Interview: Pile Of Knives
The crowd reaction has been full of energy and violence, which we love. We feed off of that reaction.
Pennsylvania’s Pile Of Knives deliver a brutal melding of pummelling death metal and slamming deathcore on their razor sharp new EP Driven By The Blade. To celebrate the release of the EP, Gavin Brown caught up with Pile Of Knives vocalist Bryan Martinez to hear all about Driven By The Blade, Pile Of Knives and a whole host of brutal and horrorific subjects.
E&D: Your new EP Driven By The Blade has just come out. Have you been pleased with the reaction it has had so far?
Bryan: So far the reaction has been great. We have been receiving a lot of love online, and when we play these songs live the songs have been receiving a punishing reaction. The crowd reaction has been full of energy and violence, which we love. We feed off of that reaction.
E&D: This is your second EP, how has your sound progressed since your first release?
Bryan: The difference between the two is that this time around we took a more deliberate approach. The first EP No Light was a figuring out stage for us as a band, but with Driven By The Blade, I feel like we figured out what we wanted to do and say. Both are death metal records, but this one is carrying a punch and we are strapped to the gills with all types of sharp foreign objects.
E&D: What have been the biggest influences on Driven By The Blade?
Bryan: Musically for the most part all slamming death metal and beatdown hardcore bands, anything with a violent sound. Lyrically the record was influenced specifically by the multiple Faces of Death films. Also the lyrics mix in real life situations that people struggle with (e.g. regret, self loathing, realization of failure).
E&D: The EP track ‘Kukri’ is very intriguing. Can you tell us about the track and what it is about?
Bryan: Yeah, so we like to break up our records. We did an instrumental on our first release and wanted to continue this idea on our sophomore record. We know the brutality can be a bit much sometimes, so we like to give the listeners a pallet cleanser. So with this track we wanted to give the listeners a break from the heaviness and add the feeling of despair and eeriness, before we go right back to heavy. It’s also really cool that we got our talented friends involved again, Anthony Bacola on acoustic guitar and Ben Karas of Slaughtersun on violin to help bring it all together.
E&D: Do you always want your lyrics to be as brutal as possible?
Bryan: Some of my biggest lyrical influences are Cannibal Corpse, Bloodbath, Suffocation, and horror films. I like to give respect to the genre and keep it pure with the gruesome lyrics. At the same timeI’m a fan of hardcore music and that’s some of the most honest music. So I like to add a part of my life experiences and mix it in with the brutality.
E&D: What are your favourite styles of knife?
Bryan: Hattori Hanzo Sword. Also were from the Poconos, PA so a machete does the trick pretty good in wooded areas.
E&D: Is the more metallic side of hardcore and beatdown a big part of the Pile Of Knives sound?
Bryan: Most definitely. We are huge fans of All Out War, Merauder, Sworn Enemy, and 100 Demons. These bands will make your jaw drop in awe of their musical talent and then at the same time you’re getting your jaw cracked. What’s not to love?
E&D: What are the most influential hardcore/beatdown albums for you?
Bryan: If I have to do a mount rushmore beatdown records list, in no particular order its All Out War – For Those Who Were Crucified, Merauder – Master Killer, 100 Demons – In the Eyes Of The Lord and Hatebreed – Satisfaction Is The Death Of Desire.
E&D: Do Pile Of Knives like playing mixed bills with bands of different styles like death metal bands, hardcore bands and more?
Bryan: Not only do we love that, but we encourage it. We love all styles of aggressive music and want to play with them all. Shout out FADE NJ, Scorched Mind, Slaughtersun, and Afterneath. I mentioned these four bands because they are all different styles and we love their music and we will play with them any time and at any place.
E&D: How have your recent live shows gone and how has the material from Driven By The Blade gone down?
Bryan: We have been getting a lot of great reactions to the new songs. The crowd has been moshing and head banging at every single venue. We couldn’t ask for anything more, we hope you all continue to bring the violence.
E&D: What live shows have you got coming up that you can tell us about?
Bryan: We have two shows coming up, one is on 6th December and it’s a death metal banger that we set up with our buddies in Discord. Also on the bill is Hath, Tombstoner, and Enforcement Droid. That’s at Backroom Studios in New Jersey and we hope everyone has been working out their necks, cause all will be forced to headbang a shit ton. The second show we have is on 24th January, that we set up at The Alternative Gallery in PA. We wanted to bring in the new year with a great vibe and play a show with all our good friends. It’s a fun mixed bill with our brothers in Bliss Ritual, Afterneath, Discord, and Scorched Mind.
E&D: What has been the craziest Pile Of Knives show to date?
Bryan: We played a benefit show at Asbury Lanes that was amazing. We had an amazing reaction there, and it was an amazing event for a great cause. But something that has been cool is playing the Meatlocker in Monclair, NJ. We’ve been going there since we were in high school and now that we are in our late 30’s it’s cool to see that it’s one of the few places that is still around, and still supporting local music. Also the younger crowd still goes and these kids fucking bring it. They are moshing from the first to last band. It’s great to see that the future of underground music is in good hands.
E&D: Have you got plans for a full length album at all?
Bryan: Yeah, we want to slow down on playing so many gigs and start writing for the next release which is going to be a full length. We have some things in the works already, it’s just a matter of us going through all the material.
E&D: The EP came out on Halloween, is that a big thing for you?
Bryan: Halloween is the best!
E&D: How did you spend Halloween this year?
Bryan: The same as every year: watch spooky films and give candy to all the kiddos.
E&D: What films are essential for you on Halloween?
Bryan: The two that are automatic watches are John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978) and Trick ‘r Treat. After that it’s whatever random horror we think of. This year we watched Monster Squad, Demon Knight, Evil Dead 2, and Weapons.
E&D: Who are your favourite horror directors?
Bryan: George A. Romero, John Carpenter, Tobe Hooper and The Philippou brothers.
E&D: What are some of your favourite ever horror characters?
Bryan: Jaws, The Thing, Buffalo Bill, and Count Orlock.
E&D: What are some of your favourite underrated horror movies?
Bryan: The People Under The Stairs, The Descent, The Sadness, and High Tension.
E&D: What is your favourite use of a knife in movie history?
Bryan: For a classic I have to go with Psycho. That shower scene is iconic and still very impactful when you watch it now. For a new one I’m going with the film Bring Her Back. If you saw it you know why I mentioned it, man that was a rough one!
