Grind Nerd web zine

Whose Hero is Gone?

2006-08-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

I finaly got off my ass and wrote a new interview (more in the works too!). I received a copy of the new Criminal Damage LP a couple weeks ago and it fuckin rocks( Thanks Kevin)! I decided it was time to do an interview with Paul. If you don't already know Paul has been in almost everyband ever but most well known for his involvement with Tragedy and its predicesor His Hero is Gone. I see allot of media out on Tragedy so I was hoping to focus on HHIG. Instead the interview came out more about whatever I guess? I like it, It's nice getting to talk about music away from the curtain of a drunken stuper.

Here is a video clip of Criminal Damage in Texas 5-19-06. Paul is playing guitar in the middle.

How did you start drumming?
Got a drum kit from my cousin and started a band with billy and todd. none of us had ever played our instruments before.

What was your first drum kit?
Red sparkle...uh...something cheap and shitty?

What would be your dream kit and why?
I like mine now (DW). i wouldn't mind having a set of smaller tomes to substitute in sometimes, but i like a 4-piece setup.

Drum faster or harder?
Harder.

Who is your favorite drummer?
Not sure. I like lots of them.

What has been your best experiance recording and why?
I usually get very frustrated trying to get the drum sound i want, whilst the engineer has a completely different idea of what "good" is.

Does Dan Rathburn have any cool drum recording tricks?
See previous question. He is great at recording guitars.

What where your biggest influences durring His Hero Is Gone?
Citizen's Aarrest, G-anx, Ripcord, Initial State, Die Kreuzen, Totalitar, Meanwhile... Everything i was listening to at the time.

What do you think is the best record you have played on?
Not sure. Something tragedy.

How long have you been skateboarding?
19 years?

What is your favorite skate video?
Hocus Pocus.

What is your worst injury paid to the skate fairy?
Broken collar bone. Going really fast down a hill in providence.

How long have you been tattooing?
4 years? Not exactly sure, because i took a 7 or 8 year hiatus to get my shit together a little better.

What is the worst tattoo you have ever done?
Some shit that the tattooee drew.

Would you take a layback on the cover of Thrasher or The bird on the cover of MRR?
Layback.

Grindcore or Progrock?
Punk.

What is your favorite obscure drum beat?
Not too obscure of a song, but i love how the ride cymbal drops to half time in the middle of a verse in misfits "bullet" and then goes back double time all of the sudden. makes it sound so furious.

How long have you worked on Motorcycles?
Couple of years.

What is your favorite motorcycle?
Mine. 1976 cb550F pub racer... But i sure wouldn't mind having a matchless G50 or a Norton Manx.

Biggest Lemon of all time (motorcycle)?
Something YAMAHA.

What is your favorite modification to your current bike?
Knee inserts in the gas tank.

What is the Most important thing to remember when riding?
Don't crash.

What is your worst fear?
I don't know? Something scary?

What is the worst thing you ever did to your brother Todd growing up?
Nothing. I was an angel... Or maybe he would answer that question better.

This is Tragedy...

A House of Faith

2006-03-22T14:14:00.000-08:00

Bart Thurber is more than a man... No not an alien either. Bart is a rad guy from my hometown of Palo Alto California. Bart used to play guitar in a band called Whipping Boy. You can hear a track of theirs on The Not So Quiet On The Western Front compilation and their former Vocalist Eugene now sings for oxbow. Bart also started the House of Faith, a recording studio out of Palo Alto but now based out of Oakland. If unfamiliar with Barts work you might ask what does this guy have to do with grind and I would say that Bart has recorded Agents of Satan, Anal Mucus, Kalmex and The Riff Merchants, Capitalist Casualties, ETO, Elephant Man, Exhumed, Exitwound, Fifteen, Fallingoverdrunk,Funeral Shock, Gasp, Go Like This, Gob, Godstomper, Melt Banana, Jenny Piccolo, Immortal Fate, Indian Summer, J Church, Locust, Noothgrush, Oxbow, Sheepsqueeze, Slobber, Spazz, No Less, Plutocracy, The Working Stiffs, Vulgar Pidgeons, Voetsek, Whipping Boy, Word Salad, What Happens Next?, Neurosis, and Spaceboy. That was the short version too.

Full name: Bart (the recording guy).

How old are you and where are you from?
Currently 49, and I'm originally from Michigan. Grew up in Palo Alto Ca, though.

Do you have any good memories from the Whipping Boy days?
Lots of good ones. My favorite memory though was my first show I did with them. At the old AFES Hall in Mtn View back in about 1987- It was Halloween night, and Eugene hollowed out a large pumpkin, placed it over his head, and sang a bunch of songs wearing it. It looked incredible! A picture of him wearing it ended up on the inner sleeve of the third Whipping Boy LP.

Did you have any preferences as to what you played through?
I was always a Fender man; I had a couple of old beat up small Fender amps daisy- chained together.

Growing up in Palo Alto you were a legend, what was Palo Alto like when you first arrived?
Like a small, quiet college town with a lot of smart, interesting people. Tons of bands around in the 70's and we'd do anything to see them play. Including scaling walls and climbing through windows! The city had live rock concerts in the main plaza downtown on Satuday nights in 1972 that usually degenerated into full-scale riots afterwards. Being 15 at the time I thought that was incredible!

Did you know the folks at AML?
Only too well! Having practiced there in various bands from 1982 to 1988. Bobby RIP…

How was East Palo Alto in the 80's and early 90's?
EPA was always the place to buy alcohol when I was a kid. When I lived there in the mid- 90's we were on the NE side of town, quieter with lots of families that had lived there for a long time. I got some looks when I first arrived, but everybody got used to me quick, and then it was a very cool place.

How did you learn to record?
I was always the guy with the tape recorder- back in the beginning it was a TEAC 3340 1/4" 4 track- I'd record every band I could get my hands on! Always trying to make it sound like the records I was listening to. And sometimes it would! After realizing that 4 tracks wasn't quite enough, I went through a short 8- track phase, then ended up where I am now: 1" 16 track, a great, punchy, and relatively inexpensive format.

What do you think are the 3 most important things you have learned about sound?
1: K.I.S.S.!!!
2: Play from your heart, not your head.
3: Keep it down when Bart's around.

Ever since digital came on the scene I have always heard allot of people prefer analog and now I am starting to hear more people switching over to digital now especially with the influx of 1 man diy home projects, how do you feel about all that?
Analog will always be King for me. I just don't like recording on digital, it's got an edge to it that I don't enjoy. Give me warm and punchy!

When did you open the house of faith and who did you first start recording there?
Started in 1989 with OXBOW at the house we were all living at in PA, then I moved over to the warehouse in Palo Alto in 1990. After 6 months it really took off and I was working day and night for 4 years.

*Eugene from Oxbow shown here above, picture from www.nineup.com

How do you think bands describe working with you?
Hopefully positively!

Why did the first H.O.F. close and What was it like throwing the House of Faith closing show?
A little old lady owned the property that the building was on, and after we were there for 4 years she decided to sell out. She actually visited the studio unannounced one day, and sat down on the couch surrounded by graphic graffiti all over the walls- luckily she was a bit blind and never said anything about it! On the last day we had a big, end of the studio party, where we took a great picture of all the bands that showed up for it. After that everybody pretty much demolished the place, which didn't really matter because they were going to tear it down anyway. A bunch of people set up and jammed; one guy even smashed his guitar into the walls at full volume, THAT sounded incredible! The whole time I was looking over my shoulder for the police, but when they finally showed up all they wanted to know was if anybody had some hot sauce for their chips. (true story).

What have been some of the more memorable sessions for you?
Probably the ones were people actually got into fistfights during the recording session, it's happened more than once.

What do you remember scaring you the most in your life?
When my country re-elected Bush.

What has made you the most pleased?
Looking at the picture of the last day at the old House Of Faith, all those bands! And all those great people. Another thrill is hearing a song I've recorded on the radio.

Who is the craziest band you have dealt with so far?
Gotta be the Meatshits.

What is the most grueling session to date?
See above!

What is your favorite show you have attended?
The Bart Benefit that they threw for me down in San Jose in 1993- 10 bands got together, pooled their equipment and played for me. Unfortunately, I had to do sound for the first part of it 'cause the sound guy was at traffic school!

What pisses you off most about the world?
Pollution, the tearing down of cool old buildings, and the lack of respect for young bands.

What is the official Bart fan site?
Ain't one!

What kind of bike do you ride?
Battered and bashed, yet beloved

Do you have a tattoo?
No

Favorite records at home right now? T
That's a tough one. Hearing so much music every day, I generally end up playing acoustic guitar to relax when I'm home.

What is the coolest thing you know?
How cool and inspiring my wife Liz is!

I also found an interesting piece written about Bart which serves as a good introduction to him.
http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morgue/news/1994_Aug_31.PEOPLE31.html

On The Warpath

2006-03-17T00:49:00.000-08:00

*Big Chief is the one who is not in Motorhead.

