Photo provided by Blake Harrison

How did you think of the name “Hatebeak”?

Blake Harrison: The story is not that interesting, but Mark was in a band called “Index” and I was in a band called “Daybreak” and both of us had wanted to work together at  some point and we were at the point where Daybreak broke up and Index stopped doing stuff, so we kind of came up with the idea  of how cool would it be to have like a parrot sing for a death metal band because parrots basically mimic stuff. And, you know, we’re both goofy dudes so we were laughing it off and once I came up with the name Hatebeak. It stuck and we decided to do it just kind of on a whim at Marks’ studio, actually in his bedroom at the time, so that’s the short version of that.

Was making “Number of the Beak” a different process than “Bird Seeds of Vengeance”? As in, when you were recording this record, were you trying to go for a different sound to expand “Avian metal”?

A little bit, yeah. When we first did it, we did it as a joke and we didn’t really expect much to happen with it. We kind of wanted to step it up a little bit and make the riffs a little bit better and catchier and put a little more effort in it.  I mean, the first record, “Beak of Putrefaction,” we recorded in like three hours in Mark’s bedroom. So yeah, we definitely took a little more time, I don’t know if it was a conscious decision necessarily. I’d love to say that it’s the most brutal thing on the planet, but it’s definitely not. We definitely took a little more time to try to get it to sound a little better. Like I said, we’re both goofy guys, as long as it makes us laugh, that’s all that matters.

After the hiatus, has Waldo, the avian vocalist, been better recording this time around? Was he more willing to talk than he was the last time you guys were in the studio?

No, this record was actually recorded nine years ago. It’s all the old split seven-inches and six or eight new tracks. This has actually been in the can going on ten years. We do have plans to do new stuff, so for that question; I can’t really speak because we haven’t done new stuff. Chris, the owner of  Reptilian Records, stopped doing the label and I was focusing on Pig Destroyer and Mark moved to Jersey. It was one of those things where if we don’t feel like doing it, we’re not going to do it, it’s just something for us to do to goof off and have a little fun.

What did Waldo’s owners originally think of the idea of Hatebeak and using Waldo as the vocalist?

They’re not like us normal people I would say. Vince is pretty active in the Church of Satan and they’re both old school Baltimore punk rockers. They thought it was a great idea, it’s not like I went to my grandmother with a parrot and said “Hey grandma, I got this fucking awesome idea”, you know? They both know me; I’m a little off the wall sometimes. So they thought it was cool, man. I wish I can give you a more interesting idea where they were normal suburbanites and like “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Since you use a parrot as the head of the group, do you modify his voice more than you would a person’s vocals or is it pretty much raw?

It depends, but I would say there is definitely a lot of “Studio Magic” and trickery that goes into it. We’ll pitch shift it or time shift and stretch it or flip it backwards to get it with the music. So there is usually a lot of vocal processing that is required and it just depends. We write the music first and then set up the mic and let Waldo do what he does, which can sometimes be a pain in the ass. If he’s not comfortable, he doesn’t really do anything. That’s one reason a split seven-inch is a lot better for us. Then again, there are a ton of Death Metal bands that are fucking process vocals.

Did you introduce Waldo to Death Metal before recording?

Not really, we tried to. Mark and I are old school Death Metal fans; we love Death, Obituary, Morbid Angel and bands etc. He isn’t too responsive to music in general; I think most of it just has to be pleasing, like I said, if he’s not comfortable, he won’t do anything. The mimicry is a form of play for the parrots, especially African Grey’s. We played stuff for him, but I don’t know if he digs it or not.

From 2024 to 2024, do you think Waldo realized what he was doing the second time around in the studio?

Probably not, we try to make the studio as comfortable for him as we can to have a relaxed environment. He does a lot of things that are actually useless to us, as a Death Metal band. He loves to whistle the theme to the Andy Griffith show, while that’s funny, that’s not going to work for what we’re doing.

Do you see Hatebeak continuing after Waldo is not able to do it anymore?

It will probably be the other way around. These animals can live to be like sixty to eighty and he is only like 20. It would probably be that Mark and I are gone, or we will be replaced. I’m not going to say it’s a joke band, but it’s definitely not one hundred percent serious.

Have you thought about sending material to a major label?

[laughs] No, just because they would need material in a certain timeframe, we’re just not going to be able to do that. They’ll be like “Alright, dude, it’s been like two years, time for your next record” and that wouldn’t be possible. I like it as it is now, if it grows, that’s fine. I’m not trying to quit my job, it’s not a money making venture for us, it’s for fun. If someone wanted to put out one record, that’s’ cool, but I definitely wouldn’t do a four record deal.

