This interview was conducted with Buddy Smith, vocalist of Erie, PA’s Bastards of Thrash, Criminally Insane.
FEATURED BAND: MARCH 2004
Interview by DJ
It's been about 2 years since the last interview I did with Criminally Insane, What's the band been up too since then?
Ah shit! That’s like askin’ me how much dope I’ve smoked in two years! Maybe about fifty pounds? HAHA! Well since our last talk CI has been recording, playing out, getting tattoos and getting wasted! Where to start?
We got the newest recording out: the “Nameless Fear” EP and when we recorded that we also recorded the Anthrax tune “Indians” for an upcoming tribute album released through Shark Bite Records, probably gonna be out this summer.
We’ve been getting airplay in Europe; in Belgium, France and Poland… we actually did an interview with Polish webzine “The Metal Side” featured at:
http://www.geocities.com/deathmetalside/criminal.html
and are featured in an issue of “Toxic Waltz” a Belgium webzine.
Criminally Insane has adopted a new “CI” logo that three of the five band members promptly got tattooed on them, and we’ve been thrashing it up playing like 3 shows a month.
Care to talk about the ep "Nameless Fear"? where was it recorded at?
We recorded with Doug White again at Watchman Studios in Lockport, NY. The sound of “Nameless Fear” is just so better defined than our previous work on the “Thrash Metal” Demo and the “Darkness of the Mind” album. We seem to have found a sound that is just our own, a blend of Thrash, Death and even some elements of Doom. The EP starts off with Death metal crunch and ends real melodically. There is only four songs, but it is also an enhanced CD with video tracks that you can play on your computer. Which include 3 live performances of material off of Darkness of the Mind (one of which was filmed at the 31st St. Pub) and a making of the EP video. There is also desktop backgrounds, buddy icons (no pun intended) and random band pics. Not bad for a price tag of $5-6, eh?
Any new recordings in the works?
Of course! We are currently doing song writing for the new EP “Buried and Back Again” which we go into the studio for in early June and will be released in July some time. This will be another 4-5 song EP that is enhanced with all sorts of neat little shit.
Are you still playing without a bassist?
Ah……… the question I’ve been waiting for. We DO have a Bass player now and we actually debuted him in Pittsburgh at the Smiling Moose in Southside. Josh Faulkner joined the ranks of insanity about a lil less than a year ago. He has yet to be recorded as a member of the band but will make his thrash capability apparent on the next EP.
Play any good shows lately?
Oh fuck yeah! We actually had a killer show at the State Street Tavern (R.I.P.) with Slaves on Dope. Kind of a weird match-up, Nu-metal and Thrash/Death, but there were so many people there that it didn’t matter, they just wanted to get drunk and hear music. We actually use pictures from that show on our new posters. Great time!!!
Any plans on playing Pittsburgh?
You never know when we will show up and throw down. We’ve been playing at random bars here and there but the most likely place to see us in Pittsburgh is at the Spider Lounge. Now this joint isn’t a bar, it’s one of my friend’s houses in the South Hills and once a month he throws a kegger and has like 6-8 bands play. Everyone from Pittsburgh punk heroes: Skrewloose, Ragweed and Resent, to in your face metal like Criminally Insane and Casting Method. Good stage, good beer (usually yuengling) and good tunes.
So how is the Metal Scene in Erie,Pa?
Honestly, we are one of, if not the flagship band for Erie heavy metal. Sure there are bands that are good that come and go, but they do just that… they come and go. And the ones that have been around for decades don’t do anything new. Our fan base is getting bigger and bigger too. Old heads and kids alike are thirsty up here for bang-your-head, thrash-it-up metal and we have become a good standard for that. If you get a chance to listen to Nameless Fear, do it! And you will see what all the hype is about. Erie metal is not dead! There is a scene to be had; it’s just a matter of what you do with it.
What are your thoughts on Metal in general these days?
A lot of cool shit is happening in metal. You got Strapping Young Lad bringing back thrash, you got Ozzfest putting on an ass kicking show like the days of yore and not promoting all those pussy bands that it has been known to do, fucking Obituary is doing a reunion tour, Fear Factory is back together; there is just so much cool shit goin on in metal these days that I am as proud to be a metal-head as ever!
What can we expect from Criminally Insane in the near future?
Well we are currently trying to put together a east coast tour for the summer which will prolly include like 2 or 3 Pittsburgh shows and we are gonna keep writing so if you wanna keep an eye on the world of CI just stop by the website and check shit out www.criminallyinsane.net we are having some server problems at the moment but the Board is always a good way to keep updated.
Anything you'd like to add or close with?
Drink beer, take shots and SMOKE WEED!! Heavy Fucking Metal!!
CRIMINALLY INSANE LINKS:
Criminally Insane site
Bushmado cd review of Darkness of the Mind
Bushmado cd review of Nameless Fear
Crimally Insane Bushmado Interview 2002
Criminally Insane pics
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