Duncan Wilder Johnson - Workaholica A 3 CD SetÊ (Thrashachusetts Records) By Michael Ballue for Hellridemusic.com
Well, fasten your safety belts boys and girls, this review is going to be an interesting ride. Right from the gate itÕs an unusual format, being three CDÕs of different projects (all featuring Duncan Wilder Johnson) in a DVD size case. Some positive points are awarded up front for the innovative approach to packaging and some expectation points awarded for the description of the spoken word disc as blending the sensibilities of Bill Hicks and Headbangers Ball (if you donÕt know who Bill Hicks is, itÕs past time for you to check out one of ComedyÕs greats). There are also some points taken away up front for titling this Workaholica, ÒWorkaholicÓ would have done just fine, no need to reference a band who managed to turn a barrel full of promise into an empire of shit.
Well letÕs launch into the first disc, which is [destruct-a-thon, one of DuncanÕs bands, this one tagging themselves as Òa little Sabbath...a little Flag...all BlackÓ....not by any means a bad portent. Lead off track ÒNot In Our NameÓ turns out to be one of the most aggressive hardcore punk tunes on this disc, charging out of the speakers like an east coast thick neck hardcore band channeling the heavier end of Black FlagÕs material and sprinkled with a bit of anarcho-crust. From there on out it alternates between that type of material and a seriously hard to pin down sound...especially when Michelle Morgan takes over the vocal duties...almost like Neurosis, Black Flag and The Melvins doing some kind of twisted fucked up mating dance with The Nymphs. Easy listening this is not, reminiscent of the mighty Sabbath not at all to my ears (unless you count the simple thickness of the guitar) but it grows on you with repeated listening. At times it feels like they are trying too hard, but most of the time itÕs pretty fascinating that it can be this unique in a fairly simple genre. I was somehow unable to play the bonus video tracks, but I have a feeling this is the kind of stuff that really hits itÕs stride live. Not that this is bad, but it feels sort of like seeing animals at the zoo.....wild and on stage IÕm fairly sure is a far more impactful experience.
The second disc is Kill It All Away, another of DuncanÕs bands, this one featuring guest vocal appearances from Jet (Sam Black Church), Keith Smith (C60/Anarchy Club) Johan Jenkins (Only Living Witness/Raw Radar War), Chico (Closed Casket) and Eman Pacheco. This one is an ep rather than the full length of disc one, but more than makes up for itÕs short length with a scathing hardcore assault. It has more immediate impact and is definitely a few levels heavier than destruct-a-thon. No real complaints here...a very enjoyable burst of aggressive hardcore punk.
The last disc is DuncanÕs spoken word disc....and if you need a good reason to track this down, youÕll find it here. While not in that great manÕs stratosphere, you can feel a bit of a Bill Hicks vibe here channeled through hesher sensibilities.....glad to find that advertising was not misleading. Walking a frayed and swinging tightrope between traditional spoken word and straight out comedy, Duncan shifts fluidly from frantic and rabid verbal assaults to mid paced story telling to slower laid back musings. All of it holds the attention well and quite a bit of it is very funny, provoking anything from chuckles to guffaws. The material is as diverse as myspace, rednecks and Ramones, a Maiden, Motorhead and Dio concert and construction accidents. Unique and highly entertaining, you could do a lot worse than lend an ear to this.
All in all, being sold at $11.99 for three discs of material, this is quite a bargain and if you have a passion for hardcore (especially the east coast U.S. variety) and an ear for humorous spoken word you should seek this out.....
DUNCAN WILDER JOHNSON- Workaholica Thrashachusetts
From gaspetc.com
Here we have a 3-CD set of recordings documenting 5 years of works featuring metal addict Duncan Wilder Johnson. Featuring Honkeyball, A.C., and Adolf Satan alumni in the ranks, up first is Destruct-A-Thon's Es Muerte, which is a collection of 14 previously unreleased songs recorded before the band broke up in 2004. A band which started as kind of a joke grew up and grew teeth. Duncan cites Slayer, The Melvins, Black Flag, and Kyuss as big influences on the music, and I can't say I disagree with him. The songs, falling mostly somewhere between those 4 bands, are chunky, riff-laden affairs. Often midpaced, sometimes slow and dirge-y, and occasionally thrashy (even a "mosh" part here and there), it remains heavy throughout. These guys aren't here to impress you with subtlety. Duncan handles most of the lead vocals and delivers them several ways: fierce barking, deep growls, and even a Keith Morris snottiness (during "Flamethrower," for example). Guitarist Michele Morgan contributes some catchy melodic vocal parts which add some variety in that department to a refreshing effect. In fact, if D'Thon's recent reunion sticks and more material results, I would like to hear her voice a bit more. Sonically, the drums are a little murky for my liking, but the mix is suitably brutal for a band called Destruct-A-Thon. A nod to Metallica's "Hit The Lights" kicks off disc 2, the Kill It All Away E.P. recorded with D'Thon's Eman Pacheco (drums) as a 2-man studio project. The KiAA logo suggests powerviolence, but instead we get a meaner, bleaker, less melodic extension of their previous band...the Slayer and Black Flag influences come forward a bit more here. Vocal duties are handled by both guys with an array of guest vocalists, including Jesse "Jet" Crandall (SBC/Jet Fuel) and Jonah "Fucking" Jenkins (Only Living Witness/Milligram/Raw Radar War). Clocking in just short of 20 minutes, I'm curious to hear more. Where Duncan really shines, however, is on disc 3: DWJ Has A Short Guy Complex: Spoken Word #4. I began laughing aloud less than 60 seconds into the first track, and the rest of the disc's a good ride as he rants about Muzak, reality TV, MySpace, frat antics, "cool" kids, and many other things worthy of verbal abuse and humorous discussion. I'm not an expert on spoken word, but Duncan's self-effacing sense of humor combined with his OTT adrenalized delivery and unabashed love of all things metal makes for a totally worthwhile listen that I will return to whenever I need a hearty laugh. Herein are some of the best pieces he's served up to date. As the 3-disc set is priced $11.99, this third disc alone is worth the admission price. Consider the first two discs bonuses to this. ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ
B+ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ -Mark Fields
Duncan Wilder Johnson Ð WORKAHOLICA : 3 CD BOX SET Wormtown.org
By Phil Macnamera
(All Tracks Mastered by Nick Zampiello at New Alliance East Allston, MA: Destructathon
Ð Es Muerto (2001-2004): Produced by Ethan Dussault and Destructathon, Engineered
and Mixed by Ethan Dussault at New Alliance Studios Boston, MA; Kill It All
Away EP: Produced by Duncan Wilder Johnson, Tim Waltner, and Eman Pacheco,
Engineered by Tim Waltner at New Alliance, and Mixed by Andrew Schneider,
Tim Waltner, Eman Pacheco, and DWJ at Translator Audio Brooklyn, NY; Duncan
Wilder Johnson Has a Short Guy Complex: Spoken Word Number Four: Recorded
in various locations, Additional Mastering by Kenny Camaro)
Is that enough production credits for you? What can you say about a short
heavy metal spoken word guy from Upton, Mass? ThatÕs how Duncan Wilder Johnson
Describes himself in the first cut of his fourth spoken word album ÒDuncan
Wilder Has a Short Guy Complex...Ó ÒThe Heavy Metal Spoken Word GuyÓ has been
at it since 1995 in bands and in live spoken word performances, speaking mostly
about, yeah you guessed it, heavy metal.
The first of the three CDs in this set is 14 new songs from Destructathon,
a kick ass metal band that Duncan fronted from 2001 until 2004 that drew inspiration
from Slayer, Black Flag, and Kyuss. They reunited this year to make ÒEs Muerto.Ó
Me, IÕm glad that they did. Duncan and friends bring the adrenaline fueled
fist pumping furious anti war anthem opener, ÒNot in Our Name.Ó Hard pounding,
speedy circle pit inspiring heavy metal drumming and DuncanÕs own brutal riffing
lets you know that this is going to be an album of real metal.
