The Crass Menagerie
#93 (Part Five)

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This Ain't Oprah - Interview with LANA DAGALES
Interview by: Jeb

There are some records that grow on you with repeated listens... records
that over time you may learn to like in spite of not really connecting with
them initially. By contrast there are also records that blow you away as
soon the music starts flowing out of the speakers. The debut 7" by LANA
DAGALES was one of the later. As soon as I heard that jet-engine bass start
rumbling, those frenetic drums start pounding and all the demented
screaming, I knew I was a fan. Before my needle had tracked all the way
across side one I knew I wanted to do an interview.

CM: I try to avoid asking for history lessons as much as I can but
considering LANA DAGALES only has one 7" out it probably makes sense to get
a little background on the band...

Greg: Well, Etay and I met each other around the end of '97. Etay had just
made it to CA after touring with his previous band Nekhei Naatza, they were
a great Israeli hardcore band which is now dysfunctional. We pretty much
started to jam off and on for quite some time in hopes of finding a guitar
player who was interested in jamming. Probably around the middle of '98, we
decided that finding a guitar player that would work out wasn't going to
happen any time soon so the best thing is to work with our resources.
Around this same time, we found Emelye who would fill the shoes as our lead
singer. By the end of '98 we recorded a demo together which never really
made it out too far cause by the time it was complete, Emelye's path of life
had turned in a new direction. She decided to relocate to Virginia where
she was going to start college. It was a clean break up and there was no
hard feelings. Now I was stuck doing vocals--again, this trend seems to
occur fairly often in bands, not that I didn't like doing them, but I just
wanted to focus on bass playing in this band where I was afraid that singing
would inhibit that. We wound up recording a demo for our final
project--Etay and I went to recording school--on a 24 track. This wound up
being the 7" on Boredom Noise. Thus, the story continues...

CM: Do you think it fundamentally changed the sound of the band to go from
a female vocalist to a male one?

Greg: Yes and no. Emelye sang low end where as I sing more of a mid range.
Also, we took a small break from shows after she left. This gave us time
to sit back and write new material before playing out again. After our
small break from shows, we wound up with shorter and faster songs. Where as
before, we had a small hint of sludge to our sound. I guess the last song
on the Boredom Noise record does as well, although, not as slow as before.

CM: I'm sure you get sick of people asking but what is the story behind the
band's name? It's not your typical "tough hardcore" kinda name.

Greg: Lana Dagales is a word we learned through a video so we are not sure
that the carry over is correct in spelling since this was not written down
in English. It was actually an Iroquoy word which translates to "Destroyer
of Town". This was a word used in spite of early presidential leaders like
Washington, who was a General when he acquired this name, Jackson and
Jefferson.

CM: (Laughs) So it is a typical hardcore name... just not in English! I
assume it is pronounced the way it is spelled since you were trying to
translate it to English?

Greg: Yeah pretty much

CM: It used to be that two-piece bands were seen as "gimmick" bands. Do you
think they are now being seen as more "legitimate" by people in the
underground...

Greg: I think so, the funny thing is, you look at bands like the Ruins who
started in the late '80s and Godstomper (mid '90s) and other bands who only
have 2 instruments and a front man like (early) Agents of Satan and
Discordance Axis... plus many more I can't think of right now. It seems
like there are more people who play instruments out there in the scene.
This (my theory at least), has caused people to pay attention to the
musicianship of a song and not just how catchy a riff is. Since there is
only two people, this forces these bands to really work their instruments
(for those unfamiliar with the ruins, you need to see them at least one time
to really understand where this is coming from) which causes people to look
at it as legitimate. Maybe it took over a decade of this stuff, but it is
happening. This theory has happened over and over again. Just like Jimmi
Hendrix was off the wall for putting distortion on his guitar the way he
did, then Sabbath for the intense heaviness which was absurd at the time.
But after years of sticking it out, there will always be people who
understand it eventually.

CM: Which raises the question, I guess, "Does it really matter how people
view the validity of two person bands?"

Greg: No

CM: Do you feel it puts more pressure on you live since you are basically
the only "frontman"? Well you and your dreadlocks (laughs)...

Greg: No not really. Basically, you either have a good show or a bad show,
doesn't matter how many people you hide behind, people can still tell if you
are wreaking the place up. Furthermore, I encourage everyone to watch
Etay's drumming! Seriously, he does a great job at bearing half the load in
the live and recorded settings. So, anyone who see's us play, watch Etay!
This will help relieve the frontman duty!!!


CM: When you decided to release the 7" on your own label did you originally
have the intention of releasing other people's stuff as well?

Greg: Yes, this was just a kick in the pants to get me moving. I knew that
eventually I would want to put out bands that I was friends with and really
enjoyed.

CM: Is this the first time you have done a label?

Greg: Yep, I am still a rookie. I have to thank Jon from Satan's Pimp right
here for helping me out with numerous contact numbers as well as very good
advice along the way. It has helped me out tremendously! Thanks Jon!!!

CM: So what has been the hardest and easiest things about doing it?

