That time I asked Kick Axe guitarist Larry Gillstrom what he thought of the Vancouver metal scene in 1988

Kick Axe circa 1987, Gillstrom second from left

By Steve Newton

I was shocked and saddened to hear that Canadian heavy-metal icon Larry Gillstrom had passed away recently, so today I went searching around in my stash of ancient cassettes to see if I had any interviews with the guitarist on tape.

I couldn’t find a recording of our first conversation, from 1983, but I did come across one from our second chat, back in July of 1988, when his band Kick Axe had broken up and he was promoting Vancouver heavy-metal shows through his company Timeless Productions.

At one point in the interview I asked Gillstrom what he thought of the local metal scene, and his thoughtful response reflected his true passion for the genre.

Have a listen:

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