REVIEWS
INTERVIEWS
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ATTACK! FANZINE
By Stefan
www.attackfanzine.net
I wrote to the band Existench hoping to get an interview with one of Canada's finest political grindcore outfits and ended up stumbling on a newer band formed out of the hiatus that Existench is currently on. Thy Flesh Consumed is a new grinding metal/crust band taking influence from angst filled, growling grindcore thrash insanity and pairing it with dark, Scandinavian type black metal.
UNDERGROUND METAL RULES!!!!
Stefan - April 7, 2003
To start this interview give us some background on Thy Flesh Consumed. Who are you? Why, where, and when did you form?
Gerald - Thy Flesh Consumed started in the fall of 2001, with me on drums, Dan Jamieson on guitar and John Haight on second guitar. After less than a dozen jams we picked up Pete Mestre for vocals. By Nov. 2001 we aquired Randy Jeddry on bass and parted ways with John. I'd say it was initially Dan's and my need for a full time band that inspired us to start playing. Existench had been on hiatus for almost a year at the time and Dan had left his band, Sloth, due to the band living up to it's name! We were into creating music more than anything... we didn't even have a name until Pete came along! Anyway, we kept that 4 piece line up until last fall (2002) when we were approached by Dave Burns (formerly of Burning Moon and Ready For Eddie) who wanted to join as a second guitar player, and there you have it.
The only other point I'd like to make is that we were all friends before we started this band and still are.
I understand a couple of you come out of the grind/crust/punk scene. Is Thy Flesh Consumed an active part of that scene as well? What is your local "scene" like anyway? Bands? Shows?
Gerald - I was in Existench, Sloth, The Wankin Family and, years ago, Gorbage, not to mention side projects and such. I'm also currently drumming for System Shit. I love playing music whether it's punk, harcore, grind, etc. Usually more extreme forms are my cup of tea. It's pretty close knit here in Halifax and you end up playing with the same people throughout the years, like it or lump it. For the most part it's a great scene to be part of, where everyone gets along (usually), is open minded, has a good time and also puts together a good live set. The bands from here are quite diverse... here are a few names you should look for: Terratomb, Slitch, The Clap, Hellacaust, Dichotic, Dogbite, Sidewalk Sluts, XenvisionX, The Dean Malenkos, Cephalectomy, The Joke's Over, Realms Of Despair, King Benny, Blackout '77... to name a few.
Being from more known crust/grindcore bands within the d.i.y. punk underground such as System Shit and Existench, does this band have the same agenda as far as personal politics and outlooks on the world's situation goes?
Gerald - I couldn't see myself playing in a band where the lyrics were played off as a joke or as part of some evil/gory image. It's not what I'm about and I feel there's more than enough of that going on in scene's worldwide anyway. We're not into gore or satan lyrically but we do derive some influence from those styles in our music. Since I was 15 I've been listening to bands like Possessed, Death and Dark Angel back to back with Cryptic Slaughter, Corrosion Of Conformity and Agnostic Front. I knew the difference then between reality and contrived evil imagery... I thought (and still think) those bands who were supposed to be truely evil or gruesome were really hilarious, even if thier music was excellent. Anyway, I was ready for Pete to write about pretty much anything but he really surprised me with his intelligence and convinction when writing and singing.
Your approach to the overall vibe that the band seems to carry throughout the theme of what you're trying to express is rather bleak, bitter, and misanthropic. Within the general idea of lyrics and ethics you carry do you represent the idea that humanity is absolute shit and that our capacity to destroy all genuine surrounding nature aside from human existence is pretty inevitable? What exactly is the objective of your lyrics?
Peter - The lyric topics range from religious tyranny, misanthropy, world pollution etc. There’s an attempt to rouse thought in the reader/listener, well, most of the time! Some of the topics may not comply with the band mates (such as vegetarianism etc. animal rights issues have been covered twice). I cannot take all the credit; Randy and Gerald write for the band, I cannibalize their ideas and regurgitate them into something more incoherent! We make aware that this cesspool of a planet, the waste, the death, and the parking lots are mans doing, and that the human race shall be subverted in the end because of it.
