Mark Hensch of Thrashpit.com: Happy Easter Frank! It is a real pleasure to talk with you today as The Core is one of the best albums I have heard in a year full of strong releases thus far.

Frank Stroehmer (guitars): Thanks man, I appreciate it. I take that as a big compliment.

Thrashpit.com: I read somewhere that your name is a Yiddish word meaning "shapeless mass." How did you guys land on this name and how well has it worked out for you thus far?

Frank: The name is originally derived from the Yiddish word "Goylem." The way it is spelled in the way we use it comes from the character Gollum in The Lord of the Rings. We did not think much of using it when we first thought it up as we formed in 1998 and at the time we thought it was a real obscure, dark and mysterious name. I had originally heard the name from Robert Plant in the Led Zeppelin song "Ramble On" when he made reference to Gollum in his lyrics. We thought that was pretty cool. We soon realized that the name came from the Tolkien books when the Peter Jackson movies elevated the character into the mainstream. We are really kind of associated with those due to that fact but we are more attached to the original etymology of the word, which again is the Yiddish word for "shapeless mass." It fits with out music as even though we are a metal band we are not contained in any kind of boundary. We are always experimenting and pushing the envelope. That is how I feel the name "Gollum" fits with my band.

Thrashpit.com: It is extremely difficult placing your band into any one genre or category of metal. How would you describe yourselves to someone who has never heard you before?

Frank: I would say we are a progressive/experimental metal band. We are not afraid to try something different and we are not confined to the verse-chorus-verse structure. We like to be very dynamic, progressive, and experimental. We have never been afraid to explore.

Thrashpit.com: As a region, the American South is often credited with producing a very distinct brand of metal. Do you see Gollum as fitting into this tradition or is it something else entirely?

Frank: Honestly I feel like we are more on our own. We do fit with a lot of those kinds of bands – mainly sludge bands – but a lot of venues and clubs have trouble fitting us perfectly in a bill with other bands. That aspect makes things a little disadvantageous but at the same time whenever we play with standard metal, metalcore or hardcore groups we really stick out and that helps. For the most part it works towards our advantage unless we play to a narrow-minded group of kids, usually hardcore or metalcore fans. We do not turn on to those kinds of kids too much I think. We are definitely for more open-minded and/or musically-inclined people.

Thrashpit.com: Have you guys ever played a show where you know no matter what people are going to be close-minded like that?

Frank: For the most part people we play for are very receptive and we are very well-received. We have been in certain areas or played in specific crowds however where we are placed with other bands that all sound the same I guess. There are like three metalcore or hardcore bands and us and on nights like those the kids are definitely there just to see and hear hardcore or metalcore. It is like we really do not fit the mold. It does seem like there is a lot of that out there.

Thrashpit.com: Let's talk about your latest full-length record. What is the significance of the title The Core?

Frank: The title The Core refers to the purest form of what is inside you. It is like The Core of all things, that thing which moving forward keeps you centered. That is what we are referring to as far as the album title.

Thrashpit.com: This is your guys' first record since 2004's Lesser Traveled Waters. How have you guys changed in the five years since that album?

Frank: Lesser Traveled Waters was indeed our 2004 independent release. It got a lot of good reviews and was generally well-received. We did not, however, have the backing of it like we do with our current Rotten Records deal for The Core. We are definitely going to push that as far as we can. 

We have changed as far as adding vocals to the music. We have always stayed true to our song-writing style and I think we have grown and evolved since then. We have constantly tried appealing to more people while staying true to our own music.

Thrashpit.com: The album is loaded with guest appearances such as Scott Angelacos of Hope and Suicide, Randy Blythe of Lamb of God and Dixie Collins of Weedeater amongst others. How did you court so many recognizable names and what is their connection to Gollum?

Frank: Well, Randy Blythe from Lamb of God's mother actually lives here right in Wilmington so we met him years ago before Lamb of God blew up and anyone knew who they were. We befriended them going to shows when they were still kind of obscure. Every time he comes into town he looks us up and we would hang out while he was visiting his mom. We got to be good friends and he has always been a fan of our music, always willing to help us out and lend his voice to any guest songs. He has been on both Lesser Traveled Waters and the current album. 

As far as Dixie from Weedeater goes, Weedeater is from Wilmington as well so we have been friends with them for a long time. We have played countless shows together and we hang out regularly. 

Scott Angelacos from Hope and Suicide is formerly of Bloodlet if you are familiar with them. A lot of people know about Bloodlet from back in the day and like Weedeater we have played lots of shows with them. We just have a lot of friends I suppose (laughs).

Thrashpit.com: Nothing wrong with that (laughs). The artwork for The Core seems to me simultaneously gritty and sickly neon in color. Who drew it and how do you think it turned out?

Frank: I am really glad you asked about that! The cover art was done by world-famous tattoo artist Martin LaCasse. He was good friends with our former drummer Hunter and before Hunter passed away he had had conversations with Martin about doing the album cover. We had a talk with Martin after Hunter passed and he was more than willing and happy to help us out. I think it turned out great and Martin is a fantastic tattoo artist. I love the design. If you look at it closely it is like a hand coming from the very core of the Earth, and from that perspective, I think it turned out wonderful.

