layers magazine

Boysetsfire Interview

2004-10-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

A large body of work without a backbone is a lifeless body. The biggest flaw in hardcore music today is that most bands lack the knowledge and experience that it takes to back the messages in their music. Boysetsfire is one of the few bands in the scene today who practice what they preach. Whereas as most music is little more than a creative outlet or an abstract form of expression, the music of Boysetsfire is an extension of their personal ideals and beliefs. Their music is their protest. Fueled by the political influence of Howard Zinn and Noem Chomsky, Boysetsfire brings their unique blend of hardcore and social protest to the masses through relentless touring schedules and unapologetic recordings. Boysetsfire is a working class band for the working class masses.

Layers: How important is it to you to reach out in a positive way to your audience, and do you feel that there should be more responsibility taken by bands to do the same?

Nathan: As much as it’s important for us to reach our audience with a message, I don’t really care about other bands and their goals. What they want to do is their business. But yea, I would like to see more bands out there with positive messages. We’re doing it because we didn’t see it being done. We’re just doin’ our thing.

Layers: Do you consider Boysetsfire to be a hardcore band?

Nathan: To an extent yes, but I don’t think we’re necessarily as much a hardcore band other than the fact that the hardcore scene is what got us where we are today, and we’re very appreciative of that.

Layers: Talk about your departure from Victory Records. Was it a positive or a negative experience?

Nathan: There’s actually ver little that can be said about that. I’m the type of person that you can ask me about any band or label and whether I’ve had a great relationship or a bad relationship with them, you won’t hear any shit talking from me.

Layers: Do you feel that Victory represented you in the way that they should have?

Nathan: Just the straight up facts. We had a one-record contract with them. When our contract was up, we didn’t feel that it was necessary to keep going with them. We left Victory even before we had another label. We started looking and Wind-up came along. We felt that they suited us best so we signed with them.

Layers: Who in the band is responsible for writing the lyrics?

Nathan: I am.

Layers: I’ve read that the band has ties to the American Communist Party. Can you elaborate?

Nathan: Yea, josh and I are members of the Communist Party in the U.S. based out of New York. And although we’re members, we’re not big flag wavers for it. We don’t like the labels. We just found a sort of "home-base" with it. Our big thing, is that there our so many leftist movements fighting each other right now that they don’t have the time to be doing the things that they should be doing. They should be banding together to make some real changes. So the Communist Party is our home base, but we also work with anarchist organizations and anyone else who will listen to what we have to say. And honestly and obviously, our main form of protest is our music. It’s all we really can do. We don’t go out and try to recruit people to the Communist Party. We don’t hold rallies. We don’t have time. Music is what we do and this is our main form of protest and education.

Layers: Can you offer your input on what you think needs to be changed or altered in the current state of conventional educational systems?

Nathan: There is so much useless shit being taught. Kids need to be taught real-life situations. I think there are things like higher mathematics that a lot of kids just will not use in the course of their lives. They’re not gonna use it. They should spend their time learning real-life mathematical skills. Like how to balance a fuckin’ check book. There are a shitload of people who go through geometry and trigonometry who can’t balance a checkbook. I also think that there needs to be a lot more emphasis put on "intelligent" reading. A lot of adults read at a very low level. That needs to be addressed. That’s all I can really expound on right now. I have an 8-year old that’s in school right now and he’s getting a great education where he’s going.

Layers: Are you married?

Nathan: No. Divorced.

Layers: So then how do you feel about the stereotypical conventional family structure.

Nathan: If it works for you then great, just don’t push it on anybody else. I don’t think it’s intelligent or moral to try and push those types of things on other people. There are obvious things that harm children that you shouldn’t do as a family member or a parent, but in a lot of ways people just need to leave each other the fuck alone and let them raise their kids and run their family the way they want to do it. A lot of times traditional family values can get confused with homophobia and racism and I don’t think that has any place in a traditional family value system. Traditional family values are basically just trying to raise your kids and putting your family in a situation were they’re taken care of and brought up in a moral way where they learn to treat everyone with respect.

Layers: Are you religious?

Nathan: Not religious, but I do think that I have a lot of ingrained Christian values. I don’t belong to or attend any particular religious organizations.

Layers: Talk about the characteristics of the working class in its relation to the upper and lower class?

Nathan: The whole thing with class separation is that it’s the basic foundation of what’s right and wrong with this country. It’s what racism and everything else stems from. You have the poor and the rich, and when the rich loses power, they get the poor, black and whit, to blame each other so that they don’t blame them. And it’s the same with the working class. It’s so easy to blame the immigrants and the people who are coming into this country and "stealing our jobs". That’s bullshit! It’s not the immigrants who are stealing those jobs. It’s the government and the companies who are sending those jobs to other countries and that are taking the money out of the workers pockets and the bosses who are giving themselves pay raises with that money. And the thing is, the working class is so busy in-fighting that they’re too preoccupied to open their eyes to see the real problem. And what pisses me off the most is that these companies have a set goal of what they want to make in profit. When workers get laid off, it’s not because the companies are losing money; it’s because the top-heavy community of owners and businessmen are not making the profit that they set for themselves. Those businesses aren’t gonna go bankrupt! When
everything with 9/11 happened and the airports started getting rid of people, it was because the airports are fuckin’ top-heavy. It’s because the top people are making way too much and the lower people aren’t making shit and instead of cutting down on the owner’s profits to pay the workers, they cut workers and send them to the streets.

Layers: Do you read a lot of Noam Chomsky?

Nathan: To an extent. I try not to over-intellectualize my politics. Although I really appreciate people like Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky. Chomsky uses a lot of 25 cent words that somebody who’s working two jobs trying to support his three kids and his wife isn’t gonna give a fuck about. If you want to convey these ideas to the average person, you need to illustrate these ideas in a manner that the average person can comprehend. If you want true change and pure revolution, go to a bowling ally. Go to a bar. Talk too real people about real problems. Don’t rely on a book for your ideas. Chomsky is a very intellectual and inspiring individual, but he is just a handbook. Don’t be to egotistical. I think that’s how a lot of people on the left come across. They talk amongst themselves, and they talk about how cool and revolutionary they are, and they in-fight. Meanwhile, you have Howie the plumber who could give a fuck about Mumia. Who could give a fuck about Chomsky and his huge fuckin’ words that he probably can’t even pronounce. And he doesn’t care to read them and shouldn’t have to. We should be going to these people. Not wait for them to come into our over-intellectualized coffeehouses. My main point is that most people need to get off their high horse and go sit in a bar, have a beer, and talk to some
real people. Go where the working class people are. Those people are America.

Layers: Elaborate on Capitalism.

Nathan: It’s based on the notion that there has to be a poor, a middle class, and a rich. Without those classes, capitalism wouldn’t exist. Not everyone can be making CEO salary. Somebody has to clean up the shit at McDonalds, and somebody has to own McDonalds. I think it’s a bullshit notion. It doesn’t really make anybody free. All it does is create class lines that keep people
fighting.

Layers: How do you feel about Americans who speak against America?

Nathan: I think Americans who say, "fuck the system" and "fuck the flag" are full of shit. I used to do that and I think it’s irresponsible to say it that way. I love this country and there is no doubt in my mind that this is the greatest country in the world, but I despise our government that is making us look like assholes and that has been making us look like assholes for years. And
I think that people who are revolutionary need to learn how to create revolution…

Layers: …Does the word "revolution" become cliché after a certain point?

Nathan: …Oh absolutely. Especially when you’re shouting out slogans and bullshit. There comes a point when you have to differentiate. America is not the government. America is the guy workin’ down at the fuckin’ factory makin’ like 6 bucks an hour tryin’ to support his kids. The working class is America. The people working to make things work; taking care of the people around them who love their country and who wanna be proud of it. But it’s so fuckin’ hard
because the system and the government is making it so hard.

Layers: As a musician or an artist, how far can the D.I.Y. ethic get you?

Nathan: Not far. I don’t necessarily feel that that’s where the revolution is. It could definitely be a force to reckon with if it got it’s own head out of its ass and stopped being so elitist. I think the tactics are amazing, but there are so many people involved in the D.I.Y. scene that are too stuck up to truly get far. They’re so worried about people selling out and people buying corporate product that they become blind and can only see one way.

Layers: How do you feel about signing to an independent label that is distributed through a major. Aren’t you participating in capitalism at it’s finest?

Nathan: I disagree with that. Capitalism at it’s finest is factory work and the exploitation of those working class individuals. We participate in capitalism because we are forced to. That’s the system we live in. In a way it does sound hypocritical on our part, but we are using our relationship with capitalism to speak against the negative aspects of capitalism. What do you expect? D.I.Y. labels are capitalists also. It’s all fuckin’ capitalism because that’s the society we live in and that’s how you make things happen.

Layers: So how do you feel when people say that you’re speaking against something that you are directly participating in?

Nathan: I think it’s a way to discredit people. If you have a problem with it, then go do it yourself. Do it how you feel it should be done. Don’t give me shit. I’m doing it the only way I know how to and the only way I know how to reach people. I dare someone to try and live right now totally free of hypocrisy. Try to live free of anything that could possibly hurt some else. Get naked, wipe your ass with corncobs, and live in the fuckin’ forest. You’re not gonna accomplish shit. You’re gonna fuckin’ die without any friends, without anyone to listen to what you have to say, and nobody will even know you existed. So what do you do? It’s hard and it’s complicated.

Nathan on:

Karl Marx: Very intelligent. Very misunderstood.

Mumia Abu-Jamal: A very heated and confusing debate. There’s so much emotion tide in that it’s hard to get the facts. I personally believe that he may not be innocent, but I believe that he should be free.

Abbie Hoffman: I think that he was one of the greatest minds ever. He dealt with comedy and politics, which is a wonderful thing to mix. He embodied the fun of revolution; the joy, the dancing, and the partying that you need to have in order to draw people in. You don’t want strict Maoism. There needs to be some fun.

The Black Panther Party: Another one of these very influential, very positive, very misunderstood and sometimes over glorified organizations. I think that some people have built pictures of heroes, and some people have built pictures of villains, and in actuality, they were just humans trying to better themselves. That’s very respectable and I think there’s a lot to learn from their accomplishments and their mistakes.

U.S. foreign Policy: Not much worse than a lot of other governments, but since I live here, it’s been one of the most disgusting things to watch. I sometimes feel that when I go over seas, I have to apologize to people. And I don’t want that. I want to feel pride for my country.

Immigration laws: There are some positive things, and a lot of negative things. Some laws need to be there in order to control population, but a majority of the laws are just racist bullshit.

Prison conditions: The prison system right now is absolute bullshit. There are too many people who are in there for non-violent crimes. If you put a kid in prison for a bag of weed, and they’re exposed to rapists and murderers, they’re gonna come out rapists and murderers.

Gangs: To some people it’s the only thing they have to feel family and pride, because a lot of that has been stripped away from them. At the same time, I can’t condone them. I can’t support people killing each other, and I especially can’t support blacks killing blacks. Poor blacks fighting each other instead of the real enemy is an atrocity.

Welfare policies: I think it’s important for people to help people in need. I think that sometimes the government uses welfare policies to control people. The government, since they are providing housing and food, feels that they can do whatever the fuck they want to do to those people. And I think that in order for people to be free from the government, they need to learn to be free from the system. People need to take responsibility for their own actions. The government also needs to stop putting welfare recipients in areas where’s there’s no public transportation, no jobs, and no hope. They’re creating ghettos. You need to take people out of that situation if you’re gonna help them.

Guns: That’s a hard question because I’m not an anti- gun person. I’m not an NRA supporter either. I think it’s scary when the left tells us that we need to give our guns up. So who has the guns now? The government and the right wing. What are you gonna do when they kick down your fuckin’ door? I don’t want to come across as a militant or a conspiracy theorist, but ask MOVE about black helicopters. Ask the people at Ruby Ridge about conspiracy theories. It’s not a fuckin’ conspiracy. The government does kill people. And they will come after you if they consider you to be dangerous enough.

Police States: It’s horrifying sometimes how much control and power that the police have instead of being the servants that they are suppose to be. There are some good cops out there who are great people and who really do care, but I think the system as a whole is totally corrupt. There’s a lot of problems out there that we really need to change and rearrange

9/11: It was absolutely horrifying, but so was the Oklahoma bombing. So was what we’ve been doing throughout our history. Bombings that we’ve done in Iraq. Bombings that we did in Afghanistan on innocent people. Bombings that we did in Libya. 9/11 was absolutely horrifying but I think we went overboard because it was a foreigner. When Oklahoma went down, we were all up in arms because we thought it was the Arabs, and when we found out it was a white American citizen, Tim VcVay, it was like…"oh shit."

MXPX Interview

2004-10-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

MXPX may not be one of the most original, intellectual, or important bands of recent times, but they’ve succeeded in mastering the art of universal relation and understanding. With their unique blend of passionate, aggressive pop punk, MXPX has managed to unite a unique group of people with the understanding that they will all grow up, they will all fall in love, they will all fall out of love, and they will all learn from their mistakes. MXPX has played an important role in giving hope to the young adult generations during a period in their lives when all hope seems lost. And throughout it all, they’ve managed to release 12 albums and sell more than 10,000 records in a ten-year period as a band.

Layers: Why did MXPX decide to put out, essentially, a greatest hits CD?

Mike: We basically owed Tooth and Nail another record according to our contract and we figured that this would be a good time to do it since we didn’t have time to record a new record before this tour. We just didn’t want to rush it. So contractually, we completed our obligations with Tooth and Nail and it was cool cuz it was our ten-year anniversary. We did record some new tracks for the "best of’ and we’ll be recording a new full length after this tour.

Layers: Haven’t you come across a lot of problems and controversy in the past about your association with Christian organizations and activities?

Mike: Definitely. We had a lot of problems with Christian organizations who thought we were unfit to represent that image; and we had problems with people who were anti-religion. We got hit with it from both sides. We’re just a band that tours with a lot of different people. We don’t have a problem with anybody. We’re cool with most bands. I just think that the music fans make a bigger deal about it than it is.

Layers: Do you feel that MXPX still carries the label of a Christian band?

Mike: We’re Christians. We don’t really care about it. We don’t fear that label. We also don’t make excuses for it. We believe what we believe. I don’t care what anybody says. We’re just as punk as any other punk band out there.

Layers: What do you say to people who condemn Christianity and organized religion as the cause of all war and hate?

Mike: I think money, greed, and power are the cause of all wars and hate. It’s easy to blame religion.

Layers: What’s proven to be the most influential reason as to why this band has been together for so long?

Mike: We’re all best friends; and we’re actually three very different kinds of people. I think that helps a lot. We are able to respect each other’s different interests and issues. Also, we’re very focussed on this band so personal problems always take second place to the bands problems.

Layers: How long have you known each other?

Mike: Yuri (drums) and Tom have known each other longer than I’ve known both of them. Tom joined the band in ’95 after replacing our first guitar player. I’ve known Yuri for about 11 years.

Layers: Who are your musical influences?

Mike: Definitely the Descendents, All, Dead Milkmen, Black Flag, The Clash, The Ramones, a lot of classic punk bands. I also like country music and stuff like Tom Petty.

Layers: What inspires you lyrically?

Mike: Life and all aspects of it. Growing up. Relationships not with just girls but with friends and family. I’ve recently been doing a lot of story telling in the songs. That’s kind of a new writing style I’ve been experimenting with.

Layers: What do you guys do to fill your down time on the road and off?

Mike: When we’re on the road, we’re actually fairly busy. We do a lot of interviews and signings and press. But when we’re not doin' that we just like to hang out and go see bands. Chicago’s awesome because we usually play the Metro and that’s right next to all the cool shops. When we’re off tour I usually just write music and work on my house.

Layers: So when will we see you on MTV cribs?

Mike: I wish. It’s not that worthy enough to show off.

Layers: What has been your worst touring experience?

Mike: I think the worst always end up being your best… just because it’s over and done with. I just hate the drives. We’ve all played a lot of crappy clubs where everybody hates you and you don’t even know why you’re out there doin’ it.

Layers: Are you a family man?

Mike: I am married but I’m not a family man. My dog is my kid.

Layers: How do you feel about the punk rock scene in general?

Mike: That’s a good question because things have changed a bit over the years. In a lot of ways, being a part of the punk scene has opened a lot of doors for us. A lot of doors have shut though too. Everything is so focused on radio play and videos these days that it’s hard for a band like us to reach that higher level of mass appeal. We’ve made a lot of videos but they’re not made for MTV. We don’t have the type of money either that it costs to be part of the media. What people don’t always realize is that media exposure is usually paid for.

Layers: Would you choose to go in that direction if you had the means?

Mike: It depends. In a lot of ways we’ve been at the same place for a long time. It would be nice to move up and do something that we haven’t done yet.

Layers: You guys are still one of the bigger bands of the genre.

Mike: Yea. We do pretty good and we understand that we need to continue putting out really good music and continue touring. Being a band that’s been around for a while, we need to stay on top of our game.

Layers: What’s the most difficult aspects of being part of the music industry?

Mike: Probably the lifestyle. It’s hard. We’re constantly treading water to keep out heads up in the game. Also, the music industry can be really shallow.

Layers: What advice do you give a kid who wants to make a living being in a
band?

Mike: It’s kinda funny. We have a joke cuz of all these young bands keep getting’ signed and getting huge. I always say "whatever you’re doin’, keep on doin’ it. All these young bands are just blowin’ up and doin’ huge tours. It took us four years before we started touring. Just be dedicated to your music and love what you do.

Atreyu Interview

2004-10-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

Bursting out of Orange County California, Atreyu brings a very unique and influential sound to the already thriving and established hardcore scene. However, they stand alone when it comes to untouched originality. Atreyu is one of those rare hardcore enigmas that ferociously alienates the listener while at the same time, draws them further and further in. The unforgiving vocal delivery
of band leader Alex Varkatzaz, drops blow after blow to the listener’s subconscious, while the passionate and melodic vocals of drummer Brandon Saller bandages and heals those very wounds. The following interview was conducted with the one and only Alex Varkatzaz on a very cold and depressing Friday night. He did his best too explain the bands existence. Expect a very interesting future from the band that embraces the very nature of personal evolution.

