New York’s Borgo Pass have
been on the rock scene for several years now. With two full lengths and a new
e.p., Slightly Damaged, Borgo Pass are veterans who know what it takes to
make an impact. They have a new vocalist, James Tamazarro. Here are some
questions I posed to guitarist Paul Rosado.
How do you feel about the new e.p.?
I feel real good about it. I think
with the addition of Jimmy on vocals, that we took it to the next level without
changing the sound of the band drastically.
How has the bands evolved and grown since the first album?
We all have
become better players and as a result have become better song writers. The songs
we write now seem to have more cohesiveness to them. We’ve been together for
eight years now with the only lineup change being our singer and have really
become a family. It definitely reflects on our music.
What type of music fan do you think would enjoy Borgo Pass?
Anyone that
likes good old fashioned heavy music with no bullshit hiphop or d.j. will dig
it. If you listen to Sabbath, Metallica, Pantera, Zeppelin or anything that is
real, then you’ll most likely be into it.
What’s your live show like? What’s your opinion of the New York scene?
Our live shows are all about energy. We’re having a blast when we’re
performing so that usually gets the crowd more into it. We are also a very loud
band so we like people to feel it in their chest’s too. The New York scene is
not what a lot of people think it’s cracked up to be. It’s not completely
horrible if your into tribute bands and bands that sound like they are on the
soundtrack to one of those lame-ass teenage coming of age movies. It’s
basically what you put into it. If your band doesn’t suck and you promote your
shows properly, then a lot of people will show up.
How are things different now compared to when you started out?
There has
been a resurgence of heavy music as of late, so things are looking up for good
unsinged metal and hard rock bands. The New York scene eight years ago pretty
much sucked too, so that really hasn’t changed much.
Why do you think major success has proved to be elusive so far?
The ugly
truth of the matter is that the odds of any band attaining major success is very
small. We do feel however that over the last eighteen months that the band has
made some great strides. We have been getting better shows and playing in front
of more people. Hopefully a good label will take notice so we can take this band
to the next level and beyond.
What drives your energetic vibe? How are you able to translate this energy
onto a disc?
Our vibe comes from within ourselves. Everyone in the band has
gone through a lot of serious shit and I think that is reflected in our
songwriting. Getting that vibe on disc can only be accomplished by recording
live. All of the music on our new disc was recorded live. Slightly Damaged
has the closest sound to what our live shows sound like out of all our
recordings.
How has your outlook of the music business changed through the years?
Not
a whole heck of a lot. It’s the same now as it’s been in a long time. Talent
doesn’t mean much in this business. All one has to do is put the radio on for
a few minutes to realize this. Every now and again a very talented rizes out of
the ashes to give the music industry a serious kick in the ass.
How do you know when you’ve captured a killer riff?
If someone in the
band doesn’t say, “That sucks!”, then we know we have a keeper.
What hobbies or interests do you have outside of music?
Ice cold beer,
good food, having a good time and sleeping.
What has been the most difficult obstacle to overcome?
Auditioning for a
new singer when our old singer left. That really sucked. We had close to forty
auditions before Jimmy joined the band. There was about a year that we didn’t
perform live. That was complete torture as well.
What has been your
highlight thus far?
There have been many, but recently the band has been opening for a lot of
national acts such as Type 0 Negative, Monster Magnet, and King’s X. Doing
shows like that make all the bullshit you go through a little less annoying.
What do you want to accomplish with this new e.p.?
Getting a good record deal
would be nice. We are all very ready and willing to quit our day jobs.
Final comments? Come see Borgo Pass play live and we promise not to dissapoint.
Buy Slightly Damaged and be the first kid on your block to own the new
Borgo Pass c.d. If you can’t afford to buy the c.d., then go to our website at
borgopass.com and download some music. No matter where you live on this planet,
support your local heavy music scene and go out and see live shows.
Discography: 2002... Slightly Damaged 1999... Powered By Sludge 1996... Borgo
Pass
Current line-up: James Tamarazzo... vocals Paul Rosado... guitars Tom Crane...
guitars Y.T.... bass Joseph Wood... drums
Website: www.borgopass.com