Teufel: Sparky, first of all thanks for agreeing to doing this interview, I've got a bunch of questions to ask, so let's begin. I understand you guys have just released a new EP entitled Grotesque Impalement on your own independent label, Blunt Force Records. Why did you choose to release it independently?
Sparky: We have been pressing all of the previous albums on Blunt Force for awhile now, so it made sense to release Grotesque... on there as well.

Have your parted ways with Morbid Records and are you actively seeking a larger record label, or are you going to do things your own way and stay the independent route?
Sparky: We still have a really good relationship with Morbid. As a matter of fact, they're bringing us over to Europe in early June for some shows, including the Fuck The Commerce Fest, with Monstrosity, Nasum, Nagalfar, Fleshgrind, Sinister, etc. We will probably be releasing the next album on a fairly well known US label, but we're still working out the details.

Did the head of Morbid Records ever call you a "schnoodle noodle" [German for dick snot. - ed] and tell you to "lichten mein hosenschlange" [Translates loosely to lick my trouser snake. hahahaha! - ed]?
Sparky: Uhh, not that I'm aware of, but we were pretty intoxicated when we were in Europe '98, so anything is possible I suppose!

Anyway... back to your new EP. What songs are on the thing, and how do they compare to previous Dying Fetus material? I remember hearing at least one of the new songs at the Ohio Death Fest last April and it didn't seem to go over very well with the crowd, then again that could just be because people were unfamiliar with the new material.
Sparky: Well, the EP has two songs that were originally on the Bathe In Entrails demo, as well as covers of a Baphomet and a Next Step Up song. The ep isn't intended to be the "new" album. It's more of a way to show how the DF sound has been updated since the beginning, and a way to pay respects to a couple of bands who have really influenced us. The only new track is a joke song that is reminiscent of 80's pop metal. We think that most people in metal have a sense of humor, and we figured that the ep would be the time to do something like this. We've gotten mostly positive feedback from people, 'cause it gives the release that "What the fuck...?" factor. We're starting to record the next album Destroy The Opposition in late April, and it'll be out by mid-summer.

Speaking of live concerts, I have seen several bands perform live, most of whom thrash about violently, totally getting into their music, and getting even more energetic with the reaction of the frenzied audience. Dying Fetus, on the other hand, seem to do the opposite. You don't move at all. Are you all members of the Jack Owen school of death metal performing?
Sparky: Jason and John really don't have a lot of opportunity to jump around, as their vocal duties restrict their movement. We had considered doing the Sammy Hagar headset microphone thing, but that idea was quickly nixed. As for myself, I just try to move my mop as much as possible.

Kevin took his shirt off while drumming at that show. Is it just me or should skinny people just never go topless? Have you ever worried he may stab you with one of his starving Ethiopian ribs?
Sparky: Honestly, I prefer to not think of Kevin with his shirt off. So, I'm probably not qualified to answer that query.

In all honesty I must admit I did find his drumming to be impressive and didn't quite realize the amount of skill he actually has. Then again I was very drunk by the time you guys hit the stage so he may have only hit one piece of his drum kit all night and I probably wouldn't have noticed. Anyway... how exactly did you hook up with him? I read somewhere that he joined the band when he was only 17? Any truth to that, or am I just misinformed, yet again?
Sparky: DF went to Texas in May of '97 to do a week's worth of dates. Talley's band Deity played with Fetus in Corpus Christi, and we thought he was really good. The guy in Fetus at the time wasn't working out, so we kinda half jokingly told Kevin he should move to Maryland to be in the band. About three weeks after we got back, Talley sent a video of himself playing the songs, without any musical accompaniment. We hummed the riffs along with his playing, and it was pretty much right on. We called him and told him to move up here, and the rest is history. Oh, by the way, he was 18 when he moved here.

I never did get a chance to see him when he played with Suffocation. How did he do?
Sparky: I saw a video of him playing with them in LA, and it was pretty amazing.

I notice most of your lyrics have a bit of an edge to them and are not really your typical fetus munching, satan hailing, corpse sodomizing fare, and you actually attempt to make some intelligent statement, however, you use the word "fuck" a lot. Is "fuck" your favorite word, or do you just find it a suitable verb when you can't think of anything else to say?
Sparky: Jason writes the lyrics, and they are really politically motivated, and reflect what is happening in the world at large on an everyday basis. As far as the word fuck, it can be used in so many situations and in so many ways that it will always be an important part of the lyrical scheme of Dying Fetus.

