Rockezine.com interview with Phazm on Oct 04, 2006

with Pierrick on Oct 04, 2006


		Could you introduce Phazm and try to describe the kind of music that you play? PHAZM is about death `n roll. We like bands like LYNYRD SKYNYRD, DARKTHRONE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and MORBID ANGEL. We use dobro, slide guitar, harmonica in our fat and macabre sound. We are about booze, weed and death. We love it funny and gory.
		Who inspired you to play music, and why? I`ve always been listening to rock `n roll, from ELVIS to VENOM. Rock `n roll is my reason of living, and my heroes are Lemmy, Dime, Zakk, Bruce Dickinson and many more... It`s something you are born with.
		Why did you choose the name of the band to be Phazm? PHAZM is the name of an insect. I thought having an insect name for a band was a cool option. Look at the BEATLES, it worked pretty well. A phasm lives and moves during the night, nobody can see it and people used to call it `stick of the devil` in the middle-ages. Far enough to convince us.
		Can you describe the creative process of making this album? (How did the songs get written, arranged, produced, the lyrics.. who does what in the band?) I did 99 % of everything. Not that I`m a big dictator motherfucker, it just happened that way. I did most of the stuff at home, and the rest was done in rehearsals.
		From your point of view, what is your favourite track on the new album and why? All the tracks are cool to me. All of them have their own special atmosphere and catchiness. But let`s say `How to become a god`, for its harmonica solo, its twisted bizarre verses, its head banging chorus and breaks and its massive moshing end !
		Is there a certain message you`d like to pass on with your music? If so, what is it and why? Having fun with death, sex, necrophilia, voodoo, cannibalism. Turning every dark and morbid topic to something cool to laugh about. We guys love metal, hu ? Let`s be honnest and tell everybody how much we love corpses and blood. HAHAHAHA ! Necrophilia is a very interesting topic... How can somebody be sexually exited at the sight of a rotten corpse? Is that possible ? By the way, yes, and more than people use to believe, and I`m fascinated by that.
		What`s the best and the worst part about being in this band for you? This band is my reason of living... I have nothing to complain about.
		What do you think of the current state of metal in general? I hope this kind of revival is just not a trend and that the kids are really into it. I really hope for it.
		Which countries do you get the most reactions from in general? France and U.S.A. Quite surprising, isn`t it ?
		Anything left to say? Yeah. The album contains a full dvd with a live concert. The booklet and lay-out are fucking crazy, in a comic book style, and you can follow the lyrics through the bubbles. Please everybody, give us a chance and pay the price of a few joints and get the album `cause it rocks. We need your support ! THANX !
(Jeroen Habets)