INTERVIEW: Jesse of Kilgore

This week's interview is from Jesse of Austrailian bands Deaths Head / Kilgore. The interview was originally conducted by Rick of Label56 in anticipation of the upcoming Kilgore release. Since then the CD has come out and been well recieved to which Jesse has continued work with Kilgore.

Greetings Jesse, obviously everyone knows you from your band Deaths Head. Can you give the readers a little background info on you and your bands.
Well as you stated above I am a founding member of NS metal band Deaths Head, We’ve been gigging and releasing CDs promoting National Socialism for going on 8 years now and we’re not tired of it yet. Personally I’ve been a skinhead for going on 15 years (I’ve got the liver to prove it haha). During this time I’ve been an active supporter of Blood and Honour Australia and I’ve also been a member of the Southern Cross Hammerskins for near on 7 years now…

The CD by your new band Kilgore is set to be released any day now. Can you tell us a little about this band?
A little while ago Deaths Head went through some major line up changes, a few longtime members left and the whole thing stopped being fun and started to feel like work. I’m sure anyone who has ever been in a band knows exactly what I’m talking about. In any event, I decided I just wanted to do something totally different. Something to make it all fun again. I started writing a few songs and eventually Kilgore was the result. Not being a ground breaking musician I asked a few good friends to help me out, and that raised the overall quality a hell of a lot. Kilgore is more of a project than a functioning band, I doubt you’ll ever see us live, but what the hell you never know.

How did you come up with the name Kilgore? Is there anything significant to it`s meaning?
Ha ha. Significant meaning is the last thing Kilgore is about. Don’t expect deep philosophy or songs laden with political subtext. This is the CD to put on when your tearing down the highway cigarette in your mouth, bottle of whisky between your thighs and your 6 gun at your side [laughs], Seriously though this release is all about having a good time, the lyrics and music are meant to entertain not inform. Put it on at a party or something. The band name itself came from the Col Kilgore character in Apocalypse Now, you know the “ I Love the smell of napalm in the morning and Charlie don’t surf” guy, for no other reason than I like the character and thought it would suit the rock n roll style I was aiming for.

Kilgore has a great sound to it, a little punk, a little pshycobilly, and a lot of southern rock. To me it is a cross between Youngland and Ian Stuart and the Klansmen. Why did you decide to do a cd in this style music?
Well for starters I like all the bands you mentioned above, and like I said before I wanted to do a fun cd and this style of music is great for lyrics that aren’t afraid to make fun of themselves, there are a lot of different styles blending together on this cd and that’s less down to intent than the fact that when I write a song it just sort of comes out of nowhere and that’s what it sounds like. If I try to write something that sounds LIKE something I hit a wall and nothing comes out. I’m happy with how it turned out though, there’s a little something for everyone. Even tracks I thought were weaker came together well in the studio so I’m 100percent happy with this one which is rare for me. ALL KILLER NO FILLER! ha ha ha


So, what do you think Johnny Cash would think of your rendition of Folsom Prison Blues? Ha ha
He’d probably want to kick my ass, but fuck it he’s dead so he can’t do shit, even the band members raised an eyebrow at this one Folsom Prison Blues at 200 BPM? Love it! haha

Now the every question that has to be asked in every interview- Can you give us some of your influences?
On this one you’ve got Youngland and the Klansmen, but also stuff like Demented are go, Nashville Pussy etc. I don’t claim to sound as good as these guys but that’s the sort of shit I was listening to when I wrote most of this CD.

Can you tell the readers what future plans you have for either Kilgore or Deaths Head? Are there any other projects you are working on or would like to do?
As for Kilgore, like I said above I can’t force it, I have one new song written already, if more come out then I’ll do another CD or some comps and stuff, I really enjoy the style. Maybe no one else will and that’ll be that ha ha. As for Deaths Head, most of our 4th full length is written, I’m just working through it with the rest of the guys, I hope to record it in late July and August. No word on who will release it yet though.

[Editor note: The interview went on for a short length afterwards but was edited due to its lack of relation to the band and music...and of course this is a music blog.]

Well Jesse, I want to thank you for taking the time to do this interview. The final words are for you.
I’d just like to day thanks to Label 56 for the interview and taking a chance on the Kilgore CD. I hope everyone likes it and keep and eye out for the new Deaths Head in the not to distant future.

INTERVIEW: Blood Red Eagle

[Interview conducted 04/30/2009.]

How would you best describe the movement and music scene in Australia?

I shudder at the word "scene." Scenes can be best described as a comedy of errors. Whatever word you can call it, I guess it’s the same as anywhere. It could use this, it could use that, but there are some good people doing good things from time to time; smaller and tight knit would best describe it.

What bands would you site as being the biggest influence(s) of BRE's music?

Ultima Thule, Hel, Amon Amarth, Falkenbach, Enharjarna, Midgards Soner, most decent Viking rock, neo folk and Viking metal as well as most typical RAC bands from the late 80's early 90's. You know, all the usual stuff.

In your opinion, what's the best BRE album released to date and why that particular one?
"Return to Asgard" is probably the most popular, it's kind of raw but still falls in place. "Burning Down the Churches" is more polished, and with the female vocals a lot of people say that one.

