Rockezine.com interview with Spineshank on May 30, 2003

with Tom Decker on May 30, 2003


		The last time I saw you guys was at Dynamo 1999. Do you still remember that concert? Dynamo 1999 was a great concert. Though Mike (Mike Sarkisyan - guitars) couldn’t get through customs, so we quickly learned the guitar technician the songs. Tom forgot to change his money to the local currency so he didn’t eat for 3 days and living off of beer and some ‘bitterballen’.
		About the new album, it’s called Violent Moodswings? No, that’s what used to be the title. But we changed it into Self Destructive Pattern.
		Can you tell me something about it? How much work was it to create it etc. The new album is more ‘everywhere’, it’s more extreme, heavier. The songs differ more and we use less electronics. This album opens and ‘bam’. On Strictly Diesel we only got to work on for about two months, we were naļve at that time, with Height of Callousness we were forced to turn around and had a chance to develop.
		Shortly after Height of Callousness was released I read an interview in which Johnny said that if the album wouldn’t be a hit, Spineshank would end. Well, Spineshank is still here,how much copies did Height of Callousness sell, and are you satisfied? I don’t think Johnny ever said that. Just totally out of context. Misinterpretation of the journalist. And if he said that, I definitely gonna slap him!
		Did you ever want to break someone’s thumb with a can opener Hell yeah, almost broke my own even.
		About the new album. Height of Callousness was ten times heavier than Strictly Diesel. What about the new album? Is it Armageddon? We stayed heavy. Only, there are more elements in it
		As a band, how important is it to be original? Do you care about that, as a band, or do you just want to make a cool and heavy album? Spineshank tries to be original but above all, make music we like ourselves. On Self Destructive Patterns we threw out some good songs because they sounded too much like the others.
		I just spoke with Mark from Chimaira. He said it was a fulltime job for him to be in a band. What about Spineshank and how does it feel to have this job? It’s a full time job, work hard and lots of stress.
		I can imagine that. How’s that possible? How’s this tour been going so far? I’m still not feeling good, cause of food problems. In Holland there is good food, but sometimes it’s total crap. The food is different, all the tour problems with the busses, it just keeps on coming.
		Isn’t it ironic then to call your album Self Destructive Pattern while everything goes wrong? Unfortunately it is, yes.
		I wonder how many copies of an album does Spineshank sell and what do you think of downloading music? Height of Callousness sold about 200.000 copies and I’m happy with the album. Downloading music doesn’t bother us money wise, because we get paid by the record company, money for touring etc. And that’s all cool. But if an album doesn’t sell good the record company takes away our options.
		Are you still nervous before performing? We’re still nervous before performing, especially now because we haven’t toured in 2 years.
		Can I do a trivial checklist? Favorite movie? Good Fellas Calculator / pair of pliers? Pair of pliers. Cookies / cake? Cake. Skelter / bike? Bike. Morning urine / evening poo? Morning urine. Chips / fish? Chips. Rabbit cage / fishbowl? Rabbit cage.
(Friso Veltkamp)