Greg: The hardest thing is dealing with the crap that pressing and printing
plants dish out. Through my personal experiences, things like pressing
plants destroying lacquers, then trying to convince me to have a grumpy man
to re-cut a laquer for free. Not a good idea, didn't work either to let you
know (laughs)! Or sending records to the wrong address and hoping that
your neighbor is nice enough to drag 5 boxes down the block and inform you
that they received them, Not good to leave boxes worth a bunch of money in
my neighborhood! Furthermore, these businesses not responding to numerous
phone calls due to the fact they don't want to admit they've screwed
something up. Finally, getting the covers to a record under-pressed,
then to make things worse, only 75%-80% of them are usable and the rest are
trash. Then the icing was applied to the cake when I am told that I have to
pay for extra film because something happened, yet no explanation was ever
given. hmmm, what about the extra records that have no covers? The easiest
thing is receiving the final product! Giving the band their share! Hearing
a band that you really want to put out say "yeah, we are completely into
doing something"! Trading your records with other labels for theirs--you
come across some amazing releases that way! Going to the P.O. Box and
finding mail there! These easy things are what make the concept of a record
label time consuming, yet worth while!

CM: How far along is the 7" for Satan's Pimp Records?

Greg: Well, it is getting pushed along, we are hoping to see it within the
next 3-6 months. Things are still in the air, Jon would be the one to talk
to about that. I do know that there are a number of releases that need to
hit daylight before the Lana Dagales 7" goes into press.

CM: Will that 7" be along the same lines as the first one?

Greg: Sort of, probably a little more developed. The songs are shorter on
this one and recorded better. You can expect 12 songs and 2 noise tracks on
this one!

CM: Recorded better, huh? So what grade did you get from recording school
for the first one (laughs)?

Greg: I think we did pretty well, it was more of a concept thing, you pass
or fail if I remember right. The final was worth about 30% of your semester
grade or something like that. You basically needed to hate your partner and
argue the whole time or not know what the hell is going on after 9 months or
not show up. The quality of the recording didn't really matter too much
since the theory applied that everyone likes to hear music differently. It
was all about how well you could align the 24 track, use phantom power, EQ,
use the patch bay and things like that--fundamentals of being an engineer.
Etay and I pretty much had it down well enough to stumble through our
recording without any trip ups!!!

CM: Any plans for a full length release yet?

Greg: We have talked about it, but it is more up to what comes out in our
next writing sessions.

CM: How would you compare your other band BRAINOIL to LANA DAGALES?

Greg: Brainoil is pretty much everything Lana Dagales is not. Where Lana
Dagales is short and speed up hardcore, Brainoil is slow to mid tempo heavy
rock / sludge influenced. It is sort of like comparing Discordance Axis to
Buzzoven--not that we sound like either of these bands, I am just trying to
paint a picture here.

CM: And you've recently joined GOB, right? They just happen to be one of my
all time favorites... anything exciting in the works with GOB?

Greg: Yes, I have the honor of filling in as the bassist for GOB! We are
trying to work something out which is sort of tricky with all our schedules
and locations. All I can say is once we do, I'm sure some form of release
is going to come out if not a few!

CM: I'm taking a poll... do you like the term power violence to describe
this kind of music?

Greg: Not really, hyper speed hardcore influenced, hardcore / grind
influence or something like that would sound more soothing to the ear for
me. That coined phrase has been spent quite some time ago I'm afraid, but
if people insist on calling us that, we will learn to live with it.

CM: It is a better description than "Total Crap" tho', isn't it?

Greg: Yes definitely. Although, it could be flattering if you are hearing
"total crap" coming out of Britney Spears mouth (laughing).

CM: Any final thoughts?

Greg: Thanks for the interview! People can write Lana Dagales, Boredom
Noise, or Brainoil at P.O. Box 11351 Oakland, CA 94611 Mrbrainoil@...,
Boredomnoise@... or go to www.geocities.com/boredomnoise



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This Ain't Oprah - Interview with MAGSTATIC
Interview by: Jeb


This is not my first interview with a member of Magstatic and with any luck
it won't be my last. While everyone from major label executives to
ex-members of the Dead Kennedys are trying to water down independent rock
into something lacking any integrity whatsoever, a band like Magstatic
reaffirms my faith in this music. Magstatic are pop, they are emo, they are
rock ‘n' roll, they are punk... but most importantly the are genuine,
passionate and make the music they want not because of trends but in spite
of them. Frontman Terrence D.H. has been melding pop infection, emotional
expression and punk integrity ever since his days in Salt Lake City's
seminal punk gods The Stench... long before that music was accepted by the
mainstream and he continues to get better and better...

CM: The first question seems obvious. The latest CD "Wrist Rockets &
Roller Coasters" is more stripped down and cranked up than anything
Magstatic has done previously, especially the first few songs. Are you
rediscovering your "angry young punk" angst?

D.H.: No I'm not pissed, I have been listening to a lot of my older punk
records and I really wanted to do something a little different. I wanted
this record to be louder and faster than the previous things we have done.

CM: Songs like "Wrist Rocket" and "Promise" are inevitably going to raise
comparisons to your fist band The Stench. Does that annoy you? Would you
rather leave the past behind?

D.H.: I'm totally proud of The Stench. To me these are songs that The
Stench would be playing now. I have been playing with the idea of getting
The Stench back together.

CM: Really? Are you thinking of being a fully functional band or just
maybe doing a "reunion" gig or two?

D.H.: Well Joe is moving to Seattle pretty soon to become famous so Pat
Stench may be doing some drumming duties, so there is The Stench (Laughs).
We'll have to see what happens. Geoff Stench lives in park city sooooo...

