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 Skinlab hail from San Francisco's Bay Area, a location famed for its contribution to the global Thrash scene back in the mid to late 80'... bands like Exodus, Laaz Rockit, Heathen, Possessed, Forbidden set the standards for an entire new generation of bands to live up to. Appropriately enough, Skinlab have carried the Thrash torch in the late 90's and have melded the best of Thrash's power and excitement with some well-grounded latter day Metal savvy. Rest assured, shit like Coal Chamber or Korn this ain't. Fitted Doohickeys cornered mainman Steev in Belfast during his recent sojourn with Entombed
"It's really great" the man mountain enthuses when asked about the tour so far. "This is our first time here in Ireland. Last night was our first show, Dublin, which absolutely CRUSHED. We're on a mission to crush everybody and everyone in our path.! We're doing a pretty good job of that so far, and making a lot of good friends along the way... it's not a competition, its about art and relaying a little message between friends"
There's a fair bit of difference on this tour. You've got the Hardcore openers, and then the hairy-arsed Metallers at the end, so its a pretty good package.
"Yeah, Medulla (Nocte- Ed) have just jumped back onto the tour, and its a lot more heavier a package. Kill II This were on the tour earlier, and they're a bit different to the two of us. It's good to have Medulla back, they're crazy, pretty insane, man"
People may be unfamiliar with Skinlab, and write them off as just another 'pretend metal' act. Tell us, how METAL are you? Tell us about your influences when you were growing up, was it all studs n'spikes and denim n'leather and all that carry on?
"I was born into music, I mean I grew up with Spanish music, my mom's a Latin music promoter, and my Dad's a saxophone player, he used to be in Santana. So I was raised in a musical environment, and always knew someday I was going to do it. I started off as a congo player in my dad's band, then I started playing drums, then I bought Mercyful Fate's 'Melissa', 'Nun's have No Fun', Venom's 'Welcome to Hell', Exodus, y'know, and everything... being from the Bay area, they were obviously big influences on me. There wasn't much of the 'denim and leather' thing in the Bay Area, it was more like just denim, 'yeah', everyone had their cut-off jeans vests, man, and their tight-peg pants... we looked like Kreator... we all wanted to look like Mille!" he laughs. "It was cool. Times change, but I was actually in another band called Defiance, and I moved from San Jose to Oakland. They already had a contract with Roadrunner, and I played on their second album and went on to make a few records, then I eventually quit and went on to form Skinlab in '94 which is far better"
So, all the requisite influences that most bands aspire to are all present and correct! Give us an idea of what all you saw, you must be in your early 30's, right?
"Nah, 29!"
Really? Oops...
"Yeah, 1969... the summer of love... that's where I came from!"
So you sort of caught the tail end of the 'first' thrash boom... Heathen, Exodus et al?
 "Yeah, well Defiance was actually part of that towards the end, 1989-92, but the first Bay Area scene was, yeah, Heathen, Laaz Rockit, our guitar player Scott used to be in that band, Exodus, Possessed. I was just a little kid reading Maximum Rock n'Roll, and I'd take the train up to all the bigger shows that were on, so I like to think I saw part of it"
JUST SAY NO, KIDS...
Just at this moment, Snake wanders in... looks confused, and shambles out again after a gentle word from Steev
"Snake's not doing interviews today... he fried on acid last night! Best leave him to sort it out..."
On to the new album. I'll be honest with you, I haven't heard either your debut 'Bound, Gagged and Blindfolded'' or your 'Eyesore' EP, but with 'Disembody...', it sounds like two albums. You've got the more 'immediate' stuff like 'Know You're Enemy' which is very anthem-like, but other stuff such as 'I Name My Pain' which is much more measured and bleaker. I prefer this latter style, it has more depth and presence, but what do you think comes over better in a live setting, indeed which style do you prefer?
"The faster stuff... but we always force-feed people the slower stuff too, because that's where we started off. If you listen to our first record, we're a lot dirgier and more doomy. The reason why this album is faster and just a little more intense is that we like to feed off the energy of the crowd and once you see us tonight you'll realise why we do this. We become one with the crowd. Our live show is so intense, we really want to bring out the dynamics of the music and we're totally proud of this record, I mean, its an amazing record that we've been able to accomplish in such a short time. It took us four years to write our first one, and the sophomore effort's always going to be the hardest one, but we've proved everybody wrong, so far everyone likes this record far more than the first, so we're happy. We've got Snake, our new guitar player, we've got Scott, y'know, we have people who want to be here, who want to work. To be in this band, you have to work"
So, the geetarists on the first album, they left during a tour?
