Interview: Jason Decay (Cauldron)

I was recently at a Goat Horn show and crossed paths with their main man Jason Decay. Jason also happens to be the bassist and vocalist for one of my favorite up and coming bands: Cauldron.

Cauldron are a heavy metal band hailing from Toronto. They are signed to Earache Records and have two studio albums released: Chained to the Nite and Burning Fortune.

Back to Jason Decay, he was nice enough for a little Q & A, so I suggest you make the jump for see what was discussed!

Dose Of Metal: First of all, thanks for accepting the interview! Besides releasing ‘Burning Fortune’ earlier in the year, what else have you been up to?

Jason Decay: We did a short tour on the US/Canada east coast when the record came out, shot a video for All or Nothing, did a North American tour in April/May with Holy Grail and a handful of regional shows with Volture at the end of June. Since then we’ve been working on new stuff, getting ready to do some more shows in September, and I was busy getting back into shape with the Goat Horn guys for a couple shows last month.

DoM: We met for approximately ten seconds in the crowd at the Blind Guardian show last fall, because I was hanging out with a great guy that you’re also good friends with. Do you remember that? Probably not!

JD: Who, Kevin? No, can’t say I really remember, sorry. I spent most of that show emptying out Holy Grail‘s beer fridge backstage.

DoM: Would you say Burning Fortune was a natural evolution for the band? I honestly think it’s a step up from your impressive debut album, Chained to the Nite. What I love most about Burning Fortune is that the melodies really stand out on this record, especially on a song like Miss You to Death. Agree?

JD: Yes, we had a little more time to work on that stuff this time around. We knew what we rushed or did wrong on Chained to the Nite, and we paid attention to trying to fix that with Burning Fortune, and I think we achieved it 80%; there’s still 20% to go on the next record…

DoM: How did you end up with Burning Fortune as the title and is there a concept about the cover art? Is it the same chick from Chained to the Nite?

JD: Yes, it’s the same chick, but that wasn’t intentional, it just turned out that way. We came up with the title from me and Ian throwing ideas back and fourth until we found something we agreed upon. Then we came up with a couple different ideas for a painted cover. We pitched it to Earache and one of the artists we were interested in using and they didn’t really seem to like it so they went and contacted our friend Phil from Chromium Dioxide mag (behind our backs) and asked him to help us come up with something for the cover. So he came over one night with this sketch that would end up being the concept for the cover picture and we loved it. It summed up what we were going for. There’s no way a band like us should be living like the front and back cover photos suggest, hence “Burning Fortune.” And it cost a small fortune to shoot the covers too!

DoM: How did Chris get on board for Burning Fortune? Were you guys buddies with him in his Aggressor days?

JD: We always had drummer issues so we’ve always been on the lookout for drummers. I remember seeing Chris play with Aggressor years ago when they were opening for us in Ottawa and thought he was pretty good. Next time we had a drummer fly the coup I asked him if he was interested in trying out but he was still in high school and wanted to finish that first. Next time we had a drummer fuck off I asked him again (he had just finished school) and he came down and tried out and he’s been with us ever since.

DoM: You are clearly an 80s metalhead. Have you always been a metalhead since you started listening to music, or was there a time you listened to bands that are clearly a joke to you today?

JD: No, its the teens now dude, get with the times! Some of my earliest memories of music are dancing in front of my parents stereo to Cory Heart and John Cougar Militarycamp. But it wasn’t until my neighbour introduced me to AC/CD, Def Leppard and Metallica in that late 80s that I was really drawn into music.

DoM: Do you get pissed if someone decides to download your albums, or do you not mind if someone downloads your material, ends up paying to get in a Cauldron show and also ends up buying something at the merch table?

JD: No, I don’t care what others do, if they’re content just having audio files on their computer, then good for them. If I like a record I prefer to own a hard copy and be able to set it on the turntable and check out the sleeve and artwork. Actually most people I know are like that, but we’re a bit older and weren’t brought up downloading shit. Either way, as long a someone’s able to hear the band and decide weather they like it or not is fine with me.

DoM: How did you guys end up signing with Earache records?

JD: They emailed us and asked what we were up to… It took a while, but we worked out a deal.

DoM: Do you think you’ll ever release a wimpy ballad or two down the road? Don’t get me wrong, I love headbanging to a song like Rapid City and I’m aware you guys have a few emotional type songs like Tears Have Come , but I have also have a soft spot for “good” metal ballads as well. Nothing is wrong with enjoying a wimpy metal ballad, right?

JD: As long as what your listening to does it for you. If we’re going to write one I guess we’ve written it already, its up to the listener.

DoM: You recently reunited Goat Horn for two shows, one in Montreal a few weeks back and last week in Toronto. Why after five years did you decide to put on these shows? For the money? For the hardcore Goat Horn fans? Both? Also, could we see another Goat Horn album in the future?

JD: We did the shows for many reasons including money, fans, ourselves and because Cauldron didn’t have tours this summer. Also War on Music re-issuing Storming the Gates had something to do with it. Just a bunch of things lined up and made it work out. I don’t see another Goat Horn album though, at least not for a long time. Another Goat Horn record would just sound like a new Cauldron record anyway, which is basically the reverse of how Cauldron started.

DoM: Enforcer, Holy Grail and White Wizzard. These are bands are playing a similar style of music. I don’t see it, but I’d be interested in a “classic metal revival” trend to happen. Is that something you’d like, or would a trend like that just annoy you?

JD: I don’t care what happens. I used to, but now I don’t. If that trend was going to happen I think it already has. I mean, where were these bands 5 years ago? I think the trend has happened, and it’s good. Its better than not having it around. Its better than Machine Head.

Favorites:

DoM: Canadian metal album of all time?

JD: Probably Call of the Wild by Lee Aaron, if that’s heavy enough to be metal. Otherwise there’s a bunch, like Long Live the Loud by Exciter, Forward to Termination by Sacrifice, Signals by Rush, Heart of Steel by Reckless, Stand Tall by Killer Dwarfs, Only the Strong by Thor

DoM: City to play in besides Toronto?

JD: Anywhere on the west coast. Portland, Vancouver and Edmonton come to mind.

Least favorites:

DoM: -About being on the road?

JD: Lack of sleep and decent food.

DoM: Metal album you listened to over the last ten years?

JD: Any chest beating, camo short wearing wigger shit from the states that claims to be “Metal”.