Here is an interview done by mail with the fantastic Monster X, a band that I truly love. Monster X play straight edge grindcore, their guitar player Nathan answered my questions, and I received them shortly after.
ok, please tell me about Monster X, who play in the band and what have you put out? why did you want to play grindcore? Monster X is John (vocals), Devon (bass), Jeff (drums) and I (nathan) play guitar. We've been kind of lazy about putting out records, but so far we have out: 1st 7" (5 songs) s/t, Human Greed/Monster X – split 7", Demo 1993 7", Ebullition (8 songs) 7" and the Monster X/Spazz –split 7". Soon we'll have out a live 7" at CBGB on Slap-A-Ham Records, a full length CD/LP on Hater Of God Records, and another cover song 7" on my label (Gloom Records). We play grindcore `cos John`s vocal sucked shit as a traditional vocalist, so we sort of evolved into grindcore.
what do you think about the straight-edge hardcore "scene" in U.S.A. today? which role do you think the major sXe bands (strife, earth crisis...) have in the so-called "hardcore" today? I'm not really effected by it to much (major bands like you listed), most those bands are not D.I.Y. punk/hardcore, I'm interested only in the D.I.Y. scene. I do like Straight-Edge (S.E.). bands (newer retro `88 stuff) like Rain On The Parade, Ensign, Atari, No Reason, 97a, etc… - I think those so called major bands are sellouts, and have nothing to do with hardcore/punk that I grew up on. I think it's a shame that there will be a whole generation of kids who think Earth Crisis or Strife are hardcore, but no idea who Jerry's kids or Crucifix are. It sucks!!
how did you get involved in the hardcore "scene", and straight-edge, I read in a fanzine that you were into drugs before you got into straight-edge, tell me about that? Yes for more than 10 years of my life I was involved with the whole drug/alcohol sub-culture. I smoked cigarettes for 10 years, a lot of pot, LSD, speed etc… I guess I had a lot of self hate that I was dealing with. I was a metal head for years + years, but then in the early eighties I started to go to punk shows at The Farm in S.F., seeing bands like DRI, RKL, Bad Brains, Raw Power, Adolescents, Youth Of Today, Justice League, Poison Idea. That changed my life forever, I had been into stuff like Black Flag, and Dead Kennedys, Suicidals, etc…. before that but the extreme stuff I was attracted to right away. I used to get picked on + harassed for being a metal head(long hair, leather jacket). But it was great, I got into the S.E. stuff in the late eighties seeing bands like Youth Of Today, Bold, No For An Answer, etc… that also impacted my life, to bad most those guys are chugging beers now.
what do you think about fashion in the hardcore/sXe "scene" ? I think it will always exist in any scene. Crusties generally have their "uniforms" as do S.E. kids, emo kids, etc… I hope people will try to be themselves, and dress comfortably.
the Monster X lyrics seems very anti-authorian, do you have any political views or believe in a perfect solution that will serve everyone? Know we don't believe in Utopia – there is no solution, except to maybe always try to change + adapt + keep progressing forward. I don't think we are a very political band, our opinions vary within the band, politics are bullshit!!
I know you are about 30 years old, will you EVER be to old for playing in a band or involved in the D.I.Y. "scene" ? what do you believe the future brings? I hope not, I can see being to old to play in a band, but I think Ill always be involved with the D.I.Y. punk/hardcore scene. I hope to get another 5-10 years out of being in a band.
tell me about the other bands you play in? I play in Devoid Of Faith, and have some other smaller side projects going.
do you listen to any Norwegian hardcore bands? The only band I can think of is Onward, and I `m not really into them. I do love a lot of European hardcore, but most of it comes from Germany and the U.K.
will Monster X ever tour Europe? If we could be guaranteed to not loose money! I hope so, I've never been there, and have a lot of friends to meet.
any future plans for Monster X ? We just want to get out the live 7", the new 7" of cover songs "for the positive youth" EP and the LP. It's been far to long since we put anything new out. It's been discouraging `cos there are so many bad rip off – unoriginal hardcore/grind bands now adays.
closing comment... Write us at P.O. Box 14253 Albany, N.Y. 12212, USA, and I hope we can help to make a positive difference! Oh Yeah – Stay in it for life.