In a mad dog growl Duncan rails against, ÒPrivileges masked as freedomÓ ThereÕs
some thing a little hokey and almost new metal feeling about Ò9 Squares,Ó
but itÕs likeable anyway. When Duncan reads off the nine reasons he writes
(home, friends, family, money, careers) I canÕt help but think, whereÕs the
one that he writes for Satan? I mean that even rhymes with 10, although, as
Duncan points out, so does amen. The head banger, ÒExorcise This Cold GhostÓ
is easily my favorite song on the CD. Eman Pacheco rolls out the drums with
reckless abandon as Duncan and guitarist Michelle Ò666Ó Morgan duel Slayer
style. Michelle takes the vocal duties and opens with one of the more memorable
lines on the disc, ÒI strive to be the phoenix rising, Desire the glory, Return
with the prize of peace.Ó
Duncan screams along side of her, but somehow manages to avoid the pitfalls
of clichŽs. On guitar Morgan holds her own with Duncan, shredding with as
much ferocity. ItÕs the song that makes me glad that Destructathon is back.
They follow that with the crazy shifting tempos of the math rock meets death
metal anthem of ÒBring the Knives.Ó ÒSlaydenÓ is also a fave of my as Duncan
screams and Michelle sings of redemption. They keep up the Slayer like intensity
and heaviness as DuncanÕs grim and nihilistic lyrics bounce off MichelleÕs
positive ones. After hearing it many times, I canÕt help but think that it
might be a good idea to let her sing more often. Her melodic vocals definitely
add something to the growl fest ÒNo Diet, All Insomnia.Ó The song shifts from
heavy thrash into grooving hard rock throughout. ÒMichelleÓ offers something
different, opening with a barreling slow bluesy Sabbath riff, while Morgan
belts out the song like a swaggering bar band singer. Her vocals along with
the killer math rock jam that ends this tune make it the most unique one on
the disc.
The six-minute epic ÒReceive the LossÓ gets to sounding a little repetitive
a mere minute into the song, from there the feedback drenched jam that follows
doesnÕt do much for me. The super speedy drum jam that ends it comes a little
too late to save my interest in it. The mostly instrumental ÒUltimatumÓ is
fun to listen to but not so memorable. It kind of sounds like an outtake.
ÒFreedom Olde Yeller StyleÓ is silly, but at less than two minutes, OK with
me. The Helmet like riffing that runs through ÒFlamethrowerÓ makes it a fun
tune. The home stretch is a mixed bag as ÒDaisy CutterÓ is mostly repeating
lyrics. The instrumentation and effects in ÒRickÕAhÓ make it a little more
memorable. ÒSoundtrackÓ is basically an answering machine message set to a
progressive metal soundtrack. ItÕs not terrible. ThatÕs how the Destructathon
album stumbles to a close.
Kill It All Away is the band that Johnson and drummer Eman Pacheco formed
after the demise of Destructathon in an effort to be heavier with crazier
time changes and in an effort to keep hardcore and metal fun, they invited
some of the best vocalists in New England metal. They open up with the slashing
chugga chugga riffing of ÒFail for a Lifetime.Ó Duncan and Eman Pacheco go
on a math rock tear as tempos shift all over the place. To help Duncan with
the screaming Jet from Sam Black Church joins in. ItÕs not really in the screaming
that Jet stands out. ItÕs more in the tribal moans he makes in between. ThatÕs
the classic Jet sound. The pace picks up for ÒInvader Disrupter, Thief Destroyer.Ó
A couple of guitar solos are pretty sick on this one, but when Duncan and
Keith Smith from Carbon 60 get growling together, I canÕt help but want to
shout, ÒmeÉeat...cookies!Ó
ÒBurn the EarthÓ rights the record as Duncan growls alongside the singing
of Jonah Jenkins from Only Living Witness and comes up with something slow,
experimental and totally crushing. Along with Chico from Closed Casket, they
up the pace on the scream fest ÒSuppress the Gagging Reflex.Ó He keeps up
the speed, but locks into a funkier groove for the finale, The Eman Pacheco
sung, ÒDevilÕs Roost.Ó ItÕs all a satisfying blast of fury.
ÒDuncan Wilder Johnson Has a Short Guy ComplexÓ is JohnsonÕs fourth CD of
witty spoken word observations about modern day life, dating, and of course
heavy metal. The opener ÒIÕd Really Like to Date YouÓ could really double
as the title cut as by the time this girl gets to referring to Duncan as a
Òshort spoken word guy from Upton,Ó you can pretty much anticipate the ÒI
think we should just both be friendsÓ ending. From ÒPaved ParadiseÉ,Ó I gather
that Duncan is really upset with the guy who made the cover of Joni MitchellÕs
hit from the Ô60s, ÒBig Yellow Taxi,Ó AKA ÒPaved Paradise and Put up a Parking
Lot.Ó He calls for jihad on this unnamed offender, IÕm pretty sure itÕs the
guy from that band Counting Crows, IÕll have to let him know the next time
I see him. ÒJoe MillionaireÓ leaves me missing his older funnier stuff. IÕm
sure someone finds a skit about Joe Millionaire hilarious; itÕs not doing
much for me. The more I hear it the more I think, ÒI must be getting old,
IÕm not watching hip TV shows, IÕm out watching metal bands and such.Ó Then
I start to think, ÒWait, maybe itÕs Duncan.Ó
ÒGoldfishÓ is one of DuncanÕs three character pieces about some college fraternity
dude that might just be your dad. The name, ÒHow I Met your MotherÓ was already
taken. The other two character pieces ÒNightmare KidÓ and ÒSex ProblemÓ are
funny off and on. IÕm sure youÕve all met the f word spewing, loud mouth ultra
violence fan, ÒNightmare Kid.Ó ItÕs the closest thing DuncanÕs got to stand
up comedy here. ÒSex ProblemÓ sounds pretty Jerky Boy influenced, sort of
Saul Weinstein from The Jerky Boys living in a fraternity. It takes over a
minute or two to build up over his huffing and puffing, but does get pretty
funny and by the end, just plain bizarre and perverted. Good job Duncan.
The parody and social commentary run wild in ÒDriving it Home with My Space,Ó
in which heÕs pretty dead on about MySpace pages. ÒNext Stop is DelancyÓ is
a witty piece about someone bumming change to feed his addiction by buying
videotapes of ÒThe O.C.Ó On ÒTwo Rednecks and a RamoneÓ Duncan tells the true-life
story of Duncan and Ramone drummer Marky Ramone partying and eating lots of
meat down in Texas with the locals while on tour together. ÒCool Kid BandÓ
does an excellent job at skewering local bands. During the 15-minute opus
ÒHeavy Metal Part 666Ó Duncan talks about drinking in a Òlocal white trash
townie bar with local rednecksÓ before an Iron Maiden, Dio, and Motorhead
at the old Worcester Centrum (now the DCU Center). Throughout the skit Duncan
contemplates Dio lyrics and tells a great story about Iron Maiden. The finales
ÒManlyÓ and ScaffoldingÓ are both entertaining. ItÕs a lot to listen to in
one sitting. So what can I tell you about this one, aside from itÕs long.
IÕd have to say that judging from most of Kill It All Away, almost all of
the Destructathon and a good bit of the spoken word disc; it was well worth
it. IÕd buy this album if he didnÕt already give it to me. My life is good
that way.
Duncan Wilder Johnson Ð WORKAHOLICA : 3 CD BOX SET SMOTHER.NET
Whoa Duncan Wilder Johnson is a brave soul. Not only does he bare his soul on ÒWorkaholicaÓ, he does so while showing how damn hard heÕs willing to work. This release is actually three releases combined into one giant mighty juggernaut. Destruct-a-thon is a hardcore-edged Slayer-esque metal group. Kill It All Away is a stripped-down two-piece. Duncan Wilder Johnson Has a Short Guy Complex is all crazy spoken word material. This is the underground version of Henry Rollins on crack. - J-Sin
From The Boston Globe Sidekick, October 2006
FROM THE BOSTON
GLOBE CALANDER 3/21/02
Sarcasm spoken here
By Jim Sullivan, Globe Correspondent
"This is not a debate," Lydia Lunch barked at the man who has dared
to invade her verbal space. "This is a monologue."
The New York-based Lunch, 42, was performing at the Middle East Downstairs
last week. The sometime musician and monologist was about a third of the way
into her spoken-word screed, entertaining and antagonizing a smallish group
of fans and masochists. This was not a Spaulding Gray kind of speaker or Spaulding
Gray kind of audience. Think Andrea Dworkin as a performance artist. You enter
a spoken word gig at your own risk.
Lunch was, as usual, in Full Sarcastic Attack Mode and her targets included
God, most of the human race, men particularly - "War is an orgy of .
