Bloody Phoenix
New band of Jerry Flores from Los Angeles, guy who you can know from such a bands as Excruciating Terror or Despise You. Bloody Phoenix sounds nothing different, it can be said they continue where E.T. once stopped. They will play here in Slovakia on July 15th 2008, and that's one of the reasons I wanted to talk with Jerry. Another one is that I always was and still am dedicated fan of all bands he played in and so I couldn't skip such a chance.
Hi Jerry, it’s so great to have you here for the interview, I have always been dedicated fan of your bands, I mean Despise You and Excruciating Terror … now Bloody Phoenix as well. Let’s start with some history … was Excruciating Terror your first band? And of course I have to ask how did you get together with Dino Cazares?
Hey Rado, thank you for your support. I am very humbled and quite honored by it. It's my pleasure to do this interview with you. Excruciating Terror was not my first band. I had a few others before from when I was a kid. Nothing worth mentioning. They were just bands when we were kids and were trying to learn how to play our instruments. Dino and I were not in E.T. at the same time. He was in the band before I was. He didn't last long though, he quit after their first gig together cause they were awful. They were, haha. I was initially going to start a band with Dino, my cousin Mark who was in E.T. at the time met him at a record shop he used to work at and gave him my number. We talked but never ended up playing together for whatever reason,.. too long ago to remember. I think he was still in a band called the Douche Lords at the time, I could be mistaken though.
First E.T. demo was released in 91, first record I’ve heard by E.T. was ‘Expression of Pain’, released in 96. Did you sound in 91 similar as you did on your first LP 5 years later? What were you doing with E.T. and personaly during those musically empty early years?
Actually the 91 demo was the first E.T. recording that I was on. Technically that was the 2nd E.T. demo. The first one had the original line up and was recorded I think sometime in 89, though it could have been early 90 or even back in '88 when the band formed. My memory is really bad. All those years are a blur to me. Sorry I can't be more accurate. It was recorded in my garage though.
Did we sound similar,.. yes and no. The E.O.P. recording was really polished sounding. Which is not what we sounded like. We were very very raw. As far as musically, again yes and no. The demo was more of a collection of styles. We were still trying to figure out what suited us best, we experimented more back then. As the years went on we would lose band members and it pretty much pushed us in the direction we ended up in. The more people we had in the band the more we could do, but since we couldn't count on that we went with a more stripped down style. You can hear it on our demo way back then though.
E.T. was always a band that had constant band memeber changes which of coarse halted our progress. During those years we had people coming in and out of the band. We went on road trips up and down the coast and in Mexico and released a couple of 7"s. I personally was very busy in those days. I had my hands full. At one time I was in 2 bands(E.T. & Stapled Shut), was in school, & had 2 part time jobs. It was too much so I quit Stapled Shut.
Aah, I didn't know you were in Stapled Shut!! Your split 7' with DY was actually the first thing where I've heard both these bands and I really can remember that very well, especially DY side. It was a nice walk near the lake with the tape from my friend in walkman and than baaang ... "shiiiiiit, what the hell is this"? But to be honest I have never heard much more from Stapled Shut except for this and split w/ LOI (if I remember correctly)... please tell me something, more about this band. who else was in the band, what else you recorded, how long have you have active ... anything. And, I have just found Stapled Shut on myspace, means they are back?
Yeah I was an original member. But I quit long before we/they ever recorded. I did not play or have anything to do with any of the songs they recorded. Though now that I think about it, I think I played guitar on one song for Frank(guitar/singer) who was recording a song for his recording class. But that's it. I don't know if the song was ever used for anything. Anyway,... I think the original line up was me on guitar, Mando(Nausea LA) bass, Martin(ET) drums, and our Friend Stick on vox. Stick used to do our logos,.. ET & SS etc. Anyhow,... we sounded a bit different than what Stapled Shut ended up sounding like. More of a cross between Siege & old Italian hardcore like Raw Power, Negazione etc. I think we were suppose to have a different drummer but he didn't show up or something. Frank joined the band shortly,.. oh wait, it might have been my cousin Mark. They had a few releases. The 2 you mentioned,.. I think they also did a 4 way split 7" on Pessimiser(could be wrong though)and a 7" on Clean Plate records, they also released a couple of demos. I don't remember if they had anything else. Sorry, my memory is shit. I used to drink a lot back in those days. Stapled Shut is Dead though. They've talked about getting back to together but it's just talk. Mostly drunk talk. We formed in the early 90's, maybe 91-92, not sure of when they stopped playing though. Mid to late 90's. Doing this interview really reminds me of how bad my memory is. Sorry.
One special question I have always wanted to ask somebody from Excruciating Terror: Why did/do you hate Helmet?
Helmet? Hmmmm, haha, I think I know what you're talking about. Helmet the person, not the band. Helmet (not his real name) was a promoter who screwed us over really bad down in Mexico. I hadn't thought about that in a very very long time. I still hate that guy.
