Who do you count as your influences?
CHRIS I don't have the slightest idea, I'm just a big freak!
LORENZO I was raised playing jazz and funk. Drumming wise, it would be John Robinson, Jeff Porcaro, Omar Kahn, and Stewart Copeland. On the music end, I love the Police, Sting, the Yellowjackets, Level 42, Jeff Lorber, and I'm a closet Journey fan, also.
TOM Marcus Miller, Chris Squire and Jaco Pastorious have been my greatest influences. I like a lot of Spanish style guitar, i.e. flamenco and Spanish classical. Old, old Yes, Weather Report, the Police, Primus, and Cake, they're grrrrrrrreat!

Your music is obviously mosh-inducing (if that's a word...we're still looking it up). Moshing has come under fire in the CCM market lately; what are your views on it?
CHRIS When you mention the CCM market and their views on something, what you're talking about is one tiny fragment of Christianity as a whole and their cultural induced views of a sub-cultural phenomenon belonging to a world as a whole. Considering the (CCM market's) tendency to over spiritualize, legalize, prejudge, be superstitious, and ignorant of not only culture at large, but even fundamental tenants of their own religion, I find CCM community rarely capable of exercising any judgement whatsoever, and so, I will have Lorenzo express Blackball's view on the subject.
LORENZO We think moshing is cool as long as you help the guy up when you knock him down!

Give a quick history of the band.
CHRIS First there was a brilliant flash of light. And God said it was good...later on in His spare time, he made Blackball.
LORENZO In a nutshell, Precious Death, myself, Tom, and Rocco were all attending church together. I was playing drums on the worship team. Also Tom and myself were playing in a funk band with Rocco. Chris got offered to do a side project outside of PD and asked if Tom and I would like to play on it. Rocco came in after Dave Bishop and that's pretty much it.

Chris, for a while there, you were band-juggling between PD and Blackball. Was it tough being in two different bands?
CHRIS The hardest thing about working with both bands was the tentative nature of PD at the time. When everything's kind of on hold, it's hard to get anything done. But now, everything is spiffy and wonderful. You might even say that "everything is good."

As you guys look back on the last year of the band, are there any regrets?
CHRIS None that we can discuss without legal ramifications, or Tom and Rocco goin' at it out in the yard!

Do you ever get people who come up to you after a show and tell you how a certain lyric or song meant a lot to them?
CHRIS That's one of the most important things to me, because as much sa you want to entertain as a musician, it would be thin and vain if that was the only effect of our expressions as artists.

All 4 of you: What CD is in your CD player right now, as we speak?
CHRIS First of all, we do not endorse a band or their views just because we listen to their music. And just like there are some films which wouldn't necessarily be good for younger people to view because of their level of maturity, it can sometimes be that way with music. So here's our list:
TOM Natalie Merchant's "Tigerlilly", Gypsy Kings' "Allegria", Marc us Miller's "The Sun Don't Lie", Cake, Primus, Yes' "Keys To Ascension", and Weather Report.
CHRIS Sublime, 311, Kenny Roger's Greatest Hits, the new Bush, which really stinks, Irwin Lutzer from Moody Institute, teaching on the sovereignty of God, and the Wallflowers.
LORENZO Jeff Lorber's "Worth Waiting For", the Police's "Every Breath You Take: The Singles", Bobby McFerrin's "Bang Zoom", and Thomas Dolby's "Retrospectacle". (Rocco was not available for comment, however more than likely some kind of "git go" music.)

Define "Antidisestablishmentarianism".
TOM Antihoomiowoof?!?!
LORENZO Isn't it the longest word in the dictionary?
CHRIS When considering the Freudian theory of "Dreamworks", within the regulatory Pleasure Principal, in the malexistant chaos of the modern establishmentarian philosophies of Von Clauschwitz and the ancient Cicero, I would have to fall on the side of those in the promotional position...wha t's the question?