LEFT FOR DEAD – split w/ Ochre

Your five favorite rappers of all time? Name one song that best exemplifies what makes them great.
ERIC B & RAKIM – Follow The Leader 
It’s such a dark / mystical sounding track. Rakim’s tone / delivery just fit perfectly and his lyrics are always so clever.To me he’s the all- time greatest rapper.  Pure class.

GRAVEDIGGAZ – Nowhere To Run, Nowhere To Hide
I love how menacing this track is especially how abrupt-sounding RZA’s delivery is.  Hard beat and simple backing track creates the perfect amount of tension.  Oh and the video where they’re stalking that guy around the city and the one dude is dressed up as a scarecrow rules…I love it.

ICE T – Midnight
Yeahhh big show to-night.  Ice T is a great lyricist / storyteller and his delivery is always top-notch.  Hearing him rap over the main riff in ‘Black Sabbath’ is definitely one of my favorite moments in rap history.

LL COOL J – I’m Bad
For the time it was a pretty hard backing track and it still holds up to this day.  LL sounds like he has something to prove and he totally shines on this album / especially this track.  Lyrics feature such fantastic bragging that even Joshy Brettell would stop and  do a double take.

COUNT D – Robbin’ Da Blood Bank
Last but not least we have The Count (of Mighty Sphincter fame) and his weird and awesome goth / vampire rap album.  Listening to it makes me imagine a horde of vampires crammed into an SUV blasting this track while driving to the club to drink blood and hit on chicks.  ‘The big bat is back….Yo betta watch Yo stack!’

Five hardest riffs of all time?
OBITUARY – I’m In Pain
Might be my favorite heavy intro to a song ever.  First 45 seconds on repeat…that solo!

INTEGRITY – Incarnate 365
This totally changed my life first time I heard it. First minute and a half…wow

PANTERA – A New Level
First 30 seconds are like a jackhammer pounding your head.  Especially when Vinnie Paul takes it down to the ride cymbal.

CRO-MAGS – Down But Not Out
At approximately 2:42 seconds when the song switches gears and that surprise mosh part comes in.  You are moshing.

STOUT – Ill Omen
This song comes in right off the bat with such a dark and menacing swagger that sets the tone for violence.  Josh Hart is a very underrated craftsman of the most brutal riffs and gems.

What’s the album you’ve listened to the most in your life? Do you still listen to it?
THE BEATLES White Album has been my favorite album since I was old enough to choose my own music.  I still listen to it at least once a month and it hasn’t lost any of its staying power. In fact I still find new things I love about it all the time.

What are some of your favorite song lyrics? Lyrics that have been important to you or that had an impact on you? It could be a specific line or verse, or the general work of a particular lyricist)
I’m a music guy and can tolerate horrible lyrics if the song is great.  But when they lyrics are great it just takes everything to a whole other level.  As I mentioned before, I am a huge fan of HAYDEN’s entire output as a singer / songwriter.  

Do you have a favorite setting or place to listen to music? How does the setting influence the type of music you’ll listen to?
My favorite would be listening to records down in my basement lair where I have my turntable and big 70’s speakers hooked up.  But given the busy nature of life, I’ll take anything I can get: iPod in the car / walking to work whatever. My favorite thing to do when I’m listening to my iPod is just leave it on shuffle so it’s a constant surprise where random ideas arise and inspire.

Do you have an absolute all-time favorite band or musical artist?  What makes them so special to you?
KISS. Hands down.  Best songs / Best show.

What are your ten favourite albums of all time (all genres)? Name a standout track on each of these albums?
BEATLES – White Album
Favorite Track: Happiness Is A Warm Gun
I mentioned it before but this is just perfect mash up of five amazing parts with no regard for conventional song structure.  

AC/DC – Highway To Hell
Favorite Track: Night Prowler
The last song on my favorite AC/DC album just slithers out on such a brooding and sinister blues-rock note.  I still get chills.

HAYDEN – Everything I Long For
Favorite Track: Skates
A super depressing song about a guy buying skates in a department store so he can skate over a lake to look for his wife under the ice because she drowned last summer (neither of them can swim).  If this doesn’t move you, you are soulless.

INTEGRITY – Seasons In The Size Of Days
Favorite Track: Millennial Reign
My all-time favorite Integ track.  So depressing and bleak and when the saddest riff ever hits at approximately 1:32…wow.

KISS – Hotter Than Hell
Favorite Track: Going Blind
Hard to single out a track on this album as I always listen to it from start to finish but I would definitely call this a stand-out track and Gene’s finest moment.

VAN HALEN – Fair Warning
Favorite Track: So This Is Love
I realize this is an odd choice given Van Halen’s incredible catalog but what can I say?  This song just puts me in a really good mood and I love the guitar solo in it.