. . dirty old men (raping) the planet." As for herself: "I'm a self-confessed
narcissistic."
The man, close by the stage, wasn't really heckling as much as murmurring
to a friend, but after she bitterly complained about US military intervention
abroad he directly asked her what she would do instead. She hissed, "Well,
I'll tell you." But she didn't really and went back to her script.
It got uglier, as she heard he and his pal "tittering" as she said.
She threatened violence. "Go to the back! Go!" she yelled at the
guy. "Gag him!" Soon, he was escorted out by security, allowing
Lunch to rant without distraction.
|
Bostonian Duncan Wilder Johnson,
25, opened for Lunch. He calls what he does "heavy metal spoken
word." Johnson has been doing spoken word for nearly seven years. "I do well in Boston, 'cause people know who I am, the spoken word guy. But it's definitely not easy. I'm often met with people who say, `You do spoken what?' " Role models include Henry Rollins and Jim Carroll. |
 |
A Mass. College of Art graduate, Johnson performs April 1 at the Milky Way in Jamaica Plain. He is putting together a show with 20 or so others on April 24 at Jorge Hernandez Cultural in South End.
From The Boston
Phoenix, 8 Days A Week 2000
"Talkin' Metal" State of the Art by Carly Carioli
| Duncan Wilder Johnson is something of an anomaly in the pantheon of rock-guys-turned-monologuists. The first generation of these, Jello Biafra and Henry Rollins, used their name recognition as the leaders of semi-famous hardcore punk bands to propel them onto a loose-knit postpunk lecture circuit. Johnson, though he is also a lapsed hardcore musician, has no such base to draw on. The last in his long line of bands broke up without releasing so much as a single; he finds himself releasing his first solo spoken-word album on a label that politely declined to sign him as a musician. Although he has self-published several chapbooks of poetry and other writings, he is not a regular on the local literary circuit. So if he succeeds as a "spoken-word artist" -- rock's official literary subgenre -- he would be among the first to do so without laying claim to either musical or literary talent. |  |
This isn't to say that Johnson's not very good at what he does -- only that
it's hard to pinpoint what that might be. For one thing, he's extremely
good at talking about Slayer. His account, on his new Heavy Metal Spoken
Word (Wonderdrug), of attending an autograph-signing session by the
high princes of metal at the Braintree branch of Newbury Comics works as
gonzo rock criticism and also as a kind of narrowcasted stand-up comedy
routine. As an art-school grad and life-long punk fan, Johnson falls into
the most self-conscious subcategory of Slayer enthusiasts -- sarcastically
skeptical and yet hopelessly devoted, equally as enamored of the idea of
being a Slayer fan as of the music itself. He awakes "with flying-V
guitars dancing in my head" and trundles to the mall, where "the
elite youth of the South Shore metal scene" gather "like war generals
meeting for council."
Through Slayer, Johnson is able to capture the essence of heavy metal as
teenage rock lust -- fast, furious, godlike, goofy, evil, and ultimately
harmless. One of his best anecdotes is a parking-lot confrontation between
the mulleted masses and a couple of lone punk-rockers, which he relates
with an equally sharp eye for the latter's casual dismissiveness and the
former's juvenile homophobia. He also speaks the language, with an unsparing
use of the all-purpose verb "rock," and infinitesimal shadings on the pronunciation
of "dude." He plays the roles of insider and outsider with such ease that
the line between the two practically evaporates before your eyes. "I wish
I was a slut," he declares in a segment that deconstructs his fear of romantic
involvement, "but I'm just a kid who reads too much into Black Sabbath."
Johnson grew up in Upton, near Worcester, and by the age of 12 he was immersed
in the local punk scene. Inspired by Rollins et al. -- but also by the increasing
difficulty of keeping a band together -- he began performing a combination
of poetry, written observations, and off-the-cuff commentary at open-mike
nights. "When the band wasn't playing, I went down to the Thursday night
coffeehouse at the Espresso Bar and just read weird shit. Occasionally I
would perform at hardcore shows -- I went on first and I would read these
really loud, fast, aggressive pieces, and people dug it. Then I moved to
Boston to go to Mass Art, and that's where I met Clay Fernald and Rich Mackin,
and we started putting on shows."
The three formed an informal collective, eventually releasing
a compilation CD, On Tour Without a Band, through Johnson's Redbackpack
mini-press. They have marketed themselves in much the same way, and in the
same circles, as one would promote a punk band -- through photocopied flyers,
and playing out-of-the-way places like basements and VFW halls and art galleries.
Johnson and Fernald are about to embark on their second extended tour; on
some nights they'll play with bands, on others with performance artists,
and they'll make at least appearance at a comedy club. "The more DIY,"
Johnson says, "the better."
A CD-release party for Duncan Wilder Johnson's Heavy Metal Spoken Word
will be held Friday at 8 p.m. at the Oni Gallery, 84 Kingston Street (fifth
floor). Call 542-6983.
From allstonchronicle.com
allston rock city:
duncan wilder johnson
speaking of which, i hit o'brien's a couple of weekends ago (october 13, to be exact) to support local rockers destruct-a-thon, fronted by allstonite duncan wilder johnson.
duncan says they're "inspired by heavy rock bands like motorhead, kyuss, and slayer," but i'd throw all and any band with jim thirwell into that mix as well, with total compliments.
they rocked. heavy metal with witty lyrics that don't always make sense but seem to hit the mark. "nipple kabob" sums it up. plus, they do a great tribute to local legend tim catz, former bass player for roadsaw and honey glazed.
duncan is joined on stage by sean linehan, his brother nate, and michele "666" morgan. nate and sean linehan, both former allstonites, also do their metal thing in the local band grudgefuck, which i'll discuss at another time. michele, another allston rocker, is just plain cool with a capital c.*
nate, who used to be the drummer for the hard core band anal cunt, beats down on his drum set harder and faster than anything i've ever seen. sean rips your head open with his bass sound, with the dance moves to match. and michele lives out every girl rocker's fantasy of head banging heavy guitar playing. this team backs up duncan, who has been on the scene primarily as a spoken word artist since 1995, commenting on the finer aspects of pop culture like punk rock, heavy metal, and living life like an artist on the fringes of society.
i got a chance to ask duncan a few questions about allston rock city, as he's lived in this neighborhood for two years, and has opened up for local favorites such as scissorfight and tree, as well as other spoken word artists like jim carroll (the basketball diaries), jello biafra (ex-lead singer for the dead kennedys), marky ramone (former drummer for the ramones) and angelo moore (singer for fishbone).
duncan said he considers allston to be "fueled primarily by the students and the musicians, but there are many other kinds of artists, and shops which keep it fuckin' allston, dude!"
when i approached the subject of whether or not the yearly student influx into our neighborhood was a detriment or an attribute, he had mixed feelings. "the students provide the usual young-person debauchery and its accompanied fan fare," he said, "but that gives many artists something to critique, discuss, and make art about. it also supplies a market to sell art as well."
you can catch destruct-a-thon -- and i would suggest it -- at the abbey lounge (inman square, cambridge) on wednesday november 7th. they're there as part of the "redneck fest" with random road mother, three day threshold & the humanoids.
you can learn more about duncan wilder johnson at www.duncanwilderjohnson.com. there's also info there about where to see his spoken word shows -- and how to get your hands on a destruct-a-thon cd.
paula ribeiro
FROM AVERSIONONLINE.COM
Duncan Wilder Johnson "Destruct-a-thon" CD
8/10 - [Wonderdrug]
Hilarious! A collection of rugged metal tracks fronted by hardcore spoken
word artist Duncan Wilder Johnson, dubbed "Highway-Metal-Stoner-Doom-Punk".
That's about right. Also interspersed between the "Highway-Metal-Stoner-Doom-Punk"
are several hilarious spoken word rants such as "Dictionary Definition
of the Word 'Dude'" and "Heavy Metal Part 3: Ozzfest". The
spoken portions were recorded live at various dates and range in length
from around two minutes to more than 15 minutes, all of which is pure sarcastic
comedy, and yet somehow so, so true. Musically you'll find everything from
rockin' sludge with a bit of a southern flare to full blown crossover hardcore
with constant speed, such as the grinding 27-second "Tim Catz".
