Interview with DAMAGE CONTROL

Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.

Tell us a few things about DAMAGE CONTROL (Members, Starting Year etc).
We started around the beginning of this year, with the drummer + bassist having played together in other bands previously, but wanting to start a new project in this faster metalpunk style. When we saw the Wizard playing with his previous band locally we knew he would be the perfect fit for the band as he had similarities in music taste as well. We released a demo in March, soon had a couple of gig offers locally (from promoters such as BGB, Elk Events and PSKPRMTNS) and took it from there!

You have recently released the cassette ''Bastard b/w Walk the Plank''. What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
We were gonna scrap Walk the Plank after a couple gigs, just dismissing it as a fun B-side but then played it live and everyone loved it and its some people's favourite track from us now. Especially after adding the great lead vocal from the Cap'n. Bastard was an obvious pick for the A side really as it was featured on our demo and one people seemed to enjoy live too.

And what about the lyrics?
Cap'n Fent:The lyrics (to Walk the Plank) were wrote at 7 in the morning 3 days before recording the song and its about nigel farage being held in the brig on the damage control pirate ship and is being made to walk the plank.

The Wizard: The lyrics on the songs released mainly project our views on what we think of the reform party in this country and their policies of anti-immigration and blatant racism. Saying to the listener not to fall for propaganda and false promises of a better England by removing those deemed 'inferior'. Message is clear, think for yourself.

Sgt Steel: They're about not falling for the tricks of those in power who try to scapegoat entire groups of people for issues caused by their own doing such as cost of living, housing crisis etc. The fact people fall for it at all is worrying and we need to make people realise they can come to their own conclusions without just eating up what they're told to believe in the media.

Are you in searching for a record label? What do you prefer, Label or DIY and why?
We've done everything completely DIY so far, recording, mixing etc. If a label was ever interested in us though I'm sure we'd be down for discussion. There are some great local punk labels in our area such as Brainrotter + Crew Cuts who are worth checking out. There's definitely a feeling of control you get by doing everything yourself but at the same time 2 of us are out of education + working now, with the other at college, so a label might definitely be something to think about.

Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
The occasional technical difficulties we can face at smaller venues will always be irritating in the moment but funny to look back on.

Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
Cap'n Fent: I'm a CD chud.

The Wizard: Me personally I prefer to use tapes and CDs because of the wide availability they have in comparison to vinyl.

Sgt Steel: Unlike the others, I believe records are king!! I fell in love with collecting at 13 years old and haven't looked back since. I still buy CDs + tapes of course, perfect for listening on the go, and of course often the cheaper option. I have the Kings of Metal album from Manowar blasting on my turntable as I write these answers! I think the whole experience connects you more to the music, with the larger artwork, having to turn the record over etc, it's like a religious experience (not that I am religious in any way!).

Your music style is MetalPunk. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
Cap'n Fent: My number 1 influence is poison idea and especially "pick your king".I love everything from the shitty guitar tone to the screaming and the gloriously fast drums. When I write songs its definitely the main influence. I am also influenced by bands like Germs, Bathory, Mclusky, Tormented Imp, Sex Pistols (I know people have mixed oppinions on them but they were one of the first punk bands i got into and the music has a special place in my heart) Celtic Frost, The Weirdos, Liquids, Bossmags and some Blues and Psycobilly like The Cramps, The Meteors and Dr Feelgood.

The Wizard: I've got way too many influences to count, first ones that come to mind though are Slayer, Iron Maiden, Doom and Napalm Death. I get influenced by nearly every artist/band I listen to, there's always something cool I'll hear that'll make me wanna do something similar.

Sgt Steel: I've always been fascinated by the NWOBHM + the first wave of black metal for how those bands managed to mix early heavy metal with darker sounds + a punk energy. So of course that means groups like Venom, Angel Witch, Bathory, Celtic Frost, Iron Maiden, Sodom, Jaguar + Diamond Head. Some other bands not in those areas that massively influence what I do include Motörhead, Discharge, Misfits, Ramones, Slayer, Kreator, Darkthrone, Bütcher, Midnight, Bad Brains, Terrorizer, Circle Jerks, Minor Threat, Exciter + EARLY Metallica.

Which things do you think a band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future for your band?
It's very time consuming, especially when you're an independent band, no manager, no label etc. But it's definitely worth it for the feeling you get after a great gig. We've travelled far a few times now to play not for much money or for many people but I'd say those were all worth it for getting ourselves out there and just to keep pushing forward to new cities we haven't played to yet.

Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
An ideal show is always when the audience is having fun. Always great to see movement at local shows we play. Something to aim towards could be opening for a bigger band on tour that we look up to, such as Midnight or Discharge to name a couple that play shows regularly in our country.  We are competing in Bloodstock's Metal to the Masses contest next year for a chance to play at the festival, so of course that would be huge if we managed to get there. There are also some great DIY venues in places such as Leeds and elsewhere that would be great to play at - basically anywhere we haven't been before is always a fun experience!

What do you think about the rise of AI in music production?
Absolutely disgraceful. Keep AI out of music + art.

What attributes do you think that a new Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
Honestly just be yourselves. Don't try to be something you're not and just have fun with it. Be chill and talk to people make friends with other local bands and you'll soon have a lot of contacts. Being 'unique' musically is something that becomes more and more difficult as time passes, with less and less ground that hasn't already been covered in terms of genre. Rather than chasing that, we'd like to preserve the genres that we know and love in the underground, and which are unfortunately being overtaken in local scenes by indie bands who think they're the second coming of Christ. There's plenty of that as it is, keep heavy metal and hardcore punk alive!

Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a band to promote its work?
Bandcamp is an ideal platform that is great to use for both artists + listeners. It's just unfortunate that more people haven't made the move over yet, hence why we also post our music onto streaming platforms. We will always encourage usage of bandcamp + buying our music on physical formats over unethical platforms like Spotify, but if streaming is the only way the majority will check out our songs then so be it. For now.

From your experience in the music industry, what would you tell to a new Metal band to avoid or what to do?
Don't make an Instagram account before you've even had a band practice!! We've known a lot of local people have the idea for a band and get to promoting it before they've even made a single note of music. What's the point of promotion if there's nothing to promote yet? Another thing is to definitely have a set day in the week where all band members are always available to meet up - it helps to keep the band going consistently without losing momentum in writing + rehearsal.

Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Selby, UK (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
There really isn't a whole lot going on in Selby, however we play a lot of gigs in York where there is a small but solid scene. There is a lot more going on in Leeds which isn't too far, a lot more on the hardcore punk side than metal. Some local bands we'd like to shout out that we've played with include Pat Butcher, Tormented Imp, Antique Curse, This is Not a Drill, Social Youth Cult, Strip, Fatality, John Conference and many more. Some other great bands that rule the underground at the moment include Sex Germs, Sataniak, Century, Tramadol, Ominous Moon, The Masochists, Wolfbastard, Steröid and Liquids.

Give us 10 metal (or non-metal) albums that run in your veins.
Cap'n Fent:
Poison Idea - Pick Your King
Germs - GI
Liquids - Life is Pain Idiot
Bathory - Bathory
Mclusky - Mclusky do Dallas
Nobunny - First Blood
Chubby and the Gang - The Mutt's Nuts
Schizos - Banned! From the Hi Tone
Sex Germs - Whiplash
Pat Butcher - Trial by Error

The Wizard:
Doom - Total Doom
Bad Brains - Bad Brains
Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time
Napalm Death - Scum
Disrupt - Unrest
Exciter - Heavy Metal Maniac
Reagan Youth - A Collection of Pop Classics
Obituary - Cause of Death
Venom - Welcome to Hell
S.O.D. - Speak English or Die

Sgt Steel: Surprisingly my favourite album of all time isn't metal or punk. It's Genesis with The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. I've always been massively into classic prog rock in addition to heavy metal + punk. But anyway, here's 9 more of my all time favourites within the metal + punk umbrella:

Discharge - Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing
Iron Maiden - Powerslave
Judas Priest - Killing Machine
Motörhead - No Sleep Til Hammersmith
Slayer - Reign in Blood
Venom - Black Metal
Cirith Ungol - Frost and Fire
Manilla Road - Crystal Logic
Descendents - Milo Goes to College

Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
Certainly not enough!! Of course there's classic bands such as Rotting Christ and Necromantia, but in terms of the modern scene we're a little uneducated you could say. The band Tormented Imp we've previously mentioned did play some shows in Greece recently - in terms of actual Greek bands you'll have to point us in the direction of some killer releases!

What are your future plans?
Play more gigs! Hopefully write and record some more tunes and perhaps an album of sorts in 2026... We shall see!!

Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Thank you very much to Stavros + Filthy Dogs of Metal for the interview!! And thanks to you for reading this far!! Hails from Yorkshire!

By Steve the Filthy Dog.

DAMAGE CONTROL CONTACT:

https://www.instagram.com/damagecontrol_band/

https://damagecontrol25.bandcamp.com/music