When I left off last Thursday, I had just arrived at the castle of Marcus Henderson, master shredder extraordinaire and fast fingers behind most of the recordings used in the Guitar Hero video games. I challenged his credentials, and he naturally conjured up Lynyrd Skynrd, no questions asked, and began to wail out a highly embellished rendition of “Free Bird.”
It gave me pause; a single tear rolled down my cheek and I was proud to be a Southern American. I promptly wiped the tear away and regained my composure, which I maintained throughout the remainder of the song. I figured that if I crossed my arms in front of my chest I’d look a bit more threatening; I must have, because the demons which had been circling around me while he played quickly backed off.
Once he stopped playing (and I stopped waving my lighter in the air), I pummeled him into submission with a stare so intense it made his eyes bleed. I’d heard tales of him, how he devoured men whole and filled quaint little goblets full of their blood just to be creepy. I’d studied closely the art of the intense mortal death stare for months in anticipation of this meeting.
He magically grew a fresh set of doom-gazers and shot rock ‘n’ roll laser beams back at me. He had the upper hand, and I threw up my arms in surrender, bowing down before him. In the end, all I got was a lousy interview (and a singed eyebrow). Here’s how it played out:
Jared Caraway: Hey Marcus, thanks a lot for taking time off from your busy schedule (read: Rolling Stone, Stuff magazine interviews) to talk to a lowly college journalist like myself. What’s with the guards at the gate?
Marcus Henderson: The term “guard” is overused these days and requires too much insurance. We prefer to call them “masked henchmen.” They are the chosen rock warriors here to guard the secrets of [Guitar Hero] III and beyond.
JC: Rock warriors, eh? …Right. Now, I have to ask: Do you rule at your own game as much as you rule at guitar?
MH: Depends. Recently the guys in Alice in Chains stopped by to check out their tune in the game and were getting pissed if I blew a note. I’m a lot better when Jerry Cantrell and Mike Inez are not watching me play “Them Bones”.
JC: Indubitably. How many five-button axes do you have in your arsenal?
MH: Perhaps this will answer your question. (Presses button; a hidden panel in the wall spins to reveal roughly 30 or so custom Gibson SG controllers made from exotic and unusual materials).
MH: My personal favorite is this one… (holds up a SG controller made of bones).
MH: It is constructed from the remaining bones of various composers. The neck is actually the neck-bone of Bach, and the strum bar? Guess which part of Mozart that was…
JC: Judging by its shape and length, I’d estimate that that was his clavicle. So, how many hours would you say you logged in the studio per game?
MH: About 120 to 130 hours per game, roughly, were spent in Mix A at WaveGroup Sound.
JC: Are there any parts in the game that you wish you had perhaps done a little differently? Any regrets? Personal favorites?
MH: After it leaves my hands, it goes to about five different stages of mixing so I only hear it when it’s completely done. Since I’m my own worst critic, I always think I could’ve done better, but I guess the kids like it so I’m stoked as well!
JC: Was “Cowboys from Hell” by Pantera chosen as the final song in memory of the late Dimebag Darrell (legendary metal guitarist gunned down onstage a couple of years ago), or did the guys just want to make you rip your fingers off in the process of recording?
MH: Pretty much. CFH was an eleventh-hour addition and when I saw it, I knew it would be difficult not only technically, but emotionally as well. Dime is a legend and being the dude asked to record it was a heavy responsibility. In the end, it was the very last song I recorded for GH, and it means more to me than any of the other songs I’ve recorded on both games to this day.
JC: Which track gave you the toughest time?
MH: “Hangar 18” was no walk in the park, JC, but I can say that the toughest song was, without a doubt, “Woman” by Wolfmother. Since I pulled it off in one take, I had a tough decision, go home and nap or go to the movies. That nap ruled.
JC: Anything else awesome you’d like to say?
MH: Be most excellent to each other and ye shall rock forth across the lands.
And with that, I bade him adieu. I ambled slowly down the road.
Marcus Henderson was mysterious, he was creepy, and he ruled. Thanks for tuning in. I will keep my eyes peeled for The Next Great American Interview.
Check out Marcus Henderson on MySpace at
www.myspace.com/binarysuicide
