Mark Heylmun (SUICIDE SILENCE): We are wearing The Black Crown

BANDS : Suicide Silence

Suicide Silence will play two concerts in Romania in July this year. In Bucharest on 22 and 23, in Cluj Napoca. We take this opportunity and talked with Mark Heylmun, solo guitarist of the band. Mark spoke about the latest group album, The Black Crown (2011), about how important are for the metal scene bands like Ghost, Mastodon, Behemoth, but also about the concerts he will play with Suicide Silence in Romania . More details below:

Metalfan: Hello Mark and welcome to Metalfan.ro!
Mark Heylmun: What's goin on?

Metalfan: Suicide Silence started back in 2002 and in 10 years has become the most important deathcore band in the world. How do you comment your success? Which is your secret?
Mark Heylmun: No secret here just always tried to be the heaviest band in world and keep our fans happy, that's really important to us. It's been a good ride so far and we are far from being done.

Metalfan: In 2011, you have released a new album called The Black Crown. On this album you have moved a little bit away from the deathcore/death metal sound, for a more groove oriented metal. Which are the bands, books, and everything else that have inspired you when you were writing The Black Crown?
Mark Heylmun: I don't feel like we are really reinventing the wheel doing what we're doing but it's hard to put a list of bands together we use as inspiration. I think Pantera is always one band we get structural ideas from and bands like Fear Factory and Lamb of God. It's hard to pinpoint inspiration for us really we just write what's fun to play for us and we get inspired by imagining what it would be like to play songs live.

Metalfan: Who is wearing The Black Crown? Why? Could you explain us the meaning of the title?
Mark Heylmun: We are. As you said you feel as if we are the most important "deathcore" band. It's awesome doin what were doing but we never intended to be a deathcore band if anything we started as a grindcore band with some hints of doom or sludge and that got people calling us a deathcore band. There was no deathcore before us or at least the title didn't exist so we are saying that we are the ones wearing a crown that isn't necessarily what we intended.

Metalfan: How it was to be in the studio with Steve Evettes? What do you think about the albums he has produced for such acts as Incantation, The Cure, Sepultura or The Dillinger Escape Plan? What have you learned from him?
Mark Heylmun: Learned a lot from him just about not faking it. I think he captured us the best that any producer has. We were a fan of his work prior especially his work he did on tape with Dillinger. That's something I really like of his work. And all in all we became good friends in the process. I talk to him regularly and the new Prong record he just did is badass.

Metalfan: Could you tell us more about the recording technique used by the band?
Mark Heylmun: All natural. The amps, pedals, guitars, drums, everything is what we use live. What you hear is us and it's as simple as that. No studio magic nothing but us.

Metalfan: Also, what equipment do you use in the studio for your sound?
Mark Heylmun: Mesa amps, ESP guitars with EMG's, my signature guitar is the LTD MKH-7, but like I said before what we use in the studio is what we use live. We try and emulate our live sound in the studio not the otherway around.

Metalfan: Could you tell us more about the lyrics from The Black Crown album?
Mark Heylmun: Well it's more care free than previous music. It's not aiming to point fingers or piss anyone off. It's a feel good record in my opinion. But I also don't write the lyrics.

Metalfan: Is it there a general concept behind it?
Mark Heylmun: Not really.

Metalfan: What do you think about concept albums like the ones released by King Diamond or for example Pink Floyd - The Wall (1979)? Would you like to do something like this with Suicide Silence? Why or why not?
Mark Heylmun: I've always thought about it. I really like Mastodon and their concepts, but I guess only time will tell if we would ever do something like that. At this point I don't think it's in the agenda but who knows?

Metalfan: On 22 and on 23 of July, Suicide Silence will play for the first times in Romania, in Bucharest and in Cluj Napoca. What do you expect from these shows? What should your fans expect from you?
Mark Heylmun: We will absolutely blow our fans mind as we do every show we play. I just expect to have a good time and see some new places and new faces. Find us at the bar let's take some shots.

Metalfan: Could you tell us the name of three songs that you will include in the playlist for the shows in Romania?
Mark Heylmun: I like to keep that a secret so it's a surprise. But I promise you'll hear everything you wanna hear and we will play a good long set and everyone will have a blast.

Metalfan: Do you know any bands from Romania? What do you think about Cap De Craniu, the band that will open your show from Bucharest?
Mark Heylmun: Well I'm on a plane right now with no Internet service or else I'd check them out and comment. No bands come to mind that I know from Romania but everywhere I've ever been has always had bands that surprise me. I'm looking forward to checking them out now that you've brought it to my attention.

Metalfan: Speaking about bands. What do you think about this new wave of occult rock? About such bands as Ghost or The Devils Blood, mainly influenced by Mercyful Fate and Coven? Also, what do you think about Mercyful Fate and Coven?
Mark Heylmun: I dig it. I still agree with a lot of the haters though that if they didn't have all that makeup and costumes they'd be rather boring but that's just me. I mean Ghost was Repugnant before they were ghost I believe and they didn't get the hype ghost got, but with that being said I've seen ghost in fact I saw them yesterday in the day time wearing all white opening for Metallica and it was fun. Say what you will I like Mercyful Fate more than King Diamond if that makes sense but I'm also not the biggest fan of either.

Metalfan: Which is your all-time favorite album released by a band from Century Media? Why?
Mark Heylmun: Haha our records are my favorites because they mean the most to me. I really like Demigod though, I'm a huge Behemoth fan and Nergal is a badass. That record us just solid and relentless, vox are perfectly placed, riffs are virtually all money riffs, the songs are just perfect.

Metalfan: I know that you also have an electronica/dubstep solo project. Could you tell us more about it? What do you think about The Path of Totality from Korn?
Mark Heylmun: I'm not into dubstep, it sounds like robots farting and I feel like you have to be on drugs to listen to it. But mitch has Commissioner that is kinda like a death metal dubstep project that him and our buddy Cameron "Big Chocolate" Argon have been doing for a few years now. It's pretty sweet. Cameron also is the man behind Disfiguring the Goddess which is his death metal project. The kid is like 21 and really talented and nerdy. His most recent music video proves what I just said look it up. But yeah korn really did something cool I saw them live playing new stuff and they really dig it and that's what matters to me, seeing them really feel good about what they are playing us awesome. Korn is one of the best live bands even if you don't like some of the new stuff it really is better live. It's just massive.

Metalfan: Thank you for your time and for your great questions! In the end would you like to send few words to our readers and your fans from Romania or to add something?
Mark Heylmun: No problem. I'm lookin forward to getting to Romania and meeting some of our fans there. It's been too long for us not to of made it there yet. And if you've read this whole interview thanks for giving a fuck. See you soon.

Autor: H.

July 01, 2012 | 0 Comments | 13013 Views « BACK