Albums of Purgatory Interview Skinless' Noah Carpenter

Albums of Purgatory: Firstly, what's the band up to?

Noah Carpenter: Well, we took a few months off this past winter to write a few new songs with our new drummer. Also, we recorded some new stuff for a 7" on Hater Of God records. We are getting ready to do some serious touring this spring and summer.

AoP: How would you describe the Skinless sound?

NC: Brutal death metal with groove. Thick and heavy with a good blend of speed, pit riffs and traditional metal riffs.

AoP: How did the band begin in 92?

NC: I started the band with a bunch of highschool friends. I am the only original member left. Back then I was searching for a style and when I discovered death metal I knew that it was what I needed to play.

AoP: the band suffered a lot of line-up changes to start with.  Was that difficult to cope with?

NC: Yeah, it was a real pain in the ass for a while. As soon as we would take a step forward someone would quit and we would be pushed back for a while trying to find a replacement. After the band name got known a little better it became easier to find replacements. I never gave up through all the bullshit but there were times when I wondered whether it was worth all the frustration. It's all for METAL!!!

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

NC: My first ever gig was at my highschool in 1991 when I played in a band called Hateguts. It was fun but I was really nervous and my legs were shaking. My first show with Skinless was in '93 and it was in front of a small crowd at a local club. Two future members of Skinless were at that show to watch including our current vocalist Sherwood who joined in '94.

AoP: You have toured with some big names like Mortician and Incantation.  Who have been the most enjoyable to work with?

NC: We have toured with Mortician, Incantation, Dying Fetus, Gorguts, Vader, Coffin Texts, Withered Earth, The Berzerker, Enter Self, Impaled, Intervalle Bizarre and Perversist. I can't pick a favorite out of all these bands, with the exception of one of these bands they all are fucking great guys and we had a blast hanging with them. The one group of dorks I won't name. We are set to hit the road with Six Feet Under at the end of May.

AoP: Which venues do you enjoy playing at the most?

NC: The ones that give us the most free beer.

AoP: What are your favourite Skinless tracks?

NC: That's hard to say. Each song represents an era in our history and I can't name one definite favorite. We think that "The Optimist" is one of the best we've written so far.

AoP: What are your favourite all time songs?

NC: Also a hard question, It's certainly an Iron Maiden song. Maybe Powerslave or The Trooper.

AoP: What was the first record you bought?

NC: My first metal record was Maiden's Number Of The Beast.

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

NC: Bruce Dickenson, Steve Harris, Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Nicko McBrain.

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

NC: Radio music sucks dick and metal is the only thing that keeps me going. I don't care if metal is on top or underground, as long as it's still there I'm happy.

AoP: Do you have any funny stories about the band you are willing to share with us?

NC: Sorry, there are several but what happens on the road stays on the road.

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

NC: Beer.....................................we'll just keep doing what we're doing and see where it all takes us. As long as we're still having fun and new experiences we'll continue on. Hopefully we can keep climbing that metal ladder. Thanks for the inter view man. Anyone interested should check out our website at www.4skinless.com. Email me noah@4skinless.com.