Kill Devil Hill – Rex Brown

Most people will know bassist Rex Brown as a founding member of legendary metal band Pantera, and some people will also know that he ventured on with Phil Anselmo in Down for 8 years after Pantera finished. After some physical and mental problems since his time out of Down, Rex is back with flames shooting out of his eyes, and also a new band. Kill Devil Hill, featuring Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath, Dio, Heaven & Hell), Dewey Bragg (Pissing Razors) and Mark Zavon, released their second album ‘Revolution Rise’ late last year, and it has been received exceptionally worldwide.

Back in December, Metal Obsession had the chance to speak to Rex about all things Kill Devil Hill, including their chance of playing Soundwave Festival in March, and also Pantera-related stuff.

Metal Obsession: How has the new album ‘Revolution Rise’ been received so far?

Rex Brown: Exceptionally. It’s getting really, really strong over here in the short time it’s been out. In just 3 weeks it went from number 24 to number 3 on College Music Radio, which is huge for an underground band. I’ve never had radio airplay in my fucking life, even when I was in Pantera, and if that’s any indication of what the record is doing, I think we’re doing pretty fucking good!

Metal Obsession: If I’m correct, Kill Devil Hill is the first full-time band you’ve been in that doesn’t feature any Pantera members, since you were in Phil Anselmo’s Down for a while after Pantera. Does it feel different writing and touring without any of the musicians you’ve been with most of your career?

Rex Brown: Yeah, it’s very different. You have different chemistry, you have three other different guys, and it’s just playing with different cats. Number one; the guys in Kill Devil Hill are like long lost brothers. I dunno how it happened, but we’ve stuck together and put out two records in one year. Well, almost. We put out our first one last May, and the other one was basically done, all we had to do was mix it, so that took a bit long and was released just after a year. But still, bands these days take 3 or 4 fuckin’ years to make a record, so right now we’re on a roll.

But yeah, everything changes when you’re in a band, because you have 3 or 4 different individuals to deal with. But I’ll just say this; the thing with Phil Anselmo is that we’re best of friends. We don’t talk about each other’s music, but we still are brothers through and through. We talk to each other all the fucking time and we’re both doing our own thing. Maybe someday we can all be together and figure it out, but right now my thing is with Kill Devil Hill. And this record is not only important, but it’s one of my favourite recordings that I’ve done in a long time.

Metal Obsession: So since you’re on such a roll with writing new music, I guess we’ll be hearing a new album every year or two, compared to the usual bands 3 or 4 year album limit?

Rex Brown: Pretty much. We’re writing all the time, and what we do is just send our ideas to each other. Like, one time I came up with a fucking killer riff and with technology now, I can just send it to him over the phone or computer. But that’ll be down a lot, we have to get off touring whenever we possibly can here in the next year or so. That being said, we have to take time to make a record. When I say that bands take three years or whatever, that’s sometimes the way it works, but personally I wanna keep putting out shit all the fucking time. When we got a little bit of down time, that’s my work ethic and it always has been.

Physically and mentally, I’m in the best shape I’ve been in 10 years. I’ve got flames shooting out of my eyes; you know what I’m saying? I’m on fire. So why not share that?

Metal Obsession: Since you’ve been writing a lot with Kill Devil Hill, how many songs did you have to cut down from the latest record?

Rex Brown: We have a bonus track for iTunes, there’s one track in particular that I had sitting there when I first joined the band, and we were fucking with it, and it just didn’t get the record. So we put it on the iTunes as a special track, or however you get it. Fucking, just get it. Buy it, I’d rather you buy it, but if not, just steal the son-of-a-bitch. I just want people to hear it.

We have plenty of leftover songs though. Two of the songs from the last record ended up on this record, we just revamped the shit out of them.

Metal Obsession: How big of a role has the online community played in helping Kill Devil Hill?

Rex Brown: Social networking has now become a necessary evil. But at the same time, it necessarily puts people on the map. You know what I’m saying? You have to have that local scene and promote to them “hey people, we’re coming to town”. So with that being said, that’s what we’re intending to do. A lot of next year is just going to be everything that works. We’ll mostly be on support slots for other bands, because where we’re at right now. But I want this band to be, you know? So you have to be visible, you have to keep touring as much as you can. That being said also, I can’t be in 8 places at the same fucking time. So it’s just like any other band, you have to keep touring, and you keep touring, and you keep touring, and so on, and you be visible, and people are gonna dig it.

Metal Obsession: What I’ve heard recently is that Kill Devil Hill “might” be touring Australia earlier next year, on a “large festival”. Can you give me more information on that?

Rex Brown: It’s a definite “maybe”, and when I say that, it means it’s probably gonna happen. We’re just waiting on word in the next week to see that we’re confirmed. So, you might see us at fucking Soundwave, Download or whatever you call it. We’re right in the middle of this, all the plans are going out within the new year, so at this point, I’m just here to promote the record.

