MUEN: TELL ME A LITTLE BIT BOUT YOUR BAND. HOW SPECIAL OPS WAS BORN?

SPECIAL OPS: Special Ops was initially started by Waldo Thornhill and Abe Froman, who later on stumbled across Akbar Johnson (formerly of the band ODEH) they pulled a jam and the band was born. From there they started writing and simply playing their music for friends, word spread like wild fire and within a couple months they were invited to perform at the Canada Day Festival (about 4-5000 people attendance), at the show were key people in the industry who kept their eye on the band and started contacting them for more and more shows, within 6 months the band had a 5 song EP, and 8 months after that their first album Phase 1: In search Of Madness was out, and they were touring across Canada. Soon after Clernace Mgilacutty was recruited. That spurred the attention of producer Murray Daigle, who in turn produced their 2nd album Phase 2: amidst the madness, and from there the snow ball effect really started to take effect. Now Radio stations are playing the song and international markets are opening up to them. After a few label approaches we finally decided with the help of Murray�s recommendations to go with Voodoo records, they are giving us the freedom that any artist would want while at the same time attaining the results we need.

MUEN: WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR MUSICAL INFLUENCES, AND/OR WHO DO MOST PEOPLE COMPARE YOU TO?

SPECIAL OPS: Influences � We all come from different back grounds, Waldo is influenced by Jazz mostly, people like miles Davis and so on, Abe is more into the Nu Metal scene, and Akbar is into the old Middle Eastern music, old school metal and punk scene. As for the newest member Clearance he is more into the pop stuff and prog rock! We get compared to Metallica, Linkin Park, Korn and System of a Down, for some reason, we don�t hear it but I guess they do! Lol, it�s a compliment regardless!

MUEN: TELL ME ABOUT YOUR NEW ALBUM, AND IF THERE WERE TO BE A "SINGLE," WHICH SONG DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE?

SPECIAL OPS: The new album is the sound that the band has always been looking for in a recording, we have worked with quite a few people and producers before but no one could get us the sound we wanted, and Murray was the guy who finally hit the nail on the head. It�s heavy melodic, and full of infectious rhythms. I guess the single would be Anger Is Creeping and after that maybe Feel For You, or Here I Go.

MUEN: WHERE DID YOU RECORD THE ALBUM? AND WHO ELSE WAS INVOLVED?

SPECIAL OPS: It was done at MDS Studios in Toronto, produced by Murray Daigle and our buddy Liam Killeen from Not By Choice played drums on 3 of the tracks as a special Guest.

MUEN: WHO CAME UP WITH THE NAME OF THE ALBUM? ANY DEFINED MEANING TO IT?

SPECIAL OPS: The album name is a reflection of what today�s world is all about, you only need to listen to the news or watch TV for 5 minutes before noticing how insane the world around us is today, from politics to wars to natural disasters and even people amongst themselves. This world is Insane! Lol One can also look at it in terms of the madness of being in a band that is slowly getting more and more attention that in its own right is madness! With the first album (Phase 1: in search of madness) we were trying to capture it, but we nailed it with the second one, hence Phase 2: Amidst The Madness!

MUEN: WHERE CAN PEOPLE GET THE ALBUM?

SPECIAL OPS: From our Website, HMV (if it is out of stock you can still order it), Itunes and most digital distributors or providers which ever you want to call it. Cdbaby.com, and so on.

MUEN: WHAT IS THE MAIN MESSAGE YOU TRY TO GET ACROSS IN YOUR MUSIC?

SPECIAL OPS: A song may mean one thing to the person who wrote but can be perceived in a totally different light for different listeners. What we hope to achieve is a reflection of how wrong this are in the word around us and that all you have to do is open your eyes and just say no.

MUEN: IN YOUR OWN OPINION, WHAT DOES SPECIAL OPS HAVE THAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHER BANDS?

SPECIAL OPS: Aside from the message we portray, well the fact that we put on one of the most energetic shows anyone has ever scene. You wont get bored watching us play that is for sure. Its tight, it�s fresh, and it is in touch with its fans. We like to call them friends, we talk to every single person who talks to us, never turn anyone down, and answer every email personally, and it may take a few days since we receive hundreds daily but we still get it done. There are people who the music (lyrics may be a better word) have touched and have opened their personal lives to us, to not take note of that and just treat it with arrogance is completely wrong, those are the people that made us who we are, and that would be like a dog that bites the hand that feeds it.

MUEN: I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE SOME SHOWS UP IN CANADA, ARE THERE PLANS FOR ANY U.S. SHOWS?

SPECIAL OPS: That is an absolute yes, we the U.S is one of our strongest fan base, we were planning on going there ourselves but the signing process has slowed things down a bit, so now it�s on the new agenda so to speak, and so is Europe and Japan. MUEN: WHAT BANDS WOULD YOU MOST WANT TO TOUR WITH?

SPECIAL OPS: Established or new? From the established ones, I would love to tour with the Foo Fighters, Metallica, all the big boys who can show em how it�s done so to speak, it would just be an honor to share the stage with such people who have been through it all. As per new, there are a few bands, like Fatlinedfrom Ontario, Seasonal and 3 mile scream from Montreal.

MUEN: WHATS THE CRAZIEST F*CKIN THING YOU HAVE DONE ON TOUR OR AT A SHOW SO FAR?

SPECIAL OPS: There are a few! Driving across the prairies with no brakes! (Our brake line was cut from getting stuck in the mud at an out door show the night before) we were in the middle of nowhere and had no choice; thank God it was flat old Saskatchewan! Another one was partying all night then driving for 18 hrs straight to make it to the next show, driving straight into a ditch and then trying to sell our cd and merch to the cop who showed up! Yes we are relentless! The best was partying in the Rockies with a bunch of wild ass people from the Yukon, by the end of the night people were smashing beer bottles on their foreheads, and trying to et the stuff, man those guys are jut a little too whacky! Their good shit though.

MUEN: WHAT IS NEXT FOR SPECIAL OPS IN 07?

SPECIAL OPS: Well we have already started on Phase 3! And we are touring all over, Canada nd the U.S for sure.

Interview by Mistress Alina