The Metal Crypt - Brocas Helm Interview

Interviews

Interview with bassist Jim Schumacher
Interview conducted by Luxi Lahtinen

Date online: August 13, 2024

Thanks to Ville Skinnari for setting up the interview.

Brocas Helm (born from the ashes of a band named Prisoner), formed in San Francisco, California, in 1982 and is one of the more obscure and lesser-known true US metal bands. They have uncompromisingly followed their own path and done what feels good to them, without caring about what's popular, trendy, or hyped in the metal scene. The band released two albums, Into Battle and its follow-up, Black Death, in the eighties, both enjoying a spot in the limelight among the devoted metal audience, and in a way they have become a classic metal act that enjoys a strong cult status.

The band's massively delayed third album, Defender of the Crown, was released in 2004, and also received a very good response in the heavy metal community worldwide.

Brocas Helm played in Finland for the first time in 2011 and in 2024 they were booked for two shows in this country full of drunken metal maniacs at the end of July, but only bassist Jim Schumacher showed up for the two gigs. The Metal Crypt met Jim in Lahti, Finland, on July 26, 2024, and managed to sit down with him for a brief talk.

The main question of mystery is what happened to the rest of the band? Let Jim explain why only 1/3 of the band's line-up arrived in Finland...

Hey, welcome to Finland! As far as I know, your first ever gig in Finland took place at a venue called Semifinal in Helsinki, at the end of January 2011. How was that as an experience?

Jim: Yes. Much colder last time. I remember the snow, watching people slide around in the ice. The show itself, I do not remember much.

That show happened in the middle of a tour when we were going from town to town. We did Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark. I'll tell you about Sweden; Sweden was the most expensive place we've ever been. Was it an oil boom there? All the prices were just sky high.

I heard that unfortunately both Bob and Jack won't be here in Finland tonight. What happened to them?

Jim: I'll apologize for the band, but 24 hours before the plane took off, I got a call from Jack saying he couldn't go. Then Bob decided he wouldn't go if Jack wasn't going, but I felt that somebody should come and represent the honor of the band, so I came.

Sorry to be so curious but had this something to do with health-related issues with Jack?

Jim: Yes. In fact, I don't even know what's wrong with him.

ONE-OF-A-KIND SHOW

But gladly, you got substitutes Finnish musicians from Chevalier, Iron Griffin and Emissary, who will perform a full Brocas Helm set tonight with you...

Jim: Yes, it'll be a one-of-a-kind show. Nobody else has ever played with Brocas Helm.

Did the guys have enough time to learn to play a full set of Brocas Helm songs on such a short notice?

Jim: Some of them. We did some songs, and I have to say they sound a lot better today. They said they were sober yesterday, so I think they're playing a little bit better when they're drinking.

Haha, so they claim at least, having their poker faces on. ;o) Based on that fact it's only 1/3 of Brocas Helm will be onstage tonight, what kind of set can the audience expect?

Jim: I think it's only 9 or 10 songs that we'll play tonight. The singer chose the songs, "I want to do this song, that song, and this song," and then we just filled around that, so whoever was singing picked their favorite songs. If there's a song you didn't hear, it's because nobody wanted to sing it.

I think they're going to be happy about it. I mean, we're not all here, but it's better than "They're not here." It actually sounds pretty good. But anyway, we'll see tonight if they still like us.

I didn't know the others weren't coming until a couple of days ago, so I called and then put it together and said, "Okay, let's do these songs." We played a little bit yesterday, and today we played a little bit, and it sounds pretty good.

The Finnish musicians went to a rehearsal place where they tried to make those songs sound right, the Brocas Helm way right?

Jim: Yes. Some of the guys were there, but some of the guys playing tonight weren't there at all.

Are you coming to the show tomorrow?

To Jyväskylä? Sorry, but I think it'd be too much traveling for me to get there.

Jim: Tomorrow's show will be better. We'll have one more rehearsal left.

STAYING TRUE TO FORM

Brocas Helm is considered one of the classic US heavy metal bands among people who have always stayed true to form. What's your take on that anyway?

Jim: Well, you have to be true to what you do. Do what's right, do what you're good at, and stick to it.

Kind of follow your own heart and don't listen to anyone: just do your thing what feels right for you to do...

Jim: Yes, exactly. You know, in the early days, they said, "Oh, you have to wear spandex. You have to flop your hair out." We said, "No, fuck you. We do it our way."

What goals did you set for the band when you started out in 1982? Were you even fantasizing about recording a proper demo back in those days?

Jim: We weren't even really thinking about a demo at the time. When I started, I thought, "I want to be as big as Motörhead." That's about how big. I don't want to be a huge act, I want to be Motörhead size.

So, Lemmy & co. were your inspirations back in the day.

Jim: Yes. I met him several times, he's the nicest fucker you ever met.

But Brocas Helm never shared the stage with Motörhead?

Jim: I haven't played with them, no. It's sad, but true. [*chuckles*] We weren't big enough to open for them, I guess.

