It is I, Maris The Great! First question is for big, butch Craig. Craig, why do you do things like punch holes in walls and beat people up at the venues you play at? You know it turns me on.

CRAIG: Trust me, turning you on is the absolute last possible thing that I would want to do. I’m not into fucking dead bitches let alone dead faggots from hell! Also, let me clarify that there was only one hole in one wall and one guy beaten up. Both the wall and the guy were asking for it and being the nice person that I am, why would I deny either one what they want?

God, you’re hot. I wish you weren’t moving to L.A. Come to think of it, why is ROCKET AJAX moving to L.A? Doesn’t the Internet allow you to stay put?

CRAIG: NO, I think that we have accomplished all that we can in Denver. The record labels aren’t here and we get little or no support from radio stations here.

Denver is a sports town and that is pretty much all people here give a shit about. If you are in a country band you go to Nashville TN because that’s where the labels are. If you are in a Rock band and serious about succeeding, you go to LA.

DAN: We are moving because of the continuous support and constant exposure that LA has to offer a hard rock band. The inspiration will be at peak level to write some great songs and my knack of going out every night and end up thirty miles away, lying in a pool of sweat and love juice with a hottie will be even more of a threat.

TODD: KBPI has been great to us and totally supported us ie: Greg Stone, Lynne Ryan & Willie B. but we still aren’t signed yet, so part of the reason I want to go is so I have no regrets later. I want to give it my best shot. If we make it, then that’s great, but if we don’t, I won’t be second guessing myself for the rest of my life. The Internet is a great device and maybe we aren’t using it to the full potential we should be…But there’s people we should be able to meet that we might not be able to over the Internet.

RYAN: We want to put our selves in the best position to achieve success and LA is a giant hub for bands who want to take it to the next level. It also raises the stakes for all of us individually and that always makes a band tighter.

How did you come about deciding Miles was a bitch and no longer acceptable to play in your band?

DAN: Miles is in no way anyone’s bitch but Veronica’s and no one kicked him out. He quit under the best of wishes and warm fuzzy thoughts. I love you, Miles!!!!

TODD: He decided on his own to leave. We would never get rid of him or anyone else in this band. We had some indie labels come out and see us and they were talking about putting us out on the road for 6 months or so. Miles didn’t want to do it, so he told us. He gave us plenty of time and said he would keep playing with us until we found someone else. It was the coolest, most professional way he could of done that.

RYAN: Miles is THE coolest bass player ever and if he finds out that you called him a bitch, he will fuck you up the ass till shit comes out your ears like a play doe factory.

Well first off, your romantic play doe references are alluring. Secondly, Miles will do as he’s told.. He is under my undead control as will you too soon be.

RYAN: Doubtful

Your confidence will be your undoing.

RYAN: Yeah, and the picture of a pussy I have in my pocket will be yours…

HISSSSSS!

CRAIG: Miles is our boy. He quit on his own because he didn’t want to perform at this level anymore. Nuff said!

What is the biggest difference Miles style of playing and the foolishly confident Ryan’s?

TODD: Ryan has a deeper and louder tone. His style is more “clicky” than that round tone that Miles had…I think Ryan makes us sound heavier.

RYAN: I think Mile’s and my own style reflect each other very well. One thing that is noticeable is I am a slave to the drums and you will hear it on the next C.D..

You were originally in Tyfoid Mary, Ryan, but left after Vinnie died. First off, how did you find out the news about his death?

RYAN: Saturday, July 21st we (Tyfoid Mary) loaded our gear into the Sportsfield Roxxx, where we were slated to play with Rogue and ROCKET AJAX. There were a lot of people already there. I took the phone call at the bar. Looking back, I wouldn’t have found out any other way, we were all together.

Vince died in a car crash. Was he drinking and driving?

RYAN: Since it was a single car accident fatality, the coroner didn’t do an autopsy, so his B.A.C. was not known. He was overworked for certain and you throw in a couple drinks and we’ll we see what can happen.

Everyone reacts differently to death. How did Vinnie’s death affect you personally?

RYAN: Vince crossing over has had a tremendous affect on my life. Part of me still feels that he is not gone, but on vacation or something. Vinny was my closest friend for over 10 years we had a million laughs as well as brutal tests. Tyfoid Mary was a very short part of our music career but one that will live on for a long time as it was captured on the album “Symptoms”. As far as his death affecting me , it made me REALLY realize how precious and short life is. Love your friends because you don’t know how much you would miss them lest they be taken away.

