The following is an interview with James “Jimbob” Isaac, guitarist and vocalist with the UK band Taint.  I first heard of these guys a few months back when a prominent reviewer in Terrorizer wrote about how great their new CD was.  It was a long wait, but now that Secrets and Lies is finally out in the US (on Candlelight), I can tell you firsthand that said reviewer was not exaggerating.  This is one badass CD.  Musically, Taint’s sound will appeal most to fans of bands like Clutch, Baroness, and Kylesa, all of whom by the way are mentioned by Jimbob in this interview.  But whatever your tastes, it’s the grit, energy, and indomitable rawness of the performances on Secrets and Lies that will ultimately win over all unsuspecting listeners who stop to give it a chance.

 

First, is there a lot of excitement right now in the Taint ranks?  There's certainly a lot of buzz about your new CD.

 

Sure, we're all flattered that the album's receiving such great feedback. It's our second international release, so it's most gratifying that Secrets and Lies, along with The Ruin of Nova Roma (2005), is getting such praise.

 

What do you think people are identifying with?

 

I'd like to think that people can hear that we're trying to do something that's honest and true to ourselves. Thus making what we do a bit different from a lot of other bands out there.

 

You guys formed in 1994, right?  That was kind of a down time for metal, and it's only in the last few years that it's really become popular again.  Describe the perseverance it took to stay together through the years and get to the point now where you are enjoying some international acclaim.

 

Yep, our first show was December 21st of '94. I'm not sure if it was a down-time for metal, for me at least, as a lot of my/our core influences came from that time. I think it was a really exciting time for heavy music, when you think about the way that Pantera and Sepultura transformed contemporary metal. It was around '92/'93 that I first started getting into hardcore and other scenes, so we picked up a lot of our core influences from bands like Fudge Tunnel, Clutch, and Helmet. It was a very formative time, and I think it was one of those periods most recently when bands were being truly creative and limitless. So much heavy music these days seems to be based upon an almost nostalgic nod to the past. I'm not denying that there's always reference to what came before, but I think there's a sense of post-modern-pastiche that masquerades as something new at the moment.

 

Part of the reason for the praise being given to the new album seems due in part to the uniqueness of your sound and its varied influences.  But if you had to narrow it down, what bands or artists have been most influential on you as a musician?  Are there certain albums that you grew up with that will always be a part of you?

 

Well, I'd like to think there's some truth in that. We make an effort to write instinctively, and not to limit ourselves to any rigid set of influences. As for life-long inspiration, we'll always hold bands like Led Zeppelin, Sabbath, Metallica, Helmet, Clutch, and Neurosis close to our hearts. In fact, that's an understatement. These bands live in our hearts continuously. If I had to choose albums to take on a desert island, then they'd all come from the bands I've mentioned here.

 

Can you explain the process which determines international release dates for CDs?  I think that Secrets and Lies has been out in Europe since October, but it's only now in February coming to the US.  It can be a little frustrating when you're reading about something in a magazine that you can't buy anywhere.

 

Yeah, it's frustrating for us too to see premature reviews, in the US press for example, and knowing that some impact might be lost in the downtime between them and the domestic release. I'd put it down to the blurred lines of communication between the relevant parties involved, both sides of the pond. It's a shame that political and executive decisions can affect music so much, often for the worse. Still, we're not complaining. We're proud to finally have international distribution and think it's come at the perfect time for us.

 

About the new CD, I'm wondering if there are any particular performances on it that you're especially proud of (like the bonus track)?  Do you think the new CD is better in any certain ways than your previous work?

 

We're proud of the album as a whole and think we did our best performance-wise, considering the limited budget and time given to us for recording. I think Secrets is a step forward in our evolution from the last album, and I'd say it's an even more focused piece of work. The bonus track “I Fulfill I” is an old song that only had limited exposure on our split album with Black Eye Riot, released in 2002. The label that released it wasn't even a label per se, so it was kind of a wasted opportunity. It means a lot to us to have it available for all our new fans and at an international level. We still play it live too, so we feel it's a relevant song to put out there once again.

 

Does the Welsh scene where you're from have any characteristic influence on your sound?

 

I'd say the overall Welsh outlook and cultural identity has an influence on us that I can't even put my finger on. We're as embittered, passionate, and proud as most Welsh-folk, haha! The scene that we came from in the early days was itself very DIY, and a whole cross section of different kinds of bands played together all the time. We did our first show with a local death metal band called Parricide, and then would open for (the legendary stoner/doom band) Acrimony. Everyone would bring bits of equipment and chip in together, so that approach and open-mindedness has stayed with us ever since.  We've never restricted ourselves to any scene or style of music and so have been just as happy to play shows with Cathedral and Clutch as we have with Lost Prophets and My Chemical Romance.

 

How did you hook up with Alex Newport, who recorded Secrets and Lies for you?  Had you admired his previous work?

 

I took the lead and contacted him just as we were ready to record the first full-length. Fudge Tunnel were very important to us, and I always kept myself up to date on his recording activities. The first album that struck me with its sound was Blaze Of Incompetence that Alex did with -(16)-. Such a heavy record. Then I was struck with the more organic/live recordings he did with The Icarus Line and The Mars Volta. That was enough for us, so we dropped him a line. We were unsigned at the time, but he was into what we do and agreed on a reasonable fee that we paid out of our own funds. It's amazing to have a co-conspirator in the shape of one of our heroes, and it's constantly heart-warming to know that he's so into what we do.

