I should have warned them before hand.

Band members Dan and Matt (drummer, and vocalist/guitarist, respectively) recently undertook one of our more «experimental» Q & A sessions. What started out as a fairly serious and straight-forward discussion on Hollow Ground’s history, music, and ethical views, quickly devolved into a contest of wits, and I am largely responsible. Andy and I tried like hell to trip these guys up with a short series of trivial (if not asinine) questions, but each was handled with the utmost confidence by both interviewees. As a result of this ill-fated project, I have arrived at a sobering conclusion: a writing gig with The Grimoire of Exalted Deeds (www.thegrimoire.com) is still far out of reach.

- (CA) Hollow Ground has quite an extensive and chaotic history. (Guitarist/vocalist) Matt is the only original member, and you just lost Rob (bass). Has all this adversity had any impact on the band’s development?

- (HG) Basically it sucks. We had to do what we did for the benefit of the band. Our decision to ask Rob to leave was because of scheduling conflicts and had nothing to do with his playing . He’s a great player and a good friend and we wish him the best of luck.

- (CA) Who came up with the band name? Was there any attempt to convey a particular idea or image with it?

- (HG) If it was up to Dan it would have been the Liberace Experience. However, he wasn’t around at the time. Matt and Jeremy (original bassist/cover artist «Zero Hundred Hours») thought the two words sounded good together. Our projected image has always been to be as heavy as we could possibly be. In doing so, there has to be a dark side and that is the image.

- (CA) Stylistic classifications are always kind of tricky, especially with so many genres overlapping these days. How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard you before? Do you consider yourselves to be playing any particular style?

- (HG) Playing one show, the soundman said we sounded like «Extreme Thrash» and we’ve stuck with that.

- (CA) One thing I like about «Zero Hundred Hours» is the thrash influence, which doesn’t sound dated in the least. What bands inspired you in your younger years? Who are your drumming influences?

- (HG) Testament, Overkill, Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer, you know, the standards. Alex Van Halen early on was an influence, later on Dave Lombardo was like a god to me.

- (CA) What kind of music have you been listening to lately? Industrial? Black metal? Grindcore? Noise? Ambient? Anything outside the metal/hardcore genres?

- (HG) Grindcore, some Industrial «Magnum P.I.» (Matt’s going to Hawaii tomorrow). Not too much outside the heavy stuff really.

- (CA) Besides «Zero Hundred Hours», you also appeared on the previous album, «Rape At 2000 Decibels». What are the biggest differences between the two?

- (HG) Time. With «Zero…» we were rushed and on a tight budget. We had to have it ready for us to bring with us to Milwaukee Metal fest to play with King Diamond. When we did «Rape…» we did at our own convenience with our own equipment in our own places. Also «Rape…» was done by Matt and Dan on a 8 track recorder while «Zero…» was done in a 24 track studio with engineers and real studio stuff.

- (CA) If you could change anything about the new disc, what would it be?

- (HG) We would have recorded digital instead of analog. We kicked ourselves in the ass when we heard what the studio down the block was doing digitally, as opposed to the analog we were doing. Oh well, live and learn.

- (CA) I read a blurb on your website about Ed taking over for Rob on bass. Is this the same Ed who does the samples and f/x for you?

- (HG) No. This Ed used to play in a band called Mudkrackers. He left them a while ago and he heard we were looking and things worked out with us. Sampler Ed is no longer with the band but is still booking Hollow Ground as well as other local New York bands.

- (HG) Who are the main songwriters and who’s handling the lyrics?

- (HG) Dan and Matt are the main song writers. As for the lyrics, Dan comes up with the titles and Matt pens the lyrics.

- (CA) From what I’ve read, the newer lyrics appear to be based around violent themes. But then there are songs like «Tubular Grind of the Ghetto Slut» (which presents a strong collectivist approach for the problem of urban industrialization), and «Turbine Pussy Drip», which probes deeply into the bio-technological consequences of automated human response systems. All of this leads me to one question: don’t you find this type of political/social agenda to be a bit arbitrary, if not draconian?

- (HG) Yeah, we like dragons.

- (CA) A most appropriate response! And what you like more — fried dragon tails in ketchup or good ol’ dragon barbecue? Okay, sorry about that last question. It was a joke, and a bad one at that. Let’s try something a little more relevant: Do you consider the lyrics and music to be of equal importance, or you just view them as parts of an additional instrument (that being the «vocals»)?

- (HG) Vocals are always another instrument. All are equal and deliver the goods.

- (CA) If you were told that you can do only one thing — tour, do local shows, or sit in the studio and do the records, which would you choose?

- (HG) Tour. Done the locals, been there, recorded that. We like playing long distance.

- (CA) What interests do you have outside of music?

- (HG) Pussy, Strip Bars, drinking, porno — not the high end shit, the seedy done in a Motel 6 stuff, spy cams, you name it. [What about young dead animals? —AK] We didn’t invite the goats, but we ain’t kicking them out either. [Oh, I see, them too... —AK]

- (CA) What does the future hold for Hollow Ground — do you see your musical direction changing in the near future?

- (HG) We wouldn’t even know how to change. It’s been so long since we tried to play anything else, it’s not in our systems. [Try upgrading your software? —AK]

- (CA) What bands do you like most in the current extreme music scene? Are there any you would like to tour with?

