YOB, who have enjoyed a remarkable 2018, will return to the road next Spring, bringing Voivod and Amenra along for the month-long trek across North America.
The news arrives as Our Raw Heart continues to surface on a wide range of best of 2018 lists, nabbing the #1 spot in Decibel Magazine’s extensive year-end issue, as well as nods from NPR, Rolling Stone, ArtForum, Mashable, New York Magazine’s Vulture, Noisey, Treble and more. Consequence of Sound’s Heavy Consequence said of the album that they placed at the top of their 2018 countdown: “Our Raw Heart… possesses a serene almost uplifting quality,” while PopMatters, who also placed the release at the top of their Best Metal of 2018 list, said “… true art… offers us an insight into the most frightening of human emotions. Our Raw Heart acts as a portal to another’s pain…”
Tickets, as well, as exclusive ticket and merch bundles, are on-sale now. The bundles, which can be found via www.yobislove.com/tour, includes an entry ticket, an exclusive t-shirt as well as the option of vinyl or CD versions of Our Raw Heart.
YOB Tour Dates (All dates with Voivod and Amenra except where noted):
March 26 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line
March 27 Chicago, IL Thalia Hall
March 28 Columbus, OH Ace of Cups
March 29 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
March 30 Toronto, ON Phoenix
March 31 Buffalo, NY Town Ballroom
April 2 Portland, ME Geno’s
April 3 Boston, MA Royale
April 4 Brooklyn, NY Warsaw
April 5 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
April 6 Richmond, VA Broadberry
April 7 Raleigh, NC Kings
April 9 Knoxville, TN Concourse
April 10 Atlanta, GA Masquerade (Hell)
April 11 New Orleans, LA One Eyed Jack’s
April 12 Houston, TX Warehouse
April 13 Austin, TX Barracuda
April 14 Dallas, TX Gas Monkey
April 16 Denver, CO Marquis Theater *
April 18 Phoenix, AZ Club Red +
April 19 San Diego, CA Brick by Brick +
Tau Cross, the multinational punk/heavy metal collective featuring Amebix bassist/frontman Rob “The Baron” Miller, Voivod drummer Michel “Away” Langevin, and members of cult crust outfits Misery and War // Plague, has announced their second full-length album, Pillar Of Fire, due out July 21st on CD,2xLP, and digital formats via Relapse Records.
How did you first get in to music? Who turned you onto rock/metal?
Rob “The Baron” Miller: When i was a child in the 70’s I listened to John Peel on Radio One, he was a hero to my generation as he introduced us to such a wide variety of music in the hey day of Punk Rock and New Wave. Our first drummer Martin had a Black Sabbath album and that was really my introduction to metal, I couldn’t stand Status Quo or most of the other old bands, but began to collect Iron Maiden and then of course Metallica.
How did you become a singer or guitarist and are you proficient in any other instruments?
I have never been a proficient musician, I cannot play well or write well, my approach has always been more intuitive, making sounds that feel a certain way.
Were you forced to go to church as a youth, if so were you an altar boy or participate in some other ways? Have you been to any OTO ceremonies or satanic rituals?
We had a very Pagan leaning family, my father in particular, so we were encouraged to stay out of Church and to find our own truths. I have not been into OTO, although there was a period in my life here on Isle Of Skye where i did get involved with a group of Kabbalists, which entailed some interesting sojourns into the Wilderness.
What was the local scene in like in the beginning , was there a particular bands you aspired to be like, favorite local bands back then, favorite local bands now?
In Devon where i grew up there were a few kind of New Wave bands, we were always the snot nosed punks though, I started to write a column for a local newspaper which allowed me to visit the nearest city, Plymouth, and report on shows that were happening there, SLF, Crass, Cockney Rejects etc etc that introduced me to good live bands.
Who are your biggest musical influences besides Amebix and UK punk? How familiar are you with Roy Orbison and Engelbert Humperdinck?
