By Martin Popoff
In terms of the sonics on the album, Blackie chucked all the grief he had creating Unholy Terror. For that record he went digital, and even if the result sounded fine, making the record was like giving birth to a basketball.
"I went the old-fashioned route," notes Blackie. "Back to two inch tape. I mean, you can hear it. This sounds like an expensive record because it was done on two inch tape; there's depth to it. We didn't have the digital distortion problems. When it came time to mix, I mean, it was such a pleasure because we mix from right to left, it's true. But two inch tape gives you a depth from front to back that you just don't get with digital. It's warmer sounding and I know everybody says that but there is a benefit to that. But mainly for me, there is the imagery to the depth. Like a say, that's what makes records sound big and expensive and a pleasure to listen to. Because sonically they can beat your brains out, but they're not harsh sounding. Digital is harsh. It may eventually get to a point where it's not, but it's not right now. So I'm much happier, but $35,000 lighter for a two inch studio (laughs). But it was worth it."
In terms of the curious, ambiguous title to the record, Blackie says that "the original inspiration came from the idea of what happens to people when they are living for the approval of others. When you're living your whole life to impress somebody else, you end up living it for them, and not yourself. And then September 11th comes along and the focus changes a little bit. And then there's the whole idea about the biblical thing, 'What's a man profit if he gains the world but loses his soul?' So there are a number of different ways it can be viewed. And I mean, all art should be multidimensional anyway, so I'm a little bit reluctant to talk about those kinds of things because again, it's back to the creative process. Just like dealing with musicians, if I tell them what I'm thinking, then I'm shutting off their creativity. And if you do that with the listeners and the viewers, you do that to them as well. So I prefer to let them use their own imagination."
