Live-Metal.Net - Interviews: Condemned?

If you had to guess what band was the second ever released by Nuclear Blast Records, you would probably say someone like Blind Guardian, Helloween, Venom or maybe even In Flames. But you would be wrong, wrong, wrong and wrong again, because that distinction belongs to the Bay Area crossover-thrash band Condemned? Way back in 1987, well before many of you reading this were even born, their debut album, Humanoid or Biomechanoid? was released by the then fledgling label. Since that time, Condemned? disappeared, while Nuclear Blast grew into one of the biggest metal labels in the world.

In 2011, everything has come full circle. Condemned? has returned to Nuclear Blast with a new album titled Condemned 2 Death and is set to get this thing up and thrashing again after more than two decades.

Condemned? is not a legendary, influential or iconic band—they don’t need to be. Even in this day and age, everything doesn’t need to be glorified and overdone. They’re a do-it-yourself punk-metal band, ready to tear your face off with some unfinished business. And they seem to be doing it they same way they did way back when.

In this interrogation of Condemned? bassist Keith Chatham, we find out what it was like in the heyday of hardcore punk and metal, why the band has chosen to reform and what else we can expect from them.

LiveMetalNet: So, it’s been a long ass time since your last record. Why reform Condemned?, and why put out this new album now?

Keith Chatham: First off, hello. And yes, it's been sometime since I had the opportunity to reunite with old friends and return to my foundation band in my career, Condemned?, which was formed in Australia 1985 with Les Ruminck (Vicious Circle) and Dave Ross (Civil Dissident). I always had some unfinished business with some original song ideas, so they had been percolating for sometime. (Drummer) Slade Anderson (Condemned-Attitude/Mercenary/My Victim) found me again on the Internet, and I found out one of the other members was living on the same island in Hawaii, my old band mate (guitarist) Rick Strahl (Attitude Adjustment/Condemned-Attitude/Two Bit Thief), so it started falling into place. We started recording a few years ago on the Internet, released a demo in 2009 and recorded the new disc in October 2010.

This album is a two-disc release, and the first disc is 14 new recordings of new and some older material I really wanted to record with this dream team lineup. The bonus disc is a historical album with our first album from 1986, plus recordings covering 1983-93, including a few of the different bands we were in and some rare recordings. I think it will also tie together things for the fans regarding our history. It is a tribute to the first band of my roots I joined and recorded with—that's why the title of the current album Condemned 2 Death.

I never heard the band’s debut album, so how does this new release compare to that one? I know it’s been a long time apart, but are they similar? Is it one of these deals where the band sounds like a whole new band compared to it?

The bonus disc includes our first release, Humanoid or Biomechanoid?, which was Nuclear Blast's second release ever, so you can listen for yourselves. I think Billy Anderson, our producer, did a great job of capturing our raw sound. I think the reality is, back in the day, we recorded the first album in a studio that did commercials because we had such a small budget. Over all the years of recording and writing, I know this time we had all the equipment and best possible studio arrangement we could ask for. We are very happy with the new album and the results—the fans will tell the rest.

When you first named the band, why the “?” in the name? Was it just formality or were you asking the question if we were “condemned” as a human race? If so, would this still be in question today?

More than ever it feels appropriate! Just watch the news as mother earth shakes things up. Some of us are part Native American and we have heard about various prophecies for years. The band’s original slogan was “A question not a statement." I wanted a name asking questions and getting a dialogue going. We still have burning questions and there are constantly more. The questioning of things is our fuel for many of our lyrics. We feel very strongly about becoming sustainable as a culture and know there is technology out there we can rediscover to change things around. Corrupt world corporate business politics seem more obvious than ever before. We are working on our new album called Steamed Punks, and alternative technology and fear farming are a few subjects fueling our songs.

What has everyone been up to since the first record? Any bands or projects that we may have heard of?

