While the demand Five Star Prison Cell’s debut has been there, Glynn really hasn’t any idea as to what to expect reaction wise.
“I don’t know exactly what people are going to think of it. I simply make the kind of music that I want to hear. I obviously want to make music that stimulates me, and something that is a bit challenging, but I also think some of the best music ever written requires two people. It requires the musicians themselves who actually write the stuff to be inspired, and it also requires a bit of effort on the listeners behalf. You can put something on in the background that is simple and appealing, but I don’t think those sorts of albums stand the test of time, especially when it comes to melodies and hooks. You can hear it and have it stuck in your head and find that it’s easy to listen to. But then when you find out what the lyrics are, and it’s really disappointing. I’d rather release something that’s not easy to get into straight away so that people can take it away, listen to it a few times with the lyrics and study it over. I think it’s better to involve the audience that way. If they don’t really want to do that, for me, it’s not really the kind of audience I want. I don’t want something simple with a whole lot of followers. I would rather have a substance-based audience. I hope that doesn’t sound arrogant, but that’s what I’m after. I’m happy to meet and talk to anyone that likes the music. I think that was also true of my time with Frankenbok. There were some great followers of the band, but there were some dickheads as well. They simply didn’t get it. I think that was partly due to some of fact that some of the music wasn’t exactly what I wanted it to be. You basically draw in the people you want, and because of that, there were a lot clashes. I think it’s worked out better for them now that they’ve hooked up with the right kind of vocalist (In Adam B. Metal), because I’ve hooked up with the right kind of musicians that I want to play with.”
Preconception of what ex-Frankenbok fans will think of Glynn’s new project is another mystery that only time will tell as well.
“The whole Frankenbok thing didn’t really resolve itself cleanly. Basically there are a lot of people shitty and angry with me, or think that I’m an asshole because they only have Frankenbok’s side of the story in that respect. So there’s some out there that don’t think too highly of me. I don’t care what those people think anyway. I was in Frankenbok, and I did keep my finger on the pulse a little. I would check out the reviews, and the Internet, and there was a lot of negative stuff out there, especially towards me personally because I didn’t do the standard metal thing. I tried to mix it up a little bit. Yes, Mike Patton did influence me. But I liked to take what he did, as well as various vocalists, and put my own spin on things. If you’re not doing what popular acts like Slipknot or Pantera are doing, you’re dismissed as being shit in this country. I just wanted to do something different. It’s hard to explain. I hear a song, and simply give it what it needs. That something is based solely on my influences. Another vocalist could come in and do something completely different, possibly better, but who’s to say? It’s up to the band to choose the right vocalist in the first place. I think Five Star Prison Cell work really well as a group, and we give the songs what we all think they need. We’re into the same kind of music, and we have a respect for each other. We dig what we’re doing, and it works really well.”
While Five Star Prison Cell’s approach is an aggressive one, Glynn says the lyrical approach to their debut album is actually has more of a positive approach.
“The lyrics are my department. I did take a few ideas from some of the guys, such the title for ‘The Imparting Of Wisdom Upon A Subject Turned To Stone’. Holain came up with the title to that one. I had some lyrics lying around, and I thought they might suit the title. I tried to make the lyrics very angry, because I like angry stuff. It’s just great to vent when you’re doing your music, but I also tried to really put a tone to it that sort of suggests as a person, or whoever is involved in the song itself, is actually healing and moving on and rising up to something bigger and better in life. Emotions involving hate, not being able to forgive people and shit like that tends to weigh you down. I really wanted to put a positive theme on the songs. In a sense there’s issues where things can end, but there’s always a new beginning as well. There’s a great saying that says, ‘We procrastinate on the doors that are closed, often missing the ones that have opened’. When I left Frankenbok, and things weren’t as positive, I sort of kept my eyes open for new opportunities so I could continue on doing what I wanted to do.”
And continuing to do is exactly what is planned as Five Star Prison Cell hit the road as part of the Faultline Records showcase with Walk The Earth and Sebasrockets in March.
“Initially Five Star Prison Cell was simply going to be a studio project. We had no intension of playing live. I had a little bit of money, and we decided to make an album. As a lot of people would know who make heavy music here in Australia, it’s hard to get anywhere. I personally think it’s better to put out albums, and let that do the walking and the talking. But having said that, I’m really excited by this tour. It’ll be our first trip interstate to both Adelaide and Sydney. We’re opening up, and for us at this stage, that’s fine. We’re more than happy to just get out there and start playing live again. My whole attitude is that this band is so different to Frankenbok, and it doesn’t bother me if we play first or play to an empty room. I simply enjoy this music because I’m so excited and happy to be in this band. I guess it really makes me think about Frankenbok, and how it wasn’t such a waste of time. It was a great learning experience. I didn’t really want to be there, because it wasn’t the music I wanted to do. I’ve made a policy in life now where I just want to be honest with myself, so that’s why I’m doing this band now and this music. It’s just so much better. If you’re really into what you’re doing, nothing else really matters. I’m in such a really good place at the moment in both life and music, it’s really hard for me to be discouraged about anything.” [END]
