Band Interview: THROUGH THE SILENCE

Interview with Edgar Fernandes (Bass) and Pedro Freitas (Guitar/Vocals) of Through The Silence by Lady Kat Chaos and Lori DeLuca, March 1, 2015.

Kat Chaos: Hails Edgar and Pedro! How are both of you this evening? Since many don't know Through The Silence, let's get the standard questions out of the way. How your band name is structured and what is the story behind it?
Edgar Fernandes: First of all, thank you for this opportunity. Through The Silence (TTS) formed in 2012 and we are from Terceira Island, Azores. For those who do not know, it is an island located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Pedro Freitas: Hi, thanks for the opportunity. Our name came along by writing some suggestions on a notebook we had. It took some time but eventually we glued some words together. Through The Silence sounded cool, so we ended up sticking with it.

Kat Chaos: Through The Silence formed in August 2012. Since you are based in Terceira Island, and Portugal is home to numerous bands that have risen into the music scene, what are some bands we may have never heard about that you support? Moonspell and Malevolence are well known; are you fans of these bands? How does it feel to come from a country filled with many music influences?
Pedro Freitas: I like Hills Have Eyes and More Than A Thousand. I respect Moonspell a lot, although I'm not into their genre at all. There's nothing I can say about Malevolence because I've only heard the name; I'm not familiar with their work. Portugal doesn't make playing metal easy, and on top of that we live apart from the main Portuguese land, which only makes things harder and places us further away from popular and common influences.

Kat Chaos: Why is it difficult to play metal in Portugal? Is hard to buy instruments and CDs? Is it not accepted?
Pedro Freitas: It's hard to make a fanbase playing metal, particularly being based in such a small place as our hometown. Buying stuff isn't really a problem, although we rely mostly upon online stores.

Kat Chaos: Since I am on the topic of influences. Who would be your influence as a bassist, a guitarist and vocalist?
Pedro Freitas: When I started playing I was a huge Blink-182 fan, so Tom Delonge was a big influence for me. As time went by and I grew up I got stoked with James Hetfield and Matt Tuck.
Edgar Fernandes: I don't have any influences as a bassist, but I like several bassists.

Kat Chaos: Who are some bassists that you like?
Edgar Fernandes: Lemmy, Steve DiGiorgio, Steve Harris.

Kat Chaos: How long have you been playing your instruments? Did you take lessons or are you self-taught?
Edgar Fernandes: I start to play bass late, about 7 years ago. I learned by myself and from playing with friends
Pedro Freitas: I started playing 11 years ago. I’m self-taught.

Kat Chaos: What gear do you both use?
Edgar Fernandes: I play with ESP LTD B-50 bass guitar, bass cabinets 4x10 Hartke and a Behringer Ultrabass BX4500 amp.
Pedro Freitas: I play a Washburn P2 guitar with Epiphone chrome covered humbuckers and a Bugera 333-212 combo and a 120w tube amp.

Lori DeLuca: Do you give lessons?
Pedro Freitas: I don't give lessons, but oh well, you never know what the future may bring...

Kat Chaos: I'm sure you are making an impact in your town. Do you see more individuals now creating bands and following your footsteps by creating a scene?
Edgar Fernandes: Well we can say that in the scene we are trying to build (metalcore) we are the first band. But we have punk, hardcore punk, heavy metal and death metal bands.
Pedro Freitas: There's definitely a scene here; it's small but it exists. There aren't any new bands coming around lately, unfortunately.

Kat Chaos: Do you feel that metalcore scene gets looked down upon or is it more accepted today?
Pedro Freitas: I think it is looked down on in general, because nowadays it's hard to find something original in the metalcore scene. Most of the bands sound the same. We classify ourselves under the genre mostly because of our sound and the bands we're influenced by.

Kat Chaos: You list yourselves as metalcore. What makes you classify yourselves under that genre? Are there quite a few people who write off metalcore bands for various reasons?
Edgar Fernandes: Well, metalcore is another subgenre. We have good and bad bands, good music and bad music. The problem is that nowadays everyone wants to be like well-known bands and it ends up becoming generic.

Kat Chaos: Many bands were obsessed with breakdowns, what made you not fully focus on them? What metalcore structures do you follow?
Pedro Freitas: We don't feel breakdowns are that important. They're cool and we use them, but we tend to focus on the melody. There are a lot of elements in our songs.
Edgar Fernandes: That´s the problem, breakdowns after breakdowns.  We’re trying to avoid this type of structure; we play thrash metal riffs and melodic death metal too.

Lori DeLuca: When did you know you wanted to be in a band?
Pedro Freitas: I knew I wanted to be in a band when I watched the music video for "Dammit" by Blink-182 for the first time at a friend's place. He had bought his first guitar recently and was trying to play the riffs; my mind was blown away.

Kat Chaos: In December of 2014 you released your debut EP 'Debt Of Words'. Your sound has a professional tone to it. Where did you do the production?
Edgar Fernandes: It was by Tiago Alves from the local band Anomally and he start a home studio call Waveyard studios.

Kat Chaos: Take us through the writing process for 'Debt Of Words', and how you shaped it into what it became? Can you talk a little about the inspiration and behind the songs 'Dawn Of Sorrow', 'Fallen' and ‘Odium’? Is there any message in your lyrics?
Pedro Freitas: All the songs in the EP were written between 2012 and 2014. We wanted to make a "collection" of our strongest songs at that time, so what made it into the CD was what we felt was our best material. Dawn Of Sorrow was written by me, except for the lyrics, I just wanted to make a fast, short and straight to business song. As I was playing Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow at the time I got the name from it. I came up with the intro riff for Fallen by mostly joking around. The general theme is giving up your soul for something you love. I didn't write the lyrics, but this might be accurate. Odium was by Vitor Parreira our guitar player except for the lyrics. Those were done by our vocalist André Lopes and as the title suggests it's about hate. We try to put messages and meaning through our songs.

Kat Chaos: Speaking of "Odium" wasn't this song chosen for the compilation "Unsigned Artist Christmas" for Afflicted Records? How have compilations helped bring Through The Silence to the masses?
Pedro Freitas: I guess it helped spreading the message about us.
Edgar Fernandes: We believe that opportunities to participate in compilations is always a good way promote our work and know about other bands.

Kat Chaos: Edgar, what were you looking for in terms of bass work? Which songs from your EP do you find shows your best talents?
Edgar Fernandes: In terms of bass work, I give priority to the rhythmic cohesion; I don't really care about flashy stuff. Maybe "Fallen" "Salvation" and "Odium".

Lori DeLuca: How do you prefer to write your songs in English or Spanish?
Pedro Freitas: We write our songs in English.

Kat Chaos: Between clean and melodic or screams, what type of vocals do you prefer, Pedro?
Pedro Freitas: I like doing both of them and I was lucky enough to do both on the EP. I’m really proud of my vocal tracks on Odium. It was fun recording them because we worked the vocals in that track like a "question/response" situation, if you know what I mean. All the other tracks came along really well too. I’m more used to clean vocals than screaming. Like I said I like them both but I don't consider myself a "pro" of course.

Kat Chaos: You put a lot of effort into your song structure. How important is the connection between harmony and mood while writing a new song?
Pedro Freitas: We like to let it flow as naturally as possible, building up the song from the beginning like it's a story, giving little pieces of harmony along the way to make it full circle.

Kat Chaos: Did you set the bar high then with 'Debt Of Words'?
Pedro Freitas: We wanted to make sure we did our best work on all the tracks, putting a variety of ideas along the way to help each track stand out on its own.

Kat Chaos: How has your debut EP differ compared to your first demo, lyrically and musically? Is your demo still available?
Pedro Freitas: With our EP we had a much clearer image of where we wanted to be musically and lyrically. At the time we recorded our demo we were still exploring what we had and starting to know each other as musicians. Our demo is still available, on Youtube and Soundcloud.
Edgar Fernandes: The demo song "Memories" is our second song we made. At that time we were still not sure about our sound. Now lyrically we are completely sure what we want.

Kat Chaos: When some write material they tend to put their interest in making the sounds heavy, epic, or ‘world-ending’, how do you try to avoid your songs from fallen short and making sure it has substance to it?
Pedro Freitas: We try to give the listener one thing at a time and make sure the buildup for the stand out part of the song is highlighted as best as we can.

Kat Chaos: Your ambition and commitment to growth will take you far. Some have forgotten passion and just see dollar signs. What are the roots musicians have lost over the years?
Edgar Fernandes: Hahaha dollar signs, what is that? Our few concerts are basically for free; our payment is to see people have fun, support us and support local bands.
Pedro Freitas: I think the bigger picture here is that the music industry has become a ruthless money making machine forcing a considerable amount of artists to adapt their ways so that they can still make a living out of their work. So we'll always see artists who started out doing what they believed in changing their ways with or without a choice.

Kat Chaos: Edgar, are you still experimenting musically in what direction you’d like to head in?
Edgar Fernandes: I’ll head into where the band takes. Like I said before, I’m not interested in making money. What comes for good is always welcome.

