Picking up the bass guitar at the age of 12, he started playing in church cutting his teeth on simple root to 5th bass lines but didn’t taking it seriously until after turning 13 and hearing Cliff Burton’s “Anastasia - Pulling Teeth" bass solo on Metallica’s Kill’em All album.
“When I heard Cliff’s solo, it was on a vinyl record and now when I hear it on CD or my MP3 player, it never sounds as raw and scary as it did on that vinyl record,” said Patrick. “The first bass line I ever noticed was the bass line from “In a Gadda Da Vida” by Iron Butterfly on vinyl,” said Patrick. “I was just 7 years old and it scared the hell out of me, but I think deep down I liked it.”
Patrick’s bass influences are Dennis Dunaway (original Alice Cooper Band), Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath) Steve Harris (Iron Maiden), Cliff Burton (Metallica), Robert Trujillo (Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, Metallica), Les Claypool (Primus), Stu Hamm, and Victor Wooten. Song writing influences include Glenn Danzig, Tony Iommi, Henry Rollins, Blackie Lawless, Randy Rhoads, Zakk Wylde and Kerry King.
“Every song I write, I want it to be unique and can stand on its own," says Patrick. “So many musicians write from the same formula, almost the same song but I want my songs to be so different from each other. It’s harder to do that when you write in a band or a group. I want to play with musicians who love God before music. I want to be inspired by God to write music that convicts the lost, helps motivate and encourage the believer to be strong in their spiritual battles and most importantly brings glory to God.
