Dim Mak
Wywiad przeprowadził Bart Donarski
It's been a few months since the release of the sophomore output of NJ-based DIM MAK. "Intercepting Fist" is an excellent album that comprises sounds for all the people who really appreciate a high quality metal music. This is power, this is rage, this is fucking twisted brutality. In Europe the record has been unleashed upon the masses through Danish Mighty Music and gained completely new artwork, mastering and bonus tracks in addition. I talked to legendary ex-Ripping Corpse musicians and DIM MAK main composers/founders - Scott Ruth and Shaune Kelley. More detailed information below.There've been some distinct label changes lately, as far as DIM MAK is concerned. I thought if you're that displeased at Ripping Corpse sort of bad experiences, you'd keep it in a Singaporean way further. How actually the whole label issue looks like present-day?
Scott: "This is easy to clear up actually. We did indeed stay with Dies Irae from Singapore, they put us in the studio to record "Intercepting Fist" although they have yet to release it themselves. "I.F." was 
released by Olympic Records in the U.S. and Mighty Music in Europe by way of licensing agreements only."
I guess you'll be pleased that I fortunately know what the name - DIM MAK - means. In spite of it, I'd like to inquire if you take an interest in martial arts - let's say - physically. At the and of the day, as I look at your photo you appear as people who know of their fists' power. I'd been training Korean Tae-Know-Do for years, thus I'm a bit curious.
Scott: "The toughness you may see in our photos comes from a lifetime of struggle as opposed to any particular training regimen. Shaune and me are fighters in all aspects of our lives, we've always worked hard and fought for what we wanted."
Unfortunately I haven't listened to "Enter the Dragon", but I saw the movie at least. Is there any particular moment of the film that might refer to the music of yours?
Shaune: "Yes, when Bruce is calmly stretching out his leg and Ohara sticks his head in and tells Bruce he must wear a uniform Bruce replies outside. When Ohara leaves Bruce explodes with a violent flurry of punches, the way Bruce goes from calm to all out violence without thinking about it is what we're about, natural rage."
When I read news column at your website I came to terms you played more frequently with non-metal bands then typical metal ones. At least nowadays. Do I run amok?
Scott: "That's only because locally we have very few extreme metal bands to play with not at all like it was back in the day when NJ had a lot of death/thrash bands."
No doubt the musical contents of "Intercepting Fist" is extraordinary in its form within present metal scene. I really dig it, but aren't you afraid of being underrated by the people that might not get what the hell is happening on the album. It's twisted as a whirl of a pit!!!
Shaune: "Not at all afraid? Never if these songs were written for the critics it would have been a useless album of other peoples ideas. Scott and me have been playing savage music since 87, before black and 
death metal before it existed. I just wish people would respect us for staying true all these years and not writing just what everyone wants to hear, for keeping it real."
The Sound Dimensional dins you gained are truly in face and superb. Did you enter the studio on reflection or it was just natural as your former and widely-known bandmate ran the one?
Shaune: "A combo of both we definitely wanted a heavier sound than the first record and that is the reason we went to Erik, the man is a savage and he knows where we're coming from, pure hate and rage."
The 2nd album should have been out earlier. What were the reasons of the postponement actually?
Scott: "Initially the delay was the result of problems getting the packaging together. We received some inappropriate artwork and it took a little while to work it all out. We also took some time working out the licensing agreements."
I suppose your purpose, as far as DIM MAK goes, has always been to be eclectic musically. There's no chance to frame you up unanimously and you seem to be the worst reviewers' nightmare. Ha! Keep on perplexing the pussy mouthers! But to the point, is this an outcome of the four different minds, or maybe you all join the forces to make a new metal standard? All in all I love!
Shaune: "Actually no, two minds, Ruth and Kelley. not to say the other guys didn't contribute but the anger and rage comes from the two of us. We grew up poor in the ghetto of NJ, school sucked, the jobs suck, in conclusion you get hate and rage via Ruth and Kelley = Dim Mak."
Is there a chance for you to come to Europe further this year? You declare yourselves as a live band, so I want to witness the audible tortures!!!
Scott: "Right now no, because our drummer took the fucking inopportune time of quitting right after the release of "I.F". Shaune and me are rebuilding Dim Mak so we'll see what the future will bring."
Sadly to some there's no Satan in lyrics of yours. I don't know if you're aware that there're some American black metal bands (Krieg, for instance) that with dispense with bass guitar, for as they state bass is fake.
Scott: "No Satan but I still love to deal with the dark side of things, I do lean towards the evil side of life. As far as not needing a bassist in any form of metal is stupid. We want to be as heavy as possible and having a bassist who can play contributes to that heaviness. Most black metal recordings are high end cheese and it wouldn't hurt them to employ a good bassist, maybe then there so called evil sounds would have some power."
Some of the critics seem to be content that a bit heavier music is in the spotlight recently. New Kids On The Block have been replaced by Limp Bizkit and Britny Spears sings that "she loves rock n' roll". It appears to reason that if you're down-tuned, then you're cool. But do we need this a bit heavy shit!?
Shaune: "Do we need it no but we don't have to listen either, there will always be lightweight metal rockers, fuck em I'll never do it."
What's the Asbury Music Awards? Do you have any friends in the jury?
Scott: "Asbury park is a crack ridden slum that is only famous for Bruce Springsteen. They have these trite awards every year but they only nominate us out of fear I think, we do play there stinking clubs so they can not ignore us."
Do you want to keep DIM MAK strayed from Ripping Corpse? Or maybe you treat, in a way, the former as a continuation of the latter?
Scott: "Maybe more than ever we are the natural progression from Ripping Corpse. Shaune and me are rebuilding Dim Mak much like we built Ripping Corpse in the beginning."
I read you got some radio features in the US at times as well. I run my own one in Poland and I'd like to know how do you look upon the means of spreading metal? Do you have many shows in there and what metal genres they deals with most of all?
Scott: "There are a lot of college radio metal shows mostly late night slots on odd days of the week but they offer a lot of support. Because there usually not dependent on advertising they can play the most extreme shit without repercussions."
If there's anything you'd like to add, show us your merciless bunch of five!
Both: "Be prepared for the new onslaught which will be chronicled on our website www.enterdimmak.com its in the process of being redone and we'll have new soundbites and news posted soon, our revenge will be merciless."
Bart Donarski
