BLOOD FREAK interview with: Jason Grinter(bass/vox), Jon Sellier(guitar), and Pete Dobbins(drums)

UN: Blood Freak and Razorback seems like the perfect combination. How exactly did the two parties come together? Im sure that if you guys have been keeping up with the underground scene that you had already known about Razorback for awhile now.

Jason: Razorback RULES! They're totally dedicated to the style of music we play, old school Death and Grind. Billy is a super cool guy who is into the same exact stuff we are like Horror flicks, Old Grind and Trash culture. There's no other label i'd rather be on!

Jon: Yeah Razorback is fucking awesome. They put out so much great stuff. I first knew about them when I got the first ENGORGED CD, and then I started reading about them on their web site and started ordering CD's. Jason knew about them before I did. He started talking to Billy about re-releasing our old stuff and it worked out really killer. There's no other label we'd ever want to be on!

Pete: I personally always kept track of some of the underground, but i must admit i have gaps to fill hahaha but I always tried to keep somewhat up to date and never quit checking out new bands and stuff. I have been too busy with my work and family to actively contribute to the scene but i hope to catch up fast now that i am in a band again. And well Razorback i've always checked out because of their cool shit they released, i was amazed by the impetigo tribute cd, and i remember well the day i listened to the first Engorged cd and Machetazo cd carne de cementario. Razorback is one of the labels i always religiously checked out from then, but also a label like Necroharmonic is on my fave list because he re-releases a lot of old shit from cool old school death metal bands, the autopsy ridden with disease cd is a great release. And well Billy is a big horror fan and we throw mails back and forth all the time about new dvd’s and shit he’s become a good friend to me so i am psyched to be in a band on his label.

UN: Why exactly did the album get put on the shelf in the first place back in the day? Was there internal problems with the band? I think that if the album was released people would consider it one of the classick gore albums of the early 90's. Then again now that people have the chance to hear the album it'll get the recognition that it deserves.

Jason: There were always tension between Jon and Andy from the beginning. They never really liked each other that much at all. Andy was a good friend of mine from high school and me and him started this band together. But his attitude just got worse and worse as time went on. He really didn't like the direction the band was going in. He didn't want to play blast beats and wanted the band to go in a more Florida Death Metal style ala Morbid Angel. Things just got worse when we started tracking for the album. Me and Jon could tell Andy wasn't into it anymore and the tension between Jon and Andy got worse. Finally Jon and Andy had a huge fight about Andy's attitude and Andy quit. A little more than half the drum tracks were finished so Jon and I decided to record our tracks. We ran out of money at the mixing stage and decided to call the band quits. I started collage and Jon was busy with his new job at the time so we really never had the time or motivation to go back and mix the album and get it released, until now.

Jon: I had a big fight with our old drummer, Andy. Things didn't work out with him. We basically dropped out of the underground because we just got really frustrated with our drummer situation, combined with the fact that the scene was getting really weak and shitty with all those poser death metal bands. Do you really think it would have been considered a classic? Wow, thanks for saying that man! I just hope people enjoy listening to it now, it feels great to have it out. I'm so glad Jason got in touch with Razorback about putting it out. Now we're looking forward to the new stuff! We have our new drummer(not really new, he's been friends with us for years) Pete now so things are gonna be much better than the old days.

Pete: Well about the details of the break up you have to be with the other two guys, and i am sure if the cd was released at the time we would have been one of the bands playing the same style, we just seem special now because nobody plays this style anymore, their all brutal blast machines with no atmosphere. I must say the new mix for the old stuff also increased the heavy thick sound of it all. I guess the mix of an old master recording with today's mixing technology created this monster of a CD!!!!

UN: I was curious to ask if you guys had certain movies or scenes in mind when you got in touch with Chas Balun to do the album artwork. Did you give him a list of movies or scenes, or did you just let him wing it? It's one of the best covers I've seen in a long time. It reminds me of the horror soundtrack cd's that have the soundtracks to more then one movie on one disc.

Jason: Chas is a really cool guy who's totally dedicated to the Horror genre. When you have someone like Chas Balun doing your artwork you don't tell him what to draw you let him do his own thing. I basically said make it gory and that's what he came up with! I think the cover turned out awesome! I can't wait to see the next cover he does for us!

Jon: Jason was really the guy who got in touch with Chas about the cover. I can't believe we have our album finally out, and WITH artwork by Chas Balun!! It's amazing and I'm still in awe of it. He's going to be doing our next CD cover also!

Pete: Like Jon says Jason is the guy who arranged all the stuff, but i agree with Jon i love the stuff that Chas does, it has got that old horror movie vibe going and i love it!!!!!. I've always bought all Chas Balun's stuff he did like his Books about horror and deep red. I cant wait to see what he will create next for the second cd cover!! I bet it will rule supreme!!!!!

