If you don’t dig deep into the demos reviewed in our print edition you will miss many gems. Case in point: Boddicker‘s nasty little album Crime Upheaval, which reminded us of classics like World Downfall and Misery Index with Brujeria theatrics. Boddicker is actually the name of the villian in the original Robocop so there’s another reason for intrigue.
Your truly actually didn’t know about the Detroit band until Bonazelli sent a link requesting that I check them out. And he hates almost everything, so it’s quite an endorsement The Deciblog tracked down “Clarence” Boddicker for a Q&A; he also agreed to let us share the album. “We wanted to make something pulverizing and terrorizing,” he says. “We wanted something mean sounding that is filled with crime, anarchy and filth. We’re just a good time outlaw rock and roll band with blastbeats.”
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How did the band come together?
Roughly two years ago. We were all members of the black market. We worked in liquor stores and sold guns and drugs and decided we wanted to be in a band. We met through the underground going to shows and through other nefarious criminal activity.
So those guns in the press photo are very much real?
Yes. We stole them and don’t really don’t know what the fuck they are. We just took over a gun store and grabbed them.
And Boddicker is a nod to your Robocop fandom?
It’s a way of life.
Did you see the remake?
I’m not paying for that bullshit.
I saw it for free on an airplane.
Did you get paid for it afterward?
Was there any musical chemistry or was it just criminal?
Three-fourths of the guys were in a sludge band for a little bit. That went away after a while, sort of fell apart. Basically, the guitarist moved and didn’t have his own shit so it didn’t go anywhere. We decided we wanted to do something filthy and gross and that’s where we came up with Boddicker. We were influenced by 80s UK grind and crust, old school death metal and powerviolence. I think Eyehategod is one of the few things we all agree upon.
Listening to the album I pick up a Terrorizer and Assuck vibe.
I’m glad you said that. A lot of the shit we get is that we sound like Nails. And that’s fine because they are great, but that’s not really where we are coming from. So thank you for getting it. Obviously, if we got an offer for a split or a tour with them we’d totally jump on it.
What’s the worst comparison you’ve received?
Well, nothing has driven us nuts because no one has said anything shitty. But it’s like some people don’t get it. Our first demo reviewed in Decibel got compated to Man Is The Bastard, Infest and Spazz. And it’s just like — those three bands don’t sound anything alike? I wouldn’t say that’s where we’re coming from but it’s all subjective.
The more underground you get the more you are lumped in with bands that presumably influenced you.
Absolutely. Everyone is guilty of doing that — I am. But we just need to roll with it. The point I want to make is that we come from old school influences. I don’t want people to think we just heard some Trap Them or Nails and started a band. I think the next time we’ll rip off Bolt Thrower’s guitar tone or something.
I love that in one of your splits (with Kata Sarka) you have a weighlifter combined with a black metal face.
Dude, that’s David Lee Gorgoroth!
Who is he?
This guy was working at a pizza place and a dude told him: “You are so grim but you are a total rocker. You are David Lee Gorgoroth.” It was just an inside joke that took a life of its own.
The guy is pretty jacked.
(Laughs). It’s just David Lee Roth’s body combined with black metal facepaint.