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This issue VM Underground catches up with Sean from the Christian, Hardcore group Sevenfold Image.

VMU: Hey, Sean, how are you?
SEAN: Hey man, Pretty good! Thanks for inviting me to the VM Underground.

VMU: You currently play for Sevenfold Image, what is the current line up and what do they do?
SEAN: Well, Sevenfold Image consists of Ken Klein (Vox), Kyle Morrett (Drums), Todd Wells (Bass), and myself on guitars.

VMU: I used to be in the band, Solid Mind back in 1998/99 with your vocalist Ken Kline. How is he doing these days?
SEAN: Ken is a warrior. He is the only singer I have played with that loves God so much and has his priorities straight.:)

VMU: A friend of mine passed me your guy's CD around the holidays of 2003, 6 songs, I believe. Can you tell me where that was recorded and who produced it?
SEAN: Well, we went to Sonsongs Studio in Las Vegas to record the music. Kyle wanted his drums recorded in a nice size room and we wanted the best the industry can offer (within budget, of course). The studio is owned by Thomas "T-bone" Demman and engineered by Ben Demman. They have so many different acts that roll through there it is insane. All of us pretty much produced it ourselves in pre-production a few months before we went in. From our past experiences it really helped and since I went through a few bands before Sevenfold Image using my computer to compose, it made it easier.

VMU: I know it was a different bass player on the disc. Who was that guy and what happened to him? And who is your new bass player now?
SEAN: Our last Bass player was Nathan Petty. Nathan is an incredible musician and he got called to play guitar in a different ministry. I haven't talked to him in a while and I pray everything is well with him and his family. Our new bassist is Todd Wells. He joined a few months after we lost Nathan. We waited a while for him and he is such a talented bassist/musician and an awesome showman! You gotta see him perform. He joined, learned the songs in a week or so and we played a show that following week. Todd has a little different style but he fit in just right. More aggression and likes to try new things.

VMU: Could you explain how the recording process took place? What did they use, analog or digital/computer and what programs did they use?
SEAN: The recording was actually easy in some ways. We tracked all of us at the same time just to lay the drum tracks first. Pretty much like how we play live. Then, after when we were happy with the drums, we re-tracked the bass then the multiple guitars, then vocals then, keyboards. I did the pre-production on the keyboards at home and used Cool Edit Pro as a template on were I played the parts in the song. Made it fast and cost efficient. The studio is all Protools HD system. Really state of the art stuff. If we had a million dollars to record, we would still be recording, (laughs, at least I would.) I am used to using Steinberg and I was pretty much at home. I drove the rest of the members crazy because I have been in that type of environment for the last 10 years and I have so many ideas in my head.

VMU: Was the release fully mastered and how long did the recording take?
SEAN: The release was mastered at the same studio and it took almost 1 month from start to finish. We drove back and forth to Vegas for about a month, I think.

VMU: Could you explain what gear you use and also the other guys as well? Could you also explain what the "old" bass player used for the recording on the CD?
SEAN: The type of gear I use at this time is Roctron Voodoo valve pre-amp, BBE sonic maximizer, Mesa Boogie 2:100 recto power-amp, 2 Mesa deep cabs, Midi foot controller, Volume Pedal, Vox Wah Wah, and monster cables. My guitars are Jacksons and a custom 7 string Kramer. Nathan played thru ampeg direct with a 6 string bass. (Studio) Todd uses, Mesa Boogie M-Pulse system thru ampeg cabs. Kyle uses Sonar drums, Ken is still searching for his favorite mic..:)

VMU: I hear you guys are going to redo the CD? Where and When? And why are you?
SEAN: We were debating on when and how we were going to approach it but its going to have to be in Gods timing. There is production that I did on my computer on the tracks that adds a different vibe and its more mainstream. The other reasons are bass and vocals. Ken and I are singing more and we have more aggression live. When we did the post-production last year, we didn't work too hard on the vocals and backups. (We learned a valuable lesson on that.) It would make Ken much happier and it would represent the band better. We will probably work with my friend CG Ryche who does a lot of vocal production and he just got a G-system (Apple) with which we are able to import the music at our own pace instead of being on the clock. The new location for re-mix is closer to home too.