Kat Chaos: Do you work with a contract and rider?
Edgar Fernandes: Most of the concerts we play are basically for free. We organize the events or the others bands do and invite us.
Pedro Freitas: Usually we don't work with contracts because we're not registered; neither are pretty much all the artists in our home town. However, we often discuss riders and general conditions for the gigs.

Kat Chaos: What shows do you have coming up?
Pedro Freitas: We're taking a break at the moment due to some members’ personal affairs.

Lori DeLuca: If you had to pick the place you would love to play at where would it be?
Pedro Freitas: Somewhere in the UK or USA probably.

Kat Chaos: Do you need to rent spaces to hold your event along with the other bands?
Edgar Fernandes: We go into bars, talk to the owners and make the proposals.
Pedro Freitas: Usually we don't need to rent spaces.

Kat Chaos: Have you ever been turned down from a bar and then when the owner hears about the turn out from another bar do they tend to call you back wanting to be a part of what you are doing?
Pedro Freitas: Not at all.

Kat Chaos: Through The Silence is self-managed, self-booked and independent of any record label affiliation but has accomplished a great deal so far. Do you see the band ever wanting to become involved with any agencies or do you see a better opportunity doing things yourselves?
Pedro Freitas: We would probably benefit from a digital distribution deal at the moment and we'll certainly think about it. However, for gigs we can manage ourselves as long as we play where we are.
Edgar Fernandes: It's complicated because living on an island gives us the disadvantage of being isolated. That's not good for any label. As I've said before we'll look into whatever comes into our hands and if it’s good, I don't see why we shouldn't give it a try.

Lori DeLuca: What is the best advice you would a kid just starting out?
Pedro Freitas: I would say, work hard, be proud of yourself, play with feeling and never give up.

http://www.facebook.com/through.t.silence

Band Interview: The Burning Dogma

Interview with Maurizio Cremonini of The Burning Dogma by Lady Kat Chaos and Clayton Matthew

Obscure Chaos Zine: The Burning Dogma was born in the Fall of 2008, but the idea came about in 2006. Who is the main founder? Introduce the rest of your brothers and the crafts they master?
Maurizio Cremonini: I'm a founder with the other guitar player, Diego Luccarini. After the release of "Cold Shade Burning" Antero Greenville a great drummer joined the band to improve our rhythm skills. Another main character is our keyboard player Giovanni Esposito who allows us to bring more dynamics and amazing depth in our songs. In the last few months Simone Esperti on bass and Andrea Monte Montefiori joined the band and the new LP is gonna show everybody our new level.

Obscure Chaos-Zine: I read you're in the process of creating a new album this year. What can you tell us about it? Will you be recording some of your past songs from "Live at Dylan Horror Metal Pub (Live album 2010)," "Cold Shade Burning (EP 2012)" and "Triumph of Spread (Single 2012)"? How would you compare it to your past releases?
Maurizio Cremonini: We're deeply involved in the pre-production phase of the new full length. We won’t carry any "old songs" on the new release! Just trying to step forward in our songwriting. Sonically it will be more extreme; we wanna push all our emotions to the maximum. More groove, more brutality, more intensity.

Obscure Chaos-Zine: How much of the new album is written? How many songs are fully completed at this time?
Maurizio Cremonini: We wanna present the real meaning of human emotion. At the moment we have four songs completed. We’re talking about songs of about seven minutes each, so it takes time to get an entire album ready!

Obscure Chaos-Zine: During your ceremonies of creating songs, do you feel a spiritual connection is one of the most important aspects of your artistic view? How did you initially come up with the band’s concept and sound?
Maurizio Cremonini: We got to split it up into two different points: lyrics and music. Music is always like metempsychosis; a sort of hypnotic view. So we come up with songs while repeating riffs until they create a pattern that becomes a composition. The lyrics are carried out by our singer and are about apocalyptic vision, through the vision of human poorness.

Clayton Matthew: What is your preferred rig? Do you use any pedals or effects processors, and if so what are you using?
Maurizio Cremonini: I spent several years try to find out my concept of sound; it wasn’t easy at all. But after trying everything I could; a Boss pedalboard, different amp heads and guitars, my actual rig is composed of a Mayones 7 Regius Gothic Custom guitar, a Mesa Dual recto moded by me, a Tc Electronic Nova System and a midi switching unit.

Obscure Chaos-Zine: Can you discuss what influenced you to write the four songs you have written and completed?
Maurizio Cremonini: Those four we’re talking about are already pre-produced and the flavor mixes some early Carcass, some Nocturnus, some Immolation. This is just giving you a basic idea.

Obscure Chaos-Zine: Your guitar is custom made. How long did it take to build what you wanted? What can you tell us about your Mayones 7 Regius Gothic Custom guitar so maybe other guitarist would be interested in trying it out?
Maurizio Cremonini: We try to present a particular feeling. We don’t wanna copy any big bands. Mayones is a hand shaped guitar. Some big artists like Katatonia, Paradise Lost, Tiamat and so on are proud Mayones customers. The wood involved in construction is so good and high quality. The main character is the depth of its voice. So warm. So roaring. It took many years to collect enough money to buy such a monster.

Obscure Chaos-Zine: What were you playing before you purchased your Mayones guitar? Did you have to order from Poland or did you have some good guitar shops in your homeland? Have you spoken with the owners of Mayones about being endorsed by them?
Maurizio Cremonini: I’ve owned a Gibson Les Paul, a Schecter Jeff Loomis, several guitars from Ibanez and BC Rich. What I had in mind became reality as soon as I had my Regius. I tried for endorsement but I didn’t push too much. I just purchased it from the main Polish factory. Here in Italy it is quite difficult to find a dealer

Obscure Chaos Zine: Have you ever thought of opening your own guitar shop so other musicians don't struggle looking for gear?
Maurizio Cremonini: Oh no… it's a tough market!! And there are few people that could afford such prices for musical instrument!! Here in Italy the economic crisis is still killing people! But I’m always ready to help whoever asks for an opinion about guitars!!!

Obscure Chaos Zine: Have you ever built your own guitar?
Maurizio Cremonini: This search for instruments is an important part of The Burning Dogma’s sound because we wanna present a different sound and an original point of view. I am not able at all to build any guitars by myself.

Obscure Chaos Zine: How long have you been playing guitars for and are you self-taught or have you taken some lessons while in school?
Maurizio Cremonini: Ten years ago I started playing guitar. Few lessons. The internet is the answer.

Obscure Chaos Zine: How is the internet the answer? Do you watch you tube with other guitarist who give out free lessons? Which guitarist have you learned tips from?
Maurizio Cremonini: You can find tons of tutorials, lessons, and tips! My reference guitar players are Jeff Loomis, Andy James, Mike Amott and so on.

Obscure Chaos Zine: Have you ever done videos to help out other guitarists?
Maurizio Cremonini: I’m not the kind of guy that thinks to upload immediately after learning a few licks for some video. I think I still have to learn a lot before giving any lessons.

Obscure Chaos Zine: Do you feel that Doom/Death Metal is a deep art form charged with feelings and emotions, and to truly enjoy it you need to sit down and listen carefully?
Maurizio Cremonini: I can only say that death metal (especially old school) drives my emotions out of my body. Sometimes it takes the effort to sit down and listen to fully enjoy the feeling it creates. But of course headbanging is so natural when you're really involved. And that is the main purpose of our band: to present extreme emotions such as horror, despair and pain through resurrection of the flesh! We don’t wanna be mixed up with brutal death scene; we just wanna build texture and atmosphere with darkened and bloomy scenery

Obscure Chaos Zine: Have you ever written a song after an astral projection experience?
Maurizio Cremonini: I don’t think so, but for sure I was influenced by my dreams. On the forthcoming album we're going to dig it out more and more!

Obscure Chaos Zine: How often are you aware of your lucid dreaming and what emotions do you bring into your songs? How do you flourish in this path, to express your thoughts or spread them through music? Were you ever disappointed with the music you created?
Maurizio Cremonini: Well, the better songs come out as my inner pain grows up. It's a bit masochistic but true. Music it's the only vector to bring pain and delusion out. Life sometimes forces you to face things you wouldn’t believe to be real. I can assure everyone that reality could become worse and nightmares possible.

Obscure Chaos Zine: Have you ever feel like a misfit in the metal scene or from your homeland?
Maurizio Cremonini: It wasn’t easy to be integrated if you were a metal kid in the early 90s in Italy.

Obscure Chaos Zine: How have times changed since the 90's in Italy? Is metal more accepted?
Maurizio Cremonini: Fortunately a lot has changed!! Now metal is accepted even if still underrated.

Obscure Chaos Zine: Has the suffering you have gone through helped you release emotional pain or does playing your songs bring you more anger?
Maurizio Cremonini: When I play our songs I feel relief. No more anger, just pleasure!!

http://www.facebook.com/theburningdogma

Band Interview: A Hanging

Interview with Bobby Bergeron of A Hanging by Lady Kat Chaos with Geoff McGraw, Alan Lisanti, Core Of Destruction Radio and Frank Garcia

Lady Kat Chaos: Hails Bobby! How are you on this fine winters evening? Before we talk about A Hanging, when did you start DJing for radio stations? What tunes are you blasting this evening on Core of Destruction radio while we are conducting our live Facebook interview?