Yes, Roy Orbison’s “Drove all Night”..to make lure to you….The Dinck was a nightmare from my youth too. Musically I love Sabbath, Killing Joke, Accept and Mercyful Fate as my primary influences i would say.
How would you best describe your sound?
Cthonic, earthy, mythical and mystical.
How did the band meet and how long did it take to finalize this lineup? How many other musicians did you try out that didn’t make the cut? How stable is the current lineup?
I tried to find people to make this band for around a year with no success at all, no one wanted to get involved until Andy and Jon came on board with Away and then we had the right people, I would have taken a busker off the street at one point just to get it going but even a local guy here was ‘too busy.’
Your new record Pillar Of Fire has already leaked and physically comes out this month via Relapse Records. What kind of obstacles did you have to overcome to get it out? Will it be available on cassette or vinyl? Is it true that the record contract with Relapse is the size of a phone book?
Relapse usually ask for a small panel of skin from each member of the band, I hear they stitch it all into a giant ‘Rock Quilt’ every few years, which are on display in their gigantic high rise offices. I do hope the LP will be available on cassette for the people who leaked it only, total twats in my books.
Do you have cover songs in your repertoire? Do you own a cassette player, are cassettes silly? Did you record any cover songs for bonus tracks?
No, never learned to play anyone else’s stuff, my old car has a cassette player, and i still have a few old sticky stretchy tapes from way back, cassettes are silly but amusing too, like a Trike, the worst of all worlds.
What other bands are you guys in?
Away is in about 5 bands at present. Andy is in War//Plague, Jon and Tom have both given up lucrative careers in misery and frustration respectively to pursue this particular Albatross.
What was the first music you bought and what have you bought more than once in different or the same formats?
My first album was 20 Fantastic Original Hits, it featured Joe Cocker, The Move, T Rex and Procol Harum. I did buy that again a few years back. Procol Harum are still a huge haunting influence on my music after all these years, lyrical brilliance and some great atmosphere.
Do you follow President Trump on Twitter?
I follow President Twat on Twumper, doesn’t everyone?
Out of all your songs which one gets you excited the most when you perform it? Are there any political, sexual or social issues hidden in Tau Cross songs?
There are plenty of all of those. I don’t achieve full tumescence on stage despite the sleazy undertones of songs such as “Hangmans Hyll”, but who knows?
Does the current political climate here in America amuse you or scare you?
I think it is amusing, watching the last days of the American Empire, a great Country reduced to being a bully and terrorist against the rest of the World, going out with a fizz rather than a bang really. It amuses me to see your obsession with identity politics and neo liberal sentiments, pure Roman decadence.
What gear are you currently using, amps, effects, guitars?
Fuck knows, I just shout into a metal tube.
Bands you would love to tour with and musician or artist you would like to meet and interrogate.
I don’t know about that. Most bands are probably assholes to tour with day in day out. I have interrogated Jaz Coleman (Killing Joke) on a couple of occasions, I do like a decent chinwag with interesting people.
Song to be played at your funeral and 3 albums to take to your grave?
Killing Yourself to Live – Black Sabbath
Mob Rules-Black Sabbath
Restless and Wild- Accept
The Ghost of Tom Joad- Bruce Springsteen
Whats your next gig?
Touring Scandinavia and some of Europe in August, should be a wizard wheeze.
Final thoughts, shout outs, dirty jokes?
What do you call the useless flap of skin attached to the end of a penis? A man. (boom,tishhh)
The manic noise rock merchants in Detroit’s CHILD BITE kicked off an epic run of live takeovers earlier this month in support of their recently-issued Negative Noise full-length. The live debauchery (which included first-time shows in Mexico), continues with a stretch of shows opening for the mighty Voivod alongside labelmates King Parrot as well as additional one-off shows scattered during and following the tour’s conclusion.
