Velcro: Bible of the Devil are one of the most prolific bands that I know. You`re always playing and writing, hard-working, like a goddamn collective James Brown of scum. It seems that with the re-release of Tight Empire you guys have gotten a little more attention than before. Is that because you have a label backing you, or is it just due to your enthusiasm and endless need to get shit done?
Mark: Thanks for considering us prolific. Personally, I always think we could be doing more. In a perfect world, our jobs that pay the bills wouldn�t stop us from rehearsing together more than twice a week. Being on a �real� label with good distro has definitely helped our cause as far as getting more attention from the right places is concerned.
Greg: It�s a little of both I think. With the release of Tight Empire on Dead Teenager, we have gotten a huge distribution outlet for it and that�s not something we would have been able to attain on our own. However, this band has always been about making shit happen and even if no label wanted us we�d still be finding a way to release records. I think what a lot of bands need to realize is that even though a label will put out your record, you have to work twice as hard as before to keep yourself on top of your game. More is always expected of you. I think we realize that in the band and that�s why we always have new songs, new influences, more tours, and more insanity.
Nate: Having our records in stores when we tour is a pretty cool feeling. It is kind of a "chicken or the egg" thing though: we wouldn`t have found our way to a label`s attention without our constant need to keep moving. Locally it has helped too. There are so many bands here that when someone scores some kind of record deal or starts to make some things happen, people really take notice and are more eager to get behind it. People like to say "I saw them before they were big," and maybe that`s going on to an extent. I`d like to think so anyway. We do function a bit like a collective. I`ve got my other band Knife of Simpson that rehearses in our same space, and features my brother who used to play bass in Bible. So there are always lots of ideas floating around that someone`s going to use. I envy us right now.
Velcro: Tell me about what you got coming up release/tour-wise.
Greg: Well, 2005 is shaping up to be our biggest yet. We have a couple showcases for Dead Teenager down at SXSW this year in mid-March, a full-on assault of the West Coast from April 15 - May 1, Emissions from the Monolith in late May, a week-long tour in July with one of our new favorite bands, Slough-Feg - the masters of anthemic adventure metal - and then a brutal European excursion from September 16 -October 2 that will cover seven countries. We plan to do all of this in addition to putting out our next full-length tentatively entitled, Brutality, Majesty, Eternity. We also hope to have a 10� split put out with our friends Velcro Lewis and the 100 Proof, and split 7��s with our label mates Filthy Jim and Slough-Feg. Those are still in the works, though. It�s going to be quite a ride.
Velcro: So what�s the connection between the name �Bible of the Devil� and deceased evil warlord Strom Thurmond?
Mark: Somewhere in the process of coming up with a sufficiently menacing name in our early days it got spat out. It seemed to piss a sufficient number of people off (especially our parents, family, and dorky religious types), so we kept it. At some point, though, somebody pointed out to us that Strom Thurmond had once referred to the music of Elvis and the Beatles as �the bible of the devil.� We decided that made a short, concise sound bite to how we got the name, rather than answer questions from clueless idiots that ask dumb shit like, �So, are you guys satanic?� Gimme a break. That�s just retarded. So in a nutshell, the name is simply a euphemism for rock n� roll itself. Some days I think it�s the best band name in the world. Other days, I�d do anything to change it. Too late now!
Velcro: I like the idea of Strom Thurmond thinking that something so essential to my life was satanic. Anyway, upon listening to your records there are obvious influences I hear. Like B.O.C., Maiden, and Rainbow, but what�s something that I wouldn�t expect you to have been impacted by musically?
Mark: I�m hugely into some of the weird, noisy, heavy bands that came out of the Pacific NW in the mid-90s. The stuff that couldn�t be called �grunge� at all, like KARP, Unwound, gODHEADSILO, Enemymine, and such. Also, some of the less-recognized bands that came out right on the cusp of turning psychedelic into metal in the late �60�s / early �70�s that still have a real raw, garage feel to them like Sir Lord Baltimore, Blue Cheer, Dust, Slade, Budgie...
