Sunday, April 29, 2007

In depth interview with Napalm Death!!!


1. Hi! Introduce yourself about anything please.
Hey, this is Mark ‘Barney’ Greenway from Napalm Death. I pretend to sing, but it’s all about the shouting and screaming. As hard as you can.

2. I'm well aware there are many line-up been changed since Napalm Death existed. Up until now, there are no single person was the real line-up since Napalm Death been formed. So, basically Napalm Death now respectively consisted?
I didn’t quite understand the last sentence there. But…I guess you’re trying to ask if we feel like this can still be Napalm Death with no original members (?). If that is the case, then yes we do. There ceased to be an original member in, like, 1986, which is twenty years ago. Most people only know the band since ‘Scum’ anyway. From my side, I’ve always tried to carry Napalm Death forward, and the spirit of the band is very similar to the band in the early days – it’s not as if we’ve dispensed with the ideas and influences of the band. I still love it, I have enthusiasm for it and that’s what counts for me.

3. What does the Napalm Death really means? It reminds me of Napalm bomb, which been used in Vietnam war by US government circa 1960 to 1970. Who's the person made up the name & why you guys choose it?
The name was an anti-war statement, which carries through for us today. I think the original bassist / vocalist Nik Bullen came up with it. I mean, surely there’s no explanation needed why we should reject all forms of war and violent oppression?

4. How old are you guys now? I do believe that you guys have your own daily job... how you separate your time between job and band activities? Or another bands?
Age-wise, we’re all in our mid-thirties. Hey, that was a strange question to throw in at this point. The band takes up a lot of time. I mean, we do things for it everyday and it takes up most of our lives. Although we have a record label and management, we’re very self-contained and like to know what the fuck is going on around us. Shane has quite a few project bands going on otherwise – he’s like a great big music machine. That’s totally cool, but I like to concentrate on Napalm because there is tons more stuff going on behind the band than people would ever get to know about.

5. Whose the one responsible for the making of artworks and the layouts of the most Napalm Death releases? Your favourite artists?
Well, we’ve used a number of people over the years, but my personal favourites are the guy we use now – Mick Kenney – and Mid. They have / had a certain understanding and interpretation of the band which really shows through in their art. I like to use literal art that ‘tells the truth’, mixed with stylistics like body modification. Initially, it’s generally me or Shane who comes up with the basic concept before it’s handed over to the art guy, and in all truth it doesn’t change too much from our initial ideas.

6. Napalm Death invented grindcore back in the early 1980's & I do concern with the evolving sounds been made by Napalm Death since 'Punk Is A Rotting Corpse' demo era until the latest 'The Code Is Red... Long Live The Code' (2005). What is the motivation of Napalm Death been stay strong & maintaining its musical style/structure until now? Basically how the idea of playing faster in every each new releases been developed? Is it coincidentally happened or had an intention to do like the way it is? Napalm Death lyrics has the strong political content especially the song entitled "Instinct Of Survival" in the 'Scum' album, even the shortest song "You Suffer" has its in depth meaning. Who's the one make the most of the lyrics? Did you guys just let the vocalist make all the lyrics alone? As a whole group, how long does it take to make songs for each releases? How much time consume Napalm Death to finish a complete set of album? Generally, what you describe your sound nowadays? Still grindcore?
There is no great master plan to how our albums work out. I know that some people outside the band have other opinions about that, but our thing each time is just to make the best albums possible. We do what we enjoy playing, and it’s enjoyable to me is playing fast and furiously. That said, we do like to throw in some ‘progressive’ elements because standing still and making the same album over and over is boring and cheats ourselves and fans of the band.
I write 95% of the lyrics, just because I have a strong motivation to do so and I suppose I am the vocalist...

Generally speaking, it takes around a month-and-a-half to finalize all the songs, although the guys write the basics of their songs over quite a period of time beforehand (maybe even up to a year). The recording process usually takes us about 3 weeks, so as you can see not much time at all.

In terms of which genre we belong to, I would say Grindcore. But there are a hundred different terms that people like to use to describe Napalm. That’s cool – I really don’t worry about people’s stylistic perceptions of us. No problem at all.

