"The First Blast is the Deepest" - An interview with Buckshot Facelift
INDEPENDENT INSANITY
By: Geoff Teach
Throughout the world, many musicians play in multiple bands. Very rarely do artists stay idle, and the reasons for why this is can vary wildly. Some players have a burning passion for music and prefer to stay active and in practice, others figure playing in multiple outfits can increase their chances of financial success or to “make it”, and still others just can’t stand the thought of putting all of their proverbial eggs in one basket. In the case of Buckshot Facelift, a grindcore and experimental metal act out of New York, two founding members of the band have kept the wheels turning on the outfit for a decade simply out of love for their first project. Despite having many members who play in other acts (including Artificial Brain of Profound Lore Records, and Grey Skies Fallen of Xanthros Music), Buckshot Facelift have managed to put out independent release after release, seemingly because Will Smith and Tom Anderer refuse to let their brainchild die.
Formed in 2004, Buckshot Facelift seemed destined to come together. “Most members of the band have known each other since we were very young,” explains Smith, vocalist of the self-described “filth grind” five-piece. “Will and I met in junior high school in 1994. He blew me away the first time we met because he had on this jean jacket covered in hardcore and death metal patches, and we were 12,” adds Anderer, bassist and fellow founding member of BSFL along with Smith, and the region they grew up in had a major impact on their musical foundations. “We were very lucky to be a part of the Long Island Hardcore scene, and were exposed locally to tons of great death metal, punk, indie, and hardcore,” says Anderer, and the mish-mash of influences is one that has affected the band right from its inception. Never afraid to try new things, Buckshot Facelift immediately began experimenting. “This was the infamous ‘two-bass’ era, where myself and Rich Mullen both played bass with Dan Baranello as the sole guitarist, and Dan Holstrum on drums,” explains Anderer, adding, “It was actually a lot of fun because Rich would follow all the guitar parts with distorted bass, and I would just go nuts and create a lot of noise, so it had a very controlled-but-chaotic sound.” This lineup did not last long, though. They played only one show and never recorded any material, but a year later, Will and Tom got in contact again with Baranello and new drummer, Sal Gregory, and in 2005, the band released their first demo.
Will Smith...Vocalist...Filth Pedaller...and Barefoot Barker
Now, nine years (and a few more guitarists) later, Buckshot Facelift have returned with their fifth original, independent release, an E.P. entitled “Living Ghosts of the North Shore”, and just one listen to its seven tracks is enough to clearly know that the band does not rely on one particular sound to define themselves. “I think we all want to express different sides of extreme music, but see BSFL as a sort of melting pot for the different subgenres,” says Smith, continuing, “We have always sought to mix grindcore, power-violence, and death metal with our local heroes of 90’s New York hardcore, but now with (new guitarist) Terrell Grannum’s tech-death witchcraft and (other new guitarist) Rick Habeeb’s doom metal arsenal, we are really tapping into new territory for the band.” This last statement is blatantly evident on “Living Ghosts of the North Shore”. Not one song among the seven seems to have the same sound or feel to it. Will’s vocals range from screams bordering on caterwauling to growls that sound like they were recorded in a toilet bowl, and the music itself follows no set influential pattern, even though each song has plenty of structure.
The cover art to Buckshot Facelift's latest E.P., "Living Ghosts of the North Shore"
Indeed, just a few listens to the E.P. and it is easy to hear that new territory is being tapped, and all of it is tied together with a final, underlying sense of satirically sick humor. “In many ways,” says Smith, “this band has evolved to directly reflect all of our personalities and our history with each other. There is a kind of off-color sense of humor and glorification of the disturbing and ugly, but for those who look a little deeper into our art, lyrics, and songwriting, there are more complicated messages and reflections. Very often in life, humor and sarcasm are used to mask bitter feelings of discontentment, anger, and sadness. We pride ourselves in being brothers and [being] in this band surviving many episodes of drama over women, violence, drugs, drinking, mental problems, and more. There is a reason we have been through so many members, but we are proud to still be here.”
Ultimately, no matter how much success is reached with their other projects, the members of Buckshot Facelift want to continue to make music together, as Smith explains, “[I want] to stay together, write, and perform by any means necessary. As I said before, we are brothers, and this band has been through quite a bit in the last ten years, but we will keep grinding this axe until there’s nothing left. I am very proud of Artificial Brain and equally proud of Buckshot Facelift, but for different reasons. I’m sure that there are people who will hear of BSFL through my association with both bands, but at the same time, BSFL has been around far longer and seems to be a very polarizing band, especially with the death metal scene. Both bands support each other, and we are all good friends, so whatever happens is fine. I am lucky to be surrounded by such great musicians.” Similarly, Anderer seems to echo Smith by saying, “The lineup we have now is ridiculous. Bringing in Terrell and Rick has created such a great dynamic because of what each brings to the table. It is almost like they are from opposite ends of the metal spectrum, and when they are combined with the core members (Smith, Gregory, and myself), you have a different take on an old formula that is turning out to be some great material. I couldn’t be happier with the way things have turned out with the addition of Rick and Terrell, and I hope this lineup stays the same for several recordings. We would love to do as much as possible in the future, and anything is possible.”
Buckshot Facelift's bass-abuser, Tom Anderer.
Truly, “anything is possible” seems to be the mantra of Buckshot Facelift, as the music is as dirty, diverse, and groundbreaking as anything being recorded in metal today, and if the stars of the individual members continue to rise through their other acts, this can only mean good things for the tenured Long Island quintet. First loves can be hard to forget, and when it comes to the original members of Buckshot Facelift, sometimes the first love is the one that will always be the strongest. Other projects may rise and members may come and go, but if Smith and Anderer continue to have anything to say about it, Buckshot Facelift will continue to make its uniquely heavy music for many more years to come.
To listen to "Living Ghosts of the North Shore" in its entirety, please click the following link:
Finally, to check out Buckshot Facelift on the web, just click the following links: