By: Matt Williams

This is an interview done with Mitch Harrisin the Winter of 1996.

ABHFR: What have the people you have talkedto thought of Diatribes?

MITCH HARRIS: So far the people I've talked tohave been into it. They've been happy that we've moved forward with it andat the same time pleasantly surprised with the change, but also glad thatwe didn't wimp out or nothing. It's still true to Napalm but it's fresh.That's like the reaction I've gotten so far. What do you think?

ABHFR: I like it, I like it a lot. I do agreethat it's a huge step forward. What do you think of it?

MITCH HARRIS: I think it's a step forward too.I'm totally happy about it. Finally I'm happy with the sound of it, I haveno problems with the sound. It sounds good to me so that's cool. I thinkwe moved forward just enough to open doors for us to move on in the future.It'll do for me this year. Till then just do the next record, tour and stuff.

ABHFR: Why did you decide to release Greed Killingfirst?

MITCH HARRIS: They wanted to put out a single orsomething just to promote the album. We figured we'd give 'em some valuefor their money and put like seven songs on it cause we recorded 18 forthe record. So there were like four songs that wouldn't fit on the album,you know physically impossible kind of thing, so we just said put it onthe album and we'll do a small promo tour of the States and Europe to tryand promote the album properly and all that kind of thing. Make sure peopleknow there is a change of direction in the band before the album comes out,maybe build up some hype and give people value for their money.

ABHFR: I was talking to Gordon (Earache Rep.Now at Relapse -ed.) about the tour that your doing of the US. He said itwas going to be all small clubs. How is that possible?

MITCH HARRIS: Well, we've been out of the Statesfor about a year. We kind of wanted to do a tour of the US and see whatwe're worth at the moment.A lot of things have changed in the world of music here. A lot of thingshave come and gone. There's new bandwagons and this that and the other.We're going to just try and pack out a few venues, judging from the reactionon that tour, do a tour of the album when that comes out. They want us inthe States as the album comes out. We're kind of just here.

ABHFR: So two tours then?

MITCH HARRIS: Well, yeah. I'm sure we'll come backafter the album comes out. Hopefully with another band. We don't have timephysically to do the whole country all at once. Europe is already bookedfor March. The album comes out January there and we need to tour prettysoon after that. We're just doing a test the water kind of thing. What doyou think of that idea?

ABHFR: Well, he just mentioned that it was goingto all small clubs, and I know that the last time you played here in Minneapolisit was packed and that wasn't that long ago.

MITCH HARRIS: Minneapolis... Yeah, that was cool.

ABHFR: Minneapolis is strange because therewas a time when no one went to shows and then all of a sudden people havebeen just packing them in.

MITCH HARRIS: Yeah, it's going to be hard to findthe right venue. The smaller the venue the fucking shittier it's going tobe. I mean it'll be cool for the crowd, it's always a cooler atmosphereat a smaller venue. You don't know if the sound is going to be good or ifthe people are going to bee familiar with the club. It'll take a lot ofresearch I guess. Then again it's better to play to a packed club than toplay a venue you're not sure you can fill and not fill it, you know? Mightas well use the space that you've got.

ABHFR: So for that tour are you touring withanyone in particular?

MITCH HARRIS: No, we're not sure yet. We have someideas, but nothing is even close to being signed.

ABHFR: So what are you doing after the tour?

MITCH HARRIS: We've got the small tour, then theEuropean tour, then we'll be back in the States. Then there's still likeJapan, Australia, and SouthAmerica and a lot of other places as well. We'regoing to try and get all of that done over the summer and be back in thestudio in November to come up with the new album.

ABHFR: So do you think the new album will bealong the lines of Diatribes?

MITCH HARRIS: Well, do you think that this albumis along the lines of Fear Emptiness?

ABHFR: Sort of.

MITCH HARRIS: Yeah, it'll be like sort of. It'shard to say. I'm not saying that we're goingto move in such a way that it's going to blow people's minds or anything,but it's hard top say what's going to happen until we get there. The ideais definitely to branch out. Not like to commercially branch out, but justto try new things. There's lot's of different ways we can go now, it's justtrying to figure out which way to go for the time, for what we're into.It'll be different, I'm just not sure in what way. Each record is differentfrom the one before it. You know how Fear Emptiness differs in a big wayfrom Utopia, or how Diatribes differs from Fear Emptiness in a big way,well the next one will. I don't know, it's hard to say because I didn'treally think that this one was that big of a departure, but a lot of peoplethink it's totally different. If we think we move on a lot, people mightthink it's a total change. I don't know, I'm just rambling on.

ABHFR: That's all right. What are you lookingat as an approximate time frame for that album?

MITCH HARRIS: If everything goes as planned we'llbe in the studio in November. Which means they'll maybe have their act togetherand have the album out by March so we can tour over the summer, but we haveto get our act together first.

ABHFR: Right. Well, I know a lot of the bandmembers have side projects.Tell me a little about those.

MITCH HARRIS: Well, I did an album in a band calledMeat Hook Seed called Embedded with Shane about three years ago, since thenI've been concentrating on Napalm. Now that I know what direction Napalmis taking, it's easier for me to write for Meat Hook. That's one thing.Shane has Blood from the Soul and Jesse's working on some stuff that doesn'thave a name yet. Barney I think writes for magazines and stuff, he's likea journalist. Danny, our drummer spends all day practicing his drums, sohe doesn't have time for a side project. It's always good to have theseother bands to try new stuff. Napalm's been built a certain way, and ifyou want to try something that you don't think is suitable for the band,you can try it outside the band so you don't change the whole perceptionof what Napalm is.

ABHFR: So can we expect another Meat Hook Seedalbum then?

MITCH HARRIS: Yeah, definitely. I hope it'll bedone by the summer time. It's just working out the plot. The first albumI had the idea four years before I decide to get off my ass and do it. Idon't think Dig from Earache could give a fuck if there's a new Meat Hookalbum. I just want it to be as good as it can be and I just haven't hadthe time to focus on it, because of Napalm and I just had a kid recentlyand my girlfriend is in college so I've been like Mr. Mom. Been kind ofhard to work out the computer sequencing shit. I know what I want to do,it's just translating it into fucking sound waves. Finding the time sinceI'll be busy with Napalm and finding who'llplay on the album and all kindsof stuff. It's different now than it wasthen.

ABHFR: Is it still going to be an IndustrialDeath kind of thing?

MITCH HARRIS: I don't know if Death is going tobe anywhere near it, but I'm trying to keep the guitars to a bare minimumbecause in a way I think that's what limits the band. It gives it potentialin one way, but I find it's hard to get it as fucked up as I want it tobe when I'm concentrating on the guitars. I'm trying to work on the underlyingstuff first and then decide where the guitars are needed later to make itclimax Trying to make like a mixture of a lot of different elements andgive it meaning.

ABHFR: Well, that about covers it. Anythingto add?

MITCH HARRIS: Not really, just check out the recordand keep an open mind. Hopefully the people who have been into the bandcan understand why weneeded to develop. What do you think?

ABHFR: About what?

MITCH HARRIS: That Napalm needed to develop.

ABHFR: Well, I don't really like bands thatjust put out albums that allsound the same. I was pleasantly surprised andI think everyone else I played it for was as well. It's been a good reactionhere.

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A bullet hole in the face of reality

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