PCP

 

METAL SIDE: Could you explain us what does the name PCP mean? Why did you decide to use it?

PCP: Brian-Well it used to mean Plum Crazy People but now we go with the drug.

Nate- Yeah plum crazy purple was our guitar player’s favorite color so that’s how it started.

Jeffro- For me it stands for the drug and boiling babies in hot oil.

 

METAL SIDE: When was PCP created and by whom?

PCP: Brian-Well That was by Nate Clark & Mike Leahy in 94.

 Nate-My band Infinity Percent broke up so I just got new members and changed the name. Intimidation is an old Infinity Percent song.

Jeffro- I think Satan created PCP.

 

METAL SIDE: You play metal music since many years, but we have to wait quite a long time for your debut album. Why didn’t you release it earlier?

PCP: Brian-Well PCP has gone through several line up changes over the years and we had A lot of up’s and downs but we went ahead despite all the karma and wrote, recorded and released Evil Hate Mother Fucker.

Nate- It took us a long time because we all actually work for a living and are real busy.

Jeffro- We are trying to be like Boston and you'll have to wait another ten years for our next album!

 

METAL SIDE: For me, your music can be labeled as death metal, with some non-death metal influences. Would you agree with such description? Do you really care of how you are classified by the reviewers?

PCP: Brian- we used to be punk/thrash before Evil Hate, now I would say doom/death metal but no I don’t care too much because our music reaches every one different. So if they like our music that’s all that matters.

Nate- We’re a hardcore/death/thrash/doom/stoner/metal band.

Jeffro- I've always been into Metal but I am heavily influenced by Hardcore and Power-Violence.

 

METAL SIDE: The title of your album is not typical for death metal release. “Evil Hate Motherfucker” is a very angry title. Who are these motherfuckers? Are your lyrics an expression of anger and hatred?

PCP: Brian- The album title came from well if you look at the beginning letter of each track they kind of spell evil hate motherfucker. We were going to put the beginning letter in red so you could try to figure it out for your self but then at the last minute Nate Clark decided to stir up some controversy and put it on the back cover and title it that. And it has done that. It has stirred up a lot of crap in a positive way for the project.

 Nate- I just figured that if we put it out as PCP- E.V.I.L.H.8.M.F. it would have sounded kind of gay and nu metalish so I put it out uncensored.

Jeffro- Ya figure if you have a name like PCP the name of your first album has to be just as disturbing. 

 

METAL SIDE: Talking about the issues that can be the reason of anger and hatred... What is your opinion about the war with terrorism? Do you think that United States should attack Iraq no matter what international organizations and other countries will think of it?

PCP: Brian-Yes I do we should have killed that asshole the first time around, now we have to deal with that dick sucker again.

 Nate- All those raghead scumbags need to fucking die. Saddam bankrolled Osama’s operation and he needs to be taken out.

Jeffro- I'm beginning to think Saddam is getting real paranoid and might even be overtaken from within because he is starting to kill his closest lieutenents out of distrust. He just might do us a favor and kill himself. That would be nice.

 

METAL SIDE: We are doing this interview almost in the 1st anniversary of the tragic events in NYC. Did these events change the life in California in some way? Did they change your own opinions about the politics, the contemporary world?

PCP: Brian- California has boned together to kick some ass. So come on over so I can put a cap in their ass.

Nate- I think we are just much more aware and we live our lives to the fullest a little more because you could die any day.

Jeffro- I'm just sick of the mambe pambe's in California- it's time to fuck shit up! Show the world we mean business.

 

METAL SIDE: Let’s come back to the music. What do PCP’s members listen to?

PCP: Brian- I listen to death metal, speed metal, thrash, black metal, classical ,guitar god styles ect.

Nate- I listen to all forms of truly heavy music, a little country, a little disco, whatever.

Jeffro- I listen to Classical/Metal/Hardcore/Fusion guitarists like Allan Holdsworth and Frank Gambale, but I hear alot of pretentiousness in Fusion- everyones trying to sound like Jeff Beck.

 

METAL SIDE: Your debut album is very diversified. What is the reason of it? Did you want to have such diversified material? Or were the tracks written during few years that’s why they differ so much?

PCP: Brian- Yes some tracks are older ones that we revised and put on the album.

 Nate- Alot of those tracks are a compilation of different eras of our creativity over the last 15 years. Intimidation was an old Infinity Percent tune. Fuck Off And Die was an old Society’s Product tune done with new lyrics. Volatile Ghost was an old Speradic Psycosis tune. Requiem Mass was an old Abiosis tune.

Jeffro- I get sick of hearing bands that play strictly to the rules of Death Metal. You have to be true to yourself and show all your influences. Otherwise, you just sound like everyone else and you become a wallflower.

 

METAL SIDE: Have you already written material for the new CD? If you have, tell us please in what direction you develop your music.