Thrashpit.com: I struggled with bringing this up at all, but I cannot help thinking that a big part of Gollum came from this event. What can you say about former Gollum drummer Hunter Holland (who passed away from a heart attack in 2008)?

Frank: Hunter was very intelligent, probably one of the smartest people I have ever known. He was also a beast on the drums, probably one of the best drummers anyone has ever seen or played with in this band. He has definitely inspired us and left a lot of himself in this band. He is definitely not gone.

Thrashpit.com: How has the band changed without Hunter?

Frank: I feel like we have gotten even tighter and it seems more important than ever to continue pushing our music. We feel very fortunate to have our new drummer Seth Long. He has taken a lot of time to learn all of Hunter's drum beats for all the older songs we had recorded and he does not sound much different. Seth is actually one of the few drummers I have known and been friends with that I felt COULD play Hunter's stuff. He is going to bring his own flavor to the newer songs and I think it might change a little but not much about our band. People will definitely recognize the Gollum sound on future albums.

Thrashpit.com: They say a musician is his harshest critic. What is your favorite song on the new album and why?

Frank: I like a lot of them to tell you the truth. A couple of highlights for me personally would have to be "Ominous Winds," "Blacksmith (Summoning Wrath)" and "The Calm Before" just to name a few. Overall I think we are happy with the whole album and every song has its own character and has some unique appeal to it. That is one thing people recognize about us – no one song ever sounds the same and every song is different. That is one of our strong points.

Thrashpit.com: The Core is being released by Rotten Records. How did your deal with Rotten come about and how do you like it there so far?

Frank: I think they have been treating us very well so far. They have definitely put a lot of promotion into this album from what I have seen so far. They have been very helpful. The way it came about was that in 2007 we sent out whatever we had left of the Lesser Traveled Waters printings and Rotten was one of the first labels to respond back. They established rapport with us at that point and they kept in touch with us, checking in every few months. By early 2008, we had recorded a new three-song promo which we sent out to them and after they heard that their interest was elevated and they came out to watch us play. We set up a showcase for them in May 2008 and they flew down and saw us play here in Wilmington. After the show, they expressed how they really liked us and after three months we were given a contract and we sealed the deal.

Thrashpit.com: I really like your video for "Cross-Pollenation" off the first record. Do you have any plans for a video for one of the songs on The Core?

Frank: Yes, actually we do. We just started filming some video footage from our CD release show here in Wilmington last night as well as some footage from the studio shot yesterday before the show. The video is going to be for the song "Blacksmith (Summoning Wrath)." It is kind of early to say how it will turn out as we are letting our videographer run with it but it will be out soon.

Thrashpit.com: Let's talk about you personally. What bands or artists have influenced you?

Frank: I have always had a wide range of influences. I do not always listen to a whole lot of metal but I have always enjoyed playing it. I like bands from Dead Can Dance and the Cure to old Sepultara and old Slayer. Some of the bands which influenced me most on the metal side are bands that think outside of the box like Faith No More or Mr. Bungle. I always liked the Melvins. After that, Helmet has been a big influence in the meantime. 

Thrashpit.com: Are there are musicians nowadays that you enjoy?

Frank: Certainly. I like Lamb of God and God Forbid and a lot of these other New Wave of Real American Heavy Metal bands. I also listen to Tool as I have always enjoyed them. I like Fantomas, Mastodon, Gojira, ISIS and Neurosis as well. I read about the new ISIS album coming out this summer and I cannot wait.

Thrashpit.com: With the new record coming out, the possibility of more shows arises.
Will you guys be touring for The Core? What sort of gigs do you have lined up?

Frank: We actually have a small tour booked for early summer. We are kind of waiting to see what happens as this is the first time we have Rotten behind us and it is 100%. We have enough clout to book our own shows off the reputation we have built over the years and we are just looking for that third element to join forces with us, a good booking agent. In the meantime we are trying to play every weekend – especially at out-of-town venues – and just book as many one-night shows as we can until we find a solid agent we feel comfortable them. At that point we hope to go out on the road for a couple months at a time. We have been talking to a bigger band about taking us out as they made an offer to us but I am not at liberty to say who it is right now. It seems like we will start with a big loop of the Southeast up to New York, Maryland and Pittsburg before going through Kentucky, Atlanta and the Carolinas.

Thrashpit.com: Last question! What does the future hold for Gollum?

Frank: I think the future looks bright and we are excited about the new album. We feel we have a legacy to carry on since Hunter is not with us. We do feel like he is and we have something different to offer. We hope that people who like that sort of thing will see us for what we are and enjoy us. We will see where it goes from there.

Thrashpit.com: Thanks Frank! I hope your band reaps rich success, you all deserve it! Best of luck!

Frank: I really appreciate that and thank you so much for the publicity and your interest in the band. Definitely keep in touch! 
 

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