CHILD BITE w/ Voivod, King Parrot:
5/19/2016 Gas Monkey – Dallas, TX
5/20/2016 The Rock Box – San Antonio, TX
5/21/2016 Barracuda – Austin, TX
5/23/2016 Scout Bar – Houston, TX
5/25/2016 Aggie Theatre – Ft. Collins, CO
5/26/2016 Marquis Theatre – Denver, CO
5/27/2016 Liquid Joes – Salt Lake City, UT
5/28/2016 Vinyl / Hard Rock Café – Las Vegas, NV
5/30/2016 The Rebel Lounge – Phoenix, AZ
5/31/2016 Green Room – Flagstaff, AZ
6/01/2016 Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA
6/02/2016 The Whisky A Go Go – Los Angeles, CA
6/03/2016 The Underground – Santa Ana, CA
6/04/2016 Strummers – Fresno, CA
6/07/2016 The Ritz – San Jose, CA
6/08/2016 Slims – San Francisco, CA
6/09/2016 WoW Hall – Eugene, OR
6/10/2016 Dante’s- Portland, OR
6/11/2016 El Corazon – Seattle, WA
6/12/2016 Distrikt – Victoria, BC
6/13/2016 Rickshaw Theatre – Vancouver, BC
6/15/2016 Dickens – Calgary, AB
6/16/2016 Starlight Room – Edmonton, AB
6/17/2016 The Exchange – Regina, SK
6/18/2016 Good Will Social Club – Winnipeg, MB
6/19/2016 Crocks – Thunder Bay, ON
6/21/2016 Call The Office – London, ON
6/22/2016 This Ain’t Hollywood – Hamilton, ON **
6/24/2016 Hard Luck – Toronto, ON w/ Psycroptic **
6/25/2016 Amnesia Rockfest – Montebello, QC
6/26/2016 La Source De La Martiniere – Quebec City, QC
6/27/2016 Nectar’s – Burlington, VT **
6/28/2016 Once – Somerville, MA **
6/29/2016 Saint Vitus Bar – Brooklyn, NY **
6/30/2016 Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA **
** w/ King Parrot (no Voivod)
Negative Noise is out now on Housecore Records. The traumatizing, forty-seven-minute offering was produced by label head Philip H. Anselmo, mastered by Scott Hull (Pig Destroyer), and is where the Venn diagram of Black Flag, Voivod, and The Jesus Lizard truly overlaps. With twelve tracks of the bands distinct brand of chaotic, noisy apocalyptic sound Negative Noise represents all the weirdness that has made CHILD BITE so great over their hard years on the road.
In continued support of the release of their mini-CD entitled Post Society – EP to much worldwide acclaim via Century Media Records, Canadian progressive sci-fi metal innovators VOIVOD have announced their next North American tour for May / June as well as a run of European shows for August / September.
VOIVOD’s drummer Michel “Away” Langevin checked in with the following comment on the upcoming band activities: “After an exciting North American East Coast tour with Vektor, Eight Bells and Black Fast, we are thrilled to tour the West Coast of USA and across Canada with King Parrot and Child Bite. We have updated the set list, so be ready for a few classics mixed with new songs from the ‘Post Society – EP’. In the meantime, well…we’re still working hard on the next album!!!”.
