CHARNEL HOUSE – Interview with John

You like to read interviews with bands which went thru a lot? If so now is your chance to meet veterans of the New York scene, maybe they didn't accomplish greater success, but they're still playing without looking behinfd them. Maybe they won't find a lot of listeners these days but they know how to promote themselves…And who knows, maybe they'll get their big break ???

Hello John! You played for over 10 years. What the is feeling to be on the scene since '89? You didn't have moment of despair when you saw younger guys reach further than you?

We were 17 when we played our first show June 1st 1990 and the flushing high school battle of the bands.

Looking on Your photo it's hard to believe that you've been on the scene for so many years! Though time can't be too good for you, hehehe….

It is really ok, except Brian has cut his hair since.

O.K. we begin this interview I hope thrilling? I will not hinder you, if we will begin from little lesson of history? Let fans in my country recognize upward flights and falls CHARNEL HOUSE, hehehe….

Well we started in 1989 at the time bands like Overkill, Nuclear Assault, Agnostic Front were popular…. we just wanted to play the fastest we possibly could with our greatest influence………SLAYER!!!

First demo “Inhumanities” was raw, quick. Appeared to listeners as something creative, brutal and resoluteness incomparable: important feature in often-uncreative scene. All this is given came from your biography. Really in those time was not of good band, which canned something to carry on to metal music?

At that time we were starting out our drummer was a drunk and an asshole, he could keep a beat to save his life…so at the time it was a hindrance.

I infer, that you had to turn with that material? Surely, it to end this you did not go out… With difficulty was rather to beat giant contemporary scenes.

At that time in 90' 91' and 92' it was poser metal or death metal all the bands we played with at the time either played like poison or suffocation…. there wasn't any thrash …we were playing a dead style. So we just played as fast as we possibly could…. I'll get you a copy

Come '90 year and CHARNEL HOUSE delivers one's own second tape demo “Prophecies Of Terror”. Dear fans welcomed it very warmly. Do you still go this same way, what is on first demo?

The first demo “Inhumanities” fans that would come see us play would buy it and we would pass them around. All the other bands in the area didn't have jobs. We were the only band in the area that all had jobs so we could afford to do a demo.

Following important event and rather events was place in '92 year, when you played of close by many bands: OVERKILL, SUFFOCATION, LIFE OF AGONY CANDRIA, UNLEASHED and yet several. If well I understood all these concerts were in New York?

Yes at the time Candaria was playing with us at a place called “Nobody's” we used to have killer shows there with Ripping Corpse, Internal Bleeding, Exmortis, Human Remains, Pyrexia. All the other bands we opened for were all New York City, New Jersey, and Maryland.

Here can step out little error! You let go following material, on which is found 7 of tracks. “The Killing Breed” I do not know whether this is the name of this publishers? The material was proud sharp production and innovations rhythms. Was even distributed in Germany by Dynamo rec.

Yes …Myself and John the guitar player mixed it our sucky drummer at the time played ok on the recording. And yes dynamo records in Germany for a short time distributed it.

In '95 year appears again new publishers “Haunted Heaven”. The band becomes very active in underground scene. You begin to send one's own music in world after different zines, broadcasting stations, distributors. Reviews are very affirmative, outright sensational. In general you distributed 2500 of copy “Haunted Heaven”, it is nice result. Even today little bands with training can to be proud with such result.

That was cool we got a new drummer (who is still our drummer John Paul Gonzales) we started to work the underground and with the help of small distros fans shows and cool zines like this one nice enough to give a shit about us …all we can say is thank you!!!!

One can say, that first years Your activities this strand successes. Following concerts and again in companionship of stars of size: CANNIBAL CORPSE, MACHINE HEAD, NAPALM DEATH, BOLT THROWER and this all outside New York. Just, but this is USA and here every dream can materialize!

Machine Head and Napalm Death were in a place called Studio-1 in Newark, New Jersey. Bolt Thrower were on a tour with Morgoth at the time and that was at Lamoure's in Brooklyn New York

With oneself OVERKILL how and MALEVOLENT CREATION you played several times. This had to be beautiful survival?

Yes killer shows ….very cool guys in Overkill packed houses and they were nice enough to lend us a drum stool (ours broke) Malevolent Creation was also very cool …we didn't get to meet them but the shows were killer!!!

All the good has finished! In '97 will reach to some rasps in band. All good luck, that lasted this only year. After capture of situation in '99 year you recorded two tracks “Of Blood And Bone” and “The Final Scream”. Is that so former this announce of new material?

