D.O.A. Ask For Rock

11/10/08 4:14pm

by Keith Carman (CHARTattack)

Famed producer Bob Rock (Metallica, Motley Crue) recently said the reason he'd never worked with fellow Vancouver natives and punk originators D.O.A. is simply because they never asked him to. Or so says singer/guitarist Joe "Shithead" Keithley.

"Someone asked him that one day: 'How come you've never worked with D.O.A.?' and that's what he said," Keithley admits sheepishly.

"He's an old friend from 1978. He assisted on the first two D.O.A. singles. We used to go into an old studio at midnight and Bob was just starting to learn what he was doing back then, but we've never worked together since. It's a pretty straightforward idea, but I'd really never thought of it before."

Thankfully, Keithley eventually came around and called Rock. With the ice broken, the collaboration has resulted in one of D.O.A.'s most stunning efforts, Northern Avenger. The album is the band's 12th studio album and 30th anniversary affair, and it finds Shithead and crew (drummer James Hayden and bassist Randy Rampage, who recorded the album but has since been replaced by Dan Yaremko) at their finest. It's raging, wily and domineering, and tracks like "Golden State," "Human Bomb" and "Devil's Speedway" are more than just reminiscent of songs from seminal efforts Something Better Change and Hardcore '81. They're the real deal.

"I guess we've done something right," Keithley says of the high praise. "Everything went really fast with the record.

"We kept it sounding fresh and didn't overanalyze, but we did do some creative editing on the spot. D.O.A.'s known for short songs and sometimes the guys would say, 'Hey, that's kinda long for a punk rock song.' 'But listen to this riff, it's gotta go a few more times.' Eventually though, we worked it out and I think the results are strong."

It's not just Rock's influence that makes Northern Avenger such a formidable effort. As Keithley notes, the album is still replete with his socio-political outlook and addresses issues like police brutality, governmental concerns and personal woes.

"A good producer works to your strengths, and he just pulled that out of us. The timing was right for everything: the songs, the mood, the style, the production and the times that we're in, since they're fucked up and unsettled. As with any other D.O.A. album, we just see what's wrong in the world and try to set it right. The title wraps it together. This time it just worked out really well."

Celebrate D.O.A.'s 30th anniversary at these shows:

Nov. 13 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
Nov. 14 Ottawa, ON @ Mavericks
Nov. 15 Niagara Falls, ON @ Victoria Inn