which opens the record. I'm not even a gun owner, nor have I ever shot a gun, and I'm not a hunter, but I believe in The Second Amendment. So I believe in freedom. With the internet you get that good information, but also not we have internet predators, which we never had before. Like all things, you get good and bad. With guns it's a life ender there, or at least a game changer definitely. So for people like Ted Nugent, who I mention at the end of the song, who are hunters, avid hunters and have been their entire life, who preach safety and the gun rights laws. I watch his show, Spirit of the Wild, and I love it! Just because it's Ted, I like to see it, and he's always talking about gun safety, and gun laws, and to be aware of that. Now I grew up in California, but to people who grew up in Wisconsin, when your son turns 10, you go buy him a shotgun and you go hunting. So for all those people, I would never change any of the laws that were implemented at the start of this country. That is basically what that is all about.” “Just like 'Weapons of Class Destruction' on the last record, it's things that intrigue me socially and politically. Things that I am socially aware of, but neither for nor against, just interested in them. I think it happens that way, not purposely. There are always things I write about in that respect. Obviously the Pussy Riot thing was very intriguing to me. That song itself is about world leaders who have the power to run their countries with tyranny, and eventually they end up with a violent ending and eventually they get ruined. That's what the word 'Superkillafragsadisticactsaresoatrocious' in the song is about (the song has an ending chant calling to “free Pussy Riot”). I think Putin, and they way they are looked at in Russia, I think that is the same way subtlety almost the same thing, but the way people look at free speech. We are in 2014 and there is so much social media with everyone has a camera and a microphone is everywhere. I don't think it should ever be regressed or oppressed. It should always be out front. To put three girls in jail, for something malicious... I think it was much more malicious act, more than just something just illegal. And to make such a big case against them and a warranting a big trial, and all this media attention, to make a large statement in a world so free now. And the anti-gay laws and the things that country is still stuck in. Even though Pussy Riot is now free,“Free Pussy Riot” stands forever. It doesn't just mean “Free Pussy Riot”. It means free anything directly that has to do with that sort of thing. When we go to other countries, and I do interviews all around the world. I talk to
everyone, and believe me, the United States is still, by far, the leader of freedom and the way of life.” We discuss with Steve the noticeable improvement on Dawn of the new Centurion from their earlier material. The songs are more adventurous and and the band overall sounds a lot tighter. Steve credits this to his enforcement of a strong band work ethic, and some new blood in the lineup too: “Like you said, it's the maturation process. Basically, these kids that I have thrown into this world, who are all really great players in their own right, even my sons who have grown up around this. They see Chuck Billy and Gary Holt as dad's friends. Phil Demmel, and guys like that are dad's friends. They don't see those guys how other people see those guys. They are not easily conned-out on that. They know what it takes to do this. They are reminded of this all the time and they know how to do it this time. Plus we have a system down. To let you in on something: we already have two new songs written for the next record. This record is not even out yet, and we have two new songs written for the next Hatriot album. So I think with the youth in the band, to keep it going, and my direction we can keep it going. I gave you one album twelve months ago. And I'm giving you a new just one a year later. Bands don't really do that anymore. It seems like there are so many years between releases and I don't know why. I don't know why it takes bands so long to put out new music these days. For us, we work every week. Whether it's writing, or rehearsing for a tour, working on the live set, that's how you keep a tight band. And they realize this works. We are a real tight machine now, because we play all the time. It's the only way I know. It's how I learned it. When I was in Legacy, we practiced every night of the week. That's just how we got there. That's all we cared about. I try to make these guys realize that to do records, to get go to Europe, to do interviews; this is all a plus and you have to be very, very thankful and appreciate it. It doesn't come to everybody. I don't ever let them lose sight of that ever.” One source of pride for Steve is that both his sons, Cody (bass) and Nick (drums) are both in his band now. Neither of them had anything handed to them, both earning their spot through a grueling process of woodshedding, and auditioning to win the jobs outright. He talked about how his sons got interested in playing music, and eventually became skilled enough to pass muster: “I remember being in Exodus for the second stint, during Tempo of the Damned. And I remember hanging out with Jack Gibson. Jack was in the
“It seems like there are so many years between releases and I don't know why. I don't know why it takes bands so long to put out new music these days. For us, we work every week. Whether it's writing, or rehearsing for a tour, working on the live set, that's how you keep a tight band.” – Steve Zetro Souza of Hatriot