- (HG) We’d tour with Slipknot, Pantera, Slayer, Ozzy… anybody that we could play to their crowd and turn them into ours. [I think Britney Spears will be just fine. She's got a pussy and she can do strip-tease for you guys during tour. Talk about killing two rabbits with one shot. —AK]

- (CA) Back to one of my previous questions — what do you think of bands who mix styles? Are there any «crossover» genres or bands that sound «unnatural» to you?

- (HG) Try not to think about it first. Second, bands that mix styles are «flavors of the moment» and are gone. Granted, they had their 15 minutes but it was a shitty 15 minutes.

- (CA) What do you think of bands that use gory lyrics and imagery? Are these bands simply immature, or is there something more symbolic in what they’re doing?

- (HG) First, those topics are no different than a Stephen King novel, and if its done well, it’s great.

- (CA) What is the most shocking listening experience you’ve ever had?

- (HG) Matt: Reign In Blood.

- (HG) Dan: …And Justice For All.

- (CA) Name five musicians whom you most admire.

- (HG) Phil Anselmo, Rob Zombie, David Lee Roth, Ozzy, Dave Mustaine. [No pussies — too bad. —AK] VH-1’s Behind the Music opens up a lot of doors.

- (CA) Playing drunk — do you approve or disapprove?

- (HG) We don’t remember when we’re all sober at any given show. But we approve; look at Van Hallen!

- (CA) What are your thoughts on narcotics and alcohol in general? Is it possible for a musician to create a fine piece music without using «creativity steroids»?

- (HG) Huh? What? Hm-m-m… What was that? [Great weed — where can I get some? —AK]

- (CA) What’s your opinion on the current state of the metal scene? Does it have a future?

- (HG) Not so good unless it has the word «rap» in front of it. People new to the scene think rap-metal is metal. It’s sad. But as long as there’s pissed off white trash like us out there, there will always be Metal (I’m making the Satan hand sign.) [And I'm returning your "devil horns" salute, Dan; but mostly in memory of those poor goats from question #13. —CA]

- (CA) Forgetting question #10 for a moment, do you care about politics?

- (HG) We try not to, so someday we’ll see the Bush twins naked!

- (CA) I know that you are an advocate of exchanging music via file-sharing software (i.e. Napster), but do you see any merit in the arguments against it?

- (HG) People who love music will always buy the finished product. People who share music expose these people to new and forgotten music, and therefore, they go out and buy new music.

- (CA) What do the band members do in their free time? Do you rehearse a lot?

- (HG) Work, tit bars, work, drink, concerts. [Ever tried working in the tit bar and playing gigs there after your shift is over? It might save you a lot of time. —AK] We try to rehearse 4 — 5 times a week.

- (CA) Do you think it will one day be possible for Hollow Ground to earn a living only by playing music?

- (HG) If we choose to turn into a boy band, maybe. We choose to play for the sake of playing. If people like it and support it someday… maybe.

- (CA) If you were told that there are 24 hours left before the end of the world, how would you’ve spend these 24 hours?

- (HG) Dan: I can’t get too descriptive, but it would involve a Jacuzzi filled with lime Jell-o Mary Kate & Ashley Olson, and a midget on a leash. [And what about goats from question #13? —AK]

- (HG) Matt: Drive off a bridge. I always wanted to do that.

- (CA) Your dearest dream?

- (HG) To be woken up by a stripper named Bambi telling us that we have to be on stage in an hour or we don’t get paid.

- (CA) What do you know about Russia? :)

- (HG) They have some really nice strippers. We’ve received some fan from mail from there and it seem like its a tough place to live. [Yeah, these damn polar bears have been getting out of hand lately. —AK] Matt likes «Rocky 4″.

- (CA) Are you familiar with any Russian bands?

- (HG) Not really. Gorky Park was not too good, no offense. [None taken, I agree with you. —AK]

- (CA) If I asked you to recite the name of every North Carolinian band you are familiar with, would you get past Corrosion of Conformity and Confessor?

- (HG) We’d stop at Corrosion of Conformity.

- (CA) If you ever had a chance to go back and change something in the history of Hollow Ground, would you do it?

- (HG) Refer to Question #2.

- (CA) Future plans? Any tours on the horizon?

- (HG) Record a new disc and get ready for whatever comes our way Possibly go to California for the November to Dismember (festival)

- (CA) Describe the experience of playing at Metalfest. What bands did you get to meet? Did you get to tour the Old Milwaukee brewery?

- (HG) Playing was incredible in that large arena. The staff was professional and made it real easy for us to focus on playing then drinking. We met Mayhem, Corrosive, and some A&R people that started taking interest, and are involved with the band today. No, we didn’t get to take the tour but, we grew an extreme distaste for Miller Genuine Draft.

- (CA) Twenty years from now, how would you want the fans of Hollow Ground to remember you?

- (HG) By having people come up to us and say «You still haven’t made it?».

- (CA) Any questions we didn’t ask that you wish we had?

- (HG) We have an older recording titled «Sik Fuked Up god Like». That was another 8-track recording we did ourselves, with the original bassist Jeremy.

- (CA) Any final words for the readers?

- (HG) Kick back, download or buy the music, and roll one up. It’ll do the body good! Thanks for the support from the fans that know us and to all the future ones.

- (CA) I’m just adding a non-question here so I can call this interview «38 Counts of Pussy-Drip Turbinery». It’s sort of a take-off on a Pig Destroyer album. Neither Dan nor Matt chose to comment on this one.

Visit official Hollow Ground site @ www.hollowground.com