I did this interview with Jamie from Hatebreed at their Headline Show in Schweinfurt. I'm sorry for the huge delay but university just kept me away from typing it down. Jamie was a really nice guy to talk to. Well most of our regular visitors know that Hatebreed is one of my favorite bands around, so you can imagine that this interview meant a lot to me.

Why did it take so long for you guys coming over to Europe? Your fans have
been waiting for years?

Yeah it took us three and a half years. It was because we really weren't ready. The first time we wanted to come we fired our tourmanager and our drummer at the airport and we like almost broke up, it was really bad. It was a disaster, our tourmanager forgot our guitars, we didn't have a rida and a rental van. So all problems summed up and came together right at the airport. So we cancelled our tour. We kept on touring in the US and on the last two tours we had our best line up and when Sepultura asked us we thought to take the chance and play some headlining shows on the days off.



As you have surely seen, reactions have been very positive. Have you been
surprised by this?

Yeah, I knew that our live shows are getting better just because we were becoming tighter as a band and we are just feeling better playing together. I had a good feeling that the kids weren't feeling disappointed. In addition to that I arrived here and felt that we could put up our best show and sound.

What about the much talked about new CD? Did you already record it?

No it's not recorded and there is no release date yet.

What about the rumours about you guys leaving Victory?

In a perfect world we would be off Victory but there is nothing happening except for them keeping ripping us off, making new shirts and they are re-releasing our record, the rereleased our EP without permission.

Do you have any ideas concerning the sound of a possible new Hatebreed record?

The sound of the new material is just better Hatebreed. It's more brutal, just devastating Hatebreed. It's gonna be typical Hatebreed style. More Mosh, more singalong and negative aggression.

There have been tons of rumours about Hatebreed, especially in Europe, how does it feel to be in one of the most rumoured about bands in the Hardcore scene?

I mean it's good. It's better that people are talking about us than not talking about us at all. Everywhere we go, people ask us the most ridiculus things and there is so much shit about us everywhere. On the one side it's good because controversity helps to push the band forward. Everyone who saw us live, who came up to us and talked with us, who let us stay in their house knows the real deal, that's why we have maintained a certain level and why we get a lot of respect in the hardcore and metal scene. Lot's of bigger band look out for us and all the smaller bands know that we are always there for them to help them out.

Do you know why Simone once asked you guys why you are afraid to fly?

Oh yeah (Laughs), we all hate flying that's no secret. It was the Skarhead guys (laughs), I talked to Mitts about this ha ha !

How does it feel to be on the Ozzfest bill with Black Sabbath?

It's great. Over the years we worked hard and begged to get on all the big bills and now they get handed to us. I wrecked up years and years, phonebills calling managers and booking agencies, trying to get on all these big shows and concerts. I've sent out countless press packs and band infos and cds. It's been like six years like everyday work. It's finally paying off. Ozzfest is like the biggest festival tour you can be on in the US. So it's amazing, it's like a dream come true and the best thing is: I'll be able to see Sabbath every night.

You've been talking about the big shows, do you still like club shows like this one tonight? Or do you prefer the bigger ones?

I like them both equally. I just like it when the crowd is able to get into it.

How do you personally like all those Hatebreed inspired bands?

It's cool I think. When we started everybody said that we sound like everybody else and we always got in line with Integrity. You need new bands all the time whether they sound like us or like H2O or Snapcase, it doesn't matter. That's how the scene keeps growing. Some of those bands have grown into their own style and we are one of them.

We talked about Hatebreed influencing others, who influenced you?

Just like Old School New York Hardcore, early Roadrunner Death Metal. Just anything brutal and heavy.

What's behind the Hatebreed / Slipknot connection or friendship?

We've known those guys before they were signed to a label. The one guy, the
clown, owned a bar in which we played. And he was like going crazy dancing for us when we played.

Do you mean Shawn?