7. Tell me about Garga-Death; the colaboration of Shane Embury & Gargamel Toys in Japan . In my opinion, it's a quirky idea though!
Shane is heavily into the whole Japanese toy phenomenon, and he spends a lot of time there because his girlfriend is Japanese. Consequently he got to know a couple of underground toymakers and they wanted to produce a limited run of a Napalm member mixed with a famous Japanese monster. Hence the Gargamel mixed with Shane. The hair is cool, huh?

They said they might do one of me if the original one sold well, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. It’s not exactly up there in popularity with the Pokemon toys!

8. Complete these sentences: He’s eating pizza while I’m shitting in my pants happily without him knowing what’s really happens…
…and I’m totally confused!!!

9. Why grind? Why not sludge?
It’s all about the speedcore, baby! I can’t do slow.

10. Earache or Century Media?
Earache equals nightmares and bad headaches; Century Media equals good headaches and someone who actually picks up the phone.

11. Concerning to the 'Scum' LP, I’ve attracted with the artwork of front cover layout… what’s the intention to spread within that image? As far as I concern, Jeff Walker of Carcass who made the artwork... tell me more about it please.
Yes, Jeff made the artwork; it’s actually made up of dots if you look at it closely. It’s basically a bunch of industry leaders and businessman standing over impoverished people from Africa . So the general thread is of the former raping and exploiting the earth and its people. You can also see the names of multinational corporations there and the ‘big beast’ at the back. Still a very powerful cover in my opinion.

12. Are you considered yourself political? Is Napalm Death a political band? Your view on DIY activism?
Well, ‘political’ if you like, but more concerned with free-thinking and equality and humanitarianism in the truest sense of the term. People call me personally a ‘political activist’, but, again, I’m more about the basic things that I just mentioned. After all, it doesn’t matter what the system is – left or right – oppression and exploitation of people is shitty wherever it comes from.

DIY activism is cool - You have to do what works for you personally. What I don’t like is some of the elitist attitudes that say you are less of a person because you don’t engage in the same activities (i.e. vegans who talk shit about vegetarians). That kind of defeats the purpose.

13. What do you think about Malaysia generally?
I though it was very cool when I was there. Of course it has relatively harsh government rule, I think, and the poverty levels are fucking horrible. But on the gig front, I enjoyed myself immensely. The jungle areas were really beautiful.

I have to admit I really don’t know so much about the wider structure of the country.

14. As being English, how you feel about UK government in general?
Fucking lame. I used to be a Labour party member, but now it’s got the point where it’s all about non-protection of the deprived and all that stuff. I’m very disillusioned with all politicians. Amongst other thing, I also am so tired about religious connotations being involved with people living – about this divine right to this and that, the steady steps removal of choice on certain issues like abortion. And people just swallow it down a lot of the time, because things are put to them in such a way as to make such restrictive principles seem bearable. I think it’s shit. But then, all governments do shit things. It all comes back to the same old shit.

15. How about political condition in your place when concerning to the cultural activities, daily life, the system, the people etc. Do you find it hard to keep on living in UK ? Have you been involved in street protest lately? Is Napalm Death still taking place at Birmingham like the earlier days when it's been formed in 1982?
I think everyone, however observant, is a little blind to some things because you carry on in your own world sometimes and things tend to pass you by. In an ideal world this would not happen, but realistically things are little different. I just try and do what’s best for me without hurting or disadvantaging others.

I don’t find it totally hard living in the UK , but there are rules and regulations that affect me as they do everyone else. I certainly don’t live ‘the good life’ – I have to save hard to be able to pay income taxes / local taxes etc.

Yes, I do street protest. There hasn’t been too much lately apart from protesting against Heinz who were shutting down a factory which would take away jobs in the poorest areas. But I think street protest is necessary because it at least lets the hierarchies of this world know that there are people out there who aren’t content to sit back and watch them exploit us without doing something.

Yes, the band still is in Birmingham.

16. How much capitalist and multinational corporations have ruined your life? How much it has strengthened the value of your life instead? Are you financially ok?
They haven’t ruined my life directly by moving me on from my home or anything, but of course they ruin my life as being someone who would like to enjoy clean air and clean food, to see employees of companies being treated with respect and not to see them bullying small and independent people out of existence. I try to boycott stuff from certain companies where I can, but most things these days have some kind of (often hidden) connection these days, which makes it hard to keep up.

Financially, I can survive but not to any level of extravagance. I’m a person with simple tastes, so I don’t need so much.