Here is an overview of the upcoming dates announced so far (Updates marked *):
VOIVOD, King Parrot & Child Bite – “Post Society” North American Tour 2016:
05.19.2016 Dallas, TX – Gas Monkey *
05.20.2016 San Antonio, TX – The Rock Box *
05.21.2016 Austin, TX – Barracuda*
05.23.2016 Houston, TX – Scout Bar *
05.25.2016 Ft. Collins, CO – Aggie Theatre *
05.26.2016 Denver, CO – Marquis Theatre
05.27.2016 Salt Lake City, UT – Liquid Joes *
05.28.2016 Las Vegas, NV – Vinyl / Hard Rock Café
05.30.2016 Phoenix, AZ – The Rebel Lounge *
05.31.2016 Flagstaff, AZ – Green Room *
06.01.2016 San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick *
06.02.2016 Los Angeles, CA – The Whisky A Go Go
06.03.2016 Santa Ana, CA – The Underground *
06.04.2016 Fresno, CA – Strummers *
06.08.2016 San Francisco, CA – Slims *
06.09.2016 Eugene, OR – WoW Hall *
06.19.2016 Portland, OR – Dante’s *
06.11.2016 Seattle, WA – El Corazon
06.12.2016 Victoria, BC – Distrikt *
06.13.2016 Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre
06.15.2016 Calgary, AB – Dickens *
06.16.2016 Edmonton, AB – Starlight Room
06.17.2016 Regina, SK – The Exchange *
06.18.2016 Winnipeg, MB – Good Will Social Club *
06.19.2016 Thunder Bay, ON – Crocks *
06.21.2016 London, ON – Call The Office *
VOIVOD at festivals 2016:
06.25.2016 Montebello, QC – Amnesia Rockfest *
07.23.2016 Mexico City (Mexico) – Hell & Heaven Fest
VOIVOD’s Post Society – EP, which follows up 2013’s acclaimed “Target Earth” album release, is a very special release available as Digipak CD and as Digital Download, containing 5 studio tracks, including the previously vinyl-only new VOIVOD songs from the limited split 7″ EP’s with label-mates At The Gates and Napalm Death, two brand new songs and a Hawkwind cover (“Silver Machine”) with a total playing time of 30 minutes. The artwork was once more created by VOIVOD drummer Michel “Away” Langevin.
Following their acclaimed return to European stages in May, Canadian progressive metal pioneers VOIVOD are confirmed to return to Europe in October as part of the heavyweight “Deathcrusher 2015” tour alongside CARCASS, OBITUARY, HEROD, and label mates NAPALM DEATH.
VOIVOD’s drummer Michel “Away” Langevin checked in with the following comment about the upcoming tour: “We are proud to be part of this crazy line-up and psyched to go back to Europe again this year. What a thrill to meet all our friends once more and share the stage with our partners in metal.”
And just in time for this outstanding tour package and as further teaser for their next studio album, the follow up to 2013’s acclaimed Target Earth release, VOIVOD has announced they will also release a special and limited split 7″ EP together with label/touring companions NAPALM DEATH. Look out for more details about this project very soon!
VOIVOD live 2015:
“Deathcrusher UK / Ireland Tour 2015”
Carcass, Obituary, Voivod & Herod
Presented by Ad Ticket, OX Fanzine, Fuze Mag., Slam Magazin, Big Cheese & RageWear
10.23.15 Wolverhampton (UK) – Wulfrun Hall *
10.24.15 Glasgow (Scotland) – Barrowlands *
10.25.15 Belfast (N. Ireland) – Limelight 1 *
10.26.15 Dublin (Ireland) – Olympia *
10.27.15 Bristol (UK) – Motion *
10.28.15 Newcastle (UK) – Northumbria Uni *
10.29.15 London (UK) – Forum *
10.30.15 Manchester (UK) – Ritz *
“Deathcrusher Tour 2015”
Carcass, Obituary, Napalm Death, Voivod & Herod
Presented by Ad Ticket, OX Fanzine, Fuze Mag., Slam Magazin, Big Cheese & Rage Wear
2 camera video of Exhumed performing their chart topping smash hit “Slaughtercult” 02/20/15 @ Oakland Metro Operahouse – Oakland, California
Exhumed is an American death metal band from San Jose, California that is currently signed to Relapse Records. The band plays an old school style of death metal influenced by early Carcass and Entombed and is known for its gore-themed lyrics. The band, which has endured a highly unstable line-up since inception, formed in 1990, went on hiatus in 2005, and reformed in 2010, with guitarist/vocalist Matt Harvey being the band’s only consistent member.
