SOILENT GREEN Drummer: 'We'll Be In The Studio By Next Year, Definitely'

Phil Whitehouse of OneMetal.com conducted an interview with SOILENT GREEN drummer Tommy Buckley on May 15 in Birmingham, England. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

OneMetal.com: Are you finding that things are working out better with Metal Blade [than they did with you previous label, Relapse]?

Tommy: Well, you know, I don't think that they really know all of the information behind everything that's going on with us right now. They're a really good label, and they've given us support, but right now we're three years into it, and we should have another album out, and we have, like, one song written. We've been working on stuff, and Brian [Patton, guitar] has some stuff, but we've just gotta get together 'cause Brian lives in Baltimore, Maryland, and we're back in New Orleans, Louisiana, so it's basically either he flies to New Orleans or we go to him, and just bust our asses. So, that's where we're at right now, getting ready to start writing a new record. But with the label, you know, I've had a lot of health issues, so that's kinda held the band up too. In 2009 I had a hernia surgery, and I busted my shoulder on THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER tour, and in December of '08 in Canada I slipped and fell in snow and fucked my shoulder up. So, you know, I was basically dealing with a fucked-up shoulder, and some hernia problems, so I went and got an MRI on my shoulder after I had the hernia surgery in early January of '09. Then we did the "Squidbillies" theme song for Adult Swim and Cartoon Network. After that, I had to go back to CROWBAR for rehearsals, and it was totally full-pounding, y'know, back in the swing of pounding drums again. That's when I realized I had a busted-up shoulder. At that point, I thought I was going to have to have shoulder surgery. So I was going through orthopedic doctors at home, had some X-Rays and shit, and they told me that nothing was broken or torn, but I had some bone spurs that were giving me some problems. So, I've been trying to refrain from getting a shoulder surgery, and knock on wood, I'm feeling better at the moment. Right after that, we went and did one show in the summer of '09 at Hellfest, and that was the only show that we actually played until this tour. We had a real, real long dead period. '09 was basically me just tryin' to get my health straight. After Hellfest, I ended up having another hernia, so I had to go back and have another hernia surgery again in September. And each time, it put you out of action for a month or two you can't even sit up in a bed. You have to roll out of bed because you can't even use your abdomen muscles. If you had an itch, you could feel the itch, but when you scratch it, you couldn't feel anything. Totally drugged, just numbness. So, I went through all that shit, and I don't think Metal Blade even knows about all that. I don't know if Ben [Falgoust, vocals] told 'em. But I think it's something they should know about.

OneMetal.com: It's that kind of determination that the band's really become known for, continuing in the face of all the pitfalls and bad luck that you guys have dealt with.

Tommy: Well, I think this is a good starting point for SOILENT again. That's basically why I wanted to come back over here again. It just seemed like Relapse couldn't get us back over here again, or didn't want to get us back over here, and I don't want Metal Blade to feel the same way, because we're not givin' 'em an album, like, right now, when they want it. They need to understand that without the band members being in good health, there wouldn't be a band. You gotta get your shit together and your life together. So, that's why I'm out right now. I don't even care if I have to get another surgery I'm not even sure what's wrong with me right now. If I have to have another surgery, I'll be busting my ass and doing whatever I can do to keep writing new SOILENT material, to make sure this new album happens by next year. We'll be in the studio by next year, definitely.

Read the entire interview from OneMetal.com.