We've really taken these 3 years to cultivate our live show into something brutal and memorable. As far as a career, we don't make enough money to live off of it. We all have decent jobs and live music aside from that. It's just been about going out there, fucking up and learning what works and what doesn't work. I'd say that Satan is pleased with the progress we've made.

I suppose that you are big fans of Celtic Frost (since you recorded "Jewel Throne in "Hallowed be thy agony") Which other bands are a big influence for you?

The reason Celtic Frost is so amazing to me is because of this. Back in 1985, I first heard the term "Death Metal". I envisioned the vocals of a primitive warlord with these muddy plodding guitars and bass that just rolled over you and buried you like a fucking panzer. I bought "Emperor's Return" and the sound that came out of those speakers was almost exactly what I'd pictured it to be. I was hooked from that moment. I also got heavily into Sabbath, Possessed, Venom, Exodus,
Slayer, Dark Angel, Sodom, Metallica, Megadeth, Death, Kreator, Destruction. Later on I got into Entombed, Morgoth, Emperor, Dissection, Angel Corpse, Cannibal Corpse, early Deicide, Krisiun, Immortal. The list goes on. Pretty much suffice it to say that all that concerns me is
the music of the devil, and that is all that I care about playing. It has done so much for me. It has made me whole.

Are you in the process of recording your second full length?Where are you recording it? Are you producing it by yourself?

We are really practicing our instruments that they may truly speak the gospel of the Devil. We will begin writing in the spring for our second full length. It will be recorded at the same studio where we recorded "Hallowed be thy Agony" and will be produced by the same person as well.

Are you touring the Northwestern side of the USA? Are there any plans of
touring the rest of the country and maybe outside of it?

No tourng plans as of yet. We were planning one for the fall but it fell apart. We'll have to wait a little longer.

Can you tell us something about the beginnings of the band?

Originally, Joshua the drummer and I started it in Jan. 1997. We moved over to Seattle about 6 months later and recorded our self titled debut. We played local shows for about a year and had to get another bass player. Greg came in about 2 years ago and we've been playing with
this line-up ever since.

Can you explain the concept that lies in your lyrics?

The concept that lies in the lyrics is just timelessness. Something that can stand on it's own 15 years from now just as my influences have done.

Since you come from Seattle...How was live in the 90s when everything was
grunge and you were an extreme metal band?

None of the people I hung out with were into grunge. It really seemed like people had lumped all of the categories of metal in with the cock rockers of the day and didn't want anything to do with that. A few those bands like Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains were cock rock bands. I just thought the music sucked.

For me there is no set way of writing music. Whatever works. Sometimes I have a rough structure of a song mapped out in a day and sometimes it takes a year to write one song.

Can we say that Suicide Culture is a band that was meant to "perform on
stage"?

Are there any plans to include another member in the band (another guitarist or a keyboard player)?

Yes we are adding another guitar player. It will be uncompromisingly insane.

Any message that you would like to give?

Thank you for the time you took to read this interview. Your grave is calling. Can you hear it?

SUICIDE CULTURE - DISCOGRAPHY

Suicide Culture - CD (1997)

Hallowed Be Thy Agony - CD (2000)

Kevin Bedra - guitar, vocals

Joshua Hanenburg - drums, backing vocals

Greg Hartung - bass, backing vocals