Carnage Mag

1.Hi Jim you bloody bastard what`s up in boring Ohio? Is it correct that Ohio doesn`t have a NHL Team? Hahaha.

JL: What’s up you fucking freak. We have an IHL team hear in Cleveland. The Barons. The NHL are all pussies compared to these pissed sons of bitches.

Wayne Richards (gaytar): Actually, that is incorrect. The Capital city of Ohio (Columbus) has an NHL team called the Columbus Blue Jackets…they suck pretty bad.

2. I`ve heard that you`ll gift me your Destructor shirt what you`ve weared in the booklet from “Agony`s Lament”, hahaha.?

JL: Get your own godamn shirt.
WR: Yeah.

3. Sorry brother, but do you have any news from Destructor? I`ve thought they`ll record a new album? This is the last news we`ve had and this news is from 2001!!!!

JL:We will play with them on June 12 here in Cleveland at the BW&BK festival. They will be heading to Europe this summer to play on some fests. They have new record recorded that should be out soon on Auburn Records, I think. I saw them play about 3 months ago, so fuck you. Ha, Ha!!!

WR: They are playing the BANG YOUR HEAD FESTIVAL in Germany.

4. Ok, coming up to your band Soulless! Tell us a little bit from your beginning ( former members, demos etc.) also you can tell us, why do you exist and who came up with the idea to do a metal band?

JL: I think it was Tony Iommi who first decided to do a metal band, but that’s not important right now. WE formed Soulless in ’97 because we love thrash and no one was thrashing. We released our own Demo CD in ’98 which had a different guitarist and a different bass player. We also did a 3 song promo in the summer of 2001 which got us nowhere.

WR: Each member of Soulless loves metal and loves to thrash, and each of us (except Jim) can degrade an instrument with enough ability to play our own brand of killer thrash. It was my idea to do a metal band.

5.When not playing rockstar, fuckin sixteen years old chicks (hahaha) and rehearse, what are you doing in normal life? How old are you fuckers? I`m 34 years, so I`m into thrash metal since the beginning, hahaha.

JL: I’m 33 and have also been addicted to thrash for many years. I have a shitty job and have no fucking life. I never get laid and I get drunk a lot.

WR: I am 26, Dave (bass) is 27, Jim (guitar hero) is 29 and Chris (drums) is thirty something.
I also have a shitty job, get drunk a lot and get laid plenty.

6.”Agony`s Lament” is release by Japanese World Chaos Label. Can you tell me why the hell is an American band by a Japanese Label? And do you know other acts from World Chaos like the mighty thrashers from Terror Squad ( also in this issue, hopefully!)? You`ve heard their record “The wild stream of eternal Sin”?

JL: Many Americans are afraid of thrash. World Chaos loves thrash. Terror Squad fucking rule. It is our dream to some day play a show with them.

WR: We love Terror Squad!!!! World Chaos was the only label to offer us a good deal, so we dove right in and now we’re basking in the glory of Japanese metal geniuses who promote the shit out of the record, and now we get to do cool interviews like this one!

7. “Agony`s Lament” is a correct thrash blast in the right way if you ask me. So tell us a little bit about your influences and how do you feel with such a monster in your back?

JL: I love Sodom, Kreator and Destruction. Those are great thrash bands. Also, Exodus, Slayer, Possessed held up the bargain on our side of the ocean. These bands were the first to really sear the love of thrash into my soul. I wish the monster in my back would get off. That shit fucking hurts, and is heavy too. (Why so heavy?)

WR: I don’t know about the monster in my back (sometimes he tries to scare me), but I’m hugely influenced by Iron Maiden, Metallica, Kreator, Entombed, Voi Vod, At The Gates, Coroner, Sodom, Celtic Frost, etc…

8. If you ask me the track “Empty Deadness” could easily stand on Dark Angel`s “Time does not Heal”. Brutal, fast riffing meets thundering drums and a pounding bass and the voice screams like hell! Any commends about that?

WR: Thanks for the kind words. Empty Deadness is one of my favorites on the record…total thrash, fast pissed vocals and a good deal of intense riffing!!!

9. Sometimes Soulless sounds really Swedish, like Centinex or the Haunted, not to forged At the Gates. Are this your faves, too? Tell us a little bit about your faves! What are you hearing at that point of time?

