Founding Suicide Silence drummer Josh Goddard and guitarist Rick Ash recently sat down with sole founding Suicide Silence member guitarist Chris Garza to look back on their early days. The trio eventually start talking about their debut 2003 demo Death Awaits and untitled 2004 demo, and they're… well, proud of 'em but recognize some glaring issues.
"You go back to those recordings and people will say, 'my God. I love those old recordings,'" said Goddard as transcribed by Metal Injection. "Like the song 'Til the Bubbles Stop' and the first [or second] version of "Stand Strong' and I'm like 'get out of here.' I cringe. I can't listen to that stuff. I took [Darasuum vocalist] Gabe Ochoa to the airport a couple years ago we get in his car and he's got that playing just to make me mad. It wasn't until you showed up Rick that I really felt like it was urgent that I actually learn how to play."
Goddard later added: "I think looking back, people are nostalgic about those sloppy, 'it is what it is' recordings. Not it was all accidental, no intention behind it whatsoever. Quite the contrary."
Ash also talked a little about the less-than-surgically-precise drumming from Suicide Silence's early days, and revealed that he wasn't originally into the band's super low tuning and riff styles.
"I didn't like the drums on that demo. I thought it was sloppy coming from listening to Dave Lombardo and Slayer and Metallica. These are the bands that I first started listening to, so everything was precision and fast. I wasn't really into sludgy [death metal] yet and so you know my initial thought was… I remember joining up with you guys and being like, 'okay you guys are in G, right?' I'm like 'it's too sludgy. Too low. I can't hear anything you guys are playing. I can't decipher a riff.'
"I guess that was my first thought, but I really meshed with you Josh, playing playing music with you. I really just meshed with you, creatively. So you know I hear you guys talking about how 'oh that recording, it's just a bad experience,' but yeah just creatively it was fun to play with you and write music."
Goddard and Ash are back making music once again under the name Torn Within, which you can check out right here.
