Gingerspittz rises to the occasion as it prepares sophomore album

By John Benson

Berlin Center metal act Gingerspittz is on the rise.

Not only is the group’s song “Bad Time” due to be included on the upcoming compilation CD “Downtown Metal International, Volume 6,” but the band is deep in the middle of recording its sophomore album due out next year.

“We’re definitely a lot more diverse on this next album,” said bassist Jim “Skrap” Stratton, who grew up in Sugarcreek and now calls Austintown home. “Before, it was hard-core, of course, but more of a groove-core kind of thing, and this time we’re going for more of the off-time riff. It’s a change of pace from what we’ve been doing and more technical, which is taking us longer to write. I think it’s by far going to surpass the first album. Talentwise, it’s great. We’re more up to today’s standards of what crazy heavy metal is.”

Originally, Gingerspittz fielded plenty of comparisons to Mushroomhead, but the upcoming album has more of a Meshuggah sound with new band favorites, including “Jabberwocky Seduction” and “1.2.3…”

Another change from the debut effort is a shifting of philosophy regarding politics. While earlier in its career the act would comment on the government, Stratton said the group has now focused on discussing socioeconomics.

“On this album, we just wanted to take more realness of what people feel in everyday life — paying the bills and struggling with the economy being kind of poopy,” Stratton said.

“So we talk about the everyday stuff politically but not as much as the last album.”

Gingerspittz is hoping to book a larger East Coast tour after the release of the new CD. In the meantime, it’s concentrating on serving its fanbase, which now extends from Cincinnati to Cleveland and western Pennsylvania, not to mention the Youngstown area.

One thing Stratton has realized over the past few years is the fact that Gingerspittz, which has received airplay on WNCD-FM 93.3’s “The Home Grown Show,” appeals to all types of music lovers in Northeast Ohio. He’s hoping more folks come out to see the band’s special gig at Barley’s on Saturday.

“Really any fan that has an open mind to any kind of music will enjoy what we do,” Stratton said.

“We touch a lot of different styles, not just metal but rock. We break it down on the new album where we have some melody, and not really heavy, with some nice clean vocals behind it. And then we bring it right back into the heavy material. Even if you don’t like our music, you’ll enjoy the show we put on.

“People definitely feel like they got their money’s worth when they come to see a Gingerspittz show, because we have lighting, we have theatrics and we try to put on the kind of show we’d want to go see.”