The Wake

Recently I had the opportunity to speak with Neil Kernon. For those not aware of Neil’s work, he is one of the most talented producers around. In the seventies he worked with jazz fusion bands such as Brand X. In the ‘80s he worked with a wide range of artists, including Dokken, Hall & Oates, Queensrÿche and Kansas. At this point in time Neil produces a great deal of extreme metal, such as Cannibal Corpse, Macabre and Skinless. His productions have been nominated for several Grammy’s and has produced a Grammy winner.

Do any particular moments stand out as your proudest as a producer?
I don’t know if I have any really. I never really set out to be a producer. I just wanted to be involved in music. I kind of gravitated to this end of the business as I realized I was better at getting a performance out of others than pushing myself as musician. On an artistic level, Queensrÿche’s Rage For Order is one of my proudest moments. Every single thing we tried seemed to work. There was a great chemistry between the band and I. We were on the same page, so recording went as a whirlwind. Flotsam & Jetsam’s Cuatro was similar. Now, for hard work as far as production and as an engineer goes, I would have to say the two Cannibal Corpse albums. They took a lot of work because it’s very complex music. Particularly if you listen to how tightly the guitars and bass are played. I’m a fan of complex music so these were certainly an accomplishment. I really feel we captured some great moments.

I am curious, I know in the early eighties you worked with Hall & Oates… How did you arrive to work with extreme metal acts like Usurper and Cannibal Corpse?
People actually ask me this all the time. Hall & Oates was twenty-four years ago, so people tend to presume that is when I started. That’s a misconception. When I started popular was, as I view it, pretty extreme. It was the beginning of jazz fusion. I had gone straight out of high school to the studio, and jazz fusion was something that I was completely into as a guitarist. The real aberration, as I see it, is not working with Hall & Oates then and Macabre now, but working with Hall & Oates. What I am doing now is heavier but as early in my career still very complex stuff, as you can hear in the Cannibal Corpse albums.

Are there any real disappointments you’ve had as a producer?
Once I didn’t finish a project as there was pretty much a total creative halt. This was the first Lynch Mob album. The new singer as it turned out, on the demos, was in a chemically altered state. But as a result of a couple of DUIs, he was unable to partake in that sort of entertainment. Without his chemical high, he wasn’t able to sing like on the demos and the vocals came out flat and boring. It was really heartrending to not be able to get a performance out of him and to decide to walk away.

Are there any particular artists that you wish you could work with?
Not any around today in particular. In the mid ‘80s, when I was working with some high profile artists, there were a few. I’ve always wished I could have worked with Queen again [Neil has done so in an assistant engineer and mixing capacity]. I also would have loved to have worked with Bowie; I did twice as an assistant engineer. I don’t say that working with Bowie is something that I’d want to do now, not really on the edge enough anymore. Joni Mitchell is another. I’m a huge fan of Joni Mitchell; I have every album she’s done. Ministry was a band I would have liked to work with, but that sort of mystique has worn off. I actually receive so many demos that I cannot possibly work with all the bands that might like to work with me. I am in a really good situation because I can aggressively pursue bands that I want to work with; I can sort of pick and choose the projects I get involved with.

Readers can check out more about Neil Kernon at his website at www.auslander.net. I highly recommend, whatever your taste, you find a few of Neil’s productions, because you will be able to appreciate one of the professions best.