One of the best grindcore bands ever. Answers by Victor Garcia (R.I.P).
First of all, I’d like to ask why you decided to bring EXCRUCIATING TERROR back together.
Martin and I had talked about it several times over the years and had always considered bringing ET back. This time it finally happened! We figured it would be cool to return. We’d been talking about it for years, and now it finally became a reality.
Why now?
We felt that bringing back this old-school style could inject some fresh energy into today’s scene. We also wanted to give people who had never seen us live the chance to finally experience EXCRUCIATING TERROR.
Your first reunion show was a tribute to Jesse Pintado. Had you received reunion offers before that tribute show?
Many times!
Jerry Flores (now in BLOODY PHOENIX) repeatedly stated that ET was dead and would never reunite. What changed? Did you try to get the original line-up back together, including Jerry?
I think Jerry was only speaking for himself. That was simply his opinion. Of course I asked him if he wanted to be part of the reunion, but he declined. I respect his decision, but Martin was and still is an original member as well.
What’s your opinion on reunions in general? And how has the response to your own reunion been so far?
I think they’re great. They give people from different generations the opportunity to finally see one of their favorite bands live. For us it has been an incredible experience, and we’re truly grateful to everyone who came out and supported us.
So who’s in the band these days? EXCRUCIATING TERROR seems to have connections with STAPLED SHUT and NAUSEA, right? I also know you sang on the NAUSEA demo.
Martin Alvarado plays drums. He also drums in STAPLED SHUT. Marden („Shorty“) plays guitar and is also in VULVA ESSERS. I’m Victor Garcia, and I also sing in ENDLESS DEMISE.
Yeah, we’re all friends and we’ve known each other for quite a while. Vito Tagliente, the guitarist of ENDLESS DEMISE, played in NAUSEA for a while and asked me if I’d record vocals for two NAUSEA songs.
Do you remember Dino Cazares (FEAR FACTORY)? I know he was in the band briefly and only played one show. In one interview he said: „They (ExTx) had no work ethic. I wanted to be in the music business and make it my career…“
Yeah, we kicked him out after that one show. None of us wanted to change our style into something resembling what he later did with FEAR FACTORY, and we didn’t even want to hear about it. There was some tension in the band after that gig, so we let him go immediately.
Could you comment on your discography?
It’s a long history of emotions and hatred captured at different moments in time.
Are you planning to record any new material? What’s the goal of EXCRUCIATING TERROR today?
Maybe. But we’re definitely not planning to reinvent ourselves—we’ll stick to our own style.
Our goal is to play in every major city around the world and perform all of our songs.
But you never really toured back in the day. Why? Could we ever see a European tour?
Martin used to have a serious fear of flying, so it never happened. Now it seems he’s willing to give it a try, so we’ll see. Definitely not any long tours, but we might do a few festivals.
How did you get into the grindcore scene in the first place?
I met Raul and Martin in eighth grade, and we became friends. At the time I was into the classics—thrash, punk, and death metal. I’d been listening to metal since I was eleven. I joined EXCRUCIATING TERROR after Armando Morales left the band. Jerry Flores joined us about six months after I did.
EXCRUCIATING TERROR never released anything through a major label. Would you have accepted an exceptionally good offer?
We received plenty of offers from major labels, but we turned every single one down because we wanted to make music on our own terms.
How does it feel playing large festivals? After all, you used to play tiny venues, and I remember you always wanted the lights turned off during your shows…
I still ask for the lights to be turned off. That’s simply my personal preference.
It’s amazing to feel the energy from the crowd. That’s what I missed the most about EXCRUCIATING TERROR, and every festival we’ve played since coming back has given that feeling back to us in an incredible way.
Why have your lyrics never been printed with your releases? Are they important to you?
Absolutely. Lyrics are extremely important to me. That’s exactly why I’ve chosen to keep them locked inside myself instead of sharing them with everyone. But if people really wanted to read them, I wouldn’t mind making them available.
Your records have always had a brutally raw sound. Do you ever plan on taking advantage of modern digital studios?
Never! Rawness and brutality are exactly what our sound needs.
What do you remember about the Los Angeles grindcore scene in the ’90s?
There really wasn’t much of a grindcore scene in Los Angeles back then. There were only a handful of bands. At that time everyone was playing death metal.
I once read a blog about your L.A. shows claiming your gigs had the most violent mosh pits around. Apparently people at Gilman were actually afraid of your shows, and you were considered the most hated band there.
Every time we played in Berkeley it was completely insane. Kids are much more disciplined these days—they don’t beat each other up like they used to. But looking at all of our recent shows, every single one has had incredible energy.
How would you compare being in EXCRUCIATING TERROR now to what it was like fifteen years ago?
We’re much more mentally stable now. Fifteen years ago I was in a very different place mentally. Now we’re just enjoying one last ride.
So why did the band split up back then?
Martin started making hip-hop beats for DROPZONE. I stepped away from the scene for about six years. When I came back, Vito and I started ENDLESS DEMISE.
What can you tell us about ENDLESS DEMISE? To me it’s outstanding grindcore, and your vocals have become instantly recognizable.
We’ve released several recordings in different formats. Right now we’re working on new material, and we’re planning to release it during 2016. Thanks!
So what do you do for a living?
I work in the heating and air-conditioning business.
How do you like living in Los Angeles?
Actually, I just moved. I live in Las Vegas now. I simply couldn’t stand the traffic in L.A. anymore.
What does grindcore mean to you? And thanks a lot for the interview—I wish you all the best.
Grindcore is a huge part of my life, but it doesn’t define who I really am.