ALBUM NO. 1. - INTO BATTLE

What can you remember from when you were composing songs for your classic debut album, Into Battle, which was originally released on the small US label Fire Strike Records, in 1984? Were you thinking, "this album had better be killer, or otherwise, we won't record it," or something along those lines...

Jim: No, we were just, "Here, do you like it? Good. If you don't, fuck you." That's it. The first album is over half my stuff, maybe two thirds. The second album was mostly Bob. The third was more of a split.

Would you say that recording the first album was a challenge for you guys?

Jim: The first album was actually the easiest to record. The later albums took too much time, too much messing around in the studio. The last one, my parts were done like two or three years before it came out. I was done recording the bass.

How did your deal with First Strike Records come about?

Jim: They just came and looked for us. I used to work at the record vault and they contacted me there, and it was not a good deal for us. I didn't like the way they messed with the sound, they messed with the cover, so it was just instant dislike after that.

I also remember reading that the album was released with a cover that didn't have your approval. I bet you were pissed off when the label guy completely ignored your own original ideas about the album cover at that time, correct?

Jim: Sure thing, we were pissed off. They didn't even tell us. They released it, and we said, "What the fuck?"

Did you try to settle this unfortunate situation afterwards when the album was already out there?

Jim: It's why we've never done anything with anybody else since. We've licensed it, we do all our own stuff, we record it, and then we license it to people to sell.

ALBUM NO. 2. - BLACK DEATH

What about your second album, Black Death, that came out four years later in 1988? I bet you knew exactly how this follow-up album was going to sound, am I right?

Jim: You could say so, yes. We wanted to sound different on that album. At that point, we wanted to push a little harder, to record an even more powerful-sounding album.

I remember reading quite a few raving reviews in underground magazines back then, when there was no Internet, of course. How much did you follow the magazines that featured Brocas Helm in the mid-late eighties?

Jim: Well, I'd search and see my picture in some of them, yes. I worked at the record vault, like I said, so I'd go through the magazines and find my picture in them, which was fun, and I'd send them to my mother.

ALBUM NO. 3. - DEFENDER OF THE CROWN

Then, your third album, Defender of the Crown, came out in 2004, 16 years after the Black Death album, and it was very much liked by the fans. Why did it take so much time to get it released?

Jim: Yes, it was released late as hell. I won't say names, but it was in the studio, and somebody kept over trying to mix it for years.

How was it recording it altogether?

Jim: Like I said, it was quick. I was done in like two weeks maybe, and then waited forever for it to come out. [*laughs*]

How happy are you personally with that one?

Jim: Well, there's some good stuff on every album. There are a few songs that I would take off, probably, but most of it's good.

Were you happy with all the feedback that you received based on that record?

Jim: It was all right. I mean, we should have had five or six albums out by now, but it didn't happen, it's not going to happen.

NO MORE BROCAS HELM ALBUMS?

Curiosity may kill the cat, but can I ask how much new material you have for your next album?

Jim: I'm pretty sure there is no next album.

Oh... really?

Jim: Yes.

Are you truly 100% definite there's not going to be the next album?

Jim: I'll give you a 99% on that, especially after this.

Okay, sorry for pushing you a little bit now, but is there still a tiny amount of hope left for the new Brocas Helm album that it might see the light of day at some point in the future?

Jim: Sorry to disappoint you, but just very little hope. I have half an album written, but I'm probably going to do that with a new band. It will sound a little bit heavier, I think.

Alright then. In a way, that's kind of sad to hear there won't be a new Brocas Helm album.

Jim: Yes, I know. I can tell you that I'm not happy that they're not here, you know? My father taught me when I was a kid how to tune a bass. He said, "Don't turn the bass up on the amp, let your bass do it." And he said, "If you book a show, you play the show no matter what, sick, or dead, whatever."

Your father had some words of wisdom I see. Brocas Helm have played at quite a few festivals over the years, like at the Legions of Metal Festival in Chicago, Illinois both in 2017 and 2021, Up the Hammers in Greece in 2019, Old Grave Fest in Bulgaria last year and so on. As far as I have understood, there's been more demand for the band to play at the festivals than you could possibly do, so would you say you are kind of overwhelmed by the fact the band's name is still so, let' say, "hot" among the festival organizers around the world?

Jim: Yes, I am. However, we do not have that many festival shows in the States. We did Texas and we did Chicago, New York, but almost nothing in the States. Only two or three. Mostly, we are over here. We're scheduled for a Keep It True warm-up show next year and possibly, we're being approached for a show in Spain, and one in France, but nothing permanent on those. As I said, I don't know what the state of the band is right now.

Understood. I hear you.

Well, that's all from part I had in mind for this pleasant chat with you, Jim, so I for one, want sincerely to thank you for time for making this interview happen and wishing all the best for your show tonight, too.

Jim: Thank you.

Other information about Brocas Helm on this site

Review: Defender of the Crown

Review: Into Battle!