Page 14 - Metal Hammer Issue 334 - UK (May 2020)
P. 14
Venom Prison’s frontwoman
owes it all to those Crazy,
Crazy Nights
WORDS: RICH HOBSON
“I GREW UP in Russia in the 90s so I remember listening
to tapes and records my parents had. KISS was one of my
favourites as a kid – my parents would play them all the time. When I was 16 I discovered straight edge. Being vegan at
I Was Made For Loving You is a classic. Later I started listening the time as well, finding a band like EARTH CRISIS reflected
to things through my sister; she was a huge NIRVANA fan and something I strongly believed in and Firestorm is their anthem,
also had records by bands like The Prodigy. Nirvana seemed one of the hardest straight edge songs you’ll ever hear.
quite exotic because they were playing stuff we’d never heard Continuing with the hardcore stuff, DOWN TO NOTHING
before, rebellious music in a place where there wasn’t much are also one of my favourite bands in both straight edge and
rebellion; I think that’s why metal became so big in Russia. wider hardcore. I always loved them live, moshing about and
We moved to Germany when I was 10 and I’d stay up late stage diving to this incredible music – it means a lot to me.
(especially on weekends) watching all kinds of music and The first time I heard You Suffer by NAPALM DEATH I was
anime shows like Cowboy Bebop on MTV. After midnight they’d LISTEN like, ‘What the fuck?’ and ended up going back and playing it
play Slipknot, Korn and Limp Bizkit – the first time I saw NOW over and over again. For a band with such a political message
SLIPKNOT’s Wait And Bleed my mind was blown. It was like and a band that mean so much, You Suffer is a song that speaks
Listen to Larissa’s
watching a horror movie, but so much cooler. It was a defining mix at tinyurl.com/ for itself; you don’t need lots of words or long instrumentals
point; here was something I was picking for myself, not LarissaSlaylist to let people know exactly how you feel about something and
because somebody else got me into it. I’d be hanging out with what’s happening in the world. Our old drummer brought
my best friend at the time singing and jumping along to the DRAGGED INTO SUNLIGHT to me and I was blown away.
music; when other girls were singing along to Britney Spears Seeing them live was a strange experience, because even
with a hairbrush, we were doing it to Slipknot and Linkin Park! though I loved them on record live they translated so much
As I became a teenager I got more into DIY culture through better with the visuals, the lights and the strobes making it
punk and hardcore, going to anti-fascist protests. I was utterly captivating – I couldn’t move from my spot!
hanging out with people who were more politically involved LIL PEEP is another act that combined genres to define
and started developing my own sense of ideology, so himself and what he was. It turned into a sad story about this
DISCHARGE were an enormous discovery. There were a lot lost boy who got successful with music that he loved doing
of squats around at the time so people would just put shows and working on, then died aged 21 just as that music started
on; I also used to put shows on myself and got involved in blowing up. Suffering with depression myself it was good to
the culture, especially as big bands didn’t often play near see that somebody else has felt this way and that people also
my hometown and I really wanted to hear live music. connected to that through his music. A lot of these new artists
HATEBREED were one of the bands that defined metal and are young, but they’re redefining rap and trap by speaking
hardcore for me. They combined all the things I loved; they’re about their struggles with mental health, drug addiction and
incredible and I still love them today. We’re going on tour how it destroys their lives, but they also can’t stop doing it.
with them and Parkway Drive and that’s such a big dream It’s not common – especially for men – to speak about their
come true – songs like I Will Be Heard are just fucking brutal. emotions, so it’s amazing that there are all these people
looking to redefine this music and make it more relatable.”
“THEY LIKED BRITNEY. SAMSARA IS OUT NOW VIA PROSTHETIC. PRESS/JAKE OWENS
I LIKED SLIPKNOT” VENOM PRISON SUPPORT PARKWAY DRIVE
AT WEMBLEY ARENA ON APRIL 18
14 METALHAMMER.COM