Layers: Why was this band formed?

Alex Varkatzas: We all love music and we just wanted to start a band. It’s as simple as that.

Layers: How old are you?

Alex: I’m 20 years down.

Layers: And you’re from Orange County, California?

Alex: Yes

Layers: What kind of influence did growing up in such a famous community of music have on your personality and your musical style?

Alex: That atmosphere actually didn’t influence us at all. When you’re on the inside, it’s just a home. It’s the outsiders who view that community as something legendary. We’ve always just kind of done our own thing.

Layers: What bands have influenced you musically?

Alex: I grew up listening to Black Flag, Discharge, Minor Threat, The Exploited. And as I got older I got into a lot more metal and hardcore.

Layers: What influences you in writing your lyrics and vocals?

Alex: I really admire how Davey Havok from AFI writes, but when I write my lyrics, it’s actually a pretty unconscious process of flow.

Layers: How did your deal with Victory Records come into play?

Alex: Basically, Kathy from Victory heard one of our songs on the Internet and a friendly relationship was sparked up from that Things just evolved from there. We never sent a demo or anything to them hoping to get on the label.

Layers: Does Atreyu have any aspirations to move on to a bigger better label, essentially a major?

Alex: As of right now, no, but nobody can predict the future. We are very content right now. But ideally, we want to be able to bring our music to as many people as possible and as long as Victory can help us do that, we’ll never stray.

Layers: How would you compare the Victory Records of 1991 to the Victory Records of 2003.

Alex: Earlier Victory stayed within one genre of music, which was hardcore. And as more people came and went through the years, I think their musical horizons expanded. So I would say that the Victory Records of 2003 is a lot more diverse.

Layers: Would you label Atreyu as a hardcore band?

Alex: I don’t like being labeled at all. We play heavy, pissed off, passionate music. If that makes us hardcore, then yea, I guess we’re a hardcore band.

Layers: How do you feel about the levels of violence in the hardcore scene?

Alex: I think its bullshit. Anybody can beat someone up. That doesn’t accomplish anything. If people took two seconds to think about why they were fighting and the bullshit that goes into it, in those two seconds, you could easily just say you’re sorry. I don’t think that egos have any place in the scene. Everyone is here for the same reason so why fight each other.

Layers: Are there any influential elements affecting your character by being on tour with such political and personal entities like Boysetsfire and Snapcase?

Alex: Definitely. It’s great being on tour with Boysetsfire just because they are a lot older than us. We can bounce shit off each other and talk about shit. The same goes for Snapcase. As a band, we’re not very political, but individually we all have very strong political beliefs. We don’t put it into our music because each of our beliefs differ, but yea, its cool being out on tour with people who challenge you from time to time. That’s the nature of progression and evolution. Not everything is cut and dry. What you believe isn’t always right.

Layers: Who was involved in the layout and design for Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses?

Alex: The logo for the band is mine, but we did the whole layout with our friend Paul Minor who plays in the band Death By Stereo. The actual art work was done by Justine Beroki. He’s done artwork for bands like Indecision and Most Precious Blood. He’s also the photo editor for Revolver Magazine. He’s a brilliant photographer. He took all the pictures of the butterflies for the album. And then we just wanted a clean, simple typeface over that to not take away too much from his art. It’s a fucked up cover. It’s dead butterflies n’ shit with broken glass smashed into them.

Layers: Where do you see yourself and Atreyu, say in the next five years?

Alex: Honestly, I hope our band is huge. I hope we’ll still be doin’ the same shit we’re doin’ now and playin’ to as many people as possible. That’s all we want. And hopefully we won’t still be in so much debt.

Alex Varkatzas on:

Human Cloning: For organs and tissue to save lives, but don’t fuckin’ play God. That’s scary shit.

U.S. Foreign Policy: An excuse to dick people over for profit in the name of Uncle Sam.

Technological advances: Pretty soon the machines will over run our lives.

Immigration laws: Either take them all away, or make them a lot stronger.

Competition: Can drive you to be better, and can make you a really big dick.

9/11: It was a horrible tragedy that was bound to happen. When you walk around with your head up high and your middle finger in the air in the name of profit and manifest destiny, what do you expect? But if you want to engage in warfare, you need to engage in it with people who are there to fight. Don’t kill innocent people on their way to work. Those terrorist killed a lot of innocent
people, but so has the U.S. and there’s a million other tragedies that happen every day but aren’t profitable to know about or aren’t cool to talk about because it doesn’t involve a race of people who haven’t been oppressed. Personally, I’m Greek. There was a Greek genocide that was committed against Greece by the Turkish, and you never here about that because at the time, U.S. Foreign policy supported Turkey. They only tell you what they want you to know. It’s all fucked up.

Snapcase Interview

2004-10-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

There are few bands who achieve legendary status while still actively touring and recording. That position is usually reserved for defunct bands, dead rock stars, and Aerosmith. Snapcase is more of an entity than a band and they always let the music do the talking. Except when they do interviews.

Layers: How important is change not only in your personal life, but also in your music?

Jon Salemi: It’s very important. I think that’s why we ended up writing the record that we did for "End Transmission". It’s a lot different than our previous work. It’s something new. It’s something fresh. It gives us new fire to be out on tour and play new material for people to be inspired or moved in some way however it takes place.

Layers: What obstacles has Snapcase had to over come in order to get were you are right now on you’re own terms?

Jon: There’s always the obstacle of writing a new sounding and a fresh album and having your fans react to it in a negative way. I also thing that once people get over it, that it becomes a new inspiration. When we write music, we try to write music that moves us as a band. And hopefully that translates to the audience that comes to see our shows and who choose to by our records.

Layers: What influences the band lyrically?

Jon: I think that Darrell just tries to write vocals that have a purpose and that have open meanings so that people can read them differently and get different things out of them. I think that the lyrics are written in the way so that something positive can be interpreted from them either way.

Layers: With all your success, why has Snapcase decided to stay on the smaller label?

Jon: Through meetings with majors, we’ve come to the conclusion that most of them are full of shit. I think that’s changed now because there are a lot more people who work in the majors that come from "the underground" scene who know how to market bands like us properly. We’ve had quite a few meetings with majors in the past and none of them knew what we were about. They just knew that we sold a lot of records.

Layers: Why has Sanpcase decided to stay with Victory Records after so many years?

Jon: Victory has treated us great throughout the years and they still allow us to have 100 percent creative control over every aspect of our music and band. And we would never want to be pushed in a direction that we didn’t want to go. They put our records out, they have great distribution, and each record keeps selling more.

Layers: What role does current events and politics play in Snapcase writingmusic?

Jon: I think politics is something that we are aware of, but we’re not experts, so we really don’t choose to talk about political issues. It’s basically our stance on politics not to talk about politics. If we were experts on politics and had strong views one way or the other, I think that would be a time when Snapcase would start to talk about them. But we are definitely all awake to
what happening around the world.

Jon Salemi on:

Death penalty: It depends on the crime.

Propaganda: Both positive and negative.

War: I hate to see it happen. It seems systematic throughout our times.

CNN: Most of the time it has provides decent information.

Revenge: It’s bittersweet.

Terrorism: Terrorism is a form of retaliation. Terrorism stems from actions that those people feel helpless against.

Guns: Fuck guns.

Pacifism: Don’t ever pacify anyone.

Quitting: One of the worst things to do. Try until you succeed.

Welfare: Those people need to find themselves a job.

Voodoo Glow Skulls Interview

2004-10-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

There is no band in circulation more underrated than the Voodoo Glow Skulls.Their sound, their energy, and their stage show is untouched. They are the undisputed kings of the ska-core genre; but to label their style and sound would be a dishonor. No other band blends more musical styles together than the Voodoo Glow Skulls. Elements of reggae, ska, Latin, jazz, punk, hardcore, hip hop, and dance hall are all styles that make up their unique and original sound. They’ve been together as a band for more than 15 years and have released six full-length albums, each more diverse than the last. The roots of the band grow from the Cassilla family and this is what they had to say about their history, their family, and the reason they signed to Victory Records after being a part of the Epitaph line-up for more than ten years.

Layers: Give me a "Cliff Note" summery into the history and the foundation of the Voodoo Glow Skulls.

Frank: The Glow Skulls originally started out as a four piece around 1988. The band has always consisted of myself, my younger brother George on bass, and my other younger brother Eddie on guitar. And our drummer Jerry was like a neighborhood/ childhood friend. We played as a four-piece for like the first two or three years and played parties for friends. As we grew as musicians and came into the style of music that we wanted to play, we began incorporating horns because we wanted to do like a ska/ hardcore blend of music. From then on, the horn section came to be what we were known for. So we’ve had the horn section since like 1991.

Layers: What has proven to be the biggest influence in keeping the Glow Skulls together as a band for so many years now?

Frank: A lot of it has to do with the fact that we’re all brothers and we’re all so intact.

Eddie: Plus, the band is pretty tight knit and we all know each other pretty well. So if we get into an argument, it pretty much just bounces off and is forgotten about.

Layers: What was the Cassilla’s childhood like growing up three little Voodoos?

Frank: We grew up like little Mexican kids. Our parents are from Mexico and they came to California as students and met out here and got married and had us. We were born in East LA and we were like Spanish speaking kids living a Mexican lifestyle. We started going to school and it was almost like leading a double life. It’s weird when you’re a kid with a different culture being raised in a different culture. You go home and you speak Spanish and during the day they teach you English in school. We definitely benefited from that but it was hard. And we had music in our life all the time. Our parents were always playing records. And as kids they taught us how to play the accordion and weird little instruments like that. Those experiences just developed into a love for music and as we got old enough to appreciate rock, we got into all the heavy metal bands and 80’s metal bands and punk rock.

Layers: What year did your parents immigrate into the United States?

Eddie: I think like in the 40’s. Our parents met in like 56’.

Layers: Are they still married?

Eddie: Oh yea. We’re a very tight knit family.

Layers: The Voodoo Glow Skulls sound is so unique and original. What specific musicians and bands have influenced your style?

Frank: It may sound weird, but the big influence for everyone in the band is Iron Maiden. They have a certain presence about them. A lot of their stage show, and visuals, and the whole imagery behind that band is just amazing. We’ve always been fascinated by that. Our goal is to be as successful as those guys have been. Other menionable influences would be like Fishbone and Madness.

Layers: How about any Spanish musicians or Latin artists?

Frank: There’s a lot of older stuff that our dad used to play who are no longer around and who you’ve never heard of anyway. But as far as modern stuff, we’ve been listening to the equivalent of what you would call Mexican Country Western. We’re not into the Enrique Englasias shit.

Layers: Although usually delivered in a cynical fashion, some of the subject matter in your songs are quite serious and socially observant. Would you consider the Glow Skulls to be more of a political or a party band?

Eddie: We’re definitely more of a party band. In our early years when we first started doing interviews, we would always be labeled a party band.

Layers: Do social issues and/ or politics play any role in your song writing process?

Frank: We try not to dabble to much into stuff like that just because you have to keep up with it on a daily basis to really know what you’re taking about. We only write about stuff that directly effects us. We write about stuff that we’re fully aware about. We’re not just gonna pick some political issue out of a hat and sing about it. We prefer to just entertain.

Layers: You guys recorded and produced the new record yourself right?

Eddie: Yea. We completely self produced it and self recorded it. We have a studio back home that we’ve been building for the last six years and we’ve kinda been teaching ourselves how to get involved with other aspects of the business. We’ve recorded a lot of demos for a lot of young local bands and we just decided to do our record ourselves. We knew we would benefit in a lot of ways. We did it at our own pace in our own back yard. We didn’t have to drive to LA to record and we didn’t have to pay for studio time. It was all done 100% voodoo style. And I think the sound is alot better that most of our other albums if not equal to.

Layers: The Glow Skulls have basically been with Epitaph throughout your entire career. What were the circumstances that led you to sign with Victory?

Frank: We were on Epitaph for a long time. We had some success with Epitaph and they went through a lot of changes over the years and started pickin’ up a lot of other bands. We’ve always been busy and we’ve always been on the road and have always been a working band and we began to notice a lack of presence from the label at shows. We hardly ever saw posters or flyers. Our contract ended and so we started looking around for a new label. We thought that Victory would be a cool label just because we see their stuff everywhere. We see a lot of ads and we see some of their bands’ videos on certain television channels. We thought that Victory covered their ground pretty well and that they might like a band like us. We approached them and they immediately said yes. So for us it was a good move. A smooth transition. A fresh new home with fresh new faces.

Sworn Enemy Interview

2004-10-06T01:49:00.000-07:00

Sworn Enemy's bustin' straight outta Queens New York with a style more notorious than their hometown. With a history goin' back to the mid 1990's, Sworn enemy has managed to accomplish a feat that most hardcore bands never get to experience. Signing to a major label. And if you're a D.I.Y. die-hard with somethin' to say about it, I dare you to say it to their faces. It'll probably the last time you criticize something you don't really know anything about. The success of Sworn Enemy represents the end result of non-stop touring and recording, playing literally hundreds of shows throughout the U.S. and selling over 18,000 CD's between two E.P.'s pre-dating their self-titled major label debut. Staying true to their East Coast hardcore roots, their sound is a familiar one, but their aggression and passion is one to contend with. I had the opportunity to discuss virtually every aspect of this band with bassist Mike Couls and drummer Pauilie Antignani on a cold Chicago night and hopefully you'll be as impressed as I was with what they had to say.

Layers Magazine: Why was this band formed and what keeps you guys goin'?

Pauilie Antignani: The band started with Sal singin' and Lorenzo playin' guitar and Mike playin' guitar also. Originally they we're called Mindset and they played around for a few years and once they met Jamie Jasta (Hatebreed) and Jamie saw they were a band that really wanted to work hard he decided to get behind them and help manage them and push them a little bit and get em' shows and once they got bigger they changed their name to Sworn Enemy. And down the line they experienced some personal problems. I'm from Detroit and the rest of the band is from queens. I used to play in a band called Cold As Life and they broke up. So I called Sal and Lorenzo cuz they were good friends of mine and I knew they were having problems with the bass player and the drummer. So we talked things over and I went out to Queens and we started touring and then we picked up Pauly from the notorious hardcore band EGH, Everybody Gets Hurt, from Queens. Now we're just five dudes in a fuckin' band and everyone's smiling and it's back to havin' fun which is the whole reason we play music. That's our inspiration. The music. To be able to vent and get that shit out, to express yourself and get your frustrations out so you can function and look people in the eye properly.

Layers: What would the guys of Sworn Enemy be doin' if the band didn?t exist?

Paulie: I'd probably be breakin' cement up or paintin' shit. Construction/ demolition crew. Bullshit work.

Mike Couls: I think music saves a lot of people. Not just with hardcore but in general. Music has saved a lot of people and taken a lot of poor kids off the streets. We would be lost not bein' able to express our creativity or not using our creativity to it's fullest potential. I thank God everyday for this band.

Layers: What's the progression of a song being written in Sworn Enemy? How does a song come about? Who writes most of the lyrics? Who lays down most of the music?

Mike Couls: At this point, Sal writes all the lyrics. Lorenzo and mike have written a majority of the music. "As Real As It Gets" started to become more of a collaborative effort, but we wrote that record in only two weeks. Me and Pauly helped arrange the things and made things flow. Right now we're writing a whole new record and everyone in the band is putting their individual input in on it.

Layers: What's the new stuff gonna sound like?

Mike Couls: It's basically a fusion of metal and punk. The attitude of punk with the hardness of metal, the fast parts of punk and metal, and then a hip hop flavor in the beats.

Layers: What's been the highlight of this bands existence?

Mike Couls: Being able to play all these shows and being able to do all these great tours. I get to meet all the people I looked up to as a kid. Like ten years ago I saw Biohazard and now we're sharing a bus with them for two weeks. We got to tour with Six Feet Under. Chris Barnes from Cannibal Corpse and Terry Butler who used to be in Death. We got to tour with DRI. We got to hang out with Dimebag Darryl and Vinnie Paul from Pantera.

Layers: How do you feel about the levels of violence in the hardcore scene?

Paulie: I don't think the kids should be fighting each other, but sometimes there?s just gonna be boneheads at the shows. Kids just need to understand that when you go to a show, other kids are gonna dance. Some of these kids don't understand how other people may dance by throwin' punches and kicks.

Mike Couls: It's like this. Everyone is coming for an outlet. Everyone's comin' for a good time. Kids should be able to boogie and get the shit out and it sucks when the kids fight each other cuz hardcore being a subculture, is supposed to be about everyone coming together, not apart. And I think that the scene was kinda dying for a minute there and now it's starting to come back harder with harder shit comin' out and we're just tryin' to run with that and bring the hard shit back out. That's what we listen to whether it's popular or not. We've been doing the same thing. I hate to see kids fighting each other, but sometimes it happens. Sometimes boneheads come to the show. But the scene has always kind of policed itself. Dudes who are assholes and come to start fights will get clobbered. Sometimes the bouncers are the problem. I go off when bouncers try to stop the kids from dancing. That's my biggest pet peeve.

Layers: Being from New York, where were all you guys on 9.11 and what affect did it have on you?

Paulie: I was in Long Island at the time for work. And I got a phone call from my house cuz my Uncle Vinnie worked in the Towers and I just jumped on the train and came back to Jamaica Station where I live in Jamaica Queens and all I saw was smoke n shit. It was like Independence Day. It was like something out of the movies. It was nuts. Shit was hectic. A lot of people I know passed away. A couple people on my block were never seen again. Thank God my Uncle Vinnie got out.

