for
Painkiller Mag #6
August 2002
Interview with Sparky - guitar
by Rottencorpse/Steelbath
all pics are linked from www.misery-index.com
by any problems refer to webmaster
1. misery index is no doubt a strange name to
Chinese metal fans. your band has released a EP "overthrow" and given
all metal fans a big shock! total fucking excellent music!!! This mini album
receives good feedback, and what do you think helps the band achieve this
success? how many copies have you sold out by now? Millions of? I think it is a
"get it or die" album to any death metal and grindcore fans.
Thanks very much for the compliments on "Overthrow". There have been a lot of good reviews for the album, and we also received a lot of interest from labels and fans after it was released. I am sure some people were interested in the album due to the fact that Misery Index has former members of Dying Fetus. But, if the music wasn't good, then the interest would have been short lived. We have sold about 2000 copies of "Overthrow" ourselves. We licensed the album to Ritual/Howling Bull in Japan, and so far it has sold about 1000. The European version on Fadeless will be out this week, and there will be a 12" vinyl version on Goodlife, which will also be released very soon.
2. we know all of you have
participated in Dying Fetus more or less. To Chinese fans, Dying Fetus is a
great symbol of brutal death metal. could you give me the reason that each of
you leaves this band. In my very personal opinion, Misery Index is a total new
band and though, all of you have some experience in Dying Fetus, Misery Index is
a very new beginning of your music life! Could you describe the days that any of
you stayed in Dying Fetus, and What do you think when other people compare
Misery Index with Dying Fetus?
Could other people treat these two bands equal?
Jason Netherton (bs/vox) left DF so he could return to school. Kevin Talley (dr) and myself (gtr) left the band after a business disagreement. We all had a lot of good times while playing in DF. We had the chance to play a lot of really great shows, and to travel to many places that we would never have had the chance to go to otherwise. DF also played with a lot of great bands, like Morbid Angel, Vader, Deeds of Flesh, Kataklysm, and many others, so as we are fans of Metal, it was a really great experience. We also met a lot of really cool people. So, I have a lot of good memories from that time in my life. While DF and MI are two totally separate bands, I'm sure people will always link the two together. Once both bands have recorded full-length albums with their current line-ups, I'm sure that people will start to look at both as being totally separate. It's really up to the listeners to determine for themselves if the bands are equals or not, and who they like better.
3. A very funny question maybe, why do you use the name Dying Fetus continuously? I am informed that John Gallagher reformed Dying Fetus with some new members, and do you think they can continue and maintain the fame of the mighty Dying Fetus? have you ever quarreled with John on the use of this band name?
In the advertising that is done for Misery Index, there is usually a mention of the fact that we were in Dying Fetus. That is to give people a connection to what we have done in the past. As a fan of Metal myself, I follow people when they go from one band to the next. So, by mentioning the former band, it's a way to find out what your favorite musicians are doing now. We don't have a lot of contact with John, but even if he was upset, there is little he could do to keep a label or a promoter from using the DF name in an advertisement. We are still friends with the other guys in DF, so we certainly wish them luck in all that they do.
4. Mike Harrison is a very cool guy, and he once was the guest vocal on some Dying Fetus album. Have you ever thought over the future cooperation with him when both of you stayed together under the name of Dying Fetus?
I played with Mike in a band called Sadistic Torment a few years back, so it was natural to play with him in Misery Index. The Metal scene where we live isn't that big, so through the years, everyone ends up jamming with each other at some point in time.
5. Mike once was a member of Pessimist, why do you choose to leave that band and could you tell me your experience in Pessimist? I like Pessimist and it is a very famous band here in China.
Mike played in Pessimist a few years back, and decided to leave to pursue other opportunities.
Pessimist has gone through many line-up changes through the years.
There are two bands here in Baltimore that have former members of Pessimist: Psychotogen and Dwelling Madness.
Pessimist will be going out on their first ever tour this October in the US.
