WSD: What are some of your all-time favorite riffs? Yes Kathy, I still have our HUGE riff lists, so I already know; but this is for the folks at home!;)] KB: Black Sabbath of course, especially their earlier work. The Venom stuff is great...Countess Bathory, Bloodlust and Buried Alive. Diamond Head writes a mean riff too, especially in Dead Reckoning and Am I evil. Warlord has great melodic riffs like Deliever Us. Iron Maiden's Phantom of the Opera, Aces High, Purgatory, Die With Your Boots On, and others...Judas Priest Painkiller and Electric Eye. Carcass's Heartwork has great riffs too. I also like Tool's simplicity and emotion, especially on songs like Prison Sex and Sober. Megadeth's Ashes in Your Mouth and 99 Ways to Die also are great. Slayer writes the best intros ever. Galdar from Old Man's Child is one of the best metal songwriters this generation has right now. WSD: What equipment are you currently using? KB: I have a black Ibanez that's my main guitar I bought for $200. It's always the cheap stuff that ends up my favorite equipment. I have a G&L and a neck thru Jackson, but if my house were on fire, I would go back and rescue that Ibanez. For the studio I used the Johnson J station. I also have a Laney for live stuff. And we mustn't leave out the choir of midget kazoo players I keep in my bedroom closet. For that special occasion. WSD: What bands/artists are you currently listening to? KB: Dark Army is pretty swishy in my opinion. He's another "Do it Yourself-er" that blows most metal bands away. John Tesh is pretty scary too. WSD: Which guitarists/other musicians have caught your attention of late? KB: Children of Bodom is fabu-fantastic, the new Dimmu, Old Man's Child, Inkubus Sukkubus, Immortal's Sons of Northern Darkness, Shakespeare in Hell, Children of Bodom. Pretty much anyone that can write and phrase well will inspire me. WSD: Name 5 albums that you would HIGHLY recommend. And name 5 that people should avoid like the plague! KB: Here's a bunch: Iron Maiden "Powerslave", Dead Can Dance "Within the Realm of a Dying Sun", Old Man's Child "Black Seeds on Virgin Soil" "Pagan Prosperity", Inkubus Sukukubus "The Beast With Two Backs", Megadeth "Countdown to Extinction", Morbid Angel "Covenant", Venom "Black Metal", Diamond Head "Lightning to the Nations" I'm at that point now where I might not actually find something that is to my tastes, but can respect anything if it is expressive or executed well. Things that I think that aren't what I just mentioned are: Avril Lasagne, most pop, Clay Atkin's Diet, most boy and girl bands, Limp Buzzcut. WSD: What are the pros and cons of the "Do-It-Yourself" approach? KB: Pros: You basically have complete control over the project. Your freedom runs as wild as your imagination. You don't have to worry about compromising a part you wrote. You don't have to worry about one or more of your band members going to jail or suddenly moving to Guam. Plus you can write and record total evil black metal albums in your pajamas...like I do. Cons: You basically have complete control over the project. Everything from the music, arrangements, lyrics, production has to be done by you. It's also limited to a studio only career, although I have thought about stuffing a teddybear with my drum machine and putting him behind a toy drum kit. I highly recommend the "Do it Yourself" approach if you live in a secluded area with not a huge selection of musicians to collaborate with. Also if you have something very specific you're trying to achieve, or don't fall in a popularized category, then the do it yourself approach is for you. WSD; How is the musical climate in your area? KB: Cloudy with chance of hardcore and bubblegum punk. I think we are still living in the aftermath of the grunge era, especially attitude-wise about guitar playing. The whole concept of mastering the guitar as a craft is lost, which is a shame. WSD: Last words? KB: Some day...I would really like to have my own black metal cafe and call it "The Principles of Coffee Made Fresh". I would serve Total F**king Dark Roast and Biscotti Prosperity. Dani Filth could do the counter and Isahan would work the espresso machine. Now THAT is ambition!! Thanks a million, Kathy!:-)