I have been pestering an old friend "Big Chief" a DJ for KZSU to write a little story for a while and he finally sent it! I met Big Chief when I was a DJ on KZSU. My bands would play on his show Wednesday Night Live. KZSU has been an underground haven of good music for a long time. The DJ talents have included members of Evolved to Obliteration, Elephant Man, 976, Nerve Agents, Spazz, Falling Over Drunk, Plutocracy, No Less, and of course Mr. Kevy Kev and his show The Drum which is believed to be the longest running independent hip hop program in the world. Now that you are an Expert here is what the Chief had to say:

My dj name is BIG CHIEF. I have been doing a radio show on 90.1fm KZSU Stanford California called "On The Warpath" since september 1995 I also do a show on Wednesday called "Wednesday Night live". That I took over in 1998 and on that show I have a local band play live in our studios from 9-10pm every week. I book the bands and host the show, but my man Smurph does all the real work. He's my engineer. Over the years I have had some great bands from all over the world play ( Japan, Italy, England) but some of the craziest and most memorable ones are from a city right next door. The grindcore capitol of the world. Redwood City. Also known as the West Bay ( Redwood City, San Francisco, San Mateo, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Mountin View, etc.). I have much love for the bands and people from the west bay and they have much love for KZSU. Anytime A band from the west bay plays, all of the west bay shows up. Back in 1999 SPAZZ played their 2nd to last show on my Saturday night show. Then released it on the cd "Sweatin II: Deported Live Dwarf" It's a great recording. They didn't cut anything out, so you get all the between song banter. Its really funny. Then in August of 2000 a plan was hatched to put on a show for the West Bay Coalition. Which is made up of alot of the bands in the west bay. And also in memory of our friend who past away Dan Hogan aka the Zodiak Iller. Who was a KZSU dj and in a few west bay grindcore bands. The plan was to have 10 bands play live on my show between 9-mid. I thought this was going to be complete chaos that was going to end with police in riot gear and me being band from the radio station. Just the oppisite. When one band was playing, Kindred would get the next band ready to go on. We had at least 60 people there and at the end of the night there was not one cigarette butt or beer bottle to pick up. Now thats respect. Here is who played that night.
1-Dankaphone Devils
2-United Sicko Foundation
3-Apeshit
4-C.H.U.D.
5-Agents of Satan
6-ExTxOx ( Evolved to Obliteration)
7-No Less
8-Dead Bodies Everywhere
9-Plutocracy
10-Bullshit Excuse.

And finally the year after the 9/11/2001 terrorist attack. The one year anniversary ( 9/11/2002) was on a Wednesday So I booked Kalmex and The Riff Merchants to play on Wednesday night live. They made these flyers with planes crashing into the Hoover Tower (a big tower on the stanford campus) that read "Westbay Coalition Terrorist Attack" and "Airwave Invasion" and during their live set between songs I would play audio clips of the chaos when the planes hit. people screaming, the president and news reporters talking about what was going on, Pretty tasteless but great radio.
BIG CHIEF!

*Some of these live performances are available for personal consumption your best bet is to try http://www.myspace.com/kalmexandtheriffmerchants

Listen to the big chief "On The Warpath" sat 9-mid.
and wed. night live 9-10pm
streaming online at www.kzsu.org 90.1fm

Jon Kortland from Iron Lung...

2006-02-23T23:35:00.000-08:00

*Photo from www.shannoncorr.com

What bands have you played in?
(Jon) I played in Gob (US) and Kralizec with Jensen. Jensen played in Vae Victis, Redrum (Reno), Gehenna, Cold Sweat, and a few others. He is currently in Artimus Pyle and a new band with members of Cold Sweat.

After so many efforts in bands what has made iron lung sustainable?
We are only two people.

Being a two piece how do you keep a full sound?
Powerful Amplification.

Do you use standard tuning or pedals? what is your gear set and set up in order?
I don't use pedals (except a tuner). I generally tune to D. I use a 100 watt Matamp (Jensen's), a 100 watt Sunn Model T, and an Ampeg 2x15" powered by a 400 watt PA head for the low end.

What have you learned to make your sound better?
Pure sound and volume are all you really need.

Why did you leave reno?
We just needed to leave that place. It took so long because that is where I grew up. Reno is a very strange town. It can be a lot of fun and it can be an ultimate bummer.

