Interview with Robert Rozendaal of Cutthroat (and way more)
I first met Rob on tour, grilling vegan treats and helping out Mario and the Roadrage guys. We talked about tattoos, life and other "stuff" but i remember how super chill and easy going he was. Last time he came through we were talking about getting in shape (he probably did - i definitely did not) and how good swimming is for that task. Oh, he's also a top notch artist. Rob's a solid dude and next time you see him in the EU or otherwise, dap him up for me.
For real, you are one of the most positive people i've met, whether its on tour or messaging or over a grill on a Zurich rooftop. PMA is the ethos, but i imagine (i know) how hard it is to keep up. I got the tattoo, but i let the mindset and myself down more often than not. How do you keep it up?
Haha, thanks man! I try! Don’t get it twisted though, everybody gets down once in a while. Sometimes life throws you these weird curveballs and knocks you down on your ass… But, at the end of the day it’s all about getting back up and trying to inspire others to do the same. In the end, all we got is us right? I always try to approach every situation from a sincere, friendly and positive angle. Even if you feel down or if you don’t have any motivation, the only person who can make a difference in your life is you!
What got you into playing bass, and what, if any instruments do you play?
Chi Cheng (RIP) from Deftones has always been an enormous inspiration for me while I was growing up. His sound, the way he played and his stage presence always resonated with me. I also play electric guitar! Over the past 10 years I have been in several bands (or filling in) on either guitar or bass. It’s nice to keep mixing it up!
How long have you been playing music for and if there was ONE band ever you could play bass or guitar full-time in, who would it be?
I started playing music when I was 12! And that’s a difficult question, haha! I love so many bands, but I would have to say either Mastodon or Deftones. They have so many crazy riffs, sections and layering going on, it would be very interesting to bring the low end or ideas to their songs!
If you had to introduce extraterrestrials to music with only five records, what do you choose?
Another super hard question! I like a lot of different music, but if we’re sticking to the metal/punk/hardcore, then I guess it’s the following list (in no particular order)
- God Hates Us All - Slayer
- Around the Fur – Deftones
- Remission – Mastodon
- Wake the Dead – Comeback Kid
- Jane Doe - Converge
What's happening in the near future for you *cough CUTTHROAT cough*?
Right now I am, as you hinted working together on an album with my friends in Cutthroat from Los Angeles! I play guitar for them and despite the fact that I live so far apart from them, writing stuff with them has been great. At this point we are mostly writing and swapping ideas in a band Whatsapp group but writing riffs and bringing ideas to the table on guitar is an absolute blast, and something i enjoy doing just as much as bass. All the guys in the band are pretty professional with what they do and how they communicate, so it makes it super easy for all of us to keep throwing ideas at each other until we meet up later in the year to jam the material out and have some input from the other guys! (Jason – bass, Bobby – drums).
Another cool thing is that my friends from the crossover/thrash band SIBERIAN MEAT GRINDER have asked me to fill in on bass on a very cool tour with Madball, Knocked Loose, Harms Way, Hawser and Dagger Threat! I am always beyond honoured and super excited whenever bands trust me with their music, especially on such a huge tour! It’s gonna be a lot of fun.
A lot of writing, a lot of touring and having a good time with good people all around the world!
It’s what I’ve loved doing most and I don’t think that’s every gonna change!