"One said he absolutely had to leave, because he wanted to get married... they're gone, bye bye"
And yer man from Laaz Rockit, does he bring any thrashy bits to the Skinlab melting pot?
"Actually, I wouldn't say so. He's brought in more of the groovier stuff. He didn't write that much stuff in Laaz Rockit, he came in and filled in for 'Nothing Sacred' or whatever, and then when they broke up, he made the band 'Gack' out of the remnants, which eventually folded, and then he started his own band, Killing Culture, so, yeah, everyone brought in their own influences. But we all know what Skinlab had to consist of, there wasn't going to be, like, this 'Chasing Charlie' part in fucking Skinlab... we weren't going tohave, just cos Snake was in Skrew, industrial drums and shit. I mean, we're Skinlab, I know what we are, and I definitely have this focus of what I want this band to be like, so does Paul and so do these guys"
So you wear the trousers in the band?
"Yeah, as silly as it sounds, and as fun as it is sometimes, I'd have to say yeah. My main thing is the business side, I deal directly with the label and I'm usually the one to yell at everyone, or whatever"
The big bad bastard?
"Absolutely! And it sucks, but I've really tried hard on this, I mean, because being the lead singer, being the one that everyone wants to talk to, take pictures of, whatever, you have to stay down to reality and I've really learned how to do that on this tour. I want to make my guys feel good too, that's why I talk highly of them"
What really does your head in? People going 'Hey, you're Machine Head-ites, aren't you'?
 "We don't care about, like, people saying I look like Max because I have dreads, or that we sound like Sepultura or Machine Head. We don't care, man. It's a compliment to us, we take it all in our stride. One thing I do hate though, is when its" (adopts a stupid slacker voice) "'like, so you know Machine Head, what are they like, are they really gangsters, does Rob really carry a machine gun in his back pocket?' All I can say is 'Probably'! But we wouldn't have a record deal if it wasn't for Machine Head. We're very thankful to them. I'd give them my left nut if it wouldn't hurt so bad!"
IN BED WITH, ER, STEEV
So, give us an example of some really embarrassing stuff that you've gone through as a band. You've been very upbeat so far, let's hear something juicy.
"Umm, ha ha..."
Oh, come on,
"Hmm... When we first started out, our amps would blow up, usually Skinlab shows are so chaotic, so unpredictable. But usually it's Paul, our drummer. When he's gone, he's usually either getting robbed, getting ice cream, or just missing in action. There's not really that much crazy that goes on... we're pretty tame people, pretty much family men. We're here to do business, but you'll usually find us fucking drunk at the end of the bar"
So, three-quarters of you are settled men, yeah?
"Three of us have girlfriends, in fact, I'm married"
So that leaves all the rock n'roll action for one bloke?
"Ha ha! Scott! I think he's found someone though, we'll see!"
Skinlab are a high profile act now, with considerable media coverage. What's the best lie that you've heard about yourselves?
"We've just heard this story that our old guitarists are suing us for the rights of Skinlab and stuff, and we're like 'we don't own the rights, so how are you going to fucking sue?'. I don't know... people tell me stuff here and there, but I don't think there's anything wild or crazy. That sucks, huh?"
So, what next for Skinlab? You're away with Napalm Death in the States I do believe.
"Get home for three days, get to kiss my baby, and then we're gone, we go out for seven more weeks, then back for two, then we do Dynamo, then back to the UK for two shows, and I'd like to get back to Ireland, that'd be great. Then we go home for two days and go out with Neurosis and Earth Crisis for seven weeks. And then, we go to Rob's house, we're going to make him take us out on tour with Machine Head, we're just going to pack our bags and show up at every show!"
THE DEVIL DOES FIND WORK FOR IDLE HANDS TO DO
How do you cope with the boredom that touring is infamous for?
"Sit around, get wired on coffee. When you first came in, I was like 'urrgghh', I'd been doing paperwork all day and writing notes for our manager etc. Drink more coffee, walk in circles"
So five years down the line you're all going to die from chronic kidney failure?
"Yeah! The whole thing about touring is 'hurry up' and 'wait'. We hurry to get there and when we get there, we wait around. But, the forty five minutes each night is the best part. It's worth the wait. We also smoke a lot of weed"
Ok, fancy asking yourself a question and answering it?
"'Do you enjoy doing this, Steev?' 'Yes, I do'. No, seriously, this is the best thing in the world, man. Why do I do it? I dunno, ha ha!"
And a final message to the readers of this rag?
"Thanks for helping us out, hopefully people will come up and we'll have a drink. Enjoy the new record. We're not ones to say 'We're Skinlab, man, you fucking take our stuff'. If you like it, you like it. If you wanna come down and hang out, its cool. We're normal, ha ha! Cheers! Cheerio!"
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