Mike Couls: The rest of the band other than myself was in Queens at the time. I had just joined the band at that time. We did a six-week tour and when we were done we had September off and I was still livin' in Detroit. I had two weeks to move out of my house and two weeks to move out to New Jersey and then the band was gonna go right back out on tour in October. The day before 9.11 I had all my earthly possessions packed in the van and and it took me about three or four days to decide if I even wanted to move out there anymore once it happened. It didn't seem too safe at that point. But in the end I told myself that ain't nobody gonna stop me from doin' what I gotta do so I left.

Layers: In the opinion of Sworn Enemy, what needs to be done to improve conditions amongst the masses? As far as welfare systems, schooling, government, politics?

Paulie: In the worst parts of Queens and Brooklyn for example, they always put the opposite race of cops with the opposite race of people. It's always white cops in black neighborhoods. I think that triggers off a lot of shit. I know a lot of white police officers and they all work the worst parts of the neighborhood. Not that it's a bad thing but that causes a lot of friction in the communities. And as far as welfare, I think people should just get a fuckin' job. You get a job, and you can pay your rent. If you don?t have a job, you can't pay your rent. Squatters Rights!? Yea, I'll give you a right! I'll give you left too and a kick in your fuckin' teeth. I'm workin' class and I have a workin' class ethic. I say you go out and you work for what you got.

Mike Couls: Unfortunately I think it takes a lot of bad things for good things to happen. There are so many neighborhoods in America that there is no more sense of community or family. It's all mother against father, parents against kids, white against black, Muslim against Christian. Everybody is against everybody these days. People need to get a grip on each other and be good to each other and know the difference between right and wrong. There's also so many fucked up laws for so much shit that people are stupid and they abuse their rights and so they get them all taken away. Other countries laugh at the laws we have to make cuz it's just common sense to know how to fuckin' act.

Layers: What's your stance on George Bush and his so-called war in Iraq?

Mike Couls: I think you can have a lot of opinions about whether you are for or against the war but I think know matter what, you have to support the troops. Fuck that shit when the soldiers came back from Vietnam and they were spit on and called baby killers. They went through some gruesome shit. My father was in that war and my mother is Vietnamese. Whether or not you believe in all the bullshit, those soldiers are putting their lives on the line. You need to support the troops even if it's just to make Bush and his old man richer.

Layers: What are Sworn Enemy's long-term goals and how do you feel about mainstream success?

Mike Couls: All these insane bands we grew up with are all dead. That shit has died. There are only a handful of bands who are still around. Slayers' still doin'? it. So is biohazard and Pantera. But it's pretty slim to none and I hope we can be one of those bands that help bring that shit back. We wanna be one of those bands to carry the torch and keep that shit glowin'. And one day we will be over and there will be some young bucks comin' up in the game and they'll take it further and keep it evolving.

Evan Seinfeld/ Biohazard Interview

2004-10-06T01:46:00.000-07:00

I�ve been blessed with the opportunity to not only meet, but indulge in deep conversation with almost ever idol/ anti-hero I�ve ever had in the art and music community. Layers magazine has opened many doors to rooms filled with some of the most passionate and sincere individuals in this very big yet very connected world. Some people offer more to me than others and some stories I relate to more than others. Many people and situations stick out in mind as highlights in my short publishing and journalism career. None however have been more inspiring and exciting than the night I hung out with Evan Seinfeld of Biohazard. The encounter offered a very surreal experience do to the fact that I am a very avid follower of the HBO prison series OZ in which Evan plays death row inmate Jaz Hoyt. The established actor and musician was more than kind in opening up to me some of his most personal obstacles he�s had to endure to get where he is today. Biohazard as a band and Evan Seinfeld as a person are one of those rare entities that never sacrificed an ounce of integrity or given one inch of compromise during their rise to success. Biohazard and Evan Seinfeld are politically aware, socially observant, and personally dedicated o change in the name of bettering ones life.

Layers: What did the members of Biohazard do for a living before the incarnation of the band?

Evan Seinfeld: Me and Danny used to jam together in like Junior High before we started the band. We was just little fuckin� guys. He was like 12 and I was like 14. We used to jam out cover songs. A lot of Black Sabbath and Zeppelin, but everything from the Who to Slayer. I used to work at Anthony�s Uncles Lumber Yard driving trucks and delivering cement bags to the ghetto in Brooklyn. When we started the band, I was dealin� coke and weed n� shit. Doin� dumb shit. I kept my regular job so I would have something to do and somewhere to go during the day but I was a terrible drug dealer. I did all my own drugs. Anybody else woulda' been rollin�. Havin' cars n� shit. I had a broke ass 72� Cadillac. Abig pimp ride. Billy was also driving a truck at the time and Danny was workin� in a clothing warehouse throwin' boxes down a shoot.

Billy: (To Evan) Did you tell him about the sex shop?

Evan: Oh yea. That�s right. When I first met Billy he worked at the Pink Pussy Cat Boutique which was like the local hardcore sex shop. He was like the skinhead security guard beatin' people up every day.

Billy: I sold dildos to literally every fuckin� actor and actress you could imagine.

Evan: And back in those days that was like the only a place to go if you needed a vibrator for yer girl or some shit. It was the only spot to go. And I was like the only guy in the band with a car and Billy would call me up and be like "Yo, pick me up.� And it would be like 3 in the morning. I�d be in bed all drunk with like two fuckin� chicks. I�d be like, "Dude, waddaya talkin� about? I can�t pick you up. I�m here." And he�d be like "Yo come on man! I�ll give ya all this cool shit. I got all this leather bondage gear. You can tie yer bitches up."

Billy: I never said, "Tie yer bitches up!"

Evan: But yea. We were all just workin� odd jobs. Most of the work I did before the band was demolition and construction shit just breakin� shit up. Blue collar shit. We all come from hard workin� families. Everybody always had jobs and we all went to work everyday. Don�t get me wrong, I never wanted to work or do anything else but play music. So dreams come true I guess.

Layers: Who claims responsibility for the lyrics and who writes most of the music?

Evan: Everyone in the band writes. Everybody in the band writes music and lyrics on a song by song basis. Sometimes we might all write lyrics to the same song. There might be a song where we�ll all each write a verse. Danny, Billy, and me write everything. We try to let everybody have equal input and feeling. That�s what a real band is. If one guy writes everything then that�s not a band. You have a songwriter with a backup band cuz then it�s only one person�s vision. To me, the meaning of a band is the band together. Like a hand. Separate fingers ain�t shit until they come together as a fist.

Layers: Who or what influenced the levels of speed and aggression of the new record? Cuz the new record is definitely the most aggressive material to date.

Evan: You know what? Let me tell you something about Biohazard. We�re the most accidental motherfuckers in the world. We never plan anything. Everything we do just seems to happen organically. We never even expected to get a record contract. We just love playing hardcore and heavy metal and thrash and hip-hop. And I think all the hype of all the nu-metal bands and all the whack, really cheesy radio shit that�s out there right now, and all these bands doin' rap-metal that we did 15 years ago before anybody ever gave a fuck about it or gave it a name just made us sick. All that hype just kinda turned us off to it. And the course of the themes to the new record is just a reflection of the times we live in. Just all the anger and pent up rage from what went down that year. We didn�t plan on writing those songs the way we did. We just all came in with songs that were so fuckin' hardcore and it just all came together that way. We all agreed to keep the album short and to the point. I mean our last album came out on 9.11. Watching those buildings fall from our own rooftops and windows and losing people we new and having friends die and going to a whole lot of funerals and having our town pissed on. I have friends who are still getting� fucked up by it. All my boys workin� construction that I grew up with doin' all the cleanup all lost most of their lung capacity. I don�t know if you know about this but there are thousands of guys in NYC right now who can�t breath because they�ve been breathing dust for a bout a year. My friend Richie lost 70% of his lung capacity. He�s 37 years old.

Layers: Can you get that back?

Evan: No. You don�t get that back bro. The government writes you a check for 50 grand and says thanks and sorry. But he doesn�t care. He loves his country. That�s what pisses me off about all these liberal PC fucks. And all the actors who speak out against the war. Fuck you. Who the fuck are they. You got Michael Moore tellin� Bush "shame on you.� The only reason he has the right to say that shit is because America is what it is. America wouldn�t exist if we never fought wars and took the threat of terrorism away. Saddam Hussein is gonna do some fucked up shit in the war. I personally think that he will gas his own people just to kill our people.

Layers: So you keep up on that shit?

Evan: Yea, I keep up on it. As much as I can. It makes me sick. Sean Penn takes out a fuckin� ad in the Washington Post talkin� about his views. Who cares? Who gives a fuck? He�s just a fuckin' actor.

Layers: But that�s the sad thing. A lot of people DO read that shit just because he IS an actor.

Evan: I know because I�m an actor too. I�m not on his level of acting but I did that show OZ for five years on HBO which is a pretty well known and respected show. Sean Penn actually wanted to direct an episode and Tom didn�t want him too. I think he gave it to Matt Dillon instead. Tom only likes real New York guys. And let me just add that there are no "REAL" New Yorkers against this war.

Layers: Yea well how many protesters participated in New York?

Evan: They�re not real New Yorkers bro! They�re people who moved there from like Shaboigan. Those protesters are the people who didn�t loose any family or anybody close to them.

Layers: Give me an example of some of the everyday violence that you�ve experienced or witnessed that inspires so much of your music.

Evan: We grew up with violence all around us. I wouldn�t say it inspired me. Survival was our instinct to stay alive. We grew up with people dying all around us. The story of "Goodfellas' came from our neighborhood for Christ sake. That was a true story about our friends� uncles and our friends� fathers. They would just disappear one day. By the time I was 18 I had never been to a wedding but I�d been to at least 50 funerals. Death is just a reality. Everybody is gonna die. Nobody lives forever. And seein' a lot of our friends fall away from violence or end up in jail or strung out inspired us to find a way to channel our energy in a positive way and the only way we knew how to do that was though our music.

Layers: What�s the story of Rat Piss Studios? How did that come about?

Evan: We were playin' down at Fast Lane Studios, which was Mikey "Big Balls" place and we wanted to get our own place to practice and record and "Rat Piss" was the cheapest place we could find. It was located right under the Brooklyn Bridge about two minutes from my house and like one subway stop from Manhattan. It�s underneath the ground in a basement right on the East River so it�s always moist and damp and the floor is build on palettes because you can�t build right on the cement because it floods. So it�s on palettes and all the rats live underneath them. So one day we put rat poison everywhere and the rats ate all the poison and went back underneath the palettes and died. And then all the other rats started to eat the dead rats because rats will eat other rats. Rats will eat their own. That�s why when somebody " rats" on somebody they�re called a rat. Cuz they eat their own. The place just stunk and we called it "Rat Piss" as a joke. It just stuck.

Layers: Is it difficult to balance Biohazard with all the different side projects that all the band members are involved with?

Evan: I think it�s really easy. We�ve been doin� Biohazard for so long that we know how to do Biohazard. When it�s time to make a record we get together and work on songs for about a month or two and then we go in for two weeks and record. And then we tour and when we�re off tour we work on our other shit. Danny and Scott have that project "Among Thieves" and they have a live record comin� out soon. Billy�s been producing a whole lot of bands and so has Danny. I have a new project too. It�s real urban hip-hop, fueled by metal and hardcore rap group called "Triple Sicks". The web site is www.triplesicks.com and it�s a bunch of guys who come from a metal and hardcore background just playin' rugged hip-hop shit. And it�s good for me to do something like that because I don�t like anything that�s been happening in hip-hop for the past ten years. It�s just a bunch of guys singin� about how many diamonds they have on their wristwatch. We�re not trying to be anything we�re not. We�re just singin� about our own lives and our own real shit. It�s another avenue for me to explore my music.

Layers: How did the part in Oz come about?

Evan: Those guys actually approached me. We had a mutual friend introduce us. Dean Wints is pretty much the guy who got me the part. He plays Ryan O�Reily on the show

They sent me a script on Friday. I thought it was an audition and they told me to be there Monday morning.

(At this point, a guy named Mel came up in the conversation. Mel played the character who killed Jaz Hoyt, Evan�s character, in the final episode of Oz. If you know who Mel is, then we�ll leave it at that. If you don�t know who he is, then don�t ask.)

Layers: Isn�t Dean Wents boys with Mel?

Evan: Yea, I was out with Mel last night. The thing with Mel was, the show was going to end. It was the last season. And Tom wanted to make sure that the show would never come back. So he killed off a lot of the main characters. I told him that if I had to be killed off, I didn�t want a main character to do it. So he brought in Mel to do the job.

Layers: I saw you in a spread in the porno mag Club. How did that come about?

Evan: They�re just girls man. A friend of mine shot those photos. The same friend who introduced me to my fianc�.

Layers: Can I ask who your fianc� is?

Evan: Her name is Tera Patrick.

Layers: The porn star Tera Patrick?

Evan: Yea. She�s at the hotel room right now and I�m sittin� here jerkin� off with you two guys.

Layers: Did you have a problem doin' full frontal nudity in Oz?

Evan: No. And as a matter of fact, that�s how I met Tera. She saw my cock on Oz.

Layers: Do you have a problem with her doin� porn?

Evan: She doesn�t do any guy/ girl porn anymore. She stopped doin� that before I even met her. She still does hardcore photo shoots but I don�t give a shit about that. I actually wanna give a big shout out to her. She�s goin� through a big lawsuit right now because the company she was with ripped her off.

Layers: Vivid?

Evan: No. Vivid rips off a whole bunch of other girls. Tera�s company was called Digital Playground. The web site they were running for her, terapatrick.com, was all fake. They used all fake cumshots n shit. She�s got her own website comin� out soon. www.officialterapatrick.com.

Layers: So you don�t mind guys jerkin� loads all over pictures of your girl?

Evan: Let me tell you somethin'. People are gonna beat of to your girl whether she�s in porn or not. My girls just got the guts to put it out there and she only comes home to me. She�ll only do a photo shoot if I�m there. People always wonder about dating girls like that. But at least the guys she�s fucked in the past have always had to get AIDS tests before hand. You meet a girl at a bar, and it�s like Russian Roulette.

Layers: Will any member of Biohazard ever live in a mansion?

Even: Not from Biohazard. I don�t even like big houses. I live in an industrialized neighborhood in Brooklyn next to a fuckin� rock quarry in a loft. I could tell you where I live and you wouldn�t even find it. I have always wanted a big garage though because I collect bikes n� shit. I gotta Jessie James West Coast Chopper bike and I�m building a Cadillac street rod right now. Me and Billy both collect muscle cars. I just sold my 66� Apollo Super Sport and I�m gonna build another pro streetcar. Probably a 72� Grand Pree. I just got a brand new Hummer. I live ghetto style.

Layers: How much time do you get to spend at home?

Evan: I stay there as much as I can cuz I have an 8 year-old son. My kid doesn�t even know I�m gone half the time. I�ll fly home just to spend a day with him if I�m on tour. The most important thing in my life is my family and Biohazard is my family. And all our fans are a part of our extended family. And my son and Billy�s and Danny�s kids are our blood. We gotta go out and earn a living for them because we don�t play fuckin� pop songs that get radio play.

Layers: What�s next for Biohazard and Evan Seinfeld

Evan: Biohazard is gonna keep makin' records and keep touring. I just wanna thank all our fans for 15 years of glory. Biohazard will never sell our fans out. We�ll always be real and we�ll always be hardcore no matter what direction our music takes. To us, hardcore is being willing to die for what you believe in and living by the principles in which you believe and never compromising your integrity for anything whether it�s money or fame or anything.

Rise Against Interview

2004-10-06T01:44:00.000-07:00

Hailing from the cold, unforgiving streets of Chicago, Rise Against is far from a local band. I would love to be able to say that Rise Against puts the life back into the struggling Chicago punk and hardcore scene, but this band packs to much fuckin? energy to be restrained by the boundaries of just one major city. Revolutions Per Minute is the bands second album out on Fat Wreck Chords and they've just recently begun headlining their own national and world tours.

Born from the unfortunate death of Chicago's greatest punk band, 88 Fingers Louie, Rise Against have mastered a formula that so many have imitated but so very few have truly utilized. They're just one step ahead when it comes to melody, mood, passion, and lyrical content. The following interview was conducted with ex-Baxter and current Killing Tree and Rise Against vocalist Tim Mcllrath; and ex- 88 Fingers and current Rise Against bass players Joe Principe. Please do your best to enjoy this brief introduction to one of the most innovative punk bands on the scene today.

Layers: What's the story behind this band for those who don't know?

Joe: We started in December of 99'. We all knew each other through the Chicago scene. I knew Tim from his old band Baxter. Originally it was me and the guitar player from 88 Finger Louie and we were looking for member for a new band,

Layers: Why was it necessary to replace your old guitarist?

Joe: Inner-band turmoil. Personal conflicts.

Tim: We just couldn't get along. We spent a lot of time on the road with each other and when you spend 8 hours a day on the road, it?s vital to be able to get along.

Layers: Do you guys feel any pressure to represent Chicago being a Chicago band on a national West Coast label?

Joe: Not really pressure, but yea, we have our Chicago pride. It's really cool because it doesn't seem like there are a lot of active bands from Chicago that do a lot of shows outside the city. So we're proud to be one of those bands. We're proud to be able to say that we're Rise Against from Chicago.

Layers: How would you describe the Chicago punk/ hardcore scene now, compared to the scene of like 1990?-95' when 88 Fingers was around. Is it still thriving? Is it less active?

Tim: It's difficult to say because I'm on a different level now. I have a different perspective on things that I'm lookin' down on. I would say that there definitely was a dry spell for a while, but there are so many Chicago bands makin' it big right now like Lawrence Arms, Alkaline Trio, and Fall Out Boy that I think that?s slowly beginning to change.