UN: Now that the corpse of Blood Freak is exhumed, so to speak, what's next for you guys? I'm assuming that once you have an albums worth of material you'll be releasing it on Razorback. Just don't make us wait another 13 years to hear this one! Any titles or album ideas thrown around yet?

Jason: Were writing new material right now and if you like the first CD you wont be disappointed! Were sticking with the same style we had 13 years ago except were making things even heavier and faster and still keeping the sleazy Gore-Doom parts! It should be out early/mid next year on Razorback!

Jon: Don't worry, this time we're not going anywhere! Our next CD is gonna be called "Live Fast, Die Young....And Leave a Flesh-Eating Corpse!" and it will have 30 all brand new songs! We're working hard on it right now. The lyrics are all written and Jason and I have been coming up with tons of riffs. It's gonna have a lot of Sabbathy-type of riffs mixed in with the gore, but it won't be some stupid DOWN/Phil Anselmo type of gay shit. Yeah we have new songs like "Goretits", "The Slaughter Special", "Butchermobile", "Splatter of the Highest Order" and tons more!!

Pete: Well I've joined the ranks now and will beat the skins on this album, I am really psyched about the new material. So far the songs we have been practicing will continue the old line of Blood Freak. I can only say if you liked the first cd you will like the second one, and that's not because i am now in the band hahahaha.

UN: Seeing as though you've been involved with the underground for quite sometime now, do you see a big difference between now and say 10 or 15 years ago? I'm definitely not a big fan of all of the bad death metal that tries to pass itself off a grind these days. Ten bad Cannibal Corpse riffs do not make a grind song, no matter how hard the band tries to fit the role.

Jason: I come from the old school Metal days of Celtic Frost, Possessed, Kreator, Slayer, Mercyful Fate, Destruction etc. Back then it was fun and crazy now I hear all these bands with their super technical riffs and crystal clear production and it doesn't give me that same feeling. I really have no interest in the new style "Brutal Death Metal" it really bores me to Death. Only band that ever played that style well was Suffocation.

Jon: It's definitely totally different. It used to be so much smaller and more fun back in the old days. Bands didn't have rock star attitudes and it was all about friendship back then. We all got along much more, and people had better taste in metal back then. This was before all the fucking techno/industrial/rap elements started ruining metal. All that Cannibal Corpse/Suffocation clone shit ruined it also. I can't stand any of that stuff. I still love the first Cannibal Corpse album, but all the clone bands suck shit. I hate when labels call bands like that death/"grind", there's NO grind in that music at all!

Pete: I kinda miss all the written letters and tape trading and stuff like that, everything used to be closer and more about supporting each other. I am also fed up with all the genre wars, who the fuck cares!! i used to support death, grindcore, noise, thrash. To me it was all part of the metal movement and if it was good i liked it. As for the many clone bands, they ripp off the bad riffs and add some bad shit of their own and mix it to something that sucks ass. At least try to give your own twist to stuff.

UN: This question is mainly just out of my love for vinyl. Have any plans been made to bring out Sleaze Merchants on vinyl? I think the album cover would look amazing on an LP sleeve. If anyone hasn't, I sure hope someone gets in touch with you guys about bringing the album out on vinyl.

Jason: I agree I think it would be great! Chas' art would look so much better blown up! Any body reading this who's interested, get in touch!

Jon: Actually, I was just talking to Jason about that a few days ago. We're gonna see if we can find someone to put this out on vinyl also! I would kill to see that Chas Balun art in the large format! Maybe after this interview gets put up some labels will contact us. Get in touch if you're interested! I love vinyl and have a huge collection of it, especially all 80's metal and early 90's 7" ep stuff.

Pete: I grew up with Vinyl so i wouldn’t mind seeing it produced on the black gold hahahaha, That's why i love so many of my old records, there was more space for awesome artworks to be displayed. And i don’t care what anybody says vinyl sounds best!!!!!!!!!

UN: I'll ask this, and to be honest, I expect a negative response. What are your thoughts on horror movies these days? I honestly can't even remember the last time I enjoyed a new horror film. Cabin Fever wasn't too bad, it had gore at least, but too many movies follow the same set formula. There aren't many movies that take chances anymore.

Jason: I liked Cabin Fever a lot. I liked that they used old David Hess music from Last House on the Left. Wrong Turn was cool and I even liked Freddy vs. Jason. Other than those few exceptions most new Horror sucks! That's why I collect DVDs, all the good stuff came out in the 70's and 80's. The 90's really sucked bad. Especially with Scream and all it's clones.

