Chimaira - Steve, moustaches and porn
After our previous interview that made a lifelong lasting impression on both CarpeSiem and me, we of course wanted to talk to them again at the Sounds Of The Underground tour to see if they still knew who we were. We got Matt to talk to us in the sunny early afternoon, so here we go with another load of stupid questions!
"Are you going to ask the same questions as last time?"
No no, we have new stupid questions. The first one actually is; how’s Steve doing?
"How’s Steve? Steve’s great. Steve was at the Steve the other day, told me to say hi to Steve."
We actually wanted to introduce ourselves as Steve. What’s the deal with Steve anyway?
"The way I describe it is, did you ever see that Southpark episode with Marklar? You know how they call everything Marklar? Steve’s kinda like that, he likes the name Steve, he also calls everything Steve. Haha."
Hahaha! How’s Mark doing by the way, we heard about him having to cancel a show because of a sudden departure of a relative or something?
"He’s doing good. His grandmother passed away and he had to miss a show. It actually ended up being a cool show, he watched the video, it was kind of weird. We had Chris sing some songs and we had Mike from Hate Eternal sing a couple and Byron from God Forbid sing a couple, it was great and the crowd still loved it. It was better than if we would have cancelled. He’s doing good now, he missed only one show. He had to go home and deal with a couple of things. That’s the only show he’s ever missed."
Yeah lets keep it that way, haha. So you let some kid sing Pure Hatred?
"Ah ,yeah, I forgot about that. We had a fan come up and sing Pure Hatred. We asked for someone who knew every single lyric. This kid came up, number one; he knew every single lyric, two; he sounded good. He was running around, he was really nervous but he really sounded good. He had stage presence, I was like wow! Chris just did a little of the backup, but it was amazing."
"Oh yeah, that kid was stoked! He was super psyched, he was calling everybody."
Who came up with the press information about the split with Roadrunner Records that was on your website?
"Oh Mark did. You know Blabbermouth where kids post, just basically venting, making fun of everyone they can. So we thought we’d beat them to the punch. So Mark made up the whole thing."
(we discuss some of the ridiculous comments that we on the website, like ‘I heard two of the members got engaged…to each other’ and DYING FETUS RULES!!!! And have a good laugh about it)
Have you found a new label already?
"Uh, no we haven’t. We’re actually waiting right now. We’ll wait until the end of the tour and then we’ve got a couple of shows back home. And then we have to start writing, think about it then. We’ll see, just check out the offers, we’re focusing on it a little bit, but we’re gonna wait with a decision."
During the recording sessions?
"Probably during the writing. Sooner or later, but not right now."
What were the key issues you weren’t agreeing on with Roadrunner, or is that classified information?
"We started our relationship with them, especially in the UK and Europe we had a great relationship with them. But in the States we were kind of butting heads about some key issues yeah, I wouldn’t want to go into it too far but it was good we ended it on good terms. It was an amicabol, abica…amicable split. Yeah, amicable."
But are you guys still on Roadrunner in Europe?
"Ah well they’re helping us here with press and stuff, they’re still helping us with this record of course, still pushing it. But no, we’re on no label. Free agents, hehehe."
So how did you guys get to headline the Sounds Of The Underground tour?
"We did the SOTU tour in the States and thought about brining it to Europe. Not as a headliner in the US but as one of the final bands or whatever. They came up with bringing it over here and we got the offer, and we have a good relationship with everybody that puts on the festival. So we were like we’d love to. I mean it’s an honour to me, to play after bands that have been out there for some time too. But it’s switched a couple of times though, sometimes Madball is closing so it’s more like co-headlining. I don’t know which shows, we are closing tonight. But it’s a big honour for me because I grew up on Madball, so that’s cool. And the guys from Madball are supercool about it so that’s awesome, everyone gets along. That’s the great thing about this tour, it’s going so well because everyone already knows each other. It’s one big happy family."
(we discuss our previous encounter with them when we drove them to Paradiso to the Eastpack Resistance tour where everybody was getting along and having a good time as well, good times indeed!)
So how’s the tour going so far then?
"Great! This is like show number four and the other three in the UK were awesome. Big crowds, every band is getting a great response so that’s good. It’s been a good tour."
What is it with you guys and moustaches?
