Formed earlier this year, Bloodclot features previous QOTSA drummer Joey Castillo, Danzig guitarist Todd Youth and John Joseph, previous vocalist for New York hardcore band Cro-Mags. Throughout the interview, Oliveri highlights the influence of Cro-Mags on his early bass playing, noting that he appeared in one of the bands music videos in the ’80s before he collaborated with Joseph in Bloodclot.
“I saw them play with Motörhead in 1986, and I’m in the video for their song ‘We Gotta Know’ somehow, so I’m really excited to play with them (John Joseph),” Oliveri said, highlighting the complexities of emulating the intensity of Cro-Mags hardcore sound. “I did the bass after the songs were recorded, which is tougher than if you play it live – the stuff is quite demanding on your picking hand – you have to really command your part.”
Oliveri also discussed the assortment of equipment used across Bloodclot’s debut record, Up In Arms, using an assortment of solid-state and tube amplifiers in conjunction with two Orange 4×10 cabinets to retain his thunderous bass tone.
“I have a bunch of different gear that I’ve picked up over the years, as you can imagine. There’s a lot of old and new stuff, but for the last few years I’ve been using Orange 4×10 cabs. They look like 2x10s, but there’s two more 10s behind them,” Oliveri said. “I also like the old Acoustic 360 heads, so I’ve been using one of the newer solid-state ones, although I like to use tubes in the studio.”
Throughout the recording of Up In Arms, Oliveri relied upon a combination of Fender Precision’s and Dan Armstrong basses, as well as a customized P/J bass built tuned to E flat and fitted with 105’s. “It’s got more of a Jazz neck in the low registers: it gets thinner at the bottom like a Jazz would. It doesn’t have a name on it: it’s just a black bass, and that’s the one I use in Bloodclot.”
Oliveri also told MusicRadar that his pedalboard for Bloodclot was relatively restrained in comparison to other acts, restricting his pedal usage to two fuzz / overdrive boxes: “I use a Boss Hyper Fuzz with a gain boost on it: I turn the level all the way up to where I want it to grind a little bit, and I keep that on all the time,” said Oliveri. “The other pedal I use is a Green Rhino overdrive for certain bass-featured parts, where I need a little more lift, so I can jump out more.
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