Bobby Bergeron: Well, I got interested in dj-ing when I would go up to the local college station at Tulane University here in New Orleans (WTUL) and would help out a couple of the DJs now and then with the metal/hardcore/etc. shows. Later on I started listening to various internet radio shows and was coerced into starting my own show, which became Paranoize Radio. Originally it was on Blog Talk, which only gave me an hour's time and the sound quality was kinda like AM radio. Later on, when Core Of Destruction was starting up, they asked me if I'd like to join the crew and four years later I'm still here. I host 2 shows on Core Of Destruction (www.coreofdestructionradio.com)... Out Of Bounds on Monday nights (8 to 10 PM Central), where I play whatever I want, and Paranoize Radio on Thursday nights (same time), where I cover metal, punk, hardcore, thrash, death, grind, sludge, etc. from New Orleans and the Southern U.S.. Tonight I have a bunch of old New Orleans thrash metal for the first half of the show. But yeah... if you're looking for actual dates, the first episode of Paranoize Radio aired Thanksgiving of 2009.

Lady Kat Chaos: What new bands have you promoted this evening? How can bands send you an mp3's to get played during your air time?

Bobby Bergeron: Well, every show I do a block of bands that are playing in town over the next 2 weeks at the top of the 2nd hour after I announce upcoming shows. No real "new" stuff this week, but aside from my block of old New Orleans/southern US thrash that I have going on right now, I have new-ish stuff from Ossacrux (whose have finally pressed their demo onto vinyl), Gristnam, House Of Goats, Vatican Dagger, Bitchface, Diab, Withering Light, and one of the new A Hanging tunes that we recorded back in October. Bands can send stuff my way via email at bobby@paranoizenola.com or to the station in general at promotions@coreofdestructionradio.com.

Lady Kat Chaos: On-line radio stations have been spewing the net for years and seems the best way to go these days. What do you like/dislike about College Radio stations and on-line radio stations?

Bobby Bergeron: I love both college radio and online stations! they are the last bastion of truly underground radio. though college stations tend to put their metal/hardcore shows at odd hours, usually somewhere between midnight and 5 am, online stations tend to dedicate their entire stations to the genre.

Lady Kat Chaos: New Orleans took a big hit and are still rebuilding since Hurricane Katrina. Did you lose any of your music collections?

Bobby Bergeron: I was very fortunate through that whole event. The area where I was living got no flooding and the apartment building I was living got no damage aside from gutters being blown off and the swimming pool getting all funky. I've hooked a lot of people in New Orleans bands up with their own music who've lost it over the years in various storms, floods, etc.

Lady Kat Chaos: The bands in New Orleans seems to stick together and help each other out. I remember seeing many bands putting on shows to help rebuild New Orleans. Are some venues still struggling to rebuild? What is the current New Orleans scene like?

Bobby Bergeron: The biggest hit that the New Orleans scene took was the loss of the Dixie Taverne. The building took on 7 feet of water and the owners (who were in the process of divorcing each other anyway) didn't have flood insurance, because the building wasn't in a flood zone. Most of the damage that occurred in New Orleans was due to the levee and floodwall breeches, not the actual hurricane. The scene is now stronger than ever. There are several venues around town and usually 2 or 3 shows happening every weekend, with Siberia being the venue that seems to get all the good shows passing through town. It's a 200 or so capacity venue, but they've gotten D.R.I., Napalm Death, Municipal Waste, High On Fire, OFF, Negative Approach, Cro-Mags, etc, there when they pass through this way.

Lady Kat Chaos: How did A Hanging's show at Siberia on Jan. 3, 2015 go? How long was your set?

Bobby Bergeron: Well, the weather kinda sucked, had some heavy storms blow through, so the attendance could've been better, but a lot of old friends came out that I hadn't seen awhile, since Choke (from Lake Charles, LA) hadn't played here in a while. Our sets are usually somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes, depending on how fast our drummer feels like playing.

Lady Kat Chaos: Winter shows are always rough. Do you feel at times bands will get hell because show attendance is low and some don't consider the weather conditions?

Bobby Bergeron: Well, it's just something that happens, so I, myself, stopped worrying about that sort of thing a long time ago. I've encountered some people in bands who get pissed and go on tirades when a show is sparsely attended, but it's just how things go around here sometimes. The attendance usually all depends on who else is playing that night, weather, how well as how is actually promoted, etc. We just have fun no matter what the situation is. Hell there have been times when we've totally cleared a room that was crowded before we played because we were the only "heavy" band on a bill.

Lady Kat Chaos: When being in a band no matter how many people attend you should still give it your all because you can gain a new fan even if it’s just the bar tender and other bands watching. Do you feel playing smaller venues is better with connecting with fans?

Bobby Bergeron: Definitely! Well, the scene here isn't really all that big to tell you the truth. Obviously the bigger bands (Goatwhore, Eyehategod, any band that Phil Anselmo is involved in, etc.) draws people that don't go to any other shows, the scene here is still mostly made up of a core group of maybe 50 to 100 people that show up to most of the local shows.

Lady Kat Chaos: When you clear out a room because you're a heavy band on the bill, what goes through your mind? How do you draw those fans back up to the stage?

Bobby Bergeron: Oh, we don't expect them to come back, haha. We see it as some sort of personal victory. If they aren't into us, there's nothing we can do (or will do) to win them over. We play what we enjoy playing.

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you feel playing mix shows at times can hurt your own band as far as gaining other fans?

Bobby Bergeron: Well, we've always gained a fan or two at those types of shows, but yeah the shows where we share a bill with other thrash/hardcore bands are always more fun because everybody gets what we're doing and it's usually good, rowdy fun.

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you have to sell tickets or rent out a venue? Do they still do count heads at the door?

Bobby Bergeron: Nope... the venues here are bars, charge a cover at the door, pay the sound guy and give the rest to the bands.

Lady Kat Chaos: Remember the good old days of swamping shows with other bands from different areas? Do you still see this happening?

Bobby Bergeron: There are a LOT of good, heavy bands here. Gristnam, Ossacrux, House Of Goats, Six Pack, Fat Stupid Ugly People, Classhole, Mule Skinner, The Pallbearers, Donkey Puncher just to name a few. Never a problem hooking up with bands for a show here.

Geoff McGraw: As a heavier band do you have problems in your locale obtaining bands of the same type for a show?

Bobby Bergeron: We've done that with a band from Monroe, La (up on the NW part of the state) called Sheeple, but yes, that still happens. We borrow their gear when we travel up there; they borrow ours when they play here.

Alan Lisanti: What's up everyone? Got a few questions for you. How diverse are the genres within the scene over there? Do you feel that the fact that Sludge seems to be the most commonly talked about genre by outsiders in say the media, or in general is inaccurate in terms of the overall perception of the scene? Or is it more of like a fraction of a bigger (more diverse) picture?

Bobby Bergeron: There is punk, hardcore, thrash, black metal, grind, crust, straight up metal, pop-punk, etc. here in New Orleans, though yes, people for the most part seem to only talk about the sludge bands, or think that the scene here is made up of only 5 or 6 dudes and their side projects.

Geoff McGraw: As a bass player what do you find to be your biggest challenge?

Bobby Bergeron: My biggest challenge is lugging around a damn 8-10 cabinet from the band room to the venue and back.

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you think that venues should have back-lines to make it easier on bands or do you feel it’s better to use your own equipment?

Bobby Bergeron: Usually if there's a show with a lot of bands (fest type situations); everybody will get together and work out a backline. I usually end up loaning somebody my rig, so a backline type situation always works out. You can't really expect the venues to do it out here though. You're lucky to get a free beer in some places.

Geoff McGraw: Pick or no pick?

Bobby Bergeron: I play with a pick. I play it like a damn guitar.

Core Of Destruction Radio: You ever feel overwhelmed from being fantastical multitaskah!! How do you keep your hair so shiny?

Lady Kat Chaos: Funny you asked that about how Bobby keeps his hair shiny. Many girls talk about how guys’ hair is more amazing then females. LOL Maybe some musicians should put out their own hair products.

Bobby Bergeron: Eh, my hair is naturally shiny I suppose. I use dandruff shampoo... lol.

Geoff McGraw: Lol... how about a standard question. Name your personal top three musical influences.

Bobby Bergeron: Top three influences... well, I was a rhythm guitarist before I was pretty much forced to play bass, but bassists that I admire are: Dan Lilker, Jason Newsted (you can't deny that his work on Flotsam & Jetsam's "Doomsday For The Deceiver was stellar, and his bass tone on the self-titled Voivod album is awesome) and of course the major rager on the 4-string motherfucker.. Cliff Burton!

Frank Garcia: Is there a link to check out his fanzine?

Bobby Bergeron: You can check out Paranoize 'Zine at http://www.paranoizenola.com.

Lady Kat Chaos: Some musicians at times get picky or bitchy about sharing their equipment with others. Where you ever in a situation that you didn't bring a backup bass or strings and need to borrow another bands bass?

