by Michael Ballue
August 26th, 2005

One of the most praised heavy music releases this year on Hellride has been Thee Plague Of Gentlemen's Primula Pestis. Recalling prime Celtic Frost, early US hardcore and such diverse acts as Killing Joke and Chrome, TPOG refuse to be pigeonholed. Their brand of heaviness is true sonic alchemy. Hellride's Mike Ballue recently caught up with the tea-swigging Flemish foursome and discussed their sound, their creed and rape chases across the tundra.


Hellride Music: For the uninitiated, give us some TPOG history, including line ups and releases (and availability of those releases, if you please)

Steve .: Oh man, are you serious? I'll give ya the short version. If you want the full version, please check out our biography on our site. OK, so far we've had 10 members in 6 years. Stuff that still available would be the Primula Pestis CD/LP, a few copies left of the Dreams of How Life Could Have Been, comp CD, the Dark World comp CD, a few copies left of the 4 WAY split LP with Sloth, Wuzor & Dom and also literally a few copies left of the Southern Lord 7" I managed to get from our previous 2nd guitarist. All the rest is gone forever.

Hellride Music: While well loved by most traditionalists in the doom community, TPOG is definitely not limited to straight out traditional doom. In your words what makes the TPOG sound unique?

Steve .: No, we're definitely not. About sounding unique, well I don't know about that. I mean the metal influences are there obviously, ranging from 1967 till late 80s I guess. But there's much more going on that you wouldn't expect or necessarily hear such as Killing Joke, Melvins, Neu, Chrome etc & the aggression of old US HC bands like Negative Approach, SS Decontrol & Septic Death. Add to those ingredients Hatred, Frustration, Repulsion, Humour, Spirituality & Existentialism.. HEY PRESTO!! I guess you're only as "unique" sounding as to how obscure your influences are.

Hellride Music: TPOG took the brave step of crossing the pond for two festival shows and a small tour before your first full length was out. What was that like and what will be the next manifestation of that adventurous spirit?

Steve : Well, the first time when we came out to Dallas,Texas was just plain nuts. I mean, literally three weeks after 9-11 just to play ONE show, only to have technical difficulties on stage. Twas quite an eventful few days, they were. We did get to meet Gibby Haines's parents at Dallas airport on the way back, which was fun. Also the brawl I had with a former bassplayer on the parking lot after the fest, was funny too thinking about it. The second time (2002) was a whole different kettle of fish. We did about 6 shows with Iron Kind & Core of the Earth in Colorado, New Mexico & Arizona. Fantastic landscapes, Insane distances, my first beef jerky, pissing up a cactus at 7am somewhere in the New Mexico desert looking out over the vast plain of nothingness, whilst realizing I should have been at a job interview that day some 5000 miles away.

We're not really planning on playing the US again anytime soon. It's just too expensive for us to pay our own flights and the money you tend to get in the US (If at all),tends to be pretty dire. But we'll see what happens and y'all be the first to know over at Hellride. I'd love to play in a cave or a Psychiatric institution. That would be fun.

Hellride Music: Share with the Hellride community the most entertaining tour incidents thus far.

J.B.: Aah, now I like this question. OK, in no particular order:
- Seeing a former member put dish soap on his sandwich thinking it was spicy
olive oil & then proceeding to eat it.
- Driving 21 hours from Mesa, Arizona to Fort Collins, Colorado to play to 3 kids, who left during our first song.
- Making a crustie girl cry in the audience because of the volume and hiding
in her boyfriends arms (we have this on video!!)
- Verbally abusing the audience in Copenhagen, Denmark for their inability to
stand up from their tables.
- Watching Karl from Gates of Slumber spend 35$ on a Judas Priest CD in
Sweden, which he could get in the US for 15$ (with extra DVD) and then ending up not liking it.
- The Rape chase across the Tundra in Scandinavia.
- Falling flat on my face as we entered the stage at last years DOOM SHALL
RISE festival.
-The beauty of the UK.

Fred Caure: Steve, you forgot the goth girl that fainted on the front row when we were playing in Jena, that was an instant classic!

Hellride Music: How about having each of the current members give a description of their life outside the band and how that influences TPOG's sound?

Steve: Walk my dogs when I can, always looking for records be it at flea markets, Ebay etc. Hanging out with High friends in Low places. I like to eat out a lot. Visiting my local pubs/bars for hard sessions of tea drinking. I play guitar every day, even if its just playing along to records. Take my pills.The influences come from the subconscious things I witness and only pick up on later.

Fred: Well euh, I work, occasionally, as sound engineer, and furthermore, I spend my days listening to records, playing guitar and cooking French dishes.

Steven L.Q.W.: I'm a programmer for some health care institute here, not that it influences my way of making music in any way but hey it pays the bills. I do a lot of sports and play in a death metal band called Welkin. Movies and especially weird and disturbing movies are one of my interests too.

Hellride Music: Let’s talk about the TPOG writing process. How do you guys go about things and how has that changed over the years?

