Siftercide Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since
the recording of the new album?

Siftercide has been playing live as much as possible.  Some new material has been written.  Everyone involved at the moment also have other projects, so I imagine after the release and in between shows more focus will be given to those projects as well as finishing up a new Siftercide record!

2.You have a new album coming out in September, how would you describe the
musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it
differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

The new album is insane.  It is an intense mixture of grindcore, death metal, street punk, crust, hardcore and ska.  The recording itself is pretty intense.  It sounds really good from a production stand point but it is also quite raw.

Back in the day we were the typical teenagers playing noisey goregrind.  Eventually we really started incorporating more punk style riffs as well as hardcore elements.

3.Your music incorporates horn sections and ska elements, do you feel this
makes you stand out among other grindcore bands?

It definitely makes it stand out.  Metal and ska both have those beats and grooves that make you just want to get up and party.  I have wanted to do this for some time, however the means were never there.  One thing I love about the metal genre as a whole, is that you can do whatever you want.  I have heard horns in metal before, but it seemed almost novelty.

4.According to the fb page the band has a metal hating drummer, how does
this work out when it comes out to creating the brutal musical style the
band has on the album?

Haha.  Yeah, the first drummer was a punk who didn’t know anything about metal.  I read an interview where he was only citing Metallica and Slipknot as metal.  After talking with him, I opened his eyes and he was very crucial to what we were doing back then.  I think he’s a music teacher now!

The drummer now is really into black metal, which is awesome, because he can blast for days!

There is a very selfish component to writing songs.  Predominantly, songs recorded are spearheaded by whoever wrote the song.  However, when the rest of the band learns the songs for a live environment, there is more freedom for band members to add their own flavor.

5.The band was on hiatus for awhile, what was the cause of the split and
also the decision to reform?

The original line up and variations of such was always a whirlwind experience.  Eventually, everyone had other projects and priorities.  Siftercide has always been here and there in one form or another.
The decision to continue on with the life of Siftercide was based on writing a grindcore album with horns.  Seeing as how Siftercide always had a punk based riff aspect, it was decided to just carry on, rather than starting a new entity.  This would also give the ability for the older songs to get rerecorded and still have a home in a set list.

6.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with
the music?

Topics and subjects are all over the place!  This album was deliberately written with more of a retrospective and introspective lyrical concept.  A lot of the songs are about friends, old band members, being working class, and living in a shit town.  The lyrics are mainly fun and upbeat.  The lyrics will be included in the album booklet, for those who dare read them!

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years
and also how would you describe your stage performance?

I have fond memories of every show that I have been a part of.  There are enough bands where the members remain stationary and that gets old.  We are a high energy band live.  A lot of jumping and running around.  On stage we are more comparable to punk and hardcore bands versus the typical metal band.

We have shared the stage with many musical genres from radio rock to indie/alt.  So we get the chance to expose this style of music to a lot of new faces.  The comments we get after the shows are always pretty fun and awesome.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

Touring is a dream.  Everyone is working class here.  We play as many shows as we can around the area.  With the release of the new album we are definitely looking to play a lot more regional shows.  Weekend warrior type things.  We are always looking for bands to play with and venues to tolerate us.


9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of
grindcore?

The jury is still out.  Some people get it, some people don’t.
Some people enjoy new things, and the insanity that we provide.  Others take it way to seriously, I think.

There isn’t anything like us locally, so we usually leave people confused and speechless.  But everyone has been very supportive thus far.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

The future of Siftercide will be more focused.  The new songs are faster and groovier.  Only a handful of songs have the horn section right now.  As the band progresses, I believe the intention will be to make the horns a much larger aspect of the sound with more leads and melodies.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence
on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Loaded question.  Everything.  I listen to anything and everything you could possibly imagine.  Phobia, Birdflesh, Impaled, Cock and Ball Torture, Last Days of Humanity…  Those are metal staples for myself.  Amongst way too many to mention.  Less Than Jake, Streetlight Manifesto, Reel Big Fish, and Big D and the Kids Tables will always be a major influence as far as the horn sections go.

Personally, I listen to a lot of local bands.  Otherwise it’s always a healthy dose of goregrind and ABBA.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Hockey season is coming up, that is always painful to my wallet.
Horror movies are a brilliant destroyer of time.
Skateboarding is the most under rated sport of all time.  We even have some Siftercide skateboards available thanks to CorpseHustler Skateboards!

Otherwise, everything is music.  Doing other projects, solo projects, helping friends with their projects, booking shows, making flyers, going to shows etc…

There isn’t much for local metal around here, so supporting everyone with every chance I get is the agenda.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or
thoughts?

Thank you for the interview!
Thank you for everyone who took time to read this!
We are always stoked to play shows and meet new people.  Contact us on Facebook for booking or Nailjar Records for booking!
Always support your local venues, bands, and film makers!
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/siftercide
http://www.reverbnation.com/siftercide