Well, the bonus disc ties together a few of the bands we have been in over the years. Slade has been in many bands being a part-time session drummer. He recently recorded with My Victim, who just released an album titled 13. Slade, Scotty and B. Scott are also in a band called Black Mackerel, which they have a self-titled CD out. Rick has been a former member and songwriter for Attitude Adjustment, who he still has ties with, plus his side band Anti-Trust. I have been doing a band called Something Scaley, which feature a few early songs on the bonus disc. We have been putting all our energy into Condemned? and are all really excited to tour and record our upcoming album Steamed Punks this summer.

Most hardcore/punk bands stand for strong beliefs. What are your current beliefs as a band today? What does the band stand for if anything?

We are very interested in permaculture and organic farming and a lot of views that would be similar with Native American values. Creating your own community based on your lifestyle and values. I live off-grid and use as much free energy as possible. Also, living where I can garden and have chickens … We are looking towards a more optimistic future, where big business has lost its hold on life decisions we should all make. Now that we have all seen what the Matrix has to offer, what's next; the purple pill?

Have your beliefs changed much from when you were first starting? If so, how or why?

Our beliefs are tempered with all our life experiences, and our convictions are stronger than ever. We are, as we said, supporters of alternative energy like hemp and its byproducts, which helped shape this nation and has got such a bum wrap. It currently has been completely overlooked for all its potential as a renewable fuel, paper and wood source, and yes, we like to smoke the buds, too. After all our life experiences, we now mix pleasure with our serious side to create a healthy balance we can keep up for years to come.

When you guys first came out back in 1987, the heyday was probably nearing an end for hardcore and hardcore punk music (Minor Threat, Bad Brains and all those guys). But what bands did you guys really admire, look up to or inspire to be like, if any?

You might think so, but the Cro-Mags, Crumbsuckers, Ludichrist and Murphy's Law were still just getting rolling. I think the media takes a genre of music and rips it to pieces. The Seattle craze kicked in and the media eye went somewhere else. I got into Tool and Machine Head, and bands like Motorhead kept going, and Poison Idea were huge for the West Coast. There was the punk funk scene led by the Peppers and local bands like Primus, who I personally loved. I suppose I personally found punk in different areas. Public Enemy when they first hit seemed more punk than some bubblegum variety of punk out there. Bob Marley was punk in my opinion, and his legacy is still alive and well in the hearts of many in Hawaii and abroad. Soulfly has been a big influence with their mix of different cultural sounds and strong lyrics. We recently have rediscovered how much we all love Rush and how much they influenced our songwriting and still do.

The N.W.O.B.H.M. movement in general was our roots alongside the punk and hardcore scenes. We grew along with Metallica and Exodus and bands like Black Flag and the Kennedys. I grew up with early Scorps and Priest and Motorhead. Maiden's first couple albums were huge as a bass player. Pantera were the huge saviors in the ‘90s—fucking loved Vulgar Display of Power when it came out. Now a lot of our labelmates like Exodus and Death Angel are slamming it down. I'd love to hear Robert Truijillo lay down some Infectious Grooves-style bass playing on a Metallica album someday. Slade is such a killer drummer, but his dad has probably been the biggest drum influence since he is an amazing session jazz drummer.

I was kind of surprised to hear that you guys were the second-ever release from Nuclear Blast Records. I figured it would’ve been someone like Blind Guardian or a power metal band or something. What has it been like to watch this label grow into one of the biggest metal labels over all of this time?

It's been great to see Markus build up this amazing label and support the growing metal scene. I personally appreciate his commitment to the scene and starting as we did from the grassroots level—doing it yourself. He seems to employ people into what they are doing.

Do you think that if Condemned? had not have been the second-ever release on the label that they would still be the ones releasing your new record today?

This was our first choice, and we are glad it was Nuclear's, also, so I don't really know about the “what ifs.” But what I can say is how stoked we are to be on the label again. Our labelmates like Agnostic Front, Madball, Clawfinger and Crowbar show the label has diverse punk-metal-edged tastes, as well. We are unique in our own blend of prog/punk-metal and believe we stand out more on Nuclear Blast because of it. Our next album will continue the direction we are going and we will be blasting a club near you.