Interview with Steve Green

Interview With: Steve Green (Atrocious Abnormality and Comatose Music)
Interviewed By: Dave O’Gorman

AATR: When did you start out in music – the band, label, distro etc?

Steve: I have had a fascination with music for as long as I can remember. I was listening to metal bands like Ratt, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister and Iron Maiden back when I was probably 11 or 12 years old. As I got into my teenage years I started listening to a lot of punk and hardcore music since I was into the skateboarding scene. I would guess around 17 years old I got my first guitar and then started getting into a lot of thrash metal like Slayer, Sepultura, Dark Angel and Metallica. As the years passed I gradually got into heavier and more brutal music like Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Cancer and Morbid Angel. In the late 1990’s I discovered the underground death metal scene with bands like Skinless, Lividity, Malignancy and Devourment. And ever since then that has been my preferred style of death metal. I was in the band Lust of Decay which was formed in the late 1990’s and was active till 2007. In 2006 my other band Atrocious Abnormality was formed and is still active to this day. I started Comatose Music as a distro in 2001, and shortly after in 2002 decided to make it a record label. The first release for Comatose Music was ‘Infesting the Exhumed’ by Lust of Decay. And going into 2013 Comatose Music has released over 60 titles.

AATR: What release on Comatose are you most proud of?

Steve: That is such a hard question to answer, I am proud of every release on Comatose Music. Of course some releases stand out over others and have special meaning to me. Obviously the very first release was a very proud one for me personally because that started it all. Releasing the re-issue of ‘Fetish for the Sick’ by Lividity was an honor for me since that was one of the first really underground bands that I got into and was heavily influenced by. Working with Dehumanized now is also very awesome. Like I said, it is just impossible for me to say which release I am most proud of, I like them all! (it is incredible to have these guys back – even the mighty Dying Fetus saw fit to cover them on a recent History Repeats release).

AATR: What do you look for in a release for Comatose or the distro?

Steve: I basically just need to like the band to even be considered for release. I tend to seek out bands that are very active and available for touring, I think that is important.

AATR: How do you do it – you seem to give much better value than the big labels – buy 3 get 1 free?

Steve: That is just the way I do it… I have been doing that for many years and it seems to work for me. So I will keep doing it as long as it works.

AATR: When can we expect a new Atrocious Abnormality record Echoes of the Rotting came out in 2007 we are long overdue. Where will you record?

Steve: Yes, it is long overdue… but we are finally planning to record in Spring 2013 and should have the new CD released during the Summer months. It is still undecided where it will be recorded, but very likely at Sound Lab Studios in SC where we recorded Echoes of the Rotting.

AATR: Are you moving to guitar only and dropping vocals?

Steve: I would like to only play guitar because honestly I really do not like doing vocals anymore… but for now I will still be doing both guitar and vocals. Maybe someday we will find a vocalist though.

AATR: I note you play Blakhart guitars do you play a custom model? Could you not find what you wanted on the shelf?

Steve: Yes, and I really like the Blakhart Guitar… it plays very well for our fast and frantic style. I had a custom model built to serve my needs exactly. So it is perfect for me and I will probably get a second custom guitar built this Summer.

AATR: What is you amp set up?

Steve: I recently completed my Vader rig finally. I use two Vader 4×12 cabinets, a Vader Carnivore amplifier with a Decimator Noise Gate and a Boss Metal Zone pedal for extra EQ tweaking. Everything sounds amazing, I am very happy with my set up now.

AATR: How do you manage to juggle everything?

Steve: It is not easy, but I just work hard and have 100% dedication. That is how I have always done it and will continue to do it to maintain my success. Thanks to all of the supporters out there and thanks to you for doing this interview.

Thanks to Steve Green for doing this interview and all the killer music.