Voivod drummer Michel Langevin (Away) born May 30, 1963 talks current tour, upcoming releases, writing process, memories of Denis “Piggy” D’Amour and much more with Todd Owens of Capital Chaos TV 02/20/15 @ Oakland Metro Operahouse – Oakland, California
2 camera video of Voivod performing their chart topping smash hit “Tribal Conviction” 02/20/15 @ Oakland Metro Operahouse – Oakland, California
Voivod was formed in 1982 in Jonquière, Quebec, Canada. Influenced equally by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, the burgeoning hardcore punk scene and 70’s progressive rock, Voivod forged a distinctive brand of heavy music that often relied on lyrical themes such as Reagan-era Cold War politics, post-apocalyptic literature and science fiction. Killing Technology (1987) began the band’s evolution in earnest, with the character from Voivod’s album covers (drawn by drummer Away and named as “Korgull” on 1986’s Rrröööaaarrr) significantly being depicted in a spaceship. Drawing more heavily on hardcore punk than metal influences by this point, Voivod began evolving without the aid of increasing speed and storytelling on the following Dimension Hatross. Voivod was one of the first thrash bands from Canada to gain popularity outside of their country’s borders, reaching the peak of their global popularity with the 1989 release Nothingface which featured a cover version of Pink Floyd’s “Astronomy Domine”. Other progressive rock covers include Pink Floyd’s “The Nile Song” on their 1993 release The Outer Limits and “21st Century Schizoid Man” by King Crimson on Phobos. Much of the band’s sound comes from guitarist Piggy’s usage of dissonant chords, usually played in the high register of the guitar, used extensively on Nothingface. Albums like Dimension Hatröss are dominated by dissonant chords, unexpected time signatures and guitarist Piggy’s liberal use of unconventional minor chords.
Sam Bryson – Thanks so much for being with us today.
Barney Greenway – No problem, whatsoever.
SB Well shit, I guess I’ll start by asking you a few questions about the new album you’ve got coming out “Apex Preditor”
BG Sure
SB I listened to the single on line, I guess it was leaked-
BG Naw it was out there on purpose.
SB Oh, cool. Well do you want to tell us a little about the concept for the album?
BG Yeah, sure. Sometimes coming to arive at an album title can be rather time consumeing, I might ditch a number of ideas before I decide on one. But for this one there was a specific instance. There was a building full of sweatshops that collapsed in Bangladesh, about a year or so ago. It was just a really desperate situation and I….. well first off, the media coverage, when you have an event of that magnitude, where one or two thousand people are dead or severly injured for the rest of their lives, you get to thinking to yourself, when the media coverage fades away after a day or so, whereas normally with a major disaster you get rolling coverage. It just seemed to me that, it just gave the impression that life just felt a little cheaper.
It really bothered me, it spured me, I like to write about that sort of stuff. And of course for the people who worked in the building- well of course there were a lot of big multinational companies with a big interest in the place, and afterwards there was the tv news conference where the sort of all sat around looking forlorn, and offered to put up a fund for the families of the people who were going to have to live with these deaths and horrible injureies. But it just struck me that that was no kind of solution you know, there is a big problem in this world right now which is a byproduct of globalization, and that is slave labor basically, the conditions that people are under. And if you were to transpose those conditions on to any other situation in life and you were found to be culpable, you’d be in prison, but because its these big corporations, and multinationals, its almost like its become acceptable for these conditions to still exist. So I wanted to write a sort of expose that would deal with the whole aspect of slave labor and consumption and disposal and all that.
SB Wow, well thanks for sharing.
BG Yeah yeah, no worries.
SB So you are starting a tour coming up soon with Voivod, Exhumed, Iron Regan, Phobia, and Black Crown Initiate, and then some dates with Dayglow Abortions. Did you guys have a hand in picking the bands you tour with?