Steve: It hasn't really changed at all. For me, it usually starts with an idea or a song title. From there I try to unravel the essence of the title/idea and try to find the appropriate riffs/structures etc, that fit the mood or feel .I'm very fussy when it comes to composition/writing, that’s why we don't really write very fast.

Fred: The writing process is very slow, and Steve already gave one of the reasons: finding the fitting riffs, we don't want to end up our songs being a mix of 'some riffs'. And what Steve didn't dare to say is that we're a bunch of slow lazy motherfuckers too. But I prefer quality over quantity.

Hellride Music: How about your personal favorite TPOG song to date and why?

Steve: A new one we're working on now called "Never Breath Your Name Again" is turning out to be a fave. Plenty of tension & dynamics. Also like the way it’s currently being pieced together. Older songs? I'd go for "The Ocean Has No Sides", love playing it...nice feel, gets really heavy and it’s an odd one.

Fred: Yeah! Definitely “The Ocean Had No Sides”.

Steven: “Motown Misfortune” because the lyrics are so damn great and the song is just great to play. Although “The Ocean Has No Sides” is an instant classic too in my eyes.

Hellride Music: Give us your take on the heavy music scene in Belgium currently.

Steve: For slow heavy music? Fucking dire...Just sickening, uninteresting and full of people who haven't got a clue. It's depressing.

Fred: It's all about extreme black or death metal, so yeah, it's pretty boring indeed.

Steven: The scene here is a bit self-centered, but there are some highlights in my opinion. But in general they don't have a clue.

Hellride Music: What's the ultimate single gig and the ultimate full tour you'd like to do?

Steve: Single gig? To be able to play in my own house or in a subway station when its rush hour. Tourwise, i'd like to do tour with Melvins and have interesting excursions into town/local places of interest, before & after soundcheck.

Fred: I'd tour with anybody, but a kid's dream come true would be with Iron Maiden, for sure. And in a more realistic way, who knows, maybe with Obituary, I love that band!

Steven: Fred the male prostitute hahaha, I wouldn't tour with anybody. It has to be an interesting line-up in my eyes but Maiden would be an extremely wet dream come true.

Hellride Music: Having released on a few different labels, what would your advice for new bands just starting out be?

Steve: Release stuff yourselves, until someone comes along and pays you for it. Keeps you humble.

Fred: Do it yourself! that's all I can say...

Steven: It's hard to find a decent label but I Hate Records is just one of the greatest. The support is immense and the trouble they've gone through to satisfy our rock star needs is incredible hehehe.

Hellride Music: Looking back at life, if you're willing to share, what was the single best decision you've ever made and the single worst?

Steve: Best decision would be moving from the UK to mainland Europe, should had done that much earlier. Worst decision would be burning the blueprints of a genuine time machine as I was sure it would lead to mischief.

Hellride Music:
What's next for the mighty TPOG?

Steve: More rehearsals, songwriting and gearing up for a bunch of gigs in Germany, UK, Holland & playing a gig at a scrap yard for cars, which promises to be an eye-opener. Getting more shirts printed and finally getting my Les Paul Custom back from the store.

Fred: And finally the TPOG album on vinyl (or winyl for the Germans amongst us).

Hellride Music: Dare to dream, ideally what would be going on with TPOG 10 years from now?

Steve: Doing rainforest benefits with Sting and Tracey Chapman or dragging my homeless ass around some major city, picking up cigarette
butts, humming "Into The Crypt of Rays".

Fred: the only thing I'm concerned about is that I have long grey hair in 10 years... And maybe a grey beard also... As long as my Gibsons don't turn
grey....

Fred: Playing an acoustic set in damp clubs for beer and food, smelling bad and keeping on pursuing that rock 'n roll fantasy.


Purchase the CD or limited edition gatefold LP of Primula Pestis and the TPOG T-shirt at the Hellride Music Superstore

Download an MP3 of Greek Fire

Read the Hellride Music review of Primula Pestis

Visit the TPOG website at website at www.tpog.be and www.myspace.com/tpog

luciferburns

good interview. learned alot. will check out some releases now. thanks!

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do what tho wilt and harm none, shall be the whole of the law.

Doomcifer

Good interview. Even better band!

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With mind distracted, never thinking death is coming... To slave away on the pointless business of mundane life, and then to come out empty is a tragic error..

Ilivs

Steve = funniest wisecracks in Metal

"...Verbally abusing the audience in Copenhagen, Denmark for their inability to
stand up from their tables..."

Interestingy, we were faced with the exact same situation in Birmingham a couple of weeks ago, about 10 tables in the venue and not a soul standing.

What exactly was it you told them?

lordofslumber

Steve, I liked Angel of Retribution... .

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Kevin

I've already got alot o' those TPOG platters: subersive discs every one.

Karen and I were howling out loud at that soap and sandwich story.

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Now wait a minute, I can't change attitudes!