-I heard you opened a hardcore store, is this true? On that note, with downloading and webstores providing most of what kids need these days in the way of hardcore merchandise, how do you survive? What is the climate like for a retail store in 2008? How do you stay above water and on top of things?

My store has been closed for close to two years. RIP Now Here Fast Inc. So clearly it's a struggle to survive in hardcore (non-Internet) retail nowadays. The climate is cold in retail and next to impossible to stay above water. I can only imagine how hard it is now as we draw closer to a possible second Great Depression. We had a great time with it though. We did basement shows in the shop and art shows with DJ's. And most importantly, made some great new friends in Western Mass. As a matter of fact, if I hadn't done that shop I probably wouldn't have started Price of Pain or got Jamie "Hoffa" Riddle as our DT drummer. He and I are best of friends and have had some crazy times together and he is a perfect addition to the DT familia.

-How did your relationship with Reaper Records come about? Also, what's this I hear about a comeback record? What went into it and why now?

Me and Kitzel go quite aways back actually. We met through our mutual brother Scott Vogel years ago. We did a mini-tour with True Blue when they crossed the big pond to the US. We've been brothers ever since of course. He was putting out Crowns of Kings’ debut record and we asked him if he wanted to do a DT 7". The rest is history. We're talking about doing another full length. We’ll see what happens. Why now? Why not…right? If kids still want it, we still got it!

-You recently did guest vocals on Crowns Of Kings' full length, Lifetime. Do you mind that Wes is fronting his own band? Is he still in Death Threat? How will the schedules affect one another, is DT the priority when duty calls?

I love that Wes is fronting his own band. He's an amazing dude who has a lot to say and it's his time to be heard. Wes is not new to this game. He's been DT's lead guitarist for over 8 years now. For many years he's been attending shows and he's been active in other bands earlier on (long before joining DT). Wes and Steve both left the band they started years ago called Disowned to help me keep DT going. I would've been done years ago if it wasn't for their friendship and support. He is absolutely still part of DT, and truth be told I wouldn't continue to do DT if he( Steve and Jamie) left the band. He's my right-hand man, and over the years has become one of my greatest friends. Death Threat is priority for all of us. We don't play a show unless Crowns is playing with us. It works out good for everybody. They get the much needed exposure a new young band needs and we get to hang and travel with our friends. So that way our schedules don't cross, it's real simple. Everybody wins.

-Hatebreed recently performed at the Heavy MTL festival in Montreal. HARDTIMES.CA did no less than 3 pieces with the guys, one of which included Sean Martin, who was part of Death Threat in their earlier days. Discuss this period for Death Threat, your relationship with Hatebreed, and the impact Hatebreed has had on not only Connecticut hardcore, but on the worldwide scene as well.

Honestly kids wouldn't even know about Connecticut hardcore if it wasn't for Hatebreed. To try and describe that era of HC in Ct would be impossible. Complete chaos, brotherhood, and mayhem. It was amazing and those days will never be forgotten. Glad I lived it to the fullest. And DT spawned from Hatebreed so I'm extremely thankful. Jasta put out our first record Last Dayz, got us all our first shows. He's helped us a lot over the years. They even took us on a full US tour with them, Shadows Fall and Six Feet Under. Sean Martin was a savior who jumped in and helped the band when CJ quit. We had shows booked that I, thanx to Sean, didn't have to cancel. He jumped right in and saved the day. Sean and I were friends long before DT days. We grew up in the same scene. He's an amazing musician and I'm glad he's as successful as he is in the music industry. He has always been a true friend to me. No bullshit.

-Hatebreed's original guitarist, Boulder, was a great guitar player and is sadly missed. Discuss your memories of the man, and how you and the Connecticut scene have been recovering since his passing.

I don't think I could even write about him without breaking down. I'm getting choked up just thinking about him right now. The loss I personally felt is indescribable. I can't believe I survived his death. It was too much to handle. He was the best dude ever. Anyone who knew him would say the same. There was nobody like him and he will be missed ‘til the day I take my last breath. Musically he was a genius. And as a friend he would’ve died for me, just as I would’ve died for him. Connecticut has taken a beating the last few years with losses. We lost a great friend and long time supporter of CTHC, Mark "Shitty" Martin, John Thomas one of the founding fathers of Palehorse, Ian Keeler of Dismay and a great friend to all, Colin 88. I don't think CT will truly ever recover from any of these losses, but we will push on for them, their families and the memories of those days.

-Discuss some memorable recent touring experiences, anything gross or shocking happen? Heads smashed into walls, too stoned to perform, anything of that nature?