What was the first grind show?
My first grind show or Iron Lungs first grind show? I'm not really sure what my first grind show was. Our first official show was at Resurrection Records in Reno, Nevada with Yellow Machine Gun from Japan some time in 2000.

Favorite show ever played, and favorite show ever seen?
That is a tough one. We've played so many shows in the last 6 years. One of my favorite shows was in LA. It was a perfect show. Too bad very few people were there to witness it. One of my favorite shows I witnessed was the Jesus Lizard in Sacramento. I don't remember what year it was, but there were very few people at that show. That didn't seem to matter to David Yow. He was on fire that night. I think he just wanted to destroy everyone who did bother to show up.

Do you find yourself using unusual sources for lyrics?
I guess if you consider medical reference/text books an unusual source, then yes.

*Photo from k41.pbase.com

FREQ.+ FACTORY= NOISE-A-GO-GO

2006-02-23T23:26:00.000-08:00

What is the Freq Factory?
It is the worlds first portable electronic scratch music instrument.

Who makes it?
We are the Opus Frequency Labs, an independent designer of DJ and electronic music instruments and toys. Opus Freq Labs was founded as a collaboration between the Opus X dj crew, and Scientist Mike from NASA research. OFL was created to provide DJ's and electronic musicians an independent outlet for custom equipment. It is their belief that in an art form where the equipment dictates the type of musical expression available it is absolutely important for artists to take an active role in designing and building their instruments.

How does it work?
The Freq. Factory is a portable battery powered instrument. By combining an adjustable synth tone, and a digitally sampled scratch sound, with a cross-fader and a vinyl scratch control, users are able to practice and create new music anywhere.

What kind of options are available?
Freq Factory v 2.1 comes standard with:
*Headphone Out (1/4")
*Battery Power (1x9volt)
*Pitch Adjust Knob
*Scratch Pad
*Cross-fader Reverse
*Use on both sides (left/right side scratching)
*Digital Display
*User changeable 5" vinyl record
*Small Size(~7"x4"3")
*On-board digital "ahh" sample
*Pitch Guide Display shows the exact note being scratched (C, Db, D, E, ....)
*Key mode let's the user select a major or minor key and scratch only notes from that key.
(Future versions will be more customizable.)

Where can people get one?
www.opusfreqlabs.com

How long have you been a DJ?
Many moons...

What are some of your favorite shows you have played?
Renn Fair in Portland, OR
Club Nutz in Tokyo, Japan
Quarter Note in Sunnyvale, CA

What is your favorite hardcore band?
Grindkrime

Any upcoming records?
Watch out for the sequel to Rat. vs. Squirrel, Ant vs.Cochroach

Higher Learning with Max Ward...

2006-02-09T00:15:00.000-08:00

What bands have you played in?
Lets see.....Backslide, Plutocracy, Sirota, Spazz, ETO, Capitalist Casualties, Bombs of Death, Scholastic Deth, What Happens Next, plus a few other projects here and there. Oh, and the Meat Shits. Ugh.

How long have you been playing drums?
Well, I played on other people's stuff since 6th grade, but got my own cheap drumset in 8th grade (around 1986). Never took lessons, and have never really progressed. I am eternally stuck in the same patterns and beats.

What is your favorite drum kit you have ever owned?
They are all fine....I started with a crappy rented Ludwig, moved onto a Yamaha turbo-tour (which is what I still play on), and have various touring/beatersets, like a basic Tama, and a basic Yamaha to thrash. In the PLUTO days I used to dream of getting a Sonor or some shit, but then I figure that kinda stuff is not meant for what I do. I'm not tech-death metal, a little 4 piece tama suits me fine. Plus, I don't feel so nervous when singers launch off the kick-drum.

How do you like to set up your drums and why?
Minimal kits are best. Four piece I think is the best, although 2 rack toms are fine as well. I think one or two crashes at the most. When I first started I would have all these crashes and shit everywhere, it made no difference. Although I'm a fan of the big ride and crashes, when playing fast they tend not to accent the hits as much since they reverberate for longer.

How old were you when you first recorded?
Um, first recording....good question. PLUTO recorded twice with Freeway (immortal fate) working a little 4-track. Before that, BACKSLIDE recorded on a little boombox in our practice space. But the real recording came in 90 with Bart at House of Faith with PLUTO's first demo, "Progress?". I can't really remember the experience. I just remember being nervous, and trying to get used to having head phones on and shit.

