Interview – Dominiek ‘Dompi’ Denolf – Spirit of Youth
When did you start playing guitar and what guitar and equipment did you start on?
Must have been 1989, I had a black kinda Fender strat copy. On a Boss sd-1 distortion pedal (wich I recently acquired again 😄) on a little combo, in my bedroom. My dad very fast picked up a Peavey Bandit 112 combo from a famous store in Tielt (music center) cause he was into music his whole life also.
– Which bands inspired you to start playing guitar and are there certain riffs or songs that specifically motivated you to start playing guitar?
Absolutely. I really picked up the guitar in function of starting to play hardcore. First trough skateboarding I got into contact with underground music, Suicidal Tendencies, Beasty boys, that quickly went over into hardcore music cause I met Hans from Rise Above. There I got to hear Youth of today (their song Honesty was the first riff I learned) and Cro mags age of quarrel, Minor threat! I first played on a bass guitar at his home, I will never forget what magic moment that was. Seeing those riffpattern’s. I just connected.
– When did you really feel your guitar playing and equipment got more professional and you thought: “Yes, this is the sound I really like!” ?
I dreamt of a Gibson Les Paul custom that was on the Side by Side 7”inch, but out of my League as 13 year old 😄 So I got a chance to buy the red Ibanez Roadstar that Edward did Rise Above with. So that became my guitar that started Spirit of youth. I was happy with that sound. We started rehearsing and gigs came fast, so I played on amps that stood on stage from other bands, older dudes ofcourse. When I check the photos amps like Hi watt, London city… where I plugged my Boss ds-1 in 😄 And it had a punk sound, maybe a little sharp when I hear this now on the tapes 😄
– Do these 2 go hand in hand or did it evolve differently for your playing and your equipment?
So I played what was available, for instance when we did our first recordings in Aalst recordingstudio, I had a Marshall valvestate combo. So being active in a band just provided me with cool gear, and my playing just flowed. So it evolved naturally together. Then my dad found a store at the coast that had an add for a Marshall halfstack 😄 This is the craziest point in my playing, and answers the previous question. This still blows my mind we went to pick up that roadworn Marshall super lead 100 watt MKII, with the 400 watt cab. Having that in my Bedroom, playing along Outspoken Survival 7” inch and such, I really felt like on the level off this bands I looked up too. That sound… I got a Ibanez s540 with tremolo,putted in an emg81, that a lot played in the scene from then on. I also got a Marshall guv’nor as distortion, so the pro level of sound came together.
– Do you recall using what kind of amps, guitars, pedals and pickups on the albums? If so, would you mind sharing them? (for example: for album X we used a EVH 5150 and Schecter Hellraiser with EMG 81 in the bridge with a TS9 as overdrive pedal with Mesa Boogie cabs with V30’s)
As for the SOY demo I already answered that. I’m picking up on the ’97 Spirit of youth releases. I bought a blue Gibson SG showcase edition
That became my trademark guitar and sound, this models had standard Emg 81s in them. As I always wanted a Mesa Boogie, the Dual rectifier was in my possession trough Tony from Midas Studios, that fixed that halfstack for recording our records. The Emg’s gave like a tubescreamer pedal effect on sound, so no pedals. They delivered a tight sound. The mesa cab had the standard speakers, at that time Nobody was focussing on speakers yet.
– I have always found that Spirit of Youth always had a u huge sound – very thick and professional sound in comparison with other bands from that era, was this only because of the gear or was the famous H8000 studio also part of that? And if so, why is that?.
That gear we evolved too, and also Midas Studios is a part of that proces, indeed brought a level of sound that was reached by looking up too Usa or swedish bands. Like for instance I played a mesa boogie rectifier before others got into that overhere. I was so busy with that sound scaping stuff.
But ofcourse Midas Studios looked up to producers of famous metal albums, and integrated that into our sound.
