“IAMTHESHOTGUN: This is my best work. I’m extremely proud of this murder feature and it was the thin red line I made for other groups to cross, if they wanted to work with me. It had everything I’m about: a cool metal band, over-the-top gore, male nudity, extreme homosexuality and a band member I was actively romancing (Kenny Bear!). Although the band has had a number of wonderful people enlisted, I bonded with the lineup of Bryan Pelle (Kung Fu Panda), Jon Wells (The Ejaculator) Kareem Hendricks (Kreamy) Lucas Lucus Garcia (Pounder) and Kenny Higdon (Kenny Bear)
The name of the band naturally led me to setting up deaths by shotgun. The group was great to work with and it all went very quickly, but I eventually had to reshoot the deaths of Kenny and Bryan. I had originally killed Kenny in his car and Bryan in a bathtub, but those pictures weren’t up to the standard I set for myself. And so, I ended up re-killing them in a vacant field out in Aurora. Bryan was hilarious at the shoot. He had Andrea Rebel and I in absolute stitches the entire time. For some reason, it made sense to me that he would shove a shotgun up his ass and pull the trigger. He was so funny about the whole thing and such a good sport. Bryan and I have remained friends to this day.
Andrea also shot a series of photos of Kenny stripped down to his underwear, for my “Boys I Want To Bang” collection. Those photos were laughably bad, so I gave them all back to Kenny and used a stock publicity shot to oooh and ahhh over. The hottest photo of him I was ever able to obtain, is in the comments section below. And yes, I do think Kenny is a hunk of man.”
~Maris The Great
THE DEMISE OF IAMTHESHOTGUN
IAMTHESHOTGUN'S FINAL INTERVIEW
Nobody cares how a band got started. However, I never heard of you guys, then one day, POW! you’re kicking everyone’s ass. How did this come to pass?
Bryan: (Laughs) I figure this has happened to a lot of people before. I think it’s because we go through these waves where we get kickin’ really hard and steady, get more exposure – then lose a member. We then end up getting a new member caught up to speed and do it again. You probably caught us in one of those waves
How did it all begin, for this band?
Bryan: Kareem and I have been jamming together for about six years. As soon as we met and played together we knew that we had something good going. I think we were trying to create The Shotgun all along but just couldn’t seem to get the right guys for the band so it took us some time to get off the ground
At what moment did you really feel things “clicked” and you had something going?
Bryan: The first time Kareem and I ever played together, was at a tryout that I invited him to after he and someone else called me about an ad I posted. I was warming up and starting playing “Bastard Set of Dreams,” by Dead To Fall. He jumped right in and we jammed that song out! (Laughs). That was it. I knew that we were going to be jamming together for a long time
What are the obvious and non obvious, musical influences of the band?
Bryan: Some of the bands that we are influenced by are, Whitechapel, Black Dahlia Murder, Danza, new Carnifex and Within the Ruins. A not so obvious band that we are ALL into is Deftones. Deftones, Deftones, Deftones. Deftones. We have grown up listening to them and throughout our musical preference changes and even their progression, we can still say we love and respect everything they have done
Whitechapel is high on my hit list…
Bryan: Ya know, I gotta give it to Whitechapel. They have put out like three albums in three years and they’re not shitty albums! I think they’ve developed their own style through the years. Their newest album is soo polished, that you can’t help but like it. It was even recorded better than the last one…
The last one filled me with rage!
Bryan: I actually thought the last one was a little more “shred” but they’re killin’ it on the new one. Every album you can hear them progressing further and further into their own style they’ve created. There are a lot of wanabes who will throw a “brutal breakdown” into their song and call themselves “deathcore” and think they’re the shit but there’s A LOT more writing and talent involved than that. Shit, it sounds like I am worshiping them (laughs). It’s not like that at all, but seriously I gotta give it to those guys, they know what they’re doing
Let’s talk more about your band. Tell me about your new CD.
Bryan: The new CD is going to be awesome. We are taking our time on it because we want to put out a killer album with no regrets. We are recording with Michael Morissey at his studio in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. (We are) Certainly not used to the “Sunnyville” neighborhood, but he definitely has a sick studio! All of the songs were written before we went in to record.
What is the writing process like?
Bryan: When we write we always start with guitars. It’s not like it has to be that way, but that’s just what we have always done. It’s the easiest way for us. I can’t say recording has been super easy BUT that’s because we are being super critical. This is our first album, we can’t put out bullshit.
Tell me about your zesty, lead singer, Kenny Bear.
Bryan: (Laughs) What do you want to know?
You actually have very valuable information. You’ve personally seen his ween.
Bryan: (Laughs) Kenny Bear’s ween! We’ve all seen each others weens whether we like to admit it or not. Obviously, I don’t mind admitting it (laughs). I’ve seen Kenny’s ween while peeing before.
I have personally tried to catch him at a urinal many times before, but he senses my impending arrival and zips up with haste!
Bryan: (Laughs) Yeah, Kenny Bear used to be super freaked out by you. We used to make fun of him since he was so weirded out by you. He’ll deny it now because he’s realized how awesome you are, but yeah, he used to be afraid of the things you wanted to do to his ween (more laughter).
I still want to do them! What is his ween like?
Bryan: From what I remembered, It seemed to be a healthy one
What was the hue?
Bryan: (Laughs) There didn’t seem to be any creepy, discoloration going on…
Was he cut, or uncut?
Bryan: By that, do you mean circumcised or uncircumcised?
YES!
Bryan: Kenny Bear’s ween is circumcised. I think I’m going to start using the word “ween” more (laughs).
Your beard, weight and furry cadaver make you a true bear. Are you jealous that I have given him the love name of “Bear?”
Bryan: (Laughs). All I gotta say to that is, you want what you can’t have (more laughter).
I think you could easily be in a movie such as this…
Bryan: (Much laughter). Holy shit yeah! That was hilarious! They called the one dude with gray hair a “Polar Bear”(more laughter).
You’re zesty too. Don’t you have rather large testicles?
Bryan: Yeah, they’re pretty big. Hopefully, not like freakishly… just healthy! I never knew they were so big, ’til I got older. I started sitting on them all the time, couldn’t wear too tight of pants – things like that. Then I realized they were pretty big (laughs). You could kick me in my ass and I bet you’ll hit nuts. It happens all the time!! They pretty much take over my mid-section
(laughs)
Accomplices: Groovey and Dave Zaharia.
All Murder Photography by Rebel Photo
Additional band photography by Enrique, Jordan Holloway and Dead Fall Photography
IAMTHESHOTGUN CD RELEASE PARTY 2012
“Sept 1, 2012. This was the first time I had been among mortals/bands since I retired over a year earlier. It was not a declaration that I was coming out of retirement permanently (though everyone seems to think that), but rather a desire to support one of my favorite bands, IAMTHESHOTGUN. In the process, I had the pleasure of seeing new bands (The Burial Plot, As The Sky Darkens, Parallels, Anchorage), acquire a new boy toy (Boy Candy Brandy) and party with mortals I hadn’t seen in the longest time. To say I was well preserved is an understatement. In fact, I don’t even remember the afterparty at Benders Tavern. When I was driven back to my graveyard, later that night (morning), I slept on my lawn until 4 in the morning. I was one, happy zombie.”
~Maris The Great
