Suicide Silence return to Australian shores this September for a headline run around the country, 2 years after their last tour for Soundwave. Frontman Eddie Hermida talks to Steve ahead of the tour to discuss the shows, working on the follow up album to their 2014 effort “You Can’t Stop Me” and how he has managed to handle being in the band since the death of Mitch Lucker.
Steve: So what’s been happening with Suicide Silence of late?
Eddie: We are getting ready to fly out to South America right now. We’re going to be playing the gathering of The Juggalos in a couple of days, then playing Mexico and then South America, then we fly home for about two weeks and we fly out to Japan and South East Asia and your lovely country Australia.
Steve: Yes I did note that the other day. Should be exciting, definitely looking forward to catching you guys. So can you give us any juicy gossip on the new album? Or is that a closely guarded secret?
Eddie: It’s just there’s really not that much to talk about you know, it’s a record that we went in and wrote it. It’s a good time. We really haven’t decided much about the rollout plan and the title, we really don’t have anything but songs.
Steve: Fair call, I think I’ll leave it at that. How’s it been obviously since the tragic passing of Mitch to go into the band, do you still have your detractors even though it’s a fair way down the track? Do you still have people that are just so staunch about Mitch and yourself coming into the band?
Eddie: Alright I have to ask you a question that arises when I hear your question. Do you people still believe that Bon Scott is better than Brian Johnson?
Steve: Yeah good call.
Eddie: There’s going to be people who don’t like it, who will never let go, those people are grieving. They are grieving for much bigger reasons than a person in a band. To me what it seems like is that you know when someone’s grieving, they can’t really see the positives in anything so it’s our job to allow them to feel whatever they’re going to feel. I don’t judge anybody who has something negative to say about me. I’m not here to do anything but move something forward and if they want to see the negativity in it, you know there is a positive and negative in everything. I’m here to be an artist, I’m here to allow them to feel whatever they’re going to feel.
Steve: Yeah fair call, that should be followed by saying that I know it’s one of the oldest questions you get asked so just curious to see your perspective on it.
Eddie: Yeah man I am a big Brian Johnson fan, always have been.
Steve: For sure, absolutely. I guess there’s a ton of vocalists that are out there that are starting out, do you have any kind of tips before you go out on stage? Or do you just let it all loose when you get out there and just tear shit up?
Eddie: You should play everything by ear, don’t put so much intensity into your job because the more you go with the flow and do what your heart tells you to do the more you are correct. There isn’t a true way of ‘preparing for anything’. It’s a pirate’s life, it’s an abandonment of all things perfect. At any given moment, the worst and the best things can happen to you so if you go into it un-scared ready to face whatever may come to you to meet your maker or not meet our maker and meet the people that are in this world to show you who you are, the better you are going to be. Me personally, I like to take an hour before I go on stage and I like to sit with my band and jam some tunes, stretch my body out and get the blood pumping and we’re about to go on stage and lasso a bunch of people into our hearts. You’ve got to be emotionally prepared for that.
Steve: I got to catch you guys last time you were here, that’s certainly the case in that you had the room going off its head. It was awesome!
Eddie: That’s amazing man! We had a really good time on Soundwave, I really can’t wait to get back out there – that’s spring for you guys right?
Steve: Yeah that’s right it is. The last album, do you still have any favourites that you love to play? Or do you kind of keep it mixed on a nightly basis?
Eddie: I’ve really fallen in love with the way “Inherit The Crown” begins, in the song there’s a little build up then the song just slams full tilt and boom! And that’s the Suicide Silence way. It hits you in the gut with power and it leaves you there half crumpled, half alive. That’s one of the songs I really love playing. What’s funny is I really loved the song “We’ve all Had Enough” but when we play it live it doesn’t have that same energy like “You Can’t Stop Me” or “Sacred Words” or “Inherit The Crown” has. So that song we will forever be my favourite song on the record but as far as live, I really like playing those three songs “Scared Words”, “You Can’t Stop Me” and “Inherit The Crown”.
Steve: So do you like playing some of the older stuff? Are there any favourites there?
Eddie: The older stuff? I was just saying how I really love “Disengage” but you know, I really love playing “Unanswered”. I think that song gets a really insane energy going in the crowd, that’s the song where I get to see the crowd going through some kind of spiritual evolution man. It’s pretty intense.
Steve: I really like the way you put that.
Eddie: You see people really lifting their fingers in the air saying, ‘Fuck whatever religion was forced down my throat’. It’s funny because this song plays homage to another world energy but it also does not give any strength or power to the lies that people are fed, your standard everyday religion. You know, the guilt that people put on you, the negative aspects to religion and controls of masses that religion has taken form of in the last century or so.
Steve: Yeah for sure. I think music transcends all of that from my own experiences and what I see out there.
Eddie: Absolutely!
Steve: Yeah it’s a powerful thing. So I love to ask this question because it’s so varied, what’s the last album that you bought or downloaded? Or what was the last band that really ticked all the boxes for you? Either as a listener or an artist.
Eddie: The last record that I downloaded to my phone as a purchase was Grinder Man and the Grinder Man Two. Are you familiar with Nick Cave?
Steve: I am yes!
Eddie: I’ve been jamming him a lot, I don’t know why. I think that there’s an aggressive aspect to how crazy calm this music is. There’s this sense of urgency and just anger and aggression that’s being portrayed as calm singing story telling voice that just gets my hair standing on its end especially with all the metal I listen to. As far as new metal goes, the new Gojira record is fucking incredible and there’s a band named Traitors from Florida that I’ve taken a loving to. A band called Black Tongue from the UK that I’ve also fallen in love with.
Steve: Absolutely love those guys.
Eddie: Yeah man they’re amazing.
Steve: So what can the fans in this lovely country expect in terms of the live show when you guys hit our shores in September?
Eddie: Well, we’re a band that’s been touring a lot of shows for the last three years. My first batch of shows were in Australia and it’s going to be three years later and I believe there’s a really big difference in the energy and cohesiveness from each member in the band. We’ve grown up together, we’ve had to grieve together and become a unit together. So I think that as far as the show goes, you’re going to get a lot more intensity, a lot more of those feelings you can’t hide from.
Steve: Definitely looking forward to it. I guess finally, do you have a message for the fans out there that are eagerly awaiting for you guys to come down here?
Eddie: The biggest thing I would like to send down is a big shout of gratitude and a big shot of love to the people who have believed in me from day one, the people who believed in the band moving forward and to those that have a love for Suicide Silence old and new. A big thank you because without them we wouldn’t be able to fly out to Australia and see your wonderful shores, beaches and grandioseness of your wonderful island.
Steve: Well it’s been an absolute honour and privilege to talk to you today, can’t wait to see you down here. Enjoy the rest of your day!
Eddie: Thank you man I will, see you then!
SUICIDE SILENCE AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES:
Saturday 3rd September – Woolly Mammoth, Brisbane
Sunday 4th September – Manning Bar, Sydney
Tuesday 6th September – The Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Wednesday 7th September – 170 Russell, Melbourne
Thursday 8th September – Fowlers Live, Adelaide Lic/AA
Friday 9th September – Amplifier Bar, Perth
Tickets and tour details can be found at Destroy All Lines.
