KAM LEE: YOU SHALL BE AS DEATH

Kam Lee band, after A Day Of Death 2011 - (photo - Brian Pattison)

Glorious Times returns to the cannibal cookout, and joins Kam Lee to stir the pot and see what delectable tidbits have stuck and simmered since last we spoke.

GT - How did you and Rogga first get the idea of starting up Bone Gnawer?

Kam - Pretty much how it all came together was... Rogga and I started talks back in 2007 about working together. He had something going at the time (which later became his own band REVOLTING) that I was just to appear on a few tracks as guest vocalist on. We did a demo... of a few tracks back then - just to see how it felt, but honestly I don't even know where those tracks are now.

When it rolled around into 2009, that was when things with "the label" that was involved in this project went south pretty fast. Mainly due to the fact that I began to suspect something was a bit "fishy" with the whole deal, and I started to suspect that the reason as to why this particular guy was trying to get me on his label so bad was basically for the publicity. I can usually tell when I'm getting "used" - (Hell... I've been thru it enough times now with a certain opportunistic member of the band Massacre - so I kinda can get the clues pretty fast now when it starts to rear it's ugly head.) - so pretty much after calling this guy out on his "bullshit" and having this narcissistic bastard go all ballistically insane - (like they always do when you call them out on their bullshit.) - he had his cry baby tantrum and 'troll/hater' sessions of bashing me on the internet. And so he decided that he didn't want me involved in the band anymore nor involved any longer on his label.

So basically the whole thing with my involvement fell apart before getting any further.
But then while conversing thru e-mails with Rogga... the idea began to grow to just do a band ourselves with out a label involved from the beginning. We found that we shared a lot of the same musical taste, as well as a love for all things horror. Rogga also admitted to being a real fan of my vocals, and expressed that he would like to have me as the full time vocalist on a project instead of me just being a guest vocalist. I then said I thought that was a great idea.

It was now going into 2008, and I just returned off the tour with DENIAL FIEND/MASSACRE, and I was at that point pretty disgusted with a few personal matters of how that tour went. And the complete opportunistic way certain things where done.

I won't get into it... but let us just say - the "waves" caused from it still ripple out 'til this day.

Anyhow, back to BONE GNAWER. Once I knew what I wanted to do (which was to leave DENIAL FIEND) - I just went right ahead and started working with Rogga on BONE GNAWER. At the time the band didn't have a name. BONE GNAWER was actually a song title I had. I knew I wanted to have this band be based on cannibalism and serial killers, but also have a sort of campy black humor approach to it. We tossed around a few names... but BONE GNAWER stuck, because it is such a ridiculous name.

I knew that from the start that the name would stir controversy. I actually find it hilarious - that the first "trolling" attempts to mock the name where all homophobic in nature. It is comical to me that homophobes find the name to be disturbing... it proves just how closed minded and gay fearing some of these "metal heads" really are. After all, the name is meant to be disturbing in nature. If not from the implications of what it stands for... the gnawing of bone, but for it's cannibalistic implications, to the offbeat silly nature in which it is intended.

But the fact that it does stir up nightmare images of phallus chomping for most homophobes - I do find that funny as well. The band is after all about cannibalism. That is the bands main theme. And when it comes to eating meat... did you know that a steak comes from a male steer and not a female cow. So in essence a cannibal would look at it the same way. Also real life cannibals like Chikatilo admitted to gnawing on the sexual organs of his victims, both male and female. Male - Female... it makes no difference... it's just meat!

I knew what I was doing when I picked the name for the band... I knew just how off it would put people. I knew some would think the name was stupid, while others scratched their heads, while others just "got it". But the fact is... once you've heard the term... you won't ever forget it.

GT - Did you have any input into the music of Bone Gnawer or did you stick with just vocal and lyrical input?

Kam - I trusted Rogga with the music. I knew of his works with PAGANIZER and RIB SPREADER and a few other projects he's done.. So I knew and trusted his writing would be equal to those bands. So I had no worries at all when it came to his music talents. I just stuck to the themes, concepts, vocals, and lyrics.

Kam at A Day Of Death 2012 - (photo - Brian Pattison)

GT - Listening to the album several years later are you still satisfied with it or are there things you would change?


Kam - I think it's a great debut. It was also a perfect thing for me to do just after leaving DENIAL FIEND. I shall always feel that it is a milestone in my music career, because it really was "my return" to doing "proper death metal". As far as DF was concerned to me... that band was never a true real death metal act in the first place.

