Rat Skates
Encyclopedia
Rat Skates is a filmmaker, writer and musician. He is most widely known as a pioneer of D.I.Y. musicians, director of music documentaries and his contributions to the thrash metal
genre as the founding drummer of Overkill
.
, where he attended school, played sports and drew artwork. By age ten, he was listening to music daily from The Beatles
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
and Elton John
during his Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
era. He achieved semi-professional status as a skateboarder and was sponsored by surf shops in Seaside Heights, New Jersey
. He won first and second places in freestyle, slalom, and ramp competitions. His friends dubbed him with the nickname "Rat Skates" combining part of his last name and skateboarding.
At age 15, he studied jazz drumming techniques with instructor Jack Robertello, and taught himself to play the drum parts of songs performed by rock drummers Cliff Davies, Joey Kramer
, John Bonham
and Peter Criss
. Skates met Carlos Verni (later known as D.D. Blaze, then D.D. Verni) in New Providence High School in 1976, and they formed a punk
group known as The Lubricunts. At age 17, they played the nightclubs CBGB
, Great Gildersleeves, Max's Kansas City
, Trudy Heller's, Bottany Talk House, The Mudd Club and The Showplace.
While he was working at his first post-high school job as a graphic artist and printing press operator at RC Graphics in Caldwell, New Jersey
, Skates met the Misfits founder/bassist Jerry Only
while he was delivering printed materials to the X-Acto
knife blade factory where Only worked. Only booked a recording session Skates to play drums for a Misfits recording, but could not use his mother's car to make the session. He worked as a stock boy in the Summit Food Market to re-pay his mother who loaned him money to purchase a Ludwig
double bass drum kit that he re-fitted with Tama heads. Skates and Verni were listening to Judas Priest
, Iron Maiden
, Black Sabbath
, Motörhead, Riot
, Accept
, AC/DC
and The Scorpions
as they wanted a heavier sound, and the Lubricunts disbanded.
newspaper to locate new heavy metal musicians that was answered by guitarist Robert Pisarek (who became known as Riff Thunder), bringing with him bassist/vocalist Robert Ellsworth (who became known as Bobby Blitz) who were members of a cover rock group known as D.O.A. They temporarily named themselves Virgin Killer, after the Scorpions’ record of the same name, and permanently changed their name to Overkill which Pisarek selected from the title of a Motörhead record of the same name.
Skates and Verni envisioned and implemented a theatrical, horror-oriented theme for Overkill, using visual elements from Kiss
, Misfits, Alice Cooper
, Twisted Sister
, and an unsigned club band from Pennsylvania named The Dead End Kids. From 1981 to 1984, he participated in the underground New Wave of British Heavy Metal
cassette tape-trading circuit that was shared between North America and Europe, that was the foundation for Metallica
, Slayer
, Megadeth
, Exodus
to evolve into the genre known as thrash metal
. Skates promoted Overkill by creating the components he deemed essential to the success of national recording acts that included: creating stage name banners made with slide projectors and magic markers, modifying ornaments from Halloween costumes into stage clothing and stage props, silk-screening T-shirts, a castle-dungeon stage design made of hand-textured Styrofoam
walls and supported by milk crates, rubber stamping the Overkill logo on guitar picks and drum sticks for fan souvenirs, and advertising with rubber-stamped stickers placed on highway toll booths.
In March and September 1983, Skates co-composed five original songs for a demo tape titled Power in Black
. He dubbed individual cassette-tape copies for selling and to solicit for a recording contract
, used a Xerox photocopier
in a library to create a two-sided cover, and shrink wrap
ped copies using plastic film used to make fruit baskets and a hair dryer to include in their press kit
. This resulted in offers he accepted for Overkill to place songs on two compilation LP record
s: Metal Massacre V, and New York Metal ‘84 and accepted an offer from Azra/ Metalstorm Records to distribute a four-song EP
record contingent upon his delivery of self-financed recordings and print-ready mechanical artwork.
