BIOGENESIS: Exposing the Darkness

In a rare occurrence, I had the pleasure to both review and interview an artist (BioGenesis) with the release of their latest work. We always try to pair a different writer with the feature and the review, but sometimes circumstances dictate otherwise… There are dark forces at work in the world in which we reside (as has always been evident) but throughout time, while some standby praying for deliverance, others embrace the call to confront and “expose” the darkness for what it represents. Chaz Bond, founder and visionary vocalist/lyricist for the enigmatic hybrid metal band BioGenesis, was gracious to “sit down” with a country doctor for an examination of an amazing story of faith, perseverance and redemption. Read on to hear the tale within the tale within the tale of BioGenesis.

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The Tale of the Band – Part I

It has been some time since we’ve last had a chance to chat with you about BioGenesis. My colleague Chris Gatto last spoke with you about 4 years ago (the world has changed considerably since) with the release of the massive A Decadence Divine. [See interview HERE]. In the interim you released the brilliant – and incredibly diverse – 5-song Black Widow EP. Those two albums seemed to represent a new zenith for the band.

Consequently, I suspect the biggest question right now which is likely brewing in the minds of fans … what happened to the rest of band members after Black Widow? It seemed like such a great line-up and the music on that EP was superb.

First of all, thank you for having me. It is always a pleasure. I agree with you. It was indeed a great era for the band. I have never spoken publicly about what happened. However, it has been two years now and I suppose the Bio faithful deserve to know the historicity of how and why we got where we are today. 

So, as we were finishing production on A Decadence Divine I had informed the guys that the next record would be a concept album about a man who survives being a member of a dangerous cult. At that time I was planning to use fictional names and so on, while largely basing the story on Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple. We had one song on the Decadence album called “In The Darkness I Dwell” that was based on the same character. This song was basically a precursor to the story on Rise of The Phoenix. The guys were excited about the idea. However, we decided to go ahead with the Black Widow EP first in order to give the fans something to enjoy while we embark upon this endeavor that we assumed would take a lot of time. 

By the time the day finally arrived for the band to begin writing for the concept, I had studied and prepared myself for more than two years and had given the message a lot of thought and prayer. 

Finally, I made the trip to meet with the band to begin writing. Shortly after I arrived, the tone suddenly changed as I was now being told that the tragedy of Jonestown was too dark and that they did not feel that a Christian message could come from such a tragic story. They offered a fictional alternate ending that was much happier than what actually happened. I get what they were going for but this would have nullified a major part of the message.

 When I tried to explain what they were not understanding, one of the members stormed out of the practice area, angry. It quickly became apparent that they had discussed this among themselves and already had made up their minds regardless.

At that point I was given a cold ultimatum. I could either use an alternative fictional story to replace the real life tragedy, or we do not do the concept at all. If I did not accept either of these then the other option was splitting up. After this I was angry and offended. If I don’t have freedom of speech in my own band then where else? I also felt that God was calling me to do this and I take that very seriously. I said things that offended them and vise versa.

I am not telling you this to throw them under the bus. I do not want anyone reading this to think badly of them. Truly, they thought they were right. They mean well and are good people. I just wish that they would have shown me some respect as the founder and long-time lyricist of the band. I wish that they would have tried a little harder to hear me out before passing judgement. I wanted them to trust in my track record of exposing darkness while blending in a message of hope and or redemption.

On the Decadence album we had a song about the Salem Witch Trials. We did that song “Messiah” where I played the role of King Herod as he gave the order for the slaughter of thousands of young boys. They were ok with both of these songs and I do not see how the story of Jonestown is any darker than these tragedies.

They were like family to me. We were very close. That is the worst part of it all. A great chapter came to an end that day. I wish them all the best. This is the first and last time I will talk about this publicaly. It’s water under the bridge now and both sides have moved on.

The Tale of the Label

And along those lines … why the switch from Roxx Records to Retroactive? (I work with and have tremendous respect for both Matt and Bill and love what both these guys do for our scene).

Honestly, I originally had every intention of releasing the record through Roxx. However, Tiago preferred the way that Retroactive Records handled the financials. We were offered a deal from Retroactive and Bill from Roxx gave us his blessing to switch labels. There was really nothing else to it.

