The metal veteran has more faith in basketball than music nowadays. Read what he has to say.

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The last time Powerline spoke to Dan Lorenzo, the heavy metal guitarist was talking about his former power metal band Hades briefly reuniting for European festivals in 2010. Hades will reunite once more in July for a gig in New Jersey and then Germany’s Headbangers Open Air Festival on July 28th.

Lorenzo is still frustrated with the music industry. His last project, The Cursed, was an extremely solid hard rock/heavy metal band formed with Overkill singer Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth. The album Room Full of Sinners did not receive the recognition it deserved (check out how good the album is by clicking here) and the band unfortunately disbanded.

Nowadays, the metal guitarist seems more interested in things outside music.

“Smoking crack, sniffing glue, drunk all the time,” jokes Lorenzo when asked what he has been up to for the last few years. “Honestly? Waking up no later than 6am, sometimes as early as 3 or 4am. I’m the editor and the advertising dude for Steppin’ Out magazine. I’ve been selling advertising straight commission for 18 years…and the editor for about 2 months. My wife and I have been happily married for almost 15 years. We go out for dinner pretty much every night, we love to travel. If it’s warm out I play basketball outside. In the summer I play 4-5 days a week. Hoops is what music used to be to me. It’s hard as hell for me to sit or sleep.”

There’s another Hades reunion coming up for you this year. What was your impression of some of the last reunions you were a part of?
Dan Lorenzo: They were a lot of fun. I didn’t really want to play the Bang Your Head festival in 2010 because it was in July and I knew I would have to shut down my basketball for a few weeks to protect my fingers. Plus I’m not crazy about being away from my wife. Alan (Tecchio) talked me into doing it and I had a blast. Probably the highlight of my career. Last year Ross the Boss from Manowar joined us onstage to play “Deathtone.” I kind of thought I did it to make Alan happy. I only loved the first two Manowar CDs. When Ross played with us it was magic. He was so cool too.

Your solo stuff has been categorized as Stoner Metal. Thought that was pretty amusing. Your opinion on that?
Lorenzo: Well, you know I’m a straight as straight can be…but it does sound like stoner metal a bit I think. I do have a mojito in Key West every year. I think pot should be legal so it would lower my taxes. Maybe then I could take a hit of pot and really write some stoner music!

[pullquote_right]I didn’t really want to play the Bang Your Head festival in 2010 because it was in July and I knew I would have to shut down my basketball for a few weeks to protect my fingers. [/pullquote_right]

Any news on resurrecting The Cursed? The album Room Full of Sinners re-issued? Do you keep in touch with Bobby “Blitz” ?
Lorenzo: Now this idea makes sense! I want to rerelease it with the 4 songs we did as the demo with Jimmy Schulman on bass and Ron Lipnicki on drums. One of the songs, ‘Lucifiction’ was never released and is my wife’s favorite. Blitz and I email each other regularly. We talk occasionally, too, about writing a few more songs together. He’s got dozens of unfinished songs I’ve sent him.

You seem to have lost faith in the music industry.
Lorenzo: Totally. It lost it’s appeal to me. I rarely play guitar. I was just about to start jamming with some “name” musicians, but then I got handed the editor gig at the mag (Steppin’ Out). In the summer, like I said, I live for hoops.

Do you feel that Hades should have been more popular, more successful? What about your former band Non-Fiction? Personally, like I said, I think The Cursed should have been much more popular and successful.
Lorenzo: If The Cursed came out in 1993 maybe we would have been, or even if we toured. It’s a special record for sure. Non-Fiction should have probably toured with more cutting-edge bands. We were getting pretty popular in a few markets in 1992/93. I think all of my bands should have been a bit more popular. Then I think how Metallica’s No Life Til Leather just burst on the scene…no publicist. So I guess my bands were exactly as popular as they should be.

[pullquote_left]Most celebrities are failures as human beings and give people the wrong ideas about what’s right. [/pullquote_left]

Last interview you showed a real disdain for celebrities. Celebrities have become the royalty of America, haven’t they? Many people are more interested in a celebrity’s life than their own.
Lorenzo: Crazy, right? Most celebrities are failures as human beings and give people the wrong ideas about what’s right. I’m a big believer in either being single or being married and faithful. I’m not a fan of divorce and broken homes. People don’t think enough before making huge important life-altering decisions.

You were also feeling pretty negative about politicians — that you basically can’t trust any of them. Many Americans probably agree with you on that.
Lorenzo: How could we feel good about any politicians the last couple of years? It’s sad that we have no real choices. It’s more like a celebrity gameshow with different multi-millionaires acting like contestants.

[pullquote_right]Blitz and I email each other regularly. We talk occasionally, too, about writing a few more songs together. He’s got dozens of unfinished songs I’ve sent him.[/pullquote_right]

And voting becomes the pick of the lesser of two evils.
Lorenzo: Absolutely. We should have at least 3-4 choices each election.

What were your feelings on Occupy Wall Street movement?
Lorenzo: I love the idea of a peaceful protest, but I was too busy working straight commission and paying my mortgage to be active in it. I’m fucked up for a musician. I pay my credit card in full the day after the bill comes. I’m not a very typical American. If I can’t afford something I won’t buy it. Fortunately because of working hard and making good decisions and using common sense and having my health…I have everything I want.

Do you cover a lot of these issues in your Steppin’ Out column?
Lorenzo: Yes, in my column called 24-7.

All the music you have been a part of — at this stage in your life, are there any regrets?
Lorenzo: We should have made a video for ‘In The Know” instead of “Reason To Live” in 1992. I should have never released that horrible version of me aborting Kiss’ “Two Timer” on my last solo CD. Other than that…no regrets.

 

Go to www.danlorenzo.net for more things “Dan” — and to order some of the great music he has been a part of throughout his life.