David T Chastain interview for HardRock80 by Denis Labbe



HardRock80 : First at all, thank you for this interview. This year David T. Chastain published a new album called "Alternate View" and only available on digital. This is an original concept because David, Mark Shelton, Johnny Frankenshred and John Hahn used the same backing tracks. Could you explain to us this concept?

David T Chastain: The releases have the same bass, rhythm guitars and drum tracks for each player. Then each guitarist laid his own unique guitar playing over the tracks without hearing what the others had recorded. These are remix versions of the original releases that did not have rhythm guitars. These versions are much more metal sounding! There is another set of releases that include Michael Harris, Joe Stump, myself and others. Officially known as the "Diginet Music Guitar Masters."

HardRock80 : In 1988, David and Mark Shelton recorded few songs together. You published this demo after the death of Mark. How did you record these songs?

David T Chastain: I would record the music and send Mark a tape and then he would record the vocals. He would send those back to me and I would mix them all together to sound as good as possible under the circumstances. When Mark and I decided to actually release them to the public I went in and remastered them to sound "up to today's volume and eq levels." Mark was very happy about this release and we were discussing it literally a day or two before he tragically passed away.

HardRock80 : The last album of the band Chastain was published in 2015. Since, you published only compilations and remastered albums. Do you prepare a new album?

David T Chastain: I have many songs that are ready for vocals if I wish to go through all of the machinations of putting out a new release. However right now I enjoy taking some of the older titles and reediting and rearranging those to make them sound like different songs.

HardRock80 : For what reason Chastain didn't published a lot of albums between 1991 and 2012, just the three with Kate French?

David T Chastain: After the "For Those Who Dare" album/tour Leather and I decided we were burned out and decided to seek other musical outlets. We never officially broke up the band. Just moved on. I just happened to meet Kate at a conference and was impressed with her talents, desire and energy. The first two albums with her were quick in 95 and 97. Then she got married and had a baby and of course she put that first in her priorities. So there was quite sometime in between the next release in 2004. However I wrote and released 2 Zanister albums which where were basically Chastain albums with a male vocalist and another guitarist Michael Harris. Also I wrote and produced the Kinrick "Sense Your Darkness" album which once again was really a Chastain album that I wrote everything but I didn't play on it. Those 3 could have easily been Chastain albums with either Kate of Leather doing the vocals.

HardRock80 : Leather Leone and Mike Skimmehorn came back in the band in 2013 for the great album Surrender To No One. How did it go?

David T Chastain: It was like we had never been separated for more than a few months. Leather and I always have had a special bond. As far as Mike goes, we have played shows with my bands CJSS and Spike every few years so we were in touch during the time lapse.

HardRock80 : I think that Ken Mary is one of the greatest drummers of hard rock and metal. Can you work again together?

David T Chastain: Probably not... but you never know. He is very busy doing all of his bands. Plus I have been using Stian Kristoffersen on my most recent recordings and I have been very happy with his abilities to help me bring the music into today's stylings. Needless to say Ken did some amazing work on those early albums that have withstood the test of time.

HardRock80 : The drummers and bass players change a lot on the albums of Chastain. How do you choose them?

David T Chastain: Chastain for the most part has always been a studio band. I don't believe a band that has recorded any of the albums has ever played a live show together to support that album. When recording I try to get the best people I can to play on it and then if I play dates I will check their availability. Usually not everyone is available at the same time so I get the best musicians I can to play the live shows. With that said I have been very lucky to have had all of the great musicians on all of the albums. There certainly isn't anyone who has played on the Chastain albums that wasn't top notch.

HardRock80 : I am a fan of CJSS. On October 9th, 2015, the band played in Cincinnati. Is this show will be published one day?

David T Chastain: No. But there are numerous videos of the show on youtube. Although check them out quick because some of them will be taken down in the not too distant future. I am not in love with the sound on those newest CJSS videos. There is a "CJSS Live at Bogart's" video from when the band was at its peak that I think sounds much more realistic in what we really sounded like.

HardRock80 : With Southern Gentlemen David played some blues and hard rock, with Chastain this is metal. The instrumental albums are mixing neo-classical influences, jazz fusion and metal. What is your background?

David T Chastain: I have pretty diversified musical influences. From Black Sabbath, to Allan Holdsworth, to the Allman Brothers, to Dio, to Kansas, to Bach and Beethoven, to Hendrix/Trower, to Blackmore/Roth, and many others. I never sat down and tried to emulate anyone. I just took it all in and try to mesh it all together to come up with my own unique style.

HardRock80 : Leather Leone is touring and performing classic and new Chastain tracks. Why don't Chastain play gigs?

David T Chastain: We use to tour all the time back in the late 80s and early 90s. Other than the hour on stage it wasn't a lot of fun. I have always preferred being in the studio as opposed to playing live. Chastain still gets many offers to play festivals/tours around the world but nothing has come in that was "too good for me to refuse." Leather on the other hand loves to play any venue no matter how large or small and I am glad she has found a band so she can play some tours. She is very happy!

HardRock80 : The band Chastain was born in 1984. What is your point of view about the present metal scene?

David T Chastain: To be completely honest I really don't follow what is popular or present. Today when I see a Metal radio playlist of the top 50 bands I would be lucky to recognize the names of 20 of them much less their music. Occasionally something pops up on youtube that sounds quite interesting to me.

HardRock80 : What are your current projects?

David T Chastain: Everything and nothing. As I said I have tons of material written and recorded that might be finished and it might not. Plus I write new music every day that I am more excited about than the stuff I wrote a month ago.... so there is probably 1000 hours of music sitting in my closet that will never get released. Next in the release line is CHASTAIN "The Reign of Kate." Featuring Kate's and my favorite tracks from her 3 albums. Then comes EVILSTRINGZ "Lullaby for the Wicked." That is a very unusual release for me. About 15 years ago a music supervisor approached me about composing/recording some eerie keyboard tracks for a horror movie they were working on. The movie had some legal entanglements amongst the money people and they fought for years and finally they agreed they couldn't come to a final solution so the movie was canned. So just in the past few years did I finally regain the rights to the music. So I am releasing it. Basically it is music you would hear at the end of any good horror movie as they are showing the closing credits. Pretty cool and dark sounding. The music that should be played at my funeral! HA!