Summon: How did the band get started?
Cory: The band started between Dustin and myself. We were actually just hanging out one night and had a few beers. We decided to go into my studio and record something, anything for fun. I had these really heavy riffs in my head and had this idea to start a band totally different than what I had been doing in the past. My previous bands were very melodic and technical. I wanted to try writing some songs that were very groovy and heavy. So, we just went into the studio for fun and the rest kind of just fell into place. Shows started rolling in and I just started calling up my friends to fill in for guitar, bass, and drum spots.
Dustin: I guess you could say that a band between Cory and I was destined to happen. Cory and I have known each other since childhood, I was a year older in school. He used to bring his guitars over to my cousins house and we would all jam in a big wood shop. Even from them days I would write about the darker side of the human experience. We messed around with a little project called shadow reaper. Fast forward to our twenties and he was playing In Ottoman Empire(Now Luna Mortis) and He would come hang out at my house and jam guitar riffs with me about the time LM was taking off he asked me If I would be interested in helping out the band on the road and I said FUCK YEA!! We did that together for a few years and basically I knew from that point that I wanted to front a metal band with Cory. So We got off tour and I started developing my vocal technique. I went over to the Old Dark House (The Nick Name for the farm he lived at) and we recorded The first Casket Robbery Tune Everyone Dies. It wasn’t really a band at that point more of a 2 person Goregrind project.(Check out Some of our older stuff on youtube. (https://www.youtube.com/user/casketrobbery) We were asked to do a gig opening for Jungle Rot in the middle of the day and we said… FUCK YEA!! So it was on to the races. We basically got a crew together in under a month and tore the house down!!!
Summon: What kind of music do you play?
Patrick: Brutal death-groove.
Cory: Patrick summed that up nicely.
Dustin: Like our records we are out to punish. Our shit makes you go….What the FUCK.
Summon: How has the fan response been?
Patrick: I’ve heard nothing but complements from those to whom I’ve shown our music. Everyone seems to really enjoy what we bring to the table with Casket Robbery. It’s very encouraging to have received such positive responses before the album has even been released.
Cory: It’s been great! We have something a little different to offer the death metal genre. I think our music is really “catchy” and most of the responses we have gotten have reflected that.
Dustin: Great! Our fans love us and we love our fans!! We treat our fans like family! We are Casket you are Casket!
Summon: Where did the band name come from?
Cory: Dustin came up with it.
Dustin: Came to me at my Grandparents house.
Summon: Introduce the band members and what they do in the band.
Patrick: I play bass as well as doing backing vocals live.
Cory: I play rhythm and lead guitars. And Dustin is the vocalist.
Summon: Who writes the music? Lyrics?
Cory: On this album the majority of the music came from my end. I usually start with the main concept of riffs and song structure and introduce it to the other members. They then put in their input and ideas and come up with their parts. Dustin came up with a majority of the lyrics but again everyone has input. Dustin and I come up with the main ideas but it only comes to life with everyone’s input.
Dustin: Cory writes the structure of the song, Then Greg and Patrick come in and add their own flare to the songs. Everyone in Casket is so talented. The music comes together really fast. I write the lyrics.
Summon: And where do the lyric ideas come from?
Dustin: Sometimes they are songs referencing Serial killers other times Its about Gary Busey being a transcendent individual that lives between dimensions. The lyrics come from a lot of different places. With the main theme being that Evil comes from within. That every person is capable of committing despicable acts. Killers And Saints have one thing in common. They’re human.
Summon: What is your view in Satanism and Occultism?
Patrick: To avoid writing an essay, I’ll simply say that I don’t really care what anyone does or believes or chooses to call themselves, just don’t be a dick.
Cory: I think everyone is entitled to believe what they want. Satanism is an interesting thing. Live life the way you want. Isn’t that what we should be striving for?
Dustin: I don’t fucking care about any of that shit. We are all human living the same experience. I do believe though In a life beyond this existence.
Summon: How many albums/CD’s have you released?
Patrick: We have the original self titled EP from 2011, the “Shrouded in Darkness” EP from like 2012 or so (which is never going to be seen again), and our forthcoming full length debut album “Evolution of Evil” which will be the band’s first actual album with a physical version available.
Cory: This upcoming album will be our first full length!