I smashed my own head into a wall while horsing around with Steve and bled profusely. The day before, some asshole poured sugar in our gas tank at a show in Rochester NY. Never too stoned to perform, haha. Wes got food poisoning in Montreal from bad shrimp and was puking behind the monitors the whole set and could barely stand. You may remember that one. Jamie punched some dude for no reason that was walking by in Manchester, England. I walked offstage after our set to the bathroom and proceeded to projectile vomit because of too much booze and pharmaceutical speed in Albany. Saw a guy with a knife still in his stomach walk by our merch table in DC at a Superbowl show. The list goes on and on and on. That's just a few.

-Arguably your landmark album, Peace & Security, was a record that changed the face of hardcore. While Boston had AN and Hope Con, you guys recorded one of hardcore's modern-day classics. Discuss this period for the band, how you felt as the band gained more prominence, and eventually what factors led to the departure of CJ and Jamie Pushbutton? What is Jamie's status today, is he out of prison?

That's great that some would consider P&S a modern day core classic. That means a lot to me, that I've left my mark on hardcore. That time period was amazing and hard at the same time. We lost Jamie Pushbutton right before the release of P&S due to personal reasons and then soon after to prison. Jamie is still in prison and will hopefully be out soon. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family always. He is dearly missed by all his true friends. We got Jesse All Out War to play drums for us for us for a bit. Within a year of that CJ quit the band because him and I just didn't get along. We've since fought each other and reconciled. He played a show with us a few years back at a benefit for our dear friend John Thomas when he passed away. CJ, Larry Dwyer (our original bass player demo/Last Dayz era), Boulder, and I with our drummer Bill Ross at the time opened the set with some P&S and LDayz songs. It was awesome to share the stage again with the guys who made this band happen in the beginning. And the kids loved it! There were a lot of people who had never seen DT with the OG line up.

-What was your relationship like with Triple Crown Records back in the day. What did or didn't they do for Death Threat? Relationship today? Things you learned from the experience?

Fred Feldman and Triple Crown definitely helped get the word out on DT big-time. He got us the press we needed. Did a video for us, got us covered in magazines. He did what labels are supposed to do and we appreciate it. Fred is now a very hard person to get a hold of. We can't get CD's for tours to sell. We are not a priority for him and that's fine. He's doing more in the big music industry nowadays. As long as kids can get our music in stores and through distributors it's fine by me. And they can for the most part. We don't see any royalties from any records, so feel free to pirate that shit or burn copies from your friends. You're not robbing from Death Threat, we don't see a penny of it. All we ask is you come to our shows, pay the cover and get some merch. That's how bands like us survive. Not from royalties. I've learned that now that we are an established band whose name is known, we'll do the next full length ourselves. DIY!

-Since For God And Government, Death Threat's musical style and imagery has become unquestionably more punk and versatile, less severe. Was this change in direction inevitable, deliberate, or an accident? What were some of the funnier comments did you hear about the art concept on Now Here Fast? Who is in the lineup currently?

Those two records were a natural progression. We had a full new lineup of people writing the music. I back those records to the fullest. I was in a little different spot in my mind at the time but there really is no huge difference. And NHF was a full mix of everything DT had done ‘til that point. Less metal parts which was fine by me and more fast punk/hc parts which totally worked with that era and opened up new doors for us and new fans. I will never pigeonhole this band to one sound. That is never what this scene or music has been about. Last Days and P&S were darker days all around for me and the change in my lineup, musical sound and art was a natural thing. It was all meant to be. As for the art, I think it's amazing and totally stands out from the rest of the boring, dark, Old English font, stereotypical metal/punk/core designs. I gave my younger brother Noah full freedom when doing the layouts for G&G and NHF. He's one of the best graphic designers out there right now. His finger is on the pulse of what’s going on in the art world. His style is jocked and mimicked by many upcoming wannabe artists. He has full lines of snowboards he's designed for Burton for multiple seasons now. He does art for Nike, MTV, Gap. He's finishing up a full line for the originators of Stussy Streetwear for the next three seasons. He's done art for Led Zeppelin (merch store), Beastie Boys and many others. He did a lot of art (including cover art) for the magazines Complex and Tokion, to name a few. He does art shows all over the world. Anyone who doesn't like what he's brought to our style can suck it. I refuse to blend in with the rest of HC's style and what looks hard or whatever. We do not take ourselves too seriously and try to have fun with Death Threat in every way.



