Rockezine.com interview with Amen on Mar 17, 2004

with Casey Chaos, Josh Hill on Mar 17, 2004

After taking a break of a few years, Amen is back. The band that lives in extremes, with a devastating live shows and a sharp opinion about politics and the USA. On a sunny day in Amsterdam, I speak with Casey and guitarist Josh about the new record (suddenly coming out of nowhere) and about their life`.
		Once I read an interview with you in which you said that there’s a lot of freedom in Holland. A church in the red light district etc. You, as the interview states, wanted to live there? It’s one for the four places in the world I like. Oslo, Tokyo and London are the other three. But I am running a house now. With seven people, the whole band lives in one house. I probably said that when I had money.
		So everyday Rehearsels? Drunken bastards. Fucking nightmares there. But it is good.
		What are you guys doing here and what has changed sinds ‘We Have Come For Your Parents?’ Everything. A whole line-up change. We were on Virgin records. We were about to do a third album, but the label collapsed. Wich resulted in us being dropped off. We had the third album ready, and I was like ‘Yeah, fuck it, I’m going to record this record anyway, and I don’t need a fucking label to record it’. But we never make any money with this band. Larkin and I had to quit, and the other guy had to quit to play in an other band. So, then a lot happened. Like deaths, of many people I knew. And a lot of broken relationships, hardest year of my life. But we recorded 17 songs and recruited some new guys, fans of the band.
		I thought Shannon Larkin was a pretty stable factor in Amen? The hardest factor. A great drummer, but his spirit is still in this band. Our new drummer Luke, is 22, and has also a young spirit, a lot of driven energy.
		How will the new album sound? You haven’t heard it yet? Oh that is strange, they should have given you one. It’s a lot more varying than other records. More dynamic. It is an album of extremes. We recorded 17 songs. A document of the band of the last three years. The metal moments are more metal. The punk moments are more punk. There is no balance, very extreme. It is very Amen. An absolute in your face record. With the music that is popular nowadays, like trance, we wanted to make something unique.
		Do you have confidence in this record, any thoughts on how many coppies you want/think to sell? I don’t know. I think I’m going to buy that castle over the hill.
		Is being in Amen a fulltime job? Yes, I guess. But it is not a job. It is a lifestyle. It’s not like you get a regular paycheck, 8 to 5 job. It’s difficult `cause we don’t make money. The balances are completely out of whack. This shit happens. We’ve got people that fucked us around. Old label people etc. But that`s how life is, how to survive.
		Favourite Music right now? I listen to some Black Metal and German music. I just visited Boudisque, bought some albums (shows a black metal record).
		About the production. Ross Robinson, how important was he for Amen? He really pushed the envelope I heard? And are you guys going to work with him in the future? I produced this record. I produced the ‘Parents’record too. I know what I want, so... Ross is really good to help young bands like glassjaw. He takes the good elements out of them. But we are not teenagers and I know what I want.
		‘We Have Come For Your Parents’ is in my opinion one of the most honest punk (if you can consider Amen as punkrock) CD’s from the last years. The honesty is so direct. How do you look back on that album? Thank you. It is like I want to give everything. Like the old band DRI and old school hardcorebands, that has the same energy, I wanted to give everything.
		How is the current climate of music in USA? Fucked. But underground music is great and strong. But there is a lot of safe rock. And they’re selling a lot of records. Every label has a top 40 act. It is worse in LA, where image comes before Music.
		Can you name 3 famous swedish Persons? Uuh. John Borg is he swedish? Ok, that is one. Sylvia Saint, is she swedish, the pornstar? And anyone from the Hellacopters.
		If you have to choose: 5 days with no sleep or eating 20 eggs a day with sleep. What will you choose? 5 days no sleep
		Mother Theresa or Gandhi? Fuck them both hahaha.
(Friso Veltkamp)