RUTHLESS

Anybody who knows me knows I have an affinity for 80’s metal and thrash and the band RUTHLESS checks all those boxes. Their new record “The Fallen,” which is out now by the way, is a killer record which’ll rip your head off and go bowling with it. I recently had the opportunity to interview founder and vocalist Sammy DeJohn. This is what we talked about:

WORMWOOD CHRONICLES: Let's go all the way back to the beginning. If I'm not mistaken, RUTHLESS formed in '82 and released an EP in '84 and a debut full length in '86. Take me into the origins of RUTHLESS. Who put it together and why?

SAMMY DEJOHN: Yes, “Metal Without Mercy” was released in 1984 & “Discipline Of Steel” was released in 1986. Well Ken McGee and I had been jamming together on and off since 1979 and decided to put another band together.  

I put out some ads in a local paper called the “Recycler” in the musicians wanted section and I got a call from a bass player named Jack Blum (Jack Black). So, he came down and at that time we had a drummer we were going to let go – he wasn't very good – so we hung onto him just to try out Jack.

After letting him go I put out another ad looking for a drummer & lead player. Todd Billings (Drummer) And Rollen Schroeder (Lead Guitar Player) answered. So, they showed up and we all thought the fit was perfect, so I guess you can say we all put the band together and RUTHLESS was born!!!

WC: Who was doing the writing and the music back then?

SD: I've always written most of the lyrics. McGee came up with some of the songs but as far as the bulk of the music on the first album ,that was Rollen Schroeder, he was a great song writer and guitar player!!! On the second album it was me, Steve Yeager (Steve Tzz) & Bryant Scott, we wrote most of it. Jack and I wrote a song called “The Message,” and McGee wrote the music to a couple of the songs!!

 WC: You had to have played with everyone back then. METALLICA, ARMORED SAINT, W.A.S.P., etc. when everyone was just starting out. What were some of the most memorable shows, and why do they stand out to you?

SD: Yeah, it was a fun scene back then, you could go out any night of the week and see a show and we played with almost everyone back then. There was so many shows that I could bring up, but I would say the main one that stands out to me would be when we did a show in a venue in Anaheim, CA called “Radio City.” It was RUTHLESS & STRYPER. They billed it as Heaven and Hell Night. 

The place was overflowing, there was a line down around the corner. We used to use fake blood back then (or maybe it wasn't, huh?). Anyway, we were getting little bibles thrown at us so halfway through the show, Rollen used to wear a jacket with a hood on it, so he said, “fill up the hood with the blood.” 

We're getting ready to play the song “Mass Killer,” and I always spit out blood when I scream in the beginning of the song. We had a lot of RUTHLESS fans up front, and they knew what was coming so they stepped back and there were three girls with white dresses on. We’ve got STRYPER fans yelling out to us and throwing little Bibles at us, so the song starts, and I scream spitting blood all over them, then pulled up Rollen's hood.  He wiped his head and flung blood all over those nice white dresses! I was laughing so hard I almost couldn't sing!!! 

 WC: Were any of those up-and-coming bands who got big - like MTV big - jerks to you guys back then? I'm sure it's ok to name a few names now!

SD: Well, there were bands we just couldn't play with and bands we wouldn't play with. We were heavier than the glam bands, let's just say we didn't like each other!!! We mostly played with thrash bands, those guys were cool with us and we’re still friends with a lot of those guys today.

 WC: I will say this. On your new record “The Fallen” you sound great, and the band is in top form. What's kept you in the game this long still sounding tight with a vicious edge? A lot of your peers from back in the day have either split up or sound, shall we say, worn out.

SD: Thank you, yes, my friend, “The Fallen” is a fantastic album we're very proud of it. We just love to play it and want to give the fans what they deserve. It's because of them we are still here, so we thank all the RUTHLESS fans for sticking with us all of these years, they're the greatest!

WC: Before we move further, RUTHLESS split from 1988 to 2008. Did you disband or go on hiatus and what were the factors that played into this?

SD: Well, I had gotten tired with the direction Ken McGee & Jack Black wanted to go. In fact, I was looking for something else, I wanted something heavier while McGee and Black wanted to go more towards glam, that wasn't for me, so I guess you could say the parting was mutual between us.

They really didn't do much, but I know Jack went and played with Ken's brother Marc's band. I put together a couple of thrash bands, put out an EP with one of them. In 2002 McGee and I started talking again, and between us and my good friend guitar player John Toscano, we put together the band SCARRED, which John is still in today.

 WC: What got the band back together again in 2008?

SD: Very simple... I was playing with my great friend Jimmy Durkin (DARK ANGEL) and we put together a band called BLOOD ALLIANCE with some of our brothers Karlos Medina (EVIL DEAD), Rick Alsup (DREAMS OF DAMNATION), and Fabricio Ravelli (HIRAX). We did a 4 song EP which we never put out and unfortunately never played live either, but it would’ve been a great thrash band had it continued.

I got a message from Oliver, the promoter for Keep It True Festival & many others. He asked if the original lineup of RUTHLESS could get back together and play the his fest, so I talked to Ken McGee and Jack Black but we couldn't find the other guys, Rollen or Todd, so  I asked Jimmy Durkin if he wanted to do it and we got our last drummer from the 80's, Bob Guitreu, Oliver agreed to it and this lineup stayed together for 2 years.

WC: Whatever happened to that second album that was due to be released in '89?

SD: Well, as for the album in ’89, we were done with each other at the time. I wanted to go heavier, more thrash oriented, and Ken & Jack didn't so it was never finished, with the song writing, because we couldn't agree.

WC: From a creative standpoint, regarding lyrics for your most recent record, “The Fallen,'” are you pulling inspiration from modern pop culture (books, TV, music, movies, etc.) or news / history?

SD: I write about a range of things. Horror movies are one of my biggest influences, I love history, especially history of ancient warriors & battles, and yes, some of the things that are going on in the world today that I think need to change.

WC: Is there a forthcoming RUTHLESS tour in the works for 2024?

SD: November & December in Europe of this year. This is being put together and I can't say exactly when or where yet, so stay tuned, news is coming soon.

 WC: In fact, what does RUTHLESS have in store for the rest of 2024 and into 2025. Are you planning for the next record, festival appearances scheduled, what's on tap?

SD: We are talking with a couple of festivals for 2025 Europe and South America and getting back into the studio sometime in 2025. We have many things in-store…

RUTHLESS