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Keystone United sat down and Talked with Lee Bola from Final Verdict. 

Can you state your name and position in the band?

Well, the stage name I chose was “Lee Bola” after my wife came up with “Lizzy Bola”. Too soon? Anyway, I currently do all of the guitar tracks and vocals. I played bass on the first recordings before Liz picked up that role and we have a very sophisticated battle droid from the future to play drums (it’s a drum program on the home computer). I’d like to get a full band but we live in a pretty secluded area, there aren’t many people with the same interests as us close by.

What type of band are you?

Pretty much Rock & Roll or Oi! –or- Rock Against Communism. Whichever name you prefer.

Tell us the brief history of your band, such as Why did you pick your band name?

I was thinking about starting a non-political band a couple of years ago because I just missed playing and my guitars were sitting around getting dusty, but there has been such a lack of new bands with the guts to come out and just say “We’re a White Nationalist band” so I figured I’d put my effort into that. It’s a decision that was at the expense of being able to have a full band that can play shows at a moment’s notice. After a while I gave up on trying to find band mates for the time being, but not on the idea of playing music. I was able to get a digital four track recorder from eBay and some computer programs to help put the songs together better. I really don’t know how I came up with name Final Verdict. I guess I was just thinking of something that would look cool written out and sound catchy if I saw it on one of the old WP CD order forms that used to come with mail orders. Originally it was going to be The Morticians almost like an homage to The Dentists who were one of the earliest White Power punk bands. The Morticians sounded like it would have been better for a Psychobilly or Goth band, I looked up some other medical profession titles but none of them really had a good ring to it or just had silly definitions. Just think, we could have been The Proctologists! Somehow I just decided on Final Verdict.

Who are your musical and non-musical influences?

The 4skins and Skrewdriver and believe it or not, Foreigner and 70’s era Meat Loaf because I like the complexity. I don’t think I will ever do anything that complex, but someday I’d like to make a couple of songs with extra instruments. A lot of the French bands like Brutal Combat and Snix did some good stuff with saxophones that didn’t sound like sissy stuff. Pianos have been used and sounded good in a lot of rock and roll too, so maybe someday. That being said I’d have to mention The Sonics I can’t believe I forgot to mention them! They are a pretty big musical influence for sure! As for non-musical influences: HAIL BILL RICCIO! No, seriously though, it may seem cliché, but Ian Stuart and all that he did beyond his music work, but I can’t just leave it at that. There are so many people from the Crusaders to Martin Luther to Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh that it is hard to say who is an influence because no matter what, someone gets left out.

What are your dreams and goals?

Personally? To sell out, get rich and make halfhearted public apologies for my past! That’s what you do in music right? I’m joking of course. I’d really like to see good ol’ WN/RAC music come back. There are no big shows like there were 10 years ago. There aren’t many big WN labels paying for awesome tours like there used to be. A lot of the really good bands are getting older and there isn’t a new crop formidable enough to fill the void when they are gone. As corny as it sounds, music and subculture stuff like this does attract people who will then look into other literature and become active in their own ways. Maybe one or more will someday grow up to buy a tie and become the next William Pierce or something.

Who writes the songs, what are they about?

I write them, usually about stuff that angers me that is happening in the newspapers or on C-Span. One of the earlier songs that I have to re-record for better quality is “Rock & Roll Radicals” which is pretty much taunting all of the bands and people I’d see interviewed in rags like Rolling Stone or Maximum Rock And Roll. All of these people thinking they are so edgy because they played a show for some multicultural charity or an LGBT event or because they preach leftist politics. There is nothing rebellious about that and if Rock And Roll is supposed to be rebellious, then being an extension of the status quo is not Rock & Roll. I have also promised myself to record one or more uplifting song/s aimed towards other nationalists, because we all know, first hand, how hard it can be. Often you are alone and hated and that can take its toll on anybody’s well-being and happiness, no matter how strong their spirit is. I think even the hardest of our ranks deserve some encouragement.

Have you played any shows or plan to?

Not yet and I really want to, but the whole lack of a complete lineup has kept us from playing out. I haven’t played live since Murder Furnace and I really miss it.