6. From your website, i know there are some shows, how about these days? how often do you rehearse together? what is your futuer plan? I am informed that you are recording some song for a forthcoming split album with a grindcore band called Commit Suicide, could you tell some detail info about this album? when will you release your own full length album? In May or June? all of us cannot wait any longer!!! we are so urgent to listen to it! can you give me a decided date? how many songs, and what would they be like? anything but please go to some details! we all look forward to a modern and more brutal version of Terrorizer! we are all diehard fans of Terrorizer! Hail this band and its unique, cult and only album!!!
We just got done doing the "Death Across America" tour with Kataklysm, Divine Empire, and Beyond the Embrace. We also have a few shows lined up this fall, and my go to France for a few days of we can work everything out. We try to jam 2 or 3 times a week. Back in March, we recorded some songs for the split cd with Commit Suicide . It came out in July on Willowtip Records. We are writing songs now for the full-length, due out in spring 2003 on Nuclear Blast Records. The songwriting will continue in the same direction as the previous stuff---more brutal, grinding death metal! We are also big fans of Terrorizer, and they are a big influence on us.
7. how about the song writing
of your band. and i think in the vein of your music style (from Dying Fetus to
Misery Index) the musical element, Hardcore, plays a very important role. and i
think it has become your unique brand of music, Do you like Hardcore music?
could you tell me the reason that you mix hardcore music with brutal death metal
and grindcore? And what influences
your songwriting? (any aspects, music genre,literature, politics or some others)
Where we live, Metal and hardcore bands play together all the time, so the influence from HC will always be present in the music. I have played in HC and Metal bands through the years, and the lines that separate the two genres are becoming increasingly blurred. For example, Darkest Hour, from Washington, DC, is on Victory Records, a hardcore record label. Their style is very much like At the Gates, and they are very popular in both the HC and Metal scenes. There is a lot of energy and emotion in HC, so having those types of riffs in the songs really adds to the Metal influences that we have. Jason's lyrics are influenced by his observations of the world, so he writes about topics like globalization, politics, and other things that affect us all as humnas on the planet Earth.
8. which bands do you expect to tour with or share a live show with? Do you like live show? and what is your favourite live bands on the stage? could you recommend some? and what is your favourite albums these days, or all time favourite bands and albums? How do they influence you?
We really enjoy playing live, as it gives us a chance to bring the music to the people. Unless we set up a tour, we never really know who we'll be going on the road with, as the booking agents and record labels usually decide that type of thing. We will be doing a handful of shows coming up with bands like Pessimist, the Red Chord, Mortician, Cephalic Carnage. Slayer is always amazing live, as is Hatebreed, Converge, Cephalic Carnage, and Morbid Angel. These days, we are listening to stuff like Converge, Pig Destroyer, Lock-Up, aand Vehemence. Slayer's "Reign in Blood" is an all-time favorite, as is the first album from Hatebreed "Satisfaction is the Death of Desire", Suffocation's "Effigy of the Forgotten" and Helmet's "Meantime". All these albums have had in impact on the way that I view heavy music, and have given me a lot of ideas about songwriting.
9. Could you say something
about your lyrics? which aspects do you want to explore? Politics, sex,
religion or something else? your band name is a very cool one, unlike Dying
Fetus( it is seems like simple and plain) i know you got it from an album of
Assuck, why did you choose it, and what is the true meaning behind this name in
your opinion?
Jason's lyrics deal with things that are wrong with the world, primarily how we as humans have to deal with problems created by big coporations and hypocritical political leaders. The term "misery index" refers to a survey conducted by the United Nations as a way to measure a nation's growth, not by economic figures, but by statistical profiles of its people and what they can expect from life. But, in reality, we just think the name is really cool ha ha!
10. Are you interested in the
topic of murder? Nowadays a lot of grindcore and brutal death metal bands
make every effort to express obscene and violent ideas in their music, will you
write some songs related to these topics?
There are so many bands that write about that stuff way better than we ever could, so we will continue to let them do it, and we'll go a different direction with our lyrics.
