JEFF WALKER On CARCASS Reunion: 'If It Doesn't Happen Next Year, Then Forget About It'

Marko Syrjälä of Metal-Rules.com recently conducted an interview with former CARCASS frontman Jeff Walker. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Metal-Rules.com: So you are in touch with your old CARCASS bandmates?

Jeff: Yeah, I mean Bill [Steer, guitar] and I still text each other, still see each other once in a while. Whenever I'm in London I'll ring him up. I just saw Mike [Amott, guitar] yesterday — it's a small world, you know? That's why I'm here — I'm a stupid ARCH ENEMY fan who travelled across Europe.

Metal-Rules.com: Ken [Owen, drums] fell in quite sick after the CARCASS years. I can't help asking what's up with him nowadays, how is he doing?

Jeff: He had a brain hemorhage, and went into a coma. He nearly died. He came out of the coma, and they operated again, and the operation really put his rehabilitation back a bit. He lives in a village in Nottingham, going to music college, learning programming. He's fine. It's weird because people will say 'how's Ken?' and it's like the guy was in a coma, it's almost like he's had a stroke. If you've had relatives who've had a stroke, you know it really affects their motor skills. He's fine — he's physically able to walk and all that, but he could never do blast beats again, I don't think so. But he's been drumming again, and he just jams with some blues band on an open night. Maybe he can just do 4/4 beats or something. Of course I know what Mike Amott and what Bill's doing, so….

Metal-Rules.com: As for the CARCASS reunion, hmmm is there any chance to see you guys on the stage, it has been written and speculated quite a lot about the comeback?!

Jeff: Mike Amott really wants to do it. I spoke to him on the phone to the other week, and he wants to get Bill to Sweden to convince him to do it. If those two guys wanna do it, then I'll do it. Ken can't do it. I asked him last year that if we did it, would he be upset, and he's like 'no, do it, go for it.' I was at Download last year, and all these bands were playing, all these American bands, and they were all like AT THE GATES/CARCASS/PARADISE LOST rip-off bands. I just thought 'fuck, this is so easy. We could do it so much better.' I was really enthusiastic about doing it. I was on the stage with H.I.M. playing, watching them play to 60,000 people — we never did that. It would be great to be playing to that kind of audience. I've been doing so much stuff since then that I don't need to do it to make myself happy.

Metal-Rules.com: Do you think it is possible for you guys to do anymore as you haven't anything together for about 10 years?!

Jeff: We weren't a very good band anyway. I can still do those vocals at the drop of a hat. I'd have to try and remember all the bass lines. The problem is Bill's lost interest — he hasn't played like that for a long time. so he would have to retrain himself. But if anyone can, he can, because he's such an intelligent guy. If he was here, he would say 'never say never'. At the moment it Mike's pushing Bill, because he really wants to do it. He's always joked about doing it, and I was always like 'fuck off — no way!' Then he's talking it's like 'maybe next year.' It's not my decision. If Bill does it then I'll do it.

Metal-Rules.com: What do you think about it personally, would you like to do it?

Jeff: Yeah, but I'm not like really desperate. I don't need the money, and I don't need to satisfy my ego.

Metal-Rules.com: Well I don't mean the money, I mean the musical wise?

Jeff: I come and go. The other day I was in England, staying at my friend's place looking at the rock magazines, and I was like 'fuck, I don't want to do this — it's depressing.' Of course, it would be great to prove to everyone, and it would be great to all the people that never saw us, and it would be great to raise some money and give Ken a cut of it. That's the other reason I wanted to do it — I wanted to reform the band, because after talking to some agents, they talk stupid money, and it would be great to give Ken a percentage of it to help him out. There's real positive reasons for doing it, not to reform like some of these fucking bands do, just to earn money. I've got something to prove. We never did these festivals — we never played to these massive crowds, and everyone still bangs on about fucking CARCASS. If I said I don't want to do it, then it makes me look like an asshole because I've met so many people who want to see it, and it's like I'm a cunt if I say no. It's like depriving these people, being selfish.

Metal-Rules.com: Is it possible for you to make a new CARCASS album then?!

Jeff: No fucking way, no.

Metal-Rules.com: As Ken is not able to, who is gonna replace him then?

Jeff: I know a few drummers who could do it.

Metal-Rules.com: C'mon, bring some names?

Jeff: Oh come on — this is just for Blabbermouth, isn't it? I can think of one drummer who just left his bands, and he was always hassling me because he wanted to play. That's as much as I'll say. Just think of any drummers who've just quit.

Metal-Rules.com: Well if the reunion happens, when would you think it could happen then?!

Jeff: If it's gonna happen, it'll happen next year. If it doesn't happen next year, then forget about it.

Read the entire interview at Metal-Rules.com.