He's not called "Rock's best kept secret" by Guitar Player for nothing. On Ghosts, Mick sludges, spirals and blasts through 13 tracks of guitar frenzy showcasing his skills as one of the most gifted six-string operators out there. I spoke with Mick recently about the new record and other topics. Here's what he had to say:

antiMusic: My Ruin was a band almost in limbo last year. Tairrie even expressed her uncertainty about the band's future. Where was your head at during the period following the last UK tour and your latest record contract?

Mick: We knew that we needed a break at the end of the last UK tour. We were burnt out and the vibe went sour on many levels and we felt things were moving in the wrong direction and needed to change. This combined with the fact that the latest label has now dropped the ball on many levels has left my head in a place where I realize that nothing is guaranteed and it's hard to trust or put faith in anybody. We just continue to move forward and keep doing what we do at our own pace and on our own terms for the love of the music and for the fans of what we do.

antiMusic: With the band kind of at lost ends, did you have in the back of your head that you would eventually cut a new record and were you saving up some riffs for such a time? Or do you have a communal Neanderthal/My Ruin vault?

Mick: I started writing and recording demos just for the hell of it. Stuff flowed out and Tairrie got inspired by it and started writing lyrics and the next thing you know we had 13 new songs to record. I do have a "riff vault" in my head that I dip into once in a while but I also like to just sit and play and come up with spontaneous new riffs and songs.

antiMusic: The deal from your previous label came out of nowhere. After the excitement of having some corporate support subsided, did you feel jazzed at the thought of tackling the whole record yourself or trepidation at the pressure of the responsibility of the whole ball of wax? (in that, you're experienced enough playing everything as Neanderthal but there must be a realization that there will be a few more eyes on a project as My Ruin)

Mick: I was totally excited about playing all the instruments on the new album. I knew it would be a challenge but it's the kind of challenge I welcome whole heartedly. I have been recording myself playing all the instruments on songs for over 14 years now so I have my methods down pretty well.

antiMusic: Did you approach writing/recording differently for Ghosts and Good Stories than The Brutal Language since you were going in knowing you were doing it at all from the get-go?

Mick: Yes. Knowing beforehand that I was going to be playing all the instruments again was a big advantage in many ways. It saved a lot of time and I wrote the stuff exactly the way I wanted on every drum part, bass part and guitar part. It was a much more focused and relaxed experience than "The Brutal Language" which was all re-recorded last minute and more of a stressful situation.

antiMusic: Is there any kind of communication required between you and Tairrie when writing a record in terms of themes, direction, etc? Or is it just a matter of knowing the road well traveled by My Ruin that such direction is unnecessary? Obviously, you're not going to have a math metal breakdown in the middle of a song or a reggae bridge. Was there any kind of roadmap for this record?

Mick: We know what works and what does not work for us at this point. We write really well as a team and we get things together pretty quickly. We are also 100% honest with each other so there is no pretense or bullshit clouding up the process. We experimented a little more on this album than we did on the last couple. We also had a little more time to make decisions than we did on the past few records.

antiMusic: What are the most satisfying songs for you from the record in terms of both overall aural pleasure and pride in your abilities?

Mick: Long Dark Night, Excommunicated, Eyes Black, Money Shot, Abusing The Muse, La Ciudad, Suicide Tuesday and Malediction are my favorites on the record.

antiMusic: In a couple of tracks (like "Eyes Black"), I was struck by how Geezer Butler-ish your bass playing is at times. Do you agree and do you owe this to the fact that you're a lead guitar player and have a bigger pallet of musical paints to draw from than the standard foundation lines?

Mick: Geezer is probably my favorite bass player so that's why you're hearing that I guess. I try to think and play like a "bass player" when I'm on the bass and like a "drummer" when I'm on the drums.

antiMusic: You seem to have an endless well of riffs to draw from. Do you just play until something meaty jumps out at you or do you wait until you hear it in your head?

Mick: It can be either way really. I approach writing in both of the ways that you mention. It depends on the day and the situation. Sometimes Tairrie will read me some of her lyrics and give me a tempo or a rhythm and I'll start from there on a song. There are no rules.

antiMusic: Some guitarists like Iommi have a few standard licks they frequent from time to time. You seem to avoid that trap. Do you have a weeding-out process whereby you fervently eliminate previously-used riffs or are you just the happy recipient of ever-fresh ideas?

Mick: I try to keep it interesting. There are so many over-used stock riffs and licks out there and I try to avoid using them. I also like to switch things up within the riffs and arrangements that I put together to avoid repetition. I have an eclectic taste in rock music that goes all the way back to being a little kid in 1975 freaking out over Kiss "Alive!" So there are a lot of different influences and genres that I draw from.

antiMusic: You've been a Mockingbird man for a little while, yet you used several guitars on this record. What did you use and how did you decide what to use for each track?

Mick: I used whatever guitar sounded and/or played the best for the track. I used my 1978 Gibson RD Artist, my 1971 Les Paul and both my black & white BC Rich Mockingbird Specials.

antiMusic: It sounded like you had fairly well mapped out the songs in pre-production. Did anything change very much in the studio?

Mick: Musically? Not really. I pretty much stuck to the pre production plan. Tairrie is the variable in the equation because she doesn't demo her vocals. She is more spontaneous about it all. I like that dichotomy between us.

antiMusic: Eddie VH has his "brown sound". Robert Fripp has dabbled in Frippertonics. Your sound has been described as southern-fried Sabbath. Do you feel you have a unique sound and if so, do you cultivate that sound or does it just organically find its way to your fingers?

Mick: I have been obsessively playing guitar since I was 11 years old. It's just what comes out of me. It's very organic. If you hear a recording of me playing a solo 23 years ago, you can tell it's me. I sound like me.

antiMusic: As we covered previously, the very makeup of My Ruin dictates a certain framework. However, are there any styles or areas that you would like to incorporate with future releases?

Mick: We definitely have a style and we're not going to put out something that is completely different from that style but we will continue to evolve.

antiMusic: Now without label support once again, what are the plans for My Ruin for 2011 and beyond?

Mick: We are currently planning a European tour for March 2011. We do have a few other plans up our sleeves but they are classified at this point.

antiMusic: Thanks a lot for doing this Mick.

Mick: Thanks for taking the time, Morley. Rock on!!!

Morley and antiMusic thank Mick for taking the time to speak with us.

Did you miss part one of My Ruin week? Check out Morley's interview with Tairrie here