17. What is your favourite food? Tell me some worth bands to check out from your hometown. Do you like reading books/zines? Tell me your favourite one. I do believe that you have your own favourite list of bands, mind to tell me?
Favourite food is probably pasta, especially something with avocado. I like good coffee, also good chocolate. I’m not too up on the hometown scene right now because I’ve been so busy going here and there with Napalm, but there are the obvious bands like Mistress / Benediction etc. I know that sounds like a bit of a lame overview, but seriously I’ve had my head in so much other stuff.

As far as books go, I like all sorts – whatever catches my eye. Usually an everyday story with a good political twist. I just read a huge history of the old Soviet KGB, ‘The Mitrokhin Archive’ which was very deep and took forever to read. For music zines, I like a little more than just band interviews. There’s a great one in the US called ‘Impact Press’, which tries to uncover all the latest authoritarian scams. There’s also a very cool, more music-related one from Wales called ‘Mass Movement’, which is very well put together and entertaining.

Shit, I’ve got tons of bands I like…Discharge, Celtic Frost, Death, Anti-Cimex, Siege, Straight ahead, Negative Approach, Motörhead, Das Oath, Swans, Gore, Journey, Styx…there are tons more but I can’t think of them right now.

18. Do Napalm Death consume drugs? Beers? Are you guys vegetarian/vegan?
I personally don’t do drugs (other than alcohol and caffeine) because I just don’t feel the urge and that they would be counter-productive in my life. One or two of the other guys may do that, but I don’t know. Whatever people do on that score is whatever they choose. Beers? I like only a couple on a Friday night or something. I don’t enjoy the feeling of being drunk, as I had an alcohol problem some years ago.

I’m vegetarian; Mitch just doesn’t eat red meat or chicken. I think people should definitely be aware of the cruelty of the meat process, but I don’t get violent or anything with people over it.

19. After years you get involved in this phenomenon called 'scene', what you've got through this? What you've expected to gain in the first place when you've decided to entered in before? What made you interested to get involved? What's the condition that you hope for to be adapted and to be practiced logically/practically in this grind/hc/punk scene?
I was just into the music and the friendship and the desire to make a difference hopefully on a wider scale. That’s all I expected when I first started going to shows. Once Napalm Death opened up in the wider world it kind of changed, but not in a negative way for me.

However, one thing I don’t like about scenes and scene politics is all this elitist bullshit – people stabbing you in the back because they have nothing better to do. And all those scene rules and regulations are like the very thing they are supposed to be rejecting from society. We took some shit at first when I joined the band, and I used to worry about what the ‘scene judges’ think, but then I thought ‘why should I give a shit about people who would rather give us shit as easy targets than the government or someone?’ If they don’t like what we’re doing, that’s up to them. I don’t have to justify myself at all, or the band.

Most people are cool though. I don’t expect any terms and conditions in a scene, except to let the scene go however it goes.

20. Which shows you guys played enjoying a lot all these while? Any great event happens there publicly? What's the last event/show/gig that you've attended lately? When? Is it great?
I always enjoy getting out to new places. Hopefully we’ll be going to China this year. South America is cool because it’s so many different countries with different ways. Japan has a really different feel, also.

If you mean is there a really great gig event here in England , nothing that I’ve been to. It’s all just festivals, gigs etc. etc.

Last show I went to other than Napalm Death was an all-dayer in Birmingham in December. It was cool actually, but I don’t remember any of the bands names…which doesn’t make it sound so cool at all. But it was, trust me on that one!

21. Any great moments during the Napalm Death Malaysia Tour back in 2001 that you guys wish to share here?
Just the gigs were awesome, plus going out into the jungle in the tropical rainstorms was a simple but amazing experience. Even though I’m not at all a religious person, there was a temple cut into the mountain that was just an amazing piece of architecture. The monkeys there stole Jesse’s beer. They were a lot cleverer than him. Ha ha.

