Jessie: The band took a short break from an autumn tour with Testimony, Aggregator and Blood Rainbow. What was it like being on that tour with the other bands?
Balazs Toth: Yes that’s right! How do you know about this? This was only a Hungarian trip! I’m glad that you know so much about CG. The tour was great; the whole crew stands from great guys and girls, so we spent a great time together in these 2 months. These bands are the most talented bands in the Hungarian underground nowadays, I think. The first part of the tour was not so successful, but after the day our recording was released (9th October) more and more people started to feel interest to visit us live.

Jessie: The band has shared the opening spot for some of the bigger bands such as Children Of Bodom, Anthrax, and Nightwish, what was that like?
Balazs Toth: With these 3 bands we played together on a festival as the 4th band of the day. I haven’t got so much experience about these bands, because it was not possible to get in closer contact, they are already “stars”, you know. But after our show the bassist of COB came to the backstage and he said: “Hey guys, you must play one more song!” ;) But with the bands we played for as a direct support for example Dew-Scented, Darkest Hour we could speak some words and they seemed to be very cool guys! To play as a support for these bands is a great thing in our memory, we will never forget these possibilities.

Jessie: 2003 was a busy year for the band especially releasing the band 1st full length album under label of Metal Age Productions, what was that like doing an entire CD production for the 1st time under a label?
Balazs Toth: The great thing was that after so many years in underground somebody likes our music so much that they want to release it. It gave a plus power for the band I think. The band became very enthusiastic and everybody wanted to make the best what was possible. This was our first full-length CD so it was a real challenge for the band.
We can only thank everything for Metal Age they worked for us a lot, and it is touchable now, our name started to appear in magazines something we have always ever dreamt about.

Jessie: How would you describe CASKET GARDEN’s music?
Balazs Toth: It is very powerful, fast death/thrash music with tons of heartbreaking melodies of our deepest soul.

Jessie: CG seems to be influenced from doom metal bands and as well as Swedish Metal, do you think that the combo of these 2 add a certain spice to CG sound?
Balazs Toth: I don’t know :) We like these doomy kinds of melodies, and the killing kind of Swedish bands. We aren’t influenced by any “true” heavy metal bands so much. The melodies of doom bands for example old Anathema is much closer to our taste I think. It gives a special grief atmosphere to this thrash music as I feel.

Jessie: The band seems to be very emotional when words are concerned with the new release, anything that had to reflect upon that?
Balazs Toth: Of course I’m emotional, this record is very important for us. This, the first record we ever made…but finally I shit on other opinion to tell the truth, I like this music and we will do this until CG exists.

Jessie: Some reviews have labeled the band to be an At The Gates clone, what is your take to that since, in my opinion CG is nothing even remotely in sound to that bands style?
Balazs Toth: I have never denied that At The Gates is my god band :) So I have nothing against this “clone” label. It is hard to reach the dynamic level of that band. But when somebody says this I think he/she hasn’t listened to our record enough times…I think our music is more varied, more melodic, and more atmospheric.
If this “clone” label is very needed to speak out then I think we are similar to ATG’s Terminal Spirit Disease era. But I think that 5 songs are not enough to write a whole album from its riffs…:)

Jessie: The cover work seems to be an overall reflection to the album mood, was the cover art something that was inspired by CG sound?
Balazs Toth: I don’t know exactly. The designer of the label made it, and it is based on our lyrical conception as I know. He heard 3 songs from the album on the promotional CD, but I think the album title gave him the main idea for the color-using, the atmosphere and so on. I like this cover a lot.

Jessie: Can you better explain the lyrical concept for Song Of Tears? The line goes as follows is what caught my ear and attention. “And when I look back to the ancient, afraid of 1,000 hiding eyes, I have to run cause they, tear my soul apart, forgotten remains of the thought, I got to hide”.
Balazs Toth: This song is about memories. We have to hide sometimes from the present, but in our past there are some very painful things what can hurt. That’s all. The whole album is about escape from this corroded machine of the “normal society”.

Jessie: For this new album, I see that you write all the lyrics, do any of the other members give input to some of the song ideas?
Balazs Toth: Yes, I write the lyrics, so I made the concept of the album, but the musical part is not only my business. Of course the songs change a lot when it becomes its final form. Yes, the main theme comes from me usually, but the final song is real CASKET GARDEN work. I think that the musical part is much more important from the view of the atmosphere, so it must be a band-work to express the feelings from these 5 members.

Jessie: What are some of the band influences?
Balazs Toth: My main influences are At The Gates, Dismember, Entombed, Pantera, Ozzy Osbourne, Guns N’ Roses, Paradise Lost, Anathema. These bands were my absolute favorites when and why I started to play an instrument.

Jessie: What was the band trying achieve with the recording of this album?
Balazs Toth: We wanted to try to step out of darkness of Hungary. You know here is lack of possibilities for a band like ours. We wanted to make a step towards Europe, that’s why we wanted to make the best what’s possible. I would be glad if could reach a good underground status, it would be fine. I don’t want to live from music. I just want to play the shit what I like ;) It would be great to send some messages from Eastern Europe feelings. Metal Age Productions is a great partner in this.

Jessie: Music has a flow that for me makes this band a current favorite, was curious as to what type of musical gear CASKET GARDEN uses?
Balazs Toth: Musical gear? In live performances we use Marshall JCM 2000 DSL guitar amps, Pearl Drums, LTD, Gibson LP, Ibanez guitars, Fender bass. The record is recorded with Peavey 5150/II guitar amps, but with almost the same equipment.

Jessie: Why the name This Corroded Soul Of Mine to be the band’s album title?
Balazs Toth: This comes from one of the oldest CG songs An Ever Rounding Circle from the first demo. The lyrical theme of that song was the same, so we took this line for the title. Later I used it as a chorus part of the song Human Corrosive Disease.

Jessie: Favorite bands of the past?
Balazs Toth: At The Gates, Carcass, they’ve already split up. When I started this whole rock music thing my favorites were bands like Guns N’ Roses, Ozzy Osbourne. I learned a lot as musician from their great song structures.

Jessie: If CASKET GARDEN had the chance to play with any other bands, who would they be?
Balazs Toth: I would like to play with The Haunted, Carnal Forge, Dimension Zero or with Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society. I like his music and guitar playing a lot!!!

Jessie: If you were not in CASKET GARDEN where would you be?
Balazs Toth: I would be in The Haunted ;)

Jessie: Sorry to cut this short sweetie for I know you are busy. Thank you for your time and many bright blessings to you and the band with success in the future.
Balazs Toth: Thank you.

2/2004 © Jessie Gough • Casket Garden •