CM: Then there are the last two songs on the CD... "Girl" seems to be a
quirky nod to early 80s New Wave and "Comeback" might be some Kraftwerk
worship... am I up in the night?

D.H.: They are certainly fun little ditties. Both "Girl" and "Comeback"
were just funny ditties we wanted to include. Nothing more than that. I
think they are both pretty funny.

CM: Your lyrics have always been, even in The Stench days, emotionally
searing and personally expressive. In my mind they are as much your
trademark as your voice. Do you ever feel, I don't know, vulnerable because
your lyrics explore so deeply how you think and feel?

D.H.: I don't mean them to be so emotional it just what always happens when
I write. I usually don't even have an idea of what I'm going to write
about when I start a song it just kind of comes out. It's weird. Then it
all comes together at the end and seems to make a statement of some sort of
sense. I must be possessed.

CM: Your lyrics are usually pretty esoteric so I assume people have often
misunderstood what you were trying to say. Does it bother you when that
happens?

D.H.: At this point in my life I could care less what people think. I am
disappointed in the American ways and people in my community. Every damn day
cars are killing us. Noone walks anywhere anymore. Everyone's unhealthy and
unhappy. Fat and sick. Wow this sounds awful. I love the mountains and the
west desert otherwise I'd high tail it outta Dodge. Oh and Uinta beer.
CM: Your lyrics have also tied you in many people's minds to the emo scene.
Do you feel like you fit in there?

D.H.: I'm not sure how I feel about it. When I listen to the "Emo Diaries"
comp we did I don't think we sound anything like any other of the bands. We
are somewhat emotional I guess and we really play from the heart. I guess
that is where we fit in. We are not trying to be a part of that scene at
all but I do love Rites Of Spring and I've heard they are the grandfathers
of that sound so...

CM: I was able to catch the first ever Magstatic show a few years back. I
don't know if you remember the gig but you were playing in a movie theatre
and you said something that night that got me thinking... you said "It is
really hard to play for you people when you are just sitting there watching
us like we are a movie." It made me think about how much punk rock relies
on the idea of community, everyone contributing, including the crowd. Is
that something that you find appealing about the kind of music you play?

D.H.: I have been thinking about this a lot lately. The shows here in
town have gotten worse. Everyone is so bored at the show. Everyone just
stands there and stares. It sucks. You need to like spit fire or
something to wake people up. Noone has fun any more. It's super
frustrating for a band. It makes me wonder why we are still even doing it
sometimes. I keep looking back to the days when the shows were a blast and
everyone bounced around even if the band was sucking. It just makes it a
lot more fun for everyone. There are way too many cool people in this town
now. I swear I'm going to make this town pay. (Laughs)

CM: Of course, there is the flip side. I saw you in The Stench hardly able
to play or sing because the crowd knew your music so well they would
literally take over the stage and the mic. It seemed to me you started
playing almost exclusively new songs at Stench gigs to maintain some control
over the mic. True? Is that a down side?

D.H.: I love those days. I wish that still happened. The Stench played so
many new songs just because we were so tired of playing the older ones.
After awhile they just don't sound good any more.

CM: Did having the first Magstatic release come out on Sub Pop records give
the band much exposure? Has it helped propel the band's "career"--for lack
of a better word?

D.H.: Maybe a little but I think we are still a total nobody in the music
world. Who buys 7'' anymore anyway? Except me? We are definitely not
making a career out of it. I just had to do a radio spot for UTA (Editor's
Note: Utah Transit Authority) for some extra cash. Talk about sell out.

CM: Now that you work in a studio and have so much control over the
production and engineering of Magstatic do you feel like you are better able
to express what they band is all about?

D.H.: It's all about money. It was a pain to record all the stuff myself
but we did it for free. Hopefully next time we will be able to use someone
that we trust. I think it's important to get some outside feedback.
Otherwise I'm always turning up the guitars too loud (laughs).

CM: What about when you produce other people's music? Do you feel like
you're expressing yourself artistically when you do that?

D.H.: Yea totally. I wish more people would ask me to do that. I think I'm
quite good at it. Check out the new Erosion cd. It rocks.

CM: I'd like to shift gears to your new solo album "Yard Sale" for a
minute... Why was now the right time to release a solo album? I know
you've recorded enough material to release solo albums before but never
have...

D.H.: The record company actually said it wasn't the right time. I just
wanted to do it. It's not selling great but I kinda just did it for myself.
I figured if I wait on it I may never put it out. I'm pretty happy about
it and I had a hellufa time doing it. Sorry about all the synths. I kept
listening to it and was like...humm I think I need a synth part here, maybe
one here, hey this could use something wacky here. I've had quite a bit of
complaints about those damn synth parts. I love them.

CM: Any significance to the fact you released "Yard Sale" with your own
name and didn't use the Daisy Grey moniker?

D.H.: I should have put it out under The Stench so someone would buy it. I
just figured no one would get the Daisy thing. It turned out kinda like my
résumé

CM: When I ask punk musicians what they savor most about being in a band I
inevitably get a response about how "meeting people" and "making friends"
is what they value most. I look at the fact you are still working with
photographer Rick Egan after all these years and you used Brad Barker,
another long time musician friend, to do the graphic design for "Yard Sale"
and I wonder if the support of friends like that has a role in your
continuing to play punk rock after a decade and a half?

