By Kristeffor Olson, The Metal Crawlspace -
Ken Mary is a drummer, producer, engineer, singer, and writer on over thirty-five albums that have sold over five million copies. He has worked with metal bands such as Alice Cooper, Accept, Impellitteri, and House of Lords. Ken is currently the drummer for the bands Flotsam and Jetsam and Fifth Angel. He is also ranked among the world’s top drummers by Drummer World. We connected with Ken to ask him about his thoughts on band mascots, health and wellness, streaming services, touring, and more:
The Metal Crawlspace: It's a pleasure to meet you, Ken! I wanted to take a quick moment to give a big shout-out to one of our mutual friends, Scott Robertson, for introducing us!
Ken Mary: Thank you Kris, it’s great to speak with you.
TMC: How did you get started as a drummer and what were your early influences?
KM: Well, the drums picked me, really. I always was banging on desks with pencils, hitting pots and pans, that kind of thing. I started in grade school and spent the first year just on snare drum and rudiments. I feel like that gave me a big jump, as I was able to concentrate and learn how to control the hands first before working on the feet. I had a great teacher who exposed me to bands like Yes, Return to Forever, jazz greats like Louie Bellson and Buddy Rich, Latin music, as well as rudimental drumming. Kiss was my first concert, and Buddy, Neil Peart, and John Bonham were probably my main influences, although there have been many others.
TMC: What are some of the challenges and rewards of working with different genres and artists over the years?
KM: You have to be flexible and open to ideas. When I was young this was perhaps a problem, but having worked as a producer for many years, it made me willing to try new things and just see what happens. Of course, if you are going to work with many different artists you have to be able to adapt to their music and fit what is needed. Hopefully you bring your own “magic” to the table as well, but first and foremost you are there to serve the songs.
TMC: How do you balance your roles as a musician, producer, and engineer? KM: Well, I love serving in all of those capacities, so it’s just a matter of which “hat” I have on at the moment. If you do what I do, and work in many areas, (which I love BTW), it’s important to do whatever job is in front of you with complete excellence. I think that is probably the key to life in general. I have known many people in life that were satisfied being a “good” engineer, or a “good” drummer. To be the best takes sacrifice, and you have to be willing to put in the hours to become skilled at your craft. There’s the real balance: how much time do you have to dedicate to each skill? That is the challenge as well.
TMC: Do you feel that you have a good work/life balance? KM: Not at the moment, lol. Currently, things are a bit busy. However, you won’t hear me complain. The only thing worse than being too busy is not being busy enough.
TMC: What are some of the highlights of your career so far?
KM: It’s been a highlight to play with Flotsam and Jetsam and Fifth Angel at some of the large festivals in Europe. The fans there are so amazing these days, it’s almost like stepping back in time to the late 80’s in the US when fans were just there to have a great time. Touring and recording with R&R Hall of Fame Inductee Alice Cooper was incredible and happened very early on in my career. There were many friends I made that played in our opening bands, such as Megadeth, Tesla, Motorhead, and so many others. House of Lords was certainly a highlight, and especially working with Gene Simmons, since he was one of my childhood heroes. Also, we toured with great artists like Scorpions and Hall of Fame inductees Cheap Trick. I was on Full House for three episodes and performed and recorded with The Beach Boys, another Hall of Fame inductee. Working with Chris Impelliterri, a Metal Hall of Fame inductee, was always awesome . . . honestly, I could go on and on for a long time here . . .
TMC: How do you keep yourself motivated and inspired as a drummer and as a creative person? KM: I’m not really sure what the answer to that is? I think if you love music, drumming, writing, and producing like I do, you don’t really have to motivate yourself. You wake up every day, and you GET to work on music. That’s a gift. If you have to motivate yourself, then maybe you just don’t love music that much?
TMC: What band or genre of music are you a fan of that might surprise people?
KM: Hahaha, 70’s light rock, classical music, jazz and big band music, and 70’s rock. I’m guessing people may not know that. I find the music in the 60’s and 70’s, before everything became very “corporate” for lack of a better word, was a super creative period. I mean think of how different all these bands sounded: Queen, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Kiss, Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, The Eagles, Heart, and they would all be played on the same radio station. Now think of how similar most bands today sound, and radio stations sound like they are playing one song. I think that was a magical era, the 60’s and 70’s.