Jon: Cabin Fever was pretty cool, thought most of the characters were totally annoying. I don't think it was the film everybody said it was going to be. I actually liked Wrong Turn much more! Those backwoods cannibals were awesome! I still have some hope, there's lots of cool independent horror films still to come, like the Australian zombie film Undead. I'm really looking forward to seeing that one! The new Dario Argento movie looks like it will be good, and I just read he's gonna be making the 3rd part of his three-Mothers trilogy! Can't wait!! Hope Romero gets to make his 4th living dead film also.

Pete: I can’t be bothered with the new stuff, I am satisfied just trying to collect all the hammer horror films, and everything from the drive in theatre genre and utter schlock movies are where my heart lies. New horror can learn a lot about creating atmosphere from the old movies. A bullshit cgi effect never has the same effect as a well written story and eerie atmosphere!!

UN: How does it feel when you read reviews of the album? It must be nice to finally have a lot of feedback after recording the album so long ago. I totally agree when people say that you guys were ahead of your time. It's almost funny that even the best gore bands around these days haven't come close to touching what you guys recorded 13 years ago.

Jason: It's awesome! Finally we get to hear other people's thoughts on what we did 13 years ago! But It does get kind of frustrating when people start saying that were fake and that it's all bs. It kind of undermines all the hard work we put into it. I spent a lot of time on getting the mix sounding good but to most people that means it doesn't sound "old school" to them. Well we are old school! I'm sorry if it doesn't fit your idea of what "old school" is supposed to be. Haha!

Jon: Thanks again for the nice words man! I'm totally happy with the response so far. I read some reviews on the Razorback web site. I don't usually have much time to spend online because of my job, but when I do I like to read what people are saying about the CD and stuff like that. Seems like gore freaks like it so far, and Jason told me that Billy from Razorback is getting a great response towards it, that's awesome!

Pete: I hear the first cd is doing pretty good and people like it, that's always nice. I hope they will like the next one too when I am behind the kit hahahaha.

UN: Let's do some fun horror type questions. What would you consider the greatest gore scene of all time? If you can't pick just one, feel free to pick a few.

Jason: The scene in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre when Leatherface picks that broad up and puts her on the meathook. That's the best scene in a Horror movie in my opinion. TCM is the greatest Horror movie of all time I think. You just don't get any better than that.

Jon: Well, the chick puking up her insides from Gates of Hell is always cool with me! I love the freaky midget kid in Burial Ground who bites his mother's nipple off also, haha. That kid is more scary than the zombies!

Pete: Hahaha the nipplebiter kid definitely is one fucked up scene hahaha. As far as greatest gore scene of all time hard to choose. The winner of blood quantities and flying limbs and other bodyparts has to be BRAINDEAD the infamous lawnmower scene.

UN: If there was one movie that if you had the chance to be in what would it be. Old or new, it doesn't matter. Doesn't matter if it's horror or not. I think that playing Leatherface would have been an awesome role. Can't go wrong with chainsaw murders.

Jason: I agree with you there! Playing Leatherface in the original TCM would of been awesome! Gunner Hansen did a great job with that character. He was definitely the best Leatherface!

Jon: I would have loved to have been in the movie BLOOD FREAK, haha!! That turkey-monster freak is hilarious!! They must have been smoking some good dope when they made that one!

Pete: Well if Jon is the turkey monster i want to be the yeti from Shriek of the mutilated!!!!!!!

UN: Here's one with two parts. What would you consider the greatest horror film of all time, and also who would you consider the greatest director of all time?

Jason: Well like I said before, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is my favorite movie of all time! I've watched that movie 100 times and it just keeps getting better and better! As for best director, in his prime (late 70's and early 80's) John Carpenter was the best. Halloween, The Fog, The Thing, Escape from New York... the list goes on.

Jon: Hmm, well, I think George Romero made 3 of the best horror films EVER with his Living Dead trilogy. As for greatest director.....hmmm......I still think the first Star Wars is the best movie EVER, so I guess George Lucas, even though the prequels kinda suck.

Pete: I am not even going to try choose a favorite, that's damn near impossible!!!! As far as cool directors i would say people like Romero, Carpenter, Dario Argento, Bava, Jess Franco, Tobe Hooper, Fulci and Cronenburg that's a few I really like their work from.

UN: That's all of the questions my brain could come up with. Feel free to let everyone know how they can get in touch with the band. Do you guys have a website up yet? Any plans to make one? Thanks for the interview!

Jason: Thanks man! The web site is coming soon! Look out!

Jon: Thanks for doing this interview, I really like your web site by the way. Glad you're featuring more gore stuff! Yeah we're gonna have a web site really soon, done by Sly from FONDLECORPSE!!

Pete: Thanks for the kind words, keep your eyes peeled for the next installment of total HORROR!!!!!! And I hear the website is being worked on so that's cool when that goes up.

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