Shawn Lacanne is the one man death metal machine in charge of the gruesome Putrid Pile. How is that possible you ask? Well Shawn uses a drum machine and backing track while churning out the sickness on guitar and vocals of his juggernaut project. I caught up with him to discuss the pros and cons of being the only member of a band, his lyrical inspirations and the upcoming tour with Dying Fetus.
“Well I’ll start with the cons. It would be nice to come home and share stories with my boys in the band sometimes at practice or while were out on the town sometimes, it would definitely help live to have more people bouncing around to help people get into the show. It’s always helps the stage presence to have a bunch of crazy dudes running around head banging and getting the crowd into the music when checking out live performances. Some of the pros, I don’t have to compromise my music/art for anyone, I can practice whenever I want and whatever time of night or day of the week. I can do things at my leisure and that works for a person like me with a son at home and working full time as well. I’d love to have a full band crushing the stage and sharing the memories with me if I could find laid back but serious individuals, but I have four full lengths and two splits under my belt so safe to say I’ll probably be a one man band from here on out… maybe I’ll do something with members of other bands for some festival in Europe sometime in the distant future but for now I’ll have to keep this single car freight train rollin’!
The gore infused lyrics really push the boundaries of the whole genre and it’s interesting to see where the inspiration for the lyrics comes from. “Well probably bands like Cannibal Corpse and Lividity inspired me a bit although I never really read the lyrics but I could make out some things here and there. Horror movie, snuff films, true crime, stuff like that all intertwined I guess, fictional horror novels and anything I could think up that might offend someone or make someone say “eeewwwww” LOL! To be completely honest I don’t have much to say. I don’t go the religious or political route so that’s the next thing I’d guess. All I basically sing about is killing women and such and the macabre in that fashion, but my real person is far from that. All of that is just bullshit really. My heart is in the music. I don’t consider myself a lyricist or anything. I’m a guitar player first and foremost and that’s why I do all of this in the first place, just to travel the world and jam!!!”
Having four full length albums which are all so incredibly solid is something to be proud of. The consistency of each release is a testament to someone who really takes his art seriously and takes the time to get the best possible result. As the person who was responsible for the output of each of these discs, how would Shawn go choosing a favourite? Which one would it be if he had to choose? “I love them all for different reasons or they helped me in certain times of my life when writing them songs helped me through some tough times… but I would have to say to date my favourite album I wrote would have to be “Blood Fetish” I love this album because it’s all my albums wrapped into one and it’s the most mature disc I have written to date. There’s something in it for everyone who likes metal and I can’t get sick of it listening to it over and over again. The songs flow really well together and I have to say I believe I just keep getting more and more brutal with every new disc. Keeping my edge means a lot to me as I don’t want to get weak or disappoint the fans OR myself for that matter. If I wanted to sound different I would just start another band with the internet, it’s not hard to get the name out there so starting from scratch isn’t so bad these days. But I love the whole package of Blood Fetish. The artwork is my favourite, the layout is sick, the production is amazing and the songs are face-pounding!! Total package for sure for me… “Blood Fetish” all the way!!”
So with Putrid Pile coming to Australia for the first time, I was wondering if whether the one man wrecking machine would ever have thought he would make it all the way over here. “I knew I would but didn’t know when LOL! I’ve had an offer or two here and there before but always fell trough for some reason or another. Either on my end or theirs. But I knew in my quest for global domination I would touch foot on Australian soil one way or another!! That day has come and this whole package of everything that is going on with the Dying Fetus tour and playing New Zealand, four Australian dates and Hammersonic in Indonesia all in the same stint is a dream come true for me… I want to do all the tourist shit and see all I can and I might even steal a kangaroo and take him home with me and teach him to box!”
With the Dying Fetus and Putrid Pile imminent, this is a gig that no fan of brutal music is going to want to miss! This may just be the most brutal gig of the year and Shawn is looking forward to tearing this place up and putting on a show. “I can’t wait to see all of you!! I know it’s been a long time coming. Ive had fans from Australia since the Bleed For Me demo days and now I’m finally coming to drink all of your beer and make some wonderful memories with you! I want to see you all in the pit! Show me what you’re made of Australia!! I’ve been looking forward to seeing you for many years as well! I will see you soon! Let’s crush and be sure to tell your friends to come out and join you in a night of circle-pitting and bad decisions! Cheers everyone and I’ll see you all very soon! Thank you Heavy Magazine for the interview and awesome questions!
Thank you Shawn!
