C: Hey this is Chainsaw from Skinny Mag. How did you get the band name Lightning Swords of Death?

A: The band name, initially it was a favorite movie. But then later it became a kind of acid we were all fond of.

C: Hence the initials LSD?

A: Yeah.

C: So how did the founding members meet?

A: I think it was late 90's when we were toying with music ideas we had. We had to take on and kick out a lot of people in the process. It's important to have people with the same vision. But it kind of started when I met Roskva from Chicago and noticed he was wearing a Voivod shirt. We went about executing our dastardly plot from there.

C: In addition to Voivod what other influences would you say your band has?

A: Umm, early black metal bands. Bathory, Venom. We're down with a lot of Doom Metal. We LOVE Iron Maiden. Celtic Frost, Autopsy...

C: *laughs* Funny you should mention Autopsy, I'm wearing their shirt right now.

A: Nice! *laughs*

C: As the vocalist, do you do all the lyric writing yourself?

A: I do.

C: Where do your lyrics come from?

A: Umm, they come from many places inside and outside my head *laughs* All the time directed with initial desire or intent. Our songs are designed to invoke certain energies weather live or being played on someones iPod that's the initial intent.

C: Last time I was in L.A. was way back in '97 and I was the only metal head wherever I went. Is there much of a draw where you live, or is it one big struggle against the current?

A: There are metal bands here. There's a whole metal scene. I don't know what kind of ideas people might have about fake L.A. There is some fakeness in the scene too. I guess we don't blend right in. It's a strange trip to be doing what's not expected.

C: How did you hook up with Metal Blade?

A: Umm, I believe the answer there lies when we played at the L.A. Murder Fest. Kind of Doom, Grindcore-centric but we enjoy standing out. Anyway we were just approached and then started working together. Never thought we'd get to be on Metal Blade but here we are.

C: Is there one city that you would deem to be the craziest, as far as band to audience energy goes?

A: Oh ya know there a lot of really great crowds. All of the audiences when we toured with Behemoth were really receptive and welcomed us with open arms.

C: .....and what's your favorite serial killer?

A: *laughs* Serial killer? Hmmmmmm, I would say, well I don't know if he could count because he never actually killed anyone.

C: Charles Manson?

A: Yeah. Being where I'm from I'm definitely down with Charlie. I mean I know Night Stalker did his thing all over Los Angeles but Charlie's one with people skills......and he's got good style *laughs*

C: Agreed! Any parting words for Skinny Magazine?

A: Yeah. Prepare to be violently ritually abused by Lightning Swords of Death and it'd take untold hours of therapy to get you back to normal once we're through with you so don't try *laughs*
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Friday March 19th Hordes of Chaos Part II Kreator, Kataklysm, Evile, Lightning Swords of Death, Lazarus AD @ Rickshaw Theatre (All Ages) $28 Advance $32 Door Posted: Mar 17, 2010