RIOTGOD
Interview with drummer Bob Pantella
By Kelley Simms
Photo by Riotgod/Bob Pantella
Website: www.riotgod.com
RIOTGOD is the alter-ego of MONSTER MAGNET drummer Bob Pantella and bassist Jim Baglino. As early as 2006 during some downtime on a MONSTER MAGNET tour, the duo started to discuss how they would like to create something on their own apart from their full-time gig. RIOTGOD’s sophomore release, Invisible Empire, picks up where their 2010 debut left off. The band’s straight ahead rock/stoner sound possesses an energy and spirit reminiscent of the ’70s classic rock period. Not only does Pantella play in MONSTER MAGNET and RIOTGOD, he also mans the drum throne for the rifftastic, fuzz-rock band THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX, as well as CYCLE OF PAIN with fellow Jersey boy John DeServio of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY. After a rehearsal for their upcoming 10-date mini U.S. tour, which starts in early February, Bob phoned me to talk about the new album, the direction the band is heading in and the next MONSTER MAGNET album.
When we last spoke in 2010, you mentioned you already had material for the next album, now here we are with the release of Invisible Empire. Was the material pretty much what you had written back then or did any of it go through any changes?
From back then, about two songs made it (laughs). About 80 percent of it is brand new. It basically worked the same way (as the debut album sessions). I sat down with a guitar and a click track and would just start writing riffs. Just simple … no real arrangements of any thing, some blues and stuff like that. Then I’d get together with Mark (Sunshine) and see if he could do anything with it and if something sounded cool we would expand on it and take it further. If something wasn’t sounding right we would just go onto the next thing. A couple of the songs were written a long time ago. Mark had done his own thing too with the music. Basically, me and Mark has worked together for a long time and it works out very well that way.
It sounds like with this release the band has even more confidence and the music sounds really tight. How will the new songs work live?
We try to do everything on the album live. We’re playing what works best. We are conscience of the whole set. Some of it’s a little harder to do … the acoustic stuff is hard to do because you’re so focused on hearing every little thing. We tried doing “Gas Station Blues.” It was ok but the last song (on the CD) “Rebirth” actually sounds really good.
Speaking of the song “Rebirth,” the Zeppelin influences really stand out in some of your tunes but none so more than this one. It reminds me of something off of Zeppelin III. I assume it’s not a conscience effort but you do realize when your certain influences come through in Riotgod?
Yes, I knew it was a total Page thing. I’m a huge Page fan. The first acoustic one on there, “Gas Station Roses,” the music for that I actually had written 20 years ago or more and never had done anything with it until Mark put some vocals to it. It’s a total Zeppelin influence. “Rebirth” was actually more like an Iommi “Laguna Sunrise” thing, not that it sounds like that but the way it was approached. Like a melody layered over another melody. But that’s where the inspiration came from. It was a one-take thing.
Are things still going according to plan when you and Jim first talked about doing this project?
Well, the plan always changes! So I guess you could say yes and no. Things are looking better now than ever, things are looking up and getting busier and busier. We’re away a lot. We got some big festivals coming up in the summertime for Riotgod that we have never done before. Wacken festival in Germany … 80,000 people. It’s like the God of Germany.
What is it about the New Jersey musical scene? There’s so many great bands from the area and everybody seems to be in about four bands a piece with each other. Is there a strong Jersey brotherhood between various bands.
I don’t think it’s a Jersey thing. Well, I guess from the outside it might look like that. I just think it’s just a big concentration of people that kind of makes the world smaller right here. Everybody knows everybody. But that seems like it’s like that, for me anyway, all around the world. There’s so many musicians within a 25-30 mile radius (in Jersey). Successful musicians too, not just garage bands. In your free time, everybody just likes to do different stuff and experiment. That’s how I wound up in four bands myself. It gets a little hectic, but it’s fun. I do stuff musically that I can’t do in one band that I can do in other bands.
Your drumming style is very solid. You aren’t so much as a flashy player, but you lay down a great groove and you play the right amount of fills. How do you describe your style and what are you trying to accomplish while pounding the skins?
Basically, I play more for the song. I’m not up there trying to showboat or anything. It also depends on what band you’re talking about. Like Atomic Bitchwax. That’s a total different animal. It’s nothing but drums. It’s over-the-top drums, drums, drums. It’s over-the-top everything. Totally different from everything else I play, which is really fun because I normally don’t get a chance to do that. It’s four-on-the-floor rock. That’s basically my approach to it, I play for the song. Less is more I guess.
When does MONSTER MAGNET convene to start writing for a new album?
We just finished the Dopes to Infinity Tour. We did the album in its entirety, plus other songs. In April or May, we’re supposed to be going into the studio and do the new album. Dave’s working on new stuff right now. We live right near each other in Jersey. He’s at home and he comes up with demos with a drum machine and some guitar riffs. He’ll bring it into the rehearsal space and we’ll fuck around with it and develop it.
Garrett filled in for MONSTER MAGNET after Ed Mundell left. Was it great to have him with you and did that make Riotgod even stronger because you got to play even more with him?
Absolutely. Garrett is part of Monster Magnet now. He’s a permanent member. It definitely makes things a lot tighter and easier, especially traveling together. Musically, I already know what he’s going to do before he knows it, and same from him to me.
What’s next for Riotgod? Where do you go from here?
We got this tour. Then Magnet has a new album, a couple of dates with Bitchwax. Riotgod has the European tour. We’re going to do another Stateside run in August. Maybe a West Coast trip, San Diego to Vancouver or something. Then the Europe festival visit, then we’re going to have to do a new record. I’ve already got two songs written. In between all of this stuff besides the main releases, we’re going to do 10” vinyl, collectors kind of stuff, only make like 300 of them and sell them at shows.