Are you going to continue the parody for the next record?

Definitely! The working title is “Nested Are The Sick”, based off of Morbid Angels “Blessed Are The Sick.” Who knows what we’ll do but there will be some inside jokes in there somewhere. The one on Relapse didn’t really reference any record cover, I’d really like to work with Vince Locke, who did a lot of work with Cannibal Corpse and a comic book called Deadworld. I sent him a couple of emails over the years but he never responded and I can’t tell if he thought “What is this bullshit?” or if he was like “Give me a break, this isn’t real” [laughs].

Since you don’t take Waldo on the road, have you or Mark thought about touring without him?

You know, we could do that, but if you’re a fan of the music, would you really want to pay ten bucks to see that? If we did it, or was ever able to pull it off, we would probably do one or two performances, nothing crazy, but you know, it has to be done right. You don’t want to say to your buddy, “Hey, there’s this fucking crazy band with a parrot for a singer and you want to go see it?” and then it’s like a video, I would be like “Fuck this, this isn’t what I payed for. This isn’t what was advertised.” I’ve definitely gotten idea from people like Skype with Waldo during the show. The volume isn’t the only reason we don’t do it, he doesn’t perform on command. If he’s just chirping random shit over us playing a million miles an hour, what’s the fun of that either? People like it, but I don’t know if we have legitimate fans of the band [laughs]. It would be fun to do Maryland Deathfest, or something like that, but right now, there are no real plans.

Was there more press coverage this time around?

Most definitely! When we first started, the internet was still a big thing and records and cd’s were still purchased in stores, which is now almost non-existent. The climate of the industry has changed so much. The fact that you can just go online and download all the Hatebeak records, it’s definitely gotten more press.  I think it actually comes out today (June 29th) no, tomorrow! In fact, someone even flew over from England to shoot a show, but it never aired, I haven’t even seen the footage. I was like “You’re going to fly to Baltimore for what? From where? [laughs]. But yeah, the press this time has been huge and great!

What did the rest of Pig Destroyer think of Hatebeak when it came about?

Those dudes know me; they know I’m a complete idiot. It was pretty much what everyone else thought about it, they got a giggle out of it, that’s about it. I’m not Albert Einstein here, you know?

Do you ever get requested any Hatebeak material at a Pig Destroyer gig?

Yes, people yell it out all the time. Not specific songs but they just yell out “Hatebeak.”

Thanks again for the interview. Good luck with the new material!

No worries, man, take care. Thanks.

March 31st @ Walters

If you into slow heavy music, Yob is almost a bi-word among heshers in the underground metal scene. They have the heaviest riffs, longest songs, a ton of records and have been playing doom way longer than everyone than all the bands that have recently jumped on the slow and heavy bandwagon. I remember hearing Mike Scheidt say they were playing before the doom trend and they will be playing after its over. Regardless they are exactly what you want from them live. Don’t miss out on this, they rarely come down here. They’re newest record “Clearing the Path to Ascend” is one of they’re best. Also on the bill is Witch Mountain from Portland. They are a female fronted doom band thats a little more rock based and as far as I know has never played Houston before. Opening up the evening are locals Project Armageddon.

The are working on their new record, help support them on indiegogo.

Houston’s music scene never really ceases to amaze me, with all of the diverse acts that inhabit our city.  There’s seriously more mashed up genres here than anywhere else I’ve lived.  On the guitar driven end of things, it seems like people want to call someone one thing or another.  If you’re Bury The Crown, you might have the most interesting mix of genres going on the rock spectrum in all of Houston.  Before I caught these guys live, I had assumed that they were punk rock.  However, after catching their intense live shows, I’ve come to realize that they’re more of a mix of punk, screamcore, and doom metal. I don’t know what you’d really call all of that, but it’s like The Sword, Red Fang, and The Dwarves had a baby.  It’s an ever present feeling you get when you listen to their new album, “The Proletariat.”  There are moments where the band channels Thin Lizzy and early AC/DC as well; but in seven songs, it’s a thrill ride from start to finish.

