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A few weeks ago we had an interview with C. B. Sebastian, former guitarist of Thrust, and now we have the answers of John Bonata, also former singer of Thrust.
John, being based in Chicago, do you think that Trouble and Zoetrope were the first original heavy metal bands who were actually really heavy and not hard rock?
I think ourselves and Trouble were first but Zoetrope might have been around then I just don’t remember hearing about them til a bit later
Did they immediately manage to put the town on the map of the Heavy Metal/Hard Rock scene?
It wasn’t a scene yet that takes time to develop so the town wasn’t on any map yet.
Were they the first to define a sound of heaviness in the scene and maybe everyone kind of took that sound a little?
Thrust and Trouble were both Heavy they were just much more Doomy and to be honest although Barry was a friend of mine back then I don’t really remember listening to their records so I really don’t know.
They (Zoetrope and Trouble) were the earliest bands that brought everyone together, weren’t they? Both of them were influential…
Thrust and Trouble were first. I have no idea when Zoetrope was formed or began.
Was the early Chicago metal scene a traditional heavy metal one?
It was traditional in the sense that sub genre’s hadn’t been invented yet….LOL Metal was just metal.
Do you think that besides Zoetrope and Trouble, Witchslayer, Slauter Xstroyes (previously Naj, White Which), Hammeron and a little bit later Thrust, Snowhite/Znöwhite, Iron Cross, War Cry (incl. Paul Speckmann), Mayhem Inc. etc. belonged to the first wave of Chicago’s metal?
I guess we were all the first wave and I wasn’t around for a second wave if there was one? Witchslayer, War Cry, and all those bands were formed after Thrust and Trouble.
Were all of the bands different from each other and just sounded completely different from each other? Did everybody just have their own unique sound?
I think everyone did have their own sound, yes indeed.
Was it a kind of camaraderie among the bands back then?
After all the bands were established we’d all go to each others shows and all of the Chicago Metal fans knew each other as well so there was a party here and there…lol
At which point and how was Thrust formed? What about the line up?
I met C.B. at a party in 1978. He said „I play guitar” and I said „I can play the drums a little” so we started jamming. Then we met Ron at a party and he was still in high school in a band called Wyte Cross with Paul Speckman just singing not playing bass so we stole Ron but didn’t want Paul to be our singer. Then we needed a bass player and Paul hadn’t yet started to play so we went through a couple bass players until we found a singer Roger Terry and then found Price Sowers to solidify Thrust 1.0 which lasted I guess about 2 and a half years.
A split Ep Solidarność Rock for Poland (incl. The Lazer Band) in 1982 and two demos in 1983 were released, can you give us any details regarding these materials?
Erect Records setup the Rock For Poland concert and told us they were going to record it but we weren’t told exactly what and when they were going to put out. For the record, we never heard ANY of the tapes before the „Rock For Poland” album came out so we had no idea exactly what songs were going to be on it or how they sounded. Needless to say we weren’t happy that we had NO say in any of that and certainly weren’t happy with the final product which we thought was horrible and embarrassing for a number of reasons including the mix of the tracks.
You switched to the vocals and Ross Cristao became the new drummer, what was the reason of it?
Out of frustration/necessity, I took over as lead singer/co songwriter because we’d fired our singer and couldn’t find one. We had placed ads around the area and there was no internet or YouTube to hunt for singers so after a few tapes were sent to me I just said fuck it I’ll do it just like Phil Collins did…..lol except Phil was a great singer and musical genius and I wasn’t……LOL I co wrote a few good songs though.
By the way, how did he get in the picture exactly? What about his musical past?
We had 10 days before the biggest gig of our lives opening for Judas Priest in front of 10,000 people and he had an ad in the Illinois Entertainer. He was the only metal drummer in there so we called him and told him come on down ASAP. I think I remember he came and watched one rehearsal with me drumming and said he’d be back the next night to jam. You can see his solo on my Facebook page we didn’t have to try anyone else and borrowing an Jeff Oly Olsen or Barry Stern was never discussed because it all happened so fast. Ross had played with Derek Frigo of Le Mans had broken up, and Derek eventually went on to be in Enuff Znuff.
Was he the first choice or did you maybe audition other drummers as well?
He was the only choice….LOL If Ross couldn’t play my drum parts to 12 songs adaquately and fast we would’ve had to cancel opening for Judas Priest.
The song Destructer made it onto Metal Blade Records’ Metal Massacre IV compilation in 1983, did you manage to make a name for the band or to expand your fanbase with this opportunity?
It did introduce Thrust 2.0 to the world. and Brian Slagel had already offered us a record deal based on the now legendary 1983 demos.
On this compilation were there five Chicago bands, Thrust, Trouble, Zoetrope, Witchslayer and War Cry, did it put Chicago on the map of the metal scene and opened the doors for other bands, such as Mayhem Inc., Terminal Death, Devastation etc.?
It did put Chicago on the Map but I’m not sure it helped those that came after us all that much.
From there, you were signed to the label and released your debut Fist Held High, what do you recall of the recording sessions?
We recorded the whole thing in 3 or 4 days. It went pretty quick as we’d been playing those songs for many months by then and we didn’t change any arrangements that I can remember. Brian Slagel made a couple of suggestions but that was about it. It was the same studio inside someones house that I would later go watch Trouble laying down tracks for The Skull. It was a cool little place this guy had but still smaller than any studio we recorded demos in.
