Enemy Soil Interview From EyeSore

This was taken from EyeSore. The text in bold is EyeSore, the text with a "R-" in front of it is Rich... Enjoy!



Below is an attempt at an interview with Rich Johnson from D.C. grinders ENEMY SOIL. This guy has been at it for years, and deserves a lot of credit for keeping Enemy Soil going at all costs through quite a number of obstacles and in/out bandmembers. Along with fellow Virgina grindcore bands SUPPRESSION, AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED, & PIG DESTROYER, Enemy Soil is one of the best grind bands the East Coast has to offer.

OK, HERE'S THE SCENARIO. YOU'VE GOT EXIT 13 HOGTIED AND LOCKED IN A BARN. RIGHT NEXT TO IT, IN A SECOND BARN, THE LADS FROM MORTICIAN HAVE RECEIVED THE SAME TREATMENT. YOU HAVE ONE MATCH AND ONLY A PINT OF PETROL. WHO GETS COOKED?

R-Mortician. I'll play the theme to "Backdraft" on their drum machine and then take it to the pawn shop.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF BANDS WHO START OUT SINCERELY POLITICAL AND GO ON TO TRY AND "EXPAND", OFTEN LEAVING BEHIND THE ORIGINAL INTENTIONS, ALONG WITH ORIGINAL MEMBERS WHO OFTEN IN MANY WAYS DEFINED THE BANDS (Napalm, ENT) WHO ARE MAYBE MORE INTERESTED IN "KEEPING IT GOING"' AT ANY COST THAN HAVING THE INTEGRITY TO KNOW WHEN ENOUGH IS ENOUGH?

R-It depends. Sometimes in their own minds I'm sure they honestly think that they are still valid, however deluded thoughts are, and in that case they're still true to themselves and that's what's important. You also have to take into consideration where "expansion" is leading, if it's going into a worthwhile direction or not, if the new stuff sucks, then they suck, depending.

OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS KIND OF A POINTED QUESTION, AS ENEMY SOIL HAS BEEN AROUND NEARLY NINE YEARS , HAS SEEN A MILLION MEMBER CHANGES, NOT TO MENTION ABRUPT CHANGES IN LYRICAL DIRECTION AND THE APPARENT PURPOSE OF THE BAND, MESSAGE WISE .... DO YOU FEEL IT'S STILL VITAL? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH HERE THAT YOU ALREADY HAVEN'T?

R-Enemy Soil was the first thing that came to mind with the last question! There are some people that still like us from since the beginning, and some people that prefer our older material. Actually,I hear a lot more comments about the music than the lyrics, as far as changes are concerned. Me personally, I think it's still vital. I'd sound like an asshole if I didn't. As long as we're writing honest lyrics, then I'm ok with it. We still have things to do, like another full length, a tour.

A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE HEAPED TONS OF CRITICISM UPON RELAPSE RECORDS (RIGHTFULLY SO, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION), WHOM YOU WORKED WITH AT ONE POINT ... WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? E.S. MANAGED TO ESCAPE THE TYPE OF CRITICISM THAT MOST PUNK BANDS WHO DEALT WITH RELAPSE ENDED UP TAKING....

R-A lot of people hate Relapse for a variety of reasons, but if you don't like them, don't deal with them and don't order records from them. We get along with them great and have gone far with them.We did incur some bitching from the punk scene, like the MRR types and others, but that's ok. Those are just opinions formed without all of the facts available.Maybe we escaped criticism because people make us out to be incredibly beyond reproach kinda guys.

YOU'RE 27 YEARS OLD ... MAKING YOU ONE OF THE OLDER GUYS TO STILL BE DOING THIS GRINDCORE JUVENILE SILLINESS. DOES THAT PRESENT ANY KINDA CHALLENGE TO YOU, CONSIDERING YOUR TYPICAL PUNK KID WAS JUST POPPING OUT OF HIS/HER MOM WHILE YOU WERE ALREADY TOOLING WITH YOUR PEE-PEE?

R-What's that, sonny? Can ya speak up? I feel old, but not relative to the length of time I've been involved with the punk scene.

WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WERE YOU THINKING USING A DRUM MACHINE TAMBORINE ON THE SLAPAHAM 7"????? AND OUT OF WHO'S ASS DID YOU PULL THAT GODAWFUL COVER ART?

R-This is what happened to Judas Priest when they recorded "Turbo". Try to experiment a little bit and you get your ass bitten off by the royal AC/DC writing style brigade. EXCUSE THE FUCK OUTTA ME! When you are left to write all the songs because everyone else quit, you have alot of responsibility! I would have liked the cover art lot more if it was painted or a photograph. The idea is good, but the way it came out..wasn't.

A MEMBER OF YOUR BAND ACTUALLY LISTENS TO MOLLY HATCHET. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THE PUNISHMENT FOR THAT IS?? DO YOU???

R- Yeah, I get bitched at by wise cracking zine editors with psuedo-Melrose Place/Morrissey hair. (This band member has since left the band. Purely coincidence, I'm told, and having nothing to do whatsoever with the sperm-stained 9 foot tall Molly Hatchet cardboard stand-up certain band members found in said bass player's bedroom..)

IF YOU HAD THE CHOICE BETWEEN SODOMIZING THE CORPSE OF PRINCESS DI OR USING HERE TWO SONS FOR CLOSE RANGE LAWN DART TARGET PRACTICE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

I could use some work on my hand/eye cooridination, so I'll have to go with option #2.


That concluded our mostly if not completely inane conversation. Forthcoming from Enemy Soil is a new album on Profane Existance (on one of those nifty lil' 3"' CDs). They've once again lost a band member, this time another vocalist (who obviously has balls the size of well-sanded pebbles, quit the band via e-mail) but will hopefully re-emerge soon with a new one. In the meantime, E.S. continues to play shows w/Rich on vocals, and expect to have the new LP out later this year. Contact Enemy Soil at: 157 N Cottage Rd/Sterling, VA 20164-1379.

SELECTED ENEMY SOIL DISCOGRAPHY
split cassette with PARASITIC INFESTATION (1992)
split 7" w/WADGE (Break It Out Records) 1993
"Casualties of Progress" 7" (Relap$e) 1994
"War Parade" LP (Insolito/Clean Plate) 1996
split 7" with Desperate Corruption (Bovine) 1997
split 7" with Agoraphobic Nosebleed (Bovine) 1997
split 7" with Reversal of Man (Fist Held High) 1997
split 7" with Corrupted (HG Fact) 1998

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