D.H.: Sure. Brad and Rick both Rule and I'm totally addicted to music. I'm
doing it a lot for myself also. I just need to do it. It makes me happy. I
know its better than a lot of crap out there and I also know its not
incredible but it has already paid off in tons of different ways for me.
I'll probably have like 30 records out by the time I'm 40 (laughs).

CM: Any last thoughts?

D.H.: Thanks Jeb. It's people like you that keep me going.

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This Ain't Oprah: STRONG INTENTION's Crucial Thrash Detonation
Interview by: Dave

Why does so much hardcore have to suck? If it's not "brutal evilcore" that
sounds like decades-old mulletmetal, it's fucking jock bullies singing that
your redemption and salvation will be through bloodshed and retribution. Can
I please have some hardcore that doesn't remind me of fucking church or high
school?

I was about to give up on the whole thing and start spending my money on
Limp Bizkit CDs. Luckily, an unassuming thrash band from rural Maryland
changed my mind. I went to a STRONG INTENTION show based on the strength of
one ‘zine interview, having no idea what to expect. Watching them belt out
lyrical tirades while pummeling their instruments, each note plucked as
delicately as a gorilla raping an electric bass, I realized that the
new-jack scene had run its fucking course. Brutally sincere pissed-off basic
hardcore, however, has never and will never be a flavor of the month.

If you too are sick of image-over-substance posturing by bands who think
they're Christ Almighty, STRONG INTENTION's newest EP "Each Day Lived...An
Act of Defiance" comes highly recommended. They blend heavy breakdowns with
fastcore riffage, throw in some '80s hatecore a la Negative Approach or
S.F.A. and play it at the velocity of Swedish crust. Set to a fiercely DIY
message, "Each Day Lived..." has thrash sensibilities that stick in your
head like an ice pick. Six months later I still can't go more than a day
without listening to STRONG INTENTION...

CM: First off, how about your names, the instruments you play and a short
history of STRONG INTENTION.

Adam: I play guitar and sing occasionally. I've been in the band for close
to 5 years.

Zac: I play bass and sing. I started the band in 1992, put out a demo in
‘93, our 1st 7" came out in 1996 and we had a split 7" come out in July,
1998. Our newest release is the 10 song 7" on Six Weeks. We toured the U.S.
multiple times and have had at least 2 dozen line up changes over the last 8
years. Joey is the guy who plays drums right now.

CM: What do you think was the single most important event that introduced
you to hardcore punk and sparked your interest? Who or what introduced you
to the concept of DIY?

Adam: I grew up in a very small town in Maryland, but got into metal when I
was pretty young. Through the metal magazines and the crossover scene in the
late ‘80s I got into hardcore and thrash and stuff like that. Pretty much
just searched it out for myself, stuff like Cro Mags, Suicidal Tendencies,
Bad Brains, Napalm Death, Excel. I didn't have any "scene mentors" to clue
me in. I was always attracted to the more extreme stuff, but got into the
"DIY" concept through the Dischord/DC scene, riot grrl friends of mine and
through bands in the Pacific Northwest that I started corresponding with,
like STARVED AND DELIRIOUS.

Joey: Growing up in Pittsburgh, me and my best friend Ryan listened to local
college radio stations like WPTS and WRCT. After awhile, I became friends
with the DJs and began going to local DIY shows to see bands like
Submachine, Aus Rotten, Necracedia, Bad Genes...

Zac: Well, I had a friend who was into Youth Of Today back in ‘86, and he
introduced me to hardcore and all that it had to offer. I started listening
to a lot of the bands from that era (85-89), read the lyrics and found that
the bands were singing about things that I believed in and wanted to be a
part of. DIY was introduced to me through things like No Answers fanzine,
Maximum Rocknroll.

CM: When you first got into hardcore, who were some of the bands you liked
that left a lasting impression? Do you think they're still relevant?

Adam: All of the old crossover thrash and grind bands that I got into when I
was a kid are still crucial listening to me, as well as the BAD BRAINS. The
old BAD BRAINS stuff will always be some of my favorite all-time music, and
will always be relevant to me, as well as all of the speedy/crossover shit
from the ‘80s. Obviously, that sound is going through a bit of a "revival,"
with all of the newer thrash bands referencing the crossover sound.

Zac: Definitely Agnostic Front, they are the band that started me in
hardcore/punk along with 85-87-era C.O.C. While C.O.C. has definitely fallen
by the wayside, AF will always be "the band" for me. After booking shows for
those guys and hanging out with them, they still inspire me to this day.

Joey: For me, it was Crass, Chumbawumba, Dead Kennedys and Bad Religion.
Growing through my teenage years and becoming an adult without a strong
sense of family, these bands taught me about life. Even if the bands are not
relevant today, the views that each one taught me will last forever.

CM: Who are some of your current favorites and why?

Adam: In the hardcore/punk realm, most of the stuff I listen to frequently
is older bands like INFEST, SEIGE, RATOS DE PORAO, Scandinavian and Japanese
hardcore. New bands like 9 Shocks Terror, GSMF, Fisticuffs, Abstain,
Capitalist Casualties, Crucial Unit and Tragedy all fucking rip. These are
all bands that don't sound like rehash to me--nothing burns me out on HC
faster than music that people obviously put little effort into.