BG Well we try to, I mean its not always easy to put together a bill like this. But we kind of know, you know we are in the scene, we are fans. And we kind of know what people who are fans of Napalm want to see. And so we try to build something that is A) good in that respect, and B) also good value, good ticket price, keep everything down, just for everybody to have a good time. Obviously the kids that pay to get into the gigs, but also the bands, we want everyone to feel as they are not looked down upon or treated with deference or whatever. We always try and make it a fun time for everyone.
SB Thats awesome man. We as the fans, we definetly appreciate it. every one I’ve talked to is stoked about this line up, and I’m all the way up in Humboldt county man, we are gonna drive like six hours down to the bay area to catch you guys.
BG Oh thats nice to know man, I appreciate that man, because you never know just how people are going to respond so thats nice to hear.
SB Are you guys excited about the 70,00 tons of Metal cruze?
BG Yeah, its gonna be interesting, we did the barge one a couple years ago and that one was a little more extreme, the music that is. That was fun I was a little cynical at first, like this gonna be lame like really cheasy, but it wasn’t, it was really a lot of fun, cuz you’ll go to a lot of gigs and meet people but you’ve got to get out of there kind of fast, well in this situation of course you’re on a boat there is no where to go. And a lot of the kids that go will double it up as a holiday, and so you get to hang out and sometime you can meet some really wicked cool people. This 70,000 tons will be a bit more heavy Metal oriented than that last one we did, but I’m sure it will be a good crowd all the same.
SB This is just a question I’ve always wondered; do you or the other guys in the band do you have a favorite album or favorite era of the stuff you’ve done?
BG Well I can give you a couple. Utopia Banished was a really fun album for me, and that was the second album that I personally appeared on. Enemy of the Music Business just because that was such a pivotal point for us, going from the more experimental and dark stuff back the crazy full on stuff it was a bit of a transitional point for us. Those two, and I guess you would expect me to say, and I will, the new album because its a couple of step over, but it still maintains that intensity. Yeah, its turned out really good in my view, and everyone I talk to about it seem to really like it a lot.
SB well I’m really excited for the new album
BG I appreciate that man.
SB Ok so here is a question, here in the states recently we’ve had a lot of problems with police officers killing unarmed people and not being held accountable by our justice system, I know the cops in the UK don’t even carry guns, I figured maybe you’d want to weigh in on that.
BG Oh yeah I know all about it mate, I’m not a fan of the police, I make no bones about it, I’ve never liked authority institutions that enforce laws. Lets be honest a lot of laws are based on self interest and not for the good of the people, you know when you really boil things down. So I’ve never been particularly trusting of the police, I know what the police can be capable of. Even though the cops don’t carry guns in england they are still capable of some pretty hainus shit. And the simple fact is, if you shoot an unarmed person you are in the wrong, I’m sorry but there is no justification for that. And I just thought all those cops showing up in that robocop style uniform, whats the point of that? What does that accomplish? If you are trying to gain the trust of people who are still going to be sympathetic to you that is damn sure not the way to do it.
SB Yup. Well…. someone told me I should ask you how you got the name “Barney”
BG Sure, well it not from the dinosaur, its actually from the Flintstones which is even better. It was back in my younger days, when I did enjoy a drink or two we’ll say I would sort of involuntarilly destroy things, not like I would vandalize things, but I would just fall over and try to save myself by hanging onto lets say a radiator, and part of it would just come off in my hand and there would be water pissing everywere. Things like that, and I would just turn things to rubble like Barney Rubble. It was actually- do you know the bad Doom?
SB Doom? Yeah.
BG Yeah the UK band it was their drummer that gave me that name, he christened me that in the first place.
SB Well I’ll be Goddamned,
BG Hehe
SB Thanks for sharing that man.
BG No worries, glad to be of public service, hehe.
SB I could ask you did it ever bother you guys when you got confused as a death metal band?