That being said I have nothing but love and respect for Bill and his label. He really helped to bring Bio back into the spotlight when we signed with him. When I told him about what happened with the guys, he encouraged me to move forward with the concept album. He stood by me and the message I wanted to convey. I would work with Bill again any day.

The Tale of the Band – Part II

Talk about the new relationship with Tiago James de Souza. His talents are obviously immense and his style aggressive and somewhat experimental. Describe how his style fits with your vision for BioGenesis.

It fits like a glove honestly. Our first two albums were guitar driven with a thrash presence. We did not have a keyboardist at that time. So now we no longer have a keyboard player and so Tiago really has helped Bio return to its roots. He also did a great job of doing the hybrid thing in his own way.

Discuss how you selected this group of guys and how they embraced the “concept metal” approach to the new album.

About a week before that fateful band meeting that brought the previous era to an end, Tiago had approached me about doing a side project. However, after the guys all left the band I approached Tiago about joining Bio instead and helping me bring the concept into reality. Tiago was excited to do it.

Randy Walton was our first bass player. He played on our first two albums. It was a great feeling to have him in the fold for this important album. Tiago brought in Tiago Vitek from Brazil. All the guys stood firmly behind me and fully supported the message and purpose behind the concept. At that point I decided to just come right out with the story of Jim Jones rather than using fictional names with the exception of Grayson Vance.

Is this a permanent new band line-up for BioGenesis or was this set of musicians brought into the fold to actualize what you envisioned for Rise of the Phoenix?

That is a great question. I am not entirely sure what the future holds for each member. Tiago and I have indeed discussed another album but for the rest of the lineup, we will see when that time arrives.

The Tale of the Voice

Chaz, your vocals on the new BioGenesis album are superb. Truly. How do you maintain this melodic, yet harsh and abrasive quality without sacrificing vocal discernibility?

Thank you for the kind words. It is much appreciated. I spent a lot of years learning and practicing the different styles individually. 

The style I would focus on would depend on the band I was in. When I formed BioGenesis, I decided to combine the different skills that I had acquired over the years. I wanted to be a hybrid vocalist and I wanted to be in a hybrid band.

To be truthful, over the years this process became more and more natural for me. I use the same breathing techniques from the diaphragm while using heavier styles. In other words, I use the same power when I do a heavy scream that I would use with a long powerful melodic scale. This allows for a consistency of volume and control.

The Tale of the Music – Part I

The music of Rise of the Phoenix is a bit of a departure from the past two releases. I think one early criticism I heard of the new material – and I will state that I personally didn’t listen to any of the pre-release material prior to the CD release – was that the music was so “dense” and compacted (a wall of sound) with less of a melodic, dynamic or melodic sound. As I alluded to in my review, I suspect this was purposeful in order to draw out the extreme nature of Jones’ visions and actions. Am I delirious or was there a purposeful effort to change the sound for this release?

Honestly, I would say yes and no. Tiago knew what the concept was about when he began writing and he is brilliant at his craft. That being said, I think that the heavier direction is something he would have done regardless. However, he did do a fantastic job of making it easier for me to play the role of Jones as I attempted to get inside his head.

You will never please everyone. If we have keyboards some will say they prefer a guitar driven album. If you give them a guitar driven album some will say that they prefer the keyboard sound. Bio has never made the same album twice and we pride ourselves on that fact.

What kinds of discussions did you and Tiago have about the musical directions here? Did it all flow naturally or did you guys have a good old-fashioned “palaver” over how this would all play out?

I told him to be Tiago. I have always allowed the musicians to be themselves. I may be the founder but if the band only plays what I hear in my head then that is not a band. I want Tiago to listen to this record twenty years from now and be proud of what he did. I only ask that the band stay on the path of the hybrid vision. However, each member does this in their own way. Tiago was very natural to work with. The chemistry was immediate.

The Tale of the Tale

Let’s move on to a discussion about the concept of the album story itself. What inspired you to pick this topic for the next BioGen album – the saga of Jones and his People’s Temple?

As I alluded to earlier, I felt a calling in my spirit to do this. It actually started around 2013 but the band had split up for awhile. So when I brought Bio back into form for A Decadence Divine it was my full intention to fulfill the calling. 