Zac: INFEST, 9 Shocks Terror, From Ashes Rise, KISS, GSMF, WHN?, Tear It Up,
RDP, DRI & COC( 85-87 era), AF, Slayer, Disassociate.

Joey: Motorhead forever! Hail to Swedish hardcore punk.

CM: Past or present, who do you think has done a lot to improve the state
of hardcore? What aspects of the scene do you believe will ensure its
survival? On the other hand, what aspects do you think are detrimental or
more trouble than they're worth?

Adam: That's sort of a tough question for me to answer. I think that
honestly, as far as someone helping to improve the state of current
hardcore, I would say that Jeff and Athena from Six Weeks have an agenda
that I totally get with. I am really into their passion for hardcore without
all the scenester posturing. Mike Thorn, Chris Dodge, Ken from Sound
Pollution and Max Ward obviously also do a lot to maintain a "quality level"
in hardcore. I really like how all of these folks have a true love for
non-U.S. music, and have introduced a lot of killer overseas artists to the
U.S. hardcore scene. As far as what aspects of the scene ensure its
survival, I don't know. I have sort of a low opinion of the HC scene right
now. It seems that lately the "scene" is mired in a lot of scenester
worship, with bands and people who are active in HC having to live up to
some bullshit criteria that I don't agree with at all. That, I would say, is
what is truly detrimental to the scene.

Zac: Along with some of the heads that Adam mentioned, I would want to
include Felix Havoc, Nate (Devoid of Faith) and all the kids doing true
hardcore/punk DIY shows here in the U.S. and worldwide. Detrimental are the
cliché-driven scenesters who all that's important to them are who you know
and hang out with and who the cool, hyped band is at the time and what bands
you have toured with and all the gossip and backbiting that goes along with
it. Keeping punk a threat and out of the fucking mainstream will help ensure
survival and any step in the other direction fucks the scene.

Joey: I think that the "scene" sucks and is so split into so many
subdivisions and for it all to be called hardcore or punk is to use those
terms too loosely. I can't stand it when I go to a punk show and the kids
don't dance. Or they act as if it's painful to act into it! Also, all the
pretentious scenesters piss me off! I don't care who you are or what band
you were or are in. I'm only going to talk to you if you're a nice person.
Cool people go die!

CM: Inside or outside of hardcore, who do you consider musical geniuses?

Adam: Inside of hardcore, the BAD BRAINS definitely showed genius when they
started out. Total obliteration of musical standards and approach. Outside
of hardcore, THE SWANS are definitely the band I admire the most for their
constant experimentation and extremism, and are probably my all-time
favorite band. There are a lot of other "experimental" outfits that are
probably up there too, as far as artists that I really admire and respect
for their vision.

Zac: Inside, I would say Black Flag, outside I would say Steve Vai, Edward
Van Halen, Beethoven.

CM: STRONG INTENTION's songwriting and thrash onslaught developed
exponentially from the self-titled EP (Crucial Blast #1) to "Each Day
Lived...An Act of Defiance." What do you attribute this to and what inspires
you to make this music? What bands have been an influence on your sound?

Adam: I had always been into faster stuff, but I wanted to start
incorporating a more abrasive HC sound into what we were doing, after just
becoming sick of the same retread "gangster" posturing and boring mosh-music
that was really fucking prevalent on the East Coast when I first joined SI.
I wanted to write music that was more genuinely pissed off and brutal, and
it was just a natural progression for us to become faster and faster. All of
us grew up with fast HC/punk/metal, and our influences just started to show
through more. I tend to get most of my influence from INFEST and SEIGE and
speed metal, and over the past year Joey has re-introduced me to a lot of
Scandinavian HC that is creeping into my songwriting process.

Zac: Yeah, it was just a natural progression. We started a little slow but
then it seemed that everything we were writing was faster and faster, more
and more abrasive...it was not something planned or contrived, it just what
was coming out of us at the time and still does to this day. INFEST, CARRY
NATION, STRAIGHT AHEAD, ANTIDOTE, DRI.

Joey: my inspiration comes from Swedish hardcore, d-beat, Cali power
violence, etc...thrash no die!

CM: You guys mentioned in your liner notes that you're disappointed with the
macho posturing and homophobic/sexist tendencies in a lot of hardcore from
the East Coast. You started out as an NYHC-inspired band but now your sound
takes cues from all the factions of hardcore and your lyrics show a depth of
political understanding a lot of bands don't have. Why did this happen to
you and not to scores of other bands that pop up every day?

Adam: Well, it seemed that that scene became more and more boneheaded and
centered around privileged jocks, which was something I could never relate
to. Totally aside from the music, I got tired of the constant conservative
and macho rhetoric at every show I played or went to. I liked the tough
attitude, but not the preoccupation with this image of what "hard" is. It
came off as totally counter-productive to what hardcore means to me. I'm so
far removed from that kind of thinking now that I don't even get it. I have
friends that have various different types of lifestyles and desires, and I
felt completely alienated from this insular "tough guy" community that
essentially relied on violent threats and random violence towards people
that don't fit their narrow definition of "hardcore". I wanted to do
something more relevant and true to myself, something more representative of
what I'm fucking furious about on a daily basis. With other bands that fall
within the tough-guy/macho HC scene, I think that it's easiest compared to
wanting to be a part of the "in-crowd." I've met some incredibly intelligent
people that are active in that sphere of the HC scene, who have admitted to
me that they think a lot of what goes on there is fucking crap, but they
don't want to jeopardize their standing in that social circle. Whatever.
I'll admit we took something of a risk in taking a different direction in
our music and messages, and we have received some incredibly negative
feedback in the past from some people, especially in our local area. I don't
give a fuck. I'll do what makes me happy. Everyone else can fucking rot.