Bobby Bergeron: I always bring a backup bass just in case, because the one time I did break a string was when we (Face First) were playing a dumb "battle of the bands" type thing where the winner won a spot opening for The Misfits. We lost anyway, because our guitarist pissed the promoter off very early on, so we had no chance. But, during our last song I broke a string, threw my bass down and jumped in the pit.

Lady Kat Chaos: When I talk to some bassists they tell me that Fender RBX 25 or Fender M-80 Amps are the best to use. What amps have you used in the past and what are you using today?

Bobby Bergeron: My rig that I use now is a Madison E-600 that I bought off of Craigslist. When I played bass in my old thrash band in the 90's, I just plugged into the p.a. at practice and borrowed somebody's amp for shows.

Core Of Destruction Radio: When will Rick Allen's Arm tour the South?

Bobby Bergeron: Rick Allen's Arm haven't even had our first practice yet, but I’m sure a tour of the South isn't too farfetched if we just invade somebody's show and play a bunch of noise.

Lady Kat Chaos: Why did you switch from guitar to bass? Did you have a hard time finding a bass player? Do you still pick up your guitar? Which one do you feel more comfortable playing?

Bobby Bergeron: Yeah, we went through like 7 bass players and in the end it was just easier for me to borrow somebody's bass than find somebody who could commit the time to learning our songs in time to play the shows we had booked. Playing guitar feels funny now, like playing with a toy.

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you play a 4, 5 or 6 string?

Bobby Bergeron: 4 is all I need.

Lady Kat Chaos: What strings do you like using?

Bobby Bergeron: No preference really... last time I put GHS boomers I believe.

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you find strings can be expensive at times? Is it best to change your strings the day before your show?

Bobby Bergeron: When the battery in my tuner and my active pickup dies, I change my strings, so probably once every four to six months.

Geoff McGraw: Presented with the chance to run the perfect rig bass pedals and amp what would you choose if cost was no object?

Bobby Bergeron: I'd have to sit and fuck with everything for half a day. I really don't get the chance to do all that. I'm pretty happy with the sound I get from my head.

Lady Kat Chaos: Is it fact that a pick size can actually change the sound of your strings or the way that you play?

Bobby Bergeron: Well, I've always used these 1.mm triangular picks, so I don't really know from experience, but yes I'm sure it would.

Lady Kat Chaos: From your perspective, what are some of your bass highlights?

Bobby Bergeron: Eh, I'm not much of a flashy type player. I hold the bottom end down.

Lady Kat Chaos: Did you ever have issues with bass pickup configurations?

Bobby Bergeron: Nope.

Lady Kat Chaos: What pickups do you use? If you were to design your own signature bass what must be included? Do you like thin or thick fret-boards?

Bobby Bergeron: I play an Ibanez Gio Soundgear. It has the factory active pickups. I haven't modified it at all. It has a thin fret board.

Lady Kat Chaos: At times musicians need to take a break. When you went on your own hiatus, was it easy for you to get right back into it?

Bobby Bergeron: Surprisingly, yes! I had kept playing guitar off and on (just not with a band), so when I started playing bass the transition was pretty easy.

Lady Kat Chaos: Did you feel something was missing when you took your time off and what made you come back to your roots of playing in a band?

Bobby Bergeron: I stayed involved in the scene through the 'zine and through booking bands but yes, I did miss actually playing.

Lady Kat Chaos: Sometimes musicians wanted to learn how to play an instrument or create a band because they wanted to meet chicks. What were your reasons when you first began?

Bobby Bergeron: I just wanted to share the stage with the other awesome local bands of that time period.

Lady Kat Chaos: With doing two radio stations, your bands, and your zine do you ever get overwhelmed or are you good with time management skills?

Bobby Bergeron: I timed out the radio shows to where they fall on nights that I have nothing else happening and it's long enough after I get home from work that I have time to work out the play list for the evening. We only practice one night a week, so that doesn't take up much time. And the 'zine, well, I also have to coordinate that with three other writers, so whenever they send their stuff in, that's when I buckle down and throw it all together (usually within a week, with the majority done over a weekend).

Lady Kat Chaos: I've been listening to one of your new songs, "Winter Is Here" while doing this interview and keep hitting replay. How many new songs have you started writing since the end of 2014?

Bobby Bergeron: Scott has a couple of new ones written, but we haven't gotten together to work them out yet so far this year.

Lady Kat Chaos: "Crucify Him" and “Graft" are killer songs as well. What details can you tell our readers about these two songs I've mentioned?

Bobby Bergeron: Those are actually two songs from the first batch that the band wrote back in 2007 that just hadn't been recorded yet. This session this past October (the first recordings that I was actually on in the band) covered everything that hadn't been recorded yet, and one song ("Singing Over The Bones") from the first cd ("Food For Rats") re-recorded with the current line-up.

Lady Kat Chaos: Are both releases Tales Of Woe (2013) and Food For Rats (2009) still available?

Bobby Bergeron: Yes. There are a few "Food For Rats" CDs and a bunch of "Tales Of Woe" CDs left. They can be purchased through our Bandcamp page at http://ahanging504.bandcamp.com.

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you think the downloading a band's albums is declining these days and more want hard-copies instead?

Bobby Bergeron: I'm seeing that with vinyl moreso than with CDs.

Lady Kat Chaos: Are you glad to see that vinyl's and even cassettes are starting to make a comeback?

Bobby Bergeron: Very! I didn't realize how much I'd miss records until that medium became damn near extinct. Cassettes, I'm not so excited about. Those were always getting eaten by tape players or damaged easily and I really don't understand the big cassette comeback.

Lady Kat Chaos: We all know that the internet has pros and cons pertaining to how it has hurt and helped bands out in the same time. What are your thoughts?

Bobby Bergeron: It's a LOT easier to get your band out there with the internet, but you also have a lot more awful or just plain mediocre bands to wade through before you hear that one band that you have to tell all your friends about.

Lady Kat Chaos: When CDs came into action did you start throwing your vinyl's and repurchasing it on CDs and did you start throwing out CDs because you were able to download your music to a computer, iPod etc?

Bobby Bergeron: The only things I upgraded to cd are albums that I only had on dubbed cassettes and never owned an actual copy of, but no, I NEVER threw anything away. I still have all of my cassettes, vinyl and CDs.

Lady Kat Chaos: Some would agree or disagree. But with all the release format changes do you feel that record labels were able to bank on this as well as some bands?

Bobby Bergeron: Of course, especially with the CD versions containing bonus tracks and whatnot.

Lady Kat Chaos: What format do you like listening to your music on and what formats do you like to use when it comes to releasing your own music?

Bobby Bergeron: I prefer listening to vinyl at home. We've released CDs because they're cheaper and easier and we like to have a product to sell at shows, but we do hope to release a 7" sometime in 2015.

Lady Kat Chaos: Will you be writing some songs of your own to add into a new release with A Hanging?

Bobby Bergeron: If I ever get over this damn writer’s block, yes!

Lady Kat Chaos: Writer’s block can be a bitch at times. What topics do you like writing about?

Bobby Bergeron: I haven't written lyrics since the late 80's... those songs were about things teenagers wrote about during that time period.... nuclear war, drug abuse, fighting authority, etc.

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you ever go back and ask yourself, what the hell I was thinking when I created those songs and have you ever thought on reworking on them at a more mature level?

Bobby Bergeron I think its best that those songs stay where they are, haha.

Lady Kat Chaos: Are you recording new versions of the A Hanging old stuff that hasn't been released and what changes have been made to "Crucify Him" and "Graft" since they first wrote it?

Bobby Bergeron: Well, our original singer, Alix left the band in 2011 and Scott took over vocal duties, so those are the main changes. I suppose lyrics may have changed to, but I really couldn't tell you, since that's not my department. The songs that made up Tales Of Woe were older recordings that were never finished, so Scott put his vocal tracks over them and we kind of rushed the CD so we could have something to sell at shows that represented our current sound.

Lady Kat Chaos: When you're composing a new song, what's exactly the most changeling part of the whole process for you when writing new tunes?

Bobby Bergeron: Learning the music, getting it tight. Luckily our songs are usually around a minute and a half or two minutes, so once they're finished, it's really not a challenging as it seems.

Geoff McGraw: Sorry was on my way back from Cleveland so typing wasn't happening. Last question from me: Since we're on the topic of writer’s block, do you have a process like some do to try and break it?

Bobby Bergeron: I haven't had any luck breaking through my writer’s block.

Lady Kat Chaos: When playing your songs live and you make an error, do you get pissed off or like fuck it I pulled that off and no one noticed it but me?

Bobby Bergeron: Usually we just look at each other, smile and laugh it off. We always keep it fun! No need to call a band meeting because somebody's finger slid a little too far down the fretboard or was too drunk or whatever.

Lady Kat Chaos: Have you ever gotten too drunk to perform or did you ever fall of the stage?

Bobby Bergeron: I've always pulled it off. Scott fell backwards off the stage in one of his bands once (believe it or not, he wasn't drunk) and had to get stitches in his head.

Lady Kat Chaos: I am sure some started a rumor he was. That happens sober too. Can trip over your wires. Some bands don't like their fans joining them on stage, how do you feel about it?

