Photos and Interview by Devilman138

Recently we had a chance to interview Joe Fraulob, guitarist of DANZIG. We want to 'thank him' for this exclusive interview for the 7thHouse.com!

Joe: Probably when I was about 10 years old, I got an acoustic and started taking lessons at night at the local city college. Around that time my older cousin turned me onto rock music like Zeppelin and Hendrix. Then I saw my first concert ( Iron Maiden) and my mind was just totally blown. I knew right then that playing guitar was what I wanted to do with my life.

7th: Prior to Danzig what can you tell us about your musical background?

Joe: Well, I've been in a few bands that no-ones ever heard of...
a thrash band called Brutal Groove, a heavy southern rock band called Artis Crouch, a radio rock band called SideSwipe (we actually got signed to Columbia, spent a year recording shit in LA and Nashville then everyone into us at the label got fired and so did we). I've spent the last almost 3 years with a heavy rock band called DECONSTRUCT; putting out CDs on our own label, touring the whole country, playing a bunch of big shows with bands like Korn, Disturbed, Iron Maiden...

I've also been recording since I was about 21, I've got my own recording studio in Sacramento, CA with a full blown Pro Tools rig... I used to record all the area bands full time, a cool track I did with the Deftones just came out on their "B Sides" album... I even played the guitar solos on it. Finally I decided, "recording all these other bands is a waste of time, I'm just gonna record all my own music" Thats where I record all the DECONSTRUCT stuff.

7th: When and how did you get the call to play on the 'Black of The Black Tour 2005'?

Joe: I've known Jerry Montano since were just kids playing in bands around Sacramento, so I've just kept in touch with him over the years... He called me sometime in August I think, and told me DANZIG was gonna be getting a new guitar player, and would I be into trying out. I told him fuck yeah, and he gave me a list of songs to learn. I got totally obsessed with learning it all just spot on note for note, all the solos and everything, then started learning stuff that wasn't even on the list. Especially the first 4 albums, cuz my style is real similar to John Christ, so it was like real natural for me to play like him, and cop what he was doing. I told Jerry I was learning all this shit note for note, and was just gonna come in and kill it and get the gig.

Anyway, I get to the audition and Glenn's like "Jerry says you can play everything just like the album," and I'm like "yeah, totally, lets do it" I'll never forget we played "Do You Wear The Mark" and it sounded dead on the damn album. I'm rocking my ass off like I’m in a stadium or something, and when we were done, GD says "dude, that was awesome" WTF? Am I dreaming... that was a trip! Anyway, I pretty much nailed everything, and they told me on the spot that I was IN. I really worked hard to do justice to everybody's playing, I wanted to do JC like JC, Tommy Victor like Tommy Victor, you know cuz the guitar playing on the albums is so great, why mess with it - its that way for a reason! I think the fans want to hear it like that. I've got tons of respect for the history and the fucking legacy of DANZIG and everybody that's been in the band, so it was important to me to stay true to that. Of course, I was able to throw a bit of my own style in there.

7th: Playing on the same stage as Danzig must be intense enough, but to play with both Glenn and Doyle....what was that like?

Joe: Let me just say, it was a total honor to play with everybody in the band. Jerry and Johnny are two of the best players in the world, and GD is such an incredible showman and singer and a legend, that it inspired me to kill myself every night to give the show of my life... I can't even describe how intense it is to be on stage with DANZIG, the music is just on fucking FIRE! Just this unreal evil energy that consumes everything! And man, when he would just point at me, and I'd launch into the opening chord of Mother... pure ROCK AND ROLL...

When Doyle came out, it was beyond insane, the energy on stage and from the crowd was the most brutal thing ever! It was completely unbelievable to be a part of something historic like that. So many fans told me, that was the coolest shit they've ever seen in their life... honestly, most of the time being on stage with those guys was so intense, that it didn't even seem real, just totally surreal, like a dream...

7th: What were the most memorable shows from the tour?

Joe: Man, I remember cool stuff that happened at every show, but if I had to pick a few: San Francisco, because that's basically my hometown, and we seriously tore it up that night. Chicago, cuz the place was packed beyond belief, the best lights, Jerry nearly broke his hand. Montreal, just an absolutely insane crowd. Atlanta was I think the night we did a double encore cuz the people were so into it.

Dallas was probably the most memorable... huge arena with a massive stage, Going Down To Die was dedicated to Vinnie Paul, and was just super emotional, and we played BULLET - the song that got DANZIG banned from Dallas! Of course the last show in LA... packed Gibson Amphitheater... mammoth stage, and we just performed to perfection that night...everybody just gave their absolute all that night!

7th: What were your favorite Danzig songs to play live?

Joe: I really enjoyed playing the whole show from beginning to end but especially Going Down To Die, Not of this World, Her Black Wings, Soul On Fire, How the Gods Kill, Mother cuz the crowd is just deafening when they sing it. Bringer of Death, that's where I got to get my solo thing on. My favorite Misfits song is Earth AD, its just the most evil end of the world welcome to hell brutal shit ever! Bloodfeast, Skulls, Mommy... dude it is so hard to pick!

7th: As far as you know, is this the last Danzig tour?

Joe: I can't say, you know its totally up to him, but man, I hope not. The chemistry between the band is just so great, I think its a shame if more people don't get to see it. I’d like to think I brought something new and exciting to the band, that we killed it so hard on the last tour, that he’d be pumped up about doing another tour. If you ask me, this would be the perfect year to have DANZIG and Doyle on the OZZFEST or something! I think for sure DANZIG is going to keep doing shows where the situation is right, you know a couple big festival dates here and there, that kinda thing.

7th: What is next for Joe Fraulob?

Joe: As far as DANZIG, I'm ready to go with whatever he wants to do. I'm totally itching to do more shows and for sure I would love to do a DANZIG record! In the mean time I’m staying busy as hell, writing, recording and doing shows with DECONSTRUCT, my other band.

After Blackest of the Black, we got a new singer named Gwamba who is just amazing, a fucking madman who just belts it out like Bon Scott meets Bruce Dickinson and writes the most evil lyrics. He's an insane guitar player too. Playing with DANZIG really opened my eyes to what I wanted to do musically with DECONSTRUCT. Its all about vibe now, putting together a fucking ruthless guitar heavy band that just melts down the stage when we play. And DANZIG taught me to say fuck everybody, whatever you do be true to yourself, just bring that shit for real from the heart and from the balls.

Our chemistry now is really hitting, Venessa our bassist is this totally insane sexy but mean aggressive superstar that lays it down like nobody else. We just played this big EMG Pickups Party at the NAMM show and she blew the Peavey guys minds so bad that they are making her a signature bass line. And my drummer is just a machine, you know. Its a heavy rock band, kinda COC, BLS kinda vibe, with demonic lyrics and as many guitar solos as we can fit in. Hopefully if DANZIG doesn't play Blackest of the Black this year, we can get on it! Right now you can check out the new DECONSTRUCT tunes at: http://www.myspace.com/deconstruct

7th: Any last comments to the fans?

Joe: DANZIG fans are the best, most loyal diehard fans on the planet. I’m glad I got to meet so many fans on Blackest of the Black, and that everybody just welcomed me into the DANZIG family right away. Hopefully, I’ll get to meet a bunch more of you with DANZIG or DECONSTRUCT this year!