The vocals are gruffly shouted or at times spoken beneath some light delay
or distortion filters. The writing is pretty catchy and even though the
lyrics are omitted you can understand most of what's being said and it's
all golden. I mean, with song titles like "Screaming Penis Eats the
Corpse" and "Dude, Fuckin' War, Man?" how can you go wrong?
For music that is clearly intended to be comedy, this is incredibly well
done. the production is strong, the songs are strong, and all signs point
to sheer genius in my book. Recording wise the guitars are a little thin,
but the bass tone rips and it's easy to hear, while the drums sound nice.
The mix is completely even as well, so everything works out perfectly. Also
included is a CD-Rom video of "Heavy Metal Part 4: Scissorfight",
which is a collage of spoken word tales told about the almighty Scissorfight,
apparently a band that absolutely must be seen live. The layout is really
cool. Nice font choices, and a strict color palette blending high contrast
images with tiny full color photos. This is great stuff. Prior to this hitting
my mailbox I had never heard of Duncan Wilder Johnson, but upon hearing
this I can safely say that this guy is the fuckin' man. If you've got a
sense of humor and want to fuckin' rock, you've got to check this out. Oh,
and I forgot to mention that this dude earns mass quantities of bonus points
for "Assholes Part 1: Electric Boogaloo" which discusses the almighty
power of a little film by the name of "Breakin'".
Fuck yeah!
Running time - 61:11, Tracks: 12
[Notable tracks: Dictionary Definition of the Word "Dude", Tim
Catz, Nipplekabob, Assholes Part 1: Electric Boogaloo]
Wonderdrug Records - http://www.wonderdrugrecords.com
From megakungfu.com
Band: Duncan Wilder Johnson
Album: Destruct-A-Thon
Label: Wonderdrug Records
Reviewer: Nick
Welcome to the intense, vocal and mind-blowing universe of Duncan Wilder
Johnson. This is an effort that mixes intense metal/Hardcore and fucking
hilarious spoken word. I heard spoken word and I was unsure of what to make
of it but I am so friggin' glad I have this album!
"God of Car Crashes" keeps right in the forefront of the intensity
Wonderdrug records produces. Whacked out guitars like a stream lined freight
train over power your entire being while vocals leave you begging for more
and more. Dee, bellowing growls surround you and tear into all that is good.
Drums and bass keep the track in line with its hardcore background.
Destructive guitars lead you into "Dude, Fuckin' War, Man" at
the speed of light and the force of Roseanne Barr headed to an all you can
eat buffet. Low mumbles escape with a unique vocal styling while bouncing
and direct bass riffs take its toll. This track on a musical perspective
has the widest array of styles fused within and speed that can be compared
to the likes of Sick of it All and Slayer.
I really enjoyed this album, I apologize I couldn't touch more upon the
spoken word, but hey, it's spoken word and I write music reviews. But besides
that it is an intense offering and a hysterical amount of foresight from
D.W.J.
On the Nick Scale: 7.5 out of 10
Recommended Tracks: All def worth the listen
From
CustomHeavy.com
Duncan Wilder Johnson
by Scott Myers
Duncan Wilder Johnson. You don't know who he is, so don't act like you
do. He's the "Heavy Metal Spoken Word" guy dammit! His band, Destruct-A-Thon,
rules. Your Papa Roach cover band sucks dick. I don't have time to review
your bands shitty CD, don't ask. I'm busy starting a cult. I did take time
out of my hectic schedule of sewing my fancy cult-leader robe and trying
to find a good location for my compound to talk to Duncan about things and
stuff and... oh, fuck you, just read it.
Custom Heavy: Hey Duncan, how's life?
Duncan Wilder Johnson: I'm hangin' in there,
balancing Spoken Word, the band (Destruct-a-thon), the label (Wonderdrug)
and general Boston based existence. I just turned 25 the other day and we
(the band) played a show for it at The Middle East in Cambridge, MA. We
played with that band Harlow, from VH1's Bands On The Run, and my friend's
band Quitter. It was a killer show. I dressed up like Superman (it was the
weekend immediately preceding Halloween and all) with the cape that fit
me when I was six. My mom made it for me back in the day. Michele "Triple
6" was Wonder Woman, the tights, the bracelets, the crown, everything
but the lasso and the invisible jet. Shon-Shon was Anthrax man, and Nate
was lazy and didn't dress up. Damn? I'm working' a lot on getting shows
both Spoken Word and the band and I'm running the label with Ken. That's
about it.
Custom Heavy: Damn this one is going to
be hard. I usually start off with something dumb like "Where'd you
get your band name" or something equally as moronic... So why'd your
parents give you that name?
Duncan: My parents are awesome. Hippy generation.
All that shit. My mom is an Artist and my Dad is a Carpenter / Hardcore
Nature guy; Hunting, Fishing, Wildlife management, all that shit. Take the
fucked-up ness of out of any Scissorfight song and that's my Dad. I have
a brother too. He's 12. Anyway, Duncan is Scottish for Brown Warrior and
Duncan is the King in Shakespeare's Mac Beth (at least I'm pretty sure it's
MacBeth). And I'm Irish from my Mom, and Scotch Irish/English from my Dad.
So I have the oppressor and the oppressed within me and that makes me really
fucked up when I perform I guess.
Custom Heavy: How'd you get into doing spoken
word?
Duncan: My interests have been a long series
of phases. First I was die hard superhero fanatic. I genuinely believed
I was Clark Kent when I was 4. This grew into Army crap, into Boy Scouts,
into Bike Riding, into BMX Freestyle, into Skateboarding, into Punk Rock,
into Hardcore, into Ska and Reggae, into Metal, and also splintering into
visual Art. I have been in and out of bands since I was 12. I had heard
Henry Rollins, Jello Biafra, Eric Bogosian, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg
and thought it might be fun to try speaking performances. After getting
frustrated with band after band after band, I gave it a whirl. I sucked.
I was awful, but this fueled me to try harder and eventually, after years
and years, I think I'm pretty good now. Plus doing spoken word eliminated
having arguments with band members. I'm in band now though, and I'm having
a great time with it.
Custom Heavy: How'd you get hooked up with
Wonderdrug? That's a hell of a label. For those who actually take the time
to read this, here's a shameless plug... Sam Black Church rule! \m/
Duncan: First off, Sam Black Church is one
of my favorite bands of all time. The shit they did in '88 and '92 is still
as fresh to me as it was when I was in high school, driving around in my
shitty Cutlass, blasting
Captain of The World. We just put out a new double CD retrospective of their
stuff. All the classics with some unreleased stuff, demos, live shit, and
even two quicktime videos of them live in Boston circa '95. Kick Ass!
Anyway, Wonderdrug. I had been a fan of the label forever, knew who they
were etc... I found out that they did CD Manufacturing and I decided to
press Heavy Metal Spoken Word through them. I had Ken master my shitty recordings
and by the end of the session, he wanted to put it out. We split everything
50/50. I was going to put it out myself anyway, but we decided to do a co-release.
No, it didn't sell like hotcakes, but it furthered my career, and slowly
the record is trickling out of the stock room. About six months after the
release, I was laid off from my job doing custom photo printing. Coincidentally,
Angela from Wonderdrug was leaving to move to Chicago and go to school,
and Ken hired me to take her place. Since then, I've been pouring a lot
of energy into the label: doing the graphics, web page, and promoting the
bands.
Custom Heavy: How do you come up with topics
for your spoken word stuff? Do you just take things that piss you off and
write a rant about it?
Duncan: I'm definitely not as pissed off as
I was when I started doing spoken word. I grew up out in the rural suburban
town of Upton, MA and although it's really pretty and peaceful, it's dull
if you're a teenager and worse if you don't "follow the crowd".
I got harassed by cops all the time, because I had long hair and listened
to Punk Rock etc... So I had this "I hate cops/I hate authority"
mentality for years. I wasn't a trouble maker at all, I just questioned
everything. Praise Satan, I got over all that shit. Now my stuff is predominantly
inspired by culture and my life with art and music. I've written a lot about
shows that I've loved (Slayer, OZZFEST, Motorhead etc..), but now I'm writing
more about music business and culture as a whole and trying to show how
fucked it is. The pieces are getting longer, more in depth. I actually act
more now, portraying characters, telling longer narratives, and trying to
reach greater concepts and conclusions (like living life to it's fullest,
and respecting other people etc...).
