Thursday, June 12, 2014

Interview with Jeff Harmsen from LEGION OF DEATH

Legion Of Death formed in 1985 is Denver, Colorado based hardcore/Death Metal band. We had a short talk with Jeff Harmsen  their guitarist.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=107211186030830

Before we begin Jeff we would like to know what you guys are doing nowadays.       
Nothing since last 6 months, got show on 4/19 here with cephalic carnage and deadhorse. Got members from cephalic, zombie hate brigade and scalafrea so, it’s hard to do a full time band.

Almost 29 years of journey 1985 until now how has been the journey been?
Rough to say the least, been through multiple lineups since the start. Legion of Death was formed in 4/85 with me and original drummer Damion while we were in high school together. That summer we acquired john and Dennis but didn’t jam as band until a week before "have a nice death" demo recording and release on web records in 12/85. Did "unconstructive anarchism" demo #2 in 2/86 then i had to release bassist Dennis who was replaced by Andy. We did many shows with DRI twice, Slayer, MOD, Crumbsuckers, Plus many local acts. I left in late 87 due to alcohol and was replaced with my best friend of 30 years mike. They did LOD 1st lp in 1988. I went on to do ANATHEMA with rob from SATANS HOST drummer .LOD did demo #3 in 89 then disbanded so mike joined ANATHEMA with me. We left to start ASYSTOLE then doing a 7" "higher form of hatred” for Seraphic Decay records plus did an unreleased lp. LOD sat dormant until 3 years ago when we did a reunion show with len from cephalic Carnage (who i did SEWERGRATE with) , Chris and Joe.

So can we say that the band was reunited after 22 years in 2011?
Something like that, I retired in 97 from active bands then started again in 2005. Mike and i were approached by Len about reunion. Len and Chris were big fans of lod since day 1 so, they were a natural choice. We got Joe on drums because he was working for Cephalic. It’s a really superstar lineup for Denver, Zombie Hate Brigade and Scalafrea both have international following and everybody in world knows who Cephalic Carnage is. I've known Len since 84, he started Cephalic because of seeing lod live...we’ve been friends forever. I knew Chris from adnauseum/decimation. He’s friend of 25 years... That’s how the story goes... I was pen pals with pat from Hellwitch back then; we traded tapes. Glad to see he’s on your new compilation as well. Man for sure a great guy and they’re one ruthless band. I got my original rough mix advance tape of "Reign In Blood" from pat before anybody even knew what slayer was about. Pats one of the originals in Death Metal scene along with me...

Yeah for Sure as i know and have talked with Patrick, guys from Hellwitch they are totally down to earth. Coming back to Legion of Death you guys have a show in 20th of April i.e coming Sunday can you say us something about the gig?
Its a 2-day fest Len does every year called "vaporfest", were doing a 6 song,25 minute set of all material off our new "condemned to hell" lp/cd on Chris’s label ,"getupandkill" records. This new lineup for sure going to shred, I glad to be playing again.

Jeff a moment back you told us that Cephalic Carnage is inspired from LOD man i am stunned and even i checked some of your tracks you guys are fucking amazing...
Thanks brother, its old school death metal/hardcore crossover, we were first to do it period worldwide, only SOD was before us but they don’t have death metal songs or vocals. We are influenced by bands such as Napalm death and Carcass. Shane, Jesse, Barney and Mitch from and used to stay at our house when in town and Jeff/bill from arcass also cite influences. I’m totally honored to have inspired greats such as them...I almost joined repulsion back then too, matt was a good friend but i didn’t have money to move to Michigan. Such is life...

Money its a problem everywhere. Jeff you have seen the scene from 80's until dates of now can you compare and say us about the Death Metal Scene from 80’s 90’s 00 and the present time?
The scene sucks now, its all re-hash stuff that’s been done a hundred times over. No originality, its pretty much the same but, i am a huge fan of dying out flame from Nepal. Aabeg's a dear friend. Wishing luck to all Nepalese bands, money’s tight everywhere...the scene used to be tight-knit; bands were friendly and supportive of each other. Everything was new and groundbreaking but that's pretty much gone these days. Everybody used to play their full 45-75 minute sets and had only 3 or so bands on bill but now it's like 7 bands doing 15-20 minutes and each band for themselves...feel sorry for youth of today.

Yeah that is for sure. Dying out flame is one up the upcoming Giants from Nepal. Man these guys are way too serious and devoted in their stuffs. Jeff i want to come to you. Can you tell about your journey in metal music?
I started playing guitar in 82; i had many years of formal lessons. I met mike in 84 and was teaching him guitar. We met at shows like Metallica on ride the lightning tour. He was originally my guitar tech. In original lod, I wanted him for 2nd guitarist but John and Dennis said no so it was only natural for him to replace me when i left. Were still best friends to this day...i've been playing with him off and on for 29 years. I’ve been a fan of rock and metal since i was like 10 years old; I’m almost 48 now, that’s a long time. I also love jazz n classical. I’m formally trained in both.