 

You self-produced the new album.  Are there any circumstances where you would consider working with an outside producer?  Would there be any specific advantages or disadvantages to doing that?

 

Yes, we like to keep a hands-on approach when in the studio and like to work closely with the engineers. Chris Fielding did a great job engineering Secrets, as did Gethin Woolcock on Roma, so we took a lot of input from them, as well as having the overall idea of how we wanted things to sound. I'm sure we'd think about working with a producer in the future.  We wouldn't like to rule anything out. Hopefully, the pros would outweigh the cons if we were ever to follow that idea.

 

What's the lowdown on the cover artwork for the new album?  Is there some special significance to it?   When I first saw it, I thought maybe it was a picture of the band.

 

The cover is a theatrically-inspired piece of satire which is intended to reflect the theme behind the title and some of the lyrics in the album. This was all inspired by the treachery, hierarchy, and overall cut-throat attitudes that I've encountered in my time living in London. It's also a reference to the politics and other distractions that continuously get in the way of good, honest music. The cover is a departure from the Roma artwork, and it was our intention to get really dark with it, although without losing that twist of humour and wryness that I hope we've successfully conveyed. Again, I illustrated it myself, using friends of ours as models and setting up a photo-shoot to get the original image. I then illustrate over and around the image to create the final piece.

 

Of the bands you've played with recently, who were you most impressed with, and why?

 

Well, it's always a pleasure to see Clutch every night on tour, and we learned a lot from them. They're masters of their craft, and their touring operation is much to take a lesson from. Also, our recent shows with Baroness and Kylesa were fun, and it was great to have a mutual appreciated between all of the bands. They're committed road warriors, so again it's great to take what they do on board. 

 

Is there anyone that you are particularly looking forward to playing with?  Aren't Celtic Frost and Isis on the horizon for you?

 

Sure, we're looking forward to our UK dates with our brothers Art Of Burning Water, as well as heading to Europe with Ken Mode from Canada. I have a feeling they're going to blow me away in the live setting. Yep, joining Isis and Celtic Frost at this year's Roadburn fest will also be killer. We opened for Isis before, so we know what to expect from them. Frost, on the other hand, will be a new and dark experience I think. We're definitely proud to be included on the bill with such great bands as these, and we've just heard that Down have been added to bill also. Sharing the stage with them will be equally exciting and interesting as we grew up with those guys' music and can definitely put their bands down as fundamental influences for Taint.

 

Are there any US tour plans in the works?

 

We're really hoping to come over this year. All the bands we play with suggest that we should, so we're in the process of bugging them and hitching a ride with them as we speak. It's time to call in those favours! At the moment, we're gunning to get over there this summer. So fingers crossed that all the logistics and economics involved will work out ok.

 

Do you think that Europe is more important to metal than the US?  Summer festivals, for instance, seem to be a much bigger thing in Europe than they are in the US.  What's different about Europe?

 

Hmmm, I can't really tell if it's more important or not. I'd like to think that good heavy music is important the world over. We've played a few mainland European festivals, and they're always great fun. There are some very committed people over there, that's for sure. From what I gather, it seems you guys have some good stuff happening with the likes of Sounds Of The Underground, SXSW, and other events. You can't beat getting together with people for the sole appreciation of great heavy music. I have fond memories of getting muddy and drunk at Castle Donnington back in '94 with bands like Sepultura destroying the entire field.

  

I think I know where your band name comes from, but I'd like to hear it from you in case I'm wrong.

 

Ok, if you think that “Taint” means to infect, contaminate, corrupt, or spoil, as the dictionary definition states, then you'd be right. If you're talking about the North American slang that pertains to the perineum, then you'd be wrong. We're well aware of the unfortunate clash our name has with your slang term, and we're preparing on-stage retorts for when we play in the States and get faced with the inevitable heckles and goads from the crowd. America, we're ready for you!

 

Haha, good answer!  Now, you have the late Cliff Burton listed among your MySpace friends.  What's that all about?  I'm pretty sure he was dead when MySpace was invented.

 

Cliff is a legend. It's that simple. Repeated viewings of the Cliff 'Em All video are essential, especially in a rocker's formative years. I'd like to think they shaped me pretty well.

 

Did you ever get to see Cliff play live?  I haven't seen much in my life, but I was lucky enough to see him twice when I was young.

 

Alas no, I was just that bit too young to make their show in Cardiff (Wales), St. David's Hall in '86. My friend went, and of course said it was amazing. Cliff is one of my favourite musicians ever, and I still like to try and play “Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)” on my guitar now and again. Good for you, I'd love to have seen him - the major rager, 4-string motherfucker.

 

What's the best concert you've ever seen?  Does the memory of it inspire you in any way when it comes to putting on your own live shows?

 

That's a tough question. I'll go for a concert in the true sense of the word, so will go with Metallica in Birmingham N.E.C, England, '91. That was my first arena show, and as a young metaller I was completely blown away. They played on the diamond stage, with fireworks, multiple mics, and wah pedal set ups, so they could rove around the stage to anywhere they pleased. It was a true spectacle, and it was just after they'd released the Black Album. Personally, it's the last album that I enjoyed by them, so I think I got there just in time. It's an inspiring memory, to be sure. I'd like to think that we reflect the same grit, spit, and passion in our shows, as I remember them putting in to it that night.

 

I want to thank you very much for the interview, and I wish you the best of luck during the coming year.  I hope it's a big one for you!

 

Thanks a lot.  There's been some good questions. Thanks for the support, and we hope to see you all in the States as soon as possible. Cheers.