Interview with Jeff Gruslin of Godless Rising by FA 9/2007
DC: It's been a long time since metal has heard from you. Inquiring minds what to know, where have you been?
JG: HAHAHAHA! I'VE BEEN HIDING UNDER A ROCK PERFORMING RITUALS! NO REALLY, I STEPPED AWAY FROM THE ACTIVE SCENE, PER SE, FOR A LONG TIME. NEVER GAVE UP ON METAL THOUGH AS IT'S MY LIFE AND BLOOD SINCE 1977!
DC: Would you officially say you came out of retirement?
JG: NEVER RETIRED, JUST BEEN LAYING LOW AWAY FROM THE MASSES, THE SHEEP AND THE CLIQUES WE CALL THE "SCENE".
DC: The world of death metal is much different since "Into Cold Darkness" came out in 1995. The music has exponentially grown into mainstream acceptance and is getting some serious backing from MTV, satellite radio, and other outlets besides the internet that make it more accessible to the masses. What is your take on this?
JG: IT'S ALL GOOD TO A POINT. I GUESS. IT HELPS PROMOTE A BAND AND THEIR RECORDS ALONG WITH BOOSTING INTEREST METAL IN GENERAL. BUT NOTHING BEATS THE GOOD OL DAYS OF TAPE TRADING AND SNAIL MAIL CORRESPONDENCE!
DC: What is the vision of Godless Rising? Does it concern you when you hear the project referred to as "featuring the former lead singer of..."?
JG: THE VISION IS TO PLAY BRUTAL, OLD SCHOOL DEATH METAL, PERIOD, AND BE HAPPY DOING IT. NO, THE CONNECTION WITH MY FORMER BAND VITAL REMAINS IS WELL ACCEPTED BY ME AS IT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF MY LIFE AND WE HAD A LOT OF FUN DOING WHAT WE DID THEN.
DC: With Godless Rising, are you in in this time for the long run?
JG: I AM FOR SURE! THE OTHERS HAVE SINCE PACKED IT IN WITH GODLESS RISING. COULD CARE LESS ABOUT ANY OF THEM, REALLY.
DC: It appears you have the bragging right of saying you were the Vital Remains vocalist that lasted the longest as the vocalist spot at one point seemed to be a revolving door with them, although it's probably a safe bet that they will retain Glen Benton from now on because it makes financial and marketing sense.
JG: LIKE I SAID, IT WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY LIFE THEN WITH TONY AND THE REST. BUT I DONT CARE TO BRAG, I AM WHO I AM, PERIOD!
DC: Godless Rising has a good home with Moribund Records, a most venerable label whose good reputation and dedication to the craft has kept it alive all these years while other labels that arose at the same time have disappeared off of the face of the earth. Why did you choose them as your label?
JG: MORIBUND IS NOTHING BUT POSITIVE ENERGY AND UNHOLY BROTHERHOOD BETWEEN MYSELF AND ODIN. ODIN AND MYSELF HAVE BEEN LONG TIME FRIENDS OF THE SCENE AND WE BOTH UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER AS TO WHAT WE ARE ALL ABOUT. MORIBUND RECORDS GETS MY DOUBLE IRON FIST SALUTE!
DC: After laying low for this long, do you wish to pursue projects, say, in other genres?
JG: AS LONG AS IT'S BRUTAL METAL, OF COURSE. I WOULD LOVE TO SING IN A THRASH BAND TO RELEASE MY SECOND STYLE OF VOKILLS NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD!
DC: A "best of" compilation of Vital Remains material came out in 2006 featuring early demo and 7" material that you contributed to. The book alone is especially amazing, and my understanding is that it was a limited edition release. What was your reaction when you first heard this was being compiled?
JG: I'M AWARE OF THE CD.. IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THESE LONG OUT OF PRINT AND SOUGHT AFTER GEMS PUT ONTO A SINGLE CD FOR THE FANS, NEW AND OLD, TO GET TO HEAR WHAT VITAL SOUNDED LIKE IN OUR EARLY DAYS. ALTHOUGH I DON'T OWN ANY COPIES I HAVE SEEN THE ENTIRE LAYOUT.
DC: How do you feel about the imminent "death" of the CD and other packaged media with the advent of download culture, especially coming from a musical genre where amassing a large collection of physical music and hanging out in independent records stores in something we are known for taking great pleasure in?
JG: WELL I MISS THE OLD DAYS OF NOT KNOWING WHAT A PARTICULAR BAND SOUNDED LIKE WITHOUT FIRST BUYING THEIR LP OR GOING TO A CONCERT TO HEAR AND SEE THEM FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE COMPUTER HAS ITS GOOD POINTS AND OF COURSE BAD POINTS. IT'S ALL PUBLICITY FOR THE BANDS.
DC: There is a strong belief among many people in the music industry that the large record companies will inevitably collapse under the insurmountable pressure to adapt to downloading, and that they should take a large part of the blame themselves for this for failing to adapt in a timely, appropriate manner. What say you?
JG: I GUESS WE WILL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. REMEMBER, ALL THINGS GO IN CYCLES.
DC: I myself strongly believe that people who collect music, COLLECT music, and will hold out until the bitter end, until the last CD ever is pressed. To me a massive collection of metal is something I take great pride in. Although extremely niche, vinyl has persevered over the years and is rabidly collected by a good number of people to this day. Do you think underground music of all genres will have this same fate in the future, still coming in packaged media yet having to be bought from certain outlets expressly dedicated to collectors and enthusiasts?
JG: I DON'T DWELL ON THIS TOO MUCH. I WILL ALWAYS GET MY METAL REGARDLESS OF HOW I HAVE TO OBTAIN IT. IF I LIKE IT, I'LL GET IT. SHIT, MY VINYL COLLECTION HAD WELL OVER 8,000 PIECES OF METAL AT ONE POINT.
DC: What are you listening to these days?
JG: STILL CAUGHT UP IN THE GREAT 80S METAL SCENE, BUT FOR NEWER STUFF I LIKE BANDS LIKE DEKAPITATOR, MUNICIPAL WASTE, AVENGER OF BLOOD, BLASPHERIAN FROM TEXAS, OBESIANCE FROM TEXAS, ARIES KINGDOM AND STUFF LIKE THAT ALONG WITH ALL THE CLASSIC SWEDISH DEATH METAL.
DC: I want the final question to be a very strong one; some people just don't get the draw to underground music, saying people feign a passion for it just out of spite toward society and the need to be different and nonconformist. How would you describe why this music is so alluring to a person like you?
JG: AH! WELL THE SHEER BRUTALITY AND AGGRESSION IS WHAT DRAWS ME NOW! BUT IN THE PAST WHEN I WAS BUYING VINYL AND I WAS YOUNGER THE KILLER COVERs DREW ME TO METAL BUYING. IT WAS AND NEVER WILL BE JUST A PASSING PHASE FOR ME, I'M IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL...METAL TILL DEATH!
Any last words or parting wisdom?
JG:FOR WORDS OF WISDOM ONE MUST SIT WITH ME FOR A LONG CHAT ON METAL HAHAHAHAHAHA! BUT OTHER WISE THANKS AGAIN FOR THE SUPPORT AND THE INTERVIEW... SEE YOU ALL SOON.... UP THE IRONS OF METAL!
Thanks! Many hails!
www.myspace.com/godlessrisingwww.moribundcult.com
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