Custom Heavy: The main two guys here at
CH, Mr.. Chris Barnes and Mr. Scott Sanfratello are always saying "FU"
to me on the discussion board here. Can you do me a favor and write "Fuck
you Barnes" and "Fuck you Scott S." below for me? Feel free
to elaborate on their overall asshole-ness... the bastards.
Duncan: Dude, I went to the message board and
tried to find an example of this, but had no luck. So, sorry, but I'm not
going to tell someone to Fuck off, unless I have proof. Just the same, everyone
should fuck off, just cuz... ya know?
Custom Heavy: Here's where Sanfratello said
FU to me on my birthday. From the "What???" thread on the discussion
board... "Anyway, F EVERYONE (and a special Birthday FU to Myers- and
Chris can take a double FU to make up for the one I won't direct at his
mom- 'cause that's the kind of guy I am) because tomorrow, Nov. 1st is MY
birthday!"
See I told you... these bastards are mean. Anyway, back to the interview...
Are you currently working on any new projects?
Duncan: Those Bastards! Sanfratello, FUCK YOU
TOO, bro! New Projects, well Destruct-a-thon (the band) is taking up a lot
of my time, and I'm working on the new releases on Wonderdrug: Tree - No
Regrets, No Remorse, Superkollider - S/T, Watchmaker - Kill.Crush.Destroy,
Sam Black Church - For We Are Many Best of..., and Duncan - Destruct-a-thon.
I'm also slowly but surely working on my book,
Onslaught. It's a collection of monologues, journal entries, and rants from
over the years. It will feature the greatest hits and new work etc...
Custom Heavy: How did you go about writing
the music for Destruct-A-Thon? When I first saw the song titles I thought
"They will be funny but I won't really like the music." which
is how I feel about Gwar and other bands like that. But when I actually
heard the songs they kicked ass, really heavy, which is my thing.
Duncan: Step 1, smoke weed. Step 2, crack open
a can of cheap beer, preferably Shaeffer, the one beer to drink when you're
drinking more than one. Step 3, watch television. Inevitably, a song title
will appear. "Nipplekabob" was inspired by "The Cell"
in which Jennifer Lopez rips of the nipples of the protagonist, and one
of my roomates exclaimed, "Nipplekabob!" Step 4, ala Beavis and
Butthead, begin to "chug out" the riffs. "CHUJ-CHUJ, CHUJ-CHUJ...
NI-PPLE-KA-BOB!" Bam done! Some of the new songs we're working on are
"They Call It Stoner Rock For A Reason," "Freedom Olde Yeller
Style," "Keepin' Huge and Stayin' Massive," "Heavy Metal
Ultimatum... Or Else!" and "Shit The Bed." Musically, less
is more. Short songs, heavy riffs, lots of fun.
Custom Heavy: Are you familiar with black
metal? I just want to hear your opinion on the coolness of being in your
30's wearing bulletbelts and corpsepaint.
Duncan: Yes, I am familiar with black metal.
I equally think it kicks ass, and is ridiculously hilarious. No matter what
age, bulletbelts and corpsepaint are the bees knees!
Custom Heavy: What CDs have you been listening
to lately?
Duncan:
Fugazi - The Argument
Sam Black Church - For We Are Many
The Sweatpants Boners - Cruisin' With The Masters
Miltown - EP
Cracktorch - Is Not The Problem
Cash Monies and The Jettsetter
Milligram - Hello Motherfucker
Marky Ramone and The Intuders - The Answer to Your Problems
The Misfits- Collection 1
Harlow - Harlowland
Electric Wizard - Come My Fanatics
Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
Custom Heavy: Whenever anyone brings up
The Misfits I always have to say that my two year old son knows all the
words to "Skulls" now. He runs around yelling "Hack the heads
off little girls and put 'em on my wall". That might eventually be
a problem but right now it's cool. What bands got you into music? And what
was the first album you remember buying?
Duncan: Bands that got me into music: Sex Pistols,
Dead Kennedy's, Black Flag, Ramones, Slayer, Sabbath, Overcast, Sam Black
Church, Fugazi. First album: The soundtrack to "Breakin'" on cassette.
Custom Heavy: After listening to your disc
again today, I have a question about parachute pants. Did you have the ones
where all the zippers had a pocket in them? Or were they like my shitty
ones where several of the zippers didn't have shit under them? Also did
you own one of those replica Michael Jackson jackets with the big ass V
on it? Mine was made of some of the thinnest, shittiest fabric I have ever
seen. I would stand on the corner across the street from the school talking
to all the older "rebel" kids with my thin ass jacket and parachute
pants on and freeze my ass off if it was below 60.
Duncan: The pants actually had pockets. No
Michael Jackson jacket, although I want one now. I did have a funky jacket
that my aunt got me in New York, but wasn't as cool as Michael Jackson.
Custom Heavy: What are your thoughts on
the current 'nu-metal' trend? I had the misfortune of hearing some band
called Ill Nino the other day at a record store after the fucking Gap ad
bastard behind the counter convinced me I should hear it because it was
"heavy"... I would rather listen to Jim Croce, he was heavier.
"Bad, bad Leroy Brown, baddest man in the whole damn town...".
Duncan: NU Metal, not that into it, but I give
everything a try. I haven't heard Ill Nino yet. I used to be pissed that
the bands that were really awesome (like SBC and TREE) didn't get what they
deserved (i.e. big record deal) and that everything that was major label
sucked because it was major label, not because the music was good or bad.
Now I don't really care about major labels. I'm really apathetic about it
and just focus on existing completely without them. "So and so just
got signed to Atlantic!" Okay. Whatever. Scissorfight's playing at
The Middle East, you can hang out with them and not get harassed by security.
Plus they won't be ants on a stage and you wont be thousands of yards away
only to see them on a TV screen. Why don't you just stay home and watch
them on TV. I'm just way more into the smaller scene. I just don't care
about the big people that much any more.
Custom Heavy: I am sitting here watching
GG Allin shit in his hand and rub it on himself. Goddamn he's crazy. I got
this video in a trade, it's all GG naked and shitting and punching people
and saying "fuck you" to everyone. Not really a question just
wanted to let everyone know how I spend my day. What books have you been
reading lately?
Duncan: I'm currently reading Valencia by my
friend Michele Tea. It's about dyke love in San Francisco. I just finished
reading Hangover Palaces by my friend Tim Catz. That kicked ass too.
Custom Heavy: What's the best advice anyone
has given you?
Duncan: Henry Rollins once wrote me an email
when I was 19 and he said "Do it" and "Don't hold back".
Custom Heavy: SSSLLLLAAAAYYYYYEEEERRRR!!!
Well that doesn't quite have the same effect when it's typed. Anyway, you've
worked with Marky Ramone, you have anything you want to say about him? I've
never had a chance to hear any of his spoken word stuff, does he have any
spoken word discs out?
Duncan: Marky is awesome. I really like working
with him. We have a good time doing shows together. His spoken word shows
are primarily about being a Ramone, however it is a funny look at the history
of Punk Rock. He was also in Dust, Wayne County and The Backstreet Boys,
and Richard Hell and The Voidoids. So, he covers all that stuff, plus the
New York scene, touring the world and his bout with alcohol. (He hasn't
had a drink in 16 years.) He includes video and personal slides throughout
the show too. We're slowly working on some kind of release for it now.
Custom Heavy: Any bands you'd like to plug?
Duncan: Just check out wonderdrugrecords.com
and duncanwilderjohnson.com. We're hyping Superkollider, Watchmaker, and
Destruct-a-thon right now. As always, TREE kicks ass, as well as Sam Black
Church, Cracktorch, the list goes on.
Custom Heavy: I told you I've been saying
"dude" a lot lately because of you. In return can you try to throw
in the word "fucktard" once a day for me? It's a cool word, dude.
Duncan: I'm already ahead of you bro. I say
fucktard all the time.
Custom Heavy: Any propaganda you'd like
to spread?
Duncan: Nothing that I didn't already cover
in question 17, except, keep a look out for me or my band Destruct-a-thon
playing near you soon. I'm working on getting dates for spoken word everywhere.
Custom Heavy: Well shit, that about wraps
it up. Any final comments?
Duncan: Quick soap box moment: Don't let anyone
ever tell you that you can't do something, because they are lying. Anything
and everything is possible, it's just a matter of elbow grease and perseverance.
I'm evidence of that. I started out doing really dumb shit in a coffee house,
and now I tour the country opening up for people like Marky Ramone. Do whatever
it is you want to do. You have life. Live it to the fullest.