Than you played in Despise You, do you remember how this begun? Whose idea it was?
Despise You was Chris Elders (Pessimiser Records) idea. From what I remember I could be mistaken though, Chris was in the studio when Crom was recording and they asked him to do vocals on a song. So they recorded it and instead of it being Crom with guest vocals Chris decided to call it by another name and he put the song on a comp he was releasing as Despise You. Later on he decided he wanted to try to make it more than a one time thing and he called up some people who he wanted to be a part of the project. I got a call from him and he asked if I'd be interested. E.T. was on one of our many hiatus periods so I said what the hell and told him yes.
You don’t play with them now, right? I’ve heard you were not invited or something like that … why, what happened?
No I don't play with them anymore. I was invited back though. Actually, when I told them no, they were going to cancel the reformation, I told them to go ahead and do it if they really wanted to. Well at least they told me they wouldn't do it without me haha. Anyhow,.. I chose not to do it for personal reasons.
Was there any other band, except for those two mentioned already, before Bloody Phoenix? Also, have you ever been involved in music in any other form than in a band, I mean any zine, label, organizing gigs …. ?
Yes there was another band that I had before Bloody Phoenix, we were called A.F.B.(Addicted From Birth). Nothing serious. Just my good drinking mates CK & Steve who used to be in a band called Divisia. I started playing with them cause E.T. was in it's final days and I was training down in Anaheim by where they lived. It was a party band.
Yeah I've been an active member of our scene in one way or another since I was about 12/13. Aside from going to shows and playing in bands, I had my own zine back in Jr. High School, I've thrown shows for touring bands, I've housed and fed them, I've worked at record labels etc. I just started booking shows again, something I thought I'd never do again.
Ok, now let’s concentrate on your new band Bloody Phoenix. I was really surprised that after so many years of playing grindcore you started a new band, and it’s grindcore one again. Aren’t you tired of it yet? You never wanted to play something different, let’s say sludge or some metal?
Grindcore is where the heart is. For me at least. I haven't gotten it out of my system yet. I got a lot left. It might be just cause I didn't do everything I could with it during E.T.. Not tired of it at all. Maybe cause it's not all I listen to. Bloody Phoenix was not intended to be a grindcore band to begin with, I wanted to play something a bit different but it's what it turned out to be. I didn't fight it though. It's part of who I am. Yeah I've thought about doing different musical projects/styles, but to tell you the truth I'd rather not deal with anymore people that I already do. It's a headache. People,.. in LA, are very flakey, a trait I can't stand and try to avoid at all costs. I've always wanted to try my hand at arranging classical compositions, I might still do that one day. I'd like to try my hand at movie scores as well, something I started doing when I was in school but left behind a long time ago.
Can we know the rest of Bloody Phoenix members from any other bands?
None of the current members have been in any bands you would have heard of. Just local bands.
I think E.T. and D.Y. were and still are pretty popular here, but I am not that sure about Bloody Phoenix. Can you compare B.P. musically to your old bands?
Yes, Bloody Phoenix is still quite unknown. I try not to mention the bands I was in before. I'd like Bloody Phoenix to stand on it's own. I don't want us to get popular cause of my past but rather cause of what we're doing. Musically, they all share a common sound/style. It's the way I write. DY the least of though cause in DY it wasn't just me writing everything like in ET & BP, in DY we had Phil and I as the main writers but Chris also shared his ideas, and Frank would help out too. BP I'd say is an advanced version of ET, it's pretty much what ET would have probably ended up sounding like if we kept going. The different members in those 2 bands make the differences.
To me Bloody Phoenix sounds musically primitive (in the best meaning of that word) and oldfashioned and I appreciate that. Because I think grindcore=disgusting music and that’s something that this genre started to loose. Evolution of grindcore is probably not completely OK when average Relapse fan is getting into it. I mean, I have nothing against bands like Nasum or Pig Destroyer, but on the other hand I somehow feel that fans of Mastodon or let’s say Neurosis should hate real grindcore. What do you think?
I agree. I also agree that we are musically primitive. In my opinion, Real grindcore isn't, or at least shouldn't be polished up and friendly sounding. Nice in slick for others not us. No offense to the bands mentioned. They do their own thing and have their own views. Anyhow,... to me Grindcore is suppose to be ugly, primitive, simple, in your face, intense, and raw. Why try to put an arm lock on someone when you can just knock them out with one punch? Haha, silly analogy I know. It's 4:27am, I have yet to go to bed. Forgive my silliness.
Bloody Phoenix is lyricaly dead serious in the same way as were your other bands. Is it because of your and your friends characters, area and social situation you live in .. or maybe you think that grindcore has to be, hm, let’s say it simply ‘political’ music genre? How is it possible that you had never surrender to that funny kind of powerviolence??