BG Oh thats actually a good question mate. I wouldn’t say it bothered us because that is not the type of thing to loose sleep over. But I just though it was a little odd, sure we’ve got those influences, no question, and I would never deny that, but Napalm is about so much more. A lot of death metal, though not all, is very sort of regimented, you know and kind of sticks to a certain pace. And Napalm is chaotic, its got that wild unrestrained hardcore feel to it. A lot of the riffs are really quite punk. So there are elements of death metal for sure, but our main thrust really is taking from punk and harcore because it gives us that runaway chaotic edge, and thats what we like, we don’t real regimented robotic metronomic stuff, we like to more or less the sound of falling down the stairs.
SB any plans for the future once you finish this tour cycle?
BG Well the US and Canada is the only one that’s been announced yet, once the new year hits there will be some other stuff annouced europe, and I’ve heard India and Austrailia towoards the early mid part of next year.
SB Cool I know Austrailia has a pretty good grind and death metal scene, do you guy play with a lot of local bands when you go over there?
BG Australia yeah, a friend’s band of mine called Extortion they’re fucking great. I’m actually not sure if they are still around, I’m sure the probably are. But yeah there a lot of freaky grind bands down there, they are quite amuzing and quite interesting cuz they are usually drunk as shit like 90% of the time which make for an interesting watch.
SB You know that I think of it, didn’t one of Shane’s side projects do a split with Blood Duster from Austrailia a few years back?
BG Yeah they did, one of his side projects. Thats a good bit of research there. And what a ludacris band they are, Blood duster, funny guys I think they actually like getting arrested, they take pleasure in it.
SB Wow. What about India, I know they have a little bit of a metal scene over their, do you ever play with any Indian bands?
BG Not yet, but it will be interesting to see how that goes over there, because a lot of the subject matter on the new album that we were talking about earlier, some of it is set in that culture so I’d like to have a look around for myself, and see how things really are, on the serious side, see whats going down.
SB What was the insparation for “Cesspits” the single on the new album?
BG Well I wanted to literally in figurativally talk about people living in holes. Because you can figuratively be in a hole you know that expression, when you are in the shit. Or, I’ve seen people physically living in holes, when I went to Nepal for example, it was fucking desperate, theres people living in holes on the side of the road, in ditches basically. And so I wanted to cover that, because I think most people obviously feel quite sympathetic to those people. I mean obviously they don’t need sympathy, they kind of need to be liberated from their life situation. But all the same people do feel sorry for them, but in another sense, people almost need them there, because where you’ve got that situation, that status quo if you like, you and your position over there, you almost feel a bit better because you know you are probably never going to be like that. So its almost a comfort thing. So its almost a song about psychology that song, in my own little weird interperative way.
SB The subtitle for Apex Preditor is Easy Meat, I’m looking at the album cover right now, where did you guys get the idea for this artwork?
BG Napalm artwork can be quit involved and interconnected, on past albums that is. And on this one we thought “lets go for something different” we didn’t want to repeat ourselves with another drawn sleeve or a collage. We just wanted a single image that we though was strong that people couldn’t help but focus on. So what I was talking about earlier with the workers and exploitation, well thats like a supermarket tray, you know what you might get some kind of cheap, horrible, nasty thing, and thats the last thing you’d want to eat really. The easy meat thats in there is meant to represent those workers, because they are the easy meat in the Apex Preditor. its almost like the ultimate indignity, you might be responsible for the manufacture or cultivation of whats in the package, and you are indeed in the package now. You are a product of your own environment, sort of thing. So thats where that comes from.
SB Well I think thats all the questions I have for you Barney, thanks for talking with me.
In support of their forthcoming album, it looks like Napalm Death will be touring North America in early 2015 with support from Voivod, Exhumed, Iron Reagan, and Black Crown Initiate. While the trek has yet to be announced, the following dates have surfaced thus far:1/29 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
1/31 Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage
2/19 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
2/22 Hollywood, CA @ House Of Blues
2/24 Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