Joe: I definitely think that when bands like Slapstick and 88 fingers broke up, there was a weird period in Chicago where everything was kind of stagnant and nothing was really happening. But over the last couple of years there are finally bands who are being picked up by the labels and committing themselves to doing something. More bands are touring and staying together for longer than three months.

Layers: This question is directed for Tim. Is it hard for you as a singer to balance time between two fairly successful bands?

Tim: No, not really. Just because Rise Against is the bigger priority. The Killing Tree is more of a side project.

Layers: Who's in charge of writing the lyrical content?

Joe: Tim writes all the lyrics and all the music is a total collaboration.

Layers: How much do politics and current events affect the band musically and lyrically?

Tim: They obviously influence. You can't help but be influenced by what's going on around you in the world. And I try to address these issue in the lyrics without pushing them down anybody's throat. I try to bring them out without being overtly aggressive about it.

Layers: So would you consider Rise Against to be more of a political band or a rock-n-roll type-o-band?

Tim: I would say that we're neither of two. We're just a rock band with lyrics about observations of everyday life. Whether everyday life is your girlfriend breaking up with you or everyday life is about going to war.

Layers: Are you concerned with leaving any kind of legacy behind?

Tim: It would probably sound pretentious to say yes but sure, that would be a nice thing.

Joe: We would like to be remembered for the right reasons.

Layers: What?s the future of Rise Against?

Tim: To live everyday like it;s the last.

Shai Hulud Interview

2004-10-06T01:40:00.000-07:00

Shai Hulud is a band who�s passion, sincerity, and integrity is virtually unmatched in the world wide scene of hardcore music. Their latest release on Revelation Records, That Within Blood Ill Tempered, is essentially a document of the history and future of suffering, betrayal, pride, and hope. The lyrics read as philosophy and poetry and the music, melodic and sensitive, is at times utterly brutal and unforgiving. If there was ever a band to be preserved for future generations to learn and grow from, that band should be Shai Hulud.

This is as bitter as it is beautiful. The conflict of truths within each vein. This is of my being-of my blood. - Shai Hulud

Layers Magazine: Who takes responsibility for writing the lyrics in this band?

Matt Fox: I guess I write the majority of the lyrics. Gary helps a lot with placement and ideas and actual lyrics as well, but since I�m the only original member since we lost our very first singer, Damien, I took on the chore and I�ve been writing ever since. And that�s something that I feel very strongly about. Not that the other guys don�t, because everybody contributes and has a passion for it, but I can complain about everything for hours and hours so I can talk to somebody on the phone and they can piss me off and I�ll go to my computer and I�ll write about it. So I�ve always got material. But that�s not to say that it�s not a collaborative effort. On our new record, That Within Blood Ill-Tempered, I probably had the most help writing lyrics that I�ve ever had.

Layers: When was the original incarnation of the band?

Matt: We started in 1995.

Layers: And you�re the only original member left?

Matt: Yea, just me. I was the only one crazy enough to be broke and struggling at 30 years old in a hardcore/ metal band.

Layers: I know you touched on this a little bit earlier, but where do you generally draw your inspiration for your lyrics from?

Matt: For me it could be anything. I�ll actually tell you a story that�s on our web site about that. On our first EP called "Profound Hatred of Man", there�s a song titled, "If Born from the Soil". I was in a gas station and there was a really long line. Some drunk guy was waiting behind me and there was a problem with the cash register and the cashier couldn�t figure it out. So it was taking way to long and the drunk guy behind me tapped me on my shoulder and kinda pushed me aside and yelled to the cashier, "Hey, all we want is a fuckin� beer!" And I thought to myself in disgust, "Hey, not me friend". No disrespect to someone who isn�t Straight Edge, but I was just like, " Don�t assume that I�m like you". So for that song I went home and I�d written down the line " a likeness only in structure, not in mind". So basically what I�m getting at is yea, it could be an event, or a thought, or a movie that inspires me. I saw that movie Contact with Jodie Foster and it made me cry. And I wrote lyrics that were inspired by that movie.

Layers: How many people in the band are Straight Edge?

Matt: There are four people in the band and three of us are Straight Edge.

Layers: Does that ever cause any conflict having another member of the band not adhere to the majority lifestyle?

Matt: Not at all.

Layers: What does the Straight Edge lifestyle mean to you?

Matt: I actually don�t even call myself Straight Edge. I never have. The only thing I drink is water. And if I�m feelin� really wild, I�ll have a Coke, or Shirley Temple. But I�ve never called myself Straight edge so to me the Straight Edge lifestyle means nothing. All I am is myself. My name is Matt fox. I pick my nose and I don�t drink. I scratch my balls and I don�t smoke. I�m just me so my lifestyle is just me. My edge will never go dull. I�ll never fall. I�ll never break because I�m just me. I�ll never wake up and not be me. You see what I�m sayin�?

Layers: How do you feel about the treatment that Rick Rodney from Strife has to endure since abandoning his edge? I�ve heard rumors that he doesn�t even go to shows anymore because he�d be beaten to death.

Layers: Well, I�ve got theories on that. But on the front, you don�t want to beat up anybody because of a personal decision. Rick Rodney drinking or smoking is not hurting anybody but himself. I will say this however. I do think it�s pretty silly if someone is gonna wave a flag for a movement for so many years and then abandon it like that. I don�t know Rick Rodney personally, but I�m a big fan of Strife. I have to say that it�s kind of hard to take their older stuff seriously now. Do I care? No. I�ll listen to "One Truth". I still love the records and if Strife comes back around, I�ll go to the show. I don�t care one way or another, but I imagine that it must be pretty embarrassing for him. He�s in the " One Truth" video and he�s got his hands all X�ed up and he�s talking about the symbol of change. So basically it�s all bullshit. I don�t want anybody to beat up Rick Rodney. I don�t think anybody should beat up anyone for any reason. But just like it says on the first H2O record, be careful what flags you fly and make sure you fly them for the right reasons. Otherwise you might make yourself look like an asshole.

Layers: What�s been the proudest moment of the band?

Matt: Just playing any show with any amount of kids where it�s evident that somebody we don�t know is even a fraction as passionate about our music as we are. Those are pretty proud moments. The first time my mom and aunt saw us play was last year. And they�ve always been supportive of the band. And they�ve always been supportive of me. My mom would send me money because I couldn�t afford anything. And they would always say, "Why are you still doing this?" And I would just tell them that it was something that was important to me. Then they came and saw us. And after the show, my Aunt Ellen came up to me and said, " Now I understand." She told me that she doesn�t like that I don�t have health insurance and she told me that she doesn�t like that I have to borrow money every time my car brakes down. But she told me that, One; she had no idea how passionate I was about the music, and Two, that other people who I don�t even know are just as passionate about it. She told me how impressed and proud of me she was. It�s kind of nice when at 29 years old, when you�re broke and you�re still living out a childhood dream, that somebody clearly sees the impact that the music has. As far as a distinct proud moment, I can�t tell you. But since the day the band started until the day the band ends, just knowing that at any show somebody is singing along to words that we all believe in is just a great feeling.

Layers: What do you guys do to fill up the down time?

Matt: Go further into debt and watch old movies. I also like to write as well. I�m working on a screenplay and I even started a book. But I like to watch old movies. I�m a big Audry Hepburn fan and I like to collect all the old metal that I used to listen to that I had on tape when I was younger.

Layers: This next question is a technical question. I�m interested to know because as a writer as well, how do you differentiate a lyric for a song and a line for a poem. Is there a difference or is the line to fine?

Matt: Most of my efforts go into the lyrics because that�s something I have to do on a regular basis. If I wasn�t in a band and I had no musical talents at all, the thoughts I have would probably go into poetry form. But since I have a band and things piss me off, it all goes into lyric. I regard most of the lyrics as poems anyway. There�s been times when I sit down to write just a poem that I didn�t want to be lyrics and it ended up being lyrics. I do have some poems that I�ve written that are completely outside of Hulud that have nothing to do with anything we talk about.

Layers: How much do social issues and politics effect the progression musically and lyrically of the band?

Matt: Current social events obviously play a big part. But as far as politics, I don�t know anything about politics. The only things I know about are the things I think. And what the hell do I know? So as far as politics, I don�t know who the Secretary of Sate is. I have no idea what his or her job is. The Presidents Cabinet I just found out two weeks ago, isn�t a piece of furniture. And as ignorant as it may sound, I�m not particularly interested in it. All I�m really interested in is people�s happiness and the fact that people can be happy and healthy and feel secure and be safe. So I would say that are lyrics are very socio-political in nature. Regarding the war in Iraq? I don�t know what the hell is going on. All I know is that there�s gotta be some woman and some husband somewhere with their child who�s probably crying his or her eyes out. Their scared to death that someone is gonna come in and just shoot them. That�s what effects me. I don�t care about the politics. What I care about are the people who are scared and suffering or being hurt.

Layers: Do you think that 9.11 was bound to happen?

Matt: It depends on who you ask in the band. If you ask Gary he might say yes. As far as I�m concerned, no, that�s not bound to happen. No one should ever bomb a fuckin� building like that. I don�t think it was bound to happen, but like I said, I�m not basing this on any political knowledge. I don�t know how horrible our government is. Everyone tells me how rotten America is. Maybe it is. But I have no idea. I can�t really answer that because I�ve only got love and care for the individual and no individual deserves that.

Layers: What�s the New Found Glory connection to Shai Hulud?

Matt: I played guitar for New Found Glory for two shows. But the connection that you�re thinking of is the singer that we had before Gary, who was not our first singer, is the guitar player and one of the founding members of New Found Glory. His name is Chad Gilbert. And that�s the connection.

Layers: What are the long term goals of this band and hypothetically, if Columbia Records was to give you a 20 Million dollar contract to sign with them, would you take it in a heartbeat?

Matt: Yea, absolutely. But if they told us they wanted us to be the next Village People, then no. If they told us they were gonna give us money and they were gonna distribute our records everywhere and they guaranteed us a certain amount of creative freedom, then hell yea. And if it destroys the band like everyone says major labels do, then that�s a risk I�ll take. Being 30 years old and having been in this band for almost a decade and going home after this tour broke, I�ll sign the fuckin� contract. I would definitely like to pay my landlord his rent on time for a change. As far as long term goals, we don�t have any delusions of greatness or getting signed to a major label. I don�t think that we would even interest them. We�re not shopping to major labels. I just hope the band can maintain itself financially and musically. And whenever we loose a fan I hope we gain two more. With our new album I know that we�ve lost old fans. It happens. It happens to Metalica. I just hope we can keep some sort of fan base, and not necessarily the one we started with. I hope we will always have people relating to us on a very active and interactive level. And like I said, paying rent on time wouldn�t be such a bad fringe benefit either.

Less Than Jake Interview

2004-10-06T01:38:00.000-07:00

When I met up with Less Than Jake at the 2003 Van�s Warped Tour in Tinley Park, I had the choice of interviewing Chris, the front man and lead vocalist for Less Than Jake, Roger, the bassist and most recognizable member of Less Than Jake probably due to his boyish good looks, or Vinnie, the drummer for Less Than Jake. But before I could even choose, the decision was made up for me by two teenybopper groupies who snatched away Chris and Roger. I was stuck with Vinnie the drummer. Who the fuck wants to interview the drummer? A good rock-n-roll journalist always pursues an interview with the heart and soul of the band. Either from the one who writes the music; or from the one who writes the lyrics. But to my surprise, Vinnie the drummer, who also owns Fueled By Ramen Records, happened to be a blessing in disguise. Not only is he an abstract artist and philosophical conversationalist, but he�s the founding member of Less Than Jake who claims responsibility for the bands� name and who is the primary lyricist for Less Than Jake. Who would have guessed? Please understand my ignorance. It�s just a natural instinct to assume that the vocalist would be in charge of the lyrics. They usually are. But not in this case. And in a band where so much credit and respect has been achieved for their passionate and heart-felt lyrics, I had struck Pez gold with Vinnie the drummer. I wouldn�t have had it any other way. Please enjoy.

Layers: Who are the unrelenting kings of the ska-core genre? And could it possibly be Less than Jake?

Vinnie: I would say that the kings would have to be the Bosstones and I�ll tell you why. When we first started the band, there were three points of references of bands putting ska and punk rock together. That was the Clash, the Bosstones, and Op Ivy. The clash aren�t around anymore. Operation Ivy isn�t around anymore. So that leaves the Bosstones and they are still going strong. So I would have to give them the crown. It�s a bit different with Less than Jake because we�ve always just played punk rock as far as I�m concerned.

Layers: So do you even consider Less Than Jake a ska-core band?

Vinnie: First and foremost I would consider us a punk rock band just because ethically speaking, we�ve always tried to abide by the ethos of a punk rock band. We just happen to play ska, pop, and punk.

Layers: Is your hometown truly a dead-end town?

Vinnie: Sure. Every town is a dead-end town. Anytime I reference in lyrics the drudgery of things, it doesn�t matter if you live in New York City and it doesn�t matter if you live in the smallest of small towns in fuckin� Indiana. You make your own future and you make your own present. Every place is the same. A 15-year-old kid here and a 15-year-old kid in Tokyo has the same problems with parents and life in general.

Layers: So is the answer an inner struggle? As opposed to just escaping your past or your landmarks?

Vinnie: You can never escape landmarks because you�ll always go back to them. Those landmarks are the same things that made you who you are today. If you look at it, a tree has roots, a tree grows up then branches out. You can cut off all the branches or the flowers or the parts that people see, but you can never get rid of the roots.

Layers: That�s some smooth philosophy. A good line for a chick at a bar.

Vinnie: Not really. Trust me. They usually go "This guys got fuckin� problems. He�s not even lookin� at my tits."

Layers: What�s the best Less Than Jake record?

Vinnie: I don�t know what is. My favorite record right now obviously is our newest record. Just because it�s our newest record. We tried to make a diverse record. We really tried. We wrote 28 songs for it. We could have made a super fast fuckin� punk rock record and put it out, but we chose to split up all the punk songs and take only three of them and put them on the record. We didn�t want to do a Pez Core part two or a Losing Streak part two.

Layers: Is anyone in the band married or have kids?

Vinnie: There�s three of us who are married. No kids.

Layers: Is being in a touring band hard on the relationships?

Vinnie: I have a wife and she�s cool enough to understand that this is what I do. Does it suck that I�m away? Of course. This is my third month away from home. And I have three more months of being away from home.

Layers: Has anyone in the band ever taken advantage of the rock star status and fucked groupies?

Vinnie: I�d be liar if I said no.

Layers: If Less Than Jake was to patent a sexual position, what would it be?

Vinnie: It would probably be the 71, which is the 69 with two fingers up the ass. That would be the Less Than Jake move.

Layers: What�s the biggest obstacle you guys have had to overcome to get where you are today?

Vinnie: People saying that ska is dead. And by you insinuating that Less Than Jake are the kings of ska, then that means that we are dead. That means that we aren�t popular anymore. Everyone goes through cycles of what they like, whether it be garage rock, emo, or ska. And it takes a lot to jump over the brick walls that people build for you. They try to paint you in a corner and they try to keep you there. And if you allow people to do that then it dwindles down what you could be or the possibilities you may have.

Layers: So then what�s the true definition of struggle?

Vinnie: Coming to the realization of what inspires you and being able to take that and apply it to whatever medium you can. The other thing would be to avoid all the pitfalls that people try to put in front of you. Those two things are the definition of struggle. It�s hard to find what inspires you and so is avoiding the sabotage when you come to that realization.

Layers: Are you surprised at how short Operation Iraqi Freedom was and does it even justify being called a war?

Vinnie: One, it doesn�t justify being called a war. And two, I can�t say that I support it or not support it because I have friends that went over there to do a certain thing. I can make an observation of something though. Someone in the punk scene was on a web site and said that they don�t support the war, and they were called unpatriotic. And I think that the most patriotic thing you can do is question the government for their motives. I don�t think it really makes any sense for us to be there. We�re not gonna win anything by being there. All we�re doing is occupying. We�ll have an occupied victory.

Layers: Is America really the greatest country?

Vinnie: No it�s not. I�ve traveled through a lot of countries and I�ve seen the world. It�s not. And people say " love it or leave it" or whatever. My definition of a great country is different from others. America is awesome but there are a lot of other countries that embrace other things a bit better. Things like socialized medicine and environmental issues.

Layers: This is probably your most asked question and I don�t even like asking this question, but what�s the story behind the bands name?

Vinnie: The origins of the band's name is that my parents had a bulldog and his name was Jake. My dad would treat that dog better than anyone. He had a section on the couch for the dog that no one else was allowed to sit in. So everything was basically " less than Jake."

Layers: How did you go about putting together Fueled By Raman Records and what are the daily job duties that need to be performed to keep it going?

Vinnie: Because I tour so much I actually took myself out of the daily process of Fueled By Raman. So the daily process of running a label has been passed down to the workers. My basic duty is overseeing what gets done and researching different bands.

Layers: What�s the best punk rock movie ever made?

Vinnie: Probably Bill and Ted�s Excellent Adventure. That movie is truly punk rock.

Layers Magazine: Has this been the strangest life you�ve ever known?

Vinnie: There�s people who have stranger lives than myself. A friend of mine who�s a painter basically has a schedule that is 36 hors up, 12 hours asleep, and then 36 hours up. So that�s a strange life. He says that once he hits the 24-hour mark, his brain starts to function in a different mentality that it usually does.

Layers: What�s next for Less Than Jake?

Vinnie: We�re gonna finish up the Warped tour. Then we�re going to Europe for a few festivals. Then we�re going to Australia to New Zealand, and Japan, and then into a full U.S. headlining tour ending right before Christmas. We�ve got a lot on our plate.

Issue Number Five Music Reviews

2004-10-06T01:36:00.000-07:00

Terror
The Lowest of the Low
Bridge Nine Records
I saw a kid bail on his skateboard the other day. His face broke the fall. His nose popped like a firecracker. His teeth were ground into powder as they scraped along the concrete. I thought I saw sparks. The flesh peeled off his cheekbones like cheese rubbed through a grader. In the background played Terror?s The Lowest of the Low. This band was born to be the background music to scenes like this. One of the top five hardcore records of 2003.

