by Ryan Starr
Before I got my teeth knocked down my throat, I got a chance to sit down with Bay Area deathcore idols All Shall Perish. Below you’ll read about their last tour, the new album, and their thoughts on the scene and metal elitism. Perhaps a glance at the other side will give the metal snobs a different perspective. Well...maybe not.
SINGER = EDDIE
DRUMS = MATT
OTHER = The mystery guy sitting behind me
So the tour’s going alright?
Matt: Yeah, for the most part.
You guys have the Atticus tour coming up next, right?
Eddie: Uh huh.
Matt: Yup.
How would you compare this tour to a tour like that? Have you done a big venue tour before?
Eddie: Yeah.
Matt: I don’t think that tour is a big venue tour really. All the rooms on the tour we’ve played on other tours before, so it’s just another tour.
What do you think about fans who kind of shrug off those kinds of tours because they’re sponsored by Hot Topic, Atticus, these corporations?
Matt: I mean whatever dude. There’s always going to be some kid that thinks he has some crucial understanding of the scene and the second a band tries to make any money they suck. Whatever, you don’t know what it’s like to be in a band, fuck you.
Eddie: Exactly.
New album came out recently, how’s it been so far, how’s the reaction?
Eddie: Pretty amazing actually. A lot of kids are coming to shows, they know all the lyrics. That’s all we really wanted. The music is being really well received. You see a lot of kids moving, head banging, it’s awesome.
Matt: Great reaction I think.
Any progress on a new album yet?
Matt: Nah, not at all.
Just touring?
Matt: This one's barely been out, fuck.
You guys had a line up change recently, right?
Matt: Yeah, we got a new lead guitar player.
How’s it working out?
Matt: Unbelievable. The kid is a prodigy.
Eddie: The kid is amazing.
Matt: He just destroys.
MM: So good.
How’s it going to affect the sound in the future?
Matt: Listen to the next record and find out.
So, there is a big term being thrown around now, especially around your scene: death core. What do you guys think of the label? Is it something you embrace?
Matt: Call it whatever you want, just buy the fucking record, go to the show and buy the t-shirt.
Eddie: In reality, kids want to associate some type of metal with some type of crowd and some type of person.
Matt: Everyone wants to be unique.
Eddie: Whatever.
How would you address guys who use it as a derogatory term? Saying it’s not true metal because it’s core and all that.
MM: They can suck a dick.
Matt: That’s just people always afraid of the new wave. Someone always clinging on to some fucking crucial I’m more metal than you shit. Because you have this type of sound, I’m going to call you gay core. It's like whatever dude.
So you guys are from the Bay...
Eddie: Yes.
You guys playing local shows anymore?
Matt: It’s kind of rough in the Bay right now.
Eddie: Well, not right now, it’s ALWAYS been rough in the Bay.
Matt: Well, OK, it’s always been rough in the Bay. But like, at the same time you have this terrible division between really really small venues and beautiful huge famous venues. So like in San Francisco you’re playing a tiny dive bar or you’re playing the Fillmore. There’s no like, in between.
Like the Pound is closed now.
Matt: Yeah the Pound is closed, exactly.
And the DNA is being threatened.
Eddie: Well, I don’t know. I have some insider information on that, I’m not going to tell you. But, the DNA is not going to get shut down. I’ll tell you that the owner fought long and hard to get his liquor license.
Matt: No pun intended, well...pun intended.
Eddie: And I’m sure his lawyers will work real hard to keep it.
What do you guys think about the state closing venues or closing for other reasons like money? Do you think it affects the scene at all?
Eddie: Of course! The Pound was the Bay area metal scene. Kids just came out to shows because they were shows. They would check out new bands and come and hang out.
Matt: It’s just like the Gilman in Berkley. There’s always going to be a 10-16 y/o crowd that just goes to those shows, no matter who it is. That is a scene, and that’s... I mean it’s detrimental, always. It’s terrible, now tours have to choose. They’re like “we’ll go to Sacto [Sacramento] because that’s a for sure good show because that scene hasn’t been all fucked with, or we’ll go to Fresno because there’s for sure kids there”. But the Bay, it’s expensive man.
Eddie: I mean, the Oakland metro is trying real hard to get the scene going like the Pound. But they can’t find a really really good venue, and it keeps hurting us, it keeps hurting our bands in the Bay area and it’s pretty disheartening to hear bands like
Animosity, us,
Embrace the End, and
Light This City and just be so bummed out about our home town that they just decide to either break up or totally write off the Bay area as some shit scene, but in all actuality...
Matt: It’s a good scene, you can go to any Fillmore show and it’s going to be nuts. I mean,
At the Gates at the Fillmore was retarded. Or
Dillinger/
Soulfly or whatever...
Eddie: Cavalera Conspiracy.
Matt: That was huge. There has always been a scene there it’s just the underground’s hurting a little right now.
Especially with such a big history in the Bay area, like Exodus, you know the big thrash thing.
Matt: They’re all still kicking; they’re just going to Europe.
Eddie: And killing it.
Do you think that history helps the scene try and stay alive at all?
Matt: Well sure, I mean it always keeps it on the map. A band like
Metallica will keep the Bay area on the map for the rest of time probably.
I imagine you have a bunch of bands in every city trying to hand you demos and stuff, any of them good so far?
MM: We call it shower music.
All: Gallows Hill!
Matt: Everything else, if it sucks...we’ll usually put in a CD, give two songs, and if it sucks we’ll sign it to road side records.
Alright, well cool, any final thoughts?
Eddie: *FART*
Matt: Fucking see you at the show.
Eddie: Uh, our band smells like shit, buy us Febreze.
Matt: Yeah, we’re all sick, it’s cold... Fucking better come to our show or I’ll kill you.
Official All Shall Perish Website
Official All Shall Perish Myspace
Official Nuclear Blast Website