How did Plutocracy come about?
It was through a bunch of people that skated that I met Jesse the singer, and at that time it was Kindred on guitar and Mike on bass. We were just some really raw and fast basic punk. We practiced for a while and played our first show at the Pony Express pizza, it was insane for how many high school kids came out to see us...after they got a glimpse of this band they had only heard about, they realized how bad we were and never showed up again. It was pretty funny.

What was your favorite Plutocracy show?
The old Pony shows were fun, our show at One Step Beyond with MINDROT, PHOBIA, IMMORTAL FATE, EXHUMED, COLOSTOMY was pretty rad as well. We also did these shows at a pizza place in Los Gatos with SLEEP and 976, those were awesome. Back then, just playing a show was an accomplishment, no one wanted to book fast hardcore/grind at all. When we finally got a show at Gilman it was after like 4 years of the band being around and few records being released.

What is your favorite grind show?
Hmmm, seeing CARCASS on the symphonies of sickness tour was pretty awesome. INSECT WARFARE are bad-ass, I just saw them like 3 times live and they destroy. They lay to waste most of the fake-ass MTV2 tech grind you hear so much these days...

What is the most bands you have played in at once?
I think 5, but most of the time one band would get back from tour and one would get active again. Yet there were times when all bands were going all at once....that was pretty crazy.

How did Spazz come about?
Dan and I talked about doing a fast hardcore band...so we just started jamming in his garage around ' 92 or so. I talked about it in an interview I did and Chris read that....he thought it sounded cool so he wrote and asked if we should all get together and do something....the rest is (bad) history...

What was the first 625 release?
NO LESS/ETO split EP. Love that record to death, NO LESS were fucking so great.......

Is it hard to keep up on a label being so busy?
Yeah, although it's easier to do a label than a band. I pretty much dedicate my time to school 7 days a week, 10 hours a day, but I manage to get in time here and there.

How was it going from singing about evolution and despair in E.T.O. to taking part in the tongue-in-cheek subjects in Spazz or What Happens Next?
Hmmm, it wasn't particularly difficult, except that I sucked at singing....My voice didnt really fit with ETO, and singing for SCHOLASTIC DETH was embarrassing, although a lot of fun.....I just feel really uncomfortable performing these days....

What are some of your non-rocking interests?
School, school, school. I love reading and teaching classes, etc. I used to skate a lot, but I'm out of the loop out here in NYC, dont really know too many people
nor where parks/spots are....

Do you have any dream projects?
Just doing some new project with non-scenester people who like to play fast music and aren't flakes......I don't know if I will do another band again though.... just dont have any time to do it these days.

What is your favorite record that you have played on?
I like the SCHOLASTIC stuff, I like the last SPAZZ LP, and the WHN Stand Fast LP...those are probably my favorites......

What new bands are getting you stoked these days?
FALLEN WORLD, EDORA, STRAIGHT JACKET, SECRET 7, INSECT WARFARE, HATRED SURGE, KNUCKLESCRAPER, XBRAINIAX, WIDESPREADBLOODSHED, WARZONE WOMYN, BRAINHANDLE, CALL THE COPS, NO DICE, DEADFALL, SUBURBAN DEATH CAMP, SECOND OPINION, ROSENBOMBS, FINAL DRAFT, AXRXMX, there's a shitload more........

What is the most sentimental summertime salad days song for you?
Side B of SCUM.

Who is your favorite drummer?
Olav from LARM and SEEIN RED.

Who is the craziest band you have hung out with?
Hmmm, I have no idea......

Worst skateboard Graphic ever?
Anything Vision ever did.

What do you think about helmets?
Necessary evil

Best advice for making the song writing process enjoyable?
Listen to good music and get stoked. Leave the tech at
home.

Photo of last Spazz show taken from www.nuclearbbqparty.com

D is for Dread...

2006-02-03T02:14:00.000-08:00

1. what is your name?
Dennis Dread

2. where are you from?
I grew up in Ossining, New York. Ossining is a suburb along the Hudson River about 40 minutes north of the Bronx. My hometown’s claim to fame is Sing Sing prison, which was known as the “Death House” because more than 600 prisoners were executed there while the electric chair was in use from 1891 until 1963. The infamous cannibal Albert Fish was electrocuted in Sing Sing in 1936. That’s also where the popular expression “up the river” comes from. If you got caught in the city and sent upstate to Sing Sing, you were fucked. If you grew up in Ossining, you were also fucked.

3. what is the first thing you remember enjoying to draw?
Uhh...monsters and girls. Mostly monsters. I used to draw Godzilla a lot and copy pictures out of my older brother’s ‘Famous Monsters of Filmland’ magazines. When I was about 6 years old I really loved to draw the band KISS! I used to collect the Kiss trading cards in the late 70’s and my older brothers and I used to sit around drawing Kiss and listening to Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin records.

