“It’s ok to hold down the bottom end; it makes the guitar players sound better (laughs).”
Emerging from the New Orleans metal scene, EXHORDER have carved a distinct path within the realms of thrash and groove metal. With a history that spans several decades, the band now prepare to unveil their fourth studio album, Defectum Omnium, out on March 8th, 2024, through Nuclear Blast Records. Bassist Jason VieBrooks shared insights into the making of Defectum Omnium, highlighting the equipment and techniques that contribute to the band’s distinctive sound.
“My go basses have been a couple of custom-made P bass styles modelled after a 1987 ESP Surveyor bass I bought,” VieBrooks stated. Notably, in a humorous twist, the headstock bears a logo that reads ‘Jason’, playfully echoing the Jackson brand’s emblem. “A local guitar builder named Justin Kennedy, of Bridge Builders Guitars, did a basic replica of it with some personal mods for me such as all Hipshot hardware, DiMarzios, a reverse headstock, and the whole thing the same colour, including the neck and fretboard. In the past, I used a vintage Charvel 3B bass and did the same upgrades for hardware.”
For recording, VieBrooks maintained a straightforward setup, using a Mesa 400+ amp and an Ampeg 4×10 cabinet, with some compression to enhance his sound. He attributes a significant part of his tone to his aggressive playing style, noting, “I play pretty hard too so I’d like to think my tone is also just me coming through.”
When discussing his approach to writing bass lines, VieBrooks emphasized the importance of complementing the band’s intense sound while ensuring the bass maintains its distinct character. “I like to take a Jack Bruce approach when I can and lock in with the drums and, where it fits, complement the vocals. This album was the most fun I’ve ever had writing and recording because Kyle and I both played guitar on it. In some ways, I felt like I became the enemy by playing guitar on it, but this time we could do what we wanted without having someone cry about how the bass will affect their guitar tone; it all goes together as it should. With this album, I’d like to think I ‘played bass’ on it, meaning I wasn’t a third guitar player like some thrash bands can be, including the first two Exhorder albums. Ever since I’ve been involved with Exhorder, I’ve had that approach that there’s no need for bass to follow note by note with guitars. If I lock in with drums and play key parts of the riff, it makes the whole band sound tighter and cleaner. As a bass player, you need to know the beauty of Ian Hill and realise it’s ok to hold down the bottom end; it makes the guitar players sound better (laughs).”
Defectum Omnium is described by VieBrooks as a step forward for the band, both musically and personally: “The listener will hear so many of our roots coming out on this one, and we just wrote what we wanted to write. I feel this is an album for music fans. It’s not just any album, nor is it a concept album by any means, but hearing one or two songs won’t sum up the journey the listener will experience. We’ve all had a tough last few years, so this is, if you will, our state of the mental collective address… Bipolar.”
EXHORDER aims to balance respect for their musical legacy with a drive to explore new directions. VieBrooks expressed pride in being part of the band and its influence, stating, “We’ve just always been true to who we are as people and players. We’re music fans as well and pride ourselves on just being cool and down to earth. I’m personally proud to be a part of Exhorder and the influence the band has had before I was around. We have plans on continuing to be around for many more years, and if we can inspire some kid to start playing and carry the torch, then mission accomplished!”
Defectum Omnium, featuring artwork by Travis Smith, is available for pre-order ahead of its release on March 8th, 2024.