But back to the FEAST OF FLESH album... yes, I feel BONE GNAWER's debut is a perfect album. Like I said, because it was the first real death metal album I had recorded since back in the MASSACRE "From Beyond" days. Plus I had the honor and thrill to work with Stevo of IMPETIGO, Killjoy of NECROPHAGIA, and Dopi of MACHETAZO on that album... with all of them doing some guest vokills!

So yeah... I'm very satisfied with it. 

GT - You and Rogga made a fairly quick transition from Bone Gnawer into The Grotesquery. What made you two decide to start a whole new band rather than just continue on as Bone Gnawer?

Kam - We had such a great experience doing BONE GNAWER - that we wanted to do something more. However, we knew that BONE GNAWER had a certian vibe, image and direction. And the new ideas we wanted to explore - like doing something with a very dark Gothic horror theme with supernatural, and occult elements - just wouldn't fit with BONE GNAWER's already established gore image.

Remember... we knew BONE GNAWER lyrically was a bit campy and gore related. So we wanted to do something that completely counter balanced those ideas - something that would be lyrically more serious in nature but still have a horror theme. As well a band that musically we could explore and experiment more with.

Both Rogga and myself look at a lot of things a bit different then most bands. I always find a lot of bands... lyrically change direction and themes - without sticking to one specific concept. I always found that a bit annoying about bands. We just didn't want to cross genres and themes, and so we talked about doing another completely new band that would allow us to explore these horror occult themes with out being hampered by any sort of expectations. So THE GROTESQUERY was born.

We took some time choosing the name too. It wasn't just a quick decision. At first - we didn't know what to call the band. We tossed a few names around. But at one point Rogga said something in an e-mail - about how the music was turning into a real "grotesquery". And I thought... wow, that's kinda cool way to describe us. Of cousre I know of the Swedish band GROTESQUE, and as well of a few bands with variations of the name, but none were either active at the time or had broken up. So we just decided to throw a THE before the name... and just use THE GROTESQUERY. 

Kam and Matias Romero at Niagara Falls - (photo - Brian Pattison)

GT - How long did it take you guys to write "Tales of the Coffin Born" and how did that writing process work with Rogga over in Europe and you down in Florida?

Kam - I think it took about a year to do... from late in 2008 thru out most of 2009. It was recorded in late 2009... but the ideas from the planning stages and writing, to the actual putting it all together took about a year.

Of course the lyrics and story had been something I myself had been working on and off for the past 6 years. It was actually going to be a novel, movie script... I really didn't know what I was going to do with it. But once the idea to make it into a concept album for THE GROTESQUERY was decided, it went together rather quickly.

The writing is pretty much easy... I let Rogga do the music, and I work the lyrics around the music. It's always been how I've done things. Going all the way back to the MANTAS/DEATH days... I've always written the lyrics around the music. I have the concept and themes prior to the music, but the actual writing of the lyrics comes after the music is written.

How we do it is - we pretty much utilize the internet. Rogga will send to me WAVE or MP3 files of the music for me to work on, and I basically work the lyrics in from there. The BEST thing... is we both TRUST one another to give the BEST of ourselves. So it's never too much of a back and forth with things. 

Again, I trust Rogga... so it's rather easy when you completely trust someone to do their best and not have to worry about trying to compromise yourself around what they are doing. I trust that he will write riffs and arrange the music to fit into the style we do in each band, and likewise he will trust me to do my best with the lyrical direction and the vocals.

GT - With The Grotesquery's debut being well received did you and Rogga ever talk about or consider playing live either in Europe or North America?

Kam - Yes, but I think Europe is all we would do. The U.S. would be cool, but I just don't see it happening.

The main issue with us not being able to tour is because of our drummer Brynjar. He can NOT tour... due to his obligations at work. We would never think of replacing him... but we would need to find a suitable drummer - who lives in Sweden - and who could work close with Rogga to get the material down tight. As you know your self personally... I don't really need to rehearse too much with a band to be able to perform live.
Also - Brynjar is from Norway, while Rogga lives in Sweden. So it's not like they are even in the same country together themselves.

However, finding a tour replacement for Brynjar has been a bit of a challenge for Rogga. We would also need to have the "touring drummer" understand that he is just the "touring drummer" - and not a permanent member. So basically - it's just that we don't have a drummer lined up that can rehearse with Rogga to get the material down for a "live performance" situation. This has been pretty much our only set back.