As far as the current happenings of the world goes, what are your thoughts on this absolutely fucked up war over denied third world corporate interest and un-quenched thirst for power and money? Have there been many demonstrations that have been arranged in your area? Do any of the members take part at all?
Gerald - I disagree with this "war" entirely. I feel a mix of pity and disgust for the general public who have let themselves condone and encourage this shit. People rely too heavily on mass media for information, taking headlines as fact instead thinking about things on thier own. I wish people could see that maybe what CNN (or The New York Times, Globe and Mail, etc.) are covering has more to do with preserving American public image and maintaining a level of fear than uncovering any truth, like why this war is going on and who's benefitting from it. This feels like a testing ground for U.S. aggression, building up to something worse. North Korea, perhaps?... It seems that Bush will not stop until there's a McDonalds in downtown Baghdad right now. Nauseating display of power. As far as rallies, there have been marches and demonstrations before, and since, this war started. I'm a lame ass and don't attend, usually because of work but also because of the feeling that protesting isn't working. The only way to get attention drawn to a demonstration is to have media coverage, which means disrupting the business district, commuters, etc. Get enough John/Jane Q. Public's upset because they can't get that donut and coffee before work and people start to notice. Hell, if someone is killed it might even make U.S. news! The bottom line is that I don't think the U.S. should be in the middle east. Dan - I feel the motives for the war that the U.S. are giving are untruthful. I don't believe it's about liberating the people of Iraq, it's more of a colonial invasion to rewrite their society. It's all about money.
I can't say I know much about bands from your area of Canada is known for having some totally amazing hardcore scenes of all genres from metal influence to grind and crust. What do you think?
Gerald - There are metal, punk, straight edge, hardcore, grind, etc... scenes here in Halifax. Probably as many styles of music as you can think of.
Being part of the extreme metal/grind underground I assume you are all fanatics of all kinds of sick shit. What are some bands that have without a doubt had a great influence on the band?
Gerald - Discordance Axis, Axis of Advance, Marduk, Rotten Sound, Voivod, Celtic Frost, Bathory, Capitalist Casualties, Cryptic Slaughter, Kreator, Godflesh, old Corrosion Of Conformity, Warsore, Gride, Yacopsae, 324... and a ton more!...
Pete - Agathocles, Phobia, Discordance Axis, Assuck, Marduk, Nasum, Brutal Truth, early Cradle Of Filth, Terrorizer, Limbonic Art...
Dave - Marduk, Death, Emperor, Iron Maiden, Bethoven, Immortal, old Napalm Death, old Entombed, Nuclear Assualt, Dark Throne, Slayer, Rossinni, Black Sabbath....
Dan - Suffocation, Terrorrizer, Incantation, Dark Throne, Slayer, Celtic Frost, Voivod, Repulsion, Iron Maiden, Rush, John Zorn, Mr. Bungle, early Napalm Death...
Have you released anything yet? Give us an idea of what you've done so far. Any plans for the future?
Gerald - We put out a self released CD called "Dawn Of The Impurity Design" of which only 100 copies were made, all of which are gone. We plan on putting more copies out soon. However, we are currently in the process of recording a new full length CD, "End Of Blind Obedience", which will hopefully be released on CDN Records this spring/summer. We are definitely playing some shows out of Halifax this summer, how many and how far depends on money and time. We're also writing new material and planning a shows for april and may some time, so we're keeping busy.
You guys fucking rule and deserve more recognition internationally. Will you ever tour or do you hope to eventually?
Gerald - Thanks! We would love to tour the world!! For now we'll have to stick to the east coast of Canada and the States, if we can get across the border!
I've run out of ideas for this interview. Have any last words? Where can people contact you? Thanks for agreeing to this interview.
Gerald - Thanks for the interview! Keep an eye and ear out for our new CD.
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