G.I.S.M. – Military Affairs Neurotic
Favorite Track: Good As It Is
I love everything about this.  The reverbed production, the angelic sweet guitar harmonies and Sakevi’s vicous grunts.

NEDS ATOMIC DUSTBIN – God Fodder
Favorite Track: Grey Cell Green
Two bass players and a knack for super catchy pop songs.  Perfect juxtaposition of sounding downtrodden and hopeful.

BLACK FLAG – In My Head
Favorite Track: It’s All Up To You
My favorite Flag album hands down.  It’s so claustrophobic and unnerving to listen to but it’s crammed with brilliance.  I love the backing vocals on the pre-chorus here. It’s almost Beach Boys style harmonies but way off in the distance as if they’re waking you up from a bad dream.  

BLACK SABBATH – Born Again
Favorite Track: Hot Line
I often take flak from my friends for this being my favorite Sabbath album but I don’t care. Everything from the artwork / photos to the songs are perfect to me.  Just like KISS Hotter than Hell, it’s an album I always listen to from top to bottom and it’s hard to pick one. I’m going with Hot Line because the chorus on this song gets stuck in my head for days every time I listen.

---

Do you remember the first time you really appreciated an album or a song?
That’s tough.  There was always music around / records playing for as long as I can remember so I can’t identify an exact moment. I do remember being mesmerized by THE BEATLES White Album (double 8-track tapes) as a young boy and listening to them repeatedly and imagining the four guys on the label were in the machine playing the songs.

What were you listening to in elementary school?  Then in high school? (Your favorite bands/records back then?) How much of that music is still a part of your playlists today? How have your musical tastes evolved since?
My earliest musical interests were Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Italian artists such as Adriano Celentano and Claudio Villa based on exposure from my family.  From there I evolved into 80’s rock and early rap music which spread into thrash / death metal into alternative which spring-boarded into just diving into any genre /artist and finding stuff I like.  

Keep in mind that all the while I was just adding things to the list.  I liked it all and still do. Most of that music is still in rotation to different extents.  As far as evolution goes, I just continue to explore different deeper pockets of subgenres looking for new thrills.  Thankfully the possibilities are infinite.

What beloved music do you share with your parents and/or children? Any specifics memories?
I try to expose my kids to all kinds of music and encourage an open mind.  If it’s a good song that’s all that matters.
They’ve been watching Yellow Submarine lately which has put them on a serious BEATLES kick, and that has been a lot of fun.  Before that there was a big KISS phase (thanks to the Scooby Doo Meets KISS movie) which ruled. One time driving home from a vacation DEICIDE came on and one of my kids piped up and asked me to change the song because she was scared of the vocals.  That was pretty funny.

For me I fondly remember listening to Italian oldies with my grandparents.  I also remember being an inconsiderate teenager and making my mom listen to CANNIBAL CORPSE Tomb of the Mutilated when she would drive me places.  Sorry mom…not sorry ☺.

Most memorable show you’ve ever seen? What makes it stand out?
I’ve been fortunate enough to see a lot of great shows in my lifetime.  Any time I saw INTEGRITY before I joined of course.

Seeing THOR perform in a weird mafia-run tavern in Scarborough with ten people there was pretty amazing.  SKID ROW / PANTERA / KILLER DWARFS was pretty awesome as a kid…that was my introduction to PANTERA. DAYGLO ABORTIONS at the Generator was one of the few times I felt my life was at risk between the flying bottles and craziness and the patients from the mental hospital across the street who managed to sneak out and wander in.  

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and MEGADETH (circa Art Of Rebellion / Rust In Peace) was a great one.  My best friend and I skipped school and waited all day so we could be the first ones in. We weren’t exactly sure how General Admission worked I guess as we spent most of the day out in the cold by ourselves.  Seeing ST with Rocky George on guitar though, and then MD with Marty Friedman was unforgettable.

As far as what makes them stand out it’s the perfect mix of excitement of experiencing those songs in person by the people who created them (for the most part).  The internet has killed a lot of the mystique. Back then we had to visualize what the show was going to be like based off the imagery in an album or magazine…maybe a video if we were lucky.  From there we’d go into the show not knowing what to expect, and be blown away. It was a magical time for sure.

Do you have any songs that are meaningful to you because you associate them with important events in your life? 
Of course, doesn’t every one?  I prefer keeping those memories to myself though so that they remain untarnished from outside influence.  But I will admit I can never hear The Winner Loses by Body Count without thinking of Joshy Brettell.