But we are definitely coming to Australia, if not in February, we will come immediately in the fall. Or we might come here sooner, who knows? We might come here February by ourselves. Like I said, the plans for this thing will be announced very shortly. But right now I’m just trying to get people to go buy the record, or get the record some how so they can listen to this fuckin’ music, ‘cause it’s fuckin’ killer.

Have you heard the record?

Metal Obsession: Yes, I got to listen to the record recently when the interview was confirmed. I enjoyed it!

Rex Brown: Awesome! I guess we wouldn’t be doing this interview if you thought it was fuckin’ shit. [laughs]

Metal Obsession: [laughs] That is true!

Rex Brown: I’m here to spread the fuckin’ word. I’m really proud of this record. Not taking away from the first record, it just didn’t get much recognition, because it came out and the label fucked up.

Look, you gotta reinvent yourself and take those riffs. And those riffs turn into albums, you know what I’m saying? The band might not have been around very long, but we’ve played about 100 gigs, and we get tighter and tighter everytime we play. So that being said, this is really starting over, and the hunger and passion I have for it now is just so fuckin’ wicked. It brings me back to the old days.

Like, back in the day with Pantera during our prime and hunger days, that’s the way I feel now. There’s a lot of stuff that’s happened over the past 10 years that have been devastating. When you lose your best friend in such a way, it’ll take a fucking toll. Without getting into anything bigger, and having major surgery on top of that. Now I’m clear, and I’m ready to fuckin’ go. This is my passion, man.

If I wanted to, I could live in the past and put together a Pantera band, but that would be the easy fuckin’ way out. That’s just not what I want to do. I just want to get out there with something new. I know I was in Pantera and people think I’m a big superstar, but that’s just not the dude I am. I’m a bass player man, and I just want to fuckin’ play music! That’s all there is to it, I can’t explain that enough to you. That just goes to show that that’s where my heart and passion is, and you will see that when we come to Australia!

So, let’s fuckin’ rock, man! Put the record on and enjoy the music, cause it’s fuckin’ kick ass! You know what I’m saying?

Metal Obsession: I know what you’re saying. You’re moving on and doing your own thing now, which is kick ass, even though what you, Phil and Vinnie do will always be compared to Pantera by critics. And other interviewers will always try and stir up opinions of a “hypothetical” Pantera reunion with Zakk Wylde on guitar or some ridiculous shit. Does it bother you that people expect that?

Rex Brown: Eh, whatever man. That started off as a blog, then it starts into some kind of rumour, and eventually people pay so much attention to it, and they actually believe it’s true. It won’t happen though. You would be the first to fuckin’ know if the three of us got together to do a tribute. Right now, Kill Devil Hill is what I’m all about. I would give up everything in a heartbeat to go and play a tribute show with my fuckin’ brothers. But, it wouldn’t be a reunion because Dime isn’t with us.

This whole thing with Zakk playing guitar for a whole fucking show is bullshit too. I think Dime would have wanted some other guys to go up too. I’m not saying that’s gonna happen, I’m just saying that if it ever did, that’s what he would have wanted.

That’s the way I would look at it anyway, but I doubt it would happen. I’m open-minded and would love to play. But at the same time, I’ve gotta move on. I’m doing my thing with Kill Devil Hill. I’ve got a real special thing going here with Kill Devil Hill. Why not take advantage of that and keep kicking ass?

Metal Obsession: That’s what I was trying to say really; you’re doing your thing with Kill Devil Hill, Phil has Down and The Illegals, and Vinnie has Hellyeah, all of which are doing successfully.

Rex Brown: I know, I’m just saying all of that from reality, you know, from the horses mouth. There is no crossed signals with that question!

Metal Obsession: Back to Kill Devil Hill and Australia, if it is Soundwave Festival, you’ll be on the same bill as your previous band Down, also with Phil Anselmo. Do you usually get a chance to catch up with them?

Rex Brown: They were in town a year ago touring their Purple EP, and I got to play three songs with them. If we do play Soundwave, which I’m pushing and pushing for us to be over there, there’s a big possibility you’ll see me on stage with those guys. But then again, we haven’t talked about it, so I don’t want to speculate.

Metal Obsession: It must be quite some time now since you’ve have the chance to tour Australia with anyone. Tell me about what happened last time you were down here. Who were you touring with?

Rex Brown: We were opening up for fuckin’ Heaven and Hell, Vinny Appice from Kill Devil Hill was fuckin’ playing drums on that tour. I sat behind the stack every night, and we hung out every day. We had a friendship there, and that’s half the reason why we’re playing together today!

Metal Obsession: It’s been a real pleasure speaking to you mate. Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Rex Brown: Well, shit dude, thankyou for listening, and I hope to see you soon! I’m trying everything I can to get the fuck over to Australia, so we’ll see what happens during the next week or so. I wanna go down under, mate!

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