The album, which clocks in at roughly under twenty five minutes, greets the listener with a short instrumental called “The Fanfare.”  You can’t really get too much into it, as it quickly rolls into the fast pace of the second song, “The Heist.”  The song has screamy vocals while the guitar squeals like it’s in the background of a song by The Sword.  The thud of the bass is only to be overshadowed by the sound of two guitar parts.  The third track, “The Party,” the second longest on the album has a ferocity that can only be compared to the likes of So Cal punk or in the least, the speed of early Electric Frankenstein.  Group vocals come in in the background to give it the punk feel, but it’s essentially a rock song with punk and metal elements.  It’s not a bad thing by any means, but definitely explains the idea of crossing genres.  The slower opening of the fourth song, “The Gigolo” is quickly decimated by a rhythmic guitar that paces the song out with stop start breaks.  The band quickly separates themselves from the herd by constantly changing rhythm within the track.  Backing group vocals are utilized as well, but differently than on the previous track.  The use of two part harmonized guitars sounds great as a break before heading back into the chorus of the song.

The fifth song on the album, “The Deception” is easily the stand alone song on the album.  A healthy mix of Red Fang construction while utilizing the hook filled speed of a band like Fu Manchu, the song has guitars that could’ve been on “High Voltage” while still sounding fresh.  The song definitely evokes a head bang throughout it’s well crafted, yet blistering flow.  By the time you’ve reached the sixth song, “The Harlot,” you should at least have neck pains.  The track speeds along quickly and feverishly, only to be met with a slower chorus and two break points.  The album gets polished off by the anthemic sound of “The Campaign,” in which the elements are such a mix of metal, doom, hardcore punk, and old school rock.  You realize really fast why these guys have such a rabid fanbase, as they never let off on the breaks throughout the track, while never getting tiresome or boring.  Even the lone sound of drum and guitar is executed with precision and accuracy without sounding like some silly prog rock kind of thing.

The album is over quick, but that just means you have to replay it; and you probably should.  With every listen I found more elements within each of the songs that shows the depth of Bury The Crown’s overall sound.  Decent bands can sound like one band, while great bands sound like a mix of many bands; and after listening to “The Proletariat,” I think you’ll realize that these guys are a great band.  You can catch how great they really are and pick up a physical copy of the album, when Bury The Crown performs at Fitzgerald’s on Saturday October 4th.  They’ll have openers on the bill like Nine Minutes, Some Nerve, Commie Hilfiger, and Dead To the World; but I’d suggest a neck brace for the show.  Cause after listening to “The Proletariat” my neck kind of hurts, and it’ll only be worse when you catch them live.  

By Rob McCarthy
Photo by Qu Griffin (Griffin Wing Studio)

Doomstress Alexis is always busy. Whether she is working hard on finishing a new album or performing as the vocalist and bassist with her doom metal band, Project Armageddon, booking and hosting shows, running Houston’s Doom Brigade, fashion designing and modeling, or just working her day job, Alexis is always hustling and making moves. Never content to keep the status quo, she’s been shaking things up in the metal community both locally and abroad, and her story is as unique as it is inspiring. She is so inspiring, in fact, that our mayor declared July 5, 2024 as Doomstress Alexis Day. FPH had an opportunity to talk with Alexis about the future of Project Armageddon, Doom Brigade, and her other endeavors.

What was your first experience with metal?
I had an older brother who was into metal and rock. I was like five or six and I just remember flipping through the album sleeves and being so enthralled with the art and titles and the imagery. Going to first grade singing Judas Priest and all that. Still so vivid in my head.

The Houston Press Music Awards recently nominated you for best female vocalist. How does that feel?
Getting nominated for best metal band was a great feeling in itself but being nominated for best female vocals just goes beyond words, personally. This is a historical precedent that exceeds myself. It also helps in one of my biggest goals which is to be able to reach out to the transgender community and serve as an example to my sisters and brothers, and to help inspire those that may doubt themselves or their potential.

Has it been difficult for you being a woman in what many consider to be a “boy’s club” genre?
Actually, even being an openly TG woman in the scene, nearly everyone I’ve interacted with, from bands to promoters to club owners, has been very respectful and great to work with. It’s been like a big metal family that I’ve been fortunate to be a part of. Sure there’s always a few who will be negative but by and large it’s been a great experience and environment.

Why did you pick the bass guitar?
Everyone always played guitar, including myself, but there was never a bass player around when friends would get together. I had a bass and so I would always switch to that for jamming. I always had a love for the bass and one day I started jamming with some new friends, and it just felt so right that it finally just stuck.

Most inspiring female musicians in metal? Musicians or artists in general that inspire you?
Marissa Martinez of Cretin (CA) was a major inspiration for me back when I thought I would have to give up playing metal when I transitioned, until I read her story in Decibel Magazine. I love Mlny Parsonz from Royal Thunder. We played with them about three years ago and I got to hang and chat with her last October when they played at Rudyard’s. Tomasz Scull of Venomin James/Wide Gauge (OH) has been a major musical influence throughout my life. Over the past few years, I have met so many amazing artists, photographers, body painters, models, etc. Anybody that finds the heart to express themselves in whatever medium they can, I find inspirational.

