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09-05 Cold release The Devil We Know
07-23 Second Cold single
07-10 New Cold LP, single
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COLD IS:Scooter Ward : VocalsMatt Loughran: GuitarJeremy Marshall : BassSam McCandless : Drums
NO ONE could have predicted the chaos and upheaval the members of Cold have faced over the past two years. Following the triumph of "13
WaysToBleed On Stage" (2000) and 2003's "Year Of The Spider" (which spawned two hit singles, "Suffocate" and "Stupid Girl"), the outlook was
sunny.Bothalbums went Gold. They had numerous appearances on television and toured extensively with bands like Marilyn Manson, Godsmack and
3DoorsDown. In the brilliant light of their success Cold could not see the dark ...read more
COLD IS:Scooter Ward : VocalsMatt Loughran: GuitarJeremy Marshall : BassSam McCandless : Drums
NO ONE could have predicted the chaos and upheaval the members of Cold have faced over the past two years. Following the triumph of "13
WaysToBleed On Stage" (2000) and 2003's "Year Of The Spider" (which spawned two hit singles, "Suffocate" and "Stupid Girl"), the outlook was
sunny.Bothalbums went Gold. They had numerous appearances on television and toured extensively with bands like Marilyn Manson, Godsmack and
3DoorsDown. In the brilliant light of their success Cold could not see the dark clouds looming on the horizon.
Differences with executives at Geffen led to tensions within the band, and Cold was soon seeking a new record label. Singer Scooter Ward
wasbattlinga flurry of personal troubles and demons. Halfway through a sold-out tour opening for Evanescence, Cold guitarist Terry Balsalmo filled in
foradeparted Ben Moody, who abruptly left his band. When the tour was completed, the future of Cold was up in the air and Balsalmo jumped
ship.Thegathering storm had become a full-blown tempest.
When the band retuned home to Jacksonville, Florida, Ward learned his younger sister was ailing. After a short stay in rehab and resolving
tostayclean, Ward discovered that his sister had cancer. In the midst of so much despair, Ward returned to his music. And with the help of
drummerSamMcCandless, the singer began to write the songs that would make up "A Different Kind Of Pain."
As Ward puts it, "The process for making this record wasn't just about dealing with the darkness, the dark side; it was a healing process.
Thischangedmy life. It changed our lives. Everyone who was involved and everybody who was around us at the time was changed by this record."
"We went into our rehearsal space in Jacksonville but we weren't comfortable writing there. At the time, my little sister, Jen, had been
diagnosedwithcancer. She was going through a really bad time and everyone was telling her to get her stuff in order. So we moved our band
equipment intomyparents' house and wrote the record in Jen's room, where she grew up. As soon as we got in that room we were so productive, we
were comingupwith two or three songs a day."
Determined to confront their fears, McCandless saw an outlet for their pain. "It was totally a different writing style for us, compared to all
ourrecords.It was easy to focus. And the whole record is about that. No matter how bad in life everything gets, it's about overcoming. We came from
thedarkestdepths into the light and for us this is the most powerful record we've ever done."
Though they originally intended to title the album, "The Calm That Killed The Storm" invoking a grand metaphor on their experiences, the
banddecidedthat the collection of songs they had written demanded a broader interpretation. The songs they had written were not just about the
band.
"We really connect with our fans," Ward says. "One fan reached out to me online and told me her mom was an alcoholic, tearing it up every
nightatbars. Her father had beaten her so badly that she went to the hospital with broken ribs and she's only fourteen years old. She was writing
thatshewanted to get away, so I wrote back and asked her if she wanted me to call the police or Child And Family Services. She wrote me that
therewasnothing I could do; her mom would deny everything. I told her I would write a song for her and I did my best to put myself in her space, to
feelwhatshe went through and I ended up writing 'Tell Me Why.' I'm able to relate to stuff like that because of things that I've gone through or
amgoingthrough. And I know there's a way to push through and that it's not that drastic, there's always a way out. She knows I wrote this song and
shehasn'theard it yet but when she does, I hope that it helps."
"A Different Kind Of Pain" was recorded at Bearsville Studios in upstate New York and produced by Michael "Elvis" Baskette (Chevelle, Iggy
PopandPuddle of Mudd). "Michael really understood where we were coming from," smiles Ward. "He knows how to get a really great guitar sounds,
andwealready knew him so it was very comfortable. We'd been writing for six months and we recorded the record in about three months." "It was
nearoraround this time that we got picked up by Lava," adds McCandless. "Going from one label to another wasn't a big deal exactly; we
hadconfidence.We've always sold a decent amount of records and knew that we had a strong fan base. I didn't really care if we were going to end up
withanothermajor or go to an indie: as long as we did it our way."
Baskette's ability to achieve great guitar sounds is a wall of power for Ward to wail against. Evident on "Happens All The Time," open, ringingnotesgive
way to power chords as the singer pleads, "I can't hold on/This happens all the time/I still find my way to you". Ward later stretches hisvoice
andreveals the true sound of longing on the song "Tell Me Why" as the crescendo of guitars rains down. In addition, the slow, driving chorus onsongs
like"Ocean," and "A Different Kind Of Pain" belies the strife within the lyrics; and Baskette has handled it deftly.
Scooter Ward's eyes light up as he shares the climax of their tale. "Around the time we were finishing up, we learned that Jen had gone
intoremission.It was really cool. It seemed that, with everything going on, we needed to write this record in her room. We needed to push through
allthat, andwhen we did, things started getting better for everyone. It was really strange; after all we've been through, it was like we were
beingguarded thewhole time. I've never been religious or anything like that�ghosts, angels etc but there was something happening for us. We're a
four-piece now, andwe have a new label and record that we're really proud of. I've never felt so good about being in this band as right now. This
record andeverything wedid with it felt like we were guided. I felt focused. This record is marked by transition and upheaval and literally from lyrics to
graphicsabout making itthrough the storm. And I'm more proud of this record, more than any other record we've done."
"For Cold, music is�" Scooter pauses. "It's real. It's medicine. It's therapy. And I think anybody, no matter what age you are, can be affected by it." « hide |
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