20 questions with Rob Caggiano (2012)

This great conversation was conducted with current Volbeat / former Anthrax lead guitarist Rob Cagganiano right after the release of Anthrax's latest studio effort, Worship Music. 

1. Let's start with your early days! Do you remember when did you picked up the guitar first?

I got my first guitar when I was about 5 years old. It was a little red acoustic and I fell in love with it immediately! I actually started singing and playing very soon after that. I must have been 6 years old at that time. My dad would take me around to different family parties etc... and I would bang on this little acoustic and sing Dion and The Belmonts songs! ;-)

2. Who were your biggest guitar heroes in your teens?

Well I started taking the guitar very seriously after my mom got me AC/DC's Back in Black album at the local flea market (Yonker's Raceway). They had a really cool record/vinyl vendor there and it was all heavy metal and hard rock records. Anyway I was mesmerized by Angus Young's guitar playing after the first listen and also the overall sound of that album...It just sounds HUGE! I think a week or so later, at the same flea market, I picked up Van Halen 1. That pretty much sealed my fate! Haha To this day Eddie and Angus are my two biggest guitar heroes. In fact, I'm gonna see Van Halen tonight at Madison Square Garden!!! 

3. What was the first song you were able to play in its entirely?

The first song I learned to play on the guitar in it's entirety was Yesterday by the Beatles. The second song was Jumping Jack Flash by The Rolling Stones.

4. Did your parents support your musical plans?

Yes my parents are amazing. They have always been incredibly supportive of my love for music and the guitar. My dad is actually obsessed with music himself so I grew up with a lot of different music in the house. I think that really helped shape who I am today as a musician.

5. Which was your first professional band?

My first professional band was called Boiler Room from Brooklyn NY. We got a nice record deal in the late 90's, toured the world and broke up immediately after that! Haha

6. Do you remember the audition for the Anthrax gig? How did you get in touch with the guys?

Well we always had a lot of the same friends. The NYC music circle is actually very small. In fact Anthrax's current booking agent Mike Monterulo was sort of managing my first band back then. Anyway, I've always been a huge Anthrax fan and I definitely made that fact known to those guys! One thing lead to another and here we are. The first time we got  together and jammed was a bit surreal for me but I think it felt really good and the "vibe" was there. I was nervous for sure though.

7. Scott is undoubtedly one of metal's greatest rhythm players. In the beginning was it challenging for you to play with him side by side?

Scott is definitely an amazing rhythm player and he was always an influence on my playing. Listening to guys like Scott Ian and James Hetfield as a kid really shaped the way I approach the instrument. It's in my blood to play this style on the guitar. I think Scott and I locked in together right off the bat. When I listen back to some of our shows I'm always amazed at how tight we are together. Especially considering the fact that Anthrax is definitely not one of those bands that spends time in the rehearsal room. When I first joined the band, I think the weirdest thing was actually just looking over to that side of the stage and seeing Scott Ian standing there rocking out! That wore off pretty quickly though. Now I'm in 2 bands with the guy! lol 

8. How do you guys usually share guitar duties in the studio? Do you play all the leads while Scott lays down the rhythm tracks?

Well Scott usually handles most of the rhythm parts but there are times when I'll play sections etc... or double what he's doing to beef things up a bit. I'll play some rhythm stuff on choruses a lot of times to beef up what's already there and create a nice dynamic. I like when choruses get "bigger" usually. As far as the solos go, I play all that stuff as well the "color" overdub guitars in spots. Charlie actually played some cool texture guitar overdubs on the new record as well.

9. The solo of Safe Home is killer, one of your best! Do you remember how did you work this out?

Thats a funny story actually. Originally Charlie was going to play that solo and he just wanted me to record it and coach him through it. Well after a while we both just weren't feeling it for whatever reason. I don't remember exactly how it went down but I think I just picked up the guitar to show him an example of how I would approach the solo and after I played it once, Charlie looked at me and said..."That's the solo!". And I said "Really? Well it's a good thing I hit the record button then!" Haha

10. Initially how did you start the reworking of old material on The Greater Of Two Evils? How much did you pay attention to the original guitar parts? (I tell you the truth, guitar-wise these versions are much better for me than the original recordings.)

Well thank you for the compliment! To be honest I never fully understood why we did that record. For me those old recordings are classics. They are very much perfect as they are and I never really saw the point in re-recording those tunes. I think John Bush felt the same way at the time. It ended up being a really cool thing in the long run and it was lots of fun but a bit confusing at the same time. Anyway we invited a small group of people from our fan club to Avatar Studios in NYC to watch us jam those songs live. What ended up on the album was very much that performance with a few minor fixes here and there. I think the main reason why I played some of those guitar solos different on that album was simply to try put my own stamp on it. I know John definitely sang things a bit different as well for the same reason. I just felt that if we were going to play the old songs note for note the way they were....what the hell would be the point??

11. How do you see, what are your strengths when it comes to soloing? Any techniques you should be better in your opinion?

I think my main focus and and what I strive for with every solo I play is to actually "say something" with it. I like solos that are memorable and exciting but also played from the heart. If I can listen back to one of my solos and remember it when the song is done then I know I've succeeded with my own personal goal. At that point I can only hope the fans like it and hear it the same way I do. There are so many guitar players out there that practice 25 hours a day and can play a million miles an hour but so what? A lot of times when guys like that play solos within the framework of a song it just ends up sounding like exercises because they're far more concerned with technique than substance. Anyone can learn to play all the scary guitar techniques in the world if they're willing to spend the time to practice like that. That's really all it takes but to me there is no magic that at all. Listen to AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie" from their live album If You Want Blood....You Got It. To me that's what playing solos is all about! Listen to David Gilmour on "Comfortably Numb". You can't learn that stuff! It's a feeling. It's an emotion that comes from the heart and exits through the fingers. That's magic!

