Interview Three Sixes

Industrial-thrash titans Three Sixes return with "Reject Control," a ferocious anthem of defiance. In this interview, the band delves into its raw intensity, rebellious themes, and upcoming album Call Me The Devil.

1. “Reject Control” dives deep into themes of rebellion and defiance. What inspired you to tackle these intense subjects with such urgency right now?

Damien: Even though the George Floyd/BLM riots were happening on the other side of the country a few years ago, there were still violent crimes and home invasions happening within just a few miles from where I live at the same time. All of which gave birth to the first four lines to this song that I’d eventually write. After that, the rest of the lyrics just fell into place. Although this song was written a while back, we thought it’s relevant today as the subject matter on this is still pretty fresh. 

2. Your lyrics challenge power structures and manipulation—can you tell us more about what “Reject Control” is pushing back against?

Damien: Going through the Covid lockdowns, rising crime, social media trying to guilt trip a tax paying white guy into self-hate and lawmakers seemingly not caring about anything while the economy was going south- there was a lot to be angry about and push back against. A while after the riots ended, the guys sent me the music to this song. I talked to them about what I thought the subject matter should be. Like everything else on this record, we were on the same page. History shows I’ve never been politically correct. My job is to deliver attitude. I do so honestly and I think people connect with it.

3. Each of you brings a unique intensity to the track. How did the collaboration between Blake’s relentless drumming, Damien’s piercing vocals, and Kill’s dissonant riffs shape the overall sound?

Kill: From the time I started composing the main riff (which doubles as the chorus), it felt like a slow, sludgy and grinding style was the right way to approach it. I was envisioning some sort of resistance toward the increasing government overreach. Our creative minds were matched with regard to the correlation between the music, lyrics and the flow of the song.

Damien: As with the majority of songs on this record, this one started with Kill. He wrote the riffs and arranged it. He and Blake worked out the bridges/transitions, etc. and when they felt good about it- sent it to me. All I did was dig it, confirm what was gonna go where and go over the subject matter. Those two laid the foundation for me to write over. Blake would eventually add some well-placed sampling in it during the final production stages to really bring it alive.

Blake - I got a sense of the groove that Kill was going for, and tried to strike a balance of being a head banging groove song, and a fast thrash song.  I always like to make the drums as musical as I can, but drums are limited mostly to timbre rather than melody, so I try to work with the musical evolution of the guitars and add context around them to accent the music and drive the song forward in energy.  With this song in particular, I have progressively faster drum parts as the riff and vocal carry forward the core of track.

4. With a title like Reject Control, what message do you hope listeners take away from this song?

Blake - While there’s themes in the lyrics that directly pertain to recent years, it also speaks to the mindset of staying an independent thinker, and really trying to take to task any policies or regulations that are being pushed on us.  We’ve seen some crazy tyrannical policies and some blatant hypocritical execution of those policies, to speak in general terms, and millions have been censored for trying to ask questions and educate ourselves.  Solutions are found through conversation and collaboration, not oppression or erroneous accusations.  We don’t want to live as second class citizens under gluttonous power structures. 

Damien: To think for yourself in any situation, at any time. Going against the grain when you know something stinks is typically the right move and don’t be afraid to fail if it isn’t. The mainstream/legacy media is not your friend and neither is anyone pretending to be while trying to force their opposing opinion down your throat. While discussions and even arguments are healthy, people who do nothing but attempt to coerce you to think like them don’t care about you, just themselves and their agendas. I’ve learned that many who can’t get you to think the way they do, leave, “unfriend” you or whatever juvenile behavior they project is because they are insecure within themselves. It used to bother me, but I stopped caring a long time ago.

5. How does “Reject Control” connect to your previous single, “Welcome To The New World Order”? Are there similar themes running between the two?

Damien: The themes are definitely similar. “Welcome To The New World Order” is something that has been building for decades and “Reject Control” was what happened when the “New World Order” showed its face. People have awakened to what was actually happening and luckily, wanted nothing to do with it. I think the American citizens proved that at the ballot box.

Kill: I agree, the themes are similar, as well as the inspiration from what’s been going on specifically in the USA. Both “Welcome to The New World Order” and “Reject Control” are anthemic, to a point. Funny thing is that the remainder of the tracks from the upcoming album have that effect, as well. 

6. Damien, your lyrics are intense and unapologetic. How do you approach writing such powerful and direct messages?

Damien: I don’t have much of a filter. It’s not a me “trying to be cool or edgy thing” either, as my lack of filter outside of music has created a lot of friction in my life. Bandmates included. It’s also caused a lot of self-inflicted grief, which I can’t take back and some of which, I regret. It’s more of a personality flaw than anything else. It’s who I am. Lyrically, it’s my place of complete freedom where I can say and do whatever I want while being met with approval. Just unleash energy to the fullest degree possible. If anything, all I’m really doing is being myself while having a platform to express opinions I have which Kill and Blake agree with, people happen to like and is way cool. Don’t get me wrong, I’m generally a joker who likes to make people laugh. I’m not the angry guy pissed of at the world 24/7, but all of us have some sort of anger and/or tipping points for whatever reasons. This is just the place I try to constructively direct it to.

