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What led to the original breakup of Cryptic Slaughter?
The same thing that kills every band, lack of communication. We started to grow apart and wear on each other. And because we never really talked it out, we just kind of let it fall apart. Looking back, another factor
was how much change was happening musically at the time in 1988. You had bands like Jane's Addiction, Soundgarden, and Voi Vod creating entirely new landscapes, and I think we felt like what we were doing was
starting to get stale.
How did the recent reformation come about? Who initiated it and how did you track each other down?
Brian and I had talked a few years ago about making a balls out speed record, just for the fun of it. When Relapse presented me with the idea of the re-issues, I reminded
Brian of that earlier conversation. It was his idea to get Rob and Bill involved. I just assumed neither one of them would be interested. I'd always had contact with Rob through a
close mutual friend and we'd see each other every couple of years when he came up to Portland to visit. I found Bill though a guy who did an interview with him a couple of years ago.
Was everyone gung ho from the start or was there any hesitation when it was first discussed?
The fact that everyone was so gung ho is what really blew me away. I was more surprised than anybody. Brian and I had come up with some music and we presented it to the other guys and that's all it took.
Are you all still living in the same area?
Well, I live north of Seattle, Brian lives in Portland, and Rob and Bill live in L.A. So yes, we all live in the same West Coast area.
 You decided to continue with the band after the original
breakup and released "Speak Your Peace." Many consider that album to the cold fish of the Cryptic Slaughter discography. What is your opinion of it now?
I still really like that record, but I regret calling the band that recorded it Cryptic Slaughter. That was a marketing decision. Luckily, we were able to find a new audience with that album. But the truth is, most
Cryptic die-hards didn't like Stream of Consciousness either because it wasn't as fast and we started to explore some different territory. People get upset when you stray from
what they've come to expect of you. If a band writes music with the intention of conforming to the fan's (or label's) expectations, they're really limiting themselves. And, at the
time, we just got tired of playing fast music. Ironically, a lot of the material that ended up on Speak Your Peace was written by Rob and I before I moved to Portland. Had the
original line-up continued, we definitely would have used that same material and it still would have been a much different sounding record than the first three.
What happened with that incarnation of the band?
We played our last show in Paris in October 1990. We had planned to record another record, which would have been very much under the influence of Ministry, but a variety of things prevented that from happening.
Did you play in any other bands after that?
Sweaty Nipples, also with Brian, was one of the main reasons that Cryptic came to a halt. Sweaty was such a huge local juggernaut that it ended up taking the majority of
our time and energy. At one point, we held the attendance records at four different venues in Portland.
What was the most amount of money you made from a Cryptic Slaughter release?
Nobody makes money from record sales, unless you're selling huge amounts. You make your money from song writing and publishing royalties and merchandise. As far as
advances go, we got the most for the last record. You have to realize that this underground music stuff is primarily a labor of love. Nobody got rich from it. In fact, most bands barely get by.
Which Cryptic Slaughter release is your personal favorite and why?
Right now, and this is subject to change, I'd say Stream because I've recently rediscovered how much I really like that material.
 What old songs have you guys been rehearsing since you got back together?
Well, I live in Seattle, Bri lives in Portland, and Rob and Bill live in L.A., so we don't do a lot of rehearsing. But with today's technology, we can write new music long distance and that's
our main focus at this point. We've already recorded the music for a demo of four new songs and we've got three more in various stages of development. You can expect it to be fast, brutal, and angry.
Any live shows planned yet?
Our goal is to get the new record written, recorded, and released within the next six months to a year. After that, we'll get some gigs together.
Are there any Cryptic Slaughter songs that you think will ALWAYS be set staples?
I can't imagine playing a show without including “Lowlife,” “Money Talks,” and “Freedom of Expression’ in the set. Another one we always played was ‘Positively.’
Have the arrangements on the old songs changed at all with the current incarnation of the band or are you doing them by the numbers?
We would never change the arrangements. We might tweak a few things here and there, but nothing to detract from the original songs.
What are you listening to yourself these days?
The new Melvins record is phenomenal. They are the heaviest live show on earth. The new Queens of the Stone Age is also really good. I've been listening to a lot of Voi
Vod recently, too. And I can't wait to hear the new Jane's Addiction.
 What would you say are your three all-time favorite records?
That's not fair. I tried to make a list of my favorite 100 records and even that was hard to narrow down. OK, my three fav rock records; Led Zeppelin "Physical Graffiti", Jimi Hendrix
"Electric Ladyland", and Jane's Addiction "Nothings Shocking". My three fav metal records; Slayer "Reign in Blood", Black
Sabbath "Master of Reality", and Ministry "The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste". My three fav hardcore records; Bad Brains "Rock for Light", and the self titled debuts from
Suicidal Tendencies and Minor Threat.
I've seen Cryptic Slaughter releases (both vinyl and CD) go for over $30-40 on eBay. Does it surprise you at all that the releases are that sought after?
It surprised the hell out of me. But it was a damn good indicator that we still have a die hard fan base. I saw a Money Talks CD go for $204.00 and a Convicted for
$160.00. I imagine that prices have dropped now because word is out on the re-issues.
Every cry during a movie? What movie and what part?
Of course I have. Just about every movie Disney has ever made, right? Bambi, Dumbo, Old Yeller, etc. Those movies are brutal. I'll tell you what, it's harder to watch the ending
of Old Yeller than any radical gore movie you can name. Anything with animals and tragedy, and I'll lose it big time. But you can also add to that list; The Color Purple, Mask,
Glory, The Champ, Day of the Dolphin, Coming Home, Imagine (John Lennon), and it goes on and on. I didn't cry at Titantic, though. It's hard to feel sorry for Leonardo Di
Caprio. And by the way, Al, thanks for making me look like a big sissy!
That’s what I’m here for!
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Related Links:
Relapse Records
(the label re-releasing the Cryptic Slaughter albums)
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