Our second guitarplayer always played a hotrodded Marshall jcm 900, and for me Marshall is a must to incorporate in the sound, it has like the dirt that makes it come alive. The screaming highs, and the crunchyness. That usa/brit sound mixed up very well. Makes it bigger. But putting overdrive on the bass tracks really made the Colors that bleed album sound hefty. Something we picked up listening to the Biohazard state of the world adress album, in the studio. – Any cool anecdotes on shows/festivals and your or others’ gear? 🙂
So many 😄 like on tour with 25 ta life we couldn’t play Dynamo open Air, just them, but they used our backline on the month an a half tour trough Europe. So when they finished I wanted to have my mesa boogie triple rectifier back safe in the bus, but I didn’t have access directly, I walked like forever in that festival to find the exit with that triple rectifier 😂 and people watching.
Or when we played Dour festival with Slayer on the bill, and I had backstage acces, omg I was totally checking out his double Marshall rig on stage, KK, before the concert.
An important moment also when Adam D Killswitch engage, I could ask what pedal he used for his sound, the maxon od808, it was the beginning of the metalcore erra (2005) , and the V30 speakers, so for my 3th band Blood Redemption that helped with that sound. And the Esp guitars that were starting to be used in the scene.
So my first Esp guitar encounter was also something special, we really had to search to find models in the stores, and I got my hands on the Kirk Hemmet Eclipse with the spider web on it. We wanted to re record my tracks with it, but I had problems down tuning it to D, eventually I heard it on my Marshall split channel and it was really a high mid sound I wasn’t use too, very metal.
– I see you have evolved over the years with gear? Is it true people get wiser when they get older or is it something else? Less gain? What is your opinion on this and what do you prefer in your current setup?
Well personally for the mesa Rectifier it needs a certain amount of gain where it brings that fat sound. So everything on my part was with a good crunchy distortion. Guitars that ring endlessly and feedback that made records, like Inside out No spiritual surrender is a record where Vic Dicara just brought in these crazy atmosphere, of threatening feedback, it can do so much to build up tension, I used that a lot on our records.
– Did you ever use a overdrive pedal in front of your amps? or do you just plug directly into your amp? (the 5150 and Mesa has a lot of gain and tight low end so perhaps it is not needed?)
Exactly the 2 amps you mention were my sound for Blood Redemption, but with a tubescreamer on it cause that fitted it (Maxon od808/ Ts9). Those industrial chugs/palmmutes get engaged with that pedal. Or a Boss super overdrive did it as well. And when you hear Glenn Tipton from Judas priest used this technique already in the early metal erra, its like knowledge that wasn’t easy accessible.
– Have you modded any of the guitar gear you have or you use the stock/default setup of the guitars, amps or pedals?
The whole H8000 scene was like into the emg81 pick up (Slayer) so in our Ibanez guitars that’s the first thing we put in. And I’m very outspoken, Nobody played passives in the 90s. But that is for a further question to get into detail
We used the amps stock. An amp like the jcm 800 2210 split channel, that was used a lot, just was a beast on its own, crank the pre amp gain and the monster was unleashed
– Can you tell me a bit more about the thick strings you use; how do they help your tone and does it help with playing as well? (why would a thinner set of strings won’t work for you?)
The whole scene was like tuned to D standard. So 0.10-0.52 strings were most used.
Then dropped C came up and we just put a thicker string like a 0.56.
– How relevant is the speaker cab for you? Do you use what is at the venue, hook up to the FOH or do you prefer to play a default cab like a Mesa 4×12 with V30 speakers or something else?
We used what was available, mostly Marshall jcm 900 cabs were around, a lot of backline sharing. Only when the metalcore erra came, the V30 cabinets were a must. That’s like 2006ish. I always talk about H8000 erra as not metalcore. For me metalcore is when all the bands like Killswitch, Parkway, As I lay dying 😄, … Naming H8000 metalcore isn’t quite right.
– What is your favorite guitar atm and why?
That would be Piens Deinze. I bought my first Gibson sg showcase edition there. And one time went watching the Jackson usa guitars, out of my league, till at one point it was possible for a blue ghost flames Soloist and Dennis black magic reserved all Jacksons for his band Magnetica. Well known dude over here 😄 A lot of expensive guitars there, and crazy display. People who went know what I talk about.
– If you could choose one amp to play for the rest of your life (can also be a modeler or profiler); which one would it be for you and why?