7. Blake, as both the drummer and producer, how did you balance creating the driving intensity behind the drums while also shaping the overall sound of the single?

Blake - Wearing multiple hats has big pros and cons, in that the more you control, the more flexibility you have at the expense of your labor.  The best way to be effective is to tackle one thing at a time, so I had to split the workload into different phases.  After playing around with demos to figure out arrangements, we recorded the final rhythm guitars at my studio first.  I then went through the editing process on guitars, which itself took a couple months, but gave me a lot more time to listen to the riffs and sit with them to gather ideas.  Then I recorded my own drums, and focused on delivering an intense and technical performance that would give the backbone of the energy we wanted to achieve in this album.  I went through the comping and editing for all the drum tracks, and then we had our baselines to move forward with everything else.  Kill had returned home to write and record bass parts and guitar solos on his own, and I was working with Damien at my studio to record the vocals.  All the editing is very procedural and tedious, but with how dense these songs are, it’s absolutely imperative to keep everything locked in tightly together.  I was able to get creative again while creating the backing tracks, and again at the later stages of mixing.  As for creating the mix, I put all the tracks into one long project, with the goal of creating consistency and cohesion across all the songs.  I was able to organize and consolidate everything (turned almost 400 tracks into the final 234!).  This created a workflow so that one EQ change or balance change in a core instrument would translate across the album, which was super helpful when making fine adjustments towards the end.  Each of these phases requires a different approach and mindset, which is why it’s important to keep things organized and stream lined, and we kept track of the whole process using a Google doc spreadsheet.  I know this is a long winded answer, but hopefully also shares some insight on the making of the album.   

8. The track is mastered by Maor Applebaum, known for working with heavy hitters in the industry. What impact did his expertise bring to “Reject Control”?

Damien: I thought it was the perfect, final touch. Maor did a great job bringing even better balance to an already well mixed record.

Blake - Maor provided a lot of insight on the creation of the final deliverables, which I definitely would have screwed up if left to myself, since I’ve never produced for physical CDs before.  

Kill: I had opened up a conversation with Maor years ago regarding the possibility of working together. I follow his work and felt his passion and contribution for his work would lend itself well to our music and vision. Maor’s skill and love of all types of music, combined with the technology he uses on mastering the works of artists and top producers he has worked with, added value to the direction we are headed.

9. Your next album, Call Me The Devil, is coming in early 2025. How does “Reject Control” preview the themes and direction of the full album?

Damien: Overall rejection to the current, social “status quo” and political correction. Refusing to further tolerate what society has devolved into, while also recognizing the actual evil within it.

10. Many fans describe your music as a “battle cry” against conformity and oppression. How important is that role of challenging norms in your music?  

Damien: Ironically, our goal was never to challenge anything. We just do what we do because musically it feels right and we dig it. It just so happens that many times, what we do goes against the current social/political standard and does challenge norms who can’t see any other opinions. I guess basically from the “norms” standpoint- we’ve never paid attention or cared, while they explode because we don’t care. Kinda funny how that works. Over all this time, nothing has changed.
 

11. The industrial-thrash blend is a huge part of your sound. How do you make sure each song stays fresh while keeping that core Three Sixes identity?

Damien: I know it might sound cliché, but every song is a new beginning. Some get heavy industrial programming and others- little to none. We have a great vibe on this record. The ideas were all organic. The industrial programming is similar to how I see the lyrics. Once you get a feel for the tune, the lyrics kind of write themselves, just as the song will tell all of us where some extra layers could be cool. It becomes easier and makes more sense when everyone is on the same page and we were definitely on it for sure.

Blake - I was very much looking forward to adding my own influences to this new album, as I admire many bands in this space who have the industrial elements, and as a huge fan of orchestral metal, tried to balance some of that world into our songs.   Each song calls for its own balance of thrash, industrial, and orchestral, and since this album was crafted as a single listening experience, I’m hoping the listener experiences and enjoys the tonal shifts as the album progresses.

Kill: A focused band has contributing members that compliment each other with what they bring to the table. Each song on the new album exemplifies that focus and effort from the three of us.

12. Lastly, what can fans expect from your upcoming shows as you play “Reject Control” live? Any surprises in store for the Call Me The Devil tour?

Damien: Nothing planned yet. We’re in the stages now of promotion. Eventually, we’ll get out again. For the moment, we’re just enjoying the reactions the new music is getting. The responses have been great.

Kill: I imagine the path will present itself soon enough. We are very happy with the response to the new music. I’ll say that I expect blood to be shed in the pit, all in the name of unity that metal fans bring to each and every show. I’m very excited to showcase the new songs to the masses. 

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