What music or artist has been the most influential to you as a songwriter? 
Honestly it’s a giant Frankenstein’s monster built from my favorite parts of everything I’ve ever listened to.  I have an elephant’s memory when it comes to things I like and I just throw ideas into the bag for later. Whenever they decide they are ready to materialize, they come to me and become the seed for a new song.

What is the most impressive band you’ve toured with? The one that you just had to watch every night? 
I’ve always been in bands that usually toured on our own (with a few exceptions) and maybe linked up for a few shows with another band.  I’d have to say either CANDIRIA in the 1990s or BLOODLET. So creative / technically proficient and inspiring. INTEGRITY recently did a short run with BLOODLET and they are probably my favorite band to watch every day and hang out with.  Ultimate boyfriends. In fact Art Legere and I share the same birthday. Some might call that divine intervention.

---

Is there any classic / universally acclaimed artist or that you missed out on when they first came out and discovered way later? Any artist that you didn’t like at first and learned to appreciate over time?
Absolutely.  I appreciate being late to the party with music because it gives me something new to look forward to and be excited about which becomes harder to do as one gets older.  Hearing G.I.S.M. for the first time threw me off…I didn’t know what to make of it, but eventually over time they became a top tier band for me and I’m obsessive about their entire output and related bands.

Funny story when I was in high school and someone told me about WU-TANG CLAN’S Enter The 36 Chambers.  I thought it was such a dumb idea. Kung-Fu rap?! No thanks. I ended up tricking this friend of mine into buying the album just to be an ass.  Goading him on saying ‘Yeah man it’s great you should totally buy it.’ But then when we got home and listened to it that night, I changed my tune and was more like ‘Goddamnit this rules!’ and ended up having to get my own copy haha.

Do you have an artist that you love in a genre that you don’t usually listen to? What makes them stand out?
Ehhh not really.  More-so I just listen for good songs and sincerity or a cool vibe.  It can be any style.

Do you have any controversial/unpopular music related opinions that you would like to defend? 
Let it be known that Michael Bolton has been secretly harboring a hard rocking past that everyone should be made aware of.  Listen to Fools Game and thank me later.

If you could create your dream band (with any musicians, dead or alive), who would play which instrument?
Subject to change daily.  Today I would make a totally weird instrumental super group that combines frantic psychedelic blues guitar with maniac drums and fretless bass because…why not?

Eddie Hazel (FUNKADELIC): Guitar
Uli Jon Roth (SCORPIONS): Guitar
Dave Bland (FULL OF HELL): Drums
Art Legere (BLOODLET): Bass

---

What albums have been on heavy rotation lately?
SADE – Diamond Life
BOB MARLEY – Soul Revolution Part II
NINA SIMONE – Little Girl Blue
MOTORHEAD – 1916
JULIANA HATFIELD – Only Everything
TWISTED SISTER – Stay Hungry

What are some up and coming artists that you would recommend?
I like seeing all of the active A389 alumni continuing to do great things. Most recently NOTHING, IRON REAGAN, HOMEWRECKER, GATECREEPER, ILSA GENOCIDE PACT and FULL OF HELL.  DAGGER MOON from DC sound like an 80’s horror / fantasy movie nightmare, I liked their LP a lot. AMPALLANG INFECTION is a fun band…drum machine-grindcore like early AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED with insane vocals.  Our live guitarist Justin has a great band called ASTHMA CASTLE that’s I’ve heard some describe solely as “Sex”. I think that’s kind of a weird way to describe music that isn’t SADE, so I’m going to go with heavy…very heavy AMARITE?

My wife has a yet to be named band with ex PALA/BEACHMOVER dudes that I get to hear practice weekly.  They have an awesome DINOSAUR JR / SMASHING PUMPKINS vibe going on. They have four songs and will hopefully be playing shows soon.

Also Kuhns (of PULLING TEETH fame) has been cranking out a bunch of Eps under the name STATE DRUGS that is just straight up catchy radio rock / pop like GIN BLOSSOMS meets JAWBREAKER.  Speaking of ex PT, Mitchy has a great crust band called NEOLITHIC as well. Look them both up on Spotify.

Is there a band that you’ve discovered live recently that blew you away?
I don’t even pretend to be in tune with what’s going on anymore.  I did see a band called SANCTION play in Montreal with INTEG and they were absolutely crushing.  Definitely pumped me up. I like DEVIL MASTER a lot too….spooky metalpunk. I think JESUS PIECE is awesome as well…super heavy.

What are you listening to right now, while answering these questions?
Honestly the rap questions made me break out the COUNT D album.  Once again the big bat is….BACK!!!

Final thoughts?
INTEGRITY has a new split LP out with KRIEG. Our side features two new songs and two covers (GISM and VERMAPYRE).  We’re currently working on writing the next INTEGRITY full-length LP. Stay tuned / more to come.

---