And that's what we tried to portray especially with the NHF layout…the real us, and my brother captured it to the fullest. Just because of the name Death Threat does not mean we have to have dark imagery with skulls and splatters etc. Love it or hate it, our record covers stand out. If you look at it and listen to it all from beginning to end and are a true fan you will hear and see the natural progression. If it wasn't for my brother's art concepts from the beginning with the demo, Last Days, P&S, G&G, NHF, our early flyers, T-shirt designs, Death Threat rarities and one offs...we'd fully blend in with a lot of other boring HC bands. Check him out @ www.noahbutkus.com or Google him and look at the thousands of things that come up. He's my best friend and my inspiration. No one will ever be able to predict our art and layouts that’s for sure, and that puts a smile on my face.

-Your vocal style has always been one of the most distinct in modern hardcore, and when Death Threat started making a name for yourselves, many a band began to emulate your patterns and vocal tone. What leads you to sing the way you do? Who are your main vocal influences? Lyrical influences? What are some of the funniest insults you've heard about your voice?

My vocal style just came naturally. I didn't try to do anything but truly be myself. Everything I do comes from my heart. Influence-wise I would say any band from the late 80's early 90's where you can actually hear what the frontman is saying without reading the lyrics in the layout. That was my goal as a frontman. My lyrics are influenced by my life and the world around me. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what I'm singing about. No hidden messages or overly clever bullshit. Love lost, betrayal, drugs and their influences on myself, my friends and family, friends and family obviously, depression, my love for HC and how it at times has saved my life. The state of the world around us, good and bad. Religion and government and how it affects me personally and others. If people don't know what I'm talking about please throw away my CD and return to the mainstream where your mind can be easily remolded. Real life is what I'm talking about. Real love, real friends, real respect for my family and my scene and our community, real mistakes I've made. Real loss of sanity, trust, friendships, love etc. No fronting or half-stepping here. What you see and hear is what you get. Real simple!



Most people tell me they like the way I sing. But early on a few people on messageboards (I was told) said they didn't like that I sounded like I had an English accent. And that I sounded like an Oi! singer, which isn't a diss at all to me ‘cuz I grew up on Oi! and that was subconsciously an influence. Some people have told me to my face that they didn't like my voice at first, but once it grew on them they loved it. Really I don't give a fuck what people think about my voice, my lyrics, or me as a person. I've been hated by the best. Love it or hate it, makes no difference to me. I don't go on messageboards or any of that gay shit so I don't know, maybe a lot of people think my vocal style is funny or shitty. I think it's funny that any one would even talk about it. But what I do know is mad kids support our shows and sing every fucking word right back to me no matter what country we're in, so I'm doing something right!

-Your last name is Butkus. How often did people make fun of you for that growing up? Does it still happen? How did you deal with it then, and today?

Haha. I heard it a few times as a kid. Buttkisser, Kissass. No big deal, little kid shit. No it doesn't happen anymore, I'm fucking grown. I'm proud of my roots, my Lithuanian heritage, my family name and who I am. I'm not in 2nd grade anymore. Dick Butkus of the Chicago Bears (years ago) is my 2nd cousin, so with a name like DICK BUTKUS you can understand why he was one the best football players ever, full of rage! He must've really been given a hard time.

-How can kids get more involved in both hardcore and the society they live in today? How important is the value of reading to you? What are some of the best sources for information?

Get off of Myspace 24/7 and Youtube and go to a show. Don't just repost it, be a part of it. Don't just watch shows on the Internet. Go to every show you can and support. Pay the cover, buy some merch. If a band needs a place to crash and you have the space put ‘em up for the night. You'll make lifelong friends that way. Meet the bands, we're real people just like you. Do a zine, start a fucking band, there's never enough. If Death Threat’s playing bring me some weed, I'll buy it, I'm always looking. Haha. The HC scene is an amazing thing to be a part of. It's good to be apart of something that isn't mall/radio-friendly. It's as real as it gets and I am so thankful it's been part of my life for almost 20 years now. Get into it! Give back to your community, open a door for an old person or give them your seat on the subway. Support small local businesses, the Mom & Pop joints. It's all a dying breed. Be good to your family and friends and even your neighbors. And at the same time don't take shit or be too nice to those that don't deserve it, people will suck the life out of you if given the chance. Believe me I know. It's all easier said than done sometimes, but you would be surprised how much of a difference the little things make in life. Just a smile can change someone’s whole day. I haven't always been the best person on a day-to-day basis but I see things different in my older age. As for reading I don't do enough of it sometimes. But there are books that have changed my life for the better. Read a good book, read a zine, the newspaper, read about history. We're all part of it and it's good to know how we got where we are.