Zac: Yeah, the East Coast scene has more assholes in it than you could ever
imagine and we wanted to be as far removed from that as possible. We've
heard so much shit from people because we don't look the part or whatever
and I have a lot of friends in some of these bands and I can't understand
why they let themselves be a part of that stupid scene. It's a big social
club and as long as they're accepted they will turn their heads to all the
macho bullshit, the mainstreaming of hardcore. They turn their heads as long
as they can stay part of the club.

CM: My town, Salt Lake City, has a reputation for scene violence that seems
to have spread across the globe. While violent incidents for the most part
have calmed down (and I hope it stays that way), did you have any
reservations the first time you played here? Has scene violence been a
problem where STRONG INTENTION is from?

Adam: We were curious to see what SLC would be like when we first played
there in 1999, after hearing about the violence issues that have occurred
out there. As it turned out, the show we played was pretty positive and we
had a good time. I don't think I really had any preconceptions of what
playing there was going to be like. It was funny how kids there obviously
weren't used to fast bands--after every song the kids would keep yelling at
us to play more ANAL CUNT songs. Here in Maryland, we have had violence at
some shows that we've played, for the most part the situations were so
ridiculous they were beyond defense, such as when a roomful of kids got
maced after someone was accidentally cracked in the head on the dancefloor.

Zac: Well, I wanted to see first-hand what was up with SLC, you hear all the
monster crew stories and whatever, but we never had any reservations about
playing SLC, or anywhere else for that matter, where violence has been an
issue. Violence has really never been a problem in our area. Back in 89-90
there was more than your share of violence in DC and Baltimore but all that
shit has died down. In a way though, that's not the best thing. Like
VOORHEES said, more violence in hardcore, but in that constructive way that
we all know and love.

Joey: Uh, there is no scene in Hagerstown, MD.

CM: Since we're on the verge of a presidential election, the debate over
whether or not to vote has surfaced again. Do you think voting makes a
difference? Who's voting or not? Why? I'm worried we'll be in neck-deep shit
if George W. Bush is elected.

Adam: Well, of course we lagged forever on getting this interview done
(whoops), so the election is now over and Bush is in office. I think
everyone will agree after this past debacle that every vote does count. I
did go to vote, this would have been my first time voting, but it turned out
that I wasn't registered when I though that I was (long story). And yes, I
agree that we're gonna be in shit with Bush in office. I have no sympathy
for conservative values and I see his presence in the White House spelling
jeopardy for our rights. He's an asshole, that's my bottom line. But like
some people have said, this allows for the potential of some good hardcore
coming into being!

ZAC: I think voting makes a difference if there is a party that speaks your
views. Otherwise, I think it is a waste. Why vote if you don't believe in
anything someone is saying? I voted because I still believe that you should
let your voice be heard even if you don't agree with the 2-party system.
Voting for a 3rd party could pave the way for real change in this country

Joey: Right wing, left wing, all the same ole thing. Voting changes nothing.
This election should reflect that.

CM: What other political issues concern the band? What ones do you think
will affect you the most? Do you think any of them will ever be resolved?

Adam: Things that affect me the strongest are usually involving Western
society's constant attack on individual freedom of expression and
individuality. Homophobia, the war against women and their rights, and
outright classism are issues that tend to strike home with me. Family
values, kiss my ass. I don't know if any of these things could ever be
resolved, there are always going to be old white men in power who are going
to do everything they can to maintain their hierarchy in our society.

Zac: Classism, censorship, campaign finance reform, human rights issues.
Will these things ever be eliminated? Well, I don't know but if you don't
fight for these things and try to make a change then we'll never know, will
we.

Joey: Classism, animal politics, decriminalization of drugs, socialized
medicine, social security, etc...

CM: What was the weirdest thing that happened to you guys on tour?

Adam: I don't think anything particularly weird happened on the fall, 2000
tour we just completed. However, in 1997 on our 1st U.S./Canadian tour, we
committed an ultimate faux-pas...we had stopped for gas on our way out of
Albuquerque heading towards El Paso, and after gassing up and getting food,
we continued on down the highway. About an hour and a half later, our
drummer at the time finally awoke in the back of the van and asked us where
Cole (our bassist for that tour) was. Thinking he was asleep underneath the
immense pile of blankets and stuff in the back, I leaned back to throw back
the blankets and wake Cole up. All I found underneath was a pile of pillows.
It took a few moments of panic-stricken bedlam to figure out that Cole must
have climbed out of the van to go get something to eat while we were in the
gas station. We finally turned around and drove back 90 miles to find him.
He was right there at the gas station, moments from taking a cab to the
airport as he thought we had deliberately left him there in the middle of
the desert. I think that was the 3rd time we lost him on that tour.

CM: How did you hook up with Six Weeks? How have people been reacting to
"Each Day Lived...?"