4. what are some of the albums you have worked on?
I’ve worked with Engorged, Phobia, Autopsy, Abscess, Frightmare, Axiom, Warmachine, Harum-Scarum, Abigail, Machetazo, Hellshock. I think I probably forgot some.

5. what was the first album you did art for?
In 1994 I did a drawing for a band called Pineal Ventana from Atlanta, Georgia. They were an unusual art-punk band that used to play at a strip club called the Claremont Lounge. They sounded kind of like Flux of Pink Indians meets Neurosis meets Siouxie & the Banshees. I did a drawing that they ended up using as a tour shirt.

6. what was your first grind show?
Probably Disassociate or Assuck. I was listening to fast music like DRI and Cryptic Slaughter when I was a teenager but I actually got into grind pretty late and I didn’t really go to many shows. I grew up during the crossover era and was lucky enough to catch Suicidal Tendencies on the ‘Join The Army’ tour and Anthrax at L’amours in Brooklyn on the ‘Among The Living’ tour. Mosh!!!

7. what do you have in the works?
I just finished the cover art for the latest Phobia record called ‘Cruel’. It should be out soon on Willowtip Records. Next up is poster art for the Razorback Records event happening here in Portland this coming June (2006). They don’t want to use the word “fest” but this will be 2 days of beer drinking, death metal fun!

8. how did you hook up with the guys in Machetazo?
About 6 years ago I ordered a Machetazo/Rise Above split 7” from Machetazo’s drummer Dopi and we became pen pals. We always talked about doing a project together and a few years ago Dopi asked if I would draw something for a live studio recording called ‘The Maggot Sessions’. The weird thing about that drawing is that the band didn’t know what I was gonna draw and I hadn’t heard what songs they were recording. I had a funny idea that I would surprise them with a spoof of the Iron Maiden album ‘Number of the Beast’ with Italian horror film director Lucio Fulci as Eddie. Without knowing my idea for the art, Machetazo opened that recording with a grind version of Maiden’s intro to ‘Ides of March’! As it turned out, we were all surprised by the strange Iron Maiden synchronicity. And that 7” rules!

9. why can't I find a copy of Destroying Angels?
I guess you’ve never asked me for one. In the true D.I.Y. tradition, Destroying Angels is 100% cut & pasted, copied, collated, stapled, and shipped by me alone. I do everything with that fucker. I seem to put out a new issue about once a year and I only print a few hundred copies of each one. There’s really no distribution. It sells pretty well at Reading Frenzy here in Portland and that’s the only store that carries it so far. You can always order copies directly from me (www.dennisdread.com) or from Ajna Offensive (www.theajnaoffensive.com) or Parasitic Records (www.parasiticrecords.com).

10. what is the worst experience you have had with doing art for people?
In general, it can be frustrating working with people that have minimal visual understanding or appreciation because they’ll try to give me some stupid concept that makes for horrible imagery. Also, my drawings have been reproduced very poorly over the years, mostly by D.I.Y. punk bands. I’ve seen hours worth of shading turn to shit when a band bumps up the contrast to give it that crappy “punk look”! A good example of that is the Axiom ‘Impaled by Chaos’ art. The worst is watching a band snort tons of coke and then tell you they can’t afford your rates. I also once had a label attempt to “colorize” my drawing in Photoshop. That was bad. But usually I have great experiences working with people. I tend to work with friends or people who just respect my ability and instincts enough to trust what I draw. The best experience was doing the art for an Autopsy DVD recently that should be out soon on Peaceville. The band let me draw whatever I wanted, everybody loved the art, and the label paid me immediately. That’s just about perfect.

11. what is your favorite cover (of yours) so far?
I really like the Engorged ‘Where Monsters Dwell’ cover. It’s very simple and stark but it captures the mood I was going for very well. It also has funny details that actually reproduced well, like the advertisement on the back of the comic book. I also really like the drawings I did for the Hellshock/Consume split 7”, but it reproduced like shit.