22. Mostly ex-Napalm Death bandmates which out from the band were/are forming another bands that also made a big impact to the musical scene worldwide. The most notable ones are Cathedral (Lee Dorrian), Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine (also Lee Dorrian), Carcass ( Bill Steer ), Godflesh (Justin Broadrick), Jesu (also Justin Broadrick) & Scorn ( Mitch Harris ). Also the side project bands along the way of Napalm Death existence such as Brujeria (Shane Embury), Lock Up (also Shane Embury & Jesse Pintado ) & Meathook Seed (also Shane Embury & Mitch Harris ) been considered as groundbreaking & outstanding. According to these profiles, will you considered Napalm Death has proven that all the past/present band members are multi-talented, worth checking out & deserved supports from every side of people in the scene?
Well, in my opinion, people in Napalm Death just seem to always have interesting extra things to offer. But it’s not up to me or any of the other guys to tell people that they deserve respect or whatever. The music kind of speaks for itself, so if people get something from it, then fine. You’ve always got to get on and continue to make interesting music – that’s the point rather than just sitting back and soaking up all the compliments.

23. Some infos I've got, saying that Napalm Death has been influenced by groups such as Siege, Larm, Heresy, some old metal band like Venom, Celtic Frost, Possessed & those NWOBHM in developing grindcore sound. Also anarcho punk movement back in 70's/80's such as Crass, Flux Of Pink Indian, Rudimentary Peni, The Ex, Discharge, Amebix etc are helping Napalm Death to develop political awareness lyrics. Is that true?
I’m not sure about the NWOBHM, but the rest of it is pretty accurate. As far as awareness lyrics, yes you can have those influences, but you should always look to your own perspectives - even if those perspectives are inevitably going to be close to those of the bands you mentioned at the end of your question.

24. Tell me your opinions about the condition of mother earth nowadays. As it slowly down to rot, what's thing come to your mind that you think deserved to be heard by all those evil-richness-scumbag that keep continuously sucking those mineral greedily out from the soil?
Profit and greed to that extent always cloud the vision, so it’s hard to know what to say to these people. They won’t stop what they are doing, and whilst I’m not ordinarily into trusting the forces of ‘law’ to do the decent thing, the situation seems a bit desperate and action needs to be taken sooner rather than later.

Otherwise, I think that if we all stepped back as individuals and came to the conclusion that raping the earth would really fuck us all in the end, the power of us all calling a halt to certain actions individually would put indirect pressure on these people in power and make them stop.

Back to my original point though, if those who are exploiting the earth really can’t see the problem now with melting ice caps, forest fires, rising oceans, species dying etc., then there’s not too much hope. Negative, I know, but there you are.

25. What's your opinion to plastic images of models in some fashion magazines that being appeared gloriously to promoting those wasted crap product towards readers/spectators, which is after many years human condition (especially in this globalization era!) being measured by those media that they're not cool enough, not beautiful, not fit enough, not included in 'selected circles', not this, not that etc... so that they (human) will keep consume those product in order to get those cool, beautiful, fit etc just like the images of those 'appealed models' that they've exhibited? Not just the 'normal' people being hypnotized, as we can see randomly there are also have numbers of people in the scene which care too much about what they've to wear, to act etc for their outlook rather than care about the way of their thought which sometimes leads to hc/punk is more likely a fashion show that have a dress code to be followed which I can see is all pathetic. Need your views here.
I don’t swallow what ‘product’ magazines tell me, for starters. I make my own mind up about what I want in my life. Again, as with the last question, it needs more of a revolution in thinking progressively by individuals and groups to just not take the bait.

To take this into the context of the scene, I hear what you’re trying to say, but there is a danger here of falling into the age-old trap of elitism again. So, a person might be wearing skate clothes and have gelled hair or something, but they could equally point the finger at a person with the Discharge back-patch and liberty-spiked hair. Both are arguably uniforms of identity. Giving shit to the former just kind of gives the impression that you are more superior because you put out an aura that you’re more into social topics. It doesn’t actually achieve anything because it gives a judgmental hierarchy to the scene. I used to do the same thing before I actually stopped and thought about it, but I have more constructive things to do now than point fingers at people because what I’m doing is supposedly more important than what they are. All that stuff is petty and pointless.

26. What’s your opinion on marriage and on having children? Did you find it necessary as a bond for a couple to keep on living together? Or is it such a state of mind (or psychology) in proving that they are already shared their life?
Simple: do what you want. If it suits you and you’re not restricted by it, go get married. Nothing like this is necessary or essential to enjoy life. If you want children, do it because it pleases you and your partner. Not because of societal pressure or preconceptions. If you wanted to live the rest of your life without having children, then that’s your choice again.

27. Mind to tell me future plan of Napalm Death? Future releases?
Our new album ‘Smear Campaign’ comes out in September. It’s raging stuff, with a few new elements on there like we always try to do. The concept of it is religious interference, even down to that in our everyday lives which often goes unnoticed.