Yes we locally put a small sampler together to give out at shows to push the new material

In sum this long laid materials on shelf. “From Birth To Burial” you let go only in that of year. In spite this, that to record you began already in '00 this and so if not to look two years of difference.

We all work in the teaching or medical field so it was real hard to get together but we always knew we wanted to play music and we our all good friends and enjoy hanging out.

Just and this with optimistic accent we pass to gists of the matter, that is to say “From Birth To Burial”. All material you registered in two places. Seven of first tracks in Rich studio, last three, in Rockaway. I do not see difference among these with pieces. Properly I do not understand this pushes?

The last three tunes were taken from our “Haunted Heaven” release and remastered at Rich studios we were pushing this cd to wider musical audiences so we figured we liked the last recording so we figured to put the together.

CD opens voice of woman. It is very sexy!!!! Is this your familiar or else introduction this originates from some film? “Tombstone”?

The voice was taken from this vampire movie called “The Addiction”

Generally thing taking that from first tacts hear, from what we deal… Thrash and once again thrash metal. Of course you played death that guitars or else popular patents from hardcore. However all time checks the weight here thrash!

When we started playing together we were listening to bands like Exodus, Testament, Anthrax, Forced Entry, Wheremacht, Blood Feast Merciful Fate and so on… those were our beginning influences. So as music changed from thrash to death metal we were kind of using every style around us to create something new.

Are sometimes moments where percussion is punk rock. But I doubt that you agree with me in this of matter? John Paul received quite a lot possibilities, curiously to took. Listening his games I have impression that would not have problems in other sorts of metal.

Yes. He can play all types of metal he is the big reason for the fusion of music in the band. I also agree with you on the punk edge…that's just for flare!!

Your music is full of solos. They are good. You know this is compliment from my side! I do not like this of type of plays. I divide solos on two types. This first to asses and these good.

John and Brian have been playing guitar for many years so we wrote a lot of material that would play to our strengths which was guitar work.

Most likely results this from this, which I heard of shows “masters” guitars, whishes yet did not have of self-possessed bases. I suspect, that I am not only, which has such sentence.

We just hope as a whole people understand and like what we are trying to put across as far as mixing styles of Metal/Thrash/Hardcore/Death

Just I'm listening “Dance Of The Dead”! According to me this best piece on CD! Surely because that you have in the track bumming guitars with fine head drum and with this oriental motive…

At the time we were so happy to kick out our old drummer and get john Paul in the band we began to write very fast hard music as a release. The song talks about a person who is walking through the park at night and stumbles on to a ritual sacrifice. We have a park not to far from our neighborhood that shit like that actually happened every halloween.

Track “Terrorist” speaks about conflict between Israel with Palestine. You have one's own sentence on this theme? According to you, who is guiltier in this to war? Personally I attend, that Hebrews nothing learnt. Through so many years were opted press by other nations. Holocaust! Now proceed so with Arabs.

When I wrote the lyrics to the song the conflict had just begun between Israel and Palestine in 2000 it was just a new subject to tackle at the time not knowing what our future would hold. As far as who is responsible it is not up to me to comment.

But from second side after years passive of standing at last reached to suitable conclusions. Began to defend oneself, but some their methods are not fear!

Well in the USA we are still getting over the devastation of 9/11 myself and john work on ambulances and worked through the disaster first hand…. i do hope for peace one day

You know my first union with this track was connected from World Trade Centers. Did you think to with other bands to give “A Tribute New York”?

We did a show on October 14 for all the fallen firefighters EMS workers and police…. we lost personal friends in the disaster…it was great and we played with killer bands like SOS and Realm

Strange push from your side! You made collective thanks, in which you are one exchanged???

We just did that as a sign of affection for one another it was hard getting this cd together and we stuck to it with nobody's help but our own…we are all we rely on!!

Say me yet, what introduces cover? For is me this reflection of light thrown by prism.

A friend of ours named Barry worked on the cover from his computer it was different and creepy it represents the souls that have passed on and have left their colorful existence thus the name “From Birth To Burial” we start and we finish

Thanks for all, John! I have hope of low that you answered fine on my questions!!!

I would like to say thank you for taking the time out to interview us, it is greatly appreciated good luck with all of your future projects and please keep in touch —– Charnel House

CHARNEL HOUSE; P.O. BOX 570677; Whitestone; NY 11357; USA
Charnel10-83@juno.com ; www.mp3.com/ACharnelHouse