From WhiteTrashDevil.com
Duncan Wilder Johnson
by Scott Myers & Dr. Perky
Duncan Wilder Johnson. DWJ. Dude With Jokes. You've read Perky's reviews of his latest two releases, Heavy Metal Spoken
Word and Destruct-A-Thon, and you've seen his scowling, goateed mug in the upper left-hand corner of every WTD page about
1/25 of the time. But who is this man, this myth, this Bostonian wanker? Interrogation seemed like as good a way as any to find
out.
WTD (Dr. Perky): Dude?
DWJ: DOOOOOODE........
WTD (Scott): Hey Duncan, I saw some beat up old parachute pants at the local thrift shop today and it made me think of you
and laugh ... Do you want everyone that thinks of you to laugh?
Duncan: Hmm ... I don't know. More important than remembering me is remembering the point, I hope. For instance, in the
"Assholes" piece, (where I talk about the parachute pants and break dancing, etc.), the point is essentially that people need to
look out for one another, not be total dicks, and not let the bullshit fester. So if that sticks with people, then cool. As far as people
knowing me ... well, I just want my draw to be a little better, and maybe sell some records.
WTD (Scott): What are your plans for the new year? Another Destruct-A-Thon disc? A tour? A book? A spoken word disc or
three? Are you planning on having a crack baby?
Duncan: There's talk of crack babies, but nothing has been finalized. Destruct-a-thon will probably start recording for a full length.
When exactly, I don't know. I'm a broke spoken word artist / hardcore musician / photographer / record label guy. I'd like to do a
collectable/sick artwork type vinyl release for Destruct-a-thon. I'm working on a book called Onslaught, but I'm not rushing it.
When it's done, it's done. I'm finishing up a spoken word video right now. Two pieces: "Heavy Metal part 5: Motorhead" and
"Stairway To Hell" from last spring, opening for Marky Ramone, at Mass Art, Boston. I might be going on tour with a really big
band, but I don't want to say anything until it's finalized.
WTD (Dr. Perky): Do you have any good heckler stories from spoken word shows? You have to get shit from audience
members from time to time.
Duncan: Yeah, I definately catch shit from time to time, which is annoying, but it also keeps me on my toes.
There's two stories I can think of right off the bat. 1: When I opened for Marky Ramone at Mass Art in Boston
some guy yelled "hurry up" to me while I was in the middle of a piece. As usual, I tried to ignore it, but by the time
I got to the end of the piece I was so annoyed that I broke out of the piece for a second, pointed my finger at the
guy and said, "This part goes out to you because it's the end," and flipped him off. The audience roared with
laughter and I think the guy left. I'm pretty sure it will be on the video that I have coming out. 2: One time I played
in Maine with Tree and Scissorfight. I went on right after Scissorfight and everyone was digging it except these two goth kids
dressed in Hot Topic gear. They ran up to the front of the stage and said, "Fuck you! You're Gay!" I replied, "YES I AM, now come
up here and fuck me with your painted finger nails and shitty make up!" "Fuck you!" they yelled back. I said, "Yes exactly! That's
what I'm trying to say, I need you!" And then I pretended to fuck myself in the ass with the microphone. The audience laughed
their asses off. I finished the piece and the kids had split. It was a fun set.
WTD (Scott): What's coming up as far as Wonderdrug releases?
Duncan: We don't have anything just yet. We're concentrating on working with Watchmaker. Getting them shows and promoting
them. Tree's No Regrets, No Remorse was just licensed to Dream Catcher Records in the U.K. Wonderdrug is building up it's
distro catalog with more punk and extreme metal.
WTD (Dr. Perky): Your label has released records that cover an incredible range of rock music, from the stoner/fuzz rock of
Roadsaw to the suicidal rage rock of Watchmaker. What is your criteria for signing a band?
Duncan: Well, the label founder and owner, Ken Cmar, and myself have very similar taste in music. Yes, we both
have a soft spot for punk and hardcore, which is where we both grew up. Ken digs The Village People a lot too;
and I'm really into cheesy 80's pop like DEVO, Rick Springfield and Flock of Seagulls. So being a part of the
hardcore scene from the late 80's and into the 90's we both saw show after show after show, and although we
still really dig hardcore, our tastes progressed into music that was just heavy. Case in point; Stompbox was not
a hardcore band. But they played some mean ass heavy shit, they were a solid live act, and they had something
new to bring to the table (i.e. they didn't sound like anyone else). That's what I look for in potential signies and that's why Ken
worked with Stompbox. These days, the waters are thin. Everyone sounds like Godsmack (whom I can't stand) and it's really
slim pickings to find some good talent. Recently we signed Superkollider, who sound a lot like Helmet but are definitely a solid
live act and write good songs. We signed Watchmaker, who are their own thing, and are so fuckin' heavy ... shit, I love it.
WTD (Scott): What CDs have you been listening to lately?
Duncan: Marky Ramone and the Intruders - The Answer to Your Problems, Toxic Narcotic - 89-99, The Haunted - Made Me Do
It, Fugazi - The Argument, Black Sabbath - The Mob Rules, Quiet Riot - Metal Health, Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry, Rick
Springfield - I forget the name of the record, The Cars - I forget the name of the record, Waltham - The First Album, Cracktorch -
Is Not The Problem, The Bouncing Souls - How I Spent My Summer Vacation, The Descendents - Everything Sux.
WTD (Scott): How does the writing process work for Destruct-A-Thon?
Duncan: Well, it's actually changing right now. At first, Nate and I would just smoke weed, come up with a stupid saying and put
some chug behind it. However, we wrote a new song last night, while we weren't stoned, came up with a silly saying "There ain't
nothin' sicka than Bill-fuckin'-ricka", (Billerica is a suburban town in Massachusetts), and then Sean came up with the main riff.
We all kind of jammed on this stoner Kyuss-like riff, put it together and wha-la! So it's usually fairly simple.
WTD (Scott): How did you get into spoken word?
Duncan: I was inspired by Rollins, Biafra, Bogosian, Carroll, Kerouac, and others when I was a teenager and in my early
twenties. At the time, I was in a shitty suburban metal / hardcore band. We were getting nowhere. I was sick of the other
members not pulling their weight, so I just started doing my own thing. It grew. I met some other artists at art school. We put on
shows together. Eventually I started putting out CDs and touring.
WTD (Scott): Have you ever seen eel porn?
Duncan: No, but I have seen snake porn.
WTD (Scott): What do you think is the best metal band logo of all time?
Duncan: SAM BLACK CHURCH triangle-cross logo.
WTD (Scott): I just want to plug Sam Black Church ... So, SAM BLACK CHURCH!
Duncan: Damn right. I'm listening to For We Are Many... right now.
WTD (Scott): Have you ever worn corpsepaint? Are you a true Norse black metal warrior?
Duncan: I would not say I am a true Norse black metal warrior, but I have worn make up on Halloween Misfits style.
WTD (Scott): Is there anything we've forgotten to plug so far?
Duncan: Just go buy my records fucktard: www.duncanwilderjohnson.com/purchase.html.
WTD (Scott): If it's true that Eddie Van Halen has cancer, do you wish it would spread to Valerie?
Duncan: I lack hatred for Valerie.
WTD (Scott): Have you ever referred to yourself a an "O.G."? If so, why?
Duncan: Nope.
WTD (Scott): In your opinion, who's whiter? Will Smith or Bryant Gumble?
Duncan: Bryant Gumble definately.
WTD (Scott): Did you listen to the Fat Boys as a kid? "For breakfast it was cheese and five pounds of bacon, and halfway thru
my stomach started aching" ... I listened to them because I'm a true metal warrior.
Duncan: No but I did rock RUN-DMC. "I knew this little girly. Her hair was kinda curly. Went to her house, to bust it out. I had to
leave real early."
WTD (Scott): Are you going to sell out?
Duncan: Hopefully.
WTD (Scott): This is turning into a fairly stupid interview, but I've interviewed you before and don't want to ask you the same
shit over again ... what's the most offensive thing you can think of to say in public? I said "I'd like to fuck the nailholes in
Jesus's hands." once, and that didn't go over too well...
Duncan: "Bin Laden ... I fucked him."
WTD (Scott): Who is the shittiest spoken word artist you've had to share a stage with?
Duncan: Lee Latif.