-You have written in liner notes in the past that you have few real friends left. I find the same for myself as I approach my 30's. What led so many of your friends astray and why did some of those bridges get burned?

I've made a lot of mistakes, I'm human and so have others with me. It's just part of life and sometimes people get weeded out in the process. I've found it's usually for the better even if it doesn't feel like it at the time. I'm a strong believer of everything happens for a reason, good or bad. I swear by it. Some friendships and relationships are only as good as long as they last and that's it. Not everything is forever, actually most things aren't. If you can take the good that comes from them and forget/forgive the bad, you'll be OK. I've learned a lot about the human race in the last few years or so and I am a lot less trusting of humans in general. I've learned to truly trust my gut feeling and to follow it, good or bad, or seemingly wrong or right. Some people learn quick, some it takes a long time and many acts of betrayal. Now I know and knowing is half the battle.

-Name the best up-and-coming hardcore bands. Punk? Metal? Other?

Unforgiven, Crowns of Kings, Medusa, Product of Waste, Price of Pain, Dead Up, Wrench in the Works, Hands In, The Last Great Sea. They're all on Myspace...take the time to do a search and check them out, they're all amazing in their own way. And they are all my friends. The Last Great Sea is a project I started while I lived in New Mexico and is more melodic post-HC rock stuff. Be open-minded and check it out.

-What are your favorite ways of partying, chilling out, and give us a good party story or two that happened to you in recent years.

I don't party like I used to. I used to be a real animal (fucking mess) though for a bit. Here’s a few from the end of my party days. On our last European tour in Oct 06 with Wisdom in Chains, I got so drunk on warm Belgian beer, that while I was sleeping I had a dream that I was taking the best piss ever and awoke to a very wet piss soaked bed! Real asshole. That's right I pissed my fuckin pants and ruined a good friend’s Grandmother’s blanket that had been in the family for years. Sorry Jay!!

Soon thereafter on that same tour my drummer and I were on a mission to get some coke in London, and we got some, but didn't realize ‘til much later in the evening that it was actually powdered BLEACH that we had been trying to get high on all night. I stopped and he continued ‘til it was gone only to lose his voice completely for the next month. We're lucky we didn't fucking die from that shit. Live and learn. I've changed my ways since then and now smoke some weed here and there, knock back a couple a beers every now and again. That's about it, pretty fucking boring nowadays but much healthier than I was back then. Back to the basics, weed and beer, music, movies, a good book. I do a little art when inspired and like going out to eat...a lot.

-Final shout-outs, plugs?

Thank you Mike @ Hardtimes.ca for the interview and the interest. Patrick @ Reaper Records, Stephen Teodosio, Wes Fortier and Jamie Riddle for all the great times, being my best friends and keeping this band alive and me alive, I'd be nothing without their friendship and support! My brother Noah for everything he's done for DT since day one! All my family for the constant love and support through it all. Bruce LePage, Jamie Muckinhaupt, Price of Pain boys and all of my Western Mass family, Crowns of Kings, Scott Vogel and Terror boys, Brian & Frankie DBD boys, Roger, Vinnie, Gallo and AF boys, Baldwin & all Boston/Brockton boys, Kris Mission, Pete, Reesch, Bubba & 100 Demons, Sean Martin, Alonzoe, Palehorse, Vinnie Calandra, Sean Buey, Colin of Arabia & Co., Cousins Tobin and July, Cousin Jotham, Ritchie and WIC boys, Darryl, Andy and Mel Wrench in the Works, Rob Will To Live and all the TX boys, Gabe Pride Kills, Jerad, Ian, Brian, Tyrone, Stilo, Big Dan, Josh and my New Mexico familia, Justin, Tim, and Kevin Born to Hate/Secrecy, Fred and Dan Size ‘Em Up, Eric Hoibart, Tremblay, Jonathan and all our great white north peoples, Rob & Eric Soucy and Medusa LA, JoeHC , DreBrook, Martin and their mom Inez for taking me in for a bit during hard times out west...much love, Mike Delisle, Stu and Folsom. The list could go on and on...that's just a few off the top of my head the rest know who you are. To all the crews keeping the scene together...FSU, GAMC, DMS, CTYC, BFL, DNA...nothing but love...HARDCORE LIVES!

RIP - My uncle Butchy, aunt Mary, uncle Andy, Boulder SDS, Mark Martin, John Thomas, Ian Keeler, Colin 88, CarubaFSU, Sob DMS, and all our fallen heroes and friends. See you all on the other side.

Peace out!