VIO-LENCE: “To Be Able To Come Here For The First Time, Play Bloodstock… That’s Pretty Special”

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Recently reforming thrash metallers, VIO-LENCE, have enjoyed a resurgence after the release of their new EP ‘Let the World Burn’. The Bay Area metal group have left a permanent mark on the metal scene and continues to inspire musicians and fans around the world. Their high-energy live performances and intricate musicianship have earned them a high reputation among thrash metal fans around the world. We had the privilege of speaking with Sean Killian of Vio-lence about their new EP, playing live shows, and more. Here’s what was discussed.

Hi, I’m Nick from The Rock Fix and I’m here with Sean from VIO-LENCE. How are you today?

Sean: I’m doing great, man.

So how was your set? You’ve just recently come off the stage, not that long ago. How was it for you guys?

Sean: It was good. The crowds fucking great. We were fortunate that the stage wasn’t fully in the sun. That helped a lot. But it was great.

Yeah, it’s a really hot day here obviously today. What was it actually like up on the stage? Because a lot of people in the crowd have been suffering in the sun. How bad was it up on the stage for you guys?

Sean: When we first went on, there was about 90% shade, but when I went out to the edge of the stage I was in the sun, and I could feel the heat. It was like, yeah, you guys are all bunched together and we’ve got all this space between us as opposed to them.

Hey, you still got the pits going. So you’ve got to have been doing something right out there, yeah.

Sean: Yeah.

Obviously your most recent EP, ‘Let the World Burn’, dropped not that long ago. What was the reception like for that for you guys?

Sean: I think we had a good reception. I mean, uh, there was more likes than thumbs-downs, you know. We’re kind of a band that really don’t worry about what people think. We just do what we do. You love us or you hate us! I think we got some more lovers with this release than haters. But VIO-LENCE’s history has just been like that.

Obviously VIO-LENCE have had a very long history, a lot of changes in the line-up, stuff like that. What makes this iteration of VIO-LENCE different to what’s come before it?

Sean: Uh, well the good news is we have good guys in the band, Christian Olde Wolbers, you know, Bobby Gustafson, of course, original members Phil and me and Perry. You know Phil does Lamb of God’s stuff too, and so we have Ira Black filling in for us and for Phil, he’s a great guitar player, Lizzy Borden, and a bunch of other members joining the band. But it’s good. I mean this group of musicians is a good group. We’re on stage. It feels tight and it feels good.

Awesome. That’s what you like to hear. And you guys don’t often come over to the UK. So what was it like for you to get over here and play?

Sean: It was awesome. I mean, we’ve never been here, so to be able to come here for the first time, play Bloodstock on the first we come over to the UK… That’s pretty special of course.

Have you noticed any big differences between shows back in the States compared to here?

Sean: Uh, not really, because when we do shows back in the States, we do a lot of club shows ’cause we’re like one of those bands that needs to connect directly with the audience, and so we get a lot of stage diving and big pits. Here you can get a big pit but stage diving is a little different, you know, they’re just more crowd surfing and that sort of thing – but it’s good. I mean, the reaction is still the same, people are into it.

Would you like to come over here and do more club sort of shows over here as well in the future?

Sean: Yeah. Yeah. We’re talking right now to some people about doing that sort of thing early next year.

Awesome. Obviously, so there hasn’t been much since the EP came out. Are you guys working on new music or anything like that?

Sean: Yeah, we’ve been just busy, you know, but Phil’s been doing his thing and when you’re practising for shows, it’s like you’re not really focused on writing. But we’ve got a lot of ideas between the two of us and we just need to sit down together and work through some stuff.

Is there anyone that you’re looking forward to seeing today here at Bloodstock?

Sean: I like metal. I like a lot of the bands. I’m just not really a follower of the metal scene anymore. Last night I didn’t get to see Behemoth – which is one of my favourites – because we had to jump in a bus and get across on the ferry. But, I don’t know, I just kind of trip around. I like the smaller tents.

Yeah, well there’s a tent literally just down by the main stage, which is the New Blood tent, which showcases new and up-and-coming bands.

Sean: I probably be spending some time there.

Yeah. Do you think it’s important that a festival like this has a stage to elevate these up-and-coming bands?

Sean: Of course it’s important for the festivals, but it’s also important for bands who are successful to not lose sight of who they once were. And if there’s an opportunity to help one of those bands out by putting them on your bill then you should do that – that’s our philosophy.

Awesome. Well, thanks. That’s all I’ve got for you. Do you want to add anything while you’re here?

Sean: Uh, just letting everybody know we’re back and when we go on stage, we just go on stage because we love to fucking play. There’s no shows. There’s no nothing, no explosions, no makeup, It’s just us and the thrash metal.

Awesome. Well thank you so much for your time today.

Sean: Thank you.