Yeah, he's one of the best guys in the world, he has propably done more for
this band than anyone. It's great because we watched them just explode out of
nowhere and they know our deal, they know what we sing about and they respect
us. They want to see bands like us who have done a lot of work to get big than those bands that have never played a show and are on a major label getting millions of dollars going platinum. They want to see bands that have a decent message and a decent following that grow into something better and not be bugged down by the problems in the industry and all the bullshit with getting ripped off. Slipknot wants to see us getting out of that and be able to do our thing. And that's why we do both, the big and the little tours, because the bigger we get the more control we have and the less suffering we have to go through. So we can tour more and come over here more to play all the DIY shows for all the fans.

What about the Split you want to put out with Sick Of It All?

There is nothing getting on right now. Hopefully we'll get it recorded. I think that's important because everybody says " hey you and SOIA are some of the biggest Hardcore bands and you need to stick together ".

What's up with Stillborn Records?

It's just kinda out of stance right now, I'm right now trying to get a European Office going. In addition to that I'm trying to get some new bands, I'm hopefully bringing the new Sworn Enemy out. I got these new bands What Feeds The Fire and Stalemate coming out.

You are doing lot's of stuff inside the Hardcore scene like Hatebreed, Stillborn Records, setting up shows. What are you doing besides of Hardcore?

I have a daughter that takes a lot of my time. But asides of Hardcore... here
is not enough hours in the day.

I have some three keyword for you..

- Internet

So many people use it. At first I hated it because we get trashed all time
by people spreading rumours all the time but with hatebreed.com we've been able to destroy lot's of the rumours.

- politics

I should get more involved, I'm like ignorant.

- gun laws

(thinks a long time) I mean it's really bad that all these kids are getting
killed in the schols but I think that guns will always be around, they'll always be available. It doesn't matter if they are legal or illegal. It's such a big fucked up problem and I don't have a solution in sight. I'm not on either side because I have other problems to worry about.

Do you have some final words?

Thanks to anyone who did some interviews, came out and payed some extra money
to support us on the Sepultura shows. All in all it was the best like first
European tour we could have had.
I did this interview with Jamie from Hatebreed at their Headline Show in Schweinfurt. I'm sorry for the huge delay but university just kept me away from typing it down. Jamie was a really nice guy to talk to. Well most of our regular visitors know that Hatebreed is one of my favorite bands around, so you can imagine that this interview meant a lot to me.

Why did it take so long for you guys coming over to Europe? Your fans have
been waiting for years?

Yeah it took us three and a half years. It was because we really weren't ready. The first time we wanted to come we fired our tourmanager and our drummer at the airport and we like almost broke up, it was really bad. It was a disaster, our tourmanager forgot our guitars, we didn't have a rida and a rental van. So all problems summed up and came together right at the airport. So we cancelled our tour. We kept on touring in the US and on the last two tours we had our best line up and when Sepultura asked us we thought to take the chance and play some headlining shows on the days off.



As you have surely seen, reactions have been very positive. Have you been
surprised by this?

Yeah, I knew that our live shows are getting better just because we were becoming tighter as a band and we are just feeling better playing together. I had a good feeling that the kids weren't feeling disappointed. In addition to that I arrived here and felt that we could put up our best show and sound.

What about the much talked about new CD? Did you already record it?

No it's not recorded and there is no release date yet.

What about the rumours about you guys leaving Victory?

In a perfect world we would be off Victory but there is nothing happening except for them keeping ripping us off, making new shirts and they are re-releasing our record, the rereleased our EP without permission.

Do you have any ideas concerning the sound of a possible new Hatebreed record?

The sound of the new material is just better Hatebreed. It's more brutal, just devastating Hatebreed. It's gonna be typical Hatebreed style. More Mosh, more singalong and negative aggression.

There have been tons of rumours about Hatebreed, especially in Europe, how does it feel to be in one of the most rumoured about bands in the Hardcore scene?

