Another day, another profile! Today we’re proud to feature the veteran death metal/slam crew out of Long Island Internal Bleeding. Having just released their seventh album last month through Maggot Stomp, Settle All Scores, and on the cusp of a trio of shows celebrating that album’s release, the timing couldn’t be better to give this thing some attention. Packed with heavy riffs and catchy grooves, their latest effort takes on an entirely new form of aggression. Chris Pervais (guitars) stepped in and answered our Profile questions to share a little more about this project and album. Give that a read, hit play, and if you happen to be in the New York area check out one of their record release shows coming up. Catch ya next time!

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How and when did you first get into playing music, or metal more specifically, and how did your band get its start? Any pushback from family/those close to you?

I first got into playing music when I found a beat-up guitar and a reel-to-reel tape recorder in a drainage ditch (we call them “sumps” on Long Island) around 1981. I figured out how to use the reel-to-reel as an amp, got new strings for the guitar, and I was on my way to making noise. I didn’t get serious with guitar until the late 80s, and from there I started a series of bands, which eventually led to the formation of Internal Bleeding in 1991.

At first, I didn’t get any pushback from my family, because I had a stable job and was doing all the “right things.” However, when I started ditching work to play shows and travel, I began to receive pushback from my mother and father.

Funny thing, though, fast forward 20 years or so since Internal Bleeding began, and my parents ended up being impressed with all the countries I had traveled to and all the great things this music scene has allowed me to do. I think it’s because my parents lived a very ‘normal’ life and probably wished they had done the things I have managed to do.

How would you describe your band and what you play to someone who is completely in the dark?

We play extreme metal/death metal that is incredibly groovy and full of hooks. Our songs are memorable, with catchy choruses and plenty of heaviness.

Is there anything about your latest album or about your band that no one will find in any interview or review that you care to divulge?

All the guitar tracks were recorded with a 45 year old guitar.

Any funny stories from playing shows / tours / festivals, etc?

I have a million funny stories; it would take a book to explain them all. I’ll give you one example. We had finished a European tour, it was a long grind, about a month, and we finally returned home to JFK Airport. After passing through customs and making our way to the train to reach the parking lot where our van was, we ended up getting stuck in an elevator for two hours.

During those two hours, a woman began panicking, and everyone else in the elevator started freaking out, except for my two bandmates and me.

The fire department finally arrived, and what made this story amusing is that the team that showed up was the crew from my drummer’s fire department house. They looked at us and started laughing. We started laughing. We explained to the woman who was freaking out why we were laughing, and she finally started laughing.

What do you see as some of the great things happening in and around the metal scene (yours or just in general) and what are some of the worst things happening right now?

On the “great” side, over the past 3-4 years shows have been getting bigger and more exciting; it’s really been a great thing to experience. On the “worse” side, attention spans as far as the life of an album is concerned, about 10 minutes.

Most folks have passions for a cause or causes that are close to them. What, if any, are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you / your band and how do you insert those issues into your music?

I have many issues that I care about and express them through music and lyrics. However, I don’t like to discuss these issues because I’d rather the listener take what they can from what I have written. If you tell people what a song is about, it will taint their personal interpretation of the song.

Do you have day jobs or hobbies you want to share?

We all work since music doesn’t pay the bills. Our drummer manages a Domino’s, our other guitarist is the manager of a nightclub, our vocalist owns a woodworking shop, our bassist is in the retail industry, and I own an advertising/web development business. As for hobbies, I am a muscle car enthusiast and own a 1968 Plymouth Barracuda. I enjoy spending my free time driving and working on it.

What advice do you have for music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?

Music critics need to truly understand a band before writing about it. I have seen hundreds of reviews of my band, and a good deal of them are from people who have spent no time trying to understand us. On the other hand, people who try to understand the band and have legitimate criticisms grounded in that understanding can be very valuable, and are a great benefit to the scene.

Any specific long term goal(s) in mind?

Survive till retirement lol. Other than that, I can happily say I have reached most of the goals I have been striving for all my life. I have a few more, but time will tell if I can reach them!

When you’re not obsessing over your own material, what are some of your favorite albums to listen to currently?

Always and forever Black Sabbath’s first 5 albums, along with anything by the band VAST, and a lot of bebop Jazz, such as Charlie Parker.

What is the near future outlook for you or your band? Any specific events on the horizon that the masses should be aware of?

Outlook is good! Have some touring coming up and will be in Europe in April and August. I am really looking forward to those trips!

Summarize your band in one word.

Monstrous.

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Many thanks to Chris and Internal Bleeding for the time!

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Settle All Scores is out now through Maggot Stomp. For more information on Internal Bleeding head over to their website.