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In-person interview with Guy Marchais of Suffocation

January 7th 2010, Glass House, Pomona CA

Andrew: How's it going?
Guy: It is going pretty good. First day of the tour, we were over at Fuel TV today and did a couple of songs there live for them and it will air in like two weeks. So basically played two songs already today. Now we are here, rushing, scrambling, first day you know. Making sure that everything goes smooth.

Andrew: What did you guys do in the past few days to prepare for this tour?
Guy: The bus came and picked us up five days ago. So for five days we've just been on the bus travelling to get here. Its been freezing cold weather all across the United States. Not here though (laughs). Its been nice here.

Andrew: Have you guys decided on the set list for the tour?
Guy: Well we have a bunch of songs in the mix. Everybody wants to hear something else. We try to make everybody happy. We'll play a few off of the new one, a few off Pierced From Within. We've added something from Effigy. I don't think we'll play anything from Souls to Deny. Its hard to keep everyone happy. We have yet to do a headlining tour. So when we do that we'll have almost every song, if not every song off of Blood Oath being played. But right now it is just a few songs off of each album and keeping it open.

Andrew: Are you planning on doing a headline tour in the US soon?
Guy: After this tour we get back home for like about a month or so. Then we go to Europe to do a headlining tour out there. That's only three weeks long. Then we come back and go to South America with Napalm Death to do a co-headliner with them down there, may be like 10-12 dates or something, and then we'll be doing a lot of festivals over in Europe. Then more towards the end of summer or fall sometime, possibly a headlining tour over here in the States.

Andrew: How do you rate the response to the new album?
Guy: Everything has been good so far. We can't complain. Response from the fans has been I think pretty good. This is the album we've been happiest with since the reformation. You know, Souls to Deny was rushed in the studio. So were not too happy with the album. The songs were good but, you know. The self titled we were a little more happy with, but this one we were happy with a lot with the solos, guitar sound, drum sound and everything.

Andrew: Do you think there are any promising death metal bands out there today?
Guy: I'm not too up on all the newer stuff. I am always concentrating on our own stuff, writing riffs for us and keeping an open and original mind to write our stuff. If I hear stuff its usually if I tour with a band or something that just really blows me away and to tell you the truth, Origin is sick They are in my head right now. Hate Eternal's first album is always in my head. Other than that I like Gojira and Machine Head and stuff like that. I have awide variety of music that I listen to myself. So I don't know who would really 'carry the torch'.

Andrew: What would you cite as your influences?
Guy: My influences would be like fast music or heavy stuff like Slayer. I listened to S.O.D a lot back in the day. I grew up on Metallica. And then for more heavy stuff than that, it would be like Death. The first few Death albums were really influential to me. Morbid Angel's 'Alters of Madness' and 'Blessed are the Sick' are two of my really good favorite albums for heavy music.

Andrew: You are playing with bands like DevilDriver and Goatwhore which are different from your style of music. What do you think about them?
Guy: DevilDriver is pretty sick. I listen to some of their stuff. I wasn't really listening to their stuff before, but when we found out about the tour I listened to some of it. My fiance is like totally into DevilDriver and she loves it. So she gave me some of the stuff and I heard it. They are really good. They are not like 'metalcore' I don't think. I think they are pretty good. I've always liked Goatwhore. They have a pretty original sound and they are heavy as hell. I don't know if they are black metal or thrash metal or whatever they are, they are just sick. They are travelling on the bus with us too. They are great guys.

Andrew: Which album did you think was the best in 2009?
Guy: I would have to say Pestilence. I love that album. Its sick and I love the re-recordings of the old stuff they've put on there. I've always loved Pestilence and we're hoping possibly to may be tour with them at some point. Great guys and they sound heavy as hell.