How did you connect with your bandmates?
I auditioned and joined their old band. We toured with Reverend Bizarre from Finland and The Gates of Slumber through the Northeast for a few weeks. We got back home and recorded a record at my house. The three of us kept working and jamming and eventually I started writing stuff that didn’t fit the other band so we formed Project Armageddon as a side project and quite quickly realized it was the only project.

Your music has been growing and evolving since your first record. From what I understand, Project Armageddon is well on its way to finishing up the next album. What can you tell us about your writing and recording process?
Writing takes many shapes, from free jams on riffs to someone bringing in pieces of a song and then hashing it out as a whole. Everyone contributes to the writing. Even our drummer Raymond will pick up the bass or guitar to play a riff or he’ll suggest an alternate way of playing something or switching certain notes in a riff. Likewise, I’ll climb behind the drums and beat out a few ideas to show the direction I may be hearing something going in and then he’ll develop it from there. Brandon is just the man. He’ll start ripping something out and Raymond and I will just stare sometimes like where the fuck did that come from?! I do write ninety-nine percent of the lyrics but I encourage the guys to contribute even if it’s just ideas or themes and I give them credits for that.

What is next for you and the band?
We are planning a video shoot for mid/late July for “Into the Sun.” Several shows coming up including my second international booking for August 3rd at Fitzgerald’s with Project Armageddon, Doomdogs (UK), War Injun (MD) and Leather Nun America (CA). Also, we’re returning to Dungeon Manor Studios to finish demos for the third record. Then we are gearing up for our fall touring schedule, which will hopefully have some out-of-state shows, as well as some Texas towns we haven’t made it to yet.

Church Ov Melkarth (Photo by Michael O'Dwyer)

Church Ov Melkarth is a brutal, uncompromising mix of Metal, Industrial, Dark Ambient, and Noise. That may not be a combination that screams commercial success but that’s not the point – being true to yourself and dedicated to your art is. The occult, Jung, Lovecraft, mythology, and many dark themes are riddled throughout CovM work. Consider the mythic four album cycle the band is currently in the middle of producing. The first, the Sermon of Hate, is a double album that introduces the characters and their motivations for destroying the Gods. In the second album, Sermon of Steel, they develop a weapon that destroys memories thus depriving the Gods and their religions their power. The third album, The Sermon of Defeat, involves the weapon invoking the 7th unholy Sephira that guarantees that nobody wins the epic battle. In the final album, The Severing the Neck of the Orobouros, the characters seek to kill the World Serpent only to discover everything they have done is for nothing – a recurring constant. Intrigued, I went to the deep dark woods of north of Houston to invoke the mastermind behind the Church, Jvstin Whitney.

FPH – You deal with a lot of dark themes. Why?

Whitney – We’re dark people who see the world for what it really is and it’s not a pretty place. In the real world, you friends and family die. Over the years, CovM skewed more to the dark side but as we grew up we found there’s a balance between light and dark – that is what we try to find within ourselves. Some people can’t accept their inner darkness but we chose to tap into it as opposed to saying “Hey, I’m a good person.” Sometimes I’m a shitty person and sometimes I’m nice guy – it’s all a neutral balance. What centers us is aligning ourselves with the darkness in our souls because that’s who we are inside. Why should people punish us for that? We’re trying to attain balance just like the people who go to church who try to find their spiritual path of life.

FPH –Your shows open with a ceremony. Explain that for us.

Whitney – It’s a ritual using Thelemic ceremonial magic to align ourselves to the darkness. We’re trying to show people what’s inside our heads and we’re doing that so they can attain a point of focus as well. We’ll have people who are into Satan there but that’s not necessarily my thing; I find Satan to be an overly contrived character. I consider him more of a tool than a way of life because Satanism is just a backwards mirror of Christianity. If you’re yelling stupid shit that pisses people off (the same exact same shit that pisses you off about Christians), that doesn’t help anyone. You’re just replacing one name with another. That’s not finding balance. You’re too skewed to the other side.

FPH – You combine Dark Ambient, Noise, and Metal. What do those have in common?