That would be really hard, I varied so much (understatement, gotta bad rep in the scene for this 😄)
Combined a rectifier and Marshall 800 to get to the sound for instance. But in the end Marshall got my preference, so it would be the blue anniversary edition 6100, cause it has 3 channels clean, rhythm and lead, that again split on each channel in different gain stages 😄 And I used this a lot for my coverband lately.
– Which album are you most proud of as a guitar player?
It’s a hard question, got it asked a lot. As I differed in styles throughout my 3 bands I have to choose a certain style.
Maybe the Solid Total Rush album in 2003. It was a come back album, with the first singer of Solid, and I played that songs in dropped C, the only guitarplayer for that band. So I had a sound live with my dual rectifier and Marshall 800 2210, that was really fat. A Gibson les Paul custom showcase edition ( like my Gibson sg) that had stock emg’s, but this is the interesting part, Emg 85s, for the bridge also. So more low end. It defined that record, and the style was like new york hardcore crossed with stoner elements. I used some effects like chorus and flanger, phaser, wah wah. So it was very creative, and got received really well.
– Passive vs Active pickups: which one do you prefer for your style and band and why?
So the most was with emg81 actives. Came out of the Metallica black album erra and that pick up just defined the heavy underground crossover that we dwelled in.
Now I’m playing passives for my coverband, Gibson pick ups or a Seymour jb are my fave. But if I reach for my stuff that I made myself it really needs the Emg active pick up.
– What is the most consistent item in your guitar rig and why?
Again hard cause I’m non consistent 😄 And the reason I guess is creativity, and being influenced and amazed by so many musicstyles. But maybe a Gibson was something that was mostly in my hands.
– What is the biggest misconception about guitar gear that exists today?
When they talk about best gear, pick ups, amps, pedals…they always forget that its bound to a style. And it can be bad for this kinda music, but effective for another. So a lot of discussions happen with forgetting or not seeing that important factor.
– Which riff of one of the songs you wrote are you most proud of and why?
I have to pick the one that people reffer to the most. Spirit of youth Into Despair. In ’97 I wrote this one at a show. We released the Source album and were on a roll, at that gig I got a riff in my head, ran to the car, played it out in that street, and like wrote all the parts there. It just came together. And freaking out not be able to put it together with my brother (drummer of my bands) That one came on the split release with One king down on Goodlife recordings.
And it just set things in motion when it hit the streets.
– Do you use a certain guitar playing technique that is instantly recognizable for who you are as a guitar player? (damping, blues licks, power chords/barre chords, pinch harmonics)
What’s most defining for my style is coming from the moment Cro mags Alpha Omega came out. From that beginriff it like impressed me so much. Fast palmmuting and still a punk hardcore feel. But we brought that style with a groove, sometimes just played slow but very dynamic. It was challenge to have more a open sounding sound, but still enough dynamics. Hard to express, listening to the Spirit of youth demo Engine-Darkroom brings answers 😄
That was the start of that style we progressed too after our Old skool hardcore roots/releases.
– Which guitar players of current existing bands inspire you as a guitar player and why?
Youth of today – Porcell, Turning point – Jay Laughlin, Cro mags – Parris mayhew/ Gabby Abularach, Only living witness – Craig Silver man, Machine Head – Rob Flynn, In flames – Bjorn Gelotte
– Last but not least: any last words or tips for guitar players out there?
That’s also hard 😄 it can differ so much, what music brings you to playing guitar. As I always was a rhythm player that used creativity to make my songs, I never was a real lead player because Solos just didn’t flow with me. I got my strength from songwriting, but always looked up to nice Solo playing. So I would say, learn those Metallica songs and solo’s, or any defining heavy band, cause having Insight in that high level playing gives ideas to create new ones. I didn’t do it that way 😄 ignored learning my scales cause I wanted to create my own path, but whenever I need a guitarplayer to do the leads in my coverband, I’m so depending on the kids that putted in that effort 😂 But it’s all good. I think admiration for music that is the roots, for all that came forth out of it, and passion, brings the music that means so much in our lives. Being inspired to create something because other’s did it before us, sharing that 🙌 Such a big connection trough that medium, and certainly in our worldwide hardcore scene 🙌 Shout out to all we met, bands played with, liked our music, and the new generations.