Intervju Leech Eater

LE: Hey thanks for having us. Boston is a pretty cool place to live, despite the current heat wave. Just got back from seeing "Human Centipede" at a local theater. The film was fucking terrible, but the ability to see it is great!

LE: Well, Boston has a reputation in the States as being a progressive enclave. I mean, you have all these academic institutions: Harvard, MIT, Boston University, UMASS, Northeastern. There's just so much culture, and so many ideas in flux in such a small area, it does create a progressive atmosphere. I can go see a French reading of Robert Desnos' poetry, or I can attend a special lecture on Jan Švankmajer, these opportunities engender progressivism, especially compared to some of the hyper-conservative sections of this country that are totally cut off. I've literally heard people discussing Emma Goldman at a coffee shop a block from my apartment with Motorhead playing over the speakers, it's certainly not Texas.

LE: We've been active now for almost four years. Before that, Mike, Morgan, and I were in a grindcore band called "They All Burned." The three of us had a split with several of the members of that band as they were hoping to go in a more Decapitated-esque direction. We, conversely, wanted to sound more like early Bathory and Nausea. So, I suppose that's how this silly thing started.

LE: This is very nice of you to say. I remember half-jokingly telling Mike, "Let's make sure not to be influenced by anything past Autopsy's 'Mental Funeral' record."

LE: Originally, the goal was to have fun, and it still is. I mean, it has to be. We're not going to be making money off this shit, after all. But, as an addendum I think collaborating with other bands is something we're striving to do more. We're already looking to release a split 7" with Motherpig at some point in the near future (still looking for a label). We'd also like to participate in more compilations as well, especially international ones. I really like the idea of a Leech Eater track alongside awesome bands like Agathocles, Slapendehonden, Fleischwald, Infiel, Motherpig, Niyazov, and Bulemaconda. So those are the goals. Dream would be to tour Europe, but it's sadly not likely.

LE: I've always considered Leech Eater a political band. To say a band "isn't political" is political, you know what I mean? I know for instance, "Children Throw Stones at Her" despite being a direct quote from Lautréamont, is about the trend of misogyny in death metal. Just because you posted some picture of a woman being gutted on your band's myspace doesn't mean you're subversive. I see that nonsense, and I'm like, "this is just a first grade boy pulling the pig-tails of the girl in front of him in class." I'm not offended by content, I'm offended by stupidity. I wish these guys would grow some fucking balls and actually try breaking a real taboo, as opposed to replicating actual societal norms (i.e. misogyny or homophobia). I want to tell these pricks to be more like Peter Sotos. Let's see where that gets them.

LE: I remember at one of our shows, two heroic young men reenacted Bret Hart vs Ric Flair in its entirety! I'd like to think that we, in some way, however minute, facilitated that. I think that was also part of the reason we started playing on the floor instead of a stage, just to get a better view of the absurdity happening around us.

LE: The album was recorded live by Allison of Eunuch at Side Two Studio in South Boston. She did a fucking stellar job, the whole studio is just excellent. As far as the writing process, well, for what it's worth, the tracks I wrote were composed while watching Jodorowsky or Pasolini movies and banging as much RC Cola into my skull as humanly possible. If you'd like a copy, shoot us a message at Leech Eater's myspace.

LE: You're not the only one. I'm not crazy about it either. We went through a dirt cheap manufacturing/publishing service because we didn't want the detail of the artwork compromised. So let that be a lesson. Always find a way to do it yourself, even if it costs more than the manufacturing method, at least you'll have complete control over the damn template.

HC: I liked your logo and the other artwork I’ve found on your myspace page. It’s totally thrash style. Was Dan Bythewood author for all of them?

LE: Mike came up with the logo. Dan did the cover art for the record. Leech Eater actually started with two singers. Dan was the other one. Unfortunately, he developed tinnitus early on and was unable to continue with music. Totally fucking sucks, he was a damn good vocalist. He's a very close friend of ours though, so we were psyched to get him to do the artwork. Moreover, we're really pleased with how the art came out. If anyone like his design, he can be contacted at myspace.com/bythewood.

LE: We released a four way split with our friends from South America, Menso Noise, Proyecto Panica, and Caca Sonica. Also, we've participated in various compilations in Malaysia, France, and Mexico.

LE: I really can't say enough nice things about Motherpig. Those guys are fucking awesome! We were contacted soon after launching the myspace by Sharan, and he was looking to collaborate. Nearly three years later, we've received more positive feedback from the Balkans than anywhere else. Actually, we've received more support, and messages asking questions from Europe than the States! As for Balkan bands, other than the ones we worked alongside in the "Four Horsemen of Noise" split, I really like Peach Pit, Niyazov, Faak am See (especially, the insane high pitched vocalist), To, Aktivna Propaganda, Agitator, and Anita. I'm probably forgetting a few, but it's a really fresh, diverse scene over there.

LE: There are some great bands we've played with: Eunuch, Dissector, Reign of Pestilence, Drive-by Bukkake, Unholy Goatfucker etc. All in all, pretty diverse, not so much united though. I feel like when we play with metal bands we're the "punk" band, and when we play with punk bands we're the "metal" band. Always more room for crossover shows, but we don't play out too much, so it's probably our fault.

LE: Thank you for conducting this in English. Your English is actually fantastic. It's superior to many native speakers with whom I'm acquainted.

LE: I was hoping you guys, by virtue of living in Eastern Europe, would have been shielded from that shit! Tough question. Good Will Hunting is awful because it's vanilla middlebrow tripe that attacks academia for baseless reasons while hyper-valorizing the "down home" bullshit that allowed someone like George Bush to get elected in the first place! Then again, Ally McBeal set feminism back a good forty years with its, "you must have children to be complete" doctrine. Hmmmm...didn't the Sam Neil version of "The Warlock" take place in Boston? I choose that, if it's applicable.