The biggest challenge for drummer Jose Perez of Bad Acid Trip is performing the drum lines to the band's music.
"I joined the band in 2002 and am what you'd call the new kid," Perez said by mobile phone from somewhere between Los Angeles and northern California. "And the hardest thing for me was to get used to those wacky beats. They're all over the place. I was never into grindcore and speed metal, but that's what I'm doing now."
Bad Acid Trip — comprised of Perez, guitarist Keith Aazami, bassist Chris Mackie and vocalist Dirk Rogers — has just released its second album "Lynch the Weirdo." The band released the album on the Serjikal Strike label, which is owned by Serj Tankian, lead singer of the band System of a Down. The album was produced by SOD guitarist Daron Malakian.
"We had most of the songs ready when we went into the studio," said Perez. "Daron had ideas of what we should do, and we got some things together. We did some changes in the studio, but we took about a month to get things down on CD."
The music of BAT is a spitfire concoction of progressive grindcore, classic rock and jazz riffs. And though the songs are chock full of hairpin-turn time changes, Perez said bringing tunes such as "Jump Rope Spray Water" and "P.C." to the live stage isn't the logistical nightmare it could be. "We know how to play the songs. We basically play 12 songs in one set, which clocks in about 30 minutes. (The album is 32 minutes and features 17 songs.) And we also pay attention to our tour mates.
"For example, we're opening for Gwar, and they have their theatrics, with all the blood and guts, down. We do have theatrics, but we didn't bring any on the road with us on purpose, because there is no way we could hold a candle to them. We'd come off looking like a cheap Gwar show, and we didn't want to do that. And besides, Gwar is the best at what they do. So we made a conscious effort to focus on our music."
The album — "Lynch the Weirdo" is meant to be a sarcastic jab at conservative types — was completed last June, but it took awhile for the CD to be released and for tour plans to be settled.
"Waiting was the hardest part for us," said Perez, who cited Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, Primus' Tim Alexander and Pearl Jam's current drummer Matt Cameron as his percussion influences. "We all have other jobs, and we had to wait to be able to go on tour."
Rogers' day job is probably the most notable of those in the band. He is a special make-up effects artist for movies and has worked on such films as "Minority Report," "Faust" and the upcoming "Collateral Damage" and "The Stepford Wives."
"We would like to eventually be able to work full-time as musicians," said Perez. "This is the band's second album, and while it won't make us millionaires, we would like to see it help us be able to support ourselves without our other jobs."
If you go. . .
What: Gwar, Bad Acid Trip
Where: In the Venue
When: Tonight, 7 p.m.
How much: $18 to $21.50
Phone: 467-8499 or 1-800-888-8499
E-mail: scott@desnews.com