Bio has always exposed darkness. There is no darkness that I am afraid to expose. There are false prophets and dangerous Cult leaders all over the world who do not get the press that the Peoples Temple received. They are out there right now today and many are deadly. I wanted to expose the evil of thought reform. I wanted to show just how dangerous and tragic thought reform can be. You can’t do that unless you tell it like it is. 

The other message I wanted to convey is that thought reform can be overcome. I also wanted to show that we can rise above no matter what we face. The character is based on a real man. He had to overcome being brainwashed. He had to deal with the fear of what may happen to him if Jones were to learn of his lack of faith. He was shot three times and left for dead. When he awoke he was told of the tragedy. He lost loved ones in the most horrific way. He had to overcome the grief and the feelings of guilt for bringing them there in the first place. Yet, he chose to rise above and he chose to go around the world warning others about Cult leaders like Jones. Today he lives a happy life. If he can do that after all he had endured, then so can the rest of us. There is no darkness that light cannot overcome. 

Similarly, any of the current world events spawn the need to expound upon the subject of cultic influences over people’s behaviors?

Cultic influence can come in many forms. As I stated earlier, there are many Cults that still exist. Some are known but many are not known at all. I suppose you can say that there is at times a Cult like effect in some internet circles today as well. Before you know it there are thousands of people believing in something that is actually false. That too can become dangerous.

I am curious if you have met with or spoken with the real-world Vance? If so, share what you can about his life and some of the struggles he has had to face since his deliverance. It is an amazing story and I confess that I didn’t even know anyone had survived that tragedy.

I did actually try to reach out to him through Facebook, however his account has not been active for awhile. Maybe he will read it one day and respond.

There are actually several survivors of the tragedy. Some were away from the area during the time that it was taking place. There were a few who actually slept through it. Others were able to sneak away into the jungle unnoticed. The secretary of the congressman who was killed, she survived being shot several times at the same air strip incident where our main character was when he was shot.

The amazing thing about Vance is that when I began writing, he was total fiction. All that I knew in my soul at that time was that I was to tell this story about this character who went through Hell but would eventually overcome the darkness. 

One day something told me to go take another look at the survivor accounts. I then came across this man being interviewed. Honestly it sent chills down my spine as I listened to him. I suddenly realized that this guy was literally my fictional character in real life. Everything that happened to him in real life was already going to take place with my character. At the end of his interview he said, ”Eventually I overcame the darkness.” To me this was more confirmation that I was indeed being called to do this.

What I can tell you about the character that Vance is based on comes from several interviews I have seen. He did suffer a lot of grief in ways most of us could never imagine. However, through his faith he began to live a great life. He married and lived somewhere by the ocean. From what I can gather he now lives a very happy life. 

The Tale of Two Voices

You do an incredible job on these songs portraying the two characters. Can you talk about that part of production and how it directed your vocal approach? Was it challenging switching back and forth between Jones and Vance, or does that type of “role-playing” come naturally?

Any time you are doing a concept album it is quite challenging. In this case the story was based on a true historical event, so there was the added challenge of being historically accurate while driving home the message you are trying to get across. I had done the concept album Beneath The Shadows with Jacobs Dream back in 2009. So, playing the role of Vance was pretty natural for me. With Vance I really wanted to portray his range of emotions as he began to realize that bringing his family to Guyana was a grave mistake. 

Playing Jones wasn’t always easy. I despise his actions in every way. However, I had to show the deranged and evil side that was just waiting there inside of him all along. 

I was really kinda dreading the writing of the song where the mass suicides would take place. Once I finally finished that dreaded song I was very happy to be done with portraying Jones. I was really excited to begin writing about Vance and his redemption.

I’ve always been interested in the theatrical nature of BioGenesis – do you have a background in acting or is this all just flowing from the Spirit?

That is funny you ask. At first I really was thinking of who I could have to play Jim Jones on the voice overs. However, I decided to take a shot at it myself. When our bassist Randy Walton first heard the clips, he was a bit creeped out. He actually thought it was a real clip of Jones voice so that was good enough for me. I have never done any acting whatsoever so I kind of surprised myself to be honest. That being said, I’m proud of the work but I’m really glad that playing Jim Jones is behind me.