Skates established a relationship with Jon and Marsha Zazula in 1982 by mutual acquaintances of the Old Bridge Militia, an assembly of heavy metal fans and roadies
who were providing their home for musicians Dave Mustaine
, James Hetfield
, Lars Ulrich
and Cliff Burton
to live. The Zazula’s were proprietors of Rock ‘n Roll Heaven, an import specialty record store located within the Route 18 Flea Market
in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Assisted by band photographer and merchandiser Lori DeAngelis, he sold one thousand Power In Black cassette tapes from Rock ‘n Roll Heaven on a consignment
basis in eleven months. In 1982, the Zazulas formed Megaforce Records
, which debuted L.P. record albums from Metallica
, Raven
, Anthrax
, Exciter
, Manowar and Talas. The Zazulas recognized the unit sales of Power in Black through Rock ‘n Roll Heaven and by Skates' international marketing, and they presented him with a four-album recording contract offer that Skates accepted and was signed by the members of Overkill on April 10, 1985.
From 1985-1987 Skates arranged and co-wrote two full-length studio LP records: Feel the Fire
(Megaforce) and Taking Over (Megaforce/ Atlantic), which debuted at number 191 on the Billboard Top 200 on April 11, 1987. He implemented the song "Fuck You!" by The Subhumans
that was embodied in a live/ studio EP of the same name. He toured for these records in North America, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Great Britain, Poland, France, Holland and Austria as thrash metal bands experienced exponential growth during these years. Skates became inundated with touring and recording commitments, and stated that the close-mindedness of some band members was suppressing Overkill’s success, and the inability to satisfy his work ethics resulted in deep depression, excessive sleeping and alcoholism. He refused to meet the commitments required by a recording artist employed within the recording industry, and he announced his departure in Los Angeles, California
in the fall of 1987 while completing a tour with Megadeth.
, and his drumming on the songs "There's No Tomorrow" and "Feel the Fire" were the first recorded songs in the thrash metal genre to encompass non-continuous 16th note double bass drum patterns. The Overkill logo was drawn and colored lime green by Skates in 1981, and is recognized as one of the most famous heavy metal logos. He noted that when he removed the cross emblem from between the words in his original logo design, he never connected the two words “Over” and “Kill” together, and that is it was never resolved as being a one-word or two-word name, suggesting that Lemmy from Motörhead would know the answer. Skates declined offers to join Megadeth
, M.O.D.
and Mind Funk
; he never attempted to return to Overkill and stated that his only regret was "being naïve to trust".
From 1988 to 1996, Skates established a career as a percussion instructor through both private instruction and the New Jersey Percussion Center in Rockaway, New Jersey
. During this period he performed in public drum clinics and studied Gary Chester
’s book The New Breed through private studies with rock and jazz fusion
drummer Karl Latham.
In February 1990, Skates accepted an offer to join Bomb Squad, a rock/metal group of New Jersey musicians that was affiliated with The Old Bridge Militia. He states that Bomb Squad was the most enjoyable musical experience to-date, and the pinnacle of his songwriting and drumming. In 1993, a pending record contract between Bomb Squad and MCA Records
collapsed. Vocalist John Poper and bassist Michael Bloomer departed, and Skates and guitarist John Crothers continued on briefly with vocalist Mario Lanuza before completely disbanding in 1993.
and cameraman from 1988 to 1992; departing due to creative conflicts. In 1999, he studied digital audio production and non-linear editing from Trish and Chris Meyer
, Jay Rose, and Adam Wilt, and designed and wrote advertising media for television, radio, print publications, performing arts societies, Fortune 500 companies, record labels and recording artists. As an independent filmmaker, he co-produced, edited and animated designs for the documentary Get Thrashed (2008, Lightyear/Warner Bros.
Entertainment) and Born in the Basement (2007, MVD Entertainment Group), receiving twenty-one screenings in eight countries, winning six awards and pay-per-view broadcasting.