12. As a long time ESP endorsee, which models do you prefer and why?

Well for the longest time my favorite guitar was actually the first guitar that ESP sent me back in 96. It's an old purple Horizon made of swamp-ash. I've acquired a ton of ESP guitars over the years and they're all great but this guitar is special. It just feels amazing and sounds great. I actually have a brand new ESP Rob Caggiano Signature guitar that just came out a few weeks ago at the NAMM show and it's very much based on my original old Horizon but also tweaked out a bit with some very specific things. It's an awesome guitar! It's also fitted with my new Dimarzio Signature pickup called "The Thunderer". This thing screams! I didn't think it was possible but this new guitar sounds and plays better than my original.

13. Which do you like more, Floyd Rose whammy equipped guitars or models with TonePros fixed bridge?

I used to play Floyd Rose fitted guitars a lot years ago but for the past 10 years or so it's been strictly fixed bridges for me. I like the way they sound better and I like the consistency.



14. Pickup-wise, you're a DiMarzio guy. Which particular models do you favor the most?

I've been playing Dimarzio pickups for as long as I can remember. I think they make the best pickups hands down! I used the Tone Zone for my bridge pick for many years. As I said earlier, I have a new signature pickup called "The Thunderer" and it's somewhat based on the Tone Zone. I worked closely with Steve Blucher on this thing and I couldn't be more happy. It really does scream! Steve's a total genius man, that guy really knows what he's doing with this stuff and he really understands "tone". He basically listened to my nonsensical ramblings about what I wanted and he made perfect sense out of it and delivered! Haha The thing I like most about the Dimarzio stuff is the fact that you can always here the "wood" of the guitar, if you know what I mean. Basically if you have a great instrument already, Dimarzio pickups will take that to the next level and really make it sing. I've also had some long talks with Larry Dimarzio in recent times as well and I just really love his philosophy and the philosophy of the company. Larry rules! These guys definitely get it.

15. What string gauge do you use on your guitars?

I use D'addario 10-52's.

16. As far as amps, which way works better for you, the use of a high gain monster or a vintage stuff boosted with an overdrive pedal?

In the studio I use all different kinds of set ups but live I tend to go for a high gain amp. I only use Boost/Overdrive pedals when I solo.

17. How is your current stage setup? Do you use stompbox effects under your feet?

I do uses some stomp boxes but my set up is very minimalistic. Here it is:

1. Boss Tuner Pedal

2. Cry Baby Classic Wah

3. RockBox "Boiling Point" ...overdrive/boost. 

4. Death By Audio "Interstellar Overdrive Supreme"

5. MXR SmartGate

6. MXR EVH Phase 90

7. MXR Micro Chorus

8. Boss DD-5

Everything is controlled by a Musicom Lab EFX MKII which is basically a loop switcher. It rules!

18. As a producer, you did an awesome job on Worship Music, the record rips! When did you explore your senses to production works and which other producers do you respect the most?

Thanks man! I've been producing records for a long time now and I've always been enamored with the recording studio and the whole process of making records. I love working with different artists and I love pushing myself with each record as well. I'm not one of these producers that keeps making the same record over and over again. I hate formulas and I hate to repeat myself. I also feel that every band and every record is unique. No two records should ever sound alike in my opinion but the "sound" of the band/artist should be present at all times. There are a lot of great producers out there and of course that means that there are lots of crappy ones out there too! My favorite record producers right now are Paul Epworth (Adele, Florence and The Machine), Jackknife Lee (Bloc Party, U2), Gotye (self produced artist), Christopher Jon of I'Parasite (self produced artist), James Blake (self produced artist), Justice (self produced artist). Of course there are more out there but these are first few that came to mind. These guys are really pushing the envelope creatively and sonically. My favorite 2 producers of all time would have to be Jimmy Page and Mutt Lange. Anyway, I'm very proud of Worship Music because I know all the hurdles Anthrax had to clear in order to finally finish this record. It's a special record for all of us in that sense and it's a really great feeling that the fans seem to dig it as well. I'm relieved!

19. What moment of Worship Music are you the most proud of?

It's kind of hard to say actually. I'm proud of the entire album. I'm proud of the songs, the performances, the sounds we got and the overall vibe of the album. 

20. As far as The Damned Things, who's got the weird idea first to join forces with members of Fall Out Boy? What will the future brings for this band?

The Damned Things started as a group of friends just getting together to make some fun music. I think we all had blast doing so as well. The album "Ironiclast" came out on Island records and we toured the world soon after. Right now it's on hold because Scott and I doing Anthrax full time but it was great fun and musically very different to everything else I had going on at the time. I really hope we all get a chance to do it again at some point soon. As far as getting together with the guys from Fall Out Boy.....I guess it looks weird on paper but to be honest, it's not weird at all from my perspective. Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley are very into heavy music and they always have been. I'm also influenced by a very wide range of different music as well. Same for Scott and Keith Buckley. When we got together to write the album it really clicked on many levels. If it didn't click then we definitely wouldn't have done it. I'm proud of that record as well because it was very challenging to write/record/produce an album with a line up like that and make it stand on it's own. The record needed to be unique and it needed to be far removed from what Anthrax, Fall Out Boy and Everytime I Die is musically and sonically. I think we succeeded in doing so and for that... I'm proud. 

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