Danny Lilker

Brutal Truth

When you have the chance to have some questions answered by the one and only Danny Lilker, you just can't miss it! One of the few remaining true metalheads, an honest guy and great musician... Read what he had to say - even if the answers were a bit short - about BRUTAL TRUTH's latest album, as well as about his other activities.

By Yiannis Dafopoulos

• June 4, 2009

Interview with: Danny Lilker from BRUTAL TRUTH

Hello Danny! Welcome to the Metal Temple! What took you so long to release a full-length album with BRUTAL TRUTH?

Well, we were broken up for 8 years. Then it took a couple more years to write a high-quality Grind record.

Tell us a few things about the recording process of Evolution Through Revolution. How, when and where was it recorded?

The drums, bass and guitars were recorded at Watchmen Studios outside of Buffalo, NY in early October of last year. Then Kevin did his vocals in Chicago and it was mixed by Jason PC from BLOOD DUSTER in Melbourne, Australia. It went very quickly!

You chose to cover a song by THE MINUTEMEN. Why did you choose the specific band and why the specific song?

THE MINUTEMEN have always been a favorite of our drummer Rich, and he thought this would be a perfect cover for BRUTAL TRUTH, and I think it's a cool song, having not been very familiar with their stuff previously.

What are your plans for now? I guess that the promotion of your new album involves touring and stuff. Will we see you here in Greece anytime soon?

While we have no plans to play in Greece at the moment, hopefully that will change, our guitarist Erik and I had a great time there when NUCLEAR ASSAULT played there with CANNIBAL CORPSE back in 2003 so keep your fingers crossed man!

I was attracted by the album's cover. Who designed it and what it the concept behind it?

Our vocalist Kevin did the artwork and it symbolizes how the USA has been in a state of chaos lately, the bad chaos of the Bush years and the good chaos necessary to repair all this shit.

By the way, who thought of Evolution Through Revolution? I must admit it is a pretty clever title!

Again that was our vocalist Kevin, and I agree with you.

Listening to your discography it seems that you always have this sick old school Grind sound, while also incorporating new elements. Kind of adapting to the modern ages. I had the exact same feeling about the new album, too. How do you manage to sound modern and old school at the same time?

I have no idea! We do not put a lot of conscious thought into our songwriting process, it is a very natural phenomenon and cannot be explained very easily, sorry.

You have been a part of Relapse Records for many years. Have you ever thought of changing label? I guess you must be really satisfied with the way they treat you...

Relapse is the perfect label for us, they understand perfectly what we are about and they have the means to promote us very well, so there is no reason to contemplate changing this relationship.

It has been almost 20 years since you started playing music with BRUTAL TRUTH. How does it feel being still alive and kicking after all these years?

It feels fucking great! Remember, we were disbanded form ã¥ª to ã¤Ž so those years don't count. But yes, in general, it's a great feeling to still be able to play Grind for all the freaks out there in 2009.

You are a pretty busy man, since you are also involved in NUCLEAR ASSAULT and several other bands projects. How do you manage to find time to handle all these activities?

NUCLEAR ASSAULT is mostly finished again now that John Connelly is a full-time schoolteacher, so now I just have to worry about CRUCIFIST and VENOMOUS CONCEPT since THE RAVENOUS hasn't done anything in years, and you just have to plan very far in ahead to make everything work without any scheduling conflicts.

Talking about being busy... Have you managed to live by playing music or do you have to do other stuff to pay your bills?

I was laid off from my bullshit job working at a party supply store back in January, but my wife has a good job so between that and what I make playing music we get by.

It's been four years since the last NUCLEAR ASSAULT album. Are there any plans on releasing anything new in the near future?

No, that last album was very uninspired, I think it's best to leave that alone.

Let's go a bit back now. When you were a little child, which bands influenced you and made you become what you are today?

THE BEATLES (very experimental), THE WHO (early Punk Rock), Jimi Hendrix (no words necessary) and of course BLACK SABBATH when I got a little older.

Is there any time you thought about quitting? Have you felt so tired that you could give up music?

Only for minutes at a time on very long drives through the night with no sleep! Not seriously.

Thanks a lot for your time and I wish you all the best! I hope we have the chance to meet in person some time! Anything last from you?

Thanks to all the grind-freaks for supporting our return so enthusiastically and we hope to come to Greece really soon!

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