"A lot of labels just sign bands just to be signing them, not thinking about the quality of their music. It should not be that easy to get a record deal."

That is what Mike Smith felt when I asked him about what needs to change in the music industry. Suffocation have been around so long they have earned enough cred to say this. They have paved the way for many of metal's greats, hailing from New York, the original hotbed of hardcore. After taking a few years off, the band is on tour slaying everyone in their path in support of their latest Relapse release Souls to Deny. The album is punishing and so is there set! In this interview, read about Mike's other budding career as a rapper, who he'd like to tour with and the students of Suffocation. He also offers a few Grammy picks!

Sharita: So it’s common knowledge that the band went on hiatus for a few years before doing the latest album Souls to Deny, was there any pressure on you guys to after being away so long?

Mike: No because we pretty much knew what we were doing. We been in the business a long time so, people already knew what to expect from us.

Sharita: Along with the hiatus there were lineup changes, was there did that prove to be a problem with making Souls?

Mike: No, because the three original members were still in the band. Frank, Terrance and I are Suffocation so all the other guys before were fill-ins. So when it was time to make Souls everything was already in place.

Sharita: Talk about the songwriting process, I read Frank does the majority of the songwriting and you do some as well.

Mike: Yes, Frank does the majority but I do some. Our bassist, Derek Boyer, is a great lyricist so he will be doing some writing in the near future and also we have our tour manager Keith who does some as well. He wrote a couple on this album. When Frank doesn’t really feel like writing, Keith has stepped in with some great lyrics. I mean, he’s in a band himself, has been in Obituary so he already knows what to do. Also, he stepped in when Frank was out for a while so it’s great that we can have him part of the band.

Sharita: That’s cool, I’ve never read about a tour manager stepping in to write songs or perform with the band. What is some of the inspiration behind the lyrics?

Mike: Well basically things that go on in the world. There are some fucked up things happening so we don’t need stories or books to give us ideas.

Sharita: I read that while you were on the hiatus you did some hip-hop over death metal songs tell me more about that?

Mike: Well yeah I’m a lyricist so I had a lot of time on my hands and I used it to put together some songs on top of metal tracks, even some Suffocation ones. The reason I did was because I hated the way rappers started putting hip-hop lyrics on top of metal tracks, when they know nothing of what they are doing and calling it something new. So I got pissed off about it and I recorded some tracks. I was even approached by Sony to put it out but I decided not to. Word got out that I did this though and so the fans want to hear it.

Sharita: What’s it called?

Mike: It’s called Grimm Real Demise of the Clone.

Sharita: Are you looking to release this eventually maybe through Relapse?

Mike: Well I pressed enough copies so that I could put them at the merch booth so go pick it up.

Sharita: That’s cool, I will do that. Now you are a jack of all trades you write, you and your wife manage Suffocation, are you looking to produce other bands or manage others in the future?

Mike: I would love to manage a metal band or even a hip-hop act, I could definitely see myself doing that.

Sharita: After being gone so long, what has been the reaction of the fans?

Mike: Oh it’s been great, they are happy we’re back. The tour has been phenomenal ever since the release of Souls and we look for it to get even better as the tour rolls on.

Sharita: The band has been with Roadrunner and now you are with Relapse, how have they been to you guys?

Mike: (Ponders for at least 30 seconds)

Sharita: Uh-oh, you are thinking about that.

Mike: Yeah, I am. I mean don’t get me wrong they’ve been great it’s just that we would’ve released Souls with or without label backing because of our name since we been around so long we are used to doing it our own way. They been good to us, they have let us do our own thing, been supportive doing the tours, they add their input and that’s it. We were one of the first bands on Relapse so we really don’t have to say anything we just do what we do and [move on].

Sharita: When you guys started was there any bands that influenced you?

Mike: Well when we started there really weren’t any death metal bands it was just hard rock. I listened to Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, that’s what influenced me.

Sharita: ...and as far as the scene in New York, has it changed a lot since you started?

Mike: No not really, New York is still a hardcore town and a lot of great bands come out of that area.

Sharita: Are there any bands that are out these days that you are a fan of?

Mike: No, not really because I’ve seen it all before, been there done that so when I go see a band or listen to their CD it’s not because I’m trying to see how this person plays drums or bass or how this band sounds. I don’t listen to the radio so I can’t even tell you what is [popular] now, a lot of these CD’s are given to me so I give em’ a listen then I go back to the old stuff.

Sharita: Talk about the tour so far, you guys have already done Milwaukee Metalfest as well as Maryland Deathfest what other tours do you have lined up?

Mike: Well we are confirmed for the Wacken Air Festival, we will be doing more festivals in Europe now since we already done the ones we had to do in the states because once you’ve done them once or twice you don’t need to do them anymore. We are doing two more but I can’t recall the names of them I’m sorry.

Sharita: That’s ok. After you’ve done one fest you’ve done them all!

Mike: True.

Sharita: Here are a couple of out-of-the ordinary questions for you. What was the first CD you purchased?

Mike: A Tribe Called Quest Low End Theory.

Sharita: Good one, I’m a fan of that myself. The last CD you purchased?

Mike: Mos Def.

Sharita: Do you have any guilty pleasure bands or CD’s?

Mike: Guilty pleasures? No, everything I listen to I’m not ashamed to say that I do. I listen to a wide variety of music, Classical, Jazz, Metal, Hip-Hop, so I’m not guilty of anything.

Sharita: Well Trevor (Black Dahlia Murder) just told me the Cardigans.

Mike: Oh, (laughs) that’s pretty deep there. (laughs)

Sharita: Well tonight is Grammy night, do you have anyone you want to win?

Mike: You know, I don’t even know who’s been nominated. Give me a couple.

Sharita: I know Cradle of Filth has been nominated.

Mike: Well if so, I hope they win because at least they are close to what we are doing. I’m sure Nelly and Usher are up for awards.

Sharita: Yeah I think they are.

Mike: Well in that case, I really don’t care. (laughs)

Sharita: Where do you see the band in the next ten or fifteen years?

Mike: If things are going the way they are going right now, then I would say we will still be making records. I don’t like to think that far ahead though, I rather say the next five years we will still be making great music and touring the world.

Sharita: Who would you like to tour with in the near future?

Mike: Well Obituary because we are so close with them, great band. Slayer, if they would stop touring with all these hardcore bands and come back to the genre that actually made them. I think they are just ignoring us though. They don’t all have t be death metal either, I could see a tour with Slipknot and even Hatebreed because they are students of Suffocation.

Sharita: That would be awesome, actually this tour is well put together don’t you agree?

Mike: Oh yeah, the bands on this tour are pretty impressive, it’s a great metal bill.

Sharita: What do you think needs to change in the music industry?

Mike: Well first they need to get rid of all the crappy bands that got signed to different labels when they really are not great musicians. A lot of labels just signed bands just to be signing them, not thinking about the quality of their music. It really shouldn’t be that easy to get a record deal. When we first started, it really wasn’t that easy. The labels need to set their standards a little higher.

Sharita: Well thank you so much Mike for taking the time to answer my questions.

Mike: Thank you for asking me questions I actually enjoyed answering.

Thanks to Keith Devito and Betsy from Relapse for making this interview possible.

Please check our my review

of Souls to Deny on the

Album Review Page and

click here for a Review

of tonight's show