Movielife
Forty Hour Train Back to Penn
Drive-Thru Records
My relationship is in shambles. I?ve just given my two-week notice. I have 200 dollars to my name. And I have a rotting white van with enough heart to get me to the other side. I?m cutting out and I ain?t lookin? back. And Movielifes? "Forty Hour Train Back to Penn" is gonna be the soundtrack to this journey. I?ll drive for hours down black roads and wipe tears from my eyes and when the last song fades out, I?ll play it all over again again.

Waterdown
The Files You Have On Me
Victory Records
Unique, diverse, original, and melodic are some of the more clich? words I would use to describe a band such as Waterdown. Innovative, irascible, impetuous, momentous, and substantial are some of the more obscure. This band combines various musical styles to make-up a very tasteful flavor. Furiously aggressive at times and sensuously soft and passionate at others. This band offers a little bit of something for a little bit of everyone.

E. Town Concrete
The Renaissance
Razor and Tie
The first time I heard this record, my doubts were high. Though the band rejects the nu-metal/ rap-core label, there are elements of both throughout the entire album. There are also elements of punk, metal, and hardcore as well. It wasn?t until I caught the band?s live show that was completely drawn in. The band?s performance was filled with so much aggression, passion, and energy that they literally morphed into an on-stage entity. Lead singer Anthony Martini has the most ferocious growl I?ve ever heard come out of any vocalist ever. Until you catch this band live, occupy your craving with the record and don?t be so quick to put a label on it.

Darkest Hour
Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation
Victory Records
Just when you thought the Victory line-up was getting soft, they smash you square in the jaw with the ferocious new release from hardcore kings Darkest Hour. Hidden Hands delivers an unrelenting blow to the senses that is maintained throughout the entire record. Not only is Hidden Hands unforgiving in it?s aggression, it?s probably one of the most melodic records a death punk band can deliver. I doubt I?d survive the pit so I?ll just sit in my room and press "replay" over and over.

Fall Out Boy
Take This to Your Grave
FueledByRamen Records
Not only are all the little girls gonna fall in love with the music, they?re gonna fall in love with all the boys in the band. They?re gonna file this one next to their Alkaline Trio records and their Fall Out Boy t-shirts are gonna hang next to their Good Charlotte t-shirts. I predict a video on MTV2 in the Fall Out Boy?s future and perhaps a slot opening up for New Found Glory on their next tour.

Silverstein
When Broken is Easily Fixed
Victory Records
When I first heard this band, I was impressed with the duel vocal delivery. That was until I found out that the band only had one singer. The diversity in Shane Told?s vocals is astonishing. He?s able to switch up his emo-sensitive vocals into a schizophrenic growl as quickly and naturally as George Bush puts a line of coke up his nose before a press conference. The passion in the band?s music is not only inspirational but more importantly, unforgettable. I could recommend this band to an emo kid just as easily as I could to a hardcore kid. A very commendable effort.

Shai Hulud
That Within Blood Ill-Tempered
Revelation Records
Shai Hulud is one of those rare hardcore bands that are as strangely beautiful as they are terrifying. Its hardcore poetry at it?s best. "That Within Blood" is so thick and layered that this for-piece entity could easily be mistaken for a ten-piece. To keep it short and simple, this is one of the best hardcore records of the year from one of the most important hardcore bands in the scene.

None More Black
File Under Black
Fat Wreck chords
When I popped this bitch in, I swore to Christ that it was Brenden Kelly currently of Lawrence Arms on vocals. When I dug deeper, I came to learn that it was Jason Shevchuck formerly of Kid Dynamite on vocals. Now if it really was Brenden Kelly, would that make it any better? Ignorantly, yes. Brenden Kelly is Chi-town represent. He was also the former singer for the greatest ska-core band since Op-Ivy. That would be Slapstick from yes, Chicago. So unfortunately, not even a personal relation with this band can save this review. None More Black?s file Under Black is at it?s best, mediocre. This record pushed no musical boundaries and challenges nothing.

Strung Out
Live at a Dive
Fat Wreck Chords
I dig a band that understands the ethics of a live show. Especially if that band is a punk band. When a kid goes to a punk show, he goes to get his dick rocked off. And if you?re the band with that obligation, it?s essential to leave the soft shit at home. Leave the soft shit for the records. Leave the soft shit for potential radio play. When you hit that stage you better have the clip loaded with the silver bullets. Give those kids somethin? to chip their teeth to. Give em somthin? to remember. Strung Out did just that on Fat Wreck Cord?s fourth installment of the "Live at a Dive" series. This CD is essentially a live "best of" CD with the sound quality of a studio album. So have some fuckin? fun.

Liberation V/A
Songs To Benefit Peta
Fat Wreck Chords
I just realized that as a write this review for a compilation CD benefit Peta, I?m suckin? down a juicy double cheeseburger. Does that make me unworthy to write a review for a CD benefiting Peta? Nah. Peta represents a lot more that just a vegan lifestyle. Peta is a very respectful organization that I support and agree with on many levels. And the CD rising against is ass packed with 16 blistering tracks from 16 blistering rock bands. So the next time you run out to grab a burger, hit that local independent record store down the way and compensate for the dead cow by supporting the commendable cause against eating dead cow. Bands Include: Hot Water Music, Good Riddance, Goldfinger, The Faint, Propagandhi, Good Charlotte (cough cough), District 7, Frenzal Rhomb, Story of the Year, The Eyeliners, Anti-Flag, Desaparecidos, Big Wig, Midtown, the Used, and NOFX.

Freya
As the Last Light Drains
Victory Records
The most notable fact about Freya is that Freya is the next step in the personal and musical evolution of ex-Earth Crisis members Karl Buechner, Eric Edward, and Bulldog. It would be almost impossible to review this record without comparing and contrasting its style to that of previous Earth Crisis records. So in reference to Earth Crisis, I would have to say that the biggest difference with Freya is Freya?s melodic capabilities and composition. This record is clean, listener friendly, and easily interpretable without compromising one lick of aggression or intensity. Earth Crisis fans will love it and newcomers will eat it up.

NOFX
The War on Errorism
Fat Wreck Chords
What can be said about NOFX that hasn?t been said before? Actually, a lot can be said do to the fact that very little is ever allowed to be said. NOFX doesn?t give a fuck about what the critics say and they don?t do interviews. NOFX is a band that lets the music to the talking. They?re a band of reluctant rock stars with a body of work thicker than Fat Mike?s stomach lining. The geezers of NOFX are living legends. Though "The War on Errorism" is the band?s 78th release spanning from a career that began in the late 40?, NOFX still manages to push the boundaries of politics, social issues, and comedy. They?ve done more with three chords than Bill Clinton has done with cigars. The disc for "Errorism" contains a video for "Idiot Son of an Asshole" and a shitload of junior edu-films. And if the music and the media doesn?t inspire you to DIY revolution, then surf to punkvoter.com and help change the world through a program someone else had to set up for your punk ass.

Good Riddance
Bound By Ties of Blood and Affection
Fat Wreck Chords
Good Riddance is a band with nothing left to prove. They?ve established themselves as a band that will compromise nothing to deliver a message worthy of dying for. There is so much passion and integrity locked in the recordings on every record that this band has ever released that the CD?s practically glow in the dark. And no less can be said about "Bound By Ties of Blood and Affection". The most recent deliverance follows the same explosive formula that the band has become known and respected for. And in a time of such worldwide turmoil, the music of Good Riddance is more relevant now than ever. I recommend this record as proudly and equally as any record Good Riddance has ever put out.

Armor For Sleep
Dream to Make Believe
Equal Vision Records
Beautiful production, passionate songwriting, and mysterious elements of metaphysical and metaphorical solitude make this debut full length an entity to contend with. Armor for Sleep is a band with a very promising future. I recommend this record to all couples who like to cry in each other?s arms after a night of tearing up the local coffeehouses.

Spitalfield
Remember Right Now
Victory Records
I?m gonna do my best to point out the good elements of a band with a musical style that does absolutely nothing for me. This band is huge in Chicago and the CD insert art is loaded with interesting references to time and temperature in various Chicagoland neighborhoods. They just signed to Victory Records, which is the greatest label in town. And the members of the band come from a background of hardcore music. This band is gonna be huge but I won?t be there because there will be too many college emo kids in attendance.

Noise Ratchet
S/T EP
The Militia Group
I put this record in. I turned off the lights. I lit a candle. I closed my eyes. And when I closed my eyes, I saw myself as a lonely child playing in a pile of raked leaves. Nothing mattered. Time did not exist. Everything was so simple and pure. That?s what this record did for me.

Anberlin
Blueprints for the Black Market
Tooth and Nail Records
There?s definitely something very special going on here. I just can?t pin point what it is for the life of me. The production on this record is perfect. The recording is as crisp as cracked ice. And the band is as efficient musically as our President is as destroying the economy. As long as the drugs and bitches don?t get in the way, Anberlin is a band with a big future ahead of them.

Anatomy of a Ghost
Evanesce
Fearless Records
A little advice for AOAG. Turn up the background vocals. Drop the leads. There?s nothing wrong with skinny little bitches, but the vocalist sounds like a skinny little bitch. Evanesce is emo/ hardcore NOT at it?s best. However, I will say this much. The music is well produced, balanced, and beautiful. And the lyrics read like poetry. Somethin' just ain?t comin? together. Pick it up and figure out what. Then e-mail me and tell me what. If I like the answer, I?ll mail you an autographed latex mold of Ron Jeremy?s cock.

Autopilot Off
S/T
Island Records
Island Records is a major label. If I stay on their good side I?m almost guaranteed a "VIP" or an "All Access Pass" to any festival or show that their bands play at. Will that initiative persuade this review? Nah. Because in the name of Good Charlotte, A Simple Plan, and New Found Glory, Autopilot Off sucks the flap of skin in between the balls and the asshole.

This Day Forward
In Response
Equal Vision Records
It doesn?t matter where it happens? All that matters is that it happens. You make that eye connection. And you instantly know? That she?s the one? It?s a vibe. I got that vibe from this record? Although there was no eye contact?and I can?t really fuck this record? I can jerk off to it though?that?s it.

Fairweather
Lusitanian
Equal Vision
Fairweather is a very talented band. However, in a market place flooded with dedicated and talented musicians, Fairweather is neither cutting edge nor groundbreaking. I will however mention that this is Fairweather?s 2nd full length and it was produced by the legendary J. Robbins. See, if you don?t like band, it?s better to just stick to the facts as opposed to tearin? the band apart. That way you stay on the good side of the record label sending you free shit.

Die Trying
S/T
Island Records
Die Trying is an amazing name for a hardcore band. It?s a shame the name was wasted on a band chock full of pretty boy bitches. I "died trying" to get through this record. I will however give them credit on their insert and cover art. The booklet is very well laid out and the angel slut on the cover was enough to get me through another lonely night.

The Bled
Pass the Flask (3 song sampler)
Fiddler
Now this is what I?m fuckin? about. This shit is tight. Who woulda thought such a talented bunch of musicians could come out of Tucson Arizona. Not Me! Cuz I don?t know shit about Tucson Arizona. Who knows, maybe Tucson has a thriving hardcore scene. All I know is that I wish I got the whole album instead of a three-song sampler. I need more!

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Take a Break
Fat Wreck Chords
Not since Alvin and the Chipmunks have I heard such a passionate and inspiring cover band. This fourth attempt at cover band superiority finds the Gimmes tearin? up such legendary R&B classics as "Oh Girl"," I?ll Be There", and "Natural Woman." The Gimmes go far beyond just covering old songs. They put their own touch on them. They embrace the song. They make the song their own. I actually cried when I heard their version of "Crazy." Trust me, you?ll know it when you hear it.

Thursday/ Thrice
Split 7inch
Island records
It?s a good thing I have a record player cuz this 7inch was sent to me?well?as a 7inch. And if you?re a technological sellout and don?t know what that is, it?s something your mamma and papa used to fuck to in the early sixties. Thursday?s contribution was weak as shit. Thrice?s offering really caught my attention. New full lengths by both bands will be out by the time you read this. Have fun.

Flattbush
Smash the Octopus
Koolarrow Records
If you?re a person who?s under the impression that the American punk and hardcore scene has grown stagnant, then Flattbush is the adrenaline destined to kick start that dead heart back to life. But here?s the catch. The heart and soul of Flattbush are Phillippino immigrants. And that brings me to ask the following question. "What influence is necessary in order to bring life back into genre of lagging art?" And with bands like System of a Down and Serart changing the idea of what mainstream music can be, I think the answer to that question is foreign culture. Flattbush not only brings a new cultural flavor to hardcore, they also bring a first hand perspective to the political issues that so deeply shape this band. It is essential that bands like Flattbush are brought to the masses. In a world were shit must be changed in order for it to survive, Flattbush is a band that delivers the issues that need to be contemplated. Get this fuckin? record. Get your friend to get this fuckin? record. And blast this fuckin? record at the next anti-Bush rally. This band is a true threat.

Emmanuel. 7
Machines In Routine
Thorp Records
If lightening could be caught in a bottle, then Emmanuel.7 has found the formula. This record is organized chaos if chaos can ever be organized. This record has it all. Elements of metal, hardcore, punk, emo, rock, and thrash. I read the lyrics and long behold, they even have something to say. The cover art and booklet are loaded with eye grabbing layouts and photography. By the end of this record I felt like I had been dragged through hell and resurrected into heaven.

Forever Is Forgotten
The Architecture Is Still Burning
Thorp Records
It?s band like this that make me not even bother starting a band. The shit don?t get much better. If I had to pick two words to describe this band they would be " Beautifully Insane." If I had to pick seven words to describe this band, they would be " Hardcore as fuck, passionate, and aggressively poetic." If I had to pick twenty-eight words?do ya get the point yet? The layout for this CD is also another aspect of this record to be commended on. Fuck professionality, that?s a given. This shit is art.

Punishment
Broken But Not Dead
Thorp Records
There?s never been a more fitting name for a band as hardcore as this. This record just tears the fuck outta your senses. The songs represent positivity through frustration. And as aggressive as this record is, you have nothing to fear, (unless you fall in the pit) but someone will pick you up, because that?s what this band represents. Get this record, read the lyrics, get pissed off, and then do something about it.

Down To Nothing
Save it for the Birds
Thorp Records
Straightedge hardcore punk hailing out of Richmond VA. Very energetic and positive but it just doesn?t break any ground. Typical riffs, typical beats, typical screams of anger and cries for help. I suppose you could say it?s?typical.

The New Breed
Port City Rebels
Thorp Records
A typical fan of the New Breed would probably a Guinness guzzling skinhead who kicks in teeth by night and works the docks by day. In the tradition of the Dropkick Murphys and Cock Sparrer, The New Breed bring their own brand of street punk rock n? roll to the masses, and do it fairly well. But the CD artwork is fuckin' awful.

The Kinison
Mortgage Is Bank
Fearless Records
In the tradition of Refused and At the Drive-In come The Kinison. They?ve been categorized as post-hardcore. What the fuck does that mean? Doesn?t a movement have to be dead before someone can use the word "post" in front of it? I think somebody?s trying to start a rumor that the current state of hardcore is lagging. Either way, this record is very listenable. This kids gotta ferocious scream. But it?s mixed in between beautiful singing as well. I guess they call that "range". Check out the website at www.thekinison.com. It?s candy on the eyes. Props to the web designer.

The Collapse
Self-Titled
Infernal Racket Records
What do you do when you want to be famous? You start a band. You name it The Collapse. And you write music that a band named The Collapse writes. This shit is radio friendly and MTVable. It?s poppy and it?s got hooks. But that doesn?t mean I like it. If I was 38 and had a 15-year-old daughter, she might. Keep an eye out for a video.

Issue Number Four Music Reviews

2004-10-06T01:22:00.000-07:00

Avail
Front Porch Stories
Fat Wreck Chords
Typical collection of timeless material from the legendary Avail. Aggressive, passionate, hardcore punk. Would you expect anything less? The die-hard fans will eat it up. New comers should seek out earlier material. Avail can do no wrong.

Tusk
Get Ready
Hewhocorrupts
The cover art would lead the passerby to believe that he was about to purchase an old Styx record, but when you put this fucker on, it's all over. Tusk would butt fuck Dennis DeYound to death. This is the rawest, most brutal, most stripped down, primitive hardcore record I've heard in a long time. Highly recommended after a violent break-up or when you receive an e-mail telling you that the magazine you poor your heart and soul into sucks a fat cock.

Count the Stars
Never Be Taken Alive
Victory Records
Another diverse addition to the increasingly expanding lineup of Victory Records. Not my personal taste in music, but I'm sure the little girls will eat it up like rich man's cock. Typical melodic rock n roll. Great sound but the cover art is absolutely sickening. It reminds me of an ad for an acne cream. Some young designer sure got cut a break with this pile. It looks like the work of a dropout student from the International Academy of Design and Technology.

Somehow Hollow
Busted Wings and Rusted Halos
Victory Records
My stomach was somehow hollow before I put this record in. Then I felt the vomit chunks rise. The only thing worse than the music is the cover art. It screams "My skin got this clear from Revlon creams but I'm still a broken girl." My only compliment is that all the members of this band are very talented individually and they can play their instruments flawlessly. Unfortunately they should all break away and start new bands with the idea in mind that the music comes first and the girls come second.

A.18
Foreverafternothning
Victory Records
The cover art and booklet features poorly designed pictures of the various ways to end ones life. HC News claims that A.18 rivals Hatebreed for kings of the hardcore crown. This band doesn't compare to the intensity and passion that Hatebreed has to offer. However, A.18 does stand strong in a category all it's own. It's worth a recommendation.

