October 2000 - Inquisition #1, interview

1) Could you give the readers and myself a quick rundown of how the band was formed and your major musical influences?

Jason: The band was formed over a year ago when Andy and myself met at a friend's party. We'd been pissed off that we couldn't find like-minded people to start a band with - so we decided to start one ouselves! Then Crippy joined because him and Andy had played in bands together since they were kids. Paul was the last the last member in and is simply an awesome bassist! We all share the same attitude. This is Honey For Christ, we couldn't play with any other individuals. I think we were all nervous about writing together because we're all into different things - we don't sit and say we wanted to do this sort of metal or that sort of metal, we just said fuck it let's see what comes out!!! That was the start of Honey For Christ. Influences - we all love metal but it really varies for each of us:

Jason: all metal in general, doom, glam, punk whatever - love bands with attitude and conviction, and that's something we're about.

Chris: Deicide and Slayer, anyone that can play their instruments well basically.

Andy: anything real, music that means something, that's why I am so into My Dying Bride, moody and depressive, but very real. Motley Crue for the same reason, but they play about sex, drugs, rock n' roll, which is real to them, very real to them!!

Paul: as far as me joining the band I was down the bar one night and Andy asked was I still playing bass and would l be interested in playing with this new band he had got together and I was like yeah, dead on! Influences for me would be Misfits, Iron Maiden, basically thrash and punk stuff. I like the rawness of that sorta stuff, the catchiness, and the aggression of it all.

2) On your demo "Long way down and rising" the music is, in your own words, "100% raw, unclean, uncut, hard and honest heavy fucking metal". Do the lyrics also reflect this viewpoint?

Andy: Jase is the only one that can answer this as he write all the lyrics, none of the rest of need to place much input, but I think the shit that happens to the rest of us has an impact on his writing.

Jason: Yeah, to a certain point. What I write about is pure honesty, I can't write about anything I don't know. Most of the lyrics are about relationships or my hatred for anything false or fake! For instance a lot of people in this band seem to have a lot of shit happening to them lately, so I'm not short of inspiration!

Chris: Over to Jase for this one, I play drums, he's the vocalist, that's his job!!

Paul: It's not about devil worshipping - I know that much!!

3) While one of the main adjectives I'd use to describe your music is fun, is there a more serious side to HFC?

Chris: There is a very serious side to HFC, but mostly behind the scenes, in the writing stages, not too much of it live though!

Andy: HFC is a serious band, but we love what we do, well most of the time - bad gigs are shitty!!, but at the same time we are out to enjoy it!

Jason: Yeah there is, we take our music very seriously and we're always viscous live, but we enjoy what we do. That's the reason behind starting a band isn't it? Even though what we play is dark and heavy, it's he buzz of playing live that makes us happy - we're all into what we do 100%, but what could be more fun than playing in a heavy fucking metal band!

Paul: Yeah. We take the writing seriously, songs aren't finished until everyone's happy, but practice and shit is about having a laugh if nothing else!

4) On the subject of fun do you feel that this aspect is being lost in the extreme metal climate of today? After all half the bands are wearing frilly shirts and being "goff" (sic) and the other half are being evil and scary in spite of the fact that they look like badgers!

Chris: As far is dressing up is concerned - whatever tickles your fancy I suppose - if you want to look like a gloomy cunt all the time, feel free!

Andy: Some bands do music for different reasons I suppose, I mean I love badgers, but doing it personally wouldn't do it for me.

Jason: Well it's part of the image in the extreme metal scene to look like you're pissed all the time. I think a lot of bands take themselves too seriously. But when we played with Hangnail and Orange Goblin the whole night was just a fucking party and everyone was smiling like fuck all night! "Different strokes for different folks" as they say but some of those goth bands 'get over it!!' know what I mean!

Paul: For some bands that shit works, like Kiss, but not for us, even though I would look really fucking good in make up!

5) What made you decide to self produce the demo as opposed to going into a professional studio?

Jason: It was basically the money, we don't make any playing gigs here so we recorded it on Andy's 4 track in the garage and it sounds like it!!

Andy: nuff said, we're permanently skint, but the demo does represent the band completely at the time, and I wouldn't re-record any of the tracks, but it'll be the studio for the new EP.

Chris: Money

Paul: I personally have a phobia about studios! Plus it was a nice garage…

6) What has the response been to the demo as it is (if I'm correctly informed) your first musical offering?