Why did you leave Tyfoid Mary? Wouldn’t Vince have preferred you to continue on without him?

RYAN: Continuing on was not something we really thought about, we just did it. After we found Jerry we started playing a lot of the material off SYMPTOMS and it was almost haunting to me. I wasn’t happy with the new stuff we were working on so I could feel a change coming on. Leaving Tyfoid’ was very hard to do , Dugan Vince and I had been playing together for over a decade. We moved here together from Vegas in 1995, but with Vince passing it definitely broke the circle.

Is there bad blood between you and the rest of Tyfoid Mary?

RYAN: Ahhhh…the million dollar question. I would like to believe “no” because of all the work I put into that project even after I left.I talk to Dugan all the time but me and him are friends for life I’m afraid! (Laughs) I do not talk to Jerry or Scotty much though and it does feel like I lost two close friends to some bullshit!! But Tyfoid’ is kicking ass with their new bassist Igor, so I imagine it will be all good in time.

How did you get the gig with Rocket’?

RYAN: Todd emailed me and asked if I wanted to audition.

Are you guys afraid that Ryan will turn into a flaky bitch and leave ROCKET AJAX?

CRAIG: What kind of stupid fucking question is this? That would be like saying that I’m a flaky mortal bitch because I too was in another band before I joined ‘Ajax.

Well if the shoe fits…

TODD: The only reason Ryan is in our band is because Vince died. Even with that it was hard to get him to leave Tyfoid Mary. So I’m not concerned at all because he is a very loyal person….and if he does, I’ll let you have your way with him (Laughs).

ROCKET AJAX have experienced a lot of success as a band thus far. Did your popularity come as a surprise, or did you know it would happen all along?

TODD: I thought we would do well. From the beginning I thought what we wrote was really good.

DAN: Personally, I knew that if Todd and I put just a little more effort into this project than the bands that we saw out playing at bars, we would do something no one else has done with a harder type of music band. It doesn’t take me by surprise at all. I believe that we deserve to be where we are. You can’t stop somebody from doing what they really want to do if the desire is greater than the desire to fuck around…. and I love to fuck around!

CRAIG: I knew we would do well, and I say thanks to all of those people who have supported and believed in us over the years.Now all we have to do is sign a good record deal and I will be satisfied.

Ok, well then, let’s talk about getting signed. Aren’t you afraid that getting signed will result in the label turning you into Linkin Park?

DAN: What do you mean, afraid? Isn’t that how big everyone would like to be someday? If it’s not, then you all are in the right town to do just that. Linkin Park is a good band and I would love to be where they are.Give us a little time and we’ll see what we can do.

CRAIG: Linkin Park sold 12.5 million albums worldwide last year so no it wouldn’t bother me at all. Show me the money!

RYAN: Are you afraid that once you see my huge cock you will go straight? Fuck no!! All we have is our sound and if that is messed with it would kill the chemistry.

Oooh, you have a huge cock?

TODD: We aren’t compromising who we are as a band to become more radio friendly, we are just learning how to write better songs. Being radio friendly doesn’t mean you have to be a pussy band. Just look at System’ or Pantera. It’s all just one big long learning experience.

Ok, well what are you doing with your sound to make it more radio friendly?

TODD: Cut some of the fat out of them. On “Sentenced To Life” we have long intros and a lot of the songs are over five minutes. So we would trim our songs down and make the chorused more memorable

Groups like Tool don’t worry about coming in under five minutes.

TODD: Yeah, but that’s unusual.

DAN: To make the songs a little more radio friendly, it has to do with the structure of the song. Make the pre-choruses a little more catchy and really focus on the chorus of the song. It’s the meat of the song and you need to make it stand out as much as possible. That’s where the lyrics come into play. You must come up with popish style choruses but with your own particular style put into it. Know what I mean?

So, looking back, what would you change about “Sentenced To Life’?

TODD: I would add more guitar tracks. On most of the songs it’s just the main guitar track doubled.

DAN: I think the writing of “Sentenced to Life” was a very dark and stressed out part of my life, with my baby son on the way and all that came with it. That is my son on the cover and every song has to do with a different feeling or obstacle I had to endure during that time. I would change the songs only to make them a little shorter and to get the main message across a little faster, maybe. Other than that, I would not change a fucking thing.

