(Unsigned)
Genre: Metal/Thrash/Hardcore akin to Suicide Silence or Black Dahlia Murder.
Interviewed on: 4/5/09
From: Elizabeth, NJ
www.myspace.com/jerseygrimus
1. You guys have your CD release show coming up along with a date with Suffocation and Whitechapel, you guys amped for the shows?
Hell yeah, we're thrilled. We actually had our first (of two) CD release show on March 28 and it exceeded our expectations. It was packed and people went nuts; a couple of our friends actually got punched in the face, so that's always a good time. We're always excited to play.
2. You guys have been around for a few years but recently came back with a new addition, what do you guys want to achieve with the new record "The Progress In Elimination"?
Essentially, what most bands want to achieve: the label, the tour, respect, etc. We just want to put our music out there and have people listen. Ever since we came back with a new lineup we have been progressing a lot. We've been pushing ourselves.
3. You guys hooked up with Alan Douches (Black Dahlia Murder, Mastodon) to master the album, how did that connection come together?
It was all thanks to our drummer, Jon. His old band (So I Shot Myself) actually had their stuff mastered by Douches. Jon suggested that we go to him, so we did.
4. Being from Jersey, there must be a ton of bands you looked up to while coming up. Who were some of your home state influences?
We can all agree upon E-Town Concrete, NJ Bloodline, God Forbid, Overkill, Frank Sinatra (of course), and many others. We love these artists but, our songs are in not really influenced by them. The main reason we look up to them is because these are musicians from Jersey that actually did something and went somewhere.
5. The artwork for the album "The Progress In Elimination" is very cool. Who came up with it and what was the concept behind it?
We're a conflicted band. When you're more than one person, it's hard to make a decision. So, we just gave it to Jon's tattoo artist, had him listen to the CD and he just came up with the artwork. His name's Thomas Blood (www.myspace.com/saintnightmare).
6. What do you think of illegal music downloading?
As long as you dig it, we don't care. Someone had to buy the CD for it to get on there in the first place. But, having the actual product, with the booklet adds more to the experience. The question in this case isn't whether it's illegal or not, is whether you'd want to own a physical product or an mp3 on some hard drive.
7. What's your favorite song to play live? Why? How have people reacted to the new material live?
We have a new song that doesn't have a title yet. We've played it live a couple times and it's definitely a crowd pleaser.
8. What is your take on the current state of hardcore/metal nowadays?
This answer could take forever. On a local level it's pretty shitty and the problems are endless. People don't come out to shows for the sake of the music; they only come to see a friend's band and stay outside for the rest of the bands. There are no real venues for locals to get their music out there. We're doomed to roam VFWs, which are a lot of fun, but we wish there were more places that would care to put on a real show. In our scene, the music is getting watered-down and there is a lack of focus on songwriting. We could go on and on.
9. What are you currently listening to?
A fucking black metal cockatoo yelling, and miniature dogs barking in Michael G's (bass) kitchen. *laughs*
Bryan: Isis, Deicide, the new Mastodon, Shipwreck AD, and a lot of old school hip-hop.
Jon: Acacia Strain - Continent, and that's it.
Mike M: The Faceless, Dark Funeral, Cynic, For the Fallen Dreams, Meshuggah, and Misery Signals.
Marco: Definitely killing the first Audioslave album, After the Burial, Fit For An Autopsy, and Champion.
Mike G: Swallow the Sun, Daylight Dies, Morbid Angel, Equilibrium, Cult of Luna, and a bunch of personal stuff I've been recording.
10. What's next for Grimus?
If all goes well, we want to do a small east-coast tour this summer to promote our EP. Currently, we're writing to record a full-length later this year.
11. Any shoutouts?
True Tat2, Tiny at WSOU radio, Tom at Inksanity, At Rest, One Brick Down, Saints, Sarcina, Cypher Seer, Fit For An Autopsy, Impartial Dismemberment, Abacinate, every band we're cool with, and Bobby Torres at Frightbox. And Vincent Kennedy McMahon.
