Heil to all metalheads crazy about times gone and good old school Death Metal.
Let me introduce King Stench, the frontman of a Dayton based death metal band Foul Stench.

Heil King! Congratulations with releasing The Bone. Could you introduce people working on this EP?

Hi. The disc line-up is Rotten Innards (lead guitar), Rotting Limb (bass), Stool Sample (drums) and me (vocals/guitar). We recorded this EP in 2006 and it saw the light on Ukragh Productions the next year.

By the way, how did an American band manage to be released on a Ukrainian label? Are you happy with your cooperation?

Edward, the Ukragh’s manager, is really cool, I met him on myspace and he invited us to join his label and we greatly appreciate everything he has done for us. He is very dedicated to his bands and to his family. Thanks to him, our EP is getting nation wide distribution and can be found through many labels and distributors!

OK. Let us return to the beginnings. How did Foul Stench start?

It all started in 1990. The first line-up of the band was Rotting Limb (bass), Smushed Cranium (drums) and me (vocals / guitar).

Whose idea was that to create the band?

Me, Smushed Cranium and Rotting Limb played in a punk / metal band before Foul Stench, called Killust and so did Rotten Innards. After departing Killust, Smushed, Limb and me decided to start our own band. We were going to get another person to take over vocals, but Smushed and Limb just told me to sing since I did backing vocals in the other band, so I was chosen and soon after we called the band Foul Stench and it was on!

But why did you pick this name?

When Rotting Limb came up with the name, I laughed my ass off and actually thought it was silly, but after sleeping on it and thinking about it, I woke up in the middle of the night laughing so hard that I told the guys the next day that we were Foul Stench, and have been ever since!

I see, heh. What was Foul Stench like those days?

When we first started , we played a few originals and a few cover tunes from Celtic Frost, Bathory, Venom, Black Flag, M.O.D. We practiced in a warehouse, partied and jammed almost everynight. Back then we had a shitty p.a. so I had to yell just to hear myself over the band (it helped my vocals in the long run).We played many shows in town and a few out of town.

You mentioned quite a few bands you covered, did they influence Foul Stench in any way?

Yes, we were very much influenced by these bands plus a little punk and hardcore.

I see. And when did your first release come?

Years went by and Rotting Limb (bass) left the band. Foul Stench didn't stop, in 1993 we hooked up with Rotten Innards (guitar / lead), long time friend of ours. Innards knew a bass player, Bone Shrapnel, who also joined us. So we started writing and playing shows again. This time we went in the studio and self released our first demo, Jizmark, a 4-song cassette. It went over very good and we managed to get it distributed nation wide, in Romania, Japan , Germany, etc. and even got on a few compilations also.
But, that line-up was short lived and Innards and Bone Shrapnel left us. So we picked up where we left off and our original bass player, Rotting Limb climbed back on board. In 1994 we released a 6-song demo Original Recipe on cassette and were able to get it distributed nation wide also. And we lasted another year and released Filth demo in 1995 and released it also.
Then in 1996 Foul Stench hooked up with Dude (guitar) and recorded the K.S.P. demo. Things fell apart for a while. We went into hiatus for almost 10 Years. I tried to get it going a couple times with different members but it didn't last. Finally, in 2005 I contacted Innards, Rotting Limb, and Smushed Cranium, started it back up. Things sounded GREAT at first but then drummer started showing up to fucked up to even play and it was a waste of time, so we had to replace him. His replacement was Stool Sample a.k.a. drummer from Decay, Michael Harris. So we started writing again and in 2006 recorded our first e.p. The Bone.

Are you planning to release anything else soon?

Of course, we are still writing and have a full length to be released soon. Plus in 2008 a full length recording Foul Stench / The Beginning 1993-1996 was released on the Chinese label Areadeath Productions. It includes all the classics: JizMark, Original Recipe, Filth, K.S.P. and a few unreleased songs from 1995.

So, what can we expect of Frozen?

Correction, we are calling the new album Eternal Rot instead of Frozen. This album is a lot darker and is a lot more intense, Die hard fans will love it!

There was a 10-year pause in the band activity. What caused it and what did the band members do during that period?

Our 10-year hiatus was because of personal reasons and a friend’s death, which made me not want to play Death Metal. Everyone went their own way and experimented with classic rock, blues. Innards played in a blues band and a few metal bands and I played in a cover band for many years, playing everything from Beatles to Alice in Chains and Black Sabbath. But as the time went by I realized that my heart was Metal / Thrash and people were contacting me and wanted to hear Foul Stench. So I made it happen.

I’m sorry. Now your texts are quite funny. Does your lyrics reflect your views, or is it a kind of being cool in certain circles?

It's not about being cool and my lyrics don't reflect my views. I just like to write about Sex, Metal and Drugs!

OK, and who is the main composer/lyrics author?

I write alot of the music and lyrics and Rotten Innards will also write some of the music and lyrics too. The whole band helps to compose!

What’s your attitude towards the fashion trends in the metal music?

I really don't care about trends anymore.

OK. And what about playing live, do you play frequent gigs nowadays?

We rarely play out, especially in our home town. We just like to write and record.

I can’t understand. You mentioned the band’s playing live a lot in the beginning, but not often now, could you explain the reasons of such a change?

In the beginning, music was our life, but now, we have families, mortgages, houses, children, support, debts. If we decided to tour, we would have to make enough money to cover every member’s expenses and that's fucking lot! The clubs we've played in, don't pay shit! Don't get me wrong, maybe one of these years we'll tour. Music is still our life, a curse, and we will always be putting out Heavy Ass c.d.'s for our fans! Brutal for life!

Speaking of families, d’you have life partners, what are their attitudes toward your music and your being into music? What are you in the life outside the music, anyway?

In the time free of music, I am a carpenter. I have been married for 10 years. My wife supports me and my music 100 % and our drummer’s wife supports him 100 %. We do not have problems of misunderstanding, fortunately.

Well, a step way from the music. When will your website recover from a hacker attack?

Yes the fucking Hacker, Fuck him! Don't know, hacker owns the sight now. Probably wants us to buy it back. Fuck that. The company we used to access our sight didn't have any security, so we got fuck’d ! So our official site is on myspace.

Yeah, fuck the hackers! And what are your plans for near and more distant future?

To write as many brutal albums, c.d's, as we can. We love to write. Playing music is a curse and we like to express ourselves through it!

And a personal question, if you don't mind. I've heard that you have Slavic roots, do you?

Well, my father comes from Latvia, where there is a large Slavic population, so it seems probable.

OK. Thank you very much for this interview. Would you like to say anything to metal fans?

Hails to all of our fans. Thank you for all the band support! Cheers from King Stench.

Quercus