Started as a solo outlet for Stu Folsom’s Alt-Country / Punk compositions a few years ago, SpiritWorld caught the heavy music world by storm recently with a complete 180, throwing to our faces one of the most punishing Hardcore/Metal release of late. A combinaison of bone crushing riffs, soaring leads and ruthless drums, Pagan Rhythms is rooted in groove and aggression, the bastard child of Obituary and Slayer, raised on a healthy dose of Cleveland HC by Max Cavalera. TTL has nothing but love for the Clevo sound so it’s no surprise that Pagan Rhythms got us in the mood to destroy whatever in sight, in our living rooms.
We contacted the band’s mastermind, Stu Folsom, minutes after the onslaught of the last track ended. People, this is what a contender for album of the year sounds like.
Name five songs that you consider “perfect songs” and explain why or what they mean to you.
I love all these songs.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – Thunder Road
SAM COOKE – A Change is Gonna Come
SLAYER – Angel of Death
LORETTA LYNN – Coal Miner’s Daughter
ROLLING STONES – Beast of Burden
Which music genre do you listen to the most? List your five favorite albums in that genre.
I go on pretty gnarly genre benders so it depends on what day you ask me. I’ve been listening to a lot of Country lately. Here are some great records to check out.
THE COUNTRY SIDE OF HARMONICA SAM – Broken Bottle, Broken Hearts
STEVE EARLE – Live from Austin, TX ‘86
LUCINDA WILLIAMS – Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
PATSY CLINE – Live at the Grand ol’ Opry
WAYNE HANCOCK – Thunderstorms & Neon Signs
Your five favorite rappers of all time?
TUPAC
NAS
ICE-T
WU-TANG CLAN
EMINEM
What’s the album you’ve listened to the most in your life? Do you still listen to it?
These are tough questions! BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – Nebraska. Yes.
Five heaviest riffs of all time?
SLAYER – Angel of Death
MACHINE HEAD – Davidian
PANTERA – Domination
BLOOD FOR BLOOD – Soulless
MERAUDER – Life is Pain
What are some of your favorite song lyrics? Lyrics that have been important to you or that had an impact on you?
BOB DYLAN – Tangled Up in Blue
“She was married when we first met
Soon to be divorced
I helped her out of a jam I guess
But I used a little too much force
We drove that car as far as we could
Abandoned it out west
Split up on a dark sad night
Both agreeing it was best
She turned around to look at me
As I was walkin’ away
I heard her say over my shoulder
We’ll meet again some day”
Do you have an absolute all time favorite band or musical artist? What makes them so special to you?
Old 97’s. I don’t know, they are just the fucking best!. Jen and I both love this band, listen to every record and go to every show we can.
What are your ten favourite albums of all time (all genres)?
These are probably the ten albums I’ve listened to more than anything else.
JOHNNY CASH – Unchained
SLAYER – Reign in Blood
COCK SPARRER – Shock Troops
AVAIL – Over the James
DWIGHT YOAKAM – Guitars, Cadillacs, etc., etc
OLD 97’S – Too Far to Care
DEATH THREAT – Peace & Security
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – Nebraska
7 SECONDS – The Crew
MISFITS – Walk Among Us
Do you remember the first time music had an impact on you?
I remember being really little and playing an old ELVIS PRESLEY 45 of Jailhouse Rock over and over and over. I remember having a total freakout listening to CHUCK BERRY when I was little too.
What were you listening to in elementary school? then in high school? How much of that music is still a part of your playlists today? How have your musical tastes evolved since?
My days of listening to top 40 radio were pretty short lived. I remember hearing that It Takes Two jam and loving it. The first time in elementary school I got to actually buy a tape, I’m pretty sure I bought a copy of METALLICA – Master of Puppets. By the time I was in junior high I had a tape of Reign in Blood, ICE-T, DANZIG, WHITE ZOMBIE, etc. All the CASH records were coming out on American and those had a huge impact on me too. By high school I was fully immersed in Punk Rock and Hardcore.
I’ve always liked fast and loud Rock And Roll. I came around way later to liking Pop and Electronic music. I can usually find something to enjoy in just about anything.
What beloved music do you share with your parents? Any specifics memories?
Country music. I’ll still go and take my parents to see a cool Country band when we can. We have went and seen TURNPIKE TROUBADOURS and WAYNE HANCOCK in the last few years. So that is always super cool.