Skates conceptualized Rock-Un-Rold, a musician’s television talk show with colleague David Ellefson
(bassist, Megadeth), and filmed a demo shoot at The Studio in New York City on October 28, 2007. They moderated two discussion panels of six recording artists and pitched an edited version to a Viacom
representative who declined the concept due to the content being “too intelligent”. In response, Skates began filming interviews in 2009 for the documentary film Welcome to the Dream- The Rude Awakening of Rock Stardom for release by the MVD Entertainment Group in 2012. The films preview teaser excerpts interviews from Grammy-award winning guitarist Vernon Reid
(Living Colour
), Mike Portnoy
(Dream Theater
), Anvil
, Jay Jay French
(Twisted Sister
), Karl Wilcox (Diamond Head
), Dr. Patricia Basczcuk (Psychologist) and Robert J. Pisarek, Esq. (Attorney), and an excerpt from his commissioned work for Lynyrd Skynyrd
. It is sponsored by the International Documentary Association
.
, Jerry Seinfeld
, Will Smith
and Tim Allen
amongst his influences. He married photographer and merchandiser Lori DeAngelis whom he had dated in 1980; she is third cousin to director Brian De Palma
. They are both Christian Conservatives, parents to three boys and currently reside in New Jersey.
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
genre as the founding drummer of Overkill
Overkill (band)
Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many line-up changes, with singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and bassist D.D. Verni remaining from the original lineup. Along with Anthrax , the band is one of the most successful East Coast thrash metal...
.
Early life
Rat Skates grew up in a conservative middle-class household in New Providence, New JerseyNew Providence, New Jersey
New Providence is a borough on the northwestern edge of Union County, New Jersey, United States. It is located on the Passaic River, which forms the county boundary with Morris County...
, where he attended school, played sports and drew artwork. By age ten, he was listening to music daily from The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...
and Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
during his Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, released in 1973, is the seventh studio album by British singer-songwriter Elton John. It has come to be regarded as Elton John's best and most popular album, and is his best selling studio album with worldwide sales of at least 15 million copies.Recorded at the Château...
era. He achieved semi-professional status as a skateboarder and was sponsored by surf shops in Seaside Heights, New Jersey
Seaside Heights, New Jersey
Seaside Heights is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 2,887. Seaside Heights is situated on the Barnegat Peninsula, a long, narrow barrier peninsula that separates Barnegat Bay from the Atlantic Ocean...
. He won first and second places in freestyle, slalom, and ramp competitions. His friends dubbed him with the nickname "Rat Skates" combining part of his last name and skateboarding.
At age 15, he studied jazz drumming techniques with instructor Jack Robertello, and taught himself to play the drum parts of songs performed by rock drummers Cliff Davies, Joey Kramer
Joey Kramer
Joseph Michael "Joey" Kramer is the drummer for the American hard rock band Aerosmith....
, John Bonham
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
and Peter Criss
Peter Criss
George Peter John Criscuola , better known as Peter Criss, is an American drummer and singer, best known as the original drummer for the rock band Kiss...
. Skates met Carlos Verni (later known as D.D. Blaze, then D.D. Verni) in New Providence High School in 1976, and they formed a punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
group known as The Lubricunts. At age 17, they played the nightclubs CBGB
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
, Great Gildersleeves, Max's Kansas City
Max's Kansas City
Max's Kansas City was a nightclub and restaurant at 213 Park Avenue South, in New York City, which was a gathering spot for musicians, poets, artists and politicians in the 1960s and 1970s.-Origin of name:...
, Trudy Heller's, Bottany Talk House, The Mudd Club and The Showplace.
While he was working at his first post-high school job as a graphic artist and printing press operator at RC Graphics in Caldwell, New Jersey
Caldwell, New Jersey
Caldwell is a borough located in northwestern Essex County, New Jersey, about outside of New York. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,822....
, Skates met the Misfits founder/bassist Jerry Only
Jerry Only
Jerry Only is an American bassist. He is the current bassist and vocalist for the Misfits. He is credited with creating the infamous hair style known as the devilock.-Life and career:...
while he was delivering printed materials to the X-Acto
X-acto
X-Acto is a brand name for a variety of cutting tools and office products owned by Elmer's Products, Inc. Cutting tools include hobby and utility knives, saws, carving tools and many small-scale precision knives used for crafts and other applications....
knife blade factory where Only worked. Only booked a recording session Skates to play drums for a Misfits recording, but could not use his mother's car to make the session. He worked as a stock boy in the Summit Food Market to re-pay his mother who loaned him money to purchase a Ludwig
Ludwig-Musser
Ludwig-Musser is a drum and percussion instrument manufacturer that is part of the Conn-Selmer division of Steinway Musical Instruments.The first product made by the Ludwig brothers, William and Theobaldner , was a bass drum pedal capable of playing faster beats than was typical of products of the...
double bass drum kit that he re-fitted with Tama heads. Skates and Verni were listening to Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, Motörhead, Riot
Riot (band)
Riot is an American heavy metal band founded in New York City in 1975 by guitarist Mark Reale. Reaching a peak in popularity in the early 80s, the band has continued a long-running successful career....