  

 Day 1 (July 13 2011) of Kam Lee rehearsals - (photo - Brian Pattison)

GT - It was completely my honor to have you play A Day of Death 2011 and play the album in full that I requested you play. What was that experience like for you for that week? Your opinions of Buffalo, the people here, the musicians you got to jam with and the others that you got to meet.

Kam - The whole over all experience was great.
Everything was good... the people... the musicians... the fans... the food. I would love to do it again sometime. I really had a great time. I would say it's been ONE of the BEST tour experiences I've had. The people up there are REAL and TRUE... and that is rare in this time and day. So many posers infest our scene... so it was good to be in with true real death/black metal fans and bands, and not incrusted within some trendy hipster mall metal core crap crowd. I'm sure it infest there as well... but it was refreshing to be around people who knew what was real. I met a lot of cool people - who have since become friends - and that is always a good thing. 

 Kam checks out the buffaloes at Buffalo Zoo - (photo - Brian Pattison)

GT - When we announced what you would be doing for A Day of Death there were immediate cries from some that you were cashing in on the past and only doing it for the money. 'Til now the facts have been kept from the public so we figure we'll set it straight now... You were paid a grand total of $500 (which covered your plane ticket and part of your girlfriends plane ticket). You reluctantly played that album because we requested it of you, not because you wanted to. In an age when many bands will demand thousands of dollars and have outrageous riders to play fests why did you agree to do A Day of Death 2011 for essentially nothing?


Kam - Basically because I'm not a money grubbing opportunist. And I wanted to do it for the 'real fans' that could make it out to the show. I'm NOT a "rock star" - and so I do not think like some arrogant egomaniac. I'm still rooted... still grounded, and pretty much like to think I'm down to earth. I understand that the scene (the true scene) is not about the hipster trends. I knew overall that this "fest" was going to be attended by "real" fans... with performances by "true real underground" bands, and that it was going to be an intimate small affair, and not some OVER THE TOP - blown out of proportion mega money gathering event like so many of these other fest in the US these days. 

It's not some multi-day event... with multi-stages -with a bunch of trendy bands and 'named bands' performing ONLY to draw a large crowd in order to "rape" the crowd for money. It's not at all backed by some corporate record labels, trendy magazines, and funded by greedy promoters. It was "real" and it was "true", - funded by fans and friends... attended by fans and friends... and something I was very very proud to be a part of.
Also - I think it's ironic and fucked up that those same people that pitched a bitch and cried about me "cashing in" - are the same fucking idiots that now support the true "cash in" with FAKEASSACRE.

 GT - Currently you are working on a project (music related, but not music) with Buffalo's Dennis John Glinski (Grave Descent). Could you talk a little about the project and how you became involved with it?

Kam - That would be the comic book DEATH SHRIEK. Dennis is planning to do a horror/death metal anthology book based on songs from different bands. I've actually already completed my section. It's a story (8 pages) based on a track from the band DERKETA. It's for their song WITCHBURNED. I pretty much got involved when Dennis approached me... and asked if I would like to do it.

He said - he was a fan of my art, and would really like to have me on board to do it.
I heard what he had planned, and thought this would be cool thing to do... and so I came on board.

Contact Legacy of Death for further info on the comic's release

GT - Do you think you will continue doing comic book art after the "Death Shriek" project is finished?

Kam - Yes. Already I have started my own comic based on TALES OF THE COFFIN BORN from my band THE GROTESQUERY, as well as I've talked to Dennis about coming back for DEATH SHRIEK 2. I've begun a few ideas as well for a comic about a Zombie Werewolf. I may decide to either do it myself... or perhaps see if LEGACY OF DEATH {Dennis's company} would like to put it out... perhaps, in another anthology horror comic. Gotta see how DEATH SHRIEK goes first. I don't want to burden Dennis with too much, as I know he funds the company all himself out of his own pocket. 

GT - You were approached by Sharon (Bascovsky) to do some guest vocals on Derketa's album "In Death We Meet". Then you got to join them on stage to perform the song at A Day of Death 2011. What was the experience of working with them and then performing the song with them like?