I mean it's good. It's better that people are talking about us than not talking about us at all. Everywhere we go, people ask us the most ridiculus things and there is so much shit about us everywhere. On the one side it's good because controversity helps to push the band forward. Everyone who saw us live, who came up to us and talked with us, who let us stay in their house knows the real deal, that's why we have maintained a certain level and why we get a lot of respect in the hardcore and metal scene. Lot's of bigger band look out for us and all the smaller bands know that we are always there for them to help them out.

Do you know why Simone once asked you guys why you are afraid to fly?

Oh yeah (Laughs), we all hate flying that's no secret. It was the Skarhead guys (laughs), I talked to Mitts about this ha ha !

How does it feel to be on the Ozzfest bill with Black Sabbath?

It's great. Over the years we worked hard and begged to get on all the big bills and now they get handed to us. I wrecked up years and years, phonebills calling managers and booking agencies, trying to get on all these big shows and concerts. I've sent out countless press packs and band infos and cds. It's been like six years like everyday work. It's finally paying off. Ozzfest is like the biggest festival tour you can be on in the US. So it's amazing, it's like a dream come true and the best thing is: I'll be able to see Sabbath every night.

You've been talking about the big shows, do you still like club shows like this one tonight? Or do you prefer the bigger ones?

I like them both equally. I just like it when the crowd is able to get into it.

How do you personally like all those Hatebreed inspired bands?

It's cool I think. When we started everybody said that we sound like everybody else and we always got in line with Integrity. You need new bands all the time whether they sound like us or like H2O or Snapcase, it doesn't matter. That's how the scene keeps growing. Some of those bands have grown into their own style and we are one of them.

We talked about Hatebreed influencing others, who influenced you?

Just like Old School New York Hardcore, early Roadrunner Death Metal. Just anything brutal and heavy.

What's behind the Hatebreed / Slipknot connection or friendship?

We've known those guys before they were signed to a label. The one guy, the
clown, owned a bar in which we played. And he was like going crazy dancing for us when we played.

Do you mean Shawn?

Yeah, he's one of the best guys in the world, he has propably done more for
this band than anyone. It's great because we watched them just explode out of
nowhere and they know our deal, they know what we sing about and they respect
us. They want to see bands like us who have done a lot of work to get big than those bands that have never played a show and are on a major label getting millions of dollars going platinum. They want to see bands that have a decent message and a decent following that grow into something better and not be bugged down by the problems in the industry and all the bullshit with getting ripped off. Slipknot wants to see us getting out of that and be able to do our thing. And that's why we do both, the big and the little tours, because the bigger we get the more control we have and the less suffering we have to go through. So we can tour more and come over here more to play all the DIY shows for all the fans.

What about the Split you want to put out with Sick Of It All?

There is nothing getting on right now. Hopefully we'll get it recorded. I think that's important because everybody says " hey you and SOIA are some of the biggest Hardcore bands and you need to stick together ".

What's up with Stillborn Records?

It's just kinda out of stance right now, I'm right now trying to get a European Office going. In addition to that I'm trying to get some new bands, I'm hopefully bringing the new Sworn Enemy out. I got these new bands What Feeds The Fire and Stalemate coming out.

You are doing lot's of stuff inside the Hardcore scene like Hatebreed, Stillborn Records, setting up shows. What are you doing besides of Hardcore?

I have a daughter that takes a lot of my time. But asides of Hardcore... here
is not enough hours in the day.

I have some three keyword for you..

- Internet

So many people use it. At first I hated it because we get trashed all time
by people spreading rumours all the time but with hatebreed.com we've been able to destroy lot's of the rumours.

- politics

I should get more involved, I'm like ignorant.

- gun laws

(thinks a long time) I mean it's really bad that all these kids are getting
killed in the schols but I think that guns will always be around, they'll always be available. It doesn't matter if they are legal or illegal. It's such a big fucked up problem and I don't have a solution in sight. I'm not on either side because I have other problems to worry about.

Do you have some final words?

Thanks to anyone who did some interviews, came out and payed some extra money
to support us on the Sepultura shows. All in all it was the best like first
European tour we could have had.