WTD (Scott): We should plug some more shit. Do you want to say a few words about Tree?
Duncan: DUDE, I'm done plugging!
WTD (Dr. Perky): Who would win in an Irish pub-style barroom brawl, Scissorfight or Tree?
Duncan: Hmm ... That's tough, mainly because they are all friends so they probably wouldn't be fighting. The Irish pub is definitely
Tree's territory, and River will fight with the best of them -- get his nose broken, then buy the opponent a Guinness and start
swapping stories about when hardcore was really hardcore. If the pub was in NH, I'd have to say that "The Fight" would have the
upper hand. Iron Lung would probably attempt to eat his opponent before actually getting into a fist fight. So, it's a tough call.
WTD (Scott): I'm running out of stupid questions to ask... Do you think Ponch from CHiPs was 'light in the loafers'?
Duncan: What dude! What dude! What dude! (The what dude alarm.)
WTD (Scott): It took Dr. Perky forever to send me his set of questions for you. Does he qualify as a fucktard?
Duncan: Roger that. Fucktard. Most affirmative.
WTD (Scott): I should do more interviews like this one... I'm tired of asking people who their favorite bands are and shit. So
what bands do you wish would die?
Duncan: CREED. Enemy number 1.
WTD (Scott): Do you wish the bus had fallen on Lars?
Duncan: HA! No I don't wish any buses falling on any members of Metallica past or present. I just wish they would make another
album that sounds like Master of Puppets.
WTD (Scott): Thank you very much for doing this Duncan; you rule, dude. Any final comments?
Duncan: ROB HALFORD: wicked mint!
Published on 01/10/02
From Indulged.com
Duncan Wilder Johnson
Destruct-A-Thon
Duncan's back! And this time he has a band.
His band reminds me of a DVDA or a CKY in which lyrics are only for entertainment,
and the guitars carry them along. There's six songs with his band on the
CD, and they provide a good break between the spoken word. The spoken word
section is also a lot longer, so these songs don't even add up to two regular
perforances.
Every other song alternates between his band and his spoken word. One of
the most hilarious performances on the CD is "Heavy Metal Part 3: Ozzfest,"
which tells the tale of Ozzfest '99. Duncan confronts the issue of traditional
metal versus new metal, as he finds himself questioning youth about Black
Sabbath and Deftones. But, not everyone can relate to some of the themes
on the CD.
Why is Duncan so funny? He tells his experiences in a sarcastic, yet objective
manner and there are no boundaries in his vocal range. Perhaps that's why
he makes such a good vocalist.
So if you're a metalhead, you like Motorhead, and you're ready to have your
lifestyle made fun of by another metalhead---check out Duncan. --- Andy
From whitetrashdevil.com
Duncan Wilder Johnson
Destruct-A-Thon
Wonder Drug Records
2001
Duncan Wilder Johnson - Spoken Word, Vocals
Michele "666" Morgan - Guitars, Vocals
Shon-Shon Linehan - Bass
Nate Linehan - Drums
Produced by Coke Dealer and Ken Camaro
Review by Dr. Perky
I used to be really big into comedy CDs. Some of my favorite driving records
were from Chris Rock, Adam Sandler and George Carlin. They always made me
swerve off the road though, so I had to stop that practice. Gradually all
of my non-music CDs accumulated thick layers of dust. A few years later
I picked up a couple of Henry Rollins' spoken word albums, and after one
listen apiece they received the same fate as the SNL alums.
But a few months ago I got in touch with a guy from Boston-based Wonder
Drug Records about getting promo CDs for the site, and he sent me a copy
of his own spoken word disc, Heavy Metal Spoken Word. The title caught my
notice right away, and after giving Tree's No Regrets, No Remorse a few
listens I popped it in and laughed my ass off for half an hour. This was
something totally new to me: a guy making money from telling stories about
Slayer, Clutch, and mullets. I gave it the sparkling review it deserved
and swapped a few emails with the guy just chatting about metal, owning
a record company, and the tough business of spoken word.
Now Duncan Wilder Johnson is back, but in addition to screaming other people's
lyrics into the microphone to make his audience laugh he's started screaming
his own lyrics to make them bang their heads furiously. Destruct-A-Thon
is the band, and it's also the title of his new album. Six tracks of spoken
word alternate with six tracks of hard-hitting metal, featuring guest appearances
from Dave River of Tree, Tim Catz and The Rock Cheerleaders. But more on
that later; first let's tackle the spoken word.
"Dictionary Definition of the Word 'Dude' " would be awful if
it were a Saturday Night Live bit, mostly because it would run for five
minutes or more. But Duncan's two and a half minute explanation of "dude"
is hilarious. The tone of voice in which "I would like to fuck you
in the ear tonight" is said was more than enough to have me laughing.
But it's NOTHING compared to "Heavy Metal Part 3: Ozzfest". The
setting is Ozzfest '99, which was the first festival to feature Black Sabbath
as the headliner and also had Rob Zombie, Godsmack, Deftones, Slayer, Primus,
System of a Down and Drain STH on the bill. Anybody who has ever attended
an Ozzfest will appreciate this sixteen minute bit, trust me. I've already
listened to it four times now and it still cracks me up every single time.
I'm less fond of "On Fire", which is about going crazy in your
apartment and singing along to old Van Halen so loudly that your next-door-neighbor
comes over to see if something's burning. Maybe Van Halen fans would appreciate
it more than me ... I dunno. But then "Heavy Metal Part 5: Motorhead"
is something I totally get despite my lack of experience with Lemmy and
co. Duncan's been dumped and depressed, only to find out from a friend that
"the loudest musician alive" is playing in town on his birthday.
Even though I know virtually nothing about the band, (I highly respect them
but have never gotten around to picking up any CDs or seeing any shows),
I love this bit if for nothing more than the descriptions of all the mullet
sporting, leather studded wristband wearing, leather jacket and pants matching
old school metalheads one would find at such a show. This isn't the kind
of story you'll hear on VH1 Storytellers, folks.
And finally, we have "Assholes" parts 1 and 2, "Electric
Boogaloo" and "Chicago". The recordings on these kind of
suck ... it's hard to make out a lot of what is said on headphones. However,
part one is about Duncan's breakdancing days and part two is about a horrible
gig he played in Chicago that featured pathetic roadies, terrible bands
and the explosion of rage that they created. I've seen this sort of blown
gig happen, and this bit will give you some idea of how most performers
respond to not being respected.
The disc also features a video of "Heavy Metal Part 4: Scissorfight"
as a CD Extra feature, but I haven't had a chance to watch it yet. Given
that "Heavy Metal" parts 2, 3 and 5 have been hysterical, however,
I'll definitely get to it eventually. (No, I don't know what happened to
part 1.)
On to the music. Destruct-A-Thon is an interesting mix, at times resembling
Tree, AC/DC, Slayer and/or Boston natives Powerman 5000. Usually there's
a mix of all four, and the times when only one of those sounds is represented
are very, very short. The lyrics are hard to make out, but titles like "Screaming
Penis Eats the Corpse" and "Nipplekabob" are excellent. I
really didn't expect to like the music, honestly, because I'm not much of
a hardcore person and Wonder Drug is primarily a hardcore label with bands
like Tree and Sam Black Church on board. Duncan, however, calls Destruct-A-Thon
"highway-metal-stoner-doom-punk". I guess that's a good description,
because I can't really pick any one genre to throw them in. All I know is
that I really, really dig the music; with the exception of the 27 second
laugher "Tim Catz" all the songs have some semblance of good structure
and excellent rhythms. Besides, the other five songs are only 1:28 - 2:14
in length. So think of a SOD song and take out virtually of the thrash elements
and you have something resembling Destruct-A-Thon.
By now Duncan has to think I'm just out to kiss his ass, because I'm 2/2
on glowing reviews for his records. But that's really not it; I think that
more than anything I'm just happy as hell to hear somebody talking about
things I actually give a damn about during a spoken word session instead
of giving their own assinine views on politics, religion, pop culture or
some other completely subjective topic where your opinion doesn't matter
any more than mine. With the exception of a brief rant at the end of "Assholes
Part 2", Duncan's spoken word is completely devoid of social commentary
and instead focuses on observations and storytelling. Lord knows he has
enough stories.
Oh, and the music's pretty good too.