Greg: Two big ones for me are Def Leppard and The Replacements. There�s something about Def Leppard�s anthemic songwriting that is awesome. I may take some shit for this, but Hysteria is one of the best records ever. Yes, I know the production changed music recording forever, but hearing those vocal harmonies makes it all worth it. Every time I hear �Gods of War,� it�s amazing how the vocal harmonies sound. It has definitely had an effect on Bible of the Devil and I think people will notice it on our next record. The Replacements are just good road music. I remember we played in Minot, North Dakota (one of the weirdest places in America), about three years ago. After we got done rocking for a bunch of teenagers, we started driving to the next show in a brutal snowstorm. I put on Tim, tried to concentrate in my semi-inebriated state, and drove through the storm. Good times. The �Mats were wasted constantly. It�s a good rock lesson you can learn from them to be drunk and still get shit done.
Nate: Guitar-wise, right now I`m on a John Sykes kick. The self-titled Whitesnake album, his Blue Murder project, and Thin Lizzy`s Thunder and Lightning are what I dig right now. He`s got that vibrato that is just so massive and smooth. Nobody sounds like that guy, and that`s something I`m working towards. I`ve also found a lot of ideas in things that are not heavy metal at all. I listen to a lot of Steely Dan. Especially the first few albums, as far as guitar harmonies go, there are some really good ideas in there. That`s my �relax at home� music. Skynyrd and the Allmans are also good places for inspiration. The Bee Gees have some vocal harmonies that can translate well to anything you might be doing. Shit, you can find ideas in ABBA. Perhaps I`ve said too much.
Darren: Neil Young, R. Kelly, Scorpions.
Velcro: I noticed you guys are going to play Emissions from the Monolith this year. Do you guys feel at home sandwiched between bands like Orange Goblin, Lair of the Minotaur, and Raging Slab? I think of BOTD as one of those "rock n` metal" bands, like Raven, Motorhead, and Judas Priest. That kind of stuff hasn`t really been a big part of the fest in the past, it`s mostly been stoner rock big names and assorted sludge bands. How do you think a Clutch or Kyuss fan is gonna react to your set? (Those two bands are popular on Stonerrock.com, that�s why I mention them as example.)
Mark: I think that if they like the wide array of shit that we�re into, then they�ll probably enjoy us quite a bit. I see Emissions as a sort of heavy rock summit, so to speak. It would seem logical that delegates of several different styles should represent up in there!
Greg: I know we are on a festival that is going to have a majority of stoner rock and doom bands, but in all of our travels we�ve played with several of the bands on Emissions already. We�ve always been able to crossover to different audiences and even if they don�t like what we do, they usually can see where we are coming from. I�m just glad we are on it this year and look forward to playing in front of a large, drunken, and rowdy crowd.
Nate: I think Bible of the Devil does well anywhere people are looking to see a good rock show and let loose and have a good time. I haven`t been to the Monolith festival yet, but from what I`ve read it is one big party, and we do fine with that. We`d probably feel more at home in front of violent drunken bikers than cross-armed hipsters studying our every move. It�s when we play with �hardcore punk� bands, death metal bands, and indie rock bands that we start having people scratching their heads. It�s more the Modest Mouse crowd that is probably not going to get it.
Velcro: Well since that is gonna be a big festival for you guys filled with a lot of great bands, let me ask you this corny question; What would be a dream bill for Bible of the Devil to play on?
Nate: First, Chicago`s Redneck Exorcist would open the show. Next, Bible of the Devil, followed by Trouble, then Blue Murder, followed by Rising- era Rainbow, then Thin Lizzy, then Iron Maiden. Next up would be Def Leppard if only to see how many fat chicks Joe Elliot would nail. Last would be Motorhead, because Motorhead gets nowhere near enough respect. Then we`d all get on stage and sing "We Are the World."
Greg: For me, I�d like to have The Scorpions, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Slayer, Bible of the Devil, and finally, Trouble would close out the night with a two hour set. Trouble are still one of the most massive bands out there and I never get tired of listening to them.
Darren: Setting: Rock in Rio. Lineup: Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motorhead, AC/DC (with Bon), Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Turbonegro, Dead Moon, Bible of the Devil, and Filthy Jim. We`d probably end up doing it for 150 bucks and a case of beer but, I mean, who fuckin� cares at that point. I don`t even know if we would survive long enough to catch Priest`s set, let alone Maiden`s. One thing is for sure, it wouldn`t suck.
