ION INDIE MAGAZINE August 2014, Volume 3 | Page 34

ION: At the show I attended, in Reading, MIKE PORTNOY (A Mob’s first drummer) rejoined the band
onstage for a few songs at the end of the night. It was apparent that it’s a family with you guys. How did that
jam feel, emotionally?
Mike: Yeah, that was a blast. We we're just hanging out for a bit before the show shooting the shit and we
simply asked Mike what songs he wanted to jam? It was a no-brainer. Mike was there from day one and we
made some killer music together and always had a blast on stage rippin' it up. It was a great time performing
with him again.
ION: I’ve got to admit, I had
heard AMob only a few
times and wasn’t that
familiar with your stuff. I
was going to that show to
support friends of mine in
THREATPOINT
and
SHYSTER, two of the
bands that opened for you
that night. When I told our
Editor I was going to that
show, she hooked me up
with this interview and I
started listening more to
your stuff, and gotta tell
ya’—DAMN! Glad it
happened! You won a fan
for life at that show. I was
set up right in front of you
for photos and had a hard time shooting cuz all I wanted to do was jam and head-bang along with your stuff.
Your energy was totally palpable. Has there been a time you fell across a band in a way you didn’t expect
to and became a huge fan of instantly? Someone that just took you--and blew your mind? If so, whom?
Mike: Thank you very much and so glad you dug the show! We definitely give it our all up there on stage
and have a blast doing so! Sure, that happened at the first Metal show I ever attended when I was maybe
fourteen--SLAYER, at LAMOURS in Brooklyn. MEGADETH opened up and blew me away--fan for life!
ION: You’ve been quoted that you’re an amalgam of styles, influenced by LES PAUL as a youngster, to
AKIRA TAKASAKI--the phenom from LOUDNESS-- and many others in between. Which guitarist(s) are you
currently blown away by? Is it a long-time fave that you can’t get enough of, or someone new on the scene?
Mike: I like so many different players, it's hard to just pin point one or two. I'll always go back and crank out
the classics like RHOADS, LES PAUL, EVH and LOUDNESS…AKIRA rocks! I really enjoyed listening to
SYNYSTER and ZACKY in A7X, on the last tour we did with them. They were killing it. I like ALEXI LAIHO
as well from CHILDREN OF BODOM. So many great players out there, too many to list.