DEADSOUL TRIBE Frontman: 'Jesus Didn't Come To Die, He Came To Teach'

Hardrock Haven's Derric Miller recently conducted an interview with DEADSOUL TRIBE frontman Devon Graves (a.k.a. former PSYCHOTIC WALTZ singer Buddy Lackey). During the interview, Graves compared the band's new CD, "The Dead Word" (due November 11) to his prior DEADSOUL TRIBE releases, talked about Christianity and some of the background theme of "The Dead Word", how he composes the music, and a myriad of other topics. Here is an excerpt from the interview:

Hardrock Haven: It was surprising to read on your site that you write the lyrics last and they don't typically come to you until all the other work is done. How did you come up with such intense lyrics like, "People of faith, cry at the feet of a dying god, tears on their face, I know they cry for themselves. Because if they cared they'd stand with a fistful of blended nails." That's pretty deep poetry to just come up with at the last minute.

Devon Graves: "It's a pretty harsh indictment isn't it?! (Laughing). When I finally come up with the words, it gives the song some substantial foundation that now the song belongs on the Earth. I'm really happy you brought up this line; not a lot of people bring up a specific line. This particular one is my response to a lot of talks that I have with Christians. I'm not a religious person, I'm very non-religious. I don't even consider myself spiritual anymore, because my beliefs are founded in things that I can really understand. Christians kind of get into this mode, 'Well, it's written. That's why I believe it.' I have a lot of problems with the stance that Christians take, when they say that Jesus came specifically to die. A lot of people get angry with me because I am contesting what their beliefs are. I read the Bible too, and I don't think that he was really all that happy about the fact of what happened to him. He didn't come to die — he came to teach, and he got killed over doing that. The thing is, he knew that was coming, and he tried to teach us anyway. This is how he kind of demonstrated his love for us, by saying, 'Look, I know what you are gonna do to me for this, but I love you so much I'm going to do it anyway, because I really want you to to know the truth.' That's how I look at the crucifixion. I don't think he was all that all that happy about what he went through. For example, his disciples ... I got really angry at the thought of his disciples all following him for his life and then turning their back on him at the crucial hour. And that's why I am saying, man, if they really cared about him, they would have taken Him down off that cross. They would have saved him."

To hear the interview in its entirety, head to Hardrock Haven.