, Accept
Accept
Accept is a German heavy metal band from the town of Solingen, originally assembled by former vocalist Udo Dirkschneider, guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and bassist Peter Baltes. Their beginnings can be traced back to the late 1960s...
, AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
and The Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
as they wanted a heavier sound, and the Lubricunts disbanded.
Overkill
Skates placed an advertisement in The Aquarian WeeklyThe Aquarian Weekly
The Aquarian Weekly is a regional alternative weekly newspaper based in New Jersey. Founded in 1969, its focus is popular music. It is accompanied by a pull-out section, The East Coast Rocker, which is freely distributed throughout the New Jersey/New York City/Eastern Pennsylvania region.The paper...
newspaper to locate new heavy metal musicians that was answered by guitarist Robert Pisarek (who became known as Riff Thunder), bringing with him bassist/vocalist Robert Ellsworth (who became known as Bobby Blitz) who were members of a cover rock group known as D.O.A. They temporarily named themselves Virgin Killer, after the Scorpions’ record of the same name, and permanently changed their name to Overkill which Pisarek selected from the title of a Motörhead record of the same name.
Skates and Verni envisioned and implemented a theatrical, horror-oriented theme for Overkill, using visual elements from Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, Misfits, Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
, Twisted Sister
Twisted Sister
Twisted Sister is an American heavy metal band from Long Island. Musically, the band implements elements of traditional heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, along with a style that is similar to early glam metal bands...
, and an unsigned club band from Pennsylvania named The Dead End Kids. From 1981 to 1984, he participated in the underground New Wave of British Heavy Metal
New Wave of British Heavy Metal
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s, in Britain, and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. The movement developed as a reaction in part to the decline of early heavy metal bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black...
cassette tape-trading circuit that was shared between North America and Europe, that was the foundation for Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
, Exodus
Exodus (band)
Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1980 in Richmond, California. Spanning a career of over 30 years, Exodus has gone through numerous lineup changes, two extended hiatuses, and the deaths of two former band members. Guitarist Gary Holt remains the only constant member of the band,...
to evolve into the genre known as thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
. Skates promoted Overkill by creating the components he deemed essential to the success of national recording acts that included: creating stage name banners made with slide projectors and magic markers, modifying ornaments from Halloween costumes into stage clothing and stage props, silk-screening T-shirts, a castle-dungeon stage design made of hand-textured Styrofoam
Styrofoam
Styrofoam is a trademark of The Dow Chemical Company for closed-cell currently made for thermal insulation and craft applications. In 1941, researchers in Dow's Chemical Physics Lab found a way to make foamed polystyrene...
walls and supported by milk crates, rubber stamping the Overkill logo on guitar picks and drum sticks for fan souvenirs, and advertising with rubber-stamped stickers placed on highway toll booths.
In March and September 1983, Skates co-composed five original songs for a demo tape titled Power in Black
Power in Black
Power in Black is the first demo from American thrash metal band Overkill in 1983, although some songs had been recorded previously, such as The Beast Within.-Band members:* Rat Skates – Drums* Bobby Gustafson – Guitar* D.D. Verni – Bass...
. He dubbed individual cassette-tape copies for selling and to solicit for a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
, used a Xerox photocopier
Photocopier
A photocopier is a machine that makes paper copies of documents and other visual images quickly and cheaply. Most current photocopiers use a technology called xerography, a dry process using heat...
in a library to create a two-sided cover, and shrink wrap
Shrink wrap
Shrink wrap, also shrinkwrap or shrink film, is a material made up of polymer plastic film. When heat is applied it shrinks tightly over whatever it is covering. Heat can be applied with a hand held heat gun or the product and film can pass through a heat tunnel on a conveyor.-Composition:The...
ped copies using plastic film used to make fruit baskets and a hair dryer to include in their press kit
Press kit
A press kit, often referred to as a media kit in business environments, is a pre-packaged set of promotional materials of a person, company, or organization distributed to members of the media for promotional use...
