Ben: Could you just inform us of the current VILE line-up and how everyone is settling into life with the band and the preparation for the upcoming tours.
Colin: To tell you the truth, the line up is being formed now. I have an entire line up but I don’t really want to announce it yet because we have yet to play together. We will do a few shows at the end of the year together and then I’ll confirm the line up when I know it’s solid. I can tell you though that everyone involved is a really dedicated musician and professional. VILE will always be a band to be reckoned with!

Ben: With the line-up problems VILE have gone through in the past, was there any point where you thought about calling it a day?
Colin: Not at all. I never considered it. Actually I did think about what life would be like, but the thing is that I’m not done creating music. And death metal is what I am best at as a musician. So I have to live with the pains.

Ben: The imminent release of your great new album is upon us festering metal types, The New Age Of Chaos on Listenable Records, how’s the feeling in the band at the moment after creating the album? You guys excited?
Colin: Well I can tell you that I am very excited. I think this music is the best of what I have learned up to now. It’s the most refined music VILE has released to date. True to the style of the band but also much more dynamic than before. I feel it’s going to go a long way out there in the ‘sea’ of mediocre death metal music. I don’t mean to be arrogant, but you know what I’m saying.
Ben: Sure do Colin! It’s nice to see some new ‘breath’ in the old beast!

Ben: I really enjoyed listening to the new album, as I enjoy the old material still. Would you say the new album is the best thing VILE has created? Are there any of the old songs that still give you ‘the rush’ when you play them now?
Colin: I won’t say it’s the best VILE album. That depends on you the listener. Each of the 3 albums is a different take on the VILE style. Each album has its own unique vibe and I like them all. But I feel that the new album is a big evolution for the band musically.

Ben: Colin, I know you are the core of VILE and have been since the inception of the band. Do you find it hard to produce and record something that is clearly special to you? I.e. Knowing when to say “Enough…it sounds great! I’m going home now!”
Colin: Yes I think that me being a producer/engineer does make it hard to create and finish these albums. But I would rather have it this way than to depend on outsiders. I can control the quality 100 percent this way.

Ben: What with writing, producing and generally being accountable for the band, do you feel any pressure in being the ‘main man’ in VILE or do you revel in the role?
Colin: Well it’s not that I ‘revel’ in it. Do you revel in your job or in your hobbies? It’s what I do. I don’t even think about it. There is tons of pressure on me, but if I want to make sure everything comes out best, is there any other way? If I had a partner that cared as much about it as I do, it would be nice I think. But since I don’t, I don’t.

Ben: There are some brilliant licks and solos on the new record, some that actually made me fall in love with extreme metal again! In regards to writing material for the band, do you ever feel like your going over the same ground when you write a new record?
Colin: Well you do to a degree. It’s natural for one person to write music that is in the same style as what he has created in the past. But it’s also necessary to progress in some definite direction. That’s what I was aiming for. This album is notably different from our other releases. It’s got several completely different influences. Let me name them. First, there is a black metal guitar chord and vocal influence now. Also, most of the songs had the drums pre written by 3 different drummers. So when our studio drummer, Tyson Jupin recorded the tracks, he pulled influences from other drummers as well. Jack Gibson of Exodus recorded the bass tracks and he has a distinctive sound and style that lends great grooviness to the songs. Juan’s vocals are clearer now and you can understand his words quite well. His vocal performances are amazing. His vocals on this album are among the best in death metal I think. People who like David Vincent, Ross Dolan, George ‘Corpsegrinder’ Fisher and Jason Avery will love his vocal delivery. Also the songs are all very different from each other but the entire album does have a coherent vibe. All these things really add up to a definite new direction, so I hope that answers your question!!

Ben: With some great tours under your belt, the Deeds Of Flesh tour for one must have been a real metalfest! A European trek also happened, are we going to see VILE hit the UK in support of this album? Any places you’d love to revisit this time around? Any really memorable shows?
Colin: The Deeds tour was years ago, I think we did two with them actually. Great fun. This album will get more touring than other releases. I feel like VILE has always been held back by the personal lives of the other members. I want to really get the band out there more from now on. So yes, the UK will always be a stop for us in the future. All shows are good for us in Europe and I remember France kicked major ass for us in 2003.

Ben: How do you see VILE fitting into the current climate of metal as a whole, what with mediocre copycat Metalcore bands and ‘other’ uninspiring metal acts owning a fair market share, you guys CLEARLY are better than all that nonsense! Any thoughts on the state of the worldwide ‘scene’?
Colin: There has always been mediocre music around everywhere. But the difference is that now, with audio technology, every one of those bands has an album and they are selling it! So you have a “Sea” of shit. Of course you have the classic old time bands. And you have some really killer new bands like Necrophagist, Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth, Hate Eternal, etc. But I am liking less and less of new death metal truthfully.I think there is an issue where brutal bands always want to be brutal, so they get boring. I wish talented bands would be more concerned with being original, or inventive and of course trying to understand what a ‘song’ is.

Ben: What bands at the moment catch your ear and make you think “Damn…those guys are good…”?
Colin: Ok, those bands I just mentioned do. And there are others here and there. But what I’m listening to this past week is Tool, Nine Inch Nails, Necrophagist, Alas and Old Man’s Child.

Ben: Any final words to VILE fans out there?
Colin: Well of course we will see you on tour! Well be in Europe with Impaled in the spring of 2006. Well do US before or after that. Then Europe at the end of 2006 again.

Ben: Thanks for your time and I hope to see you guys in the UK real soon!
Kiddies, Watch out for Colin and the crew at a venue near you soon, stay metal!