11. When do all of you do in your spare time except music? How do you make living? Do you have some working jobs? Are there many girls around all of you? do they offer some sex service? How can you satisfy an American girls?
We all work pretty normal jobs, but when we get the chance, we will begin touring all the time. There aren't too many girls into death/grind music, so there aren't a lot around unfortunately. Girls everywhere just want some time and attention, so if you treat'em well, then maybe you can get the sex ha ha!
12. I was informed that Kevin Talley once participate in Suffocation, the brutal death metal legend and god. Could you tell me your experience in Suffocation as detail as possible. We want to know everything about Suffocation.
Is this band still alive? Do you still keep in touch with other members of Suffocation, how about these guys now? Could we expect a new Suffocation album in the future? Soon Relapse Rec. will reissue the cult and last EP of Suffocation. Is it a signal that Suffocation never fades away from the scene?
In the spring of '98, Dying Fetus played a show with Suffocation. Suffo was planning a tour that summer, and Dave Culross (dr) was unable to do it. After seeing Kevin play, they asked him to do the tour. He did about three weeks worth of shows with them. They broke up shortly after that. Doug Cerrito (gtr) contributed some songs to the first Hate Eternal album, but never toured with them. Suffocation recently announced that they will reform with Frank Mullen (vox), Terrence Hobbs (gtr), Mike Smith (dr), Josh Barohn (bs), and Guy Marchais (gtr) (formerly of Pyrexia and Internal Bleeding). We all hope that they will record an album and play shows. So, we wait along with the rest of the death metal world to see what will happen. Suffocation has probably influenced as many bands as Slayer has, so I doubt they will ever fade away in the memories of death metal fans.
13. Jason, are you still in graduate school now? when will you graduate and receive your Master Degree? could you tell me something about your school life? what is your major and why do you choose to study for such a long time (from kindergarten to university, haha) Does this long-time study help your songwriting or something else in your music life? Is there any conflict between study and music? could you deal with this relationship very well? and how do you deal with that? After finishing studying, will you become a professional musician or regard music and band as a weekend amusement?
Jason recently graduated from American University in Washington, D.C. He got his Masters degree in international relations. His lyrics are influenced by many of the things he learned while in college. Now that he is done with college, the band is a big priority, and there aren't any conflicts anymore between school and music. We all want to write, record, and tour as much as possible in the coming years.
14. Kevin, now you are a very successful musician, and what do you think is the secret that someone wants to becomes a drummer with sonic speed and heavy hammer blast? Could you give some advice to new and young drummers. I notice that you are a fairly thin man, and we cannot believe this crazy, fast and heavy blast made by your body! if i hadn't seen your live photo, i would rather have imagined you to be a strong gladiator with enough muscle. Is the drumming skill more important than the physical strength? Or what is the relationship between these two things?
The most important thing is to learn the rudiments and have a good technique. Then through repitition and practice, you will be able to increase the speed and accuracy. Strength isn't necessarily a deciding factor in whether someone can hit the drums hard. It comes down to desire and the will to bash the hell outta the drums ha ha!
15. Kevin, what do you think of Mike Hamilton from Vile? I once read an interview of him from Pit Magazine, and do you all interchange some opinion on music, skill and other ideas often?
DF toured with Deeds of Flesh in 2000, and Mike (formerly of Vile) played drums for Deeds. He is still a member of Deeds now. Mike is a machine! It's totally insane how much endurance, speed, and skill this guy has. As DF toured with lots of bands with great drummers, everyone exchanged ideas all the time.
16. There are a lot of death metal bands in China, but we don't have many good drummers. we once interviewed an European drummer from a death metal band and he told us the best drummers are all from America, is it real?
Good drummers can come from anywhere. I think that Nick Barker is a pretty damn good European drummer, don't you? It all comes down to dedication to the instrument, and taking the time to really become an expert at whatever style of music you like to play. Nobody pops out of their mom with a drumstick and starts doing blast beats on the doctor's head ha ha! Again, learn the rudiments and techniques, and practice them over and over. That is how you will get really good.