VMU: Does Kyle still have that terminator of a drum set?
SEAN: Yep, Kyle’s terminator drum set gets a lot of attention for sure. I met Kyle a long time ago when he was in a band called Emerald and I was in Holy Right. I have always known that he is a great drummer. I remember walking in for the audition for Sevenfold Image and seeing his drum set and watching him play was awesome! I was definitely impressed!

VMU: I surfed your site and read your biography. You really worked with one of the guys from Stryper? How was that?
SEAN: Yep, Robert Sweet. I was in a band called Lithium X. We were recording tracks at Ice-T's studio in Hollywood and we needed a drummer for the demo. The bassist (Ray Kilsdonk,formerly TITANIC) knew Robert. They both played in Titanic for awhile. I had a good friend of mine that invested in that band and hired Robert to play. It was so awesome to practice with Robert. He learned 4 songs completely playing to a click-track in 1 week. He is an incredible drummer and musician. I didn’t know he could play guitar as well. He did on his solo project. I remember telling him if he ever needed a guitarist [to] call me! (Laughs) We had a great time jamming together and he has such a great heart. You gotta see his new band Blissed,.(Blissed) I really enjoy watching him play.

VMU: You are a very talented guitar player. How long have you been playing and what was your passion for music growing up?
SEAN: In the beginning, I started playing the accordion and taking piano lessons around age 8 or 9 and played the organ in between. My family is very music oriented. My father sang in an R&B band and I loved his guitar player but, I really didn’t get into actually wanting to play guitar until 1982. I got a red Fender Strat from a BMX buddy I knew (Mike Miranda) and he taught me some basic blues scales. Then my father got me Ozzy and that’s when I first heard Randy Rhoads. After that, I got saved [at 17] and that’s when I really started to take the guitar really serious. I had taken [music] theory through the 80's and played a lot of shows and guitar competitions. I remember my friends from back then told me they went to go see Racer X (Paul Gilbert) and Mike Varney was there. They told him about me and he really wanted me to send him a demo, I was kinda chicken because I felt I wasn't THAT good, but it was cool to know he wanted to hear me play. Music has always been my calling and passion from the very beginning and I hope to produce bands and have my own studio to help out musicians.

VMU: Could you tell us how you got into the music scene and what other bands you've been in?
SEAN: When I was in High School I met my best friend John Boudreau. He played drums and they were looking for a guitarist. I talked to him and he setup a audition that next day. I didn't have a car so, I put my Peavey Decade amp and a stereo speaker on the handle bars and rode my bike to his house with my guitar strapped on my back. I don't remember how I got there like that but I made it. When John and his brother (Jerry) saw me with my stuff they were tripping out but anyways, to this day, we always laugh about that because John and Jerry didn't know what to expect. But, they heard me play and they were like, " Yeah, we want you to play with us. After that, I started practicing with them and I remember Bryan Duncan (Sweet Comfort Band) lived next door and he would hangout. I had no clue who Bryan was and I thought he was just a friend that lived next door. I didn’t know he was an up and coming Christian solo artist!! (Laughs) But anyway, we practiced and got Steve Bell (rhythm guitar) and we played our first show at a middle school. That scared me to death but I went through it and that’s when I really really felt I was called to play. That band was called Freewill. At the same time I was also doing praise and worship with a local church. Freewill turned into Holy Right, then Ironwrath, MachX, Helnback,(Helnback) Lithium X, STENCH and lots of studio work for Christian and secular artists.

VMU: What other groups have the other guys been in?
SEAN: I know Ken was in Solid Mind, Kyle was in Sacred Faith and Seventh Sign I believe. forgive me, Kyle if I don't remember... Todd has been in a few bands as well. I can't remember if he told me. But check it out. I am STILL waiting for there bio's..(laughs) When I know, I will definitely post it on the site...

VMU: Do guys prefer to play live or just record?
SEAN: I, personally prefer both, but live is fun, studio is creative and I could live in a well equipped studio. I think the band is fun live and probably would prefer live. But, we are all different and they would probably say the opposite..:)

VMU: Does anyone in the band have a home studio? If so what do they use?
SEAN: Nope, only me. I run Steinberg software and Cool Edit Pro. But I know Todd wanted me to hook him up with ideas for his studio. He plays piano, if I didn’t mentioned it...

