DEICIDE DRUMMER STEVE ASHEIM: THE METALSUCKS INTERVIEW
If you were to have a conversation about the most important and influential death metal bands of all time, you would, without a doubt, have to discuss Deicide. They are, simply put, iconic, and while many of their peers have fallen by the wayside over the years, they’re still going strong more than two decades later. In fact, after many had written them off, their last album, 2006’s The Stench of Redemption, was released to great acclaim by fans and critics alike. Now the band has a new album, entitled ‘Till Death Do Us Part, coming out on April 28 in Europe and May 13 in the U.S.; we haven’t gotten to hear it yet, but if “In the Eyes of God,” the song currently posted on the band’s MySpace page, is any indication, it will probably make Stench look like a Gordon Lightfoot record.
So when I was recently presented with the opportunity to interview founding drummer and primary songwriter Steve Asheim, I naturally jumped at the chance – so long as I could do the interview by e-mail. Truth be told, I feared that Asheim might be too evil, even for me.
What can you tell us about your new album, ‘Till Death Do Us Part? How does it differ from other Deicide albums?
I think this new album is a good mix of old and new styles of Deicide. It reminds me of a cross between Stench [of Redemption] because of the more expansive writing style of songwriting, and Legion because of the mood and vibe of the album. A lot of people thought that Stench was too meloduc and I think ‘Till Death has definitely tweaked that, [it’s] kind of anti-melodic.
What is the writing process like in Deicide?
It’s pretty cut and dry, I write all the music and Glen [Benton, bassist/vocalist] writes all the lyrics. It’s been that way for awhile now but works well for us. I don’t really have a problem writing riffs and songs, it comes pretty easy. In fact, I wrote all the songs for this new record in about three weeks.
After more than 20 years in Deicide, do you ever feel burnt out by brutal death metal? How do you keep things fresh?
I keep it fresh by keeping my ideas fresh. Or at least as fresh as possible.
Follow-up to the last question: do you feel you’ve evolved as a drummer since you first started? And, if so, how?
Yeah, I do. I think ability, speed, endurance, all of those things. I think after playing this type of music for this long a time you’d have to be pretty bad not to improve.
Not that long ago, the band did a European tour without Glen Benton, and he’s said in the press recently that’s done with touring. Do you feel similarly burnt out by touring? Are there plans to doing more tours without Glen? How do you think the fan base will react to a Glen Benton-less live Deicide?
I’m not bunt out by touring at all. It is a little tough at times and all that, but it’s part of what you have to do to be successful in this business, so I did it.
We definitely don’t plan on touring without Glen again, that was purely a one shot deal and only to ensure that all the people put up the money for that tour didn’t lose everything.
It seems like death metal (and metal in general) has had a kind of resurgence in recent years. What do you attribute this renewed interest in death metal to? How do you feel about the current metal scene? Are there any young bands out there that you dig? Any you despise?
I don’t know that there’s a metal resurgence; what I think happens is there’s some new trend that comes along and fades, and what’s there waiting [when it’s over]… metal. Then the next trend comes and goes and again and again what’s waiting… metal. Metal is the constant, it will always be there and it never goes away, yet every few years people think that they’re “re-discovering” it.
I’m not particularly into or not into any young band. I really don’t care if you’re new, young or old, just that you’re good.
Do you listen to any non-metal music? If so, what? And how do you feel it influences you as a metal musician, if at all?
I listen to classical piano. Some of that stuff rips it up and is actually reminiscent of metal, for me anyway. I think it gives a broader range of what’s possible in constructing songs and music.
You’re also a member of the band Council of the Fallen. Can you give us an update on that status of that project? Will there be an album? And how does that band differ, for you as a musician, from Deicide?
That is actually going very well. We’re about to sign a worldwide record deal and we’re getting ready to record in June and have it have it ready for a September release. We’re gonna change the band name… we think we’ve settled on “Order of Ennead.” Once the record is out to play to tour as much as possible.
Some of the music has a different feel than Deicide as it is not as twisted or evil sounding. But make no mistake, it is extreme metal with some of the fastest drumming I’ve ever done. Lyrically it’s different also, it’s not black or evil or hateful. Kevin from the band writes the riffs and lyrics and he just doesn’t have that type of personality.
It was recently revealed that “Fuck Your God” (from Scars of the Crucifix) has been used by the military in order to deprive prisoners of sleep and disorient them during interrogation. These kinds of interrogation methods are in the press a lot now, and are obviously very controversial. How do you feel about these kinds of interrogation methods? Do you mind your music being used for such methods?
I don’t mind the song being used for that stuff, it’s kind of funny, actually. Hell, they should fly us in and pay us to play live interrogations! HA!
Seriously though, I just don’t think play loud music for people, especially warriors, is torture. Last I checked, people payed a lot of money to have loud music blasted at them – hell, it’s how I make a living!
Finally, after so many years of being with Deicide, you must have some crazy stories from the road. What’s your favorite touring story?
It’s kind of a toss up between the time I almost went to prison in Austria for suspicion of being connected to a bank robbery, or the time I was almost eaten alive by a pack of wolves in the Arizona desert while trying to take a dump next to a cactus. And those are just the first couple off the top of my head.
-AR