WR: I fucking love CENTINEX!!! When I was in Nun Slaughter we toured Europe with them and had a fucking blast!! Seeds of Evil!!!! We’ve been compared to a lot of Swedish bands, and I guess that’s cool because a lot of the American bands are doing the same old shit…and all the greatest thrashers hail from Sweden! Entombed, Dismember, At the Gates, Centinex, Swordmaster, Carnal Forge, Terror 2000, etc…The Swedes always had a great sense of harmony in their riffs and that’s what I love. Lately been playing a lot of Trouble, Camel, Thin Lizzy, UFO, Steely Dan, Coroner, Voi Vod.

JL: That shit is fucking great, very thrash. We appreciate being compared to great bands, as opposed to bands that suck. I always listen to tons of Trouble, new Carnal Forge is killer.

10. I`ve never heard before about the studio where you recorded “Agony`s Lament”. Can you tell me a little bit about the studio and the man behind it who gave you such a brutal and razorsharp sound? The pics in the booklet shows a relaxed atmosphear!

WR: Mars Recording Compound is the brainchild of genius engineer Bill Korecky. Bill is a total guru when it comes to recording a metal record …a really sharp ear, sharp duds and just an all-around sharp looking guy. The atmosphere is intense…Bill is always hounding you to do a better job of being metal. I think he is the real reason why this album turned out so incredibly.

JL: He also did the last 3 Incantation records, and does tons of other metal. Some great, some gay, but he always makes it sound the best it can.. Bill is fucking great, and he is also an asshole like us, and knows how to enjoy himself. It really helps to make the situation more productive. It’s very difficult to tolerate us otherwise.

11. World Chaos sells “Agony`s Lament” in a juteback with printed Soulless and World Chaos logo, hahaha. A pretty cool idea! You got your copy also in this jutebag?

WR: We call it a hemp ballbag. Yes…we received our bags. We think this is a brave and ballsy marketing tool that will revolutionize the way music is sold to the public.

JL: I smoked mine. We hope to place the next CD in a bull scrotum.

12. I think it`s very cool that you doesn`t record a slow track! Slow tracks destroy`s atmosphear and kills. Thrash metal, in my opinion must be fast and furious, with razorsharp riffing, a killing voice, the bass must blow me through the wall, not only against the wall, hahaha and the drummer must play the whole time this fast ufta-ufta shit! That´s my definition from Thrash Metal! What is your definition from Thrash metal?

WR: You hit the nail on the head (except we call the drumming doo-ka doo-ka). Thrash is the most pissed form of music…in your face speedy, downpicked riffing, fast as hell drums with sick fills and crazy vocals spewed forth with intensity and hate. Any band that claims to be thrash should not have slow tracks.

JL: Thrash must thrash. Screams, speed…everything you guys say…but it must be a continuous assault…no relent!!!!

13. In “The fleet of Fury” after this melodic yet brutal part in the middle of the song Jim and Wayne play a pretty cool also melodic soli. At first Jim then Wayne. That`s an old tradition from the eighties that guitarists playing solis hand in hand with many changes in it. Not many bands could play stuff like that. As I can remember Hexx, Dark Angel, Agent Steel or Holy Terror to name a few did this way to play cool solis. Are Jim and Wayne inspired by these acts? How important is the old school for the sound from Soulless?

WR: We’re going to be doing a lot more solos (tradeoffs & harmonized) in the future. I’m more inspired by Maiden and Priest solos than anything. Jim’s a big Michael Shenker and Ritchie Blackmore fan. The greatest music was recorded in the 70s, but the most pissed and aggressive metal (complete with mint guitarists) was definitely from the 80s. The older the better!!!

14. Jim wears a cool Razor shirt! I think Jim is an old school bastard, huh? I for myself wear only an old Legacy shirt or my old Artillery shirt, so everybody can see that I`m into old school, hahahaha. Very childish, hahaha. But for tonight I prefer my old Sadus shirt because The Haunted comes to destroy the stage! Hahaha

JL: That’s actually Chris, our Drummer. We also love our old shit. Every once in a while a freak will come up to you at a show and be like “Great shirt man” and you know they know good metal.


15. What is your favourite track on Agony`s Lamet”? I for myself think that “Empty Deadness”, “The Fleet of Fury” and “Terror of Twilight” are the most brutal blasts on it!

WR: I love “Agonies” and “Lament.” The whole record is great, but these two really get me raging.

JL: I concur.

16. You did some covertunes for Dwell (rip-off) Records, right? Tell us about!

WR: We did Judas Priest, “Hellbent for Leather,” Ozzy, “The Ultimate Sin,” WASP, “Tormentor,” Metallica, “Motorbreath,” Twisted Sister, “You Can’t Stop Rock N’ Roll,” and Destruction, “Confound Games.” The money we received to record the cover tunes gave us enough extra time to record some newer material which eventually became our Bleeding Darkness promo.