What are some of the most memorable shows you’ve ever seen? What makes them stand out?
I have a terrible memory but I saw AVAIL play their reunion show in Richmond last year, that was pretty magical. I took Jen to see the Turnpike Troubadours at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa. That was incredible. I saw SICK OF IT ALL and it was the single most incredible thing I had ever seen live. Their energy and blending of Punk Rock, Hardcore and Metal were the singular reason that I fell into the abyss of Hardcore Punk and have never wanted to leave.
Is there any band that you’ve always wanted to see live but never had the chance to catch them? Any classic show that you wish you could have experienced?
I want to see the MICHIGAN RATTLERS! My friends tried to get me to go see The KILLERS when they were first starting out a few times and playing bars in Las Vegas and I never went for some reason.
What music or artist has been the most influential to you as a songwriter? Do you change what you listen to when you write music? Do you have a go-to record that you use for inspiration? How have these influences changed over the course of your songwriting career?
That’s a really tough question too, damn! Riff wise for heavy stuff, I definitely dig up the classics and will listen to like twenty albums and dissect them while I’m working out or driving. I think I do that pretty much all the time nowadays, and then when I sit down and work on a song I will aim for how a certain band made me feel. I never learned how to play guitar for real, so I think I am lucky in a way, because I can never learn to play other peoples songs correctly. So even when I am apeing somebody it usually ends up going somewhere else.
What is the most impressive band you’ve toured with? The one that you just had to watch every night? Did you learn anything from them/by watching them?
I remember watching BIOHAZARD play a show in front of like 5,000 people in Germany and sitting on the side of the stage watching Billy and just being like oh my fucking god what a great band. I learned that I better step my fucking game up if I ever want to hold my own against some shit like that!
What are some of your all-time favorite music books and/or zines, documentaries, biopics?
I just read a really cool book on the history of LA Punk by John Doe and Tom Desavia.
Is there any classic / universally acclaimed artist 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?
Fuck. So many. Like I said earlier, I came back around on a lot of popular music as I got into my twenties and thirties, so stuff like STEELY DAN that has been hugely influential in my songwriting process, Motown stuff, a lot of the Muscle Shoals records and the fucking BEATLES have all been things that I either never really heard or turned my nose up at some point and have fallen in love with. I remember the first time I heard OBITUARY, it was so hard I just couldn’t even process it. Now I can’t imagine a life without Obituary.
Do you have an artist that you love in a genre that you don’t usually listen to? What makes them stand out?
I have been obsessed with the new AWOLNATION album. That has been my cooking dinner vibe lately. So fucking good. I can play that thing back to back to back.
Do you have any unpopular music opinion that you would like to defend? Something that you love and yet can hardly find anyone to agree on how great it is?
Yeah, as a matter of fact I do. I love PUP. Every song, every record. I don’t know why but everybody I hang out with is still sleeping on the PUPs. I’m not crazy. PUP is the best Punk band right now and one day all my peeps will be screaming along with me, and I will take the high road and bask in the glory of the sing a long. I won’t even hit them with a well deserved told you so!
Can you think of a band or artist that put out only one fantastic release (album, EP or demo) and then disbanded? One that you really wish would have kept going?
ALONE IN A CROWD!
What albums have been on heavy rotation lately?
AWOLNATION – Angel Miners & The Lightning Riders, The new HUNDREDTH record, SPIRITWORLD – The Heretic Butcher Demos, ANGEL DU$T – Lil House, OLD 97’S – Twelfth, COLTER WALL – Western Swing & Waltzes
What are some up and coming artists that you would recommend?
Las Vegas has a bunch of really rad bands out right now. Go check out our friends in WORLD TENSION, BE LIKE MAX, THE RHYOLITE SOUND, DREDGE, WRISTMEETRAZOR, THE DELTA BOMBERS, MISDIRECTION
Is there a band that you’ve discovered live recently that blew you away?
JOSHUA RAY WALKER
What are you listening to right now, while answering these questions?
Wristmeetrazor
Final thoughts?
Go check out our new record, SpiritWorld – Pagan Rhythms. The vinyl pressing will be announced soon and will come out with a collection of short stories I wrote.
Be kind to each other. The world is extra fucked right now, so maybe be extra cool to people. If you live in the USA get out and vote.
Instagram – @spiritworldprophet
Hate mail & Love letters – spiritworldprophet@gmail.com
spiritworldprophet@bandcamp.com
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