I personally like our new one "Divine Providence" 'cause I haven't heard it to death yet and we recorded it ourselves. it has a couple of songs on there I have sat on for years and really worked them out so the writing is a bit better in my opinion and sound wise we were going for a mix of "Return to Asgard" and "Burning Down the Churches" to please the fans. the sound ended up a little boxy, but considering its the first time we recorded ourselves as BRE and released it; it made me figure out what we are capable of in that aspect.

What's your thought(s) on the importance of Odinism and keeping that faith alive?
Well, that’s why we do what we do. A lot of our songs are specific to this topic and we try to sing it historically correct. Any other culture/race in the world is not only allowed in the eyes of normality but actually encouraged to promote folkish ethno-centric communities, faiths and cultures amongst their own. People aren’t taught much in their countries’ schools, at least anything more about their history, outside of a couple of wars.

Our people for the most part have no idea who they are. They have no pride in the fact that we have the greatest history and culture the world has ever seen. The multiculturalism campaigns of the one world Zionists teach people only guilt in being white, yet they aren’t even 100% sure why they should feel guilty. With that and our preferred religious ideologies, we try to blend historical fact, religious belief and modern social observations together to teach people some things they may not have known.

What can we expect from BRE in the future?
We've been taking a break for a while but maybe soon we will begin to rehearse again to record the beginning of what I perceive as our major works; 3 albums based on the poetic Edda. The first volume, which is already written, is titled "Creation." Also I have some more ideas for after/in between these 3 albums that I may have a go at.

We may resume playing live in 2010. If so, we will most likely head overseas again. We've had a few offers for a few different places but we can’t do anything this year as we are all busy with our personal lives. Rest assured, we still have plenty to do for some time.

Would you like to tell the readers about your other projects such as Affray and Honky Tonk Knife Fight?
Affray was just an off thing, done by myself. I was just drinking at home, testing my home recording studio and making songs up on the spot. I didn’t want to release it at first but a lot of my friends really liked what they heard. So I did an album of songs that wouldn’t work with BRE. I called it Affray after the charges laid on white protestors at the Cronulla "riots" around the same time.

Honky Tonk Knife Fight is our newest band; I don’t call it a project because it is an actual band that we intend to one day take to the live circuit. It's more of a fun band. Highly out spoken, highly critical of everything (even ourselves) but all done in a tongue in cheek, comedic way. It’s pretty hard to take songs like "Rock and Roll Master Race" seriously, right? We did a 7" on Diehard records which went well and now we're getting ready for an 8 or 9 track minimum release. I'm not sure if we will record that before or after the next BRE. I have a lot of fun in this band. You could say the sound is like some Confederacy of Scum bands; cow punk, garage punk, Redneck rock and roll etc…

Any up and coming bands to look out for on your new record label Heathen Noise Productions?
We've had a couple of offers to press various things but we're holding out for now. So, outside of Honky Tonk Knife Fight being a fairly newcomer at the moment.... we also have the lost second album of the great USA band Siege, which absolutely kills their first one. As well as the re-issue of BRE's first album, "The Warrior" EP with a few bonus tracks, coming out later this year—possibly.

Who's your favorite band at the moment?
That is hard to say, I like so much different stuff it changes all the time. For RAC, probably Blackout; for metal the new Amon Amarth is ok. Mostly Hank 3, Rebel Son, Peterpan Speedrock, Candy Snatchers, Hammercocks. I've recently re-found The Partisans, one of my teenage favorites. Absurd is always great and Moshpit is probably one of the best bands in the world at the moment; for fans of metalcore/hardcore. Like I said before, it’s hard to say....

Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Thanks for the interview, good luck with the 'zine. Thank you to the people who are still buying our records after 8 or so years. If you're surfing the net, check stuff people have posted on YouTube of us, some of that’s pretty cool. Also check out VF International.
Hail Odin.
ROA!

Brutal Attack, Honky Tonk Knife Fight, Hatelordz, Total War & Still Burnin' Youth

Recently Diehard records just re-released two aditional Brutal Attack albums on CD..."Steel Rolling On" and "Valiant Heart" which include 5 bonus demo tracks and a nice 8 page booklet.

Also released on Diehard, a limited vinyl 7" from Australia's Honky Tonk Knife Fight, which is a new Punk & Roll band featuring members of Blood Red Eagle. Limited to 1000 hand numbered copies, the album is available in different varied shades of marbeled color vinyl.

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Coming soon on Die Hass Fabrik records out of Germany, brand new material by Hatelordz. a 7" including 3 tracks titled "Friday Night Riot." Available in two different covers

Also available soon on DHF is a 7" split of Total War and Italy's Still Burnin' Youth, titled "Generation X." Reportedly come in two different covers each.

Still Burnin' Youth [pictured at top] is the Uprise Direct featured cover artist for the month of April.

Want your band to be featured? Send us a high quality live [or promo] pic of your band, or your favorite band [with permission]. Please include with the photo a sample MP3 of the same artist. Please email all entries to UpriseDirectZine@yahoo.com.