Once that’s out, we should be touring the USA with Hatebreed, then going to Japan , and then come back to Europe until the end of the year. I’m looking forward to everything.

28. I think that's enough for me to ask you. Anything left to say or something to add? Mind to asking me one question about something you'd like to know? Please state your latest address to be contact please. Thanks for the attempt to answer this interview and allow me to make this set of questions for you. Your participation is highly appreciated. Thank you.
Thanks very much for the interview. It was a long one, but we got there in the end. If there was one thing I’d like to ask, it would be: how is it to play shows right now down in Malaysia ? The last ones we did were so cool, and we were very grateful to the organizers down there.
Thanks to all the readers for staying with this very long interview. Hope I didn’t bore you too much. Peace. Contact: www.napalmdeath.org

*This interview had been sent to Napalm Death on Monday, May 29th, 2006 and replied by Mark 'Barney' Greenway on Tuesday, July 18th, 2006 thru e-mail before Jesse Pintado died (July 12th, 1969 - August 27th, 2006) and before the new album (Smear Campaign) being released on September 15th, 2006. "Smear Campaign" is a great album after "Scum" (July 1987) by the way. Thanks for reading!

The Locust Interview


1. Hi, may I know who's on the line? How are you and the others?
I'm Justin Pearson and I'm okay. Things could be better. You know, i work my ass off every single day. never have enough time to do everything that needs to be done. im always broke. id rather not be in front of a computer. the others, not sure to be exact. hope you are well though.

2. Who's came up with the name? What's the meaning of The Locust and is it have any connection towards the music itself?
Dylan Scharf came up with the name. the name was fitting. i suppose the insect was a metaphor for the sounds that we had started to create. pretty simple explanation i suppose.

3. The Locust simply being called by many as a band that plays hardcore/grind type of music and repeatedly cited as a powerviolence band. But from what I've heard, The Locust more likely experimental thrashy with a lot of loops from synthesizer effects and somehow reminds me of Melt Banana. Is it tech-grind or any particular genre of The Locust that you want readers to know?
no. genre names are not important to us. lets just add the "core" suffix to some word and call it a day.

4. Is wearing costume a must for The Locust members? Any hidden agenda or something to prove by appearing with the costume?
we wear uniforms. no hidden agenda. maybe just hidden acne.

5. Who came up with the whole concept of The Locust; musically and appearance?
the members of the band at the given points and on the given releases that they were on, collectively at those points.

6. The Locust band members including individuals from the other bands like Holy Molar, Cattle Decapitation, Some Girls, Swing Kids, The Crimson Curse, Struggle and Le Shok. Apart from these bands, any bands that I've left mentioned?
you forgot: t cells, henk, farg narg, ground unicorn horn, and head wound city.

7. How did you guys separate your time for those bands and The Locust? Is The Locust a first priority than any other bands that you guys involved?
we work around the clock. very hard. everything is a priority at times. for instance, head wound city, was a week long band. so it was a priority for that week. hope that makes sense.

8. The Locust lyrics quite disturbing (and artistic) with its too twisted and weird comparing to any hc/punk bands existed. Did you find this as one of the reasons The Locust getting more recognizable among others?
huh?

9. I can find similarity between The Locust with Charles Bronson, Melt Banana and Discordance Axis when concerning about its rapidly changing tempo, frantic shrieking vocals, lively showmanship, youthful energetic spirit and except for D. Axis, they're also have long song titles like yours. Is The Locust influenced by them?
we like them.

10. The Locust songwriting amazed me according to its innovative, quite controversial, shocking, loud and all in all I can say, The Locust has come in very refreshing new stylistic. What drives The Locust in making this kind of music? Any particular reasons or goals you guys want to achieved by delivering this form of music?
what drives us is really just the basics of life. you know, the lives we live, create this art. its a product of the world that we live in. as far as goals, im not sure we have pre meditated goals really. for the most part, the locust as an entity came from the subconscious.

11. Tell me about a record deal with Epitaph for 'Plague Soundscapes' (2003). Why The Locust signed with Ipecac Recordings for 'Safety Second, Body Last' (2005)? And why for the upcoming 'New Erections' The Locust turning back again to Epitaph's deal? Can you tell me story behind this?
we signed a two record deal with epitaph, but in the contract gave ourselves the opportunity to work with ipecac in the middle of the two albums. both are great labels and we wanted to work with them.