Did you have a decent budget, by the way?
The funny thing is I don’t remember ever even discussing a budget….lol but I do remember the figure $3000 for the total for some reason.
Did the debut offer eight songs with a more than solid foundation?
I think it did I might of traded out 1 track for another but again it was over 40 yrs ago and I don’t remember the discussion for which tracks would be recorded. Obviously certain ones were definities but looking back we could’ve traded a Thrasher for a Stand Up and Fight or a Rockin’ The Night even and I’d of been fine with that
How do you view, that this album has plenty of aggressive moments aided by the strong production, and the NWOBHM influences that bring the intensity a cut above Judas Priest are evident on tracks like Overdrive, Metallic Attack and Thrasher?
I’m not sure what your asking here I don’t think any cuts are better than Judas Priest’s vast catalog of over 100 tunes. Some may be as good as some of their’s but every band can say that I suppose……lol
Did the band show their versatility in slower, lengthier numbers like the 8 minute Freedom Fighters, as well as Torture Chamber?
You know it’s funny we never thought about lengths of songs and because I know as an artist a song takes as long as it takes…..lol We used to have a 17 minute song called The Whip which was a little progressive and had 3 parts. I don’t think Ron has trotted that one out in decades… or even remembers how to play it. LOL
Did Posers Will Die! show the band’s more humorous side?
Well let’s just say I never wanted to be lyrically stifled on subject matter. The demons and dragons, sword and sorcery thing get redundant sometimes.
Are Fist Held High, Overdrive, Heavier than Hell and Posers Will Die! pure US metal anthems with just enough melody and catchiness?
Are you asking me that question or declaring a fact. Melody??? What’s a melody?….LOL
The songs are variable and the same applies for the lead vocals; your style of singing expresses both power and passion and manages a pretty wide spectrum of tones, how do you explain this?
We always wanted to have variety when I was in the band. I never really thought about myself vocally having a wide spectrum so that’s a little bit shocking but if you hear it that’s cool by me.
Did the guitar riffs, lines and leads shape fast aggressors (Fist Held High), epic battle chants (Freedom Fighters) and horror scenarios (Torture Chamber)?
On Fist I knew it was written to be a fast banger so that kind of fit a title I had written in my notebook where I would keep not only a list of possible titles but any lyrical notes or ideas I’d think were usable in the future. I just tried to have the words go together feeling wise with the riffs and make it make sense.
How do you view, that the album sounds remarkably good for its time; the guitars’ presences are felt front and centre, the bass is quite audible and the drum tones are clear and punch?
That was still the early days of Bill Metoyer and Brian Slagel’s production and mixing but obviously they became legends. I always wondered what Fist Held High produced by a Martin Birch or Max Norman would’ve sounded like.
For the record when I first got to L.A. before the band had arrived I had an ad in Music Connection magazine saying we were looking for a manager, and Rush producer Terry Brown called, and told me to bring down a promo pack. I did, and it had Metal Massacre IV and the 1983 demos in it. (We weren’t officially signed to Metal Blade yet) I never heard from him again….lol I’m sure he thought we sucked so bad that they didn’t even want to touch it. I’m sure Metallica heard the same thing when they played their No Life Til Leather demo for any major manager or major label.
Is Fist Held High a decent effort that sits in a position between heavy and speed metal, with some traces of the emerging USPM genre?
There were no sub genre’s outlined when we formed Thrust we just wrote what we thought was a variety of Metal, and even Hard Rock. Rockin’ the Night and Overdrive are hard rock songs as is Back On The Streets really just like many Scorpions songs.
Did the metallic substance of this album form a competitive output?
Not sure what you mean here. If you mean did it put us in an early league of American Metal bands I would say maybe.
Were there any shows or tours in support of the record?
We played shows with Slayer, Lizzy Borden, Wendy O Williams and a few headline shows around L.A. but we never went on tour.
After the first album, the band moved to Los Angeles, but everyone (except Ron Cooke) quickly moved back to Chicago, what was the reason of it? How did you feel in L. A. back in those days?
The reason we all moved back is because we went broke….lol I knew I had a union job making great $$$ waiting for me here to fall back on. Ron stayed there and kept working.
Is it correct, that Ron Cooke continued to play shows as Thrust with an all new band featuring Chuck (aka Chaz or Chas) West on vocals and other members known only as Spike, Mike, Clay, and Peter.?
I didn’t really pay attention to any of it but I knew Chaz West and he’s a great guy but he knows nothing about Metal. He is a great Robert Plant type singer for that kind of band. He still is! I have no idea whose been in Thrust after 1984 and never really cared.
John, thanks a lot for your answers, what are your closing words?
I’m going to say what I said in my 40th anniversary post that all the world can read on Facebook. (please put a link to it here)
For the record, even though I love the renewed enthusiasm for the original band, and our album, my performing days are long over, but (and not that he needs it) Ron has my blessing to do whatever he wants to keep the songs alive and write new ones. We talked about it and I flat out told him I have no desire to play music of any genre anymore as I’ll be 65 this year. I’m just not physically or mentally capable of doing it anyway. Find some great guys that want to do it, or get the guys you had on the last 2 albums. I just did the anniversary post to celebrate the album and the long lost videos. I’m glad people have been enjoying them but once the final one goes up that will be it. Thanks for your interest David. Let me know where and when you post this.