I never really thought about it. It's just how it is. How we are. It must be our personalities and of course our environment here in LA. It's serious music. This band/music is our tool to express our anger. I'm not into comedycore. If I want to laugh, I'll listen to a comedian. As for the political aspect, no. Music to me is more than just a way to push your political views. We do of coarse have political songs. We can't help it, but it's not the only thing we talk about. We talk about mental illness, drug addiction etc.
There are some female vocals on your "war, hate & misery" lp that sounds like those from Despise You, but I'm probably wrong ... am I not?? Even if I am, I have to say those are one of the best female vocals in hc/grind, to be honest I'm pretty picky about the female vocals in what we call extreme music.
Yes, that is a different gal doing vocals on "War, Hate, & Misery" than the gal that was in Despise You. Very different sounding gals too, in my opinion anyhow. Thanks for the compliments though Rado. The gal who did the vocals for Despise You(LuLu) had never tried singing before. She never rehearsed with us either, she'd just show up at the studio and Chris would coach her. She did very well under the circumstances. Now that I think about it, we never rehearsed much either. We'd get together maybe 4 times before we'd go into the studio to make up a bunch of songs then we'd relearn the songs while in the studio and it was done. Now the gal who did the vocals on our LP is quite the talented musician. She(Brenda) plays drums & vocals in a local band called Sin Remedio, and guitar in Obliteration of Mankind.
How’s the life for you in Los Angels – the centre of the Universe? How do you spend your free time there except for band rehearsals? Is it possible to meet some known hc/metal musicians somewhere in bars or at the shows?
Centre of the Universe? Haha, not quite, though I guess whoever you are, wherever you live, that's your center of the universe. Life in Los Angeles is like life anywhere else. It has it's pros and cons. Life in this big city can be frustrating, but yet I love it here, this is my home. I do a lot of hiking on my free time. We are lucky here in LA, we don't have to drive too far to get to the ocean, desert, or mountains. Though recently I must admit I've been doing more drinking than hiking haha. Yeah it's always possible to meet other musicians at certain bars or shows, music stores as well.
Do you listen to grindcore at home? Do you like some horror and gore grind bands? Any new good local bands overthere in LA?
I rarely listen to grindcore at home. Maybe that's why I'm not burned out on it. I figure my band practices 2 times a week, that's enough grindcore for me. I'm not into horror or gore grind. Maybe a couple of bands but not really. Not my cup of tea. There are always good bands coming up out here, the problem is they never seem to stay together for too long. Some newer bands that I like are Retaliate, Vakraant,Socialized Crucifixion, Inner City Strife, High Tension, oh can't forget about Gravehill! A lot of kids out here are trying there hand and they are pretty good.
So you are going for the European tour in July, have you ever been to Europe before? If yes what did you like the best here, if not what are you the most curious about to see and looking forward to here?
No I've never been to Europe before, I can't wait! I am very excited to taste all the many different beers over there, haha. All the different countries and country sights. Many of my pen pals that I've had since I was a teenager. Looking forward to seeing a lot of the old cities in Europe, but most of all, all the people we will meet.. I am curious about the different foods over there. I am very picky so I might not eat and die.
Are you vegetarian? I'm asking just because of you saying you like good food ... Anyway, yes or not,it doesn't matter, you can try some real vegie or meat local specialities in this middle european area. Tell me what kind of food you like and is there something you really dislike?
No I am not a vegetarian. I used to be for about 10 years, but I've been eating seafood for about 8 years now. I love Pasta. The smell of meat makes me want to puke. I am very picky with food as I said and it's hard for me to try new stuff. I don't like Chinese or Indian food. Basically seafood, veggies, and pasta is what I live on. I will try to try new stuff in europe hough haha.
You will play also in Czech and you said you like beer, and so that equals one thing: be ready for heaven!! Belgian beer is shit, English is good but Czech is the best, no doubt! How is the beer in LA / USA? I had Budweiser once or twice and that's nothing special, not to talk about Heineken. But I can imagine you have some fantastic Tequila over there, right!?
This makes me very happy to hear. I am really looking forward to The Czech Republic. All I hear is how great it is there. I really like Belgian beer, maybe I don't know shit though. I like English as well. I really like Irish stouts. US beer is total shit. Budweiser is total crap. If Czech is heaven for beer lovers, then the US is hell for them. We have some decent micro breweries out here though. But for the most part, our beer sucks. I don't touch Tequila unless I'm already wasted and don't give a fuck. Tequila and me don't mix. I'm sure if you love Tequila, LA is a very good place for you.
Thanks for your time, can’t wait to see you on stage here. Is there something special you Want us to arrange for you here in Slovakia?
No problem Rado, it was a pleasure. Nothing special I'd like you to arrange for me, I think just being in Slovakia and playing for people I never have before will be more than enough. Thank you for taking the time to interview me. Peace.
Jerry
www.myspace.com/bloodyphoenix1