The Tale of the Music – Part II

My favorite part of an interview is talking about the music and the songs themselves…

In some ways it is hard to describe, in words, what is going on here musically. Especially on the early portions of the album there is a mechanical chaos which reminded me of what UK’s Biomechanical did with their experimental extreme metal trilogy in the early 2000’s. What set of words would you use to describe the music of Rise of the Phoenix? And were there any musicians that inspired this particular chapter of the BioGenesis story?

The best way to describe the musical direction is heavy, guitar driven and more heavy. As I said before, I allowed Tiago to take the reigns musically and he really wanted the album to be loud and packing a real punch. You hear elements of thrash, death metal, melodic power metal and hard rock. Tiago did a great job of blending these elements seamlessly which is exactly what Bio is all about.

If I were to look at influences, I would say that you can hear shades of Slayer, Lamb Of God, Arch Enemy mixed with some nice melodic influences.

The Tale…

I would like to try something I’ve never done before in an interview. Usually we have separate writer’s doing the interview and the review. But since the Spirit put us on this path… I am going to post my observations from my review [posted HERE] and ask you to comment on each song in response. Feel free to correct any of my misinterpretations, lol!

Chapter 1

“The Dwelling” sets the stage for the story with the keyboard-lead instrumental over top of ethereal voices and narration. 1978 … Guyana … paradise…

This was actually the same intro that came from that song “In the Darkness I Dwell.” Since this was the same character, I wanted to officially make that connection.

Chapter 2

“The Covenant” opens the shred in grand fashion and establishes the different nature of this metal album. The keyboards are mostly gone, the vocals are harshly intense and the guitars and drums relentlessly crushing and fast.

Sounds about right for the most part. Although I love the beautiful melodic chorus that comes out of nowhere at the end. That is actually my favorite part of the song.

Chapter 3

“By Design” is a relentless frenzy of guitar and drums devoid of melody propelled by the scheming screams of Jones. Even the guitar solo gets seemingly buried in the crushing mechanical chaos (by design). If the purpose of these first two full-length songs is to establish the smothering control of the cult’s leader, BioGenesis have succeeded. Oppressive aggression throat-hold of metal fury.

That is indeed what I was going for vocally. Although I’d say that it was not completely devoid of melody. There are some dark melodies during the first verse break down. Then the song has a nice melodic chorus right before the songs closing.

Chapter 4

“Within These Walls” introduces a small dynamic to offset the fast and furious with a few breakdown sections and the more melodic singing mid-song. But the lurching schizophrenic rhythm guitar throughout is impossible to ignore. As Vance tries to reach out to Jesus, he is repeatedly drowned-out by Jones’ dominating control (the guitar). As the song moves to conclusion there is an “opening” in the music as Vance breaks through.

I like that observation and I really appreciate your deeper thinking here.  I can tell that you are someone who gets it. This song really does bring us into more diverse territories which is where as a hybrid vocalist, I am right at home.

Chapter 5

However, on “Breath Forgotten” Jones-guitar reasserts his control, oppressing Vance. There is a moment of “light” led by spirit-filled guitar solo and more melodic cries with Queensrychian passion from Vance.

True. Vance is beginning to experience a true awakening here. He also begins to realize that he made a grave mistake by following Jones to Guyana. He realizes that he has placed himself and his loved ones in danger. However, his wife is still a full-on believer and refuses to listen to her husband. I took a small artistic liberty here which is the one of the reasons that I did not use his real name. This happens all too often in Cults and I wanted to expose that as well.

Chapter 6

With the next two tracks the story reaches its pinnacle of confrontation. The ego-centric Jones – pushed against the wall at the threat of being exposed – reveals his true nature to his followers (“Heavenly Darkness”). Musically this is one of my favorite songs because there is more dynamic drumming and colorful interplay of fast and slow passages between the drums and guitars.

I agree. This song flies out of the gate like a bat out of Hell. Pure brutal death metal.  Then a creepy melodic chorus. Back to brutal death metal then a beautiful melodic guitar solo. The song suddenly ends with a dark hard rock riff that is one of my favorite moments on the entire record.