17. what are your music
weapons? the brand and type of guitar, bass and drum? and why do you
choose them? how long do all of you practise and play music instruments every
day?
We use Ibanez and Jackson guitars and basses, Ampeg bass and guitar amps, Marshall cabinets, and Pearl drums. We all looked to see what our favorite musicians were playing when we first started out, so that showed the way when we actually had money to buy the stuff. I try to practice at least an hour or two every day.
18. could you recommend some other excellent guitar players and drummers of death metal music for us?
Guitar: Erik Rutan from Morbid Angel/Hate Eternal, the guys from At the Gates, the Crown, and the Haunted, Trey from Morbid Angel, the guys from Suffocation, JF from Kataklysm, the 3 guitarists in Beyond the Embrace, Zac and Steve from Cephalic Carnage
Drums: Dave Culross from Suffo/Malevolent Creation, Matt from Severed Head, Jon from Cephalic Carnage, Doc from Vader, Nick Barker from Cradle of Filth/Dimmu Borigr/Lock-Up
19. Before joining Misery Index and after leaving Dying Fetus, Kevin and Sparky worked for MOD, are you formal members of this band now? or both of you have left this band and devote all of your energy to Misery Index? Could you describe something when both of you worked for MOD?
Kevin and I (on bass) did a tour with M.O.D. We are no longer working with Billy Milano. He is in the process of recording a new M.O.D. album right now. The tour was a lot of fun and it was great to get to play all of those songs and share a stage with Billy.
20. I know you released this album by yourselves, and why didn't you let some label release it? How about next full length album? I am informed that you have contacted with some label such as Century Media. Can we expect that your band will do a deal with some certain label in the future? I know every coin has two sides. The big label means better promotion and opportunity but self-release means flexibility and total control of your own? What about your opinion?
The band originally just wanted to write, record, and release it's own music. There weren't any plans to make Misery Index a full time band. So, it made more sense to just self-release the album on our own label, Anarchos Records. After "Overthrow" came out, it got some good reviews, and a lot of people liked it. Various labels started contacting us, and we decided to license it to Fadeless for Europe, Ritual/Howling Bull for Japan, and Goodlife for a 12" vinyl release. We also were approached by larger metal labels, including Century Media, about a long term deal.We had discussions with all of them, and will be signing a deal with Nuclear Blast very shortly.
1. How do you describe the music style of Misery Index? and why did you choose a Terrorizer's song to cover? I think your music remind me some old Earache's band and their first albums, such as Carcass, but you turn to a more brutal death metal way. It is very unique. What is your ideal and normal Grindcore, Death Metal and even Hardcore?
Brutal grinding death metal!!! That would be the way that we describe Misery Index. We are big fans of Terrorizer, so we thought it would be cool to cover one of their songs. Any kind of heavy music with energy, speed, technicality, and brutality is ideal for us, whatever genre it might be in.
22. Do you listen to some other music genres besides metal music? Any Thrash, Speed, and Power Metal? Or Black Metal? Classical music, Jazz or Rap?
All of us have
very broad music listening tastes, so we like a little bit of everything.
A wise Metalhead once said, "Man cannot exist on death metal alone!"
ha ha!
3. Are you familiar with
China? Do you like Chinese food, and what does China look like in your mind?
What do you want to say to finish this interview, any words to your Chinese
fans?
I am familiar with China through seeing TV shows about the country, as well as reading newspaper stories and waching the news. China seems a lot like America in that it is a large country with big cities and also many natural wonders and things of historical significance. I eat Chinese food as often as I can because I absolutely love the stuff! We hope to be able to travel to your country some day to experience everything, meet the people, and have a nice home cooked meal ha ha! Thanks very much to Painkiller 'zine for giving us the chance to answer the great questons, and to everyone who has supported us and been a fan of our bands through the years. For more info on Misery Index, check out our website at www.misery-index.com. METAL!!!!
Overthrow 2001