12. What's actually The Locust want to conveys through "Alas, Here Come the Hypochondriacs to Wait With You in the Lobby"? The title itself sounds like surrealistic, but more psychotic.
its all open for interpretation really. that title was written by bobby bray and he can give you an accurate answer but i will not. sorry.

13. Your concepts are retro alike be it music, video clips and appearances. Do you consider The Locust are revivalist of the oldies?
no, we dont consider these sorts of things.

14. Are you guys fan of henshin hero of Japanese anime/film like Ultraman, Masked Rider etc?

not really.

15. You often cited as a catalyst of your kind of music and were also influencing other bands like An Albatross, Phoenix Bodies, Ed Gein, Holy Molar etc to play this kind of music. Need your view upon this. Do you see this as a good thing or else?
well ive never heard any of the above mentioned bands except for holy molar. so i cant answer this.

16. Tell me about your current and upcoming tour. What and when was the memorable shows so far that you guys involved?
our upcoming tour starts soon and is with daughters and cattle decapitation. at some points, yip yip and bastard noise will be joining us. as far as memorable shows, honestly there were plenty. playing with the yeah yeah yeahs at the london forum and having 4,000 people booing and throwing stuff at us, is memorable. or getting a bottle broken over my head in some shit hole in florida by some stupid hardcore gang was memorable. there are many many more.

17. Tell me about your experience when performed at Hellfest; its acceptance of the audiences etc.
that thing sucked all around.

18. Unlike most bands, which normally have the drums set up behind the other members, the four members of The Locust are all positioned in a line at the front of the stage. Can you elaborate and explain this situation?
sure, we are all equal. so we set up in a line.

19. The Locust has been labelled in one Chicago-based fanzine as "ruining hardcore for fat kids". So, how you react upon this matter?
i wish we did that.

20. You (Justin Pearson) have also owned a label called ThreeOneG... and apart of being in bands, what the other guys do?
they go to school, teach, write music, build things, you know, stuff.

21. The Locust seems opposing Clear Channel Communications so much and eagerly turned down shows which involved some great bands like Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Fantomas. This is quite amazing to hear such thing like this. How is it going and why it's happened? What's wrong with Clear Channel anyway?
how is it going? well ok i suppose. basically we chose to boycott clear channel do to its right wing christian fundamentalist agenda. anything from ejecting atrists our of their venues for speaking out against the war in iraq, to having the bush administration using them for campaining, all signs are pointing one shitty direction.

22. When speaking about The Locust upcoming new release, "New Erections", what you want readers to know more about it? And what's your expectation towards it? Do you satisfied with it as a whole?
as a band we dont really care about the reaction, or the critics "opinions". sure, praise is cool and we appreciate it. but generally its all uneducated for the most part. we do what we do, create what we create, for ourselves really. and we usually are satisfied with the outcome of our releases for a time. then we realize its flaws and we figure out how it could have been better. but we move on and create new art. they we see it in the same light as the previous one and so on.


23. The Locust also has been accused as being elitist by some people. So, what's your opinion towards it?
im sure we have been accused of worse. id rather be accused of ruining hardcore for fat kids though. we make music. elitists or not, we just dont care. id like to know how we do these things to be honest. how are we elitists? and i have tried to become fat, but its so hard for me.

24. Lyrically, The Locust is a scathing satire of popular mainstream US culture, sexuality, and US politics. So this gonna be forever or will be changed in the matters of time?
we cant tell the future. working on that one still.

25. Do you consider singing in decent and proper voices instead of high-pitched screams and shrills? Because it is nearly impossible to discern what is being said.
our newer material is becoming a bit more easily to understand. screaming is well, getting boring. not everyone can scream good. please take note.

26. Instead of talking to the crowd, The Locust tune their instruments after almost every song. Why?

we tune to achieve musical accuracy. talking is over rated. especially when we dont know the people and they are seeing us as elitists or fat haters.

27. Is The Locust a political band?
i suppose, yes. but that depends on your definition of political.

28. Tell me about the appearance of Justin Pearson on a Jerry Springer show.
it was a joke and happened a long time ago. lets move on, shall we?

