| |
|
|
|
Recently
one of the best death metal albums in a long time was released,
the party responsible is Burning Inside. Hailing from Florida, guitarists
Steve Childers and Michael Estes (Acheron), and drummer Richard
Christy (Acheron, Death, Control Denied) try not to cash in on the
fame of some of the band's members, but rather, hold the view, "let
the music do the talking". This is demonstrated by the fact that
neither Christy nor Estes, but Childers is taking care of the interviews.
This is what the lover of beer and horror movies told me. |
|
|
|
# To begin,
please introduce the band and recall the events which preceded
the release of "The Eve Of The Entities".
|
|
= Burning Inside was founded in
the winter of 1995 by Richard Christy (drums and keyboards), and
myself, in Missouri. Before that we played in a band called Public
Assassin, but stopped because we wanted to make faster and more
technical music. Next bass player/singer Jamie Prim joined the
band and we recorded a demo which was very well received by the
underground. Mike Estes (who was in a band with Jamie beforehand)
moved, after hearing the unique sound of Burning Inside, from
Missouri to Florida to become our second guitarist. With Mike's
help the whole band moved to Florida later on.
Since the beginning our goal was to have an own sound and not
to sound like any of the weekly appearing clones. Our debut "The
Eve Of The Entities" is released by Still Dead Productions, aside
from that, Burning Inside is to be heard on tribute albums for
Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and King Diamond (all on Dwell Records),
Iron Maiden (on Twilight Records) and Mercyful Fate (on Still
Dead).
|
|
#
The songs on the CD are all excellently crafted. Please describe
the band's songwriting proces.
|
|
= Four of the songs were written
by Richard , Jamie and myself, when we were still a trio. For
the other songs Mike also contributed. We start with a guitar
riff or a drum beat and we add stuff and polish as long as needed
untill we think it sounds heavy, brutal yet still a bit technical.
Most songs are way too technical in the beginning and we have
to simplify them. I don't know why that happens, but it provides
us with a cart-load of riffs to work with. Next come the lyrics
and then we write the solo's and put the vocals on the right place.
We spend a great deal of time on the songwriting. Richard composes
all the keyboard intro's and outro's.
|
|
#
Can you tell us some more about the lyrics?
|
|
= The title song is about "Halloween"
(the night of October 31/November 1) and one of the most important
witch-sabbaths/EW), when the dead rise, witches have their greatest
power and evil is all around. "Engulfed In Flames" is based on
the story of Countess Bathory, but in my version she gets burned.
"Blind To All That Exist" is about the millions of innocent people
that were killed for witchery by the Christians. The other lyrics
are about personal problems and psychological subjects.
|
|
#
Which bands influence Burning Inside?
|
|
= For the whole band it's Mercyful
Fate, metal bands from the 80's and death metal bands from the
early 90's. Recently I've been listening to Venom, Candlemass,
old Scorpions, Morbid Angel, Black Sabbath with Ozzy, Autopsy,
Uriah Heep and Kreator (I named merely a few out of Steve's catalogue/EW).
|
|
|
|
# I've heard that some of the Burning Inside members are active
in Witchery as well.
= That's right. Black Witchery is a project that makes
"hateful, barbaric war metal". On the Dark Horizons label we've
released a 7 inch EP and a split CD/LP with the Canadian Conqueror.
Expect a raw sound a la Bathory, Blasphemy and Beherit. A full
lenght album will be released very soon on Full Moon. At our shows
we wear coats and masks just like Mortuary Drape.
# Around 10 years
ago the death metal scene in Florida was huge and world famous.
How are things today?
= Compared to those days the scene
at the present time is miniscule. But it's bigger than the scene
in Missouri. Gigs that used to attract 2000 people only attract
500 today, but there are still a lot of talented bands and musicians
walking around. Tampa has the best scene, which is where we do
most of our gigs.
|
|
|