12. top ten favorite records right now?
I only get 10?? Ok. Here goes, off the top of my head:
1. Moondog ‘The Viking of 6th Avenue’
2. Engorged ‘Where Monsters Dwell’
3. Golers ‘2nd Generation’
4. Cro Mags ‘Age of Quarrel’
5. Ennio Morricone ‘Per Qualche Dollaro In Piu’
6. Funerot ‘Invasion from the Death Dimension’
7. Deathspell Omega ‘Kenose’
8. Anal Vomit ‘Demoniac Flagellations’
9. Alice Cooper ‘Love it to Death’
10. Toxic Holocaust ‘Hell On Earth’

13. are you still doing alot of volunteerwork?
You’re probably referring to the work I do with homeless kids downtown. I actually get paid to do that. I’ve worked in Portland’s youth shelters for several years and I’ve worked as an intake counselor at an alternative to juvenile detention. Now I’m running a non-profit (duh) street outreach program and I train volunteers to go out on the streets and attempt to assist homeless people. I also go out under bridges and into camps and find young people who might need shelter or GED assistance or drug treatment or mental health evaluations. It’s exhausting and thankless and occasionally rewarding work.

14. how does it feel to be an aging crusty fucker with kids?
I’m already an “aging crusty fucker”? Damn. Now that I'm over the shock of that realization, it actually feels pretty good. I became a father at a fairly young age (by today’s standards) and it never occurred to me that I should stop being who I am just because I’m raising children. They’ve grown up right alongside me and we’re very close. I honestly can’t imagine life without my daughter and stepson. The advantages of having children young is that I’ve had a lot of energy to play with them and work and still take care of my own shit. Sleep becomes less important. The obvious disadvantage is that I’m broke all the time and don’t own a house. It’s also sometimes alienating to have to socialize with other parents that are much older than me, but I’m extremely loyal and a very dedicated father. If being a good dad means I don’t wear my Ghoul shirt to the school picnic, well, I can live with that.

15. What is your daughter’s favorite record?
Kallisti is almost 9 years old and she loves anything positive and girly. She really likes this harp player named Joanna Newsom. She also really likes Joan Jet and Hilary Duff. I listen to alot of Scandinavian folk music around the house and she loves dancing around to that stuff. But if it makes you feel better, Lebenden Toten dedicated the song ‘Blood Drinkers’ to her at their last show in Portland a few months ago.

16. how was it living over a record label (Tribal War Records.) for a couple years?
That was a great and crazy time. Back then the Mississippi House was a fun place and my family lived communally for three years. My kids were very young and I wanted them to experience a sort of extended family environment. I’m not too fond of the nuclear-family ideal and I think that type of “family unit” doesn’t necessarily foster creativity and joy. Children thrive on meaningful interactions with a broad range of people and my kids loved living there. I attribute much of their advanced social maturity and critical thinking to that early experience of living with so many people. They also got to see Tragedy and Atrocious Madness play early shows in our living room! My drawing studio was set up in a ’57 bread truck I had parked in the back yard. I ran an extension cord from the house and had a desk, a lamp, and a stereo. In the winter I would put a space heater under the desk and draw until my hands and feet went numb. I was drawing a lot and broadcasting a weekly metal show on a pirate radio station in the neighborhood that was probably heard by about 3 people...haha. Neil Robinson was a good friend and my kids would sometimes hang out in the Tribal War distro and help package new releases. He was with me when I taught both of my kids to ride bikes. Of course everything has a life cycle and eventually the dynamics in that house became irritating and fell apart. I mostly had huge differences with some of the self-righteous “political” opinions that were circulating. So I moved my family into a house of our own and have never looked back.

17. thanks dennis.
My pleasure, Mike.

*Check out Dennis at his new site dennisdread.com (The title for the article is a link)

Pig Champion R.I.P.

2006-02-02T01:14:00.000-08:00

Thomas "Pig Champion" Roberts, guitarist for Poison Idea, died at his home in Portland, Oregon, Monday night. Variously described as "spectacularly fat", and "the single largest man in hardcore history", Roberts crowned himself "Pig Champion" after hitting an impressive 450 lbs. on the scales. Unfortunately two weeks ago I had just asked Pig Champion to write a story for Grind Nerd and he never replied. I have always thought Poison Idea was rad and I am glad I got to see that fat bastard play his broken and taped together Iceman guitar one last time.

20 Questions

2006-02-01T20:03:00.000-08:00

What is your name?
Dan Lactose, Among others.

What bands have you played in?
Useless Youth, Disruption, Sheep Squeeze, Clout, Spazz, Shed Dwellaz, Canaan, Shadow People, Underbucket, Funeral Shock... Probably some other stuff i forgot.

Why did Spazz chose to use such a deep guitar sound and have the bass cut through so much?
I liked the low end chunk and had crappy equipment when we started. eventually i got a new guitar and better gear and the sound brightened up a bit. now i'm the complete opposite, razor sharp, thin as paper.

