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FISTFUL OF METAL. From left to right, Mark “Hawk” Hawkinson, Fred Speakman, Lenny Burnett and Tyler Lindsley.

Headbanging at the gates of hell

By John Larson

Two guitars trading off on solos. A singer that can hit the high notes. A sound and attitude that makes listeners want to bang their heads and throw their devil horns in the air. Zero Down is the kind of band that makes a true metalhead proud of their musical tastes.

The Seattle band consists of Mark “Hawk” Hawkinson on lead vocals, Lenny Burnett and Fred Speakman on guitars, Ron E. Banner on bass and Tyler Lindsley on drums.

The band has been together for about five years. Burnett and Hawk first met in 1988, shortly after Burnett moved here from his hometown of Knoxville, Tenn.

Burnett had recently graduated from the University of Tennessee. He was in a band that moved to Seattle seeking greener musical pastures.

All five played in various bands in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

One day Hawk ran into Lindsley, who he had known since the early 1990s, at a Mariners game. Hawk invited him to come jam with him and Burnett. Banner was a guitarist, but was so eager to join the band he went out and bought a bass.

They had one guitarist for a while. They approached Speakman, who by this time had sold all his gear. He was so interested in the music he went out and bought new equipment to join.

“We could never find the perfect second guitarist,” said Burnett. “I have never had a rapport like this.”

Burnett came up with the band’s name. He likes band names with two words. “I thought the two words sounded good together,” he said. “It is catchy and easy to remember.”

Zero Down’s music harkens back to bands they grew up listening to such as Judas Priest and Iron Maiden – bands that combine heaviness with intricate melodies.

Speakman admits their influences set them apart from many metal bands on the local scene. “People got tired of creating melodies.”

“A lot of current music does not hold my attention because there are no melodies,” Burnett added.

The band’s second album, “Good Times At The Gates Of Hell,” is full of characters and stories, Speakman noted. They put much emphasis on stories. “It is like folk metal,” he said with a laugh.

Burnett grew up with bands like Thin Lizzy and UFO that told good stories through their songs. “The stories do not have to be super deep or intellectual, but they have to be engaging on some level.”

“People tell us our music makes them feel like they are in high school again,” Speakman said. “Those people are us too.”

Indeed, the new album is full of stories. “Knotty Pine” is based on Banner’s bachelor party. It was a fishing expedition over on the coast, with him and several band mates and friends staying in a cheap motel. The song is about the bar they spent much of their time in.

The title track is told from the perspective of a prison inmate, who describes the dysfunctional upbringing that led him to prison and the Spartan existence behind the walls.

“White Witch” is based on Hawk’s experience with Oxycontin.

They love bringing their music to those who were not around for the 1980s. Burnett recalled an all-ages show in Longview, where they played their cover of Accept’s “Balls To The Wall.” The young fans went absolutely nuts. “Given the opportunity, they want something else than what they usually listen to.”

For their first album, “Old Time Revival,” Burnett came up with the idea of using a picture of an old snake-handling preacher for the cover. “I did not imagine him being a figurehead at first,” he said.

For the new album, he envisioned using this as a band mascot, ala Iron Maiden’s Eddie. Burnett even got in touch with Derek Riggs, who does the artwork for Maiden, and had an agreement for him to do the cover art. But Riggs backed out, so Burnett contacted Ed Repka, known for his work on Megadeth album covers. “He is an amazing guy. He was so cool and affordable for a band like us.”

Burnett pitched his idea of the preacher in a gunfight in the wild west. “He said he always wanted to do a spaghetti western. It was an idea he was really into.”

The band’s modern update on a classic sound and their energetic stage show suggests they could go places. But as they move through their late 30s and early 40s, they realize getting signed to a big label and playing Tacoma Dome may not happen. “We are all realistic,” Burnett said. “We are willing to go as far as we can.”

For him, having fun is the top priority, and the experiences are second. For example, they recently opened two shows for UFO. “That gets me excited,” Burnett remarked.

Hawk said having a job and family makes hitting the road a challenge. Especially if they drive 200 miles to make $100 to split among five guys. However, they are planning a West Coast tour in September. “Who would do this if they were not having a good time?” he offered.

“We do this for the right reasons,” Burnett said.

“We will probably be together for a long time,” Speakman said. “All five of us are like a family. We don’t have this unrealistic world domination outlook.”

For more information, go to www.zerodownrocks.com.

Zero Down plays Seattle Tattoo Convention at Seattle Center at 2 p.m. Aug. 8 and Sunset Tavern in Seattle at 9 p.m. Aug. 16.

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