the throne of abscence interview	interviews
		PREJUDICE formed in 1993 and started as a Speed/Thrash Metal act. The band evolved progressive, brutal, technical Death Metal. How come? Does this mean PREJUDICE will again become more extreme when a more brutal style comes to existence? Speed/Thrash Metal is mostly more technical than Death Metal. Although PREJUDICE became more technical, the actual style is now Death Metal. Do you think is a style that allows unlimited creativity regarding the technical aspect of music? We slowly floated into what we are today because of the changes of people and also the change of personal interests of each person inside PREJUDICE, I guess. We always just did what the five of us thought was best to do and to play. Inside the band we all decide over every little detail of every song. If 3 of us do not like it, you will never hear it.
		Could you tell us something more about the 1994 promo tape Violent New Breed, the 1996 demo Jaundiced Eye, the Broken Promises CD and especially the Reality CD? I do not know a thing about the promo tape because it was before I joined the band, but it was a good start for PREJUDICE in those times. The demo was recorded at the Beaufort studio in Holland because the music then already was very different from the days of the promo and we needed people to know we have had changed. The Broken Promises cd was actually a coincidence. We were contacted at that time by EASTERN STAR to be on a compilation CD and with talking and so on they suddenly asked if we where interested to make a full CD. So we decided to try and see. The Reality CD actually was made because it just was time to bring out the new stuff. We could not do it before because there was no money to do it. That is a problem there always was and always will be inside PREJUDICE:o)
		How come the debut CD Broken Promises was released on TEUTONIC EXISTENCE instead of on EASTERN STAR MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, the label PREJUDICE signed to in 1997? That is a long story but in simple words "EASTERN STAR MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT ripped us off". I'm sure that explains it all.
		In 1995 the bassist left for INSANITY REIGNS SUPREME. Why? Can a technical, brutal band like PREJUDICE appreciate simple, depressive music like INSANITY REIGNS SUPREME plays? Guitarist Kristof previously played with NECRODOCHION. Do they still exist? The bassist had to stop because he could not combine his personal business with PREJUDICE at that time. He moved for a while to another country and would not come back. When he came back we already had a new bassist and INSANITY REIGNS SUPREME was on search for one. That is how he got in there. We can appreciate the music of INSANITY REIGNS SUPREME, but in my opinion it is too slow. By the way, this is Erik and not Def who is replying to you, so do not blame him hah. :o) Kristof was replaced 2 years ago by Tuni, who is still with us now. It was Tuni that played with NECRODOCHION. They do not exist anymore but it was a good band. I liked their music. The drummer of NECRODOCHION is now drumming with EMETH, also a great Belgian Metal band.
		What do you think of appearing on underground compilations like SCHEET/BONE BOX and RIDING HELLWARDS. Do you think this is important for a band like PREJUDICE? Personally, I think we have grown over it to be on compilations now, but it certainly was important to us and every time we get a offer to be on one, we all decide what to do with it and most of the time we will decide to be on it.
		PREJUDICE covered DEATH’s Lack of Comprehension. Why this track? Can we expect more covers in the future? Maybe VADER, hehe? What did you think when you first heard Chuck Schuldiner died? Death Metal came into existence more than a decade ago. How do you see the future? Will Death Metal still exist? Will more extreme styles be invented? Will people still be using guitars? Will you still be listening to/playing Death Metal when you turn seventy? The choice of this track came because we all liked it. For the future, I do not think there will be a new cover. Most of the time we now play lack when we have to do an encore and it is easy to remember and play without rehearsing, hehe. When Chuck died, a legend was gone, but I am one of those guys that does not think too much about this kind of things and so I actually had no certain thought. Too bad, but life goes on.
		Now that WITHIN TEMPATION got into the charts, do you also expect airplay on Donna? (sorry, I think my brain got overheated with these temperatures) Oh, yeah, we are going to take over the top ten and be a mega hit :o) No way bro, that will never happen with us. People are frightened to play our music over stations like Donna because they might lose some listeners.
		Christophe Szpajdel drew the PREJUDICE logo. Who actually drew the first, old PREJUDICE logo? I believe the first one was made by Elmo. He was in the same class as Def's brother and made the first two logos of Prejudice.
		Why did you choose KRIS VERWIMP to draw the cover, as almost every single Metal band has a VERWIMP cover? What do you think of the ODORIC comic? How much does an artist like KRIS VERWIMP charge? Did you instruct him what to paint or did he decide himself? What does he think about your music? Will you work again with him in the future? We like his work and he also made the Jaundiced cover, so we contacted him again. I think the charge depends on the drawing that you ask for. I do not know if he has a steady price, so I am not going to talk about his prices :o) Just ask him, he does not bite. We gave the idea of what we wanted in the cover and he made the cover like he thought was best. Than showed it to us and we decided it was ok or not. If it would not have been OK, he would have changed it, but it was what we expected. I do not even know if he knows our music, but I think we will work more with him in the future, because we have no complaints or whatsoever about his work for us.
		I saw PREJUDICE live in the FRONTLINE (old location) when Reality was just out. I did not like the gig that much. Any comment? Yeah, well... The Frontline always was different. Every time we have played, we had a different reaction. Shit for PREJUDICE there was that the stage was too small to give away a good show. There was no place to move. On the other hand, the people have seen us too many times in Belgium and the progress of the new songs is really slow so it is most of the time the same show they get. I can imagine that is boring after a while. We always do the best we can on stage, but we are no machines. If people respond to the music, we respond to the people. If there is no reaction, we also get bored on stage. It is a natural reaction and we cannot help it. I hope next time you see us, you see a hell of a show, but I cannot promise a thing.
		Do you agree with all aspects in the following review? 'This is the second release of PREJUDICE, Broken Promises being their first. PREJUDICE can best be described as the Belgian VADER! The first track, which is practically instrumental, shreds like hell (compare it to VADER’s Sothis if you want)! It smoothly fades into the second track, which is featured on the first compilation CD-R of THE THRONE OF ABSENCE. I saw this technical, brutal, thrashy Death Metal quintet live in THE FRONTLINE, but they could not really convince me, I like their studio work much more. The album was recorded in the Belgian ART SOUND studios. The resulting sound is excellent, superb, perfect and ultra-heavy. Again Belgian painter KRIS VERWIMP is responsible for the finishing touch. And combined with the Szpajdel-logo, the cover reminisces of that nostalgic, old-school look, if you know what I mean. PREJUDICE treats us with 10 annihilating tracks. The eleventh track sucks: a superfluous piano instrumental. Guest musician on this album is Matty from EMETH, who fulfills the second lead on Shadowed Thoughts. The inlay explains what the band name means to them. To summarise, this is very catchy, shredding, pounding Death Metal with great guitars (including soli) and dito drums enforced by brutal vocals in the vein of VADER, SEPULTURA and ALTAR. This killer album reveals the international capacities of PREJUDICE. Next to ABORTED PREJUDICE is to become yet another Belgian Death Metal export product. A quality Death Metal release which is definitely a must-for VADER annex Death Metal fans. Hellgium rules!' It is fine by me bro. Thanks for the interview and keep Metal alive. Thanks Erik & PREJUDICE!