"Hahaha, I have no idea it started with Steve. Mark and Chris are big into moustaches, and we just think it’s funny, we think it’s hilarious. I had the Hulk Hogan one going, I had the straight up moustache, like the police stache, I don’t… we get bored on the road sometimes and we do stupid shit. Like now I’m growing this stupid beard but I don’t even like it, I’m just doing it because it’s awesome, hehehe!"
"Appearently. Who do I have to impress you know what I mean, fuck it! It’s not like I’m gonna be on the cover of some radio magazine, I don’t have to look good! Hehehe!"
"Jules Jordan yeah, I was just talking to him on-line. I was like when we get home we’re gonna write the new record and he was like you’re gonna write some sassy love tunes? I was like yeah, if you put them in your movie! But Jules is one of our buddies now, we met Jules in LA of course, and he does videography for bands also, besides porn. And he just came to the show like ‘do you mind if I film you guys’ and we were like yeah go ahead. And after the show he gives us like a shitload of porn and we’re like; right on! He writes, directs, performs and we became really good friends and every time we see him he has like this big box of porn for us. Pretty cool we don’t have to pay for porn. And the dude makes thé best porn I’ve ever seen in my life! Hehehe! So yeah, Jules Jordan, he’s one of our influences. Hehehehe! Musically! Hehehe!"
"Okay, I’m ready! I like these questions, I don’t like boring interviews."
I like doing these interviews! Bands get really tired of regurgitating the same stuff over and over. Here it is; have you tried the new bronzed chicken with corn cakes at Outback Steakhouse already?
"Hahahahaha! I haven’t personally, but everything on that menu is awesome. I wish you guys had Outback here too, it’s fantastic. I always get the Outback Special, which is a big ass steak, cesar salad, mash potatoes, oh yeah. Yeah, good stuff. It’s another influence of us at our MySpace. Jules Jordan, Outback and Jägermeister."
"Hehe, perfect!"
Okay, a serious question then.
"Oh great. Just kidding! Hehe."
How is it with Andols back in the line-up again?
"Awesome! Obviously Kevin is a great drummer and he wrote a great record with us. But when you’re travelling and living with someone you sometimes butt heads. I mean we got along, but sometimes it’s just not the same you know."
Yeah we heard that he was a bit of a party animal.
"Yeah. He was… yeah. I guess you heard about him joining Hate Eternal, when we got Andols back. We heard rumours of him wanting to come back, and that he missed it. This is just better. It’s a bit of fire under our asses. He’s playing better than he has ever played, hits hard, enjoying every second of it. He’s happier than I’ve ever seen him so that’s cool."
How’s his bench pressing going?
"Ow he’s working out like mad! It’s crazy, I don’t know how he gets the motivation, I just drink beer! We call it the twelve ounce curl, working on my keg! Hehehe!"
I know all about that, last night I visited a Hatesphere show...
"Ow shit, I heard they might come to one of our shows. I don’t know if it’s tonight but it would be cool to see them. How were they?"
It was alright, I was pretty drunk when they started.
"So you don’t know? Hehe."
(we discuss that show, my shoulder falling out all the time and the ubermosh dude that we of Metalrage have come to know as ‘Him’)
So it’s time for my famous question again. In movies, who do you prefer; Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone?
"Probably Arnold. Movie wise, yeah Arnold."
Why is that?
"I don’t know. Hehehe. Honestly, I don’t know. Mark’s favourite dude in the whole world is Arnold. He has every single movie, he doesn’t think any of them suck."
Seriously? He's got Jingle All The Way?
"He’s got every single one! And I’m like wow, he has some good movies but I don’t like him that much! Junior, Twins and all that shit!"
I recently finally bought the first Terminator, Red Heat and Kindergarten Cop.
"Hahahaha! (mimicking Arnold’s voice) ‘what does your daddy do?’ Hahahaha!"
(we further discuss my Arnold obsession for no good reason and I tell him that I ask this question to every band I interview because I don’t like the boring questions)
"That’s awesome! Thanks you said that because most interviews are like scary, like have you even read the bio? You know what I mean, think of something different, that’s why I like this. This is better."
That's it then. Do you have anything interesting to add?
"Fuck no! Hehehehe!"
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