There are members of our society who live for rock 'n' roll.
You know the type. Somewhere between Arthur Fonzarelli's seemingly genetic Zen-like coolness and John Belushi with a lampshade on his head and his dick in the mashed potatoes is a demographic that lives for a couple of brewskies and beach volleyball with a Black Lips soundtrack.
Now if you leave said headbanging bro on the grill a little longer and let 'em get good 'n' crispy like a deliciously burnt hot dog, well, our hypothetical RNR maniac may very well give up his life of rockin' for that of brutalizing.
Miami metal stalwarts Shroud Eater know a thing or two about such distinctions. In the lead-up to their appearance at Radio-Active Records' Record Store Day 2013 after-party at Revolution's and Subculture's Block x Blog, the release of their new EP, and their ten-date tour with drone metal annihilators Holly Hunt, County Grind shot Jean Saiz, the Eater's guitarist, some questions about the current status of the South Florida's metal scene's most consistent fixtures.
Crossfade: Tell us about your new EP, Dead Ends. Who released it, and where does it fit into your discography?
Jean Saiz: I put the Dead Ends tape out under my new endeavor, Primitive Violence Records. I will be releasing tapes in limited-edition packages from some local and nonlocal bands in the coming months. The tape sounds much filthier and rabid than CD or digital. I think the format suits us quite nicely.
Dead Ends will be released on CD via the Path Less Traveled Records in May of this year. We are currently working on some new material, although the format is yet to be determined.
Are there any metal Record Store Day releases you're going to be lining up for at 8 a.m. to buy? How is Shroud Eater celebrating RSD 2013?
I'm looking to score the Atlas Moth/Wolvhammer split seven-inch. Radio-Active Records asked us to join in on their festivities. Apparently, we are the only metal band performing the RSD lineup at the Green Room, so this should be interesting.
A lot of great bands from Miami never make it out of the city. But Shroud Eater has made it a point to connect with metal audiences outside of South Florida.
Our first tour was back in 2010, when we went up the East Coast to New York supporting the recently formed MonstrO and our buds in Junior Bruce. It was a great learning experience, like learning that tolls in New York are upwards of $10 and also learning that random strangers will help two ladies and a dude carry an Ampeg SVT 8x10 cabinet up two flights of stairs on a random afternoon.
We did a few Florida-state tours with different friends (Consular, Hot Graves, Ether). One of the highlights of our musical travels was our "Beer, Bacon, and Blunts Tour" with our brothers in Hollow Leg, where we went out West a bit to New Orleans and back. Since then, we've done a small Southeast tour with Holly Hunt, and recently, in February, we hit up some new places in the Southeast, so we are geared and ready to hit the road for a longer stretch.
Any lineups you're especially excited about?
Personally, I'm excited about D.C., Philly, and Boston. In particular Clamfight (Philly) and the Proselyte (Boston). The Proselyte played at Beelzebub's Cave (RIP) last year, and I really loved their sound.
Any tour predictions?
We are looking forward to what will, no doubt, be a loud and belligerent exercise in sonic abuse and excessive drinking.
Follow @CountyGrind
