Reunited San Francisco Bay Area thrashers VIO-LENCE have finished recording their new EP for a tentative late summer release via Metal Blade Records. The sessions took place at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California with producer Juan Urteaga, who has previously worked with TESTAMENT, MACHINE HEAD and EXODUS, among many others.
Late Saturday night (April 24), VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel shared a photo from the studio and he included the following message: “And that’s a WRAP!!! New VIO-recording is done. On to the mix and one step closer to your ears!!!! Thanks to Juan Urteaga for giving us his best and getting some awesome performances. So excited to share with you all what we’ve been working on.”
Singer Sean Killian previously described VIO-LENCE‘s new material as “a cross between ‘Eternal [Nightmare]’ [1988], ‘Oppressing [The Masses]’ [1990] and also our ’93 demo. It’s fast, it’s heavy. We’ve got a couple of good chunk riffs and stuff like that,” he explained. “We wanna get stuff in that’s gonna start a pit up too. But we think people are gonna go crazy when they hear it. We’ve got some heavy lyrics, some heavy subjects. I mean, we’re not a political band by any means, so when I say ‘heavy,’ it’s just heavy shit that comes out of my demented head.”
Last May, Demmel told EXODUS frontman Steve “Zetro” Souza‘s YouTube channel, Zetro’s Toxic Vault, that VIO-LENCE was taking its time coming up with the best material possible. “When [the songs are] ready, they’re ready,” he said. “This [coronavirus pandemic] has given us more time. But still, it’s gotta be fucking killer. I had a riff that the [other] dudes were kind of digging, and I’m all, ‘I don’t got a boner with this one.’ I want a 10-foot boner with everything that we’re doing now. It’s gotta be better, it’s gotta be fucking kick-ass… I don’t wanna put out some crap.”
In August, VIO-LENCE released a new digital single, “California Über Alles”, a cover version of the DEAD KENNEDYS classic. The band also filmed a music video for the song with director Scott Kirkeeng.
In January 2020, VIO-LENCE parted ways with guitarist Ray Vegas and replaced him with Bobby Gustafson (ex-OVERKILL). The band’s current lineup also includes bassist Christian Olde Wolbers (ex-FEAR FACTORY).
VIO-LENCE released three studio albums between 1988 and 1993. The group reunited soon after Demmel left MACHINE HEAD in late 2018.
The band performed its first comeback concert in April 2019 at the Oakland Metro in Oakland, California and spent most of the ensuing months playing select shows in the U.S. and Europe.
Although MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn was part of VIO-LENCE‘s classic incarnation and played on the band’s debut album, “Eternal Nightmare”, he wasn’t approached about taking part in any of the comeback shows.
Killian underwent a successful liver transplant surgery in March 2018. The year before, Killian was diagnosed with stage four liver cirrhosis, which was caused in part by a genetic condition called hemochromatosis.
VIO-LENCE‘s last album, “Nothing To Gain”, was recorded in August 1990, but wasn’t released until 1993.
Photo credit: James Willard
