Beaten Back To Pure: Ben Hogg
White Trash Devil wouldn’t be what it is without Scott Myers and his awful interviews. For the 2006 return of WTD, Scott got all liquored up and interviewed longtime WTD family member Ben Hogg of sludgemasters Beaten Back To Pure.
White Trash Devil: Holy fuck, I hope I remember how to do this shit…. The only question I remember is “Have you seen eel porn?”... So… ummm… have you seen fucking eel porn?
Ben Hogg: I don’t know them people.
WTD: What have you guys been up to over the last few years? I see you fuckers in Metal Maniacs and all this shit… and why do you never mention my name? I am like the Suge Knight to your Vanilla Ice…
Ben: We’ve been busy gettin’ awesome. Writing records and runnin’ guns. Your name don’t come up son, because your website keeps going titties up. Tighten that shit up.
WTD: Oh, fuck… I was watching a live Mugwart video on YouTube the other day… And I swear to god that Charlie has the whitest legs of any man on the planet. I thought you guys got sunshine out there every once in awhile?
Ben: Don’t make this shit about Charlie. Mugwart is long dead. Real men don’t wear shorts.
WTD: Maybe you should give a little of the bands history for any of the retards that may be new to the site… just tell them how many line-up changes you have had… or how you have had 8 million record label changes…. or you can just not tell them anything…
Ben: If you don’t know us yet, you’re late to the party. Read our bio at MySpace. I don’t care to recount all of the details. We’re 8 years deep, having a good time.
WTD: How many shows are you guys doing a month now? And how often do you bathe?
Ben: We cherry pick our shows now. So we play as many or as few as we see goddamn fit. I bathe daily to keep my taint fresh.
WTD: I once heard a story that you guys slept on Steve Austin’s (Today is the Day) floor… Did you cuddle?
Ben: Nope. We just screwed.
WTD: I am pretty fucking drunk right now. Not really a question.
Ben: Do you not know where to score any blow? Don’t you have a kid or something now?
WTD: Do you think one of these days you may get a video on Headbangers Ball? And if you do will they play it right before some shitty Victory Records band?
Ben: The new Headbangers Ball is as useless as the old Headbangers Ball, let’s not romanticize the past. I know what you mean about that Victory Records emocore shit, line ‘em all up and shoot ‘em in the head. As for us being played on there, no chance.
WTD: Why hasn’t a larger label picked you guys up yet and thrown you some cash? I believe it’s a conspiracy…
Ben: Because frankly we aren’t that good, and we have no mass appeal. It would require nonconventional thinking to boost a band like us up, up to that level. Major labels are more concerned with shipping a massive number of units, then exposing untested and unproven acts, such as ourselves. Honestly, we don’t tour enough either. No conspiracies, just small-minded thinking.
WTD: Tell me a story involving puke…
Ben: No.
WTD: I am pretty much out of this whole music thing now, because I found a job that pays me real money… So tell me if you have heard any bands lately that aren’t too shitty… I need to update my CD collection… I have only bought maybe one disc since 1999….
Ben: Nothing good has been recorded since 1985. Pick up Voivod’s “War In Pain” reissue lot’s of bonus shit, it’s pretty awesome. The new Goatwhore should be pretty good, though.
WTD: Would you fuck a goat on live TV for $100,000?
Ben: Yes, for that kind of cake I’d even fuck a midget.
WTD: Everyone all of a sudden thinks Mastadon is the greatest band ever… but I think Brann may be gay, he is way handsome for a straight man… your thoughts on whether he is in the closet?
Ben: We played with Mastodon (get the spelling right) before they blew up and we’ve partied together a few times. Brann and the others were all straight up dudes to me. For the record, I also think that Mastodon are incredible and deserve everything that has come to them. Brann is the best drummer this side of Neil Peart, gay or not I have no idea, but he does a really good King Diamond falsetto. Ask him to do it when you see him.
WTD: So what are your plans for 2006? Going to put out like 20 seven- inches and a minidisc? new album? Get drunk? Develop a heroin problem?
Ben: Bandwise, finish writing this goddamn record and get it out by years end. The tentative album title is “Sourthern By the Disgrace of God.” Personally, try to get right with the lord. Hahaha.
WTD: Name 5 bands that don’t suck.
Ben: Municipal Waste, Baroness, Alabama Thunderpussy, The Last Van Zant, and Plague the Suffering.
WTD: Name 5 bands that do suck.
Ben: Any band that is played on your FM dial before 10 o’clock at night are part of the problem, not the solution. Most of the bands that are played after are no better, but sometimes one will slide through. If you want me to talk shit, next time ask me about specific bands.
WTD: Name 5 women that suck… and their phone numbers.
Ben: Back off my Koolaid.
WTD: Maybe five more questions and I have to pass out… So I better make these goods… Your thoughts on the war in Iraq? Just kidding, don’t answer that. Ummm… your thoughts on he current state of underground music as a whole?
Ben: Well, it’s a little watered down. A little over populated. For every 1 good band, there is 10 shitty bands. So that portion will eat itself. It seems that metal is poppin’ right now, but not in all the right ways. It comes and it goes, like always. All I know, is that I am there. Ain’t that what really counts?
WTD: In the beginning you guys were pretty much a straightforward sludgecore band… and with each release you are evolving into something else entirely… Is this evolution a concsious decision? Or is it just something that happens without much thought? Or is it because ben listens to Skynard [sic] all day?
Ben: It’s like going down a path, man. Still on the path, but at different places all the time. But you keep moving forward. Feels like progress to me, baby. How do you know about my Skynyrd (check the spelling again, boy) love? Our next album is going to be straight on crust, ala His Hero is Gone. You aint seen that shit coming. Just fuckin around.
WTD: With Vince having a studio… Do you guys have more beer money now that you don’t have to really pay to record?
Ben: I do, but Vince sure as hell don’t. If you can swing it, it’s definetly that way to go.
WTD: Whore something… your website, other projects, etc…
Ben: www.beatenbacktopure.com
www.myspace.com/beatenbacktopure
www.plaguethesuffering.com
www.myspace.com/plaguethesuffering
Check for my studio project, Birds of Prey debut album coming out this summer on Relapse Records, Weight of the Wound. You’ll hear about it. Vince is part-timing in Sourvein, don’t know if they have a website. Knowing Troy, I bet they don’t.
Keep an eye out for the new album, if you don’t know then dig shit up, we’re re-releasing our second album The Last Refuge of the Sons of Bitches this summer on Conqueror of Thorns Records. It’ll come with new art, acoustic versions of two songs from that album, and some cd-rom footage. Shit will be hot. Need anything, give me a call: (757) 567-5517.
WTD: I seriously have to get the fuck out of here… I need to go get some smokes… Final comments?
Ben: Didn’t we just cover that? Big ups to my kid for taking dictation on this shit. Hey man, for real though, good to see White Trash Devil running again. Keep us in the family. Stay in touch and don’t let your meat loaf. Ben Hogg out!
| 06/16/2006