Whitney – Despite the fact that they are vastly different types of music, they all have the same general ideology and life view – they tap into an inner darkness. Early Throbbing Gristle and Skinny Puppy isn’t fucking pop; it’s dark stuff addressing serious personal issues within those artists. Dark Ambiance is the introspective side while Noise is a violent outburst of the same feelings. Noise wants to destroy someone’s ears and to be as harsh as possible but the same emotions and mindset are there in Dark Ambiance. Metal is in-between.

That is why you have a lot of cross-genre artists like Mortiis who played in a Metal a band, then played Ambient and, now he plays Industrial. Part of that is growing up and tastes changing. People don’t want to admit it but, at some point, you hit a wall with Metal – the same with any genre. Few bands keep doing stuff worth listening to after four or five albums. It’s about admitting to yourself that you change. If you are playing the same stuff over and over, you compromise yourself – you’ve decided to sell records rather than be an artist.

FPH – How do you get past that wall?

Whitney – Listening to different music. I got bored with Metal so I started listening to Dark Ambient and Industrial for a few years and then went back to Metal. I’m not saying abandon the genre entirely but to reach out. You need to be fluid and continually shifting because once you start stagnating you’ve made a decision to give up whether or not you’re conscious of it. I don’t want to give up. I want to keep changing, learning, and striving.

FPH – Are there any local bands who do the same?

Whitney – Absu and Averse Sefira have continually improved. Cronophage, are in the same mindset as me. A lot of bands that are critical to the scene like Adumus, Morbus 666, Imprecation, and Blaspherian are playing good music and making it for themselves. Those bands don’t care if they get big; they are going to do it no matter what. That’s a dedication you have to respect. They’re not fake.

The fake people are the ones who don’t come to a local show. A big band like Dimmu Borgir plays and I’ll see 2,000 people! I never see them [at a local show] EVER!! If you say you love Metal so much that you’ll live and die for it…then where the FUCK are you?! They don’t care and they’re not as committed as they claim.

FPH –The band’s mythology is a little vague. Why is that?

Whitney – We like confusion. When people hear noise in The Sermon of Deception, they don’t understand there are six or seven palindromic layers of keyboards throughout the whole 40 minute track.

FPH – That’s a clever trick but what are you trying to say by doing that?

Whitney – Why believe anyone’s dogma? We could just as easily be lying to you.

Church Ov Melkarth perform Monday, October 23,2011 at Mango’s Café with Cronophage and Barghest.

Look for the new Church Ov Melkarth/Cronophage split LP soon.

Special thanks to Jef With One F for his help with this article.

Doesn't this just scream metal?

By Free Press Staff

As you most likely have heard Saturday is supposedly the Rapture so we here at the Free Press thought that the End of the World marked a perfect time to break out the metal. Here’s 10 songs to jam to while waiting for the inevitable looting to begin. This is by no means a comprehensive list and is only intended to offer suggestions, in other words don’t get pissed if your favorite band didn’t make the list.

1. God Send Death Slayer

An oldie but a goodie and it perfectlyevokes the end times while still rocking harder than most bands ever will.

2. More Human than Human White Zombie

A perfect for capping  demons, zombies or whatever mutants crawl up out of the pits to try and take over the ‘Trose.

3. Jesus built my Hot Rod Ministry

Industrial meets speed metal meets Gibby Hayes. Perfect jam for an end of the world dance party. And by dance party we mean watching Beelzebub sitting on a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade float being towed by hundreds of slaves down Washington Ave.

You know he's ballin' bigger and harder than anyone else

4. Infinte War Corrosion of Conformity

Kick ass track to help with kicking ass.

5. Living through me (Hell\’s Wrath) Pantera

No list would be complete without at least one entry from the Kings of Texas metal. They almost single-handedly put the Lone Star State on the heavy metal map in the late 1980s and early 1990s, then in 1996 they dropped what is often considered their masterpiece and it was good.

6. Ace of Spades Motorhead

Ah yea, everyone’s favorite track by everyone’s favorite band. You know the Devil wants to come to earth just to see if he can outdrink Lemy.

7. Necropolis Black Dahlia Murder

The new kings of the metal underground showing everyone else how its done, perfect music for shoving through fleeing masses.

8. Tomorrow Police Valient Thorr

Massive riffs meets massive beards in a massive song by a band that owns almost all others out there.

9. The Lord is a Monkey Butthole Surfers

While not specifically metal by some people’s standards the Butthole Surfers having been holding down the fort for speed-psychedelia longer than most people who read this site have been alive. And the sound scapes they create scream Apocalyptic nightmares.

10. Tin Omen SkinnyPuppy

Closing it down with some deep dark gothic industrial to put you in the mood for the inevitable fight to take the cities back from the minions of hell.