Bobby Bergeron: We're not really into that either. The only person that gets on stage with us is our old singer, Alix once in a while to do a song or two with us if she's at a show.

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you have any shows or fest coming up? Will you be handling the bookings for A Hanging shows?

Bobby Bergeron: Yep, I handle the booking. We're playing a show at Banks Street Bar on Feb. 21st (still working on the lineup) and after that the next shows that we have on the books are a few fest shows: May 16th at Burn The Throne IV, June 19th at the 2nd Annual New Orleans Rock N' Roll Fest, then in July (no date set yet) our usual Creepy Fest appearance!

Lady Kat Chaos: I know that you have to get going Bobby. Thanks for stopping by. Any last plugs you would like to add?

Bobby Bergeron: Thanks for the support! Keep print 'zines and internet radio alive!

Lady Kat Chaos: Thanks for all the support. Looking forward to a new release by A HANGING sometime in 2015.

http://www.facebook.com/ahanging

Band Interview: Deform

Interview with Mike Churry (D), Tim Ninerell (G,V),  Josh Perrin (V), Colin Tarvin (B) of Deform by Lady Kat Chaos (and guest appearances), January 28, 2014

OCZ: Hails & Welcome! Tim, why don't you give a brief history of Deform.

Matthew Burton (Josh): What's up, everyone, it's Josh. This is my super underground Facebook alias.

Tim Llerenin: Hey, Kat thanks for the interview. Myself and Mike formed the band in 2007 in Hainesport NJ with the intention of playing "true" death metal and we've been doing it ever since.

OCZ: Now, you let the secret out, Josh!

Josh: Yes, this band is full of secrets. And for the record we're all straight! Now I'll let Tim continue.

Tim: You did say to make it brief.

OCZ: Indeed, I did! That was the shortest one I've ever seen. Are you fans of the old school ways of releasing your material on cassette?  Have you thought about reissuing "Nefarious Impulses" on vinyl? 

Tim:  We are fans of the oldschool ways.  Our "Nefarious Impulses" demo is being reissued on tape through unholy domain records soon.  We're open to release material on cassette format in the future as well.  No, we don't care to have it reissued on vinyl, we're focusing on other things.

Danny (Strings Of Distorted Doom): Question, will shirts and merchandise be available soon to us listeners? That's all I got, for now. Continue.

Michael: How we doing? Mike here. 

Danny Distorted Doom: Shirts? Shirts!

Tim: Yeah we have the "evil eyes" T-shirt available, designed by Derek Waugh. Great artist. Also did the "Nefarious Impulses" art cover

Ron Kaiser: Does Deform have shirts that will fit fat assholes like me?

Tim: XL big enough for ya Ron? that's the biggest size we have.

Ron Kaiser: That means I gotta start eating more salads.

Chris Meyer: Just been checking out some videos on your page and I can say with some certainty that you have a new fan! I really dig the old school style sound. Who would you list as some of your influences/inspirations?

Tim: Thanks Chris.  For myself, I am heavily influenced by death metal bands from the early Wisconsin death metal scene like Accidental suicide, Viogression, Dr. Shrinker.  Also big into the (early) Finnish scene and other stuff too of course but those are the big ones.

OCZ: Patrick Leis, is another kick ass artist who did the cover of yours and Mortuous 7' split. Will you use him again for other releases?

Tim: Patrick is a great artist, I contacted him after I saw his early work he did for Clive Barker novels in the early 90s. I like  his airbrushed style and thought that would be appropriate for that split art cover. Not sure if we will use him again or not ya never know.

OCZ: Many have been wondering if your split is still available and where can they purchase it?

Tim: The split isn't out yet. Mortuous just finished their track, and it has been sent to the label.  Not sure when that will be out. It will be released through Unholy Domain Records though.  For now we are rehearsing the material for our upcoming EP "What Lives in Shadows?". The track "Behind the Mirrors" (which will be on the Mortuous split) will be re-recorded for the EP.

OCZ: Currently you're in the process of a creating a new release, what details can you discuss thus far?

Tim: Help me out here, Mikey and Josh.

Josh: Mike go for it. I'll follow up with any extra info.

OCZ: Josh, what inspired you to write "What Lives in Shadows"?

Josh: I wish to help with production on What Lives In Shadows. Well I have to admit that the upcoming album is not of my doing. It was written by the other members of the band. Mostly Mike and Tim, as far as the music goes. Some lyrics were later added by Alex and Colin Tarvin. I will not be doing vocals on this upcoming album as decided by the whole band. For now, I am front-man for live performances. But, later on, we can discuss some SECRETS as far as a full-length album goes, because we are in the beginning stages of writing new material.

Michael: "What Lives in Shadows?", our next release, will be released hopefully somewhere between April and the summer 2014.  Behind the Mirrors like Tim said, will be on the WLIS EP as well.  As you can tell, the song is sick in my opinion, and very obscure (like your name) haha. Actually each song that you will hear on the EP will throw you off with very different elements of Finnish, Swedish and more of a classic death metal approach.

Tim: We are in the process of a new release. For now, all we are doing is rehearsing the fuck out of it, getting it real solid. all the music is already written.

OCZ: Why has everyone decided not have you on the recording of the upcoming release, Josh?

Tim: I don't know where Josh got that from, I said I want to do most of the vocals not ALL! You can do some man!

Josh: Well, along with everyone else, I feel like the lyrics are more catered to Tim's style of vocals and WLIS should feature Tim's signature voc-AH-ls. The lyrics that I did not partake in writing that is. But I will indeed write the fuck out of the following album...

OCZ: What songs have you written lyrics for Josh?

Josh: None. I am on no recordings for Deform thus far.

OCZ: Tim, how would you explain Josh's vocals?

Tim: Interesting, Kat. Well I first heard his vox on a Basilisk track "Sculpting Whores" and was impressed by his capabilities as far as power goes, and he has a very aggressive tone. He is like a hybrid of black and death metal vocals, leaning more towards the death side with Deform.

OCZ: Josh, how would you explain Tim's vocals?

Josh: Tim's vocals go with the "foreign" death metal style. He has this accent, for example in Repulsive Deformity (off of Nefarious Impulses) he's like “There AH/Individuals/Who/Possess/A sick-NEYYSS!

Colin Tarvin: Both sound sick! The New York show has a good representation of Josh's mean vocal style.

Michael: COLIN!!!

Josh: Yes, this is not my first rodeo. I have done vocals for Black Metal projects and Death Metal projects. And my personal project, Basilysk.

Colin: Basilysk is a great band too.

Tim: What's up dude? Colin is our bassist by the way.

Josh: Thank you, Colin. Everyone welcome Colin, a great multi-instrumentalist and bassist in Deform. Hailing from CA.

Colin Tarvin: Sup!

OCZ: Welcome, Colin! Who are some of your influences as a bassist?

Colin Tarvin: Lets see, I would say Steve Digiorgio for all his work in Sadus, Autopsy, and Death, and also gotta say Doug Keyser of Watchtower.

OCZ: As vocalist who are some of your influences?

Michael: Josh or Tim?

OCZ: Both.

Josh: So I have to give a great deal of credit to Chris Barnes AND George Fisher for their work in Cannibal Corpse. I first began with Chris's style of very low/gutteral and then later moving on to George's fast multi-range style. Also, I have a strong Chuck Schuldiner influence. But whenever I have to warm up for studio sessions I ALWAYS go with Cannibal Corpse.

Tim: I don't consider myself a vocalist, I only did it on past recordings because I had to.  On early recordings it was just Mike and I, so if I didn't handle vox we would have been an instrumental band. But, my main influence is Ed Jackson from Accidental Suicide when I have to do them.  I also like to say lines in a European style with accents.  Also the weird ghost from Poltergeist III as odd as that sounds... very creepy voice.

Colin: "Burned to death" was my first exposure to Deform about 5 years ago, I thought Tim's vocals as well as the riffs and drumming was so spectacular that Deform (Tenebrous at the time) instantly became one of my favorite new bands, and it's a big deal to me to be able to play with these guys now.

Josh: Colin's a very grateful dude. He is by far the most positive attitude in the band. You can spot him with a great big smile from far away.  Also I would like to add as far as my aggressive side, the great Phil Anselmo is a BIG influence! AND STEVE TUCKER! ok I'm done with my question closed captions!

Colin Tarvin Thanks Josh, haha. New Jersey is a great new home sweet home for me.

Ron Kaiser: Will Deform ever go real old school an release an 8track?

Josh: Haha. Tim take that one.

Tim: We are planning on releasing our debut full length album on 8 track, limited to 16 copies.

OCZ: Indeed, 8-tracks are old school. These days most people are downloading music and many don't have cassette players. So, what other options will you be releasing your music on (itunes, soundcloud etc.)?

Tim: Yeah me and Colin first started communicating a few years ago on Myspace when he was in Funerealm, and when Deform was called Tenebrous. Little did anyone know years later we would be jamming together it's a real cool thing. Burned to Death is an early track me and mike recorded summer 2008.  We still play it at rehearsal and might include it in our live set.  I was kidding about the 8 track Kat, haha.

Michael: CDs all the way to vinyl!!

