|
Seattle's Himsa have been plugging away in the underground
for years. Initially a metalcore outfit, Himsa took to melodic
death metal and saw their popularity blossom. With a tour
of duty on the West Coast dates of last year's Sounds of
the Underground tour and a new album, "Hail Horror", out
this February, Himsa are ready to take their music to the
next level.
Due to problems with the tape, the first part of this
interview was lost and had to be redone with Chad via MySpace
on April 16, 2006.
Phil: First of all, the
new album "Hail Horror" hit stores this February; tell us
a bit about the album and the work that the band put into
it.
Chad: Well we wrote the album last year and flew over to record in Denmark where Tue Madsen recorded and produced for us. The majority of the writing was done by Kirby and a few bits and pieces were from our old guitar player. After the recording we had to workout some legal issues with out old guitar player which pushed the release of Hail Horror back a few months. But all that is over and we are very happy that the album is out and doing well.
Phil: Tell us a bit about the filming of the "Sleezevil" video?
Chad: For "Sleezevil" we worked with Derek Dale who filmed our first video "Rain to the Sound of Panic." We ran the idea by him and he was down to do it, so we rented an old TV studio that had a hospital set in it and just worked with what we had. I think it can out pretty sweet!
Phil: Were the similarities to Anthrax's "Madhouse" video done as an homage or was that just coincidental?
Chad: That was totally coincidental, although "Madhouse" is a great video. With our video we tried to make the theme the van wreck and everyone thinking that someone is having major surgery when it ends up just being a guitar. But the moshing patients is very similar between the two videos… good call.
Phil: How was the tour with Darkest Hour for you all?
Chad: It was great. Probably the best tour we have done to date. Every show was awesome and the bands were amazing. We couldn't have asked for a better tour!
Phil: As you are a Christian, how do you reconcile your faith with the "evil" imagery that the band uses from time to time?
Chad: I don't think so. The imagery that Himsa uses is somewhat similar to old Motley Crue. It's all for show and sometimes even a little humorous, so it really doesn't bother me. I am the only Christian in the band so I did get out voted when we did the pentagram hoodies last year… that wasn't exactly my cup of tea.
(at this point we join the tape in progress)
Derek: Some of this is a little tongue in cheek. Some of it is silly.
Phil: I don't know; everytime I came to a Himsa show, I expect human sacrifice and you guys have not delivered so far, goddamn you! (laughter)
Derek: You're going to have to wait until we're playing in the coliseums.
Chad: When we can afford human sacrifices. Nightly.
Phil: Alright! I see that Sammi Curr has recovered nicely from that fatal hotel fire nicely; is he going to be shooting bolts of lightning from his guitar into the audience tonight? (see the movie "Trick or Treat" and this will all make sense)
Derek: We had to stop the bolts of lightning because of an impending lawsuit, but he'll be sending out bolts of light instead.
Phil: Plus it probably doesn't help merch sales when he evaporates members of the audience, either.
Chad: Or burns the shirts up.
Derek: We tried to make him pinpoint members of the audience who had already bought stuff.
Chad: Those are return customers! (laughter)
Phil: Now, if a person has sex with a zombie, is that necrophilia? After all, they're technically the living dead.
Derek: Whoa… that's deep. Mike! Help us out!
Mike (of Darkest Hour): I already got my zombie apocalypse escape plan and it does not involve having sex with a zombie. 'Cause we've all seen the remake of "Dawn of the Dead", where the dude has sex with a chick, she becomes a zombie and has a baby zombie and that ends up killing him, so it just not worth it, I think.
Derek: But is it necrophilia?
Mike: Oh! No.
Phil: Okay, what if two zombies are having sex with eachother? Is that necrophilia?
Derek: No, 'cause the whole turn on in necrophilia is that they're totally dead; they're not moving, cold.
Phil: Well, what if you tie the zombie up so it's not moving?
Derek: It's still going to be moving a little bit; it's a zombie, you know what I mean? It's just like moving on it's own accord.
Mike: I'm not really sure how you could have sex with someone who's trying to eat your brains, anyway.
Phil: That's what a gag is for.
Derek: I would defer it to Pettibone (vocalist), as he has the most experience in this area. (laughter) ZING! (more laughter)
Phil: Okay, now I've got to call you to task on the name of the band…
Derek: No.
Phil: Yes.
Derek: Skip it. I won't tell you, you know that.
Phil: I already asked that last time; this is a different question.
Derek: Okay; let's hear it.
Phil: Alright… Himsa is a sexist name. Why didn't you go with Hersa or Him Or Hersa or even Themsa? (laughter)
Derek: Themsa would have been awesome! (laughter) Actually… um… (pauses) I don't have a response for that. (laughter) Dude, you thought about that one way too long. Actually, in Europe, we are Hersa, so it equals out.
Chad: They never know what we say when people ask what our name is. Someone thought I said "H.I.M. suck."
Derek: "Oh, I didn't know you were one of THOSE bands."
Phil: No, no, no, no… that wouldn't be proper English! How could they think you said "H.I.M. suck"? It would have to be "H.I.M. sucks" with the "s" at the end.
Derek: Not in Europe. Anything goes in Europe; we're actually "Hizma" in Europe. We've actually been printed as that over there.
Phil: I bet that really confused 3 Inches of Blood as to who the hell they were playing with a few weeks ago.
Derek: Well, that was before the 3 Inches of Blood tour. I think they got a little better. They picked up on it after a few years; it was a promoter.
Phil: Now I asked you this question last time and I've got to ask you again; are still down with the sickness?
Derek: Absolutely. (laughter) I will never not be down with the sickness.
Phil: Okay, now what is the whole story behind that? 'Cause I was reading about it in the tour diary, you got asked that question a lot down in California; what exactly was that about?
Derek: I guess… people were asking me that? I thought you were just asking me that.
Phil: Well I got this off of a tour diary that was up on your website a couple years ago.
Derek: I think at that time… there was one time… (pauses) I don't even remember. That was so long ago; you can't ask me anything about that. I just don't remember anything that long ago.
Phil: So you don't remember starting the band, you don't remember anything up until the last year or so? (laughter)
Derek: Pretty much, actually. (laughter)
Phil: Were you stranded on a desert island with amnesia or something?
Derek: No, I just don't have a very good memory.
Chad: Stranded in a van.
Derek: I know that I'm still down with the sickness.
Chad: And will always be.
Phil: Would you be down with the Bird Flu?
Derek: Um… no.
Phil: What about SARS?
Derek: No, it's too old.
Phil: So it's not just any sickness, but it has to be a specific kind?
Derek: No, it's specifically The Sickness.
Phil: All right, last question - what is the fascination with serial killers on the website?
Derek: That fascination is long gone and is being reworked at this very moment.
Phil: …okay, I guess that's it then.
Derek: (laughter) Sorry I don't have a better answer for you on that one.
Phil: That's okay. Alright, thank you!
|