Andy: It is our first offering and the reaction was awesome! We have sold / given away, in and around the region of 300 CD's and tapes. A lot around Belfast, but we are still getting orders around the world, the review in Terrorizer got us a lot of new contacts and orders. I mean fuck, we got some guy from America who wants a signed photo along with the CD!!! - Jesus!

Jason: The response has been brilliant, we didn't think anyone would give a fuck but people over here seem to love it!

Chris: Great, better than I expected!

Paul: Surprised more than anything, can't believe people forked out for a demo, plus every time I see Andy he tells me there is another demo going out to Japan, America or something!! So someone somewhere else in the world can call me an ugly bastard!

7) HFC have had a couple of high profile support slots recently, how have these gone in the face of the usual apathy to support bands?

Jason: It's not even just being a support band, it's being a local support band! Honey For Christ is all about playing live so we'll play in front of any crowd. We've got complete confidence with this band playing live so people seem to get off on our attitude when we're playing, plus we've built up a small but fucking viscous following here to give us their support.

Andy: The high profile slots have been really good for exposure but as you say not everyone wants to see a local act open up for their favourite band. I mean I heard a comment after Orange Goblin, like "I came here to chill out to stoner bands and I get Honey For Christ thrown in my fucking face!" But I think that's cool anyway, we made an impression that they probably won't forget! Fuck 'em! Fuck 'em all!!

Chris: I thought we went down all right, considering!

Paul: Well we haven't been spat at or stuff thrown at us, which is nice.

8) Speaking of gigs, how are you coping in the live scenario having recently lost a guitarist?

Jason: It's far better than before, we're just a better band as a 4 piece! Andy's a fucking amazing guitar player anyway so there's been no problems! We got rid of the other guitarist because he didn't have the same outlook as the rest of us.

Andy: I prefer the line up now cause I can hear everything! It seemed muddy before, we really don't need 2 guitars, the bass is a major part of the music now, but before Paul didn't seem to have much room to breathe, whereas now the bastard won't fuck up!!! No, It just makes it easier, it's really hard to jam with 2 guitars, that's a fact, but Paul and myself can jam for ages without going out of key that often, it just works now, like a single unit.

Chris: For starters the sound is a hell of a lot clearer, plus there is a better atmosphere in the band and less bullshit!

Paul: A lot of people have said we sound a lot better ,and we seem to work a lot better, plus I think Andy loves to hear me!! So that's why I don't fuck up!!

9) To continue on the most important aspect of metal, have there been any bands that have blown you away upon seeing them live?

Andy: Cannibal Corpse, fuck me, they just stand like they have been cast in steel, but put across such power and make you want to kill the motherfucker standing next to you!! Anathema as well as they are able to put across the emotion in their music in a live scenario, which I must confess I didn't think they would be able to do, but I was very wrong, as soon as 'Deep' started I was like "Fuck!"

Jason: Anathema, Lacuna Coil, Aerosmith, Motorhead, Slayer, Hangnail, Slayer, Orange Goblin, Sid Row, there's been so many over the years.

Chris: Slayer and Cannibal Corpse I suppose, cause they're fucking awesome!

Paul: Misfits, Iron Maiden (new line up), Slayer, plus the bands we have played with, like Lacuna Coil and stuff - fuck I even bought a t-shirt!

10) Have you any hails to bands that you feel should be getting more attention?

Jason: There's a lot of bands over here worthy of better things - like Spindrift, Tilted, Zerotonin, Malkuth and Devoured. I think bands like Katatonia and Anathema should be getting a bigger push. There have been bands in the past like Trouble or the Plasmatics who should have got more attention.

Andy: Celestial Season are a great band, but you never hear fuck all about them! But having said that I hardly ever buy magazines at the moment for some reason, so don't really know who's getting the promotion at the minute. But "End of Green" are a fucking brilliant band I only bought their CD as a chance about 4 years ago out of some distro that is probably disappeared now, but I haven't heard anything since!

Chris: Yeah, all of them cause the metal scene isn't big enough!! World domination through metal and all that!!!

Paul: I have to say I agree with Chris, but could Venom have a bit more coverage please.

11) Any final thoughts?

Jason: Fuck all trends -play what's in your heart!!! Stay metal!!

Andy: Honey For Christ you fucking bastards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chris: Nope, cause I'm not fucking Jerry Springer!!!

Paul: Take care of yourself, ……. and each other.

Cheers for the interview by the way!

Andy + Paul + Jason + Chris : HFC

inquisition '00