Kam - Yeah... I REGRETTABLY... didn't get the chance to record the vocals for the album. It just was a thing with the timing, and the opportunity didn't arise for me to get them recorded in time. But being able to do it onstage was fun. I love DERKETA's Style of Doom Death Metal... I'm a huge fan of Doom, especially when it has Death Metal undertones.
I would hope to someday work with DERKETA again... and hopefully be able to record some vocals with them.
 
 

Kam Lee band rehearsal day 2 (July 14 2011 ) - (photo - Brian Pattison)
 

 GT - Recently The Grotesquery released their second album. How long did that take to put together and what was the overall writing/recording process like?

Kam - Rather quick actually. Not as long as the first album. I think this time Rogga had all the music already written... and I started to flush out ideas right after the first album was completed. At first though... I didn't plan on doing another concept story album, but because of so much positive fan support and response for the first album. I then decided to go ahead and make this one a concept album as well. It didn't take long... because I had a general idea of what I wanted to do. I heard musically what Rogga was doing... and I knew it would be perfect to write about a character that was in an insane asylum.

Of course... every idea I have gets trimmed and cut and reformed to fit into album format. I have ruff drafts of stories written out. When I finally get the music from Rogga, I then choose what best will fit, and what parts are the most important things to write the lyrics about, and what other details can be left out or altered to make it fit. 

GT - Now that The Grotesquery has 2 great albums under its belt is there any chance of one or more live performances occurring in North America?

Kam - Well... like I said in the above question about touring. It's unlikely that TG or BG will ever perform in the U.S. I'm NOT saying it's impossible, but it's HIGHLY unlikely to ever happen. 

Kam and Francisco Pulido checking out the rapids at Niagara Falls - (photo - Brian Pattison)

GT - In addition to the everything else you also have a show on Brutal Existence Radio. How did that come about?

Kam - I had awhile back thought about doing some sort of radio show. Nothing too fancy... just something where I could showcase some new bands, as well as play some of my own personal favorite bands. As well, as have a sort of HALLOWEEN atmosphere to it. I met Fowler and Metal Mark thru FB- and pretty much just went from there. Fowler and I talked about it a year before it even became a reality... but eventually I got to do "FROM THE CRYPT". 

Right now... I'm on hiatus from the radio show... until later this fall. I'm just so busy with so much going on at the time that I had to take time off from the show. I love doing it... but it does take a lot of time to get pre-recorded and get everything ready on a weekly basis. And with my busy ass schedule at the moment... working two jobs... doing all the bands and recordings... the artwork and other stuff. I had to take a break somewhere.

  

GT - You had a starring role in the low budget horror movie "Deep Seeded", what was that experience like and do you foresee any further acting in your future?

Kam - It was fun to do... although I am a bit pissed that it's being held up in some sort of "red tape". I'm not even sure of the details, but it seems that Troxell has just giving up on it. The entire movie is completed and done. But because of some BULLSHIT with the fucking distribution company or some shit it's sitting in fucking movie limbo. Like I said... seems Troxell just has given up on it altogether, and doesn't even care about it. I have some burnt copies myself... a few I've even sent out to friends for FREE. It's not the best movie... hell it's not even scarey... but it has a few gore scenes in it... and it does have a few fully naked chicks with me cutting them up and tormenting and torturing them. So it has that basic drive-in/grind-house like appeal to it... very exploitative and low budget filth.

I would like to do some more acting for sure... but I'm picky as to what roles I'll play. I just won't pick any sort of role. It has to be something horror and something that fits "me".
I've had a few other offers come my way... a few I just didn't take because they weren't roles I wanted to do... or roles I felt would fit "me".

Francisco, Mat, Kam and Alayna at Niagara Falls - (photo - Brian Pattison)

GT - Bands, comic books, art, radio and acting...is there any other avenue you hope to approach in the future?

Kam - I would like to try once more at writing a horror novel. 

GT - Any last words, people you want to shout out to or projects you want to push?

Kam - I'll be recording the full length for the band GRAVE WAX coming up the next few weeks. GRAVE WAX is a band I do with underground artist Mark Riddick. It's going to be something unique... it's really cool death metal... with some unique twist in both music and the vocals for sure. So we hope to have that out by the late fall/early winter time. 

Also - we will have a split for THE GROTESQUERY coming out with the band INTESTINAL by the end of the year. And keep a look out for the cannibal maniacs to return sometime in the new year.... buzz is that a new BG album maybe in the making. Thanks for all the support and the friendship!