Albums of Purgatory interview Pure Sweet Hell

Firstly, whats the band up to right now?
(Christ) We've just completed the final mix of our new album "The Voyeurs
Of Utter Destruction As Beauty". We recorded 13 songs in 13 days and
mixed in 13 days.

How would you describe the Pure Sweet Hell sound?
(Christ) Many journalists have found it hard to describe the Pure Sweet
Hell sound, and I find it just as hard. I would say that our music is an
amalgam of many different sounds and styles. We have very eclectic and
varied musical tastes, so our tunes don't come out in any one
classifiable style.

How did you get involved with the band?
(Christ) Van and I were in a band together in New York in the early
90's.
Our singer lived in Seattle, so we moved there in '92. The band quickly
fell apart but Van and I continued to jam and write music. Van joined
Nevermore and we continued to get together once in a while to work on music for
fun.
In '97 we started making 4-track demos as Pure Sweet Hell, with Jim
Colson, the vocalist from our original band. Jim was out of the picture at
this time and I moved back to N.Y. in '99 and
continued to send Van discs of new music, not having a vocalist Van
decided to try some vocals over the tunes himself. We both thought that it
was good enough to start doing something more serious. We released our
first official demo in 2002 and are now preparing to release a full length
record on our own or with help from a label.

Can you remember your first gig (how did it go)?
(Christ) We've never played a gig as Pure Sweet Hell. We're really
looking forward to it though. I hope that we get the opportunity to
soon.


Are you involved in any other projects and if so how do they compare
to Pure Sweet Hell?
(Christ) I put all of my energy into writing songs for Pure Sweet Hell.
I've been in many other bands over the years, and like to help friends
record demos and arrange songs, but nothing's as satisfying as working
with Van.


What are your favourite Pure Sweet Hell tracks?
(Christ) They're all my babies. It's hard to single any one out. There's
a song on our new disc called "Golgotha On My Mind" which I think is
quite unique.


What are your favourite all time songs?
(Christ) I love so many songs from so many different genres. I think
Sympathy For The Devil, by the Stones, is the greatest rock song ever
written.


What was the first record you ever bought?
(Christ) That would probably be Kiss Alive. I'm still a huge Ace
Frehley fan!


Which album was it that got you into metal and can you explain why?
(Christ) I'm old enough to have followed the evolution of hard music from
the 70's until the present. I started listening to The Beatles and Kiss as a
child, then progressed to Rush, Sabbath and everything in between to
Mayhem and many extreme metal bands of today. I couldn't pick one album.


What would be your dream band line-up?
(Christ) I think Rush in the perfect band line-up. Those guys are each
amazing on their respective instruments! If you want a dream metal line
up
how about Randy Rhoads - lead guitar, James Hetfield (circa '88) -
rhythm guitar, Nick Barker - drums, Joey Demaio - bass, Rob Halford - vocals.
That
would be a strange and interesting band! Hahaha!


If you could do a cover for a tribute album to any band, which song
of which band would you pick and why?
(Christ) I'm sick to death of tribute albums! I don't think that I would
do one. I have no problem doing a cover song though, as long as you try
to do something new with it.


What do you think of the position of metal and music in general
today?
(Christ) Real metal seems to finally be getting some respect again.
Bringing back the Headbangers Ball in the U.S. is a good start to
putting
metal back in the public eye.


Which other bands stand out for you at the moment?
(Christ) There are some amazing bands in the underground that I think are
deserving of mainstream attention, like Anathema, Opeth, Amorphis,
Katatonia, and The Gathering. Those are just some of the bands that I
think
have comercial potential. I like so many more extreme bands that I
couldn't
begin to name them all. Being that you're from Britain I will say that
My Dying Bride are one of my favorite bands. Awesome!


Do you have any funny stories about the band you can share with us?
(Christ) Too many to think about. When Van, Jim and I get together
there's always chuckles aplenty!


and finally, what do you see in the future for Pure Sweet Hell?
(Christ) We'll be releasing "The Voyeurs Of Utter Destruction As Beauty"
soon, on our own, available at our website. We'll try to get some good
distribution, and hopefully get the attention of a good label, who'll
believe in and help support us. Then we'll see about the live thing. Check
in at www.puresweethell.com
for further updates, new mp3s and info on how to order.

Thanks again for the interview and good luck for the future.
(Christ) Thank you for your time and interest in Pure Sweet Hell!