Is there anything you have learned over the years to improve your stage or recording sound?
If you see a band with a killer sound, ask em about their gear. Play through as much shit as you can whenever you have a chance. Change your strings regularly. Don't be afraid to buy some untrendy gear if you think it sounds good. Don't forget to eat.

Why have you chosen to record with Bart so many times?
Bart rules. i first recorded with him when i was 15. I didn't know anyone else at that point and i grew up hanging out at the studio all the time. I've learned tons from bart and continue to learn from him.

What is the weirdest thing Bart Thurber has ever said to you?
"You're going to play through that??!"

What was your first grind show?
Probably napalm death "harmony corruption" tour at one step beyond

What was it like the first time you saw Plutocracy?
Pretty awesome. first time i saw Sleep was that night too. i took mini-thins with my friend matt who brought me there. Matt later became known to the world as extreme elvis.

What was the worst experience you have ever had on tour?
Having a band member flip out because he couldn't handle being away from girlfriend / mommy..

Favorite Show you have played?
Spazz at Greenville, South Carolina skatepark Funeral shock in Albuquerque, New Mexico house party with Noisear.

Most Grindcore skateboard graphic ever?
Rob Roskopp III

Favorite grind on a skateboard?
50/50

Favorite Part in a skate video?
Mark Gonzales - Blind Video Days

Worst bail?
Dislocated shoulder after hitting an elevator trap door in sf on my way to work.

Do you remember a favorite guitar or own one now and why is it your favorite?
Gibson SG, my current baby and the nicest guitar i've ever owned.

What is the worst guitar you have ever owned and why?
First guitar my mom rented for me. I can't even remember what it was. It was white and had a matching white Gorilla amp.

favorite Ghostbusters scene?
Any scene with rick moranis

Worst grind band ever?
There's probably a bunch

Worst show ever?
I fell asleep at an emo show an ex brought me to in the early 90's.

Favorite record you have played on?
Spazz - La Revancha

Questions for a man called Necro.

2006-01-26T16:28:00.000-08:00

Where are you from?
BROOKLYN NY. GREW UP IN GLENWOOD PROJECTS AS A KID FOR 10 YEARS, LATER LIVED IN CANARSIE, FLATUBUSH & BAYRIDGE.

Do you ever play shows with hardcore bands?
YEAH I OPENED UP FOR BIO-HAZARD AT LAMOURS WHEN I WAS A KID, LIKE 11 YEARS OLD, I WAS IN A BAND WITH JORGE FROM MERAUDER ALSO WHEN I WAS 12, SO TECHNICALLY I HAD THE HARDCORE ELEMENT IN OUR GROUP MIXED WITH THRASH AND DEATH METAL.

Do you own a favorite grind record?
NAPALM DEATH SCUM, I OPENED FOR THEM TOO IN BROOKLYN WHEN I WAS 11 OR 12 AT A CLUB CALLED THE CABERET.

What is the heaviest show you have been to?
I WOULD SAY SEPULTURA/OBITUARY TOUR AT LAMOURS, DEATH LIVE AT LAMOURS BACK IN THE DAYS.

Favorite kung fu movie?
TOO MANY TO NAME

Horror movie?
BSF

Rudy Ray Moore Movie?
DOLEMITE

Favorite drug to enhance a grindcore palette?
CRACK

What bands have you played in prior to being NECRO?
I WAS IN A GROUP CALLED INJUSTICE

Worst smell ever?
SHIT

Favorite place to buy records?
MARS

Coolest guitar ever?
ANYTHING FENDER EARLY 70'S LATE 60'S

Worst fad ever?
COMMERCIAL MUSIC

Top ten brutalest records you own?
NO ORDER
MASTER OF PUPPETS
BENEATH THE REMAINS
SLOWLY WE ROT
THE PREFIX FOR DEATH
THE SEXORCIST
STREET VILLAINS VOL. 2
REIGN IN BLOOD
KILL EM ALL
GORY DAYS
LEPROSY
(TOO MANY TO NAME)

Melt banana

2006-01-25T18:44:00.000-08:00

The Schematic of Agata's rig was taken from guitargeek.com and you can find a bunch more like it too. Check it out.

Lightning Bolt

2006-01-25T18:36:00.000-08:00

I was hyped when I found this picture of Lightning Bolt, I got this picture from laserbeast.com, If you ever get the chance to see them live, I highly recomend going.

2006-01-23T11:48:00.000-08:00

New site!