Burial

How long have you been playing brutal death metal? What were your influences?

Ian Plakias: I'm Ian, the bassist for Burial. I've been into death metal for about ten years now. Before I joined Burial in '97, I played in a just for fun death metal band called Catheter Death. So I guess I've been playing death metal for about eight years. As far as our influences, just about any death metal band you can think of, because there's a lot of variety in the stuff all of us listen to.

What compels each one of you to play sick, violent, graphic, brutal death metal?

Ian: We are compelled to play death metal because of the everyday anger, hatred and frustration that we all feel towards living life. Also, the music is very challenging to write and play, so that's another motivation.

So you like challenges. If brutal death ever becomes too easy, you'll have to adjust the whole genre and make it tougher. For the readers that are unfamiliar with brutal death metal, please explain to them what and why bands play and fans buy brutal death metal. Justify your genre to the nonbelievers.

I think it's that way with all extreme music; you have to be dedicated to the music in your soul or lack thereof. Do you love horror movies and gore? Some bands seem to prefer the whole gamut of gore and then there are bands that prefer to exorcise their violent demons through music and nothing else. Where does Burial fall?

Ian: I don't particularly like horror or gore movies. Some are good, some are not, I think. Whatever is done well and is interesting to me, that's something I will like.

Everyone in the band has their own interests, whether it's drinking or smoking dope or going to shows. We are all big death metal fans but I hate those bands that play death metal and aren't otherwise involved in the scene. You'll see some of us at every show that comes around here, just checking out the bands. That's what it's all about, right?

The camaraderie and the energy are the whole reasons I'll drive for an hour to a show.

What inspires your lyrics? Who writes the most material or is it a collaborative effort?

Ian: On Enlightened with Pain, I wrote most of the lyrics. The only two lyrics I didn't write were "Disfigured in Flames" and "The Awakening," which I co-wrote with Devin, our vocalist. The lyrics I write are inspired by events in my own life and thoughts that I have regarding particular things, but I want people to be able to take whatever they want out of it. It's really up to them for the most part. The lyrics on Enlightened with Pain tend to be abstract in a lot of places precisely for that reason. I also like to stray away from gore-oriented lyrics, because I believe they are overdone, but whatever works for the particular vibe of the song is how I write the lyrics.

How long did it take Devin to learn those unearthly howls and growls exhibited on Enlightened with Pain? Did he have to build up and practice a lot to be able to sustain the sounds long term? I've tried to develop a growl but I always end up with a sore throat.

Ian: Devin was singing like he does when he first joined the band. After our first vocalist left, we tried out some people, but he was so quick on the take, learning all of our songs and he just had this incredibly brutal voice. I really don't know how he does it. He drinks a lot of beer and smokes cigarettes, maybe that's how.

Ian: No, Westfield is about two hours west of Boston. We don't play around there at all, because there are no clubs that will book metal there. It's starting to change, but the eastern part of the state basically has no scene. Worcester, however, does and that's where we usually play. It's about an hour to the east of Westfield and it's home to the Palladium, which all the tours have been passing through for the past couple years. So that place is fucking great.

You've been touring with a lot of big and little names in metaldom; which shows have been the most fun, the worst, funniest, most embarrassing, nastiest and slickest?

Ian: There have been a few memorable shows. Probably the best show was when we played Hal Daddy's in Baltimore last year with Pessimist and Lividity. It was only our second out of state show, but the crowd there really responded to us. It totally blew us away! And it was great hanging out with the guys from Pessimist and Lividity. They remain good friends. Other cool shows were this year's New England Metal and Hardcore Fest in Worcester, this year's Milwaukee Metalfest, the first Jersey fest and a scattering of a few local shows. The worst show was probably the Mass Metal Fest in Worcester this past May. There were a lot of sound problems and the monitors sucked so bad that they kept fucking us up, it fucking sucked. Actually, it's a tie. We played some fucking benefit show in Connecticut and the whole day maybe ten people were there. Luckily I broke a string so my set ended early.

Do you only have pure ears and listen strictly to brutal death metal or are you quite liberal musically? What sounds and bands do the guys listen to the most on tour?

Ian: I listen to mainly death metal, all kinds. Brutal and melodic, whatever. I listen to an assortment of other stuff, like thrash metal from the '80s, Van Halen and Frank Zappa, but it's mainly death metal that maintains my interest and has for ten years. The other guys listen to their own shit as well. But all of us listen to death metal mainly.

Any side projects or notable ex-bands?

Ian: Well, our drummer just started this side project with our guitarist Matt and Devin's brother on vox, doesn't have a name yet, but it's really brutal Devourment-style stuff. There aren't really any notable ex-bands that we've been a part of.

You had a couple of stellar backup vocalists on Enlightened with Pain: Rich of Fleshgrind and Sherwood of Skinless. How did you coerce those two to play backup? Are you close friends or just respectful bands helping each other out?

Two of the most respected as well. Since you've been on an extensive touring schedule, are you ready to sit and chill, maybe write a few songs for a while or are you itching for the highway and bright lights?

Ian: We actually haven't gotten to be on the road as much as we'd like to, what with our work situations and stuff, but we hope to hit the road in 2001 as much as possible. The priority right now is shows, anywhere we can play, but we've been writing new stuff and are preparing to contribute tracks to a Cannibal Corpse tribute CD and a Suffocation tribute CD. If anyone wants Burial to play in their area and knows a good venue, let us know (e-mail is IanBurial@aol.com).

The question for nosy females like me and wanna-be-groupies is: Name, instrument, favorite movie, identifying feature so eP readers can spot you for easy stalking, and what would you really like someone to do at your shows to impress themselves upon you for later reference.

Ian: I play the bass guitar, my favorite movie is either Prince of Darkness or the entire Star Wars trilogy. I guess my identifying feature would be that I'm the only one in Burial with a shaved head and a huge gut. I'd like to see more tits at shows, definitely, but failing that, just people going crazy with all the obligatory moshing and headbanging.

What is the ultimate goal for Burial (e.g. fame, fortune, .357 Magnum bullet in the head, spiritual cleansing from monks in Tibet, becoming a human bomb, having virgins sacrificed at the altar of Burial, greatest band in the world, the conquering heroes)?

Ian: Well, that "virgins" thing doesn't sound too bad. But we'd like to just be the best death metal band we can and play shitloads of shows and have everyone buy our CD. We want a death metal scene like 1992 again with tons of people at shows. We just want to get as big as we can get and have everyone be metal.

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