Josh: Honestly, I am very fond of vinyls, but I believe a good old CD should be the first option for release. Everything else is like a novelty for hard-core collectors. Until we have a die-hard fan base, I think we should stick to CD. (Except for the Mortuous split, that is for super underground kvlt fans).

OCZ: Mike, doesn't it suck that drummers always have to be the first one to lay down the tracks when it comes to recording? How do you feel about drum machines and who are some of your influences as a drummer?

Michael: If a drummer is impossible to find maybe, I can accept it... But over all, my main influences of drum set operation are The god himself Neil Peart, Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater, Matt Halpern of Periphery, Sam Inzerra of Morpheus Descends. I'm sort of a leech of endless influences of many different genres even jazz fusion, math metal, classic rock and roll, grunge and old school hip hop and most of all pure death metal!! \m/

OCZ: These days, most aren't buying CD's because they skip too much and just want to download it into their phones or ipods. I rather have the physical copy in my hands. How do you feel about individuals sharing your music on free sites without your permission?

Josh: FUCK THAT. I am vehemently opposed to pirating music. That is for pussy poser fans, like fans of rap because they have no strong following. Any REAL fan would SUPPORT a band and BUY the album.

Josh: I, too, enjoy collecting and having the physical copy.

Tim:  Well, you have the choice. A, be a computer metal head or B, be a real fan and support the band.

OCZ: Some are even uploading them on you tube channel's before the bands are. Has this ever happen to you yet?

Tim: Nah we're not big and famous enough for all that.

OCZ: Do you also feel that it's hurting the bands?

Josh: Yes. Absolutely. Especially DIY bands.

Colin: I'm gonna have to disagree with you josh, I believe everyone will find a way to hear a band, so why not just let the music be available to put on your phone or computer and buy the album if you like it (or of you can even find it). Don't worry everyone, I'm the balance-out exact opposite of josh so best of both worlds with opinion

Ron Kaiser: What are some other local bands you all enjoy?

Josh: Sacrificial Blood, Sapremia. Can't say there are too many... sadly. Hammer Fight is pretty badass.

Colin: Local bands out here: Scolex, Necrot, Limbs, Augurs, Vastum, Cyanic, and really this list goes on for days...

Tim: Not too many around here Ron, Sapremia, Lesch-nyhan, and Solum Mortum to name a few. Looking forward to your new project Ron, I’m sure that won't disappoint.

Ron Kaiser: Soon enough.

OCZ: Years ago, Lars bitched about Naspter and people called him all sorts of names but yet today it's still happen through other outlets. I agree it has it pros and cons. One way it hurts the bands because its hard to release another album, EP etc. because of the lack of income to help put out another release and then again it opens the doors for people to hear the bands. But maybe posting one or two songs but not the full album.

Colin: Believe it or not, I've dealt with someone who had taken the first Mortuous demo, upload it on YouTube and gave a link to download each track for a dollar, that shit didn't fly at all. Now THAT I disagree with, making money off someone else's outlet of pain, fuck that person. Super dumb because it was the easiest thing to download for free, I had a direct link. But the worst part has yet to be mentioned... The versions of the songs that were uploaded on YouTube were all tuned up about a whole step and a half and sped up like the dude tried to change it ever so slightly. Still though totally for free downloading, No one should have to pay a cent for something they want to hear, truly.

Josh: Well, to me, it's like this: I work hard and diligently on what I do in music. The fact that someone would be so lame as so completely DISREGARD the work I put into something completely pisses me off.

Tim: I can only speak for myself. I might discover a band on youtube or whatever, but if I like them I contact them for their CD or tape. I like to get it directly from the band if possible, if not I’ll get it from their label. but I am not satisfied with just listening to it on the computer or whatever. I don't even own an ipod either. I like listening to entire CDs and tapes.

Josh: And it's not about the money at all. But we, as artist, are trying to make this a living. If you STEAL my work, that leaves me stuck working some shitty construction job all while trying to put out great fucking music. Fuck that! I will not stand for someone shitting on me like that.

OCZ: That's fucked up. I have seen others do that. Did you contact that person?

Colin: Just reported the guy to YouTube and that was that.

Tim: Damn Colin that is fucked.

OCZ: Do you have an entertainment lawyer to handle that?

Colin: Actually just gave me a good laugh honestly, like who has that much time on their hands. haha

Josh: As far as LISTENING for free, yeah, its called Youtube.

OCZ: He got off lucky. Many bands today are doing the poor mans copy writes. How are you protecting your music and lyrics?

Colin: Yeah mail yourself a copy? I've been doing that hahaa.

Josh: So on a smaller scale its like. Here, I'm going to grow my own weed, take great care of it, pay to make sure it is great, nurture the fucking plant and then...Here just take it. No, no you can have it for free...WHAT THE FUCK WOULD BE THE POINT OF THAT?

Colin: YouTube is definitely the go to for hearing new music/watching live shows.

OCZ: Have you guys ever posted your live shows on Rock Tube?

Tim: Never heard of Rock Tube.

OCZ: It's just like You Tube. Speaking of shows, how do you feel about other recording you live?

Josh: I'm cool with it. At least it means they paid to get in...

Tim: I’m all for that, no problem with it.

Josh:Then when we kick ass on stage others can see that thus compelling them to come to the next show...

Colin: Live recordings capture the band pretty well. Deform has an electricity with the music that is very alive itself. I was addicted to just the rehearsals Tim posted a few years ago.

Michael: Once we finalize or song writing we put it on a little handy dandy hd recorder our rhythm guitarist Alex Dobran supplied and when they are ready to be recorded in studio we (like Colin said) upload it to YouTube and post the artist, album and title in full detail.

Josh: I have to say, I believe we are a VERY strong live band,

OCZ: These days when you attend shows more people are interested in recording the bands instead of moshing (slam dancing), do you miss those days?

Tim: Yeah we actually went through great trouble to record our show in NYC, haha. rented a camera and everything. would be cooler if someone else just did it for us then sent us the tape/file. Actually Colin took care of all of that, haha! nice work.

Josh: Keep an eye out for the Delaware show too, people.

Colin: Shout out thanks to Shawn Eldridge for taping us that night too.

Tim: We don't have good audio from that one Josh apparently the sound is all blown out

Josh: It should still be put out. You get to see the whole band in that one. Great filming job by Allyson Churry.

OCZ: Sometimes you get good and shitty recording depending on the sound of the venue and where the person is standing. Speaking of shows what do you have coming up or in the works?

Josh: Tim, you wanna take that one?

Tim: We don't have anything booked in the immediate future. we have one in August of this year but that is way down the road. We will most definitely play shows before then though. Colin comes back to NJ end of march and we will be doing shows in the spring and summer. we're also planning on recording the EP in April.

Michael: From what I know we have a show in Connecticut on August 16th and 17th, death fest gonna be sick

OCZ: What fest would you like to play this year?

Tim: The one in August is a fest, "Pray for Death Fest II" that's about all I really know of. There is the Philadelphia, but the promoter is a real tool bag and wouldn't respond to my emails.

Josh: Haha! Yeah, by the way the Pray for Death Fest we are on is in Connecticut. And I just want to say FUCK THE PHILLY SCENE.

Tim: The Philly scene absolutely sucks. Bunch of bullshit.

Colin: Haha! Yeah I'll be back east after the Disinhibition tour from March 14th to the 21st up north visiting bands like Trepanation, Bone Sickness, Chronic Tomb, Warpvomit. Hoping these bands and Deform will play together sometime this year as well.

OCZ: Have you thought about doing the Maryland Death Fest?

Tim: I have thought about playing MDF, of course! That would be cool.

Colin: MDF is unlikely, it's too money driven at this point. Either the promoters know your band rules 'cause you've been around for 20 plus years, or you won't hear back much for the newer bands (I've heard some even pay to play) but contacting those dudes never makes it that far even. And pay to play is whack.

Tim: That is true Colin. they do have uptight attitudes but it would still be great exposure. But we will definitely not kiss anyone’s ass.

OCZ: When having more then one project, do you at times find it difficult?

Josh: For me. Yeah, I'm in like three projects right now, but Deform is my main focus. Its not too bad especially cause Deform is the only band that I will be playing live with any time soon.

OCZ: How do you work out your scheduling with each project and are most understanding?

Tim: We actually rehearsed in Philly for a few months and got ZERO support from the local dudes that hung out there. We don't play a million notes per minute ADHD bullshit and they just didn't get it. We will still play shows in the city though, fuck it.

Josh: But lets just say I have a LOT of writing to do this year. Its just a matter of taking each song at a time. Its like, I'm writing new material for Deform but its not like a rush for the band to get that done since we're still working on recording WLIS. Then I'll write some shit for Basilysk here and there. And have some work for Misanthropic Rituals coming up.

Colin: And for practice, every time we're able to meet sounded golden. I feel like we all have a set list on lock-down.

OCZ: How do you feel about playing mixed shows instead of it being just a Death Metal event or do you prefer playing with only Death Metal bands?