You are right about the lyrics. Jones was on drugs and was becoming increasingly paranoid as time went on. He would hold meetings he called “White Nights.” He would tell followers that they were about to drink poison just to see who would follow him.

Chapter 7

Jones’ vile act culminates on “The Suicide Lie” as he leads his “children” to their death. Bond’s vocals here are spectacular – brutal, charismatic yet with that sinister, cynical Alice Cooper clarity. (Imagery of Alice Cooper’s Brutal Planet comes to mind).

If not for the despicable acts described in the lyrics of this song, this would have been one of my favorites. Musically it really rocks. Great guitar work by Tiago. I love the beautiful melodic chorus on this one as well. 

Jones was a liar. Suicide is always a lie. Whether it is a person guiding and convincing you others or when an individual is lying to themselves in order to find the courage to do the one mistake where there are no do overs.

Chapter 8

“A Thousand Tears” – the aftermath. Finally, there is a moment of melodic clarity/balladic passion as Vance awakens to the aid of the paramedic who discovers him amidst the dead – with a pulse and breathing. Fans of the previous releases will enjoy this more “traditional” power anthem as it builds throughout its course. Once again, a fantastic vocal performance and the antithesis to “The Suicide Lie.”

Thank you again for the kind words. I absolutely love this song. The only true ballad on this record. As hard as it is to face, I had to display the feelings of guilt he was feeling after learning that his loved ones had perished. However, he begins to cry out to God for strength and finally his redemption begins.

 Chapter 9

The title track smokes – a song of victory, of redemption – every band member clicking in thrash unison. Vance’s “testimony” if you will, this song has guitar shred, melody, pace, frenetic drumming and a powerful message. Granted, the voice-overs are a bit cliché’ at beginning and end, but hey, this is heavy metal drama after all…

I truly love this song. This song fully embodies the bottom-line message I wanted to convey. This is actually one of my favorite Bio songs of all time. As for the voice overs? The real character spends a lot of time speaking to crowds about what he went through and this is what you are hearing here.

Chapter 10

“Ashes to Glory” is the perfect closer because it encapsulates the story and the music of Rise of the Phoenix. The guitars are more dynamic, more progressive, but no less intense, and we even get a bit more bass and drum rhythmic play. Bond showcases the full power of his dynamic voice as he speaks through Vance –

“I was just a man who was broken/I did not deserve your grace/Yet you revived my soul/One day I will see your face…” 

My favorite song on this record. The message is crystal clear. So powerful that it gives me chills when I hear it and that doesn’t happen often when it comes to my own songs. The message is that God will forgive and lift you up no matter who you are or where you have been. He ran so far into the night. But it was only one step back to the light.

The End of the Tale

As I alluded to in my review, the emotional intensity and the extreme nature of the music might turn some away from repeated listening. I don’t necessarily ascribe to that line of thought, but I can understand how in a world of “we want ear candy, just give us a quick fix!” there will be the protests. Just interested in hearing your thoughts in this regard.

Honestly, I don’t give a lot of thought to any of that. I truly believe that this record is meant for someone out there to hear. I do not know who, where or why. I just know from experience that when I feel that calling to write something, there is always a reason. Bio has never been about being popular. Bio is that band that will go anywhere while looking the Devil in the eye. That is the calling of BioGenesis.

Also, I assume that once you have listened to the full concept a few times most will decide what their favorite tracks are and may go to those for casual listening.

I’ll just leave you with this thought.  If Jesus were standing here today and someone were to ask him about the tragedy at Jones Town what would he say? Would he refuse to talk about it because it is too dark?

Chaz, feel free to share anything that you have wanted to share with the world over the course of the past few years.

I believe that he would firmly condemn the acts of Jones openly and harshly just as he did with the Pharisees when he called them a brood of vipers. Jesus backed down from no one. Jesus would expose Jones for what he was and that is exactly what I did as well.

I believe that we need to remember our dark history so that we can learn from it and be better than our past. There are young people today who are not all that familiar with Jim Jones. I think that telling his story serves as an important warning for current and future generations about the dangers of false prophets and brain washing Cults.

Thanks Chaz, for the music, the art, the metal and the opportunity to more deeply explore Rise of the Phoenix. Congratulations on the new release and many metal blessings.

Thanks again and God bless.

BioGenesis

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