Way Too Loud! posted an interview recently with POISON THE WELL, with some of the subject matter dealing with POISON THE WELL hanging out with SUFFOCATION on the Sthress Tour. Here are some excerpts:
Way Too Loud: I’m wondering how well you got to know the guys from Suffocation on the Strhess tour, because every time someone brings up that tour to them, they always mention Poison The Well.
Ryan: They were kind of fast friends on that tour. I have no idea why it happened, I have no idea why it went the way it did, but we just ended up becoming really fast friends. Some of us, and some of them would always be watching each others band, and always chatting, and always trading thoughts on life in general. We both have very similar attitudes towards music. Obviously, you can tell that Suffocation is a band that’s going to do whatever the hell they want, no matter what anybody has to say.
Jeff: They’re really cool dudes! They’re funny! And they’re fun to watch live too! I used to be into a lot of death metal, because I used to play Dungeons & Dragons when I was 13, and I had lots of friends who listened to death metal, so I knew death metal through them, and through my sister. I always remembered that Suffocation was one of the bands that all my friends listened too. It was cool to call them and say “Dude, I’m on tour with Suffocation!”, and they’d say “What? Why are you on tour with Suffocation?”, because they think of my band as like a sissy band, you know, because we sing and stuff. They said “You guys aren’t brutal enough to go on tour with Suffocation!”
Ryan: It’s funny going on a tour like Strhess Tour, and seeing all the kids that are coming to these shows, and knowing that Suffocation is playing, knowing that their first record came out in ‘91, and they were far crazier than any us, far before any of us ever even decided we wanted to something a little bit left of center with music. They were pioneers of the whole idea of that. It’s really cool to know they said stuff like that, because I didn’t know that. It’s pretty awesome.
Jeff: We ended up being friends with those guys more than any of the other bands on that tour, even the bands we had already known.
Way Too Loud: I heard that there were a lot of kids who went to see that tour who were prepared to see Suffocation, even though they weren’t death metal kids.
Ryan: Absolutely! I think that’s because of the fact that they’re the genuine article. You can’t mistake it with them. That’s one of the greatest points of their band. From the minute they wake up, to the minute they go to sleep, they’re always them, playing or not playing. There’s no stage personality versus off-stage.
Way Too Loud: I was wondering about that, since Frank has such a signature style on stage.
Ryan: He’s crazy off stage too! He’s a loon! It’s great!
Chris: In the best way possible.
Ryan: I’m not talking in a negative way. He is one of my most favorite people I’ve met on tour. He’s an incredibly intelligent person.
Chris: He does have that karate chop thing. He loves it!
Ryan: “This song is about killin’ people, cause that’s what I like to do!” (Laughs)
Jeff: Frank makes the best between song banter! He said one time “Go into your local graveyard, and dig up any broad, any broad you want, and do whatever you want with her!” [sees my Suffocation belt buckle] You’ve got a sweet belt buckle dude!
Read more of this interview at Way Too Loud!