Let’s talk about the new CD. “Receptive To The Unkind” is an unusual name for a CD. Where did it come from?

DAN: Actually, I came up with the title on the Greyhound bus coming back from St. Louis, where my son lives. To me, the title is kind-of self-reflective in a way. I get very sad when I leave my son, and I choose to be very alert to the things that I should not do!

RYAN: Dan is the man with a master plan. We picked from a few other ones and that one came across the best.

I remember you spent a shit-load of money on “Sentenced’,” how did you keep costs down on “Unkind”?

DAN: We did all of the drum tracking for six songs at FTM, as opposed to thirteen full songs, and out of those six, three were done completely at FTM. The rest of the remaining three were done at Jeremy Lawton’s crib,on the south side, bitch! All in all, we did the new ones pretty fast, ’cause we don’t waste time on the south side, bitch!

TODD: “Receptive to the Unkind” is a third of what Sentenced’ was. This CD doesn’t have hardly any programming in it and Jeremy gives us really good deals on studio time. So that all helps.

Are there more guitar solos? One criticism with “Sentenced To Life,” was the lack of ’em

CRAIG: I have to answer this. Guitar solo’s belong in the past. I personally don’t think they are cool anymore. A melodic lead that does not clash with the melody is the way to go in my opinion.

Spoken like a true drummer!

RYAN: Personally, I am over it with solos! I think a lot of people would agree that when they hear a “guitar solo” or “lead,” they think “old school” no matter what.

You will die for dissing guitar solos!

RYAN: There is a part on one of our new tunes “The Way It Was” it has a lead feel but no single note shred action, more like a melody break.

TODD: I guess solos are cool, I just don’t want to do em.

Nu Metal seems to be the popular thing right now. Where do you think Metal/Heavy Music is going and where would you like it to go?

DAN: Heavy Metal is going nowhere. Now polka..

RYAN: I think heavy music is reaching more people than ever and for the most part people are receptive to the unkind!

TODD: I would like to be the one that reinvents Nu Metal, like Korn did or Nirvana. Nirvana changed the entire music scene in a matter of months. I don’t know where Nu Metal is going, I just know where I’m going.

Five years from now ROCKET AJAX and are a worldwide phenomenon What is your lifestyle like?

RYAN: If we can play music all day and pay our bills because of the band, then I am truly happy. Mission accomplished!

CRAIG: Personally, I don’t want my lifestyle to change. I would like to have more financial freedom and maybe buy some more expensive toy…Ferrari etc.

TODD: I want a place in Bermuda! I want to go scuba diving and deep sea fishing everyday…Drive a 57 Chevy…with a picture of Maris’s face airbrushed on the hood.

Acceptably spoken mortal!

DAN: I think, really, the only thing that would change for me would be the mink sidewalk in front of my skyscraper.

If you could change one thing about the local scene, what would it be?

TODD: Drama…but at the same time I wish bands were more competitive.

CRAIG: It’s hard for me to answer that. I think Denver is stuck in the “Twilight Zone.” I’m waiting for Rod Serling to step out of the shadows any minute.

RYAN: More clubs, more clubs, more clubs!! And I would move Aggressive Persuasion to Denver so I could see them every fuckin weekend!

DAN: I would definitely have more of a selection of hard rock, and I don’t mean Jackyl hard rock, clubs. A fully equipped dungeon with mistress in ’em wouldn’t suck, either!

Do you think other local bands are supportive or resentful of your success?

CRAIG: No comment.

TODD: I think the people that are confident with their own band are supportive. Insecure bands and people aren’t.

DAN: I think 99% of the people we play for and who we have gotten to know us are so behind us, we make fags jealous! You are always going to run into the 1% beaaattcchh group. Oh well.

RYAN: Me being the new guy and on the other end of things until I joined is priceless. I think a lot of bands have us in there sights. But on the same note bands also look to see what we are doing and use us as a gauge for what they are doing. Know what I mean?

Tell me, Craig, Todd and Dan, being I previously killed you, what are the advantages to being undead?

CRAIG: There are advantages to this?

DAN: I can do all the drugs I want and never have to worry about…..dying!

TODD: You can projectile vomit a lot further…And the girls love a man that’s undead.