Josh: Only Death metal, black metal or thrash. Actually, our Brooklyn Halloween show was a mixed show. There was this kinda alternative band that was like "SHES SO MUCH SMARTER THAN ME, SHES SO MUCH SMARTER THAN ME, SHES SO MUCH SMARTER THAN ME". Then there was this elderly lady that opened with ambient vocals like "AHHH" the whole time.

Colin: All death metal lineups are the best! But any extreme music can definitely make for a killer show: grind, thrash, black, doom, punk, even noise or shoegaze bands can mix really well on a death metal bill.

Michael: Fuckin weird but I'll prefer LSD for the opening lady.

Tim: Yeah it was a strange show. What Josh said is really fucking funny. The opening act was a woman facing the wall on her ipod just going "AHHHHHHHHHhhhhhh" into the mic... and an indie band singing "shes so much smarter than me" over and over haha... disma ruled though. Got drunk as fuck by the end of the night too. Great times.

OCZ: Indeed, some venues will have you sell tickets (20-50), some will have you play a fee to perform, some its head counts at the door and so forth. What do you see most clubs in NJ doing?

Josh: We are completely against the pay to play thing.

OCZ: Your Brooklyn show last Oct. was your first show you played live together. What was that experience like?

Josh: I think when we start playing again this spring we'll stick with Sapremia and Lesch Neyan and these guys have some experience so we won't be like a lost puppy trying to find shows.

Michael: I would say NJ clubs are trying to promote a more core scene. Philly scene rather

Josh: Actually we did a mini-tour that weekend and played Delaware first which was our first show. And we kicked major ass. Nobody had a clue it was our first show.

Colin: A great weekend too.

Tim: Our first show was in Delaware. The NYC show was cool. we shared gear with DISMA. Mike was playing on a stripped down drum set. I think we did a good job with what we had. played 2 new ones from the upcoming EP.

Michael: Exactly! Our set is as tight as a Virginia.

Tim: Also I want to add, we were a last minute addition, our name wasn't even on the bill. I don't even know if anyone knew who we were or if they even cared. Oh well, we just hopped up there, banged out the 2 songs, then hopped off the stage.

Michael: I think mostly every one there was high as hell honestly.

Josh: It was fucking fun to play there though. I would like to play any death metal show in NYC again.

OCZ: NY is great for shows. There are a lot of Death Metal and Black Metal shows coming up. What clubs would you like to play in NY that you haven't already?

Josh: I'm not too familiar with places in NYC.

Colin: Also just sayin' there's this place right next door to the Acheron that had the best falafel of my life!

OCZ: I've seen bands play after poets as well. Some venues are looking for new things to try to keep the venue open. What about venues in NJ that you would like to play such as Dingbatz or the Starland Ballroom?

Josh: I believe when this happens we will kick-start a strong local following. Starland would be sick more down the line because it requires you to sell a shitload of tickets. Dingbatz is a cool venue too I would enjoy that. But yeah, Starland would be so badass. That is a REAL stage.

OCZ: I'm not aware of all the clubs in NJ these days what other venues are their that support Death Metal bands?

Josh: Haha. NJ is a joke too. But I've played at Brighton bar in Long Branch. Its a decent spot. Occasional metal shows. We would like to tear up some house shows too!

OCZ: Even though you had a bad reaction from Philly, you tend to make the best out of a show. What do you think you can do to win fans over?

Josh: Like I said, we will most likely stick with the REAL death metal veterans around here like Sapremia and get exposed to their fan base. Those guys had nothing but good things to say about our first show together. They want us to play in front of their crowd.

OCZ: Who handles your bookings and does your label help you with shows?

Josh: Well so far Tim and myself have booked the shows. But I think everyone in the band keeps an eye out for shows, for the most part.

Colin: If any of you out there reading want Deform to play your town, let us know! Give us an idea of where we should travel hahaa

Tim: Also, anyone can join in too, and ask whatever you want. Ask us some deep questions.

OCZ: Do you work with a contract and a rider?

Josh: No contracts. No riders. We are more DIY when it comes to booking.

OCZ: Did you purchase your own tour van?

Josh: Yes! to my knowledge we have a new tour van.

Tim: Colin just got a van recently and we'll be using that. also Alex has a nice sized jeep.

Colin: It was actually a 24th birthday hammy down from my aunt. I hear Alex is getting/has a big old jeep now too. There I heard it again.

OCZ: Do you swap shows with other bands?

Josh: Honestly we are still new to live shows. The band was started in 2007 but has just started playing live as of this year, Kat. Alright, Kat here is your chance for some real personal questions.

Colin: Can't wait to play more.

OCZ: Indeed, I know you just started playing in this band as of last year. But you have experience with others. How many shows would you like to play a month?

Josh: I'm going to be rolling outta here soon. I think at least once a week is a good goal for right now. A few of our members are real busy during the week with personal things and we are kind of weekend warriors.

Tim: I would like to do a show a week ideally. on every Friday or Saturday nights. maybe even double headers. we can't do anything during the week because of work schedules

Josh: If we could pull off a Friday-Saturday thing I would be happy.

Colin: Ideally any show that seems right. I enjoy when gigs get up to being like every other weekend, it's always great playing shows

OCZ: How do you feel about the Death Metal scene in NJ and NY and what do you think about new bands?

Josh: NJ is also very NEW/Core bullshit. Its sickening. Part of the reason why I moved to Philly was to get away from that garbage.

Tim: Not too experienced with the NY death metal scene, I've only been up there once for something music related and that was for my own show. NJ has all the slam core tech shit, same with Philly. There are a few thrash bands around like Sacrificial Blood, and (just recently discovered) Paralysis. But for the most part it just sucks and is not head banging quality shit, or at least shit that I enjoy.

Colin: Rottrevore is from PA, they rule so much!

Tim: They're way out in Pittsburgh though. pretty far

OCZ: Do you feel many individuals follow trends and don't make judgment for themselves these days as far as music goes?

Josh: Ok I will elaborate on this answer but it will be my last. Yeah of course. There will always be trends and there will always be trend followers. Everyone in NJ and Philly is trying to sound like the next band. Its sad that people can't be creative and original. I consider us a very artistic band as far as getting creative and putting out something different. I personally am not afraid to do something innovative. I am always looking to do the unexpected because that gives everything a sense of heart-felt material. That is the heart-felt substance I'm talking about Most bands are putting on a front and feel like they HAVE to sound "brutal" but that is all just generic garbage. All this fake Satan shit all over the place. Like if you look at some Celtic Frost albums, you find a real genuine sound because Tommy G Warrior wasn't afraid to say "ohhhhh Mesmerizedddd". Its become a trend in and of itself to be all "666" Hail satan bullshit. I said we are just coming from WITHIN ourselves not OUTSIDE ourselves. Its heart-felt material and concepts.

Tim: I feel people follow trends. I can go on all day about it. I’m sure josh will say something excellent

OCZ: Since you guys don't leave near each other how often do you get to practice? And you share files to create your music?

Colin: Actually, when I was staying in Langhorne PA, I was closer to the practice spot than Tim or Churry. Everyone's close enough to eachother though

Tim: We don't live that far from each other. Mike lives 5 min from me, Alex lives about 20 min from me. Josh takes the train from Philly to Trenton. Not too far distance. We get together every Saturday and sometimes Thursdays.

Tim: Yeah, what Colin said.

OCZ: Indeed, many will change because of what record labels are signing and hope they get a break. What are you doing differently not to sound like other Death Metal bands have done before?

Michael: I'm hitting the hay stack gentlemen the rooster will wake me up at 5 am good talking with you all! cheers \m/ and I'll see you (Josh and Tim) Thursday. Obscure Chaos Zine I appreciate the interview and I will hopefully talk to you soon goodnight ya'll.

Tim: Alright bud see ya later.

OCZ: Thanks for stopping by and doing a live interview.

Josh: Later Mike. I'll let Tim elaborate. Cause I know he has a lot to say about this kind of thing. And then I'm going to say goodnight.

Colin: Deform definitely sounds like Deform. Goodnight Mike n Josh. See you guys sooner than you know.

Josh: Later Colin and Good to hear!

OCZ: Goodnight guys. Thanks for the interview Mike and Josh. Indeed, we'll do another interview when your release is out.

Josh: Kat, it was a pleasure. Thanks for your time (Holy shit nearly 3 hours) I really appreciate all these great questions. I hope we can work out another interview down the line when we get out of our larva stage and have some good experiences and stories to talk about! Thanks Goodnight! THANK YOU Goodnight, Deform brethren .

OCZ: Colin, Metal bands seem to have this life cycle where they start out with fresh ideas, and then become more like their influences, then get big and quality plummets after that. Have you observed this? How do you feel you will beat this cycle?

Colin: Well that's a question I've been asking myself ever since I started wring or composing or whatever this is. There are riffs that are out there, that I believe one doesn't write, but discovers. I think Tim might be able to relate with me on this, there are certain riffs/transitions that have only really one way it can go down to the ears, in that sense the song was already there to begin with, as an artist it's just taking the time to translate this thing in your head to others. I feel like all the Deform songs have this predictable why-didn't-I-think-of-that kinda feel that I really admire in Tim as the riff writer he is. Back when I had only written 3 songs for Funerealm, I was at a point where I couldn't determine the rate of which a song is produced, but a few years later, a few more songs seems to come together. Now going from being 18 to 24 I see how it works a little clearer, so I don't worry how things come out in the end, the song is a thought or an emotion, that can be said many different ways depending on the person, and most def heard differently by each set of ears. The things I write now happen to either be grind or acoustic, I haven't written a death metal song in about a year. Riffs just find their brothers and sisters to eventually form a family.