What inspires you to do what you do?

I guess the lack of other people doing it on our side of the fence. There used to be no shortage of bands in all sorts of genres but there aren’t a lot of White Nationalist or RAC bands left. There are some “greyzone” bands out there that claim RAC and that’s all well and good, but not too many people want to incorporate race into politics beyond just being politically incorrect. I’m not afraid to alienate people. I’m actually kind of curious to see who we can attract in place of the watered down wannabe RAC crowd.

What advice would you give to fellow bands?

I feel like this might be a better question for a band that’s been around the block a few times, what I can say based on my experience with being in a band before is do it! It’s not going to be easy, but it’s worth it. Get your voice out and don’t be afraid. You may be the only one in your town but you aren’t alone, 

How does music affect you and the world around you?

Man, it’s everywhere! Piped in at restaurants and playing in our cars. Could you imagine going to a party and loosening up to the sound of people chomping down on Doritos? Music makes people want to get together and socialize with other people who have similar likes and opinions. That is more important now than ever. 

What’s new in the recording of your music?

Well I am about due to come up with some more tracks as I said before. I also have a few that I have started writing that just need to be wrapped up and recorded. I think the next step should be to clean up the songs that I do have recorded a little bit more and start looking into getting a CD made.  One thing that I’d like to do is make a cheesy music video or two. Every dingus with an acoustic guitar and a webcam has “videos” but I want to make like an actual video with the help of some friends eventually. This may or may not happen but I have been figuring out how I might be able to pull it off. I will probably have to learn the magical arts from the dark wizards of Chroma key computer effects.

What are the biggest obstacles for bands?

Downloading, I mean it’s easy to flood pages like Youtube with millions of new bands and musicians and maybe people will hear it. The problem is there are so many musicians (and wannabe musicians) out there doing the same thing that reaching new fans that way is like winning on a scratch off. The potential is there but realistically there isn’t nearly as much reach as having a CD cut by a label and plugged in their publications or websites. Record labels, even the independent ones, used to book concerts across the globe that got people the exposure they needed, They could afford to because people paid for music and the worst of pirating was when you made your friend a tape of that bitchin’ Midtown Bootboys CD you just got in the mail. This may ruffle a few feathers but money is important to keeping music alive especially something as niche market as White Nationalist music. Various crews and groups still book shows and they pay out of pocket, but without the profitable business end, there is far less promotion of new bands beyond what they can do themselves. I’ve talked about this with a friend who’s been in pro White bands for decades. There was cash flow in the WN music scene, not that we are in it for the money (we’re all promoting the wrong politics for that) but let’s be realistic, travel, stage equipment, renting locations, promotion…it all costs money that free downloading does not generate. 

Then there are the bands. Pro White bands never raked in Taylor Swift paychecks singing about race and nation. These guys have to take time off from their jobs that they need to feed their families and pay their bills. A lot of times the only way you could get them to travel was by compensating them at least a little bit. We may want to volunteer our time for a good cause, but the utility company might not be so sympathetic. Today, the only independent labels left are ones like Hell Cat which are just subdivisions of big labels like Elektra…not very independent at all. The White Power labels we had were truly independent and we all know Warner Brothers Entertainment has no interest in reviving Panzer Faust, nor would we want them to. In that regard, it’s probably harder for pro White and nationalist bands than anyone else. If we sang about worshiping Satan. deviant sexual themes, Marxist politics and rejecting all traditional Western/Christian values, then maybe we’d end up going places in the industry.

Do you have a band website? Why or why not? Do you have a Facebook or Twitter?

We have a Facebook page, but not a Twitter page. I just really dislike using Twitter. I’d like to learn how to make a web page though, it would be nice to have one when we get a full CD made.

Anything you would like share or anyone you would like to thank?

Well I’m certainly grateful for this opportunity to get some exposure at such an early stage in the game! Just knowing that there is already an interest is enough to keep me motivated!

Keystone United would like to thank Lee Bola from Final Verdict for taking the time to sit back and answer some questions. We wish you much success in the future