The Braves
That's the Hot Part
Arms Reach Recordings
Wretchedly unbearable. Uninspiring and dull. I think that marijuana was involved in the process of recording this album. I really hate giving bad reviews. I know what it's like to feel rejection for the art you put your heart and soul into, but I just can't help it. The guitar riffs are very odd in an unbalance kind of way, the vocals come out as if the singer has a tooth pick stuck in his asshole, and the drummer rides the cymbals like my ex -girlfriend Addy rides stranger cock. Too much! I do however have nothing but respect for this band's ambition. Never give up. No matter how many credit card bills you have.

Point Break Volume One
Compilation
Side Cho Records
Point Break features music from Shadows Fall, Thrice, Soilwork, Zao, Skinlab, Avenged Sevenfold, Living Sacrifice, Converge, God Forbid, American Nothing, Meshuggah, Ensign, In Flames, The Beautiful Mistake, Neck, Drowningman, Willhaven, and Stretch Arm Strong. This is by far one of the best hardcore compilations I've ever heard. Ruthless, unforgiving, and diverse. This comp offers hours of teeth-cracking chaos.

Lying In States
Bewildered Herd EP
Harmless Records
My fuckin' mom just busted into my room and started bitchin' about my credit card bills and student loans. She asked me where I saw myself in five years and she told me that she was concerned about my future. I told her she was a fuckin' melodramatic cunt and to get the fuck out of my room. I'm trying not to let this effect the review but this record is just plain boring. Where's the frustration in today's youth? We're from Chicago for Christ sake! The weather sucks. Song number five sounds like a bad Radiohead song. The layout and artwork is beautiful but you can't polish shit. The nuts just smear.

The Killing Tree
Bury Me at Make-Out Creek EP
Government Music
The Killing Tree is an explosive mix of hardcore, punk, and passion. This CD has been in my player for two months straight. TKT features the very talented vocalist Tim Mcllrath formerly of Baxter and currently of Rise Against. TKT combines every element of what a hardcore record should contain. TKT has since released "The Romance of Helen Trent" on "One Day Savior" which is even more commendable than this EP. The more music that this band delivers, the more complete my miserable life will be.

Spitafield
The Cloak and Dagger Club EP
Sinister Label
My brother stole this demo from my demo stack without my knowledge and kept it for three months. I told him that it was sent to me for review and then beat his ass with a Sprite can tied into a sock. My brother is a huge fan of whiney emo-pop punk and he loved this record. I guess that says it all.

Bad Astronaut
Houston: We Have a Drinking Problem
Honest Dons
Bad Astronaut is fronted by Lag Wagon's Joey Cape so you may recognize the vocals. Other mentionable members of this band are Marco from Nerf Herder, Swingin' Utters, and Sugar Cult and Derrick Plourde on drums from the first three Lag Wagon records. These punk legends have abandoned their aggressive punk beats for a softer, more emotional sound. What I was most impressed with was the cameo of Charles Bukowski's book "Hollywood" on the first page of the CD booklet. A very inspirational and passionate record.

River City Rebels
No Good, No Time, No Pride
Victory Records
When I saw the Rebels in Chicago at the House of Blues, Dan O' Day on vocals found it necessary to drop his pants and wiggle his tiny dick in the faces of all the little kids who came to see the Voodoo Glow Skulls. Dan is a red head so his pubes were a shade of dirty fire. His dick couldn't have been more than two inches long. It kinda made me sick but I still laughed. I'm surprised he wasn't arrested for indecent exposure. The security at HOB are all ass-kissin' cunts. Oh yea, this record sucks worst than their last.

Fairview
We'll Dodge it On the Way Back
Side Cho Records
Working class quartet spit from the womb of the infamous Orange County California area. I would describe their sound as hard pop with underlined elements of punk rock n roll. I was very impressed with the guitar work and the vocals. Perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon with your significant other(s) taking into consideration that your significant other(s) are fans of the "emo" sound. I must also add that Fairview has one of the cutest girls in a band of art boys that I?ve seen in a long time.

The Rocket summer
Calendar Days
The Militia Group
The Rocket Summer is the brainchild of one very talented and inspirational Bryce Avary. The 20-year-old singer/ songwriter wrote, produced, and performed all ten tracks on this record. His work ethic is one to contend with. The young Avary has managed to complete by himself what most four and five piece bands can never seem to get together. The music is beautiful and original.

Rock Kills Kid
Self Titled EP
Fearless Records
Passionate, emo pop rock. Very well produced. Creative guitar work and very tolerable vocals. I thought of prose poetry when I read the lyrics. The rock didn't kill this kid.

Brazil
Dasein
Fearless Records
I was more impressed with the bio page than I was with the music, but my taste in music has nothing to do with the creative quality of this band. The band lived in an abandoned church while auditioning guitar players and they've suffered great financial loss in their struggle for superiority. The music is layered with beautiful sound effects underneath art fag guitar work and keyboard chorus lines. The recording could have been a bit crisper but the record as a whole can be recommended to every fan of passionate emo art rock.

Porn Star Exotica Interview

2004-10-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

Conducted and Edited by Brian Bush
Originally published in layers magazine issue number four

So once again I find myself at the world famous Admiral Theatre. This time accompanied with my luxurious and very supportive girlfriend and layers magazine most cherished photographer, Andi Lynn.

It would have been disastrous if I missed the opportunity to show my support and respect for Chicago’s very own premier adult entertainer, Exotica. And since I was planning the trip anyway, I decided that it would be a good idea to set up a little interview with the fire-eating fox box.

Layers: How long have you been involved in the adult industry?

Exotica: I’ve been involved for a little over 3 years.

L: How were you introduced into the business?

E: I actually started off stripping right here at the Admiral Theatre. I ended up getting noticed and I was asked to do some magazine layouts and contests. So basically I got into it myself and was lucky enough to get some attention.

L: What magazines have you appeared in?

E: Too many to mention in the interview. D-cup, Hustler, all the big ones. (Since it was too much for her to mention, I did a little research. She’s been in Showgirls Magazine, Hustler, Easy Rider Hottest Girls Of '99, Gallery, Xcitement Magazine, Exotic Dancer Magazine, Genesis, Fantasy Girl Magazine, Gent, and Score Magazine.)

L: I know you hold a few titles for contests and events. Can you name a few?

E: Miss Nude Galaxy, Miss Nude International, Miss Nude California, Miss Nude Midwest, Best Legs… I was nominated as one of the top 6 entertainers of the year by E.D. Publications, which is the biggest Las Vegas trade show magazine there is. I was going against Penthouse Pets, porn stars, and showgirls.

L: What would you say is the best part of your job?

E: It’s pure fun. I travel a lot and I meet all kinds of interesting people. And I get paid to do that. I couldn’t ask for anything more.

L: What’s the worst part about your job?

E: Sometimes you end up at certain places and come into contact with some not-so-nice people. Rude and perverted people. Some people think that just because I’m a stripper, they can disrespect me. They are mistaken.

L: Have you ever had any bad experiences in the past with obsessive fans?

E: Not in person, but I’ve gotten a lot of creepy letters, and occasionally at certain clubs where they serve alcohol, the guys will get a little bit rowdy and they try and grab a boob or jump on stage and that can be a bit irritating.

L: What’s the craziest thing you’ve experienced being in the profession that you’re in?

E: It’s a crazy life every day. There’s always something wild happening. I do allot of parties and special appearances. It’s all wild and I’ve been to a lot of crazy places. (I was kinda hoping that she would talk about cocaine, orgies, jealous boyfriends, jealous girlfriends, strap-on dildos, or butt fucking. Sorry kids. I know that’s what you wanted too.)

L: Have you ever experienced any controversy amongst the contest judging panel as far as briberies or exchanges of sexual favors for prizes is concerned?

E: Not personally, but I ended up winning a particular contest two years in a row so there was a little conflict as to why. But at that time there was no rule saying you couldn’t enter and win 2 consecutive years in a row. (That wasn’t really the answer I was looking for, but damn is she hot.)

L: So did any new rules pop up as a result?

E: Yup!

L: Well congratulations! You broke ground. You’re a fuckin’ revolutionary. (She was exited about that.)

L: Do you feel that your profession has any socially redeeming values?

E: It sure does. I entertain. Just as a person might go to the movies. It’s an escape for them from their 9 to 5 lifestyles. I don’t just go on stage and take my cloths off. I do big shows. Tough shows. Fire eating shows, bubble shows, paint shows. I entertain. I offer an escape.

L: What role do you think the Internet plays in your success?

E: More exposure. That’s all.

L: What do you do on your off time?

E: I have my own clothing business. I have my own clothing line. So I take care of that. Every now and then I’ll sit down a do a little sewing.

L: How does your family feel about what you do?

E: They love it. They’re very supportive. They don’t think that there is anything wrong with it.

L: How do you prepare yourself mentally before going on stage?

E: I do a lot of breathing techniques. I do a little bit of meditating. I let all the negative energy out. But for the most part, I just jump right into it.

L: What are your long-term goals and were do you see yourself in the next 20 years?

E: I just plan on saving a lot of money and I want to open up a few businesses, like I said, I have my own clothing line and hopefully I can open up a gym or a tanning spa. But I plan on continuing doing what I’m doing until somebody tells me to hang it up. I just want to play it smart and invest and hopefully my clothing line will take care of me in the future.

After the interview, I convinced my girlfriend that we had to stick around so I could review Exotica’s performance. Since it was 9:30 and Exotica’s show started at 10, she was cool with that. We didn’t have long to wait. However, she didn’t end up going on stage until 11:30. Needless to say, I was forced to sit and stare for the next two hours at some of the hottest women the God/ Plastic Surgery team ever created.

I had to make my girl feel better by agreeing with her every negative critique and comment of the bad boob jobs and celluloid buttcheeks. (A tip for the guys out there: whether the topic is another girls tits, or the quality of her mother’s cooking, when talking to your girl, always just nod yer head and utter the phrase, “Yes dear, I agree.”)

The wait ended up paying off. My girlfriend would even admit to this. When the curtains opened up, a luscious Exotica busted out in Las Vegas style get-up. It didn’t stay on long. She quickly undressed, focussing her attention on a little guy who was a bulls-eye image of that little shit from Malcolm in the Middle. It was quite evident that he was a fresh 18 years of age based on the presence of his pimples and his shit-eating grin. Yes, it was quite obviously his first experiences with the pleasures of adult entertainment.

She kneeled down in front of him, pulled him out of his seat, and proceeded to spank the shit out of him like his mother would be doing if she knew her baby was frequenting a place like this.

As soon as she finished humiliating the pimpled-face pre-man, she embarked on one of the most insane strip shows I’ve ever seen performed. It went far beyond your typical sex show.

Exotica set up the stage with two candles on each side of her and placed a cup of alcohol in front of her. She dipped two long sticks wrapped in a flammable material into the alcohol and touched them to the flames bouncing off the wicks. She began rubbing the fiery sticks over her naked body leaving behind a trail of blue flames dancing off her bare flesh. I was hypnotized. And just as I was falling into my trance-like state, she gulped a huge mouth full of alcohol, arched her back, and spit directly into the sticks of flames. A ten-foot trail of fire flew over the crowd. I got chills and my nipples got hard.

She proceeded to breathe fire 3 more times, each breath more intense than the last. As soon as the eyebrows of every fuck in the first 3 rows were burnt off, Exotica got down to your typical “stick a dollar in my garter and I’ll stick a pussy in yer face” type of show.

Andi encouraged me to go up to the stage and I kindly declined. That was until I saw the second treatment she gave to Malcolm in the Middle. I had to step up. She spotted me out and grabbed my shirt, lifting me out of my seat. She gave me a kiss then bounced my head off her triple D tits. I saw stars and I think I had that same shit-eating grin on my face that I was condemning Malcolm for a little earlier.

The night went off without a hitch. Everything went smooth. So the next time you’re in the mood for a little pussy, pyro, and pain, hop on the Internet and look up Exotica. She’ll be in a town near you and it’s not something you wanna miss.

Porn Legend Teri Weigel Interview

2004-10-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

Conducted and Edited by Brian Bush
Originally published in layers magazine issue number five

The third of five children, Teri was raised within a devoutly Catholic family in the conservative city of Deerfield Beach, Florida. A natural beauty, she began modeling in her teens, appearing in catalogs for Saks Fifth Avenue and other high-end companies. She later moved to New York and signed with a major modeling agency, which placed her in "Seventeen" magazine and other publications. Modeling gigs in Europe followed. Upon her return to Florida, Teri entered her first beauty contest and was named Miss Deerfield in 1979.

As a result of Teri's lingerie work for Saks and others, Playboy Magazine soon came calling. She did some test shots for the magazine, and was asked to become a Centerfold. Teri graced the cover of the November '85 issue, and appeared as the Centerfold in April 1986. Teri found posing nude liberating, and she enjoyed the fame and money that came with being a Playboy Centerfold.

Teri worked for Playboy for a couple of years, producing several well-received videos. But company gigs eventually became fewer and fewer. Worse, Playboy refused to help promote her mainstream television and film work, which ranged from multiple appearances on Fox's "Married With Children" to roles in "Predator 2", "Marked for Death" with Steven Seagall, "Sunset" with Bruce Willis and James Garner, and cult genre flicks such as "Auntie Lee's Meat Pies" with Karen Black, "Cheerleader Camp" and John Landis's "Innocent Blood".

It quickly became obvious that Teri had outlived her usefulness as a Centerfold, and Playboy unceremoniously kicked her to the curb. (It was the beginning of an acrimonious relationship that continues to this day.) As mainstream jobs became increasingly fewer, Teri finally considered a career in hardcore porn - something no other Playboy Centerfold had ever done (or has done since). Because of this decision, Teri became persona non grata within Playboy, which has gone to extraordinary lengths to squelch her porn career. In one notable example, Hugh Hefner actually called Bob Guccione asking him not to make Teri a Penthouse Pet. As a result, she has appeared only in smaller pictorials.

Wisely capitalizing on her fame and exposure a Centerfold, Teri quickly became a sensation within the porn industry. She had her breasts enlarged (something she says she did for her own self-esteem, not because she had to) and almost immediately achieved superstar status as a result of her remarkable enthusiasm as a performer. To date she has made nearly 50 adult videos. Much of Teri' continued success is a result of her uncanny ability to re-invent herself within an industry infamous for using then tossing aside its talent, and this has kept her in the forefront for nearly a decade.

Layers: What’s the best part about what you do?

Teri Weigel: Probably the fact that I’m able to be myself. Unrestricted. No rules.

Layers: What’s the worst part?

Teri: The traveling. I have 9 puppies at home and I have to leave them almost every week. I work about 40 weeks out of the year. I come home on Sunday and leave again on Tuesday or Wednesday. I only get to see my puppies like three days out of the week.

Layers: Have you had any problems in the past with obsessive fans?

Teri: Not really. I can usually handle people. No gory stories.

Layers: And you’ve been married for 16 years, correct?

Teri: Yes.

Layers: What’s the secret to maintaining a marriage not only outside of the adult industry, but especially being in the industry?

Teri: It’s hard. It takes a lot of communicating and talking to your spouse about the things that trouble you or about the things that you are interested in. The most important thing is the communication. There are times when I’ll be up against the wall with certain things that are brought up and you have to learn that when it comes to men that it’s “give and take” in order to get a step ahead. And as far as being in the adult industry, that’s just helped the relationship because of the honesty that comes with it. We were put in a position were we were forced to be honest with each other and it worked for us.

(Murrill Maglio, Teri’s husband, is in charge of most of Teri’s career on the business ends. He’s also directed approximately ten adult video, one of which won an award at the Adult Video News Awards circa 1995.)

Layers: Where did you guys meet?

Teri: We met in West Palm Beach Florida. He was doin’ a gig with his band and my sister was dating the keyboard player at the time. I was home visiting from Paris. That’s where I was living at the time because I was modeling. And we just started talking at the bar in between the gigs. He told me that he was going through a separation with his wife and are relationship began and ended that night. Then a couple months down the road, my sister told me that he asked to see me and I came in again.

Layers: And all of this happened even before Playboy?

Teri: Yes.

Layers: So you guys have been together since the beginning.

Teri: Yes. And it was hard with Playboy because Playboy didn’t want us to be married.

Layers: Why didn’t they want you to be married?

Teri: Because you are considered to be a “Miss” of a month. I was Miss April and they wanted you to stay single for as long as you could so you could be available for parties or whatever they wanted to throw you into. So we kept it quite for almost a year until one of the other Playmates blabbed her mouth. And Hef (Hugh Hefner, Playboy Publisher) was pretty pissed. Cuz I worked a lot for them. I was one of there top girls.

Layers: So how did that original Playboy deal come together?

Teri: About two months after I began dating Murrill, Playboy held a casting call for “See Through Fashions” in Miami. I had just gotten back from Paris and I had established a great look. I did a lot of stuff over there and I had a great portfolio put together and they picked me. They flew me to some island over the Atlantic and they did a small pictorial with me and another girl from the same agency I was with. And the make-up artist said that I would make a great Playmate and that I should go to Chicago and test shoot. So I waited a couple of months and Murrill thought that it would be a great opportunity for me. So I listened to him and I called Playboy and told them that I wanted to test to be a Playmate. They flew me to Chicago and we shot. And the shots turned out beautiful. I never saw myself look so good in a picture. The photographers were brilliant. It was the first time that I did anything like that and I was excited because of how good I looked nude. Then about a month later they called me and told me that they wanted me for the cover. And my cover ended up getting bumped for Madonna because there was a big scandal going on with her at the time. And I was pissed because I would have been the first cover girl in the staple-less issue. So I was the cover girl for the second staple-less issue.

Layers: What was Playboys initial reaction when you first made your venture into the world of hardcore?