OCZ: Indeed, I agree you should create what you enjoy playing weather people like it or not. It's what you're about, if others like it great and others don't that's their choice. When you were starting out with Deform, did you ever experienced a good deal of personal doubt and uncertainty and if so what factors helped you overcome those?

Colin: Basically, I feel the cycle can be beaten, as long as I continue to grow and remain open minded. How do you feel about it Tim?

Tim: I guess honestly I have felt personal doubt at times with my song writing. like, "is this cool enough?" and shit like that. but I just keep pushing myself to write as depraved and heavy and obscure as possible, without being boring. hard to put into words.

OCZ: Colin, no matter how long you've been playing each year your skills and techniques grows and there is always room for learning from others and on you own. Even the "legends" still learn today. Are you self-taught or have you taken lessons?

Colin: I think uncertainty follows the start of anything, but doing things for you and fulfilling your passions, even if it seems to you like an obsession, leads to the proud result that you can stand behind. I feel proud to be in Deform, and honored! I could say self taught with the help of my friend Erick in high school by putting all his CDs on my computer like Obituary Death Metallica ect. My dad's a musician too so he's helped me to pick it up as well.

OCZ: Tim, I think all musicians have self doubted themselves one point or another, we can be our own worse critic. What was the first song you have written and did you change over the years?

Tim: the first song for deform (when we were called Desiccation) was called "addicted to killing" then we wrote "flesh eating disease" and recorded those 2 tracks in December of 2007. Addicted to Killing was later re-titled to "My Morbid Lust" and can be found on the "Nefarious Impulses" demo. The lyrics were also changed. I have changed a lot with my writing, musically and lyrically. When we first started, it was pretty thrashy and had the typical gore death metal lyrics. Now, musically it's much more detailed with different kinds of chording, and the lyrics are more in depth. The 3 tracks on "Nefarious" are very sick, but that fit the concept of the release. Each of the 3 tracks could be summed up to and boiled down to a nefarious impulse. Now, each of our releases will have a concept, and we will deform into a certain niche depending on what we want to elaborate on. the upcoming EP will be about the supernatural.

OCZ: Colin, how has your father influenced you as a musician and do you have jam sessions with him?

Colin: I suppose we've jammed before, but I'd say the biggest influence would be from showing me bands like Pink Floyd, Genesis, Led Zep. PF was probably my favorite.

OCZ: How important are the lyrics to you? Do think individuals are interested in them or care more about the atmosphere, speeds and technical skills the band has?

Tim: Everyone is different. but I appreciate well written lyrics. I mainly listen to a band for their music, but if they have great lyrics it is icing on the cake

OCZ: When you write songs, do you start with a concept for the whole song, or do you accrue riff ideas and fit them into a narrative? Do you conceptualize the song in lyrics first, or write music and fit lyrics to it?

Colin: Wow that's a good question, Tim?

Tim: It's a hard thing to describe it's what Colin said sometimes the song is already there and I just keep working until it is put together. I don't really have one method. I usually start with a captivating intro riff, then build off of it. I usually have a concept of what i think an album should be about and the general feeling, then just keep playing until i go "that's it"

OCZ: Do you start writing to draw the emotion within yourselves first, and hope the fans understand yours ideas and concepts?

Colin: Sometimes riffs come with an attached story I suppose, others you just have to use your imagination. I really dig Tim's lyrical themes a lot, and the actual word choice/rhythms

OCZ: What is the difference between technicality, progression, pretense and good Death Metal art, in both of your opinions?

Colin: Tim pulls from obscurity, and really puts a nice philosophical kinda edge with his writing, I would say.

Tim: yeah, the song dreamlike existence has some really weird things going on, but I enjoy it. Of course I hope fans like it. also, I feel my style is pretty easy to grasp and isn't way out there, but has a certain flare, I don't know I don't want to start sounding arrogant.

Colin: To me this sums it up: Simple = Heavy,

Tim: Yeah that's how I see it too, somewhat simple, but play the riff an odd amount of times and do different things to it the second time around, etc.

OCZ: You mentioned that you next EP will be about the supernatural, what effect do you hope it will have? What have you learned on your own about the supernatural that grab your own attention?

Tim: I can't really break that question down easily. show me a death metal album and I’ll tell you exactly what i think of it. Not really a fan of the gore stuff anymore.The new material is much faster at times, and conveys a dark vibe, but still headbangable (is that a word? who cares) i am just fascinated with supernatural stuff. The concept came to me one night when i was staring into my back yard into the woods, and I wondered, what lives in shadows? and was inspired

OCZ: Why did you loose interest in gore?

Tim: Of course I like the classics by Death, Broken Hope, etc. but I’m just bored with it. i enjoy gory movies and stuff, but not so much in death metal (for the most part). I prefer bands like Cartilage (fin) and Phlegethon and stuff like that now.  But I listen to stuff in cycles.

OCZ: Will you be using metaphors, or are insights into psychological and occult topics with in your concepts for the new EP in the works?

Tim: 90% of the lyrics are written for the EP. Colin says it seems like it was written by Edgar Allan Poe. I wrote it from "the visitor's" perspective.

OCZ: Do you think its possible for bands to change both outward (style) and inward (content) without outward/inward influencing each other? Do you think that people use categories like genre names (black metal, death metal) to obscure the finer details of experience itself, like saying 'that experience was bad' or 'that experience was good'?"

Colin: I think influencing each other is inevitable and I am pleased to have worked with everyone that I've had a chance to work with over my musical career.

Tim: For that last question I would say that there are good and bad bands in all genres. I like all kinds of extreme music and I think when a band is good you don't even have to know more then what their albums called. My memory's pretty shitty so when a band is bad I usually don't remember them. There are a shit ton.

Gene Olivarri: What are your favorite guitars you use, what is your amp of choice: solid state or tube, and what are your feelings on those 2 different worlds of amplification?

Tim: My 2 main guitars are a B.C. Rich Gunslinger, and a Charvel model 4. I have 2 amps, a solid state Ampeg ss-150 and a mesa/boogie mark V (tube). I use the Ampeg at rehearsal because I want to save the Tubes in the Mesa. But, i prefer the tube amp, much smoother and rich sounding.

Colin Tarvin Hey Gene! For bass I use an Eden tube amp. The bass I have is an old Washburn.

OCZ: What companies would you like to be endorsed by?

Colin: Hahaha uhh huh huh, Tim?

Tim: It would be awesome to be endorsed by B.C. Rich.

OCZ: Did you always use a B.C. Rich and what other guitars have you tried out?

Tim: I've tried out a lot of guitars, but I think the old charvels and b.c. rich play the best. pick ups are important as well! in my gunslinger I have a bare knuckle Blackhawk, in the charvel I have a dimarzio super 3.

OCZ: Colin, how long have you owned the bass you are using and what do you like about it most and if you could upgrade it what would do to it?

Colin: I love the bass I have! It's lasted me since high school, I used it for pretty much every Bruxers gig. I love my pedal too, it's actually for guitar. It's an old digitech rp50

OCZ: Do you think that a Dimarzio super lead pick up and Seymour Ducan invader is a great match for tone on the guitar if you plays straight through a tube head it might help your tone?

Tim: I've never tried out any Seymour Duncan pick up. I chose the super 3 because it is a pick up that no one in death metal (or at least that I have ever heard of) uses. Its great for midrange, and I’m all about mids, I think that mids= great tone. My amp settings are not the typical "V" in equalization. Same with the black hawk, put that in the gunslinger with the maple neck. Very bright and cutting sound

OCZ: Have you ever scooped the mids for that old Slayerish tone?

Tim: Slayer actually are known for their mid range sound. the scooped mids sound isn't appropriate for my playing.

OCZ: Okay, I must have misunderstood your last answer, "I've never tried out any Seymour Duncan pick up. I chose the super 3 because it is a pick up that no one in death metal (or at least that I have ever heard of) uses. Its great for midrange, and I’m all about mids, I think that mids = great tone. My amp settings are not the typical "V" in equalization", can you elaborate on your mid's?

Tim: aw, I can't give away my secret amp settings! haha.. Let's just say that the mids are past the 5 mark on the dial and are definitely there and prominent. I like to have every string ring out with richness and clarity through the thick distortion.

OCZ: Maybe I'll show up at band practice. What strings do you like using? and what gauge?

Tim: haha. I use 12 gauge d'addarios with a wound G.

OCZ: I know that you and Colin both have to head out. As we agreed we'll leave the interview open for others to ask questions when they have a free moment. I would like to thank all of Deform for this interview... would you like to leave any last words for now?

Colin: Simple=Heavy. Thanks Kat.

Tim: Thanks a lot for the extensive interview, thanks for the support, I appreciate it. I also appreciate what Obscure Chaos Zine does here on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/deformnj