Earth Crisis manage to keep things fresh on every album. No two albums really sound a like. Is this something you guys conciously strive to do or is this just something that naturally came as you continued writing music over ten years time?

Well, I definitely think we evolved. We like to keep it fresh for ourselves. We write our music for our own purposes. We don't really follow a formula.

How has the reaction been to "Slither"? With the singing vocals, it may be the furthest reaching record so far.

Well, I think kids honestly expect it from us at this point. We've been putting out records for almost ten years now. As far as crowd turnout and good reviews, we've never had anything as well received as "Slither". It's getting played on commercial radio more than any other Victory band. Also, we have a video on MTVX which has been getting played like five times a day for two months.

Really? I had no idea.

Yea, that's what Victory tells us. "Slither" is just a good record and (can't make out what he says...horrible connection).

Any reason why it took so long to get "Slither" out?

We had to head to Europe and we had been doing a lot of touring in the States. And then we went down to South America and it took about year between all that touring to write the record. So, we were busy, even though we might have barely been visiting your town.

Speaking of touring, how come Earth Crisis haven't been non-stop touring in support of "Slither" as you have with previous albums?

We did three tours in the United States. We went out with Skinlab and In Flames.

Yea, I saw that show in Brooklyn.

I thought that was a lot of fun. Then, we toured with Glassjaw. (again, undecipherable...I think he explained what the third US tour was). Then, we went Europe. We did, I think, twelve countries over there. Then in the Fall, we went to Japan and then in early Winter we got ready for "The Last of the Sane" recording and we did that in December.

You answered another one of my questions. I was going to ask whether "Last of the Sane" was written and recorded purposely or if you happened to just have all that stuff sitting around and decided to compile it into an album.

I think there were six or seven songs that we recorded just for that record. The other stuff were songs that were only available on obscure comps.

Yea, that's why I asked, because I had "The Order That Shall Be" on the "Stones to Mark the Fire" comp and the Misfits cover was on the "Violent World" tribute.

Right. And I guess kids were saying "Oh, I wanna get this song" and hadn't been able to find any of the comps and the same thing with some of the other stuff so we decided to put it on one CD for the diehard fans. That's who that record is for.

What happened with Earth Crisis and Roadrunner Records? I've heard a lot of different things and I just want to get it cleared up.

Basically, the truth is...they didn't want to do hardcore. You look at what they did is they dissolved their whole division with bands that have been selling great for them in Europe like Madball and Shelter. So, they definitely got the short end of the stick. Also like Both Worlds and VOD. But everyone went to new labels and it made a better situation. Especially for us. We finally got a video and the video airplay that we've wanted for a long time.

Yea, it did seem like they dropped their whole hardcore roster almost overnight.

They wanted to put money into trendier things than hardcore. You can't package it and make it look trendy. It is what it is.

What's next for the band? Writing? Another tour?

Well, we just played a show in Rochester and I've been doing a lot of crap. We're part of a documentary that the BBC put together for the radio there in England on straightedge. That was cool. And we're playing a show in Philly in a couple weeks and basically, that's what's ahead of us. We'll also be doing some interviews and press that Victory is setting up for us.

I gotta ask...any chance that Path of Resistance will ever do anything again?

Well, I'd love to do it, but the drummer and the bassist both moved to San Francisco. One is in art school and the other one is a tattoo artist so they are pretty situated out there and I don't see them coming back. And the point of Path of Resistance is kind of to unify with our friends to make something special so it wouldn't make sense to do it with other people. So that band is officially done.

What ever happened to "Smash or Be Smashed" and "Fate of the Neo-Gods" from the live CD? They never surfaced onto an album.

I think it's cool just to keep on there.

Aw man, I really would've liked to hear those songs studio recorded.

Yea, but, I mean, it's better just to move ahead and write new songs, ya know?

I've seen Earth Crisis live seventeen times, more than any other band...

(laughs)

...and I've seen you play with so many different kinds of bands. How do fans of music other than hardcore take to your music and your message?

Well, I think most of them probably don't really care about our message, but definitely a lot of them like our music. So, as long as they are supporting us and getting something out of it, that's cool because that helps us too, so we can tour and get our message out to people that actually will care about it.

Who were musical influences on you and the band when you started up Earth Crisis years ago?

I think if you listen "The Last of the Sane" record and look at the bands that we covered, that's pretty much what our roots are. Rock bands and punk and really hardcore and metal.

Any small bands that maybe you've played with or are friends with that you think people should watch out for?

Definitely, in Europe...Ire, Purification, Abscense, Unborn, Statement. There's a lot of good bands over there.

A source close to the band told me that "Slither" might be Earth Crisis's last album. Can you clarify this or clear it up?

Yea. Basically, Eric and I have been writing. We've got three songs written. I'm working on a project band right now. We're just kind of taking a break and working on a couple things, but Eric and I are writing new songs.

I also heard that Scott Crouse and Dennis Merrick are working on a side project.

Yea, exactly. We're taking time off for projects because that's fun, ya know? Like, I loved doing Path of Resistance...as you brought up, we can't do that band, but I'd like to do other projects because it's fun to do something different. That's what my goal is. I'm kind of working on an industrial thing right now. Scott and Dennis are working on stuff. Everyone is busy, everyone is creating, but I think we need to take kind of a break, ya know?

Do you see Earth Crisis being around for a long time and what do you plan to do when Earth Crisis is no more?

Probably start a new band. (laughs). I love music. But I think there is more for Earth Crisis to do. Especially when you look at us right now, with "Slither" doing as well as it is, the video getting played on MTVX. There's a lot of amazing stuff happening in 2001 for the band.

Now for the question I ask all my victims...Top 5 All-Time Greatest Albums?

Yea. Slayer's "Reign in Blood", Slayer's "South of Heaven", Agnostic Front "One Voice" and what's the Metallica with the statue on the front with the blindfold?

"And Justice for All".

That one. And I have to give you one more?

Yup.

(long pause). Those are the most important ones.

Alright, four is OK, I guess. Any last words, anything to promote, shoutouts, etc.? Get them in now.

Buy "Slither". We got a video, like a home video, I think is going to be called "Earth Crisis World Wide", that's going to have footage of us playing over all South America, Japan, Europe and the US and it's going to kind of document what we've done in the last ten years. Buy that.

Any idea when that will be out?

No, I don't. Sometime this year. Email MTVX and tell them to keep playing the video. I guess that's all. (laughs).