VMU: How do you define your guitar sound? What is your secret in dialing in your gear? The effects on the CD blow me away what did you use overall?
SEAN: Thanks man,:) Well, I played a lot of different gear through the years and all I do is double track or quad track the rhythm tracks, then pan and add effects. The guitar went thru the Eventide processor. I think in “Severance” in the bridge, where it’s clean before the solo, is all Eventide. I would suggest if you are running nice gear, I would multi-track your sound how it is live and leave it. Sometimes, engineers have to EQ a little for fatness which is ok. Multi-tracking is fun and it tests your skill a bit, but it is well worth it. When I track at home, I can't play my amps in the room, (wife would kill me.) I use an Ibanez amp modular preamp., it is going through my 4 track and then to the computer. I did STENCH that way for pre-production. A lot of people thought I was using my Mesa's on that demo. But, playing live, only the Mesa's can reproduce that studio sound from what I [have] experienced.

VMU: I know you guys are a Christian band and ministry is your focus. I had a talk with Kyle about how would he feel about getting into the secular scene. Would you guys feel comfortable getting into that scene musically?
SEAN: Of course, we are hear to play in front of non-believers to save them but, at the same time, we gotta have our swords and shields drawn when we go into those kind of places. I like doing both actually. But, the band is taking it one step at a time. We all agree on playing in front of secular crowds, we just want to be ready when the time comes so when they hear the lyrics and notice we are Christians or when Ken says something, they are floored from the sounds and notices the talent. The Holy Sprit will draw them, because of that, we will earn there respect and not make them feel like we are here to judge them.

VMU: How do you feel about the secular and Christian Market?
SEAN: That is a touchy question..:) Well, I am still not sure about it yet. Right now, it seems like it’s hard to get people to come to shows. It might be equal but, I really can't compare the two yet. I [have] heard horror stories on both ends really. It's all about business with most of them which you do have to pay your bills but, for Christians, I guess it’s a lot of faith and pre-planning. It's hard for me to answer this one..:)

VMU: What are your guy's plans for Sevenfold Image?
SEAN: To become Rockstars!!!!! Just kidding..:) We are here to spread the good news to everyone who doesn’t know our Lord Jesus Christ. To reach the masses. To be good role models for the kids out there. The Lord is showing us some awesome plans for the band and if all is well and we are faithful, I pray we will past through those doors really soon.

VMU: We recently placed you guys on the "Detached System: Complete" V.1 compilation album. How did you guys feel about being on a disc with all styles of music Christian and non-Christian?
SEAN: We all feel it is a blessing to be with all different styles of music. It was cool to see Mike Lee on there! I remember him from the 80's. Awesome singer..Your comp is really blessing a lot of people around the world and we are very happy to be a big part of it. Awesome job, brotha!

VMU: I know what it’s like to hustle in the live gig scene and studio recording. Tell me what is the worst experience playing live and in the studio?
SEAN: Well, being attacked by the enemy by feelings and emotions is the biggie. But we are all humans and we have to go through those experiences. The other thing, Todd's amp stopped working at our last show and that was heavy, but the Lord got us through it. Studio, goes with those last things I mentioned. (Can we all just get along!!) Serious... enough said...

VMU:. Who manages your group and how many shows have you guys played?
SEAN: We just got a manager, his name is Tim Lightle. Really nice brother. He runs Crowns of Faith. We were doing most of the bookings ( That’s how I met Tim) and it was just too much. I also hate the responsibility. I just want to minister and play my guitar and talk to fans and friends. Tim really likes the band and he will do really well. His ministry in Crowns of Faith is also a blessing.

VMU:. What are your guy's musical influences?
SEAN: Wow, tons. I myself LOVE all kinds of music and as long its from the heart, I will like it. Everyone in SF Image has a lot of old school metal influences. Ken is the youngest and he has a lot of 90's musical influences. I am really into soundtracks from movies. Not the bands, but, the orchestras in the movies.

VMU: Want to give a shout out to some friends?
SEAN: Yep! I would like to thank my wife, Stephanie for being there for me, my mother Chinice and John Boudreau, Aaron King, Alan Bostwick, CG Ryche, T-Bone, Benny, and countless friends I have met through the years.

VMU: Thank you so much for this interview Sean and believe me the song Threshing Floor rules! Please keep us updated and do you have any last words?
SEAN: Your welcome, Vic! Thanks for having me in your mag and many blessing to you and your ministry!

VM Underground
March 27, 2004