So Jeff can you tell us what are you listening nowadays?
Same stuff i listened to back then-Tygers of Pan Tang, ufo, Uli Roth, Gary Moore, Al Dimeola, The rods, Exciter, Monstrosity, Morbid Angel, Napalm Death, Repulsion, Terrorizer, Immolation and many more...a lot of guitar stuff. Metal these days really doesn’t float my boat. A few good bands but mostly all sound the same like Tech Death and i cant stand black metal...

Jeff i was going through some of the track that you told me and i personally like Death Sentence and Unite And Kill from your album LEGION OF DEATH released in 1988.And I must say this album is in my top 15 favorites albums.
I appreciate that, I wrote Unite And Kill about the scene back then when the metal crowd and hardcore punks used to fight each other at shows, lod united them together and everybody became friends. Death sentence is about my life, going to electric chair for a crime you didn’t commit. My band loves writing songs about me as a joke, I fucked your mom and sewer rat are both about me. I don’t mind, they’re funny and I’m a good scapegoat.

Well that’s for sure joke's and fun helps to sink much more and have a bond in the band members. Jeff right now i was having a talk with a friend and when i said Legion of Death he thought the Thrash metal band from L.A do you guys face some sort of incident where fans considered the other band as we can see similar name bands confuses . Any such incident.
Yeah, the lod from LA came out like twenty years after we did it when we were in remission, the anathema from England came out way after i first put out stuff with the one from Denver...i guess people cant come up with original names no more...There’s also an asystole I’ve seen on Youtube. All our stuff came out first. Bands just redo names these days. My names come in dreams.

Yeah for sure sometimes when i go through some new bands sometimes feels like the riffs are almost the same. It seems like the new bands are not being much creative and repeating the same thing over and over in their songs. Jeff we will like to ask you guys is there chances of New album or any demo release of LOD this year?
Yeah there are just way too many bands these days, back then there was a handful and all were good but now everybody got stars in their eyes. They don’t realize that 99.9% of bands never get signed or do nothing, they disband 6 months later. We’ve stayed around because our fans are diehards; they know all the words and come onstage at shows to sing with us. We treat our fans really good, cheap cd, sticker, t-shirt and shorts prices. They go with us wherever we play regardless, that mean the world to me! We might enter studio later but kind of broke right now. We’re going to write new material soon but who's to say where one will be tomorrow, one day at a time.


Yeah for sure slowly and steady wins the race. Honestly pal i started to listen LOD a few months back and honestly speaking i am a fan of you guys. What impressed me is that the lyrical pattern of you guys total realistic and fun.
I write about real events in my life, off the news, politics, religion, death and rebirth. The Satan shit is way overdone; I’m a spiritual freak-i read tarot and study quantum physics. I also have a funny side with the joke songs-they're real crowd pleasers live. The songs don’t preach to youth but make people think. I don’t condone killing cops or politicians or raping women or molesting children...that stuff's for delusional children or addicted adults’. 18 years sober, i write about life experience.

So Jeff coming to your journey almost 30 years and above you has experienced a way lot of things. Can you share some of your experience because i am sure your experience can mean a lesson to the upcoming bands. Like how hard was it to sink with members bands splitting some best moments anything you want to share
Members come and go. Me and mike got a strict interview regimen for potential players...phone interview, face-to-face interview then audition...No alcoholics or druggies, only social drinking and weed smoking is allowed. I’m sick of hiring fakes that shit doesn’t fly in our bands. I like this lineup, everybody got their own family/child/work issues but family obligation comes first in my band. I work around that, kids are very important. Practice is necessary but we only do it one day a week.

Well yeah that’s for sure family first. So Jeff any message to the fans?
Undying, heartfelt thanks to SNRMB staff and all our diehard fans of 29 years worldwide. Fans are what make us go....if we had wanted to get rich and famous we would have done it 25 years ago, we do this 100% for fun, all our show money goes into merchandise, bandspace rent and studio time. I’ve never made a cent for myself from this; I’ve probably lost thousands-its all about fans, music and fun...that’s what we love.

Lastly a space for you to ask if we SNRMB team forgot to ask you can ask us here?
Support your friend’s bands and most of all your fans. I have literally hundreds of friends in bands worldwide, they can only survive with your dedication-up and coming bands need to stick it out and strive for originality. If you’ve got stars in your eyes your in the wrong business, labels only want bands who sell. We’ve only got like 800 likes on our Facebook page but that means nothing...the ones who come to your gigs is what matters .Its all about energy release and fun. Don’t take yourselves so serious that you lose out on the fun. Egos are worthless; live by what you know is true....

Yeah that’s for sure thank you Jeff for your wonderful time
Welcome, hope that answers your questions. Thank you and all at SNRMB looking forward to compilation, Give pat my regards.

For sure brother
Keep in touch. Long ass interview but very long history, longest i've ever done...

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