Brutal Truth has been on SS at least three, four times. They were
on a retro report for their record Extreme Conditions… years ago. And then the interview with Rich Hoak for BT right after they broke up in 1998 (their last official interview) but only temporarily. Rich Hoak was also interrogated for Total Fucking Destruction later and BT had some spots in there too.
It’s because everyone who reads this zine are all diehards of this band and of course smoke tons of trees and love real grindcore as well. For our fourth BT feature, SS caught up with Dan Lilker recently…
ss: Earache just reissued Extreme Conditions on vinyl recently. I got mine on “Marijuana Green” colored vinyl. What can you say about the Earache days of Brutal Truth? How did you guys meet the label before signing with them?
Dan Lilker: It was great to be on Earache when we got to the point where we were ready to do our first album, they had the heavy hitters of the UK grind scene that inspired us. Kevin and I knew Dig from Earache already, I’d met him with the Napalm guys backstage at Nuclear Assault shows over there, and Kevin had been a journalist who actually went to the UK to attend some of the GrindCrusher shows way back in the day. Once we got to the point where we were looking to get signed, Earache was a pretty obvious choice.
A few years later it got a little more strained between us since we felt the label wasn’t really concentrating on the more intense acts in it’s roster, but Dig was good enough to release us, and we’re all good friends again now.
ss: Relapse has issued all of your other albums. what can you say about the label? what are your favorite BT releases on your label?
D: Relapse has been nothing but totally amazing back then and now, they were good friends of ours by the time we started to feel dissatisfied with Earache, and basically said to us “If you can get out of your Earache contract, we would fucking love to be your label!” I guess this is where I say “and the rest is history”. Relapse rules.
Favorite release is latest album “Evolution Through Revolution”, I think it’s got the best production.
ss: how did you guys meet Erik Burke? that dude has some insane riffs. have you played with his other bands?
D: I met Erik through my wife Heather, who has known him forever. When I moved up to Rochester in the summer of ’02, Nuclear Assault had a show in Brazil that we needed a guitarist for since original lead guitarist Anthony Bramante bailed on us, and Heather suggested Erik, who learned the songs in no time and did the show. Years later when Brutal Truth became active again, we were in the same situation lineup-wise and Erik again stepped up, but now took a lot more of an active role in writing music for the “Evolution…” record.
Kalibas and Sulaco have played with BT if I’m not mistaken.
ss: does NYC have a big influence on your music and your lyrics? who are your favorite NY bands?
D: Back in the day before we broke up in ’98 we were in fact based in NYC but that is no longer the case. One might have thought at the time that coming from a hectic city like NYC might have made us more intense, but the last album was written right here in nice, quiet Rochester, NY and it’s still demented as fuck, so who knows?
Which one do you prefer? touring USA or touring Europe? and which country’s weed is better?
D: They usually treat you better in Europe, but then again it’s cool playing here ‘cos it’s easier to get home, so I don’t know. With the exception of the Netherlands where weed and hash are legal, the quality of the herb is usually pretty consistent, except there is no “shwag” in Europe, it’s either brutal chronic or nothing. That’s usually great unless you’re low on funds.
word association time:
You have toured with and/or played/recorded/did production were involved in these bands. what can you say about them:
Malformed Earthborn: Lots of fun with my friends paying tribute to Skinny Puppy and Coil.
Defecation: A great time helping out the Harris’s! I was flattered to be involved.
Sleep: Great fucking band. Their “Jerusalem” album is too fucking epic.
Electric Wizard: Another great stoner Sabbath band. They played before us at last year’s Hellfest in France, and their guitarist Liz is an old friend of ours.
Acid Bath: Great memories of touring the States with them and Pungent Stench in ’94.
Their bassist Audie passed away after that, which really sucked.
Pig Destroyer: Scott Fucking Hull!
Phobia: Great old school grind from California, good friends and drinking buddies!
Macabre: Very good friends from years back, still cranking out the Murder Metal! I love those fucking guys.
Eyehategod: We are leaving tomorrow for 4 shows with them! One of the greatest sludge bands ever, and the reason we’re back together.
Cannibal Corpse: Great guys, killer death metal band, true originators in the metal scene.
Deicide: See my Cannibal Corpse comment, haha.
Immolation: Now we’re talking. VERY good friends, and the darkest, most oppressive death metal band ever.
SOB: Our buddies from Osaka and one of the best Japanese hardcore/grind/metal bands ever. R.I.P Tottsuan!
Boredoms: Our other buddies from Osaka! What can you say about the Boredoms!? They reinvented music.
Hemlock: I was proud to be a member of the grim legions, we fucked it up well and I still get cool comments about that band.
13: This is where I know Liz from Electric Wizard from, these girls rocked hard and I enjoyed recording them and playing a show with them.
Anthrax: The band i started my career with, obviously we went our separate ways a long time ago but they are still good friends.
Nuclear Assault: The band I saw the world with, it was amazing to be part of one of the first thrash/crossover bands and I have a wealth of great memories of being in this band.
Venomous Concept: It’s awesome to play with the Napalm guys! It’s just good old fast punk rock, the way it should be.
Total Fucking Destruction: Rich Hoak is a very creative and driven musician, and TFD is the perfect vehicle for his expression. And, it’s killer grind.
Exit 13: It was lots of fun to jam with these guys, great people, killer music.
Crucifist: Black/death/doom/NWOBHM hellbastards, we just played in front of our biggest crowd at MDF, it was killer.
ss: All of your albums were recorded in analog studios. What can you say about analog vs. digital recording these days?
D: Analog gives you a much warmer and fatter sound, but digital recording is so convenient and flexible so I think as long as you are careful to get nice meaty tones on the amps and use the right mics and mic preamps, you can record digitally and still get the best of both.
ss: when you go on tour what equipment do you always include in your rig? do you have a favorite “tour bass”. also, any rituals or habits before any gig?
D: I always have my SansAmp GT2 guitar pedal by Tech 21, it’s the secret to my brutal bass sound. I have used different basses over the years, sometimes depending on who I’m endorsed by! Soon I will be playing Warwick basses. Only ritual before show is smoking weed.
do you have any plans to tour Asia?
D: Venomous Concept will be in Japan with Napalm in September, besides that there are no plans as of now.
ss: vinyl vs CD? do you still buy records/CD’s? what do you you usually listen to off tour? you can post some playlists or whatnot here:
D: Actually we do not have a turntable here, so CDs, but I have lots of cool vinyl I’ve amassed over the years. When off tour, I usually don’t listen to much at all, just relax with my wife and watch shit on TV.
thanks for the interview!
D: You’re welcome! Thanks for supporting underground metal!
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Towards Harmonious Civilization Zine 
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