. This resulted in offers he accepted for Overkill to place songs on two compilation LP record
LP record
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
s: Metal Massacre V, and New York Metal ‘84 and accepted an offer from Azra/ Metalstorm Records to distribute a four-song EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
record contingent upon his delivery of self-financed recordings and print-ready mechanical artwork.
Skates established a relationship with Jon and Marsha Zazula in 1982 by mutual acquaintances of the Old Bridge Militia, an assembly of heavy metal fans and roadies
Road crew
The road crew are the technicians or support personnel who travel with a band on tour, usually in sleeper buses, and handle every part of the concert productions except actually performing the music with the musicians...
who were providing their home for musicians Dave Mustaine
Dave Mustaine
David Scott "Dave" Mustaine is the founder, main songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Megadeth. Prior to Megadeth, Mustaine was the first lead guitarist and a co-songwriter of the heavy metal band Metallica until he was fired from the band in 1983. In 2009, he...
, James Hetfield
James Hetfield
James Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
, Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich is a Danish drummer, and one of the founding members of the American thrash metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis player in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age sixteen to pursue his training; though rather...
and Cliff Burton
Cliff Burton
Clifford Lee "Cliff" Burton was an American musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the American heavy metal band Metallica....
to live. The Zazula’s were proprietors of Rock ‘n Roll Heaven, an import specialty record store located within the Route 18 Flea Market
Flea market
A flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent...
in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Assisted by band photographer and merchandiser Lori DeAngelis, he sold one thousand Power In Black cassette tapes from Rock ‘n Roll Heaven on a consignment
Consignment
Consignment the act of consigning, which is placing any material in the hand of another, but retaining ownership until the goods are sold or person is transferred. This may be done for shipping, transfer of prisoners, to auction, or for sale in a store Consignment the act of consigning, which is...
basis in eleven months. In 1982, the Zazulas formed Megaforce Records
Megaforce Records
Megaforce Records is an American independent record label which was founded in 1982 by Jon and Marsha Zazula to publish the first works of Metallica. It has offices in New York and Philadelphia. The label is distributed in the U.S. by Sony Music Entertainment/RED Distribution...
, which debuted L.P. record albums from Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, Raven
Raven (band)
Raven are an English heavy metal band associated with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. They had a hit with the single "On and On", and refer to their music as "athletic rock".-Formation:...
, Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, Exciter
Exciter (band)
Exciter is a Canadian speed metal band from Ottawa, Ontario. They are widely considered to be one of the first speed metal bands and a seminal influence of the thrash metal genre. Exciter have sold nearly 2.3 million units in the USA and a total sells at 10 million units worldwide...
, Manowar and Talas. The Zazulas recognized the unit sales of Power in Black through Rock ‘n Roll Heaven and by Skates' international marketing, and they presented him with a four-album recording contract offer that Skates accepted and was signed by the members of Overkill on April 10, 1985.
From 1985-1987 Skates arranged and co-wrote two full-length studio LP records: Feel the Fire
Feel the Fire (Overkill album)
Feel the Fire is the debut album by American thrash metal band Overkill, released by Megaforce Records in 1985.-Overview:The band spent the better part of 1985 and 1986 on the Feel the Fire tour, beginning as a support act for Megadeth's Peace Sells US tour and later in Europe with Anthrax and...