Mark: I like all those lineups. I might throw The Wipers, Sir Lord Baltimore, MC5, the Stooges, Guns n� Roses, and Radio Birdman (all in their prime) somewhere in the middle too. Fuck. Looks like everyone�s only going to get 20-minute sets.
Velcro: Let`s steer towards home now. As an active part of Chicago`s music community I am always curious how band`s see the scene (for lack of a better word) and how they deal with the same shit that even neo-soul bands go through locally. Is Chicago supportive enough for you? Do you feel like it supports other bands you like as well? Or is it all bullshit?
Mark: It seems to me that a lot of times people in Chicago are a lot more receptive to something if it comes from somewhere else. Like if it came from New York or the west coast it MUST be good! If it came from down the street, it must be shitty or half-assed. That speaks to the weird self-loathing aspect of some Midwesterners, though. That said, I�d say that there are a handful of great bands from this city right now and our local fan base has grown quite strong in the last couple of years. I can�t really complain.
Greg: Chicago obviously is a big city and you have to bust ass to seek support of the precious few hard rock fans. It�s all what you make of it. It can be terrible in any city. I�m just lucky I get to play in a band where everybody wants to continue to make bad-ass records and tour everywhere possible. Bible of the Devil haven�t ever had it easy, but then again what rock band does nowadays? Chicago is where I live and work, but our band is a road band and that�s why we survive. If we strictly played Chicago we�d have broken up by now.
Nate: A scene is only as good as the people in it, and the people here are cool. Our fans in Chicago are some great rowdy fuckers who believe in having a good time out. They drink lots of alcohol, too, so the clubs are happy to have us. As long as we play somewhere that our fans can find parking, we do really well. Plus there�s still a few bands who look out for each other. They know who they are. But I think Chicago is a great place to be.
Velcro: What do you think could/should happen to improve the scene? What sort of rigor-ma-roll do we need less of to make things a little better around here? And/or what do you think absolutely sucks, compared to elsewhere, wherever that may be?
Mark: We�ve been in this long enough to realize that there are venues, promoters, and bands that we are more than happy to deal with, and those that we aren�t. We are pretty much past the point where we are willing to take shit from people who unjustifiably act like big shots or are shady when it comes to giving us a fair shake. I think if you asked any band in Chicago who has been around for a while who belongs in Category A and who belongs in Category B; they would be able to tell you. How could you improve the scene in Chicago? Simply refuse to deal with ill-intentioned venues, promoters, and bands that aren�t into reciprocating the concept of respect.
Nate: I moved to Chicago from Syracuse, NY, and that city had plenty of scene bullshit. However, there was only like one club to play at any given time, so there weren�t a lot of choices other than to eat shit and like it. Here, if we don�t like what�s going on, we can just pick other places to play and people to deal with. That�s kinda nice that this is a big city in that respect, you have lots of options. Plus we usually go out of our way to let the touring bands we know stay with us when they roll through. That�s why many out-of-towners know who we are.
Velcro: Is there anything I should have asked but failed to? Or is there something you wanna address that you think needs to be said? Anything goes...
Nate: Thank you to everyone on the StonerRock.com message boards that has been talking us up and helping us. We really appreciate it! When we come to your town, come and see us - and throw an after party too!
Velcro: And if you`re smart enough to invite these guys back to your house, get the place fumigated afterwards...
Bible of the Devil
Mark Hoffmann: vocals, guitar
Nate Perry: guitar, backing vocals
Greg Spalding: drums
Darren Amaya: bass
Discography
2000: None More Raw demo CD (out of print)
2000: The Last Chance To Punishfuck/Baphomet�s Quest 7� (out of print)
2001: Guts CD (live recording) (out of print)
2002: Firewater At My Command CD (Genuflect Records)
2003: Tight Empire CD (Raw Deth Records)
2003: The Dry-Gulch Original Sound Recordings Compilation CD (OSR Records)
2004: Tight Empire re-release (Dead Teenager Records)
2004: Humboldt Home/Starstruck 7� split with The Last Vegas (Scarey Records)
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