JL: It was cool to be able to do songs by our metal forefathers in the studio and then see the results released. I love doing cover songs. Especially when I’m drunk. Then I sound exactly like verybody.

17. What`s up with an European tour? Anythings planed for the future?

WR: Some day soon hopefully, we can’t fucking wait to give the Europeans a good thrashing!!!!

JL: Fuck ya!!! Buy our record so we can come over there. Then Lock up your women and hide the beer, cuz we don’t play games. Actually, it would probably be more fun if you left the beer and women out for us…if you don’t mind.

18. Any other cool acts (Death or Thrash) in your area that are worth our mention? With whom do you hang over?

WR: Deceased, Incantation.

JL: We also share a practise spot with Nunslaughter. They are freaks.

19. 14 days ago I saw Testament, Death Angel and Nuclear Assault together with Malevolent Creation, posing and pissing Marduk, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter and Darkane. What a blast, huh? What could I tell you: The older ones showed the crowd and the newer acts how to play metal. Was this package also on tour in America? Did you see them too?

WR: We didn’t get that tour…But we know where the real metal is. The older the better.

JL:The Gods of metal tour came through not too long ago. Testament was fucking great.

20. On your h-page I saw a photo from George W. Bush. Do you like him? Hahaha. What do you think about the war in Iraque?

JL: I think the photo you refer to is actually former president Clinton. I am very much for the war in Iraq. People who oppose the war are very misinformed and should keep their ignorance to themselves. We prefer to keep politics out of our music. I wish certain reformed German thrash gods would do the same.

WR: I think it’s over… The people of Iraq should be grateful that our great nation has freed them from such a hostile and hateful regime. They will finally know what freedom is.

21. Do you like the new album from Cradle of Filth “Damnation and a gay”? Are you into C.O.F.? I must say I like them very much, and …”Damnation and a Gay” is one of the best and fastest album I ever heard this year!

WR: I’m picking up on your gorgeous sarcasm…Haven’t really heard anything from COF in a long time. I know their on Ozzfest this year, so perhaps they will spread the gay word to a newer, bigger audience.

22. Would you be so friendly to tell us something about your lyrics?

JL: My lyrics are generally written on my PC at home. I like to type them in a font like Baskerville Old Face or Dominican. In our booklet they are yellow.

23. Are the booklet are very interesting pics from an open air where you played. It looks like you play in the middle of a city. Can you tell us where it was and what was it for a open air? Who played also there? Can you play live as often as you want? With did you play in the past?

WR: It was an outdoor show at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland…Hot as hell, 90 degrees, sweatiest I’ve ever been. We’ve played with Morbid Angel, Incantation, Dismember, Malevolent Creation, Nile, etc…

JL: The show at the University is an annual event put on by the college radio station there. Usually 10 or so bands play. They are selected by a committee and include many different styles. That year our friends Somnus and All that is Evil were among the few metal bands to appear.

24. My gay buddy Uwe doesn`t like Soulless. Tell him on this way a little bit about the gay scene in Ohio! He also flys every year to Thailand for vacation not for three weeks, he stays six weeks there. Bastard! Hahaha.

WR: UWE is not metal!!! Go spend a month and a half being gay and having diarrhoea in Thailand!!!

JL: Many gays don’t like Soulless, but however many do. Tell him to leave those little Thai boys alone, and stop being a pussy. The gay scene here is pretty gay. Lakewood, Ohio is the place to cruise for some sweet man meat.

25. What are the reactions by press and fans about “Agony`s Lament”? Even I`ve bought the new Rock Hard (Germany`s biggest Metal Mag.) and they gave you 7,5 out of 10 Points!!!

WR: Rock Hard is not metal.

JL: I am not familiar with that mag. I would be interested to see the review. We like good reviews!!! All the press has been very positive!

26. Why should anybody buy “Agony`s Lament”?

WR: If you claim to be metal, there is no way you cannot dig this record.

JL: It is a quality product through and through. It will make you bang your head, break things and run stop signs…or so I’ve been told!

27. Are you into Satan, hahaha?

WR: No.

JL: In some ways yes. In others…no.

28. Ok, Jon, let`s close this bullshit. Thanx for spending time for a little mag like we are, hahaha! Hope the questions were not too boring and you had some fun with it. Greetings from Germany. Hope to see you soon on tour! STRENGHT AND HONOUR and Thrash On!!!!! Marcus / Carnage Zine

JL: Thanks for noticing a little band like us and for worshipping at the thrash altar!! Your fucking great. Cheers!

WR: Thanks Marcus…Keep a beer at your side and let metal be your guide!!!