29. Okay, thanks for your time anwsering this interview. Good luck with The Locust.
thanks a lot. no problem. take care.

*Alright, here we go. The Locust is a Hardcore/Grind/Sci-Fi Noise/Rock group from San Diego, California, USA. They're known for their unique synth-heavy, distorted sound and their stage presence. For more infos about The Locust, please kindly go here: http://www.thelocust.com or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Locust

Saturday, April 14, 2007

Hisap Batu Orang Tak Guna...

Okay, NOFX will be performed down here in Malaysia on this April 19th, 2007. Then I've remembered about a Crust/Hardcore band called BOYCOT from Holland which detested NOFX so much. I've searched all over the net and found this lyric entitled "Punkrock Sucks", it was about hating those punk bands that signed with major labels. Okay, here we go:

No NOFX
Fuck Offspring
Slay Green Day
BOYCOT
If it's only for big money

Then it's true that punkrock sucks.

This song has been featured in the first ever BOYCOT release, "Only Stupid Bastards Help Epitaph". It was released in 1995 and being pressed in orange vinyl. The song is rather funny yet straightforward and strong in its lyrical content. Hmm... I mean, after I've read about the dispute by both bands in a zine which I've forgot which one, either Maximum Rock & Roll or HeartattaCk, or maybe else. Now, it is considered classic indeed...

Bintang Belalang Juta...



Neurosis performed "Locust Star" song from their 5th album, "Through Silver In Blood" (April 1996/Relapse Records) at the first Ozzfest in 1996. They've shared the second stage with Earth Crisis, Powerman 5000, Coal Chamber and Cellophane. While at the main stage featuring big names like Ozzy Osbourne, Slayer, Danzig, Biohazard, Sepultura and Fear Factory. Once again, Neurosis also have made an appearance at the second Ozzfest in 1997. I've seen both of the actual festival through VHS video tape circa 1998... and I've been grateful for that. Enjoy your watching...

Getting ready for the next big thing!

The new Neurosis album entitled "Given To The Rising" will be released worldwide on Neurot Recordings in May 2007. For the meantime, a mp3 by the song title "Water Is Not Enough" can be downloaded at their official homepage, http://www.neurosis.com and can be heard at Neurot's MySpace account, http://www.myspace.com/neurotrecordings. This is the 10th studio album (including a collaboration album "Neurosis & Jarboe" in 2003) by the highly influential Experimental/Progressive Sludge Metal monster from Oakland, California, USA. The new album contained 10 songs and it has been said through this album that they've coming back to their 90's sound; from "The Word As Law" (1990) to "Times of Grace" (1999). This is Neurosis, man... you should buy this record. Highly recommended!

Track listing:
1. Given to the Rising
2. Fear & Sickness
3. To the Wind
4. At the End of the Road
5. Shadow
6. Hidden Faces
7. Water Is not Enough
8. Distil (Watching the Swarm)
9. Nine
10. Origin

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Kerja Satu Perhambaan




















Tanpa sedar ku terdiam
Merenung menembusi ruang masa
Kehadiran satu penantian
Tak ku hirau, tak ku kesal

Di kelompok manusia gila
Aku kembali membenci kerja
Memerah seluruh tenaga
Sang ketua mengherdik mesra

Leraikan rantai-rantai penguasa
Meledak jiwa dan keringat
Materialistik dunia plastik
Hedonistiknya menyesak kudrat

Entah bila begini, jisim masih merana
Tidak cukup apa yang ada
Tidak realistik, terus menderhaka
Fitrah alam masih berputar.


*Photo taken at 12:05 am on Monday, March 26th, 2007. All the way back to somewhere that nobody shouldn't know. It has been years not seeing myself in a bus ride, so it was the day after many years...

Nasib baik aku kenal...

Above: From left: Niesa, Kidzwan and Joe Kidd at The Ricecooker Shop [Sunday, March 25th, 2007. 8:20 pm].
Below: Fahmi at the Room #3, The Gallery, Top Floor, The Central Market Annexe, Kuala Lumpur [Sunday, March 25th, 2007. 10:00 pm].
* "Huh, diorang ni siapa tak kenal! Kalau tak kenal, poser la. Tak layak jadi Punk kat Malaysia ni", kata kawan aku. Fuh, nasib baik aku kenal diorang. Hahaha! Kedua-dua foto diambil pada malam ketika Tatsuya Yoshida, Infinite Delay, Klangmutationen dan Modar membuat persembahan.