When I heard the new Negative Prayer release called “Self // Wound, which was some great death metal/punk, I quickly got in touch with guitar player/singer Kyle House for this chat…
Where did you grow up and did you come from a big or smaller family?
Kyle: I grew up moving a lot, mostly West Coast, New Mexico, and Arizona. I am the second oldest of 6.
Did you listen to a lot of music growing up?
Kyle: I got into music at the age of 7. My older cousin made me a tape with AC/DC on one side and Devo on the other. I listened to music constantly. My first vinyl was the first Black Sabbath album. There was a record store in Berkeley, CA where I lived from 1980-1984 that would let you rent records for a couple of bucks and I would tape them.
When did you discover the world of heavy metal? What were some of the 1st bands you heard and are you still a fan of those bands today?
Kyle: AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Motley Crue, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, especially Screaming for Vengeance! I’m still a fan of most.
When did you discover the wonderful world of underground metal? Did you take to it right away or did it take a few listens and then you were hooked? What were some of the early bands you heard and are you still fans of those bands today?
Kyle: When I was 10 I had a tape of D.R.I’s Dirty Rotten e.p. and Suicidal Tendencies’ first album. I loved how fast they were. 12 was when started getting into underground metal and punk and going to local shows. Venom, Celtic Frost, Kreator, Septic Death, Slayer, Metallica, Bad Brains, Cro-Mags, the Accüsed, C.O.C, Attitude Adjustment, Crass, Rudimentary Peni, Neurosis, Christian Death, Fang, were some of many records I listened to. I still love those records.
Now what made you want to pick up the guitar? Who are some of your favorite guitar players and how would you rate yourself as a guitar player?
Kyle: Angus Young for sure when I was 9, I got a knock-off SG but didn’t put in the time to learn. When I was 12 my older brother split a Peavey Mantis and I started practicing and learning. Metallica and Slayer were my biggest inspirations. I got a bass and mostly played bass for the next 20 years. Neurosis, Nomeansno, Rudimentary Peni, Bauhaus, Christian Death, Misfits, and the Damned (Algy Ward and Paul Gray) were big influences on bass.
I pull influences from a lot of different guitar players, Rick Agnew’s guitar on ‘Only Theatre of Pain” is beyond inspired. Nick Blinko from Rudimentary Peni. Tom G Warrior. Bones from Discharge. Piggy from Voivod. Tony Iommi.
I think of myself as a songwriter more than a guitar player. I have enough skill to play what I write but I’m a really lazy guitar player. I only pick it up to write.
I know you were in the band Acephalix for a while and you are also in a couple of other bands at the moment, but how did the coming of Negative Prayer come together, and why another band?
Kyle: Decrepisy had just formed at the end of 2019. Covid hit and shows stopped. We recorded our first album during lockdown but couldn’t play live. I wrote most of the Negative Prayer songs after that. I was playing them with my roommate and another guy for a while but it wasn’t coming together. I asked Charlie if he wanted to play drums and record it. At first, it was 3 songs. Then we did another 3 song session. It was so close to an album so I wrote a couple more and we learned the Misfits cover.
The short answer is I love Crust and D-Beat and was inspired.
Was it understood early on you would be doing the vocals for this band?
Kyle: When I was playing with my roommate he was going to sing. By the time it came to recording, I had written most the lyrics and had the vision for the concept. I tried to just shout more like a D-Beat band but it was sounding weak so I just sang what felt natural. More guttural brutality. (it came out fantastic-Chris)
Now how long was the band around before you put out your self-titled EP last year? Now how do you write songs for Negative Prayer to make sure they don’t sound like your other bands?
Kyle: We formed and recorded at the end of 2020. Took a couple of years to get the EP out.
I think the emphasis on D-Beat style riffs, and more traditional arrangements differentiates it from Decrepisy. Decrepisy might have 7 riffs before anything repeats. I think Negative Prayer has more Swedish Hardcore Influences. Also, Charlie didn’t use any double kick and kept the drums intentionally punk.
When did you guys start working on the incredible “Self // Wound”, which I just reviewed? Was it easy getting the songs together? How long were you in the studio?
Kyle: The EP and album were all recorded at the same time. I think it was 4-5 days total.
Who writes the lyrics? Who came up with the name and logo for the band?
Kyle: I wrote the lyrics, or they wrote me. A lot of the time lyrics I write seem to make more sense later. Or I have an intense experience in my life and they make more sense, almost prophetic.
Negative Prayer is a concept I’ve been thinking about for years. The idea is that what we think say and do are prayers. So what am I thinking about most of the time? Learning to identify Negative thinking as a prayer helps me realize it’s up to me to clean up my thought life if I don’t like the results. It’s also like a righteous Fuck you to the hand that starves. The systems that oppress.
Steven Van Asch from Seed of Doom designed the logo.
How did you find Chaos Records? Did you find them or did they find you?
Kyle: Johnny from Decrepisy had worked with Victor from Chaos on a release. He suggested we contact Victor for the CD release of Emetic Communion in Mexico. The rest is history. This is my 3rd release on Chaos.
Any possible live shows?
Kyle: Hopefully this year. I have been sick from the COVID-19 vaccine since May of 2021. It’s been a brutal couple of years of health issues. I’m looking forward to playing live again.
How hard is it for you to juggle all your bands and make sure they don’t sound the same?
Kyle: When I was doing Vastum and Acephalix and we shared 3 members and songwriters that was more of an issue. Although there are some similarities as in most Death Metal I think they stand on their own. The drummers in those bands play so differently that it greatly distinct them.
At the moment I just finished recording the new Decrepisy and have been writing and demoing hopefully for a new Acephalix album. I have a more Goth, Industrial project called MURDER//MEAT that is bass, drum machine, and vocals. All so different so there’s not much wondering what riff or song goes in what band.
Please plug any social media sites where people can pick up this fantastic new release, which is a fuckin must in my book.
Kyle: NegativePrayer.bandcamp.com @negative_prayer
Kyle, horns up for doing this chat, best of luck with everything, any last words to say to wrap this up?
Kyle: Thank you for your support and time.
