Written By: Barb Wire
Randy Weitzel’s been busy. REALLY busy. The In This Moment guitarist and the rest of the band may have been on hiatus from the road for the past few months, but that time has been spent doing everything but relaxing and being idle.
Known as the War Machine to his ever-growing legions of fans, Weitzel is determined to make himself known not just as a legendary heavy metal shredder, but as an accomplished, well-rounded musician in all types of music. And if that wasn’t enough to keep him on his toes, he is also a gifted painter and graphic artist, creating all types of art that are becoming increasingly in demand.
This time off from live shows with In This Moment has allowed Weitzel the luxury of expanding his musical repertoire and forming the innovative, fresh new band BLACKFALL.
Side Stage Magazine caught up with Weitzel during a break in recording sessions for BLACKFALL’s soon to be released 3 song EP. Fueled by his only vice – strong, hot coffee with lots of half and half, Weitzel spoke of all things music, art, and caffeine related.
When talking with Weitzel, it’s easy to get caught up in his passion for music. He’s clearly in love with the journey he is on with In This Moment, and is counting down the days until they hit the road again. The band has dates scheduled the whole way through the fall, including a headlining HellPop tour with HELLYEAH providing direct support, and the much anticipated “Return of the Dreads” tour as special guests of Rob Zombie and Korn. “We are stoked just to be on the road again meeting fans, seeing the country, and doing what we love. But there’s some major excitement about the Zombie/Korn tour. It’s really mind blowing that they reached out to include us on this tour, and I know it’s going to be huge!”
As In This Moment continues to lay out plans for a new album with producer Kevin Churko, Weitzel’s musical side projects BLACKFALL and Three Thirteen are picking up steam and showing another side of the dude known for his sick licks and scary makeup with the ITM camp.
Weitzel has been spending a huge part of his time lately with his 5 piece acoustic creation BLACKFALL. Born from social media connections and a continuation of partnerships from his old thrash days, BLACKFALL came together at a time when Weitzel knew he would be having a few months off from touring with ITM. Not one to sit and be bored, he picked up his 12 string acoustic, dusted off some old songs he had written from years ago, and set out to find some people to ‘just jam with.’ Little did he know at the time, but magic was being born. Partnering with long-time friends and Three Thirteen bandmates Steve Marshall also on 12 string guitar, and Elaina Marshall on bass, fate soon stepped in when Weitzel discovered vocalist Alexis Dunlap on Instagram.
“He saw some videos I posted of me singing in my bathroom and contacted me asking if I’d be interested in jamming with him and some friends one evening,” says Dunlap. “It turns out we had a lot of mutual friends, and I had a good feeling about it, so I said yes.” According to Weitzel, the connection was instant. “She came in and gave a voice to the music I could hear in my head. It was effortless and perfect; haunting and beautiful all at the same time. The energy and vibe was instant, and it was like she brought what I didn’t even know we were missing!”
The final missing link of the band was the addition of drummer/percussionist Kent Diimmel. Weitzel put out a post on social media loosely mentioning the need for a drummer. Kent reached out and again, the connection was instantaneous. When the 5 piece played together for the first time, it quickly became clear that they were meant for more than just jamming together. A new sound was swiftly created.
“It’s totally unique and it’s fresh and really vibey,” Dunlap tells us. “It’s all acoustic, but it takes you places. It’s beautiful, and special, and that’s not just me saying that to sell the idea of our band.” Weitzel agrees. “Yeah. We may be vibey, but it’s still kind of heavy and rocks. The first thing people tend to think of when they hear ‘acoustic’ is soft. But this is a really rocking project. Dark writing, jamming rhythm and guitars, and haunting lyrics. We are basically trying to describe a whole new sound. It’s exciting!”
As the band prepares to launch their 3 song EP “BLACKFALL Vol.1” they are also booking their first shows. Tuesday April 19th will see the debut of BLACKFALL live at the Rainbow Bar and Grill in Hollywood. Following that, the group is hosting An Evening with BLACKFALL on April 30th. A private, RSVP only event, the evening will showcase what Weitzel and the crew have created… not just some tunes, but a whole new vibe.
And as if the creation of a whole new band, and practically a whole new genre of music wasn’t enough to satisfy his creative needs, Weitzel is also about to drop an album with his rock and roll outfit Three Thirteen through a partnership with KBB records. Titled “Dawn of the Shred,” the thrashy feel of the album is something that harkens back to Weitzel and his bandmates’ roots. “Steve, Elaina, Jimmy (Schultz of Sunflower Dead) and I all come from old school metal backgrounds. It was fun just to get some inspiration from the olden days,” Weitzel laughs. When asked if Three Thirteen was planning to hit the road in support of the new album, he assured us that with In This Moment touring and BLACKFALL taking up a lot of his focus, he has to draw the line somewhere.
In addition to his stellar musical prowess, Weitzel is also an accomplished painter, and even has a new line of clothing and merchandise called Phantom Republic. He paints custom drumheads, has painted numerous canvases, including few 6ft x 4ft self portraits of his War Machine persona, and has even partnered with a sculptor friend to create devil hand statues sporting the War Machine design. His clothing line is slowly expanding to include t-shirts, tank tops, booty shorts, leggings, patches and many more things in the future.
“The Phantom Republic line is something I have always wanted to do. I love designing artwork that fits all the things I am interested in. Skulls, angels, demons – they are all things I like to wear, so I have a team now that’s making that a reality. I create the designs and they do the rest. It’s like a magical dream team!” You can shop the Phantom Republic Official ( phantomrepublicofficial.com ) store right now, and keep your eyes open as more merch is being added regularly.
It is easy to wonder how one person can be so motivated and creative. Weitzel attributes his success and drive to his sobriety and for never giving up on his dreams. “There were times I thought ‘Am I wasting me time here? It just seemed so hard to keep my head above water. But when I got help for my depression and anxiety, I was finally able to get completely sober, and that’s when my dreams started coming true and my career really started taking off.”
He acknowledges the stereotype of rock star life and living one big party on the road, but also realizes that those who really last in rock and roll take care of themselves… both physically and spiritually. He’s been extremely open about his struggles with anxiety and depression over the years, and hopes that by sharing his story, and how he overcame it, he can shine a light for others experiencing the same thing. “None of us are alone in this, and if I can help one person, then I am doing something right with my life.”
And doing something right, he truly is. Weitzel drains the last of his coffee, sets off to refill a seemingly endless cup, and create another piece of magic he will undoubtedly unleash on the world sometime soon. As his star continues to rise, Weitzel is someone worth watching no matter what your taste in music or art. It’s impossible not to be inspired by someone as passionate and upbeat about life, art… and of course coffee.
