Albums of Purgatory interview Akkolyte's Stefan Gonzalez

Albums of Purgatory: Firstly, whats the band up to right now?

Stefan Gonzalez: well currently we are working on getting a new split 7" out with an amazing anarcho/peace-punk band called e.o.s. from houston.   we've pretty much finished the recording but need to mix it down and so on.   as far as whats coming up next, i can't exactly say but there seems to be lots of people that are getting interested in akkolyte as far as releases and splits go.  we are pretty much down for whatever, the only problem is we have barely any money so its hard to be productive other than with playing shows.  throughout the summer we've played like crazy and with some great bands too.  we also went on a little mini tour through the midwest in mid june with my other band terminal dysentery, and local thrash band league of struggle.  as always we will continue playing local shows and play out of town whenever the opportunity arises.  in order to support this new split 7" we hope to get out soon, there is talk of a winter AND summer tour with e.o.s.   hope that will work out just fine.  should be fun.

AoP: How would you describe the Akkolyte sound?

SG: well we are pretty intricate and set ourselves apart from the sound of most bands we are affiliated with yet i guess we play really harsh, political/personal grindcore with lots of crust/punk influence and even some dirgier songs as well.  we are a rather musical band in terms of who we listen to but as far as akkolyte's influences go and speaking for who it is that influences me to play and write songs with akkolyte, some of the bands i listen to are:  subcut, armistice, dystopia, polikarpa y sus viciosas, fallas del sistema, noothgrush, axiom, abuso sonoro, reversal of man, man is the bastard, siege, napalm death, enemy soil, bread and water, active minds, e.o.s., pretty little flower, execradores, disrupt, contravene, sin dios, anti-product, the kill, antischism, and the list just goes on and on.  obviously to anyone who has heard us i don't think these bands come out in our sound at all, but as far as akkolyte goes and what inspires me to play, i listen to lots of anarcho/peace-punk, thrash, and grindcore. 

AoP: How did the band begin in 98?

SG: it began with me doing a solo-project where i overdubbed all instruments and vocals because i could find no band to play with.  later on i turned tomy brother who wasn't really into the style i wanted to play at the time, yet he still agreed to help out.  he really added a unique, different touch to it so i decided to stick with him and he enjoyed it alot as well.  we first started playing actual shows in the summer of 1999 and have been extremely active ever since with no hiatus or break or anything, just solid activity as far as playing shows, releasing records, and being on comps goes.

AoP: Can you remember your first gig (how did it go)?

SG: haha, yeah i remember it.  i think it was in early july of 99 and we played at this place called the oak cliff coffee house.  we played with this local pop-punk band called panic button and everyone who was there was there to see them.  when we played barely anyone clapped and everyone just laughed at us.  it was pretty embarrassing, but hey you gotta start somewhere and i've been in worse situations with older bands i've been in so i don't care.  its a funny memory to have and now its no big deal to us after all that we've done since.

AoP: Of the bands you've worked with at gigs which ones have you enjoyed working with the most?

SG: well i guess i could say akkolyte, cuz its the band i've been in longer than any other band i am currently in or have been in in the past.  my other band is terminal dysentery who i just do vocals for.  we play raw, brutal grindcore.  i have a great time with them as well.  and my other band thats active is yells at eels which is a  free jazz/experimental group i have with my brother and my father.  although quite different from anything else i do, its a great release and its the music i grew up listening to(free jazz) so it naturally flows through my veins.

AoP: What are your favourite Akkolyte tracks?

SG: ummm, i guess my favorite tracks we have now would be our three newest songs, that aren't yet released.  those songs are: a generation of fuck faces, timeless and universal, and living with the enemy.

AoP: What are your favourite all time songs?

SG: man thats hard.  well i can't say exactly cuz i dont have favorite all time songs but as far as currently, in terms of what i have been listening to lately...i guess they would be:

indo china- by crucifix, ping pong -by stereolab, tarantula- by this mortal coil, mojo pin - by jeff buckley, the gift of life- by contravene, and intolerantes-by sin dios. 

AoP: What was the first record you bought?

SG: can't remember.  sorry.

AoP: What would be your dream band line-up?

SG: jeez man your making my brain hurt.  haha!  i really can't say man.

AoP: What do you think of the position of metal and music in general today?

SG: well as far as the current state of metal goes.  i don't like it at all in what it is represented as.  a bunch of stupid ass jock bastards flirting with nationalistic, homophobic, and sexist attitudes.  fuck that shit and fuck metal as what it is known as today.  hell i love old metal, and as with any genre of music it'll always have bands with faults and fucked up ideologies, but there are far too many of those in the so called "metal" scene nowadays.   i will not attend any metal shows in these areas, thats for fuckin' sure.  too many tough guy redneck nazis beating the shit out of the kids smaller than them and sexually harrassing the females who make it out to these shows.  i can't stand it.  

AoP: Which bands do you feel stand out for you at the moment?

SG: bands that are definitely worth mentioning that i am totally in love with right now are: subcut, terrorism, apatia no, sin dios, migra violenta, entrails massacre, active minds, and progeria.  check em all out

AoP: Do you have any funny stories about the band you can share with us?

SG: well plenty of funny stories can be shared but i guess a pretty disturbing story to tell would be when we were in houston for a thing they have each year called noise fest, some dude in a pink tutu who was drunk as fuck ate his own shit for money outside of the venue we were at.  that wasn't really funny to me but rather disgusting and vile.  he continued to burn his pubic hair and later tried to pick a fight. 

AoP: and finally, what do you see in the future for Akkolyte?

SG: well other than touring plans, and releasing material i can't say but to whoever may be interested in us please write me and perhaps we can get something accomplished together.  please, no sexist, homophobic, or racist minded people get in touch.  we will not deal with it.  thank you very much for your interest and for this interview.  solidarity and peace.