Does Sparky have fleas?
Sparky: Let's see, I went to the vet the other day, and he gave me a clean bill of health, but he did tell me to keep my flea collar on!

I'm sorry, that was easily the gayest question I've ever asked. Believe me, I've asked a lot of really gay questions. Who cares... anyway... how big of an influence does hardcore music have on your song writing? Do you consider yourselves a brutal death metal band, or do you not believe in labeling yourselves?
Sparky: Living on the East Coast, you grow up with both metal and hardcore, so yeah, I'd say it's definitely an influence. I played in a couple of hardcore bands myself, and have always gone to shows and supported both scenes. As far as labels go, we are first and foremost a death metal band, but obviously you can hear all the other influences throughout the song writing. Incorporating everything helps keep the material fresh.

What are you guys doing outside of Dying Fetus? Going to school? Working? Thrashing the necrowigger?
Sparky: I'm a courier in the DC/Baltimore area, so I ride around all day listening to tunes, and cursing the shitty driving of my fellow humans. Talley and Jason both go to school, and John had worked for the gov't in DC. As soon as the next cd is released, we will be going out and touring full time. Necrowigger, eh? I think I'll leave that one alone.

Don't ask... Just so you know, most of the interviews I send by e-mail never do get answered because most people in death metal bands, who do sing about corpse molestation, devil worship and cannibalism remarkably have no sense of humour. Do you laugh at yourselves often and have a relaxed attitude towards your music, or has your ego swelled to the point that you no longer speak to anyone unless they refer to you as John "Mr. Rock N' Roll" Voyles?
Sparky: We always laugh at ourselves, 'cause I think that you can't take everything seriously all the time. Just listen to ...Davey's Nightmare and Hail Mighty North... on the Grotesque Impalement ep. That being said, we do take pride in our musicianship and performance, as well as the merch that we put out.

I have noticed over the past ten years a sharp decline in the quality of the music in the death metal genre. Ten years ago almost every metal CD you picked up was great, be it Carcass, Suffocation, Death or whoever. The music was fresh and new, the bands didn't sound alike, and everyone was going out of their way to do something unique, original and interesting. It seems to me the bands around now sound like they're just trying to copy those once original and interesting sounds and, for the most part, have lost interest in writing anything new and different. Would you say that's accurate? What do you think about the current state of the metal scene?
Sparky: Looking at the amount of people attending shows, and at the growth of metal via the internet, I think things in the scene are healthy. If you were someone who was fortunate enough to be into DM at the time of those early 90's bands, then that is your measuring stick. Kids who are coming up now won't necessarily have all the same influences, and so the constant evolution of the genre will continue. If you look around, you can find some pretty cool stuff out there. With MP3s so readily available, it makes it ever more easier to hear new bands from all around the world. But, I know where you're coming from, as we who saw the rise of the genre can tend to be a bit jaded when we hear a newer band, and we compare them to the forefathers. Personally, I'm just happy that people still like to play this style of music. Even if it isn't totally "original", as long as it's played well and gives me that good feeling when I'm listening to it, then it's all good by me. Besides, does anyone bitch when BB King or Stevie Ray Vaughn (rip) play the same old blues licks? Nah, 'cause it sounds good! You can't lose sight of that.

I think it's time for me to wrap this up before I think of anything else incredibly obnoxious. What have you been listening to while replying to this e-mail? I've just been thrashing to the sound of my computer's CPU fan. Final words? Insults? Death threats?
Sparky: I've been listening to the sounds of my wonderful suburban neighborhood, via the open back door. The new album Destroy The Opposition will be out by late July, and we'll be touring after that. Anyone who needs info on shows or merch, please contact us at dyngfts@aol.com. Also, be sure to visit our website at http://dyingfetus.com for all kinds of info on the band. Be sure to sign up for e-mailing list while you're there. Insults and death threats, eh? Hmmm... If you do not stay TRUE to the scene, may a horde of Tommy-wearing psychopaths hunt you down and force you to wear penny loafers and a polka dot tie in the pit. Of course, that would also be tantamount to summary execution, for as soon the DM and HC kids catch sight of your pitiful apparel and think that you're a traitor to the scene, you'll be ripped limb from limb, as it should be, for now and ever after. Oh yeah, all underground females, feel free to contact me at your leisure. Cheers!