#Borgo Pass #heavy metal #sludge metal #hard rock #doom metal #retro-1970s #music video
An Interview with Borgo Pass
You five have been playing for a long time, since the 90’s right?
Tommy: You are correct. We’ve outlasted most marriages, and we’re catching up to the Rolling Stones.
Joe: Borgo Pass actually started as a Black Sabbath cover band in the 90’s. After several lineup changes and two CDs, this lineup of Borgo released our first CD in 2001. We’ve been going strong ever since.
Bet there have been a lot of ups and downs during the last couple decades. How have you managed to hang tight as a band?
Jimmy: We are all great friends, adults and respect the fact that we have created a Frankenstein that has stood the test of time. We still have fun and play a lot of relevant shows with the occasional national opening slot. It kinda never is a chore.
Paul: Ups and downs definitely sums up the past 20 plus years of Borgo Pass! I prefer to remember the ups, but it’s hard not to remember the downs. The disappointments and mistakes have been learning lessons and we have become a stronger band because of it. I believe that we have survived all of these years because of our love and respect for each other and our universal love of writing, playing and performing music. We literally have music in our veins and bleed Borgo Pass!
Tommy: Hell yea that’s just life in itself, but the ups most definitely outweigh the downs.
You state that Black Sabbath is one of your main influences. What do you think of the relatively recent revival of doom metal and stoner rock on a global scale?
Joe: Black Sabbath was the common denominator that brought the five of us together. We all have different influences, but Sabbath was the one band that we all agree had the strongest effect on us musically.
It’s refreshing to see the stoner-doom scene finally finding it’s place in the U.S. music scene. This scene was already catching on in Europe, but it’s past due to give these bands some recognition over here. In a small way, I kinda miss being able to check out, for example, Weedeater in a small club like CBGB and just chilling with 30 people enjoying the tunes. Now bands like Sleep are selling out every room they play!
With past festivals like the Stoner Hands Of Doom Fest, Emissions Fest, and now Eye Of The Stoned Goat and Psycho California, it’s great to finally see people coming in droves to hear some great bands! Just like Roadburn and DesertFest in Europe, people are supporting the U.S. scene like never before.
Jimmy: Black Sabbath for me is the battery of it all. it just doesn’t get more personal, original, or heavy. It’s almost like it’s magical, listening to Sabbath since I was a child. I think it’s a fresh revival of bands some really good and some trying too hard to play slow with a lack there of vocals and stage presence especially with the singers. That’s just me from what I have seen of the new breed of cadre. I mean, Ozzy was insane and the band looked as angry as a pitbull raging when they played. I like a newer band called Pallbearer from Arkansas, who have a great vibe and sound. I also still love DOWN and Corrosion of Conformity and Crowbar, as well, who have been carrying the baton for many years. I miss Type O Negative a lot.
Tommy: Black Sabbath is THE main reason we ever started this band, there are other reasons but Black Sabbath is number one! I’m happy to see a revival of doom and stoner rock, given all of the forced-fed crap that’s out there. It’s about time the people started thinking for themselves and actually enjoy real music with real emotion and raw feeling. I still like to listen to the heavy local acts.
What has been the biggest challenge in promoting Borgo Pass to new listeners in this brave new world of DIY marketing?
Jimmy: We have a unique, heavy sound with many elements. It’s been tough to sell it to the corporate establishment, as they want something cookie cutter. I call us very original and extremely marketable heavy music that could reach many different sub-genres of fans.
Tommy: God awful pop music is still our biggest enemy. That is our biggest challenge.
Speaking of the new listener, what song and album would you recommend a person start with if they want to get to know the band?
Jimmy: Our Deadwater album, starting with the first track: “Rotted Chain.”
Paul: If someone were to ask me what song or record of ours to listen to first, I would recommend listening to ‘Slightly Damaged’ (2002), our first recording with Jimmy on vocals and them listen to our following recordings, 'Nervosa’ (2005) and then 'Deadwater’ (2011) so that the listener can hear how we’ve grown and matured as song writers over the years.
From: https://doomedandstoned.com/post/119706967253/borgopass
