The Rotted
Wywiad przeprowadził Bruce Moore
Metal Blade Recording act The Rotted (formerly Gorerotted) are back with a new disc and a new tour. "Get Dead Or Die Trying" is the bands fourth release and it does not disappoint. Vocalist Ben McCrow, guitarists Tim Carley and Gian Pyres, bassist Wilson and drummer Nate Gould have crafted an all out sonic assault. A brutal melding of Hardcore Punk and Extreme Metal combined with a healthy dose of dark humor and cynicism make this a must have disc for fans of the genre. Ben McCrow took a moment out of his tour preparations to answer a few questions about the band, the new CD ,and his thoughts on the business in general.You worked with Russ Russell (The Wildhearts, Dimmu Borgir, The Exploited, Napalm Death). A very well known well respected producer. How did you get in touch with him and what was it like working with him?
It was great! Basically, we were searching about online for producers, his name came up, we checked a video interview of him and were just really impressed by the variety of bands he's worked with and the immense passion he has for his job.
Since those early days, would you say that your goals or your vision for the band have changed? In progressing from just sitting around the rehearsal room back then to sitting here, now, how has what The Rotted means changed for you?
Yeah, I was 18 when I joined Gorerotted, I'm gonna be 30 in a couple of years and you just change during that period! I was into sick shit for the sake of it, and didn't really take it as seriously as now I guess. These days we're a lot more focused on putting on the best show we can every night. When we started out it was small club shows, we'd be drunk as hell, falling about the place, and it was always a fun show but maybe not as tight as it could have been. Now we're on big tours and playing huge festivals in Europe, so we're constantly striving to better ourselves and be the best band we can.
Playing such visceral music in a recording studio must be vastly different than at one of your chaotic live shows. How did the recording process go for "Get Dead Or Die Trying"?
It was pretty standard I guess, we got in and just did our shit, we worked with 2 very talented producers who got the best out of each of us and we just gave it our complete attention. Obviously at live performances, you're a full band rather than just a guy in a room wearing headphones, but the intensity is still there when you record because you block out everything else and just focus on what you're doing and why you're doing it. I usually had a bottle of rum by my side which kind of helped keep things loose too.
Give us some insight into the "Get Dead Or Die Trying" lyrically. This is a super pissed off sounding record?
Yeah, these lyrics are completely autobiographical so it's all genuine, I'm not into telling tales of serial killers, made up violence, or re-telling the scripts of horror films I've seen anymore. I feel I've got something to say now, that old stuff's gone because I'm not interested in it so have nothing to offer with those kind of lyrics. I get more and more pissed off by things as the years go on, so it allows for a more venomous and aggressive performance if I'm singing about that than if I make a load of crap up.
Your lyrics are infused with heavy detail and raw emotion. What is it that normally gives you inspiration when writing lyrics and is there a theme or themes behind the writing of this record?
Since the last record Gorerotted did, a hell of a lot has happened, both in my personal life and the band's life, so the lyrics for The Rotted are about weird shit that's happened on the road, drink and drug abuse, problems with the police, paranoia, psychosis, interactions with society, just anything that I feel I wanna talk about basically. I guess it's a case of choosing something that's had a profound effect on you, that's what makes what you're saying valid, and that's what makes your performance all the more intense -the raw emotion you mentioned means all the rage, venom and power in what you're saying is real, it's not calculated or made up. On this album the lyrics can pretty much be summed up by the whole ‘killing yourself to live' idea: Doing these self destructive things that make life more interesting with no regard for their consequences.
What is the toughest lesson you ever learned in the studio and on the stage?
Pace yourself, I guess! Losing your voice when you got hours of recording left or 3 weeks of shows left is no fun at all! Looking after my voice properly is the most important thing I can do on the road or in the studio, and it's a lesson I've learned the hard way!
All of that passion that you play with must be tough on you physically. How do you prepare for the physical demands of a tour?
To be honest I don't really, I just try not to destroy myself too quickly once we're out there. Recently I've started doing more cardio at the gym so my stamina's better, but other than that there's not a great deal I change. Just look after your self once you're out there.
When you are on the road for a while I am sure you see and experience many different things you might not even have known existed. Are there any stories that stand out in your mind as being exceptionally strange or odd?
I've seen some crazy shit on the road! I'm not gonna go into too much detail, but pretty much every tour something so surreal, gross, funny or just plain stupid happens that I start to question whether I'm even awake! Some of the lyrics on the album are tales from the road, so have a flick through the CD inlay and you'll find a few cautionary tales!
When you are out on the road anything can happen and often does. Can you think of any disastrous events that happened while out on tour? How did you solve the problem?
I guess the closest thing to disaster I've experienced was being threatened with a gun in Poland! It was 2001 I think, most the band were in a super market getting booze, but I was outside with the old bassist. Our manager at the time was semi-conscious and these 2 shady guys were trying to persuade her to get into their car to drive it. We weren't gonna let that happen obviously, so they went and got this gun they had wrapped up in a pair of underpants that they'd stashed under the hood of their car. It was pretty freaky, and there's not much you can do really, just try to stay calm, I don't know how serious they were or if they were just trying to freak us out, but they went when everyone came outside, so I guess it's something I'm happy to remain ignorant of!
The art work by Artwork by legendary Mick Kenney (Feto Records, Annal Nathrakh, Mistress, Frost) is quite amazing. How is it tied to the albums title?
It's based on the lyrics to "Get Dead Or Die Trying", it's a weakened man out on the streets with no shirt on his back, just fucked up , nowhere to go. The Union Jack is a nod to where we're from, it represents London (which can be a horrible fuckin place!) and it's a tribute to the old UK metal and punk bands that we've grown up listening to
When you compare the early days of metal to the scene today what do you feel has changed for the better? What do you feel has become worse?
It's a hell of a lot easier to promote yourself, sell your music, record and even shoot videos. It's much easier to connect with the people that enjoy your music too, they can easily write to you online and it's a lot easier for people to check you out over the internet. The biggest problem we have now though is downloading. I'm aware that it's a good way for people to discover new bands and find new music, and that's fine if the person just wants to try before they buy, but when someone's entire record collection is a load of MP3s and they've not bought the ones they enjoy, it has a very negative effect on the recording artist. It's also pretty disrespectful, we work hard on albums, and we need people paying for the music because going to a professional studio is expensive! Buy the ones you enjoy, delete the ones you don't, it's that simple.
Can you offer any advice to any of the younger readers who may be reading this out there and are trying to etch out a career in the music business?
Career is the key word! If you want a career in music, manage a boy band or play pop songs, because trying to make a living from metal is pretty hard! You'll find it hard to pay the bills at times, you might even get into debt, but if it's what you wanna do, then give it everything you got, don't worry about anything else or let it get in your way, just play the music you love and live the life you've always wanted to!
What have been the best countries to play so far?
I love playing Austria and Scotland, purely because we always get a really good crowd response! They're really into the bands that come and play for them. We played Wales for the first time a few weeks back, they were a great crowd too, I can't believe we'd neglected a country we share this tiny island with for so long! Holland and Germany have always been good for us too.
Site: www.therotted.com
Booking: therotted@hotmail.co.uk