Adam: I had corresponded with Jeff previous to playing out in the Bay Area,
having traded records, etc with Six Weeks. We finally met when we played
Gilman St., and after the show him and Athena invited us to stay at their
place. We ended up hanging out and talking for the entire time we were
there, and they kindly offered to do an EP with us. Since then, we've become
good friends with them and having the opportunity to work with them has been
a great pleasure. So far, the EP seems to be getting great reviews and
everyone we've met on tour and otherwise who has picked up the record has
congratulated us on it. I'm happy with how
it's been going.

ZAC: Yeah, the response to the new shit has been really good, really
positive. Meeting more cool people and bands every day, so everything has
been going well, everything 2 steps forward.

CM: What upcoming releases are on the way? Any plans for a full-length?
What other projects are members of the band involved in?

Adam: We have a full length LP/CD in the works that will be released on Six
Weeks in spring, 2001. We are also going to be doing a 10"/mCD that will be
a split label release with Coalition/Reflections in Europe. Other EP's and
stuff will also come together in time. As far as other stuff I am involved
in, I run Crucial Blast Records, and play in the melodic death metal/"stoner
rock' band THE BODYBAG ROMANCE, as well as some other completely
non-hardcore related projects.

Zac: We have 2 split 7"s coming out, with BSE from Holland and another with
Sound Like Shit from Japan. Massive touring will ensue from now until the
next millennium.

Joey: I plan to drink a lot this year, smoke pot all across the globe and
play as much thrash as I can, and hopefully move someplace nice.

CM: Any last words? Where can people write to get in touch with STRONG
INTENTION?

Adam: Thanks to everyone who made this last tour an enjoyable experience,
especially Jeff and Athena at Six Weeks, our pals in ABSTAIN, Pete from
BENUMB, Timmy in Austin, CRUCIAL UNIT, and all of the bands and kids we met.
You can contact me via CRUCIAL BLAST by writing to PO Box 364, Hagerstown,
MD 21741-0364, email crucialblast@..., or call (301) 745-6591. The
Crucial Blast website is at
http://www.morenoise.com/crucialblast Distort till death.

ZAC: To contact STRONG INTENTION, go to our website @
www.angelfire.com/md/strongintention, email us at xsimdbcx@... or call us
at (240) 420-3663. Thrash life no die!!! Circle beats the square.

Joey: thanx to the support of "14/haus of gentlemen" cheers to all the
b-more punx, iron city punx etc. Cheers to all hellraisers and beer
drinkers.

**********************************************************************
This Ain't Oprah: Interview with SOLACE
Interview by: Jeb

Like many of the readers of this zine, I cut my musical baby teeth on heavy
metal bands like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Uriah Heep. Needless to say
that to this day I take my doom metal seriously. So when I tell you that
SOLACE's CD "Further" was the best doom album from last year, I am
completely serious. It also just so happens that Solace's Tommy Southard is
a long time subscriber to The Crass Menagerie. An interview was pretty much
mandatory...

CM: So a few years ago I get this amazing demo from you, then nothing, then
suddenly your mind blowing CD hits my desk. Were you laying low or did I
miss a bunch of stuff in the life of solace? Weren't you going to record for
some other label?

Tommy: Well... you missed a lil' bit... we put out a split ep with fellow
Jersey band Solarized on Meteorcity records, a 7 inch out on Warpburner
records from Germany, and were on a shit load off comps. We went through
about 7 drummers in that time as well and played a boatload of shows, so
we've been busy. We had some other offers from other labels but we made the
right choice going with Meteorcity.

CM: Well I'm deeply hurt you didn't keep me appraised of all this (laughs).
Is there a psychologist in the house? Is all of this stuff still available?

Tommy: Haha! The split on Meteorcity is sold out, we have plans to release
our half of the split with some of our various oddities in the future. I
think you can still get the Warpburner single at
http://members.aol.com/rexrotari/warp3.htm. Most of the various comps I
believe are still in print. We did "We Bite" for a Misfits tribute on
Freebird Records, "Another Life" for an Iron Maiden tribute that came out on
Meteorcity, "Nobody's Fault" by Aerosmith for a tribute that came out on
Small Stone Records out of Detroit, and we have some unreleased tunes on a
comp by Red Sun Records out of Italy. This Dark Reign from Cali, Underdogma
Records... I can't even remember them all.

CM: Meteorcity seems to be the label American doom/stoner rock fans have
waited and waited for... but it seems like every time a great doom label
tries to make a go of it in the U.S. the timing isn't right. Do you think
now is finally the right time?

Tommy: I hope so! It does seem to be a good time for this type of music. I
just hope it doesn't eat itself up and implode. It's still pretty
underground but with all the bands it can get a little thin. Meteorcity has
a good handle on the pulse of the scene and, as far as I'm concerned, is one
of the best labels out, and are only putting out quality music by quality
bands.

CM: How does it feel, after all these years of plugging away to have an
album out that getting such positive attention the world over? Hell you got
4k's in Kerrang!, right?

Tommy: It feels great, but I don't feel satisfied, I still have a lot of
things I want to complete. But it is a good feeling to be where we are. It
has taken a lot of hard work to get back on the map. Having had a taste back
in the early mid 90's with my band Godspeed putting out a record on Atlantic
records, opening up for Sabbath and Cathedral and having Bruce Dickinson
from Iron Maiden sing with us on the 1st Sabbath tribute. It's a better
feeling now, because of all the hard work we put in. We started from ground
zero and built it back up.

