MANDATORY
DEATH
Sacrifice,
Annihilator, Razor… Thrash Metal scene in
METAL
SIDE: When did your form Mandatory Death? What motivated you to play aggressive
music?
MANDATORY
DEATH: Fast and Heavy music, just causes an adrenaline, that's
like a drug, that's why we love
Speed Metal. The aggressive side stems from influences like Cannibal Corpse, and
straight up death metal on Garrett's Side,
and Slayer style thrash dating back to when we were young kids. Garrett went up
to Rhyno and confronted him about starting a “Metal Project”.
METAL SIDE: Many bands have line-up changes. How is it
in Mandatory Death's case?
MANDATORY
DEATH: Garrett and Rhyno jammed, the second practice
Dario was invited, then about a month later, Kurt was invited cause he was the only bass kid we knew. It wasn't for Months
and Months with Mikel in mind for the vocals spot,
before he finally joined up at a jam session. There was complications with the
owner of the house with Mikel, that were resolved eventually...that's
how it's been ever since.
METAL SIDE: What inspires you to write your music?
MANDATORY
DEATH: Well...when you listen to Speed Metal with a fuckin
crazy system with a couple big subs pounding yer ears
off with every fuckin drum kick...you know what
inspires us...
METAL SIDE: Canada's Thrash Metal scene was very good in the 80's; then it seemed
to be stagnant. Do you agree with such opinion?
MANDATORY
DEATH: Maybe it was stagnant cause Thrash metal is and
always will and should be underground. If you're in the city and keep your ears
open to the bands, you'll hear good or great Thrash or Death or Grind bands
that fuckin maul...the shit is always getting
overlooked but who cares... I know good bands... everyone does... I might be
sheltered cause I’m from
METAL SIDE: What
MANDATORY
DEATH: The Winnipeg Scene has as much interest as you need I say...
METAL SIDE: Is any kind of rivalry between Canada's Thrash Metal scene and US
Thrash Metal scene? Where do Thrash Metal musicians have better conditions for
development (as musicians of course)?
MANDATORY
DEATH: As far as a Rivalry goes... our favorite bands are what? Bands like:
Slayer, pantera, old metallica,
cannibal corpse, DRI, etc... if
there's a rivalry, they're just fuckin dicks...
METAL SIDE: This year we have an anniversary: twenty years ago Possessed released
"Seven Churches" - a symbolic beginning of Death Metal. What do you think
of this album and the whole genre?
MANDATORY
DEATH: Our second album has much more death metal sound in it, then Clashing... we love death metal...
METAL SIDE: "Clashing of the Swords" is a good album but the question
is what next. Do you believe that it will help you to sign a deal with good independent
record label?
MANDATORY
DEATH: After we record this album and it's in our hands pressed how we want it
n' done up all nice n' shit, the goal is to continue the shows and hold a cd release party for sure, etc...Record labels will be contacted
by us for sure... the way i see it is after this next
one, our rawness in Clashing will still be there, but the talent has grown... i think two albums under our belt, specially since the
young kids are just graduating might help us out a little better.
METAL SIDE: What do you think of the bands which compose more and more commercial
materials believing that it will help them to achieve bigger popularity and to
earn more money? Is popularity important for you?
MANDATORY
DEATH: We'd play our own songs for a million dollars... our OWN songs.
METAL SIDE: How do you compose your music? Do you work on your songs collectively
or individually?
MANDATORY
DEATH: For “Clashing” it was half
composed before Mikel wrote the lyrics... During
those times we were all in high school n' shit, and jammed Mondays, so it was
mostly a united effort on that album. More recently since three of us are out of school, Garrett
and Rhyno have been getting together and composing
most the tracks just the two of them. Dario and Mikel
and naturally Kurt add their parts after the body of the song has been laid down.
Schedules are a problem, but we make it work...
METAL
SIDE: Have you started writing the material for the new album? When can expect
it?
MANDATORY
DEATH: The Material is finished. We perform 6 new songs at shows since our
release of clashing of the swords, and we're slowing down right now to
concentrate and finish our second album.
METAL SIDE: How often do you play live? Are the gigs an important part of Mandatory
Death's activities?
MANDATORY
DEATH: We play every month n' a half or so, and it's usually a wicked bill with
fuckin bands that we would have wanted to play
with...funny thing, we've never put on our own shows, we've only been invited. We've
got a hell of a lot more kids that have recognized the name Mandatory Death,
then we've been paid, and that's fuckin perfectly
fine in our eyes...
METAL SIDE: What are the topics of your lyrics?
MANDATORY
DEATH: We try to stick to the Genre, as far as style, but we try to use shit
that we've never heard before...our album sort of follows a theme, from “Going to War” (our first song written the day the war was declared on
Iraq) all the way through to “Hit the Bricks”, which is like a fuckin red eyed ending to
the assault. The new albums lyrics, and production on
the vocals will be a definite step up.
METAL SIDE: Canada is very often presented as
opposition to United States: for instance that your government is more
concentrated on social policy, that Canadian cities are much more safe, that
life in Canada is simply better and easier. Do you agree with such opinions?
MANDATORY
DEATH: Well, Dimebag wasn't shot in Canada...
METAL SIDE: Thanks for the interview.
MANDATORY
DEATH: Head for Head, Peace to
June
2005