(Megaforce) and Taking Over (Megaforce/ Atlantic), which debuted at number 191 on the Billboard Top 200 on April 11, 1987. He implemented the song "Fuck You!" by The Subhumans
Subhumans (Canadian band)
The Subhumans are a punk band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada that formed in 1978.Known by pejorative, punk rock nicknames, original members were known simply as "Useless" , "Dimwit" , "Wimpy" and "Normal" .-History:Dimwit quit the band shortly after their first 7" was released to join...
that was embodied in a live/ studio EP of the same name. He toured for these records in North America, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Great Britain, Poland, France, Holland and Austria as thrash metal bands experienced exponential growth during these years. Skates became inundated with touring and recording commitments, and stated that the close-mindedness of some band members was suppressing Overkill’s success, and the inability to satisfy his work ethics resulted in deep depression, excessive sleeping and alcoholism. He refused to meet the commitments required by a recording artist employed within the recording industry, and he announced his departure in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in the fall of 1987 while completing a tour with Megadeth.
Legacy
Overkill’s early success has been attributed to Skates’ songwriting presence and creative efforts. He was voted one of the top-ten drummers of 1987 by the Japanese publication Burrn!Burrn!
Burrn! is a monthly Japanese magazine, published since 1984, for fans of heavy metal music. It is published by Shinko Music in Tokyo. The magazine's content is in Japanese, but the covers are predominantly in English.-References:* Japanavision...
, and his drumming on the songs "There's No Tomorrow" and "Feel the Fire" were the first recorded songs in the thrash metal genre to encompass non-continuous 16th note double bass drum patterns. The Overkill logo was drawn and colored lime green by Skates in 1981, and is recognized as one of the most famous heavy metal logos. He noted that when he removed the cross emblem from between the words in his original logo design, he never connected the two words “Over” and “Kill” together, and that is it was never resolved as being a one-word or two-word name, suggesting that Lemmy from Motörhead would know the answer. Skates declined offers to join Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
, M.O.D.
M.O.D.
M.O.D. was a crossover thrash band from New York City, fronted by former Anthrax roadie and Stormtroopers of Death vocalist Billy Milano. The band existed from 1986 to 1997, and again from 2001 to 2008...
and Mind Funk
Mind Funk
Mind Funk were an American stoner rock/grunge band containing members of Chemical Waste and several other bands, originally known as "Mind Fuck" but were forced by Epic Records to change their name. The band signed to the Sony/Epic-label and released their self-titled debut album in 1991...
; he never attempted to return to Overkill and stated that his only regret was "being naïve to trust".
Other
In 1988, Skates wrote Some Stuff I Recorded, a ten-song demo of ideas to share with other musicians for a new project, where he played bass, drums, keyboards and vocals while intoxicated. This songwriting was recognized by Japans’ Burrn! Magazine, as three songs from this effort debuted as numbers 1, 2 and 3 on their top ten charts in July 1988. These compositions were re-recorded under the name Bone To Bone with guitarist Jules Asilo, bassist Kevin Drexler, saxophonist Jim Riccio, and former band mate Bobby Blitz on vocals. Skates also recorded a country-pop project Ten Mile Road to Hell with Nashville-based composer/guitarist Eric Cook in 1989.From 1988 to 1996, Skates established a career as a percussion instructor through both private instruction and the New Jersey Percussion Center in Rockaway, New Jersey
Rockaway, New Jersey
Rockaway is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 6,438.Rockaway was formed as a borough on June 19, 1894, from portions of Rockaway Township, based on the results of a referendum held the previous...
. During this period he performed in public drum clinics and studied Gary Chester
Gary Chester
Gary Chester was one of the 20th century's busiest studio drummers. Gary is counted as one of the greats when it comes to studio session musicians. His work appears on thousands of tracks, including hundreds of hit records from the '50s, '60s and '70s...
’s book The New Breed through private studies with rock and jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
drummer Karl Latham.
In February 1990, Skates accepted an offer to join Bomb Squad, a rock/metal group of New Jersey musicians that was affiliated with The Old Bridge Militia. He states that Bomb Squad was the most enjoyable musical experience to-date, and the pinnacle of his songwriting and drumming. In 1993, a pending record contract between Bomb Squad and MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
collapsed. Vocalist John Poper and bassist Michael Bloomer departed, and Skates and guitarist John Crothers continued on briefly with vocalist Mario Lanuza before completely disbanding in 1993.