CM: Heavy metal with doom overtones can be some of the most powerful and
dynamic music in the underground if it is done right but so much doom seems
to struggle because of a lack of originality... there are a handful of
touchstone bands that many bands seem obligated to emulate (Sabbath,
Trouble, Cathedral) and it often gets redundant. How do you manage to create
such a refreshing and invigorating sound while still staying totally true to
the heaviness and vibe that defines the style?

Tommy: We don't try to copy these bands. We have very many different
influences, stuff that most doom heads wouldn't like. We're not claiming to
be reinventing the wheel here, but we add elements of hardcore and 70's
style riff rock and blend it with doom and groove. We not trying to be the
slowest or the loudest or whatever. We're just a band. We play what we love
and that's all we know. If it comes out sounding a bit different. then we're
achieving what we set out to do. People or bands who think sounding exactly
like another band is cool are misguided. Be what you are not what they were!

CM: Excellent way to put it. It is too bad that more doom/stoner groups
don't recognize that the bands who tend to rise to the top are the ones that
forge a unique vision... bands like candlemass and trouble. Are there any
bands, other than Solace of course (laughs), that you think are the future
of doom?

Tommy: Goatsnake and Abdullah, both bands just flat out kill.

CM: I've read some reviews of the album that draw comparisons between you
and bands like Tool and Korn. I just don't hear it. Am I too much of an old
fart? Do you understand where those reviews are coming from?

Tommy: Not really... I mean I could care less about Korn. The only Korn I
know is the stuff that comes out in my shit and that's what I think of that
band. I think Tool are very talented band but I'm not a huge fan. I'm much
more into old metal and punk and 70's rock. I'm not a huge modern rock guy.
So I don't understand it completely but I guess some see our sound and being
retro with a modern feel. I think that comes out by the blending of our
influences more than by design.

CM: Is it safe to say you make a conscious effort to distance yourself from
the norm?

Tommy: Yes. I have no desire to sound like another band or fit only into
one category. Don't get me wrong. I love doom and stoner rock but it can get
a bit tedious at times with all the clones. that's one of the reason we went
with a more "metal" album cover. While everyone was doing space themes and
planets and cars and shit we went with a more sinister look.

CM: Have you caught any flak from doom purists about "trying to be death
metal" because of the album art?

Tommy: Not really. At least not that I'm aware of.

CM: Well the artwork is amazing! How did that all come together?

Tommy: By chance really. Wes Benscotter, who did the art work, had contacted
Meteorcity about doing some art for the label. At the same time we were in
search of art. He's done stuff in the past for bands like Slayer, more death
style stuff and wanted to do some more Stoner stuff but we actually wanted a
more death vibe. It just worked out perfectly.

CM: Does it take a long time for the band to write songs?

Tommy: If they don't come together quickly we don't bother. They usually
flow pretty naturally. If we get hung up on anything too long and try to
force it, I think the songs would feel unnatural, and when your writing
songs that are rather long you don't want things feeling forced. We have had
several reviews where the reviewer has mention how well the songs flow and
that you don't even realize how long the songs are because the don't bore
you and have motion. I think that's the reason the feel that way. We don't
get hung up on them. If it's not working, we move on.

CM: Do you feel like Solace has a "message" for your fans? Are you a band
with an agenda?

Tommy: We have no outward message, our sound and songs are more of a
personal nature. We all have our own ideas and beliefs but were not passing
anything on to anyone. If you like heavy music, you might like us. If you
need someone to save the world look elsewhere.

CM: Why heavy music? What attracts to you to it? Why not play country or pop
or rap?

Tommy: I've thought about this often actually and I just don't know why. I
mean why are we all the person we are. I really don't know. This music just
grabs me, always has from the first time I heard Black Sabbath in 2nd grade
to putting on some new CD I just got the other day. It just hits a spot in
me. I can't explain it anymore than I can explain why the fuck I am on this
earth. It just is what it is.

CM: What is the most amazing thing that you've ever seen at a Solace gig?

Tommy: That would be a 1/2 naked fat man in a Manowar style lion cloth
jumping off my guitar stack and landing on the drums set almost impaling
himself on the high hat stand. Oh wait, that was me!

CM: Oh really... what half of you was naked?

Tommy: (laughs) Not the better half! No seriously, the time that Wino (Saint
Vitus, Obsessed, Spirit Caravan) came onstage with us and sang & played
guitar on a cover of Skynyrds "On the Hunt" that was pretty damn cool!

CM: Has the internet fundamentally changed the way a band has to promote
itself?

Tommy: Absolutely. Its made it possible to get a message all over the world
in the time it takes to type in some misspelled words and hit send. Its
allowed this little band from New Jersey to reach people all over the world
and tell them our tale. Then let them decide if it something they want to
pursue.

CM: Any last words?

Tommy: Thanks so much for the time. Look for a new 8 song CD sometime in
2001 and a split 7 inch with Jersey riff masters the Atomic Bitchwax soon.
Anyone interested in CDs or t-shirts email Solacetom@... or send 15
bucks post paid to: Tommy Southard/Solace 22 Cathedral Dr. Lakewood NJ
08701. For more info. check out www.meteorcity.com www.stonerrock.com
http://Solaceweb.hypermart.net

*********************************************************************
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