Teri: It was almost hypocritical because Playboy began to venture out into cable with the Playboy Channel. And because me and Murrill were married, they decided to use us together in scenes. And the people who were shooting these “soft-core” videos for Playboy were filmmakers from the adult industry. So after about ten or fifteen of these shoots we started to get comfortable being on camera. And since we were married they just told us to go ahead and have sex. So we did and it made the films look really good and real and Hef didn’t seem to have problem with it probably because they were editing out the penetration. But I knew that once I crossed over to the point were I was working for other companies doing penetration that there would be trouble. Hef wrote me a letter telling me that I let the Playmates down by what I did. And I didn’t feel that way because I probably wouldn’t even have done all of this if it weren’t for Playboy. I just viewed it as a step forward in my career. There wasn’t much left for me to do for Playboy. I had done everything I possibly could for them. And at that point it was either go home and raise kids or continue on with my career. So I chose to go X-rated.

Layers: So you and Murrill made the step into hardcore together?

Teri: We did the first movie together. They had it set up where him and I did a scene and then he had a scene with two other chicks. It was his first time and it was really hard and the girls were real mean to him and he got turned off and decided not to do it anymore. We finished the movie but it was really hard for him. I had no problem though and it was a lot of money.

(Teri Weigels first XXX film was for Wicked Pictures. It debuted in 1991 and was titled Inferno. Inferno stared Ashley Nicole, Alicyn Sterling, April Rayne, Joey Silvera, Mark Wallace, Joey Murphy, and Teri’s husband Murrill Maglio.)

Layers: And he didn’t have a problem with you being with other guys?

Teri: No. It was something that we knew was gonna happen if I wanted to pursue this career. And that’s where the honesty comes from.

Layers: Was it difficult to make that transition?

Teri: Yea it was. I had a lot of factors to consider. Family and stuff like that. And Playboy just kind of shut the door and I was already kind of doing it so it seemed O.K. to me because they weren’t having a problem with it when I was making the money for them. The problem was that Hef no longer had any power over me.

Layers: What’s your relationship with Playboy today?

Teri: I tried to write him when they came out with the pictorial with the pornstars because they left me out. And I was very upset. And he wrote back and told me that I was a Playmate who broke the rules.

Layers: Is there anything you won’t do on film?

Teri: Anal. I will not do anal.

Layers: Has the adult industry changed at all since your first film in 1991?

Teri: Absolutely. There’s some good things and there’s some bad things. There’s better looking guys now. But they’re better looking with bigger attitudes and less performance qualities. Meaning that they’ve got big dicks but they can’t keep them hard. And with everybody eating Viagra like candy, they sometimes get aggressive. Back in the old days they fucked and it was their adrenaline. The companies have changed a lot too. There are a lot more companies out there and there are a lot more girls doing it. Stuff has gotten a lot harder- core too. A lot of the guys are into knockin’ the girls around. I’m not into that shit at all.

Layers: Who are some of the more well known stars you’ve worked with in the past?

Teri: I’ve worked with Rocco Sigfried, Peter North, Randy West…

Layers: …Marc Wallice?

Teri: Yea, I fucked Marc Wallice years ago and I know were you’re going with this and during the time period that he contracted HIV my career was on hold do to a major car accident. I was out for about three years. But yea, I was with him before the whole AIDS scare.

(Marc Wallice was considered to be one of the biggest male stars in the industry until he tested positive for HIV in 1998. If you’ve seen a porno, then you’ve seen Marc Wallice. This news was considered to be the biggest shock to the industry since the death of John Holmes in 1988 from an AIDS related illness.)

Layers: What was the feeling in the industry when they found out he had it?

Teri: It was pretty fuckin’ scary. The main concern was to how long he had it and who he had been with while he had it. And back then, they didn’t really know as much about AIDS as they do now. They didn’t know how long it lay dormant. It was scary.

Layers: You appeared for a short while at the Bunny Ranch in Nevada, the only legal brothel in the United States. How did that gig come about and what was that experience like for you?

Teri: It was just an experience. I met up with Dennis, the owner, and it was kind of like doin’ movies. They had really respectable high-end clients and it was a lot of money.

Layers: You’ve done some mainstream work too. What’s the different in the atmosphere on a big Hollywood set compared to the atmosphere on a porn shoot?

Teri: The attitudes are a lot more neutral on a Hollywood set. There’s more attitude on a porn set because sometimes you have a lot of hot girls together who each think they are better than the other. It can get catty.

Layers: Can you offer any advice to young girls out there who are considering a career in the adult industry?

Teri: They need to think about it really long and hard because it’s a journey that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. And if they are strong enough to handle it then they should have no problems. If they’re not strong individuals, then they might want to rethink it. It’s not as glamorous as it seems. It’s a hard life and people always recognize you for what you do.

Layers: What’s been the biggest obstacle that you’ve had to overcome to get where you are today?

Teri: I don’t really know. Everything that has come my way in life I’ve been able to work through in a logical manner. If I had to say one thing, it would probably be my relationship with Playboy.

Layers: What do you have to say to people who condemn pornography as socially irresponsible?

Teri: I just think that everybody should think for themselves and make their own decisions in life and not have their decisions made up for them by what other people delegate as to what’s good or what’s bad. I think that an open mind is very important for young people today so that we can form a stronger society than what we already have. Porn is not the problem.

Layers: What’s next for the great Teri Weigel?

Teri: I just finished two films for Wicked Pictures. Those will be the last ones. But they don’t know that yet. I’ve got five more weeks in the adult industry and them I’m gonna turn a new leaf and I’m gonna have my own show at the Sahara Hotel in Vegas singing. We don’t have a name for the group yet but there will be a live band behind me and four backup singers. It will be a mixed show with a comedian and a magician and we got the big room so it sits 850 people. Rehearsals are the whole month of January and we’ll be premiering the week after the Super Bowl.

Porn Star Tera Patrick Interview

2004-10-05T11:11:00.000-07:00

Conducted and Edited by Brian Bush
Originally published in layers magazine issue number five

It’s amazing how things work out over time. What you are about to read is the greatest accidental follow-up interview in the history of layers magazine. Actually, I think this is the first follow-up interview in the history of Layers Magazine. And it couldn’t have happened with a better person.

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to interview Evan Sienfeld of HBO’s Oz and Biohazard fame at the Metro in Chicago after a Biohazard show. That interview can be seen via the first section of this issue. It was revealed toward the end of that interview that Evan was engaged to porn starlet Tera Patrick. I was actually pretty shocked to hear that and in the time between that last interview and this one, Evan and Tera tied the knot with a small ceremony in Las Vegas.

I was invited back a few months later to interview Evan and his Vivid Video wife at the Admiral Theatre in Chicago this time strictly in regards to Tera Patrick’s comeback into the world of porn and Evan’s introduction into the world of porn. That’s right Biohazard fans, Raise your DFL tattooed knuckles and give a warm welcome to mutha fuckin’ Spyder Jones. Yes, Evan Seinfeld, a.k.a. Spyder Jones, is officially a full fledge porn star. He is also the CEO of his and Tera’s Vivid Video supported production company, Tera Vision.

Layers: Talk about your formal education and your more conventional career choices in life before becoming a major player in the world of adult entertainment.

Tera Patrick: When I was a teenager I was strictly a straight model. I did that for a few years and at the age of 18, I quit modeling because I had decided I wanted to be a doctor. So I began studying Biology in Boise, Idaho. My first certification in the medical field was as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) and that’s what I did for a job all throughout college. I loved it and I knew that I wanted to work in the field. I don’t want to say that I loved the blood and guts that was involved because I’m not a macabre person, but I really liked working in that environment and going to the scenes of the different accidents. It was really exciting to me. But I needed something more stable for a career. That’s when I decided to go to nursing school. And I eventually became a nurse. And all during this time I was still working on my degree in Biology. Then one day everything just kind of changed. I leapt into the (adult) business in a weird way. What happened was I transferred to another college in California and I was really struggling financially. I was going to school full time and I was working as a nurse and I was so tired of shoveling bedpans and getting shit flinged at me. It kind of took its toll. And it’s funny because allot of my patients and co-workers would always tell me how pretty I was and how I should become a model and be in movies. So finally I was like. “Yea, I should get back into modeling. I should be in the movies.” And I had some girlfriends who sent their pictures to Playboy and I was like, “Fuck that! I’m gonna go straight to Playboy and see if I could get into the magazine right then and there.” And a casting director spotted me and said that I’d be great for the Playboy TV show “Sex Court.” This was around June of 1999. So I did an episode and at that time Julie Strain was hosting the show. And she was like, “Oh my God. I have to take your pictures.” And everyone got really excited over me from that one episode and I really didn’t even do anything except show up. It was scary because before I got there, I had the mentality that I could do this no problem, but when I got to the set it was a whole different story. I got really shy. I had to sit there naked in front of all these people I didn’t know. I was really nervous.

Layers: Did you know that there would be that many people behind the scenes?

Tera: No, but that part didn’t bother me. What made me nervous was the thought of who would be watching this. I didn’t know if my dad was gonna be watching this or if anyone from the hospital would be watching this. I knew that Playboy TV was really big and I was still trying to be somewhat undercover. At that point in time I didn’t know that I would have a career in this. I was concerned that this would be the only time I did anything like this and that it would come back to haunt me for the rest of my life. And when they brought me down to the Playboy shoot it was like, I either do this, or I don’t. It was one way or the other and there’s no turning back. And if I do it, I’m gonna do it and be proud of it. So I weighed out the factors and I chose to do it. I called my dad, because if anyone was gonna be angry with me it was gonna be my dad. I told him and he said that I was a big girl and it was O.K. He kind of looked at it like it was an honor to be involved with Playboy. Because obviously, it’s the nicest and the cleanest out of all the men’s magazines. So if his friends discovered it, he would be able to defend it easily. He looked at it like a status thing more than as a dirty thing. And my step mom felt the same way. And because I had his blessing with that, I was like. “I’ll go straight to Penthouse!” So I went to Penthouse and posed for them and because I posed for Penthouse, Playboy refused to publish the photos I took for them.

Layers: How do you feel about Playboy’s hypocritical stance on abandoning their girls when and if they decide to go hardcore? How has that affected you besides the obvious of not having your original photos published?

Evan Seinfeld: ...Especially since Playboy TV is the largest distributors of in-home, on-demand, pay-per-view porn in the world.

Layers: ...Not to mention Playboys lesser-known relationship with Vivid Video.

Evan: Yea, what happened with that is Playboy TV was bankrupt. They weren’t doin’ very well. And Steve Hirsch, the owner of Vivid Video, bought Playboy TV from Playboy Inc. for 10 Million bucks. This is public knowledge. It took Vivid a couple of years to turn it around, but when they did, they sold it back to Playboy for like 120 Million. And Vivid still gets a piece of the action to this day.

Tera: I actually did a special called “Centerfold Babylon” that aired on VH1, and there’s a huge chunk in that program that discusses how Playboy abandons their girls who make the move into porn. While at the same time, all the Playmates are high-class hookers. It’s public knowledge that most Playmates, because they don’t make any money working strictly for Playboy, have turned to high-class prostitution. Had I been published by Playboy and never done Penthouse, my life would have probably been totally different. I don’t know if I would have gotten into porn. And I was upset with Playboy at the time. I didn’t think Penthouse was all that bad and didn’t understand why they wouldn’t publish my photos? Their excuse was that Penthouse was their competition and they couldn’t have me on the cover of both. But the funny thing is that I was on the cover of both three years later.

Layers: …Which was the first time a model appeared on both the covers of Penthouse and Playboy in the same month?

Tera: Yes. That was the first time that has ever happened.

Evan: Penthouse’s “Pet of the Year” issue and Playboy’s “Pornstar Issue” came out at the exact same time and Playboy had no idea. So it was kind of by accident. Penthouse knew but they didn’t care. They’re bankrupt too.

Layers: Yea, poor Bobby. (Guicione, founder and publisher of Penthouse Magazine) That guy’s a fuckin’ artist pure and true.

Tera: Yea, unfortunately, not the best business man. Which to no fault of his own. He let his wife run the company for many years, and when she passed away, it got thrown into the hands of his sons and other people.

Evan: I did some research on the business part of it, and apparently, the magazine always made money. That wasn’t the problem. The problem was that Bob always had 500 other investments that he was involved with. And everything else he put his fingers on just fuckin’ tanked.

Tera: And to go back to the whole Playboy controversy, if you asked me if there was anyone I admired in the industry, it would be Teri Weigel. She was the first Playmate who crossed over into the world of porn and she was very brave to do that because Playboy just totally abandoned her. And she was like, “All right, I’m not gonna let it get me down and I’m gonna continue on.” And she’s been around for over 20 years now. She’s still one of the most popular girls 20 years later. She has endless amounts of energy. She goes all over the country and dances, and she was the first girl who took me under her wing and showed me the ropes. She was so nice that way. When you come into this industry allot of girls have this attitude where they expect you to figure it out on your own. And she was very open and she helped me out allot. And look how successful she is. She doesn’t take herself to seriously and she works hard. And that’s what the girls have to do when they get into this industry. You have to be passionate about it, but you also have to have fun. She loves her job. She loves what she does and it really shows. That’s why she’s got such a cult following.

Layers: How did your contract with Vivid Video come about?

Tera: Well, I had a really rough year this last year. I was involved in a lawsuit with my former company Digital Playground. And I knew I would eventually go back to work, but I also knew that when I did, I was gonna start my own company. So I was a little worried about the legalities. See, the only benefit of being a contract girl is that you get a good publicity push. And I had heard through the grapevine that Steve Hirsch (Vivid owner) knew I was single and available. And he was looking to have me in the stable of Vivid girls. And I hesitated for a second because I didn’t want to be just another mere in the stable. But he was like, “You can still own your own company and do your own thing and we can work together and I’ll promote you as a Vivid girl.” So that was the main thing that sealed the deal. And plus the fact that he’s a very honest businessman. I really like how he handles his business.

Layers: So your company, Tera Vision (run by Tera Patrick and husband Evan Seinfeld) was already up and running before you signed with Vivid and then it got taken up by Vivid?

Evan: Yea, Tera’s company is set up allot like Jenna’s (Jameson). We kind of used Club Jenna as a business model. We adopted what we thought was good about the way Jenna ran her company and then seeing the things we didn’t like, we did those things our way. We also adopted allot of tactics that I’ve learned over the years from running a band. Especially on the merchandising, marketing, and touring side.

Tera: Even though I have my own company now, people are taking me much more seriously now that I’m with Vivid. I have my name, and yea, I’ve been successful, and I go out and promote myself, but because I have a big company standing behind me, it legitimizes me in a way as a company owner.

Evan: Understand that right now on Sunset Blvd. in L.A., there’s a gigantic billboard on top of the Rainbow with Tera’s new movie Tera, Tera, Tera on one side and Jenna Jameson’s “The Misuse” on the other.

Layers: And I believe Evan, that Tera, Tera, Tera, was also your debut role as a porn actor.

Evan: Yea, it’s my first. Tera broke my cherry. My porn name is Spyder Jones.

Layers: How did you come up with that name?

Tera: We thought of allot of different names actually. Even normal ones like Frank.

Evan: It was gonna be Frank Castle, the Punisher, but that’s probably gonna be my photographer name for when I publish my photographs. I do allot of photography as well.

Tera: He wanted to have a separate band aside from Biohazard called Spyder Jones and the World Wide Web. And the name Spyder Jones just kind of stuck.

Evan: I thought Spyder Jones sounded like a character in Pulp Fiction. Like, “You don’t fuck around this neighborhood, this is Spyder Jones neighborhood.” I wanted it to sound tough. Like a 7 foot black guy. It’s tongue-n-cheek. The thing is, everything I’ve done my entire life has been so serious. Biohazard, Oz. And although porn is a serious business, we don’t take ourselves very serious in what we’re doing. We take the sex seriously, but the rest of it, like the acting, we just have fun with it. We wanna make beautiful artistic films, but we’re doing it to have fun. And Spyder Jones is a fun name. I also didn’t want to be stuck with a name like Jack Hammer or Dave Helmet.

Layers: I review porn for adultdetective.com and my porn name is Ronny Reckem.

Evan: It should be Ronny Rectum.

Layers: I’m not reviewing gay porn.

Evan: Hey, the best selling porn has nothing to do with gay, but it does have to do with anal. We’re planning on doing a movie called “Tera Patrick’s First Anal”.

Layers: Is it gonna be what it sounds like?

Evan: Yea, she’s never done anal on film before.

Tera: In the course of two years, I only did like 3 movies. I didn’t work very much. That’s why my newest movie was really anticipated because people were like, “O.K. she’s out again, she’s working again, what’s she gonna do now.” And now that I can do whatever I want because I’m not under contract per say to someone else's company where they’re tellin’ me what to do, I can do whatever I want. So I can actually do what I want sexually and do what turns me on. And plus I’m completely turned on by my partner. And that’s the one thing I’ve always felt about anal scenes. Anal sex is something you do with a person you have good chemistry with.

Layers: Will you be doing and boy/ girl scenes with anybody else besides your husband Spyder Jones?

Tera: No. We’re a monogamous couple both on screen and off. So when he starts getting played out we’ll dress him up in makeup and wigs.

Evan: We have a makeup artist who does skin tones so he can take the tattoos off. We’ve shot four movies so far and we’re planning on shooting as many movies as we physically can. Cuz Tera’s got a lot of fans who are gonna buy up everything she puts out.

Layers: What are your feelings on the current HIV crisis going on in the industry right now?

Evan: I think the HIV crisis is a global crisis. And I think that it’s an election year and I think that the radical conservative right needs a scapegoat and why not pick on the porno industry. Lets distract attention from the war. And lets distract attention from our poor educational systems, and from our internal poverty and our fucked up foreign policies and let’s play pin-the-tail-on-the-scapegoat. And it is unfortunate because there are a few irresponsible companies out there. Because there is no union. And there are no true regulations. The only real standard practice that’s out there is that everyone has to get an HIV test. And allot of companies just don’t follow that as closely as they should. If everyone got tested. And everyone's tests were current, then nobody is gonna get AIDS. If I go down stairs right now and pick up one of these strippers and go fuck her in my truck, I have a way better chance of catching something from her than my pornstar wife. I saw a guy on TV from the Christian right saying how Janet Jackson exposing her bare tit on TV traumatized his 9 year old child who is now being seen around the clock by a team of fuckin’ psychiatrists. That’s just bizarre to me. Killing and maiming on TV is O.K. But sex is not? Yet every single person on this planet was born because two people had sex.

