VULTURE LOCUST
INTERVIEW IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH /
v ENTREVISTA EN ESPAÑOL E INGLES
I was leaving to do a wri ng tour of Europe for 3 months and I needed
something to promote as I traveled. So while “Cold Civil War” has a
certain unique charm to it, I admit it was rushed and I should not
have made it an official EP. Back then, I basically just hired guys to
record something quick. When I returned from Europe in Fall 2013
we moved on as a three piece, myself replacing the vocalist. We
recorded a far be er demo/promo called “We Need To Talk” and
released it in May 2014 as a free download and began to play many
shows around Portland. In Fall 2014 we became a two-piece live act
(myself and the drummer) and entered the studio to make our
official album “Command Presence” This 15 track, 37 minute record
(which I am completely happy with) was released as a free download
on March 3rd 2015.
Why was the EP tled “Cold Civil War” And what is the theme of
the CD?
How was VULTURE LOCUST formed?
A er taking a long break from music projects to concentrate on my wri ng and also travel as a
metal journalist, I decided it was me to go back to the metal trenches. It was always my plan to
start a full me band on the West Coast in Portland, and I was frustrated it had been so long. I
began wri ng the demos for Vulture Locust in Fall 2012 -- music with an old school grindcore
founda on, but also taking elements from classic death metal, thrash and black metal with a
li le doom and crust as well. By 2013 the early line up had recorded a demo “Cold Civil War," and
then a stronger demo in 2014 with more songs called “We Need To Talk.” It was all a path to
record our full length studio album “Command Presence" which was released on 3/3/2015 as a
free download. I never wanted to be consumed by my wri ng, but I was given the opportunity to
write for big magazines like Metal Maniacs, PIT Magazine, many zines all over the world. And
then I became known in the underground for my metal travel books “The Big Shiny Prison” and
“Fortress Europe,” so all over America and Europe people would offer me adventures and places
to stay. But now I am back where I belong, just another grunt of a metal soldier. It is important for
me that people realize that I am a musician, not an ignorant, jaded music cri c who doesn't
know what they are talking about and has no concept the struggle of doing this music. I feel that
“Command Presence” proves this, and gives to the history of extreme metal another unique
record that will hopefully live on long a er I'm six feet underground.
Let's talk about the EP "COLD CIVIL WAR." How was the recording process and mixing?
Since every death metal or grindcore band has a raw, lo-fi demo at the start of their history, I
wanted to make one just because I could. It was inten onal to make something that sounded
like a poorly produced and noisy monster with an early black metal sort of produc on. The
problem was that during recording we had a ridiculous amount of technical difficul es.
Vulture Locust dedicates each song to a different conspiracy,
whether it be mar al law, aliens, secret government, police state
madness, military weapons, espionage, government surveillance,
poli cs, wars. We do not promote any poli cal system directly, we
just comment on the madness of our current world. All of our albums
have imagery of riot police and protesters on the cover, sugges ng
the conflict of the individual vs. unjust authority. For instance, “Cold
Civil War" is a photo of one man in Portland si ng Indian Style in
front of a line of riot cops in full ba le gear, all looking like Darth
Vader. He is just si ng, calmly, saying “you don't scare me." The “We
Need to Talk" cover is a photo from Spain, where one kid looks like
he's being ripped apart by zombies but they are just riot cops all
grabbing him at the same me. The 'Command Presence" cover is of
a line of riot cops all stumbling back, because there is a giant metal
chain hi ng them. You cannot see who is whipping the chain, but
that is the point. It is like a classic metal album cover from the 1980s,
like a fingerless leather glove wearing hand with spikes and studs
smashing a hammer to an anvil making sparks. The message is metal
striking back. This is why the album is called “Command Presence" --
because command presence is what cops are taught like actors to
portray when they approach you. When they get out of their car and
grab their belt and pull up their pants, when they look macho and
tough and approach you with their cop a tude -- this is exhibi ng
command presence. They have training manuals on this -- it is the
official police term. So this is our version of Command Presence
against them -- inhuman blast beats and me shrieking at the top of
my lungs about the madness of everything they represent. with A
“Cold Civil War” is when a na on is stuck in a stalemate and no
amount of pressure will make the authori es arrest the criminals or
corrupt poli cians. Where even if people aren't ac vely figh ng in a
civil war, they are knowing it's going on. Like the Soviets and
Americans -- constantly staring each other down. Neither can win. I
feel the USA is in a form of this. If you were to honestly hold an
elec on asking all Americans “should we arrest as criminals all our
poli cal and military leaders? Should we put on trial all of the
corporate and bank CEO's who ha