Kurt Brecht is somewhat of a legend within the crossover/hardcore/thrash metal scene. Ghost Cult caught up with him to discuss his latest album with Pasadena Napalm Division and the relentless touring of his other band D.R.I.
Hi there and thank you for doing this interview. How is the feedback coming along for the new PND album? Does it meet your expectations?
We are very happy with the album. We’ve had great feedback so far and I can’t wait for the release! The tension is killing me, haha!
How did the writing and recording process go for the new PND record compared to previous experiences?
We wrote and recorded in the same manner as DRI did. We all collaborate and attack the song writing process from all sides.
With PND you stick fairly close to the crossover/punk/thrash metal style which came into being from the mid ‘80’s. Do you think that style is vital in nowadays’s metal scene which is dominated by many bands with a high level of technical musicianship?
We just play as well as we can. Our style comes from our influences as a whole. I feel it is a good mix of hardcore and thrash metal. That is the type of music we like, and the type of bands we all listen to.
You keep continuing recording new material with Pasadena Napalm Divison, but your other band DRI is mostly touring. What’s the reason behind all this?
DRI has offers to play every night of the year. As long as we can keep gigging, we won’t have a ton of time to record. That being said, DRI do hope to record again, and we have some great new songs.
In what way do DRI and PND differ as far as the inner band dynamics and personalities go?
When we first started practicing and writing with PND, we all had day jobs, plus Scott lives in another city (Austin) so it was harder to get together than it used to be with DRI. Now the members of DRI all live in different states, so it is actually easier to practice with PND now.
There’s seems to quite retro revival thing going on in metal today. The rise of vinyl releases is one of them, but there’s a whole new generation of bands playing and dressing themselves like they’re coming from the early ‘80’s. What’s your take on that?
We will have a PND vinyl 12″ coming out too, so I am really happy about that. As far as eighties clothing fashion goes, you are asking the wrong person! Haha!
The music industry has changed immensely over the years. What are the biggest changes for you and how do you cope with them?
Albums don’t sell as many copies as they used to, so bands must rely on playing live for income which is fine with me. It is cheaper to record now too, and overall it is a faster process, I think.
Which new releases have you graced your ears so far this year? Which do you recommend to our readers?
Ghost album and Ghost BC album have been in the CD player a lot on this tour (DRI is out touring with Suicidal Tendencies right now.)
PND seems to mainly touring the US. Is there any chance you guys come over to Europe and raise some hell here as well?
Yes, I am hoping we can crack Europe open like a walnut. There is so much opportunity there with all the festivals, and so many places and countries to play. South America also is showing plenty of promise, with legions of rabid thrash fans. DRI already spends a bunch of time in both areas.
What will the rest of the year be like for you as far as touring and other possible projects are concerned?
We will begin writing a new PND album and play a few record release parties in Texas for this first one for starters. From there, we will see where this release takes us.
Raymond Westland
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