Layers: What’s up with this reality TV project I’ve been hearing about?

Tera: It’s called “Rock Star, Porn Star.” And Evan came up with the concept because people, our fans, are constantly asking us what we’re like in real life. I get long rambling e-mails from people who want to know what I do. People want to know why I don’t have web cams in my house. Yesterday a fan asked me when I was gonna come out with an autobiography. People are just curious and fascinated by what rock stars are like and what porn stars are like. For some reason we’re not normal people to them. And our lives certainly are interesting. We’re in a different city every day. Especially now because we’re striking when the irons hot. We’re always promoting at parties and doing something and I thought it was finally a good time to let people in.

Evan: The easy part about it is that it doesn’t take any time out of our lives. The producers of the show are really close friends of mine and the deal was that they would do all the work. I was like look. “We’ll do a reality show but we’re not gonna do a fake reality show like Nick and Jessica.” We’re not gonna stop and get made up and ask them to shoot scenes over because we didn’t like the way we looked in them. If they can keep up with us, then they can film whatever they want. And they can edit it however they want to. The idea is that if we’re goin’ to the porno set cuz we’re gonna fuck on film that day, and the camera follows us, then great. If Tera’s goin’ to get her nails done and I’m goin’ to the gym then that’s were the cameras will follow us.

Layers: What’s your involvement with the Free Speech Coalition and AIM?

Tera: I’ve known Sharon Mitchell since I first got into the industry. And Sharon is someone else who I really look up to. And having worked in the health care industry, I’ve donated money to them and I support their causes. And the one thing that people don’t realize about AIM is that they take care of the spiritual side of the girls as well as the physical. This industry can be really emotionally draining on a person. And girls come in all the time after scenes and it’s good to know that there’s somewhere to go. I’ve always been able to call Mitch and I’ve spent time with her outside of work and I can let my guards down and just talk to her. And I think that that’s really important that the girls know there’s always a place to go to free your mind. And as far as the Free Speech Coalition is concerned, I love that organization. Bill Margo has always been a supporter of mine. Especially when I went through all that drama with Digital Playground. He was there for me and that says allot especially since this industry can really turn on you.

Layers: what do you say to people who view the adult industry as a negative aspect of society?

Tera: I think allot of people who say and think that is because I don’t think they fully understand what the adult industry is really about. I’ve done countless interviews were people say that women get raped because of porn and that it degrades women. And I’ll be the first to say that yea, there are some dark aspect to porn and there are people in the industry who don’t treat women very well and who don’t make the industry look very good as a whole. But I also think that there are allot of really smart and talented business people in the industry. Alot of people who get into the sex industry come from Wall Street and all different areas of life. The adult industry is such a mix of a lot of different creative people.

Layers: Do you think that the girls in the industry are being exploited?

Evan: Oh completely. Porn is alot different from the music business. And I look at all the differences. With home recording being the way it is today, the music industry is losing 30% a year. It’s down like 400% from where they were like 10 years ago. And the porn business is growing every year. Largely. The porn business grows like 30% to 40% a year. And I think that allot of girls are getting smarter and realizing that they can make their own movies and put out their own movies. Our attorney just helped Tera’s girlfriend, Alexis Amore, get out of a contract she was in and now she’s got a directing deal. So girls are getting smarter and realizing that they can do this on their own.

Tera: But after she’s already done 300 movies. I think that unfortunately, most girls who get into the industry don’t realize the level of what they’re being exploited at. I think that they don’t feel they’re being exploited because 99% of them think that they will be the next Jenna Jameson. They don’t stop and think about what it takes to get to that point. Jenna has been around for 11 years and had to do 400 movies to get to where she is. Alot of these girls think that they’ll do some movies and then Hollywood is gonna come calling.

Evan: Allot of girls are stuck in a cycle. They work, they get paid, they work enough to afford their lifestyles, and allot of them aren’t saving money. There’s such a quick turnaround rate. That’s why there’s new girls everyday and girls vanishing every day. It also has alot to do with the type of personality these girls have. Alot of these girls may be able to perform all these anal acrobats, but they don’t necessarily speak very well. They don’t know how to promote themselves. They’re just not smart. Some girls are just dumb. Tera has a star quality to her that when she walks into a room, people know that she’s somebody. We’ll go out to eat lunch and every head in the joint turns. That’s what separates the stars from the nobodies. Star presence and a star charisma is something you can’t buy. And to get off the subject, something we always laugh about is that Tera makes more money at a strip joint doing a 12 minute show than Biohazard makes for an hour and a half concert that my body is broken afterwards from doing. And then what I make, I have to split between four other guys. And we have to pay the road crew. And it’s at the point where we can’t even afford to tour anymore. So you’re probably not gonna see a Biohazard show in America anymore. Everyone's got bills to pay and families to feed. And I’m so busy with managing Tera and taking care of her business that there may not be another world tour. Basically, if you’re not on the radio, it’s almost impossible to keep up the momentum. And we refuse to pay a 100 Grand to play Ozzfest. In case you don’t know, it costs $100,000 dollars to play Ozzfest. You would think it’s an honor to play Ozzfest, but what people don’t realize is that the bands pay to be there. Sharon Osborn is no dummy. She’s a smart businesswoman, but she’s destroying us. My disdain for the music industry has gotten to the point that I’m so much happier being involved with the adult industry. I have so much respect in this industry. Everyone takes my call. But as the singer of Biohazard, a band that has so much integrity and ten records that really matter to alot of people, I can’t even get anybody on the phone. I have that Triple Sicks project that Rick Rubin has been interested in so we’ll see what happens with that. The Triple Sicks project has been taking a while but rather than work on the push, we’re workin’ on the music. We’re doing it for the love of doing it. See, what happens with allot of bands, is their outside responsibilities start to pile up and you can’t make all your decisions based on what you wanna do. And rather then sell Biohazard out, I’m willing to end it with the legacy we’ve left. I can never disrespect what Biohazard has been about just to make money off of it. We’re recording an album right now that’s more hardcore than our first record. We’re aiming 180 degrees away from anything that’s commercially viable. I want it to feel like an old hardcore record. We really took a chance at changing the world and we impacted alot of people. And I still get 150 e-mails a day, everyday, of Biohazard fan mail. I get e-mails from kids who live in Croatia who fought in the Serbian War and they tell me that the only thing that got them through it was State of the World Address. I know I’ve had an impact on society, but at the same time, I don’t want to be an old guy in a hardcore band. The way the business has changed is insane. We’re still the same guys making the same music. It’s funny, a band like Hatebreed can come along, and do virtually the same thing that we’ve been doing for so long and the timing is right and they get on every tour and they’re at right now were we were 10 years ago. It’s been a strange ride for me. Like I said earlier, it’s more lucrative for my wife to go onstage and take her cloths off for three songs than it is for me do get up on stage and play two hours worth of songs about changing the world. It seems that the farther you go from something that’s spiritually important, the more financially viable it becomes. And what I wanna do with my life is use our porno career as a launch pad. We don’t wanna be making porno forever. It’s fun. Don’t get me wrong. I just directed my first feature for our company. It’s called Tera Patrick’s Asian Love Palace. And this thing is fuckin’ beautiful. We had a four room custom set built that looks like an over-the-top Asian Bordello. You can’t tell if it was shot in Japan or in the Valley. We had like 15 of the best looking Asian girls and we picked the male talent very carefully. We didn’t want the same old faces that you see in all the fuckin’ movies. And I directed the sex really hot. And I gave all the girls a chance to look really beautiful where as a girl like Lucy Tai, who is a beautiful girl and who gives 100% on camera, is in all these gonzo movies where they just turn on the camera and five guys just start rapin’ her. And that’s great whack-off material, don’t get me wrong, but nobody gives these girls a chance to be really beautiful.

Layers: What advice would you give a girl who’s considering a career in porn?

Tera: Get a lawyer and don’t sign anything without one. Be conscious of what you wanna do and don’t do anything you don’t wanna do. The industry is wide open for you. If you treat it like a business, you have a bigger chance of becoming successful. Don’t use it as a dating service.

Layers: Any final thoughts?

Tera: I would like everyone to check out my website www.clubtera.com and that’s where you can see me live and interactive. You can chat with me and see my daily diary, and all new content of me. All my movies will be released on Tera Vision/ Vivid Video. You can also check me out on vividvideo.com and please check out my new movie Tera, Tera, Tera.

Porn Legend Ron Jeremy Interview

2004-10-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

Conducted and Edited by Brian Bush
Originally published in layers magazine issue number four

There is no figure in the adult industry today more prominent than the decorated Ron Jeremy. He’s been there from the beginning and his reputation is more notorious today than ever. Whether you are disillusioned, disapproving, or just plain disgusted with his lifestyle and career choice, there is no denying his status of “living legend” in the wide world of entertainment.

Nicknamed the “Hedgehog” after the mass quantity of hair covering his short, greasy, obese body, Ron Jeremy has appeared in more than 1,700 films, adult as well as mainstream, engaged in sex acts with over 4,000 women, and has eaten more pussy for breakfast than Bill Clinton.

Ron Jeremy is an established actor, director, producer, writer, advertiser, lover, and fighter, and also has one of the thickest, purplest cocks in film. He has collectively revolutionized issues concerning art and censorship and is a ferocious advocator for free speech.

I had the pleasure of spending a sex and alcohol fueled evening with the superstar of adult entertainment at the world famous Admiral Theatre this last summer and I have to say was one of the most memorable and obnoxious assignments I’ve been on during the short, but wild existence of layers magazine. With that, I leave you with the most controversial and vulgar interviews featured in layers magazine to date.

Ron Jeremy: Here I am at the world famous Admiral Theatre, Mr. Ron Jeremy hangin’ out with a lovely young lady who is soon to act in her first adult movie. Her name is Hanna Pesil and with her boyfriend Marshal Pipit, they’re gonna get started makin’ movies as a couple. Yer a Jew right?

Layers: Sure I’m a Jew.

Ron: Well then Marshal Pipit is an O.K. name then.

Layers: I’m a Jew with a shaved head.

Ron: And tattoos? Yer a liar.

Layers: I got my tats in the camps, man. See the numbers.

Ron: Your great grand parents woulda had that. But seriously, I was in Germany. I’ve seen some of those places.

Layers: Auschwitz?

Ron: No, Perkenbelets dumb fuck.

Layers: (Getting a serious answer outta this guy is like hangin' with George Bush and not doin' coke.) You’re a fuckin’ genius. Don’t try to play it off like you ain’t,

Ron: Yea, well I am a licensed schoolteacher. I have a master’s degree in Special Ed.

Layers: What was the year of your first film?

Ron: 1978. I appeared in two. The films are called Tigress and the other is “Man-eaters”. You never see my face. I spent an hour in make-up and they only shot my penis.

Layers: It’s giant, purple, and vieny right?

Ron: It’s giant, purple, and veiny, right. And the films were with Samantha Fox. The brunette Samantha Fox. Not the blonde one and not the singer.

Layers: In the time you were first making a name for yourself in the adult industry, those were considered the “outlaw years” right?

Ron: Yes it was. The “outlaw” or “renegade years”. For you, the “sexual revolution”.

Layers: …based on the fact that it was illegal to shoot films in California.

Ron: You’ve done your research. It was semi-legal. It was legal to shoot in
New York and it was legal to shoot in San Francisco, cuz the mayor, Diane Fienstein (spelling may be inaccurate) at the time, didn’t choose to prosecute porn. Los Angeles was the town that decided to prosecute it using an old pandering statue saying that money for sex was a crime. Therefor, doing it in movies was still a crime. We eventually beat it by a complete majority vote in the California Supreme Court. So I wouldn’t say it was illegal. I’d say it was a grey area. The lawyers called it a creative extension of the law. It wasn’t legal or illegal, but they busted us. We always won though.

Layers: I know you appeared in some of your first films with notorious John Holmes before he died. Talk a bit about what he was really like.

Ron: Yea, we were in the same movies together. He was always a nice guy to me and he was always a nice guy to the people around him, but he was an amazing liar. You never knew anything about his past. His stories changed constantly. He was an absolute liar. He was always into the same things that I was into. He liked to massage the girls’ backs before a scene. He loved to give head like I love to give head. We had a lot of things in common.

About this time, Ron decided to take a break from the interview when one of the strippers strolled into the back room. After he asked her to flash her tits and conduct a private show, he proceeded to engage himself in one of his infamous back rubs, slowly kissing the strippers neck as he went about it. He then managed to get the stripper to go into the bathroom with him with the promise of whipping out his famous, gigantic cock. He didn’t want to do it in front of me. He new I could top him. It was a scene straight out of Boogie Nights. Completely surreal. You don’t often find yourself behind the stage of the Admiral Theatre hangin’ with Ron Jeremy while he makes strippers get naked for you.

Layers: Talk a little bit about the John Wayne Bobbit, the most media-covered castrated man in modern history.

Ron: He has attention deficit syndrome. He’s a nice guy, but he’s a putts. Most of his problems stem from drinking.

Layers: Does his dick work though?

Ron: His dick worked once in a while. When it didn’t, he would use prostigland, which is an enzyme that you shoot in with a needle in the base of your penis to get an instant hard-on. Alot of people in Hollywood use it. Before Viagra, when we did the Bobbit movie, there was no Viagra so we used prostigland. But when we made Frankenpenis, he actually got a hard-on on his own. He had the operation with Dr. Rosenstein (spelling may be inaccurate) perfected where you pull up a ligament and make the penis a little larger. In the Frankenpenis, I had Vince Neil from Montly Crue and Lemmy from Motorhead doing dialogue. In the sequel, I had Ice T. So you’ll notice that there are some fun bits in these movies in which I also directed and wrote.

Layers: What’s the secret to blowing the thickest, gooiest, whitest load of cum?

Ron: There is no secret. It’s your own metabolism. Peter North (also one of the original porn kings and known for his “Peter Pops” series) likes to lie and give you advice on what to eat but it’s all bull. He wrote a book that discusses eating egg whites and parsley. I said “Peter North, go fuck yourself. A guy can eat that shit till he goes blue in the face and he’s not gonna pop like you do because it’s your metabolism.”
I tell the truth. For a guy to make a nastier, wetter pop shot, and have a better orgasm, the trick is to hold back. That’s all. You get real close to cumming and you stop. You focus on the television. Fuck some more. Get closer. Stop! Use your hands, your face, the television remote, whatever. Then when you finally let it go, forget about it. You’re gonna shoot across the room.

Layers: How many films have you appeared in during your career?

Ron: 1,750

Layers: How many women would you say that you’ve made love too?

Ron: About 4 to 5,000 woman.

Layers: What the official size of your legendary penis?

Ron: 2 inches from the floor.

Layers: Are you involved in any ant-censorship coalitions?

Ron: The free speech coalition? Of course. My name is on the bill. I’ve been on many talk shows talking about it and I do a lot of lobbying.

Layers: Talk to me a little bit about the legendary and now deceased Savanna.

Ron: I’ve only messed around with her once. She had a lot in common with Shawna Sands. (Spelling may once again be inaccurate) Both of them had been abused when they were kids and it just manifested itself when they got into the adult industry. To put it simply, if you get into the porn business screwed up, you’re gonna leave screwed up. If you get in with a good head on your shoulders, there’s a lot of money to be made. Stay away from the drugs, take advantage of the business, and have a good life.

Layers: What do you say to people who consider pornography as a negative aspect of society?

Ron: I say its just part of the wild world of entertainment. Nobody should take it too seriously. If you want to laugh, watch Monte Python. If you want to be scared, watch Brian Depalma. If you wanna get horny, watch a porno. That’s all.

Layers: Talk a little bit about your new feature length documentary.

Ron: It’s called “Ron Jeremy: Porn Star Legend” and it was nominated in Chicago for best documentary. It’ll be on cassette, DVD, and HBO real soon.

Layers: You were good friends with the late Bradly Nowell of Sublime. Is there anything you would like to say about your relationship?

Ron: He was a great guy. I helped produce his first video for “Date Rape”. We became friendly. He asked me to bring some girls to his bachelor party and he gave me great props in a few of his songs.

Layers: Is there anything you wouldn’t do on film?

Ron: Your mom.

Layers: Do you ever plan on retiring?

Ron: Yea, when I wake up in the morning and find my penis under the pillow.

Layers Magazine: Welcome

2004-10-05T10:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the official layers magazine blog site. I am treating this site as the official online version of layers magazine. Here you will find exclusive interviews, articles, literature, book reviews, music reviews, and everything else in between . All material on this site is 100 percent original and exclusive to layers magazine. Nothing may be reproduced without permission of the man-with-too-many hats, Brian Bush. I am more than happy to let anyone re-print or publish anything on this site, but please give respect to the author and publisher and fuckin contact me. six66punk@aol.com or 708.269.5376

Layers Magazine is a print magazine and is published twice a year. We custom print on 110 pound card stock. Final product can weighs up to 5 pounds and exceeds a page count of over 200. Layers Magazine is essentially fuckin' coffee table zine. Each issue is a collectors item and readily available through independant book and music stores throughout New York, Chicago, and LA.

NOTE: If you are a band or a record label, please contact me at six66punk@aol.com to obtain an address in which to send all promotional materials for review. All items received will be reviewed and published. Guaranteed.

If you are interested in obtaining passed issues, posters, ad rates, or a press kit, please call 708.269.5376 and leave a message.

Thanks,
Brian Bush
Publisher