TMC: What are your views on streaming services such as Spotify?
KM: Not a fan! I thank them for wrecking the music industry, and also for reducing my royalty statements to the point where they pay for a dinner at Subway. The music business is no longer a legitimate industry because of streaming. Did I say too much? Lol.
TMC: What is your opinion about social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram? KM: I love them because you can be in as close contact with your fans as you want to be. The downside is that people feel they must express their negative opinions about almost EVERYTHING! Really? Didn’t your mother teach you, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it?” I’m just not into some people who are first off getting all their music for free through Youtube or Spotify, and then complaining and slagging different artists. I’m not even talking about my work or bands I’m in, which get some haters but not very many. I see things posted all the time, and I just want to know why these persons feel compelled to reveal how unhappy they are to everyone else? Maybe go ahead and keep that crazy bottled up, ya' know? Lol.
TMC: Do you consider yourself a spiritual person? What are your views on God and religion? KM: Yes, I believe in God, but everyone should be free to believe what they want to. IMO, I think it takes a tremendous amount of faith to look around at a universe that is so magnificently organized, down to each atom, and believe this is all random. The universe could have just as easily been complete chaos, incapable of supporting life. If you look at an iPhone, for instance, you can determine a great deal about the people that created that device. They know a great deal about electronics, about plastics, about wireless transmission, about coding, and software. The device reveals a great deal about who created it. What does studying the universe reveal?
TMC: How do you prepare for live performances and studio sessions?
KM: I try to make sure I am prepared to perform the material well. “Do your job!” That’s what many sports coaches tell their players. I feel like that’s a big one. Do your job, and make every attempt do it with greatness.
TMC: What metal magazines were your go-to back in the day? KM: Probably Circus, Hit Parader, Metal Edge, RIP, and Rolling Stone Magazine. Modern Drummer would also be in there. Of course, none of those today would be considered “metal,” but just rock.
TMC: I remember reading about Fifth Angel in both RIP and Metal Edge magazines back in the day! It seemed as though the band was going to be the "next big thing" in heavy metal. After the release of 'Time Will Tell' in 1989, the band was in the wind. In a nutshell, what happened? KM: The main thing was the Grunge movement, which ironically was based in Seattle as well. (We were all from Seattle.) The Grunge fans and even bands would mock metal artists like Ozzy, Iron Maiden, Scorpions, Kiss, etc. etc. It was pretty horrible. Either you were grunge or you sucked, was basically the message of fans back then, and the industry as well. We lost our deal, and back then there was no internet yet, so no way to remain in touch with your fans. If you lost your deal, you were essentially erased. There were other issues as well, but that was what really cemented that situation.
TMC: Fifth Angel recently dropped a record titled "When Angels Kill." It's described as double concept record similar to the likes of Helloween’s 'Keeper of the Seven Keys', Pink Floyd’s 'The Wall,' or Queensryche’s 'Operation Mindcrime', weaving the lyrics and subject matter of the last trilogy of Fifth Angel. Wow, I have to say I absolutely love it! It has everything a metalhead is looking for in a heavy metal release. What is your favorite track on the album and why? KM: Thank you so much, Kris. As the producer, it was a very complex production to bring to fruition and so I should hate listening to this record by now, lol. As far as favorites, can I pick a few? Maybe the title track, “When Angels Kill,” “Empire of Hate,” “The End of Everything.” But that’s this week. I notice with this album that my favorites change quite a bit, as I think there is some real depth to it.
TMC: We metalheads can be addicted to information, maybe now more than ever due to the advancements it technology. We tend to want to know things like the story behind the lyrics of a song, or the concept behind an album cover. My question, what is the meaning behind the band name Fifth Angel, and if you know, what were the reasons the band chose that name? KM: The lead singer at the time, Ted Pilot, had a brother that was taking a class in theology at the University of Washington. As part of the class, he had to study the book of Revelations. When the band was looking for a name, he thought of looking in Revelations to see if anything sounded cool. There was a passage about seven angels, and going through each angel in order,
(for instance, the first angel, the second angel, the third angel, etc.), nothing sounded cool until Fifth Angel came up. It just sounded cool, so the band went with it. It’s really as simple as that.
TCM: Flotsam and Jetsam. You joined the band in 2017 if I'm not mistaken, and recorded 'The End of Chaos', then 'Blood in the Water' in 2021. BITW, by the way, was in my top five releases of that year, and it continues to get a lot of play in The Metal Crawlspace office! With what I describe as an oversaturation of music releases, with seemingly endless options to choose from, what would you say to a metalhead to convince them to check out the aforementioned albums? KM: Try listening to the singles "Brace for Impact," "Blood In The Water," "Control," "Demolition Man," and "Burn The Sky." If you dig those, you’ll dig the rest of those albums! These are two of my favorite Flotsam albums, and I say that as a fan not a band member. I loved the first two Flotsam album, and also the last three. There is some other great work by the band as well, but those are my favorites. TMC: How do you maintain your mental health and overall health & wellness to do what you do? KM: Stay away from drugs and alcohol is a huge one. You can literally see which musicians imbibe, and which do not. I won’t mention any names here, but if you plan on working in the industry for a long time, then stay away from drugs. Also, take care of your body, it’s the only one you get. For drummers and singers especially, since I believe those are the two most difficult positions in a band to do well as you get older, you have to be disciplined. Eat well, stay away from sugar as much as possible, and of course stay away from drugs and alcohol.
TMC: Do you believe a band's music videos are as impactful as they once were, like they were during the Headbangers Ball and MTV era? KM: This is easy: No. During that era, the only place you could really see many artists was that show and/or network, and everyone would gather to watch it. Now, YouYube has an almost infinite amount of videos to watch, and so the industry is much more fragmented. Instead of millions of people watching your video all at one time, people watch millions of different videos. So no, videos are not nearly as impactful as they once were.
TMC: As someone who has been in all aspects of the music industry for years, what have been some of the biggest differences or changes in the industry over the past 10 years, specifically where record labels are concerned? KM: OK, let’s talk real business here. No fans want to hear this, and it bores me too, but this is
current reality. Twenty-three years ago the gross revenue from music was $36.7 billion. Today it is roughly $10 billion. So adjusted for inflation, the revenue in 2000 is $64.8 billion in today’s money, a difference of $54.8 billion from the current $10 billion gross revenue in 2023. Revenue is less than 1/6 of what it was over twenty-three years ago. There’s no way to gloss that over, and does that sound like a good business to be in? It’s not, so if you don’t REALLY love music, do something else.
TMC: What are some of the projects or collaborations that you are currently working on or looking forward to?
KM: I’ve done some recording with a female vocalist named Gabriela Guncikova. I think she’s one of the best female vocalists in the world, just amazing. I just recorded seven cover songs for her and her producer, Ken Tamplin, so I look forward to hearing what she’s going to do with those!
TMC: Final question. Mascot battle: FLOTZILLA (Flotsam and Jetsam) vs. SNAGGLETOOTH (Motorhead). Who wins the fight and why?
KM: Well, I love Motorhead as much as the next metal fan, and remember I actually toured alongside Lemmy when Motorhead opened for Alice Cooper, but this one’s easy for me. It’s a simple matter of physics. Flotzilla is huge, angry and monstrous. And he has a whole body. Snaggletooth is just a head laying there. Flotzilla can just toss him wherever. Now before I get hate from all the Motorhead fans, I love Motorhead just like you do. But we’re talking about mascots here. I haven’t seen one pic of Snaggletooth with a body, and let’s be honest: in a battle that’s a REAL disadvantage, isn’t it? lol.
TMC: Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview, Ken. It was an honor! KM: Thank you for the chance to vent, Kris! You asked many disturbing questions, lol, but it was great speaking with you!
Flotsam and Jetsam "Blood In The Water" Lyric Video:
Follow Ken on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenkmary/ Follow Flotsam and Jetsam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flotsamandjetsamofficial/
Follow Fifth Angel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fifthangelofficial/
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