FROM andthenitdied.com
DUNCAN WILDER JOHNSON/ DESTRUCT-A-THON
Review:
when i got the package from wonderdrug records, there were three cds taped
together, this was the first one i listened to. because it was not packaged
in a jewel case. im not sure if it will be sold the way i got it but it
was packaged in a thin plastic sleeve, like vinyl. anyways... i stuck it
in my cd player, this is definately metal.
destruct-a-thon, plays fast paced, fairly simple, heavy music. the music
on this cd rocks, its catchy and the songs are all under three minutes long.
so i start blasting this cd while sitting at a traffic light, because i
am an assshole, and then all of the sudden the music stops, and there is
talking.
then i learned that this cd also contains the spoken word of duncan wilder
johnson, who is the frontman of the band. i found the spoken word very entertaining,
he talks about dudes, nashville pussy, the lilith fair, assholes, ozzfest,
of course ozzy, and lots more. oh yeah, this cd is an enhanced cd, so there
is some video footage of one of his spoken word performances.
the only thing that i did not like about this cd... my only complaint was
that the music is intertwined with the spoken word, and if you are in the
mood for just music you will have to skip over almost every other song.
but i guess thats his thing. after i listen to a cd a bunch of times, it
gets to move into my new six cds that sit in my home stereo, then i just
put it on random and listen to a little of everything. some of the spoken
word tracks are close to fifteen minutes long so this interferes with the
music. but then again, there are all those ass hole bands that stick an
extra fifteen minutes at the end of the last song on their cd, just for
a secret track... that would have been hidden even if they put an extra
track on the cd and did not mention the song on the packaging.
in conculsion, i really liked this cd, its fun to listen to and i look forward
to seeing either duncan or the band perform in the near future. go get this
cd, its eight bucks at the wonderdrug website.
FromSF WEEKLY 7/18/2000
Think spoken word has to be about broken hearts and women's studies? Think again. Duncan Wilder Johnson is a spoken word artist, and he's pretty metal. He says so right at the beginning of his nine-minute soliloquy about going to the mall to get autographs signed by Slayer. At once self-deprecating (capable of fathoming the super-geekness of true metalheads) and passionate about his culture, Johnson speaks honestly about all the things a metalhead living in Massachusetts must ponder: Guns N' Roses, Henry Rollins, nose-sucking, regional mosh pits, and mirror thrashing. It's pretty funny. Duncan Wilder Johnson opens for the Bottom, Matterhorn, and the Cutthroats .09 on Friday, July 21, at the CW Saloon at 9
p.m. Tickets are $5; call 974-1585.
From Indulged.com
Duncan Wilder Johnson
Heavy Metal Spoken Word
Duncan Wilder Johnson's tongue-in-cheek humor fuels his Heavy Metal Spoken
Word album. He tells hilarious stories about the heavy metal lifestyle.
He doesn't laugh at his own jokes; he just keeps pouring on his humor. The
album makes fun of heavy metal journalists and cliques. Not only does Duncan
tell stories about meeting Slayer and writing a letter to Henry Rollins,
but he also tells a story about a middle school dance. "I asked her,
so do you want... to go... out with me? (And go out doesn't mean let's getting
a burrito and catch the 9:00 of 'Dancing With Wolves'). It means like let's
be together and do the three things: the phone thing, the hands, and the
fucking---lunch thing."
Everyone needs to hear this CD; it's 35 minutes of true stories in which
Duncan tells everything that's on his mind and everything he does. And,
he even ends the album on a postive note. "If you have a goal, don't
just put it by the way-side, don't just think 'Oh, maybe someday'. Go for
it, and go for it now because you only have a certain amount of time on
this planet."
--- Andy
From wonkavisiononline.com
Duncan Wilder Johnson Heavy Metal Spoken Word
Wow! Satan, Slayer, Sabbath, crusty punkers, metal, and punk rock. These
are just some of the topics Duncan talks about on this incredible piece
of spoken word. It kept me cracking up for a good half-hour straight and
mad. The stoner kid next to me in the computer lab comment “Woah, dude....
killer!” Indeed it is. This CD was so good it made others hard to review
cause I kept listening to it over and over. Get this. Listen to it. Pass
it to your friends, family, and any random strangers you can find. (Wonderdrug)
Jake Rabid
From
LAMENTATIONS OF THE FLAME PRINCESS
DUNCAN WILDER JOHNSON Heavy Metal Spoken Word (Redbackpack/Wonderdrug)
Yep, spoken word. Pretty sweet I think. Five pieces recorded at live performances,
totaling about 40 minutes. Slayer and Black Sabbath are mentioned about
5000 times each. Clever stories about going to a Slayer autograph session
and then the concert, the groupie scene on the spoken word circuit (no,
really… and there is a girl out there that believe in nasal sex…! WOW… I
thought I was the only one), similarities (or lack thereof) between himself
and Henry Rollins, and all sorts of fun stuff. He's witty and entertaining
and if you don't get at least a chuckle out of something here, your brain
isn't functioning. Cool stuff.
2nd Review
DUNCAN WILDER JOHNSON Heavy Metal Spoken Word and Destruct-a-thon
(Redbackpack/Wonderdrug)
No ratings or whatever because what we have is spoken word, recorded
live! About heavy metal and its experiences! That's something different,
isn't it? HMSW is pretty much not the superior of the two, because
with spoken word, production costs and the whole process of getting material
together isn't as intense an issue as music (I'd be doing a poetry newsletter
if I thought otherwise) so they really should be upwards of an hour. Destruct-a-thon
even includes musical interludes that are highcharged (and short! Yay!)
metalrock and a video track on the CD, and has better recording of the spoken
word as well. Stories revolve around Black Sabbath and Slayer, tormenting
the Duncan (ha!) Donuts, and high school dances, all wrapped among each
other. Johnson is very clever, entertaining, and articulate. Big smiles
will result without this being a comedy performance. Very good as a change
of pace and a way to get some different things in your ears.
From The Boston
Globe, City Weekly Section, August 2, 1998
PULSE: "Words Speak Volumes" by David Wildman
| This Saturday, at Bad Girrls Studios in Jamaica Plain
will feature head banging, rock style entertainment with punk attitude
to spare. Don¹t bother with your earplugs though. It's a spoken-word performance.
"I started doing spoken word because my band fell apart, and I was missing performing," said Duncan Wilder Johnson, 21, who heads up a loose collective of local punk poets known as Redbackpack. Johnson and other collective members, Rich Mackin, Clay Fernald, and Antony Flackett had been airing their angst by talking to crowds between band performances at all-ages punk rock events. |
 |
"It's kind of like an alternative to playing in bands," Johnson said. "We're
saying all the same kinds of things. It's like punk rock but without all
the amps and drums."
In his shows, such as a recent one at Massachusetts College of Art, where
he and other collective members opened for the rock legend Jim Carroll,
Johnson talks about cheesy record store jobs he's had and his experience
at hardcore shows. He dissects rock culture with infectious energy, comparing
details such as the differences in the way people dance in Hartford, Boston,
and Providence. Johnson has gone into business in true do-it-yourself punk
style, releasing cassettes of his rants and books of some of his friends'
poetry, run off on copy machines.
The collective's most recent project has been to release a CD called "On
Tour Without a Band" with recordings of their rock club routines. Fernald
goes off on subjects like pornography and humanity's relationship with the
universe.
Mackin bills himself as the "consumer defense poet," reading poker-faced
letters he writes to corporations. In one, he questions a company's choice
of combining the Village People¹s "YMCA" theme with scenes of dancing bears
in their soft drink commercials. ("I can certainly understand the correlation
between choreography and human sexuality, but how does animal cruelty fit
into this?")
In another letter, he tells a company he is convinced that Tony the Tiger
is actually a drug dealer. The funniest thing is the way the corporations
carefully take him seriously in replies.
Finally, Antony Flackett, also a member of the Toneburst Collective, does
his rants to a hip-hop back beat.
Saturday's show will also feature a number of first-time performers whom
Johnson has discovered.
"I've found through the years that there are a lot of people who are excellent
writers, but don't think their stuff is any good," he said. "Some of it
might not be, but if you just leave it in your drawer, nothing will ever
happen to it."
Redbackpack presents "The Spoken Word Possession" on Saturday, August 8,
at 9p.m. at Bad Girrls Studios, 209 Green St., Jamaica Plain. Call Redbackpack
427-9739. CD¹s will be on sale at the show.
-DAVID WILDMAN