Attitude Adjustment
- Ray Davison
- Jan 23, 2019
- 5 min read
So everybody thinks old school thrashers are washed up?
Listen close: Attitude Adjustment's not taking any of your shit.
It was 2011 when A.A. made it clear there was No Way Back, then hammered the point home with tracks like Police Lie Do Not Cross.
Roughly two years ago they dropped Terrorize on the unsuspecting world, a frantic EP that hits hard enough to rip the face off your grandma's little dog and feed it to her.
So while you wash that up let's have a fast word with Eric McIntire; the man responsible for the ferocious chords chewing your earholes.
It has been a couple years now since bottling and maturing. How are you feeling about
Terrorize today?
Well, pretty much the same as when it was released. We wanted to get back to a more stripped down, raw sound with songs that were more in the hardcore punk realm.
It has been only a short time since the last Attitude Adjustment release, any plans for the future?
We are now with Beer City Records, and there are plans to re-release the back catalog in the next few years, so we’re excited about that. And as far as playing live, who knows...don’t ever count us out!
Attitude Adjustment survived diverse complications and obstacles during approximately thirty years of what pretty much amounted to road gigging the entire west coast. What would you attribute this durability to?
I would generally say the basic will to want to live. Family also. Some of us are fathers and have wives, so sometimes priorities change as the years roll on.
I recall the band being very active supporting their local scene. Are you still able to manage it despite the demands of life?
I don’t know if you’re asking about the band, or the scene! As far as the band, we’ve decided to take a break right now for a while. And as far as the scene, we do try to show support by still going to some shows but it is not as frequent as it was when we were young, because we have jobs and families etc.
The story I heard years ago was that while hanging around in San Francisco one of the band had a near altercation with a transient who then agitatedly asked if "they needed an attitude adjustment". Can you tell me if that's true?
I would, but I don’t remember! I do know that our dear friend Mike Kennett, who has passed came up with the name for us.
You've appeared by name on at least three studio releases I can count.
Yes, I was on every recording except for American Paranoia. I was in the band prior to that LP, and also wrote a lot of those parts that were on that first album.
The cassette copy I had in 1986 came second hand with no sleeve, but I think you were guitarist on the Dead Serious Demo? I'm pretty sure you have also displayed versatility between bass and guitar roles on an album or two.
Yes, I played guitar on the demo, and I played Bass on the Out Of Hand album and played both on the True To The Trade tracks.
Walter Ryan appears on this last album, a drummer with a resume rich in hardcore lore. After so many years with decorated veteran Chris Kontos did the change to Ryan in your opinion leave an audible impact?
There is an obvious impact, because it’s a different drummer, but we feel that his contribution to the album was top notch.
It does seem like there is some artistic chemistry there, do you think Walter will be coming around to do some more clobbering on future releases?
I am not sure what the future is with the band, but if there are any plans for any recording or gigging, he would be the first choice on the drums.
In late 2016 Attitude Adjustment embarked on a Japan Tour, I think this may have been the first ever overseas tour for the band.
We did a week of shows in late 2016 and they were amazing. We want to mention that we couldn’t have done it without Koichi and Shiggy. We played with some great bands too. We did tour overseas in 2010 as well, playing in Holland, Germany, Belgium, and Denmark. We recorded most of No Way Back in Copenhagen.
No doubt they have all been incredible, but out of all the other groups you've played gigs with over the years, who do you remember best, and why?
That’s a good one. I’d say RKL, Poison Idea, GBH, Sacrilege BC, Fang, Raw Power, Exodus and Discharge come to mind. Mostly because we were fans who then became friends with these bands too.
I'll be damned if you didn't say Poison Idea and I remembered this video by Mike Collins of Attitude Adjustment doing right covering Lifestyles by Poison Idea in September of 2013. I got this mental image of an A.A./P.I. mashup, holy shit that would be a shredder!
That would be a doozie!
Do you have a preferred outboard effects arrangement or head and cabinet combo? Do you prefer to mic your cabinets or DI out? Studio or live or both.
I would say that Marshall heads and cabs are often used. I have an early 5150 that suits me fine. And we like to mic the cabinets because we hate the DI clean sound. Both live and when we record.
Do you have a preference for analog versus digital or vice versa when it comes to constructing your sound or does it matter at all?
It really doesn’t matter. As long as we are happy with what we are doing.
Kevin's voice on this last album comes through much stronger than before, it seems like there is more of the crunch you hear in his throat when he sings live.
We just recorded him in a small room with good mics. You can thank Steve Green for that!
Would you please share what's making the rounds on 'Eric's Playlist' lately? Anyone unsung coming up that you think we should be paying attention to?
I would have to plug local bands like Isotope and Korrosiv. Also SMD, Dissention, and Out Of Tune from So Cal. And I listen to everything from Napalm Death to Burl Ives, so there’s too many to mention in specifics.
Our current political state is quite clearly a fucking quagmire. I don't force the topic, but since the artistic vehicle fits the subject I definitely welcome your perspectives.
Well, we all think that our president is a moron and he is doing a great job at turning our country into a shitshow.
And there you have it, punk.
Here's that video by Mike Collins of the guys tearing through Lifestyles by Poison Idea
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