Filmmaker and writer
Skates freelanced for the Suburban Cablevision television network as an audio engineer, live mixerMix engineer
A mix engineer, also referred to as "mixing engineer", is a person who, once all instruments, voices, and sounds, etc., have been recorded, creates what is called the final version of a song, hence the term "mix engineer"...
and cameraman from 1988 to 1992; departing due to creative conflicts. In 1999, he studied digital audio production and non-linear editing from Trish and Chris Meyer
Chris Meyer
Chris Meyer , sometimes credited as Christopher Scott Meyer, is an American film and television actor.-Career:Since 2001, he has appeared in at least thirteen films and made guest appearances in six television productions including the police-procedural, dramatic television series Law & Order:...
, Jay Rose, and Adam Wilt, and designed and wrote advertising media for television, radio, print publications, performing arts societies, Fortune 500 companies, record labels and recording artists. As an independent filmmaker, he co-produced, edited and animated designs for the documentary Get Thrashed (2008, Lightyear/Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
Entertainment) and Born in the Basement (2007, MVD Entertainment Group), receiving twenty-one screenings in eight countries, winning six awards and pay-per-view broadcasting.
Skates conceptualized Rock-Un-Rold, a musician’s television talk show with colleague David Ellefson
David Ellefson
David Warren "Dave" Ellefson is a bassist and founding member of the American thrash metal band Megadeth. He also goes by "Junior." He currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona...
(bassist, Megadeth), and filmed a demo shoot at The Studio in New York City on October 28, 2007. They moderated two discussion panels of six recording artists and pitched an edited version to a Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
representative who declined the concept due to the content being “too intelligent”. In response, Skates began filming interviews in 2009 for the documentary film Welcome to the Dream- The Rude Awakening of Rock Stardom for release by the MVD Entertainment Group in 2012. The films preview teaser excerpts interviews from Grammy-award winning guitarist Vernon Reid
Vernon Reid
Vernon Reid is an English-born American guitarist, songwriter, composer, and bandleader. Best known as the founder and primary songwriter of the heavy metal band Living Colour, Reid was named #66 on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.Critic Steve Huey writes, "[Reid's]...
(Living Colour
Living Colour
Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. Stylistically, the band's music is a creative fusion influenced by free jazz, funk, neo-psychedelia, hard rock, and heavy metal...
), Mike Portnoy
Mike Portnoy
Michael Stephen "Mike" Portnoy is an American drummer primarily known as the former drummer, backing vocalist, and a co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, as well as the temporary drummer for the hard rock band Avenged Sevenfold. Known for his drumming prowess and technical...
(Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
), Anvil
Anvil (band)
Anvil is a Canadian heavy metal band comprising Steve "Lips" Kudlow , Robb Reiner , and Glenn Five...
, Jay Jay French
Jay Jay French
John French Segall , better known by his stage name Jay Jay French or J.J. French, is a founding member and one of the two guitarists of the American heavy metal band, Twisted Sister....
(Twisted Sister
Twisted Sister
Twisted Sister is an American heavy metal band from Long Island. Musically, the band implements elements of traditional heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, along with a style that is similar to early glam metal bands...
), Karl Wilcox (Diamond Head
Diamond Head (band)
Diamond Head are an English heavy metal band formed in 1976 in Stourbridge, England. The band is recognised as one of the leading members of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and is acknowledged by later bands like Metallica and Megadeth as an important early influence.-Early history:Formed by...
), Dr. Patricia Basczcuk (Psychologist) and Robert J. Pisarek, Esq. (Attorney), and an excerpt from his commissioned work for Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
. It is sponsored by the International Documentary Association
International Documentary Association
International Documentary Association , founded in 1982, is a non-profit organization promoting documentary film, video and new media, to support the efforts of documentary filmmaking and video production makers around the world and to increase public appreciation and demand for the art of the...
.
Personal and notable
Skates cites writers/ actors John CleeseJohn Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
, Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and television and film producer, known for playing a semi-fictional version of himself in the situation comedy Seinfeld , which he co-created and co-wrote with Larry David, and, in the show's final two seasons,...
, Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
and Tim Allen
Tim Allen
Tim Allen is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement...
amongst his influences. He married photographer and merchandiser Lori DeAngelis whom he had dated in 1980; she is third cousin to director Brian De Palma
Brian De Palma
Brian Russell De Palma is an American film director and writer. In a career spanning over 40 years, he is probably best known for his suspense and crime thriller films, including such box office successes as the horror film Carrie, Dressed to Kill, Scarface, The Untouchables, and Mission:...
. They are both Christian Conservatives, parents to three boys and currently reside in New Jersey.
Discography
| Artist | Title | Label | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overkill | Power In Black Power in Black Power in Black is the first demo from American thrash metal band Overkill in 1983, although some songs had been recorded previously, such as The Beast Within.-Band members:* Rat Skates – Drums* Bobby Gustafson – Guitar* D.D. Verni – Bass... |
Blood Metal Music | Cassette | 1983 |
| Overkill | Overkill Overkill (EP) Overkill is the first EP recorded by thrash metal band Overkill released in 1984 on Azra/Metal Storm records. The EP is included on the !!!Fuck You!!! And Then Some compilation.- Track listing :# "Rotten to the Core" — 5:14... |
Azra/ Metal Storm | E.P. Record | 1984 |
| Overkill | Feel The Fire Feel the Fire (Overkill album) Feel the Fire is the debut album by American thrash metal band Overkill, released by Megaforce Records in 1985.-Overview:The band spent the better part of 1985 and 1986 on the Feel the Fire tour, beginning as a support act for Megadeth's Peace Sells US tour and later in Europe with Anthrax and... |
Megaforce | L.P. Record | 1985 |
| Overkill | Taking Over | Megaforce/ Atlantic | L.P. Record/ Compact Disc | 1987 |
| Overkill | !!!Fuck You!!! !!!Fuck You!!! !!!Fuck You!!! is an EP released by thrash metal band Overkill in 1987. Consisting of a cover version of the song "Fuck You" , the EP also featured 5 live tracks recorded at The Phantasy Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio... |
Megaforce/ Caroline | E.P. Record/ Compact Disc | 1987 |
| Rat Skates/ Bone To Bone | Some Stuff I Recorded | Independent | Cassette | 1988 |
| Eric Cook (Koch) | Ten Mile Road To Hell | Wild Turkey | Cassette | 1989 |
| Bomb Squad | Live at Suite 16 | Demolition | Cassette | 1991 |
| Overkill | Fuck You and Then Some | Megaforce | Cassette/ Compact Disc | 1996 |
| Overkill | Fuck You and Then Some/ Feel The Fire | Megaforce | Compact Disc | 2005 |
| Lubricunts | Sorry About Your Roof | Vector/ Hottentots | Download/ Rhapsody/ ITunes | 2007 |
Filmography
| Title | Role(s) | Label | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome to the Dream | Director/ Screenwriter | MVD Entertainment Group | 2012 |
| Born in The Basement | Actor/ Executive Producer/ Sreenwriter | MVD Entertainment Group | 2007 |
| Get Thrashed | Actor/ Associate Producer/ Designer/ Animator/ Editor/ Camera | Lightyear/ Warner Bros. | 2008 |
Other appearances
| Title | Performance | Work | Type | Label | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metallica | Cast | Biography | Television Program | A&E Networks | 2009 |
| The Last Bastions of Rock | Cast | Fritch Clark | Documentary Film | Urban Blight Films | 2009 |
| Death Rider | Song Performance | Metal Massacre V | Compilation L.P. Record | Metal Blade | 1984 |
| Feel The Fire | Song Performance | New York Metal '84 | Compilation L.P. Record | Rock City Records | 1984 |
| Songs (multiple) from Feel The Fire | Live Song/ German Concert Performance | The Metal Hammer Roadshow | VHS Video | Metal Hammer A.G. | 1986 |
| In Union We Stand | Song Performance/ Acting Synch | Headbangers Ball | Beta/ Music Video | Atlantic Recording Group/ MTV Networks | 1987 |
| Song Performances (Multiple) | Live Song/ Concert Performance | Videoscope | VHS Video | Atlantic/ WEA | 1991 |
| Song Performances (Multiple) | Live Song/ Concert Performance | Wrecking Everything/ The Batmen Return | DVD | Spitfire/ Eagle Vision USA | 2002 |