PCP: Brian- yes we have but we were on hold with the birth of my new son Christopher but yes we have 8 killer songs and are writing more. The music is death metal but this time there is more structured guitar pieces, drums, and we have a new bass player who has helped the rhythm section to be alot more complex.  Nate Clark is now playing guitar/ vocals.

 Nate- I was always a rhythm guitar player at heart so I’ll fit better in that role. I think the next album will be more melodic yet more brutal in some ways too.

Jeffro-Some of the stuff we are writing is pretty technical- more so than Evil Hate. I tend to write riffs- hard riffs, using a sequencer and it takes me a while to learn to play them on guitar. So the songwriting process is also a learning and improving process that takes time.

 

METAL SIDE: When would you like to record and release the new album? Do you already know who will release it?

PCP: Brian- soon but there is some finishing touches to put on the album first and some more new tracks to write but it is coming soon. We will most likely releases this one also.

 Nate- No we don’t know who will release it. We’ll send it to some labels to see if there’s any interest.

Jeffro- It doesn't really matter who releases it, just as long as it gets released and is available to the public.

 

METAL SIDE: “Evil Hate Motherfucker” was released about two years ago so quite a long time has gone since that moment, but I didn’t see too many reviews of this CD. Does it mean that the promotion of your release isn’t too strong?

PCP: Nate- Promotion is very expensive if you don’t have a label backing you and you have to front the money out yourself. Established record labels have many contacts and if you are an unsigned band many people don’t take you seriously. If I was signed to Relapse or something like that I’d probably get laid every fucking day. HAHAHAHAH.

Jeffro- Actually, I was surprised by the amount of attention we did receive considering we are a relatively unknown band.

 

METAL SIDE: Do you care of PCP’s popularity? Is it important for you to become really well-known band, not only in US, but in other parts of world as well?

PCP: Brian- You bet it makes you feel like you have accomplished something. I can go anywhere in California and run into a PCP fan.

Nate- The popularity thing can get out of control. Then you have to deal with a lot of drama and bullshit. I’m okay with our popularity as it is.

Jeffro- Although It's nice to know your music is honest and appreciated, I have to agree with Nate. PCP is not mainstream Metal.

 

METAL SIDE: California is a powerful center of metal music. There are hundreds (or even more) bands there, and many of them are really good. Is it easy to become really known in this crowd?

PCP: Brian- No we have worked hard and promoted our ass off.

 Nate- It’s not easy at all. There really are alot more bands in California right now than there is in any other underground scene. We’re in competition with many signed bands too.

Jeffro- You have to stick out from the rest. Some will hate you, some will love you. 

 

METAL SIDE: Do you feel that you are a part of underground, that fans and zines support your music?

PCP: Brian-Yes we are a part of the underground thanks to zines like Metal Side and many more.

Nate- Yeah if we didn’t have the groundswell of support that we have from the zines and fans we would be dead in the water.

Jeffro- We definitely have support in the underground..

 

METAL SIDE: Are there some bands with whom you play the gigs most frequently? Do you often play live?

PCP: Brian- yes we have had and have still some bands that we play shows with alot. and we always play live.

Nate- We’ve done shows with great bands like Exhumed, Impaled, Psypheria, and a lot of our other HEAVYCORE brothers.

Jeffro-I especially liked playing with Exhumed and Impaled. I wish I had half their talent.

 

METAL SIDE: Are PCP’s members involved in other projects?

PCP: Brian- besides PCP I’m in the (Dan J Nicholson project) which we released our album in may of 2002 and another death metal band called (Sector Seven) that we are in the studio recording right now.

Nate- I help run the HEAVYCORE organization in my spare time. http://www.heavycore.org I sang for a new death metal project called XZOST recently but we’re looking for a drummer currently.

Jeffro- I am working on my 3rd solo project that is heavily classically influenced and there is a huge amount of composing involved. Once again, a learning process. I also play in the Beverly Beer Bellys who will be on the next Turkey Vulture Records Compilation.

 

METAL SIDE: Could you recommend us some talented bands from your state? Do you think that the lack of originality is really a problem for younger bands, as many people suggest?

PCP: Nate- There are some really kickass bands here in Cali. Some lesser known ones are Starch, Fellatia, Severed Savior, Occision, Cursed, Animosity. Check out the HEAVYCORE ranks and there’s a shitload more. Lack of originality isn’t the problem because there is no way to be original anymore. Everything has been done before. You just have to figure out a cool way of doing what you do and stick with it.

Jeffro- I'm really into bands who through-compose their music (i.e. not playing the same riff twice) like Deeds of Flesh and Severed Savior. That stuff just boggles the mind.

 

METAL SIDE: Thanks for the answers!

PCP: Brian- Thank you Damian for not only the album review but this interview rage on and the new PCP album is coming soon.

Nate- Keep it fucking brutal bro! Hails!

Jeffro- Thank You!

 

September 2002