Summon: Tell me about some the songs on the latest CD?
Patrick: They’re brutal and heavy as hell, yet melodic in some places even to the point of being catchy and memorable, yet there’s never a moment where we really “tone it down”. The entire album has a play time of 35 minutes across 10 tracks, so it’s like having a boulder dropped on you or being punched in the face really hard, except you’ll want to go through it again haha.
Cory: We tried to deliver groovy and catchy songs while remaining heavy. Those are the key elements I think you will find on this album. We have people telling us it is a fun album. Some of the moments on the album are supposed to make you feel uncomfortable. Like a dark, eerie feeling. But other moments you should either be laughing or smiling. And others you should be losing your mind and head banging. It should be a fun ride from beginning to end.
Dustin: Well there are a few classic killers on this album and a song Annibelle’s Hell, written about a little orphan girl that kills her foster families as directed by a “Boogyman” in her closet.
Summon: Do you have any side projects?
Patrick: Not at this time. I do have ideas and concepts for some other projects but haven’t been able to flesh any of it out yet.
Cory: I also play in the band Mercy Isle, Echoterra, and have had others. Very long list.
Dustin: Nothing formal.
Summon: Who are some of your musical influences?
Patrick: For music writing, probably early Metallica and Megadeth, Pantera, Death, Killswitch Engage…this can go on and on. I tend to pull ideas from everything listen to of it catches my ear. As far as my bass duties with Casket Robbery, I really admire Victor Wooten, Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse, Blotted Science), Nick Schendzielos (Cephalic Carnage, Job for a Cowboy, Havok), and Chela Harper (White Empress, Sarasvati, ex-Coal Chamber). They’re all monster players who have influenced the way I approach playing bass in one way or another.
Cory: Really, for Casket Robbery I don’t have any bands that have directly influenced my writing. I am very eclectic so my influences range from death metal to pop music. The only influence I can say I use for Casket Robbery is horror films. I try to write the music visually, not thinking of any musical influences. I try to write a sound track to a gruesome visual experience.
Dustin: I love anything visual! Alice Cooper, Ozzy, King Diamond, Iron Maiden, Van Halen also a huge Devin Townsend Fan.
Summon: Which current bands?
Patrick: I’m really enjoying Revocation, Job for a Cowboy’s latest album “Sun Eater”, Fallujah, Black Crown Initiate, White Empress…I’ll end it there to keep the list short and manageable haha.
Cory: Lately I have really been into the new Children of Bodom, and I am excited for Killswitch Engage and Devil You Know to come out!
Summon: What is the band like when you play live?
Patrick: Energetic and fun without sacrificing musicianship. We try our best to maintain the balance between putting on a “show” while delivering a performance as close to the studio versions of the songs as we can manage.
Cory: Heavy, fun. Hopefully you see our show and actually want to move around and mosh.
Dustin: We never disappoint. We show up, Decimate and Destroy. Every time
Summon: Have you guys ever played in another country?
Patrick: Nope, but hopefully that will change before too long. I’d love to play in Europe and Australia.
Cory: We will make it someday!
Summon: How big of crowd shows up at shows usually?
Patrick: It really depends. We’ve played for 10 people one night and packed the floor in front of the stage the following night.
Cory: For an upcoming band like us shows can be packed in our hometown, but maybe not so much when we travel to play a show or go to places we are less known. Most bands will B.S. you and say that their shows are always packed. It can be hit or miss for anyone depending on the place.
Summon: How is the crowd response when you play?
Patrick: Everyone tends to really get into it on one form or another. We’ve had nights where it’s just everybody head banging, and in the past we’ve had moshing so intense that venues have nearly been wrecked and people have left with serious injuries. Again, a lot of factors play into the nature of the response, but we do get a response regardless of how it manifests, and it always seems to be people enjoying themselves.
Cory: People always love it. That’s our thing. Our live show is where it’s at. If bands don’t have a good live show then why are they playing shows?
Dustin: You will never forget seeing Casket Robbery I Guarantee.
Summon: What do you think of the US Black Metal/Death Metal scene?
Patrick: It’s cool to see how many extreme bands have started to gain recognition, even from “commercial” metal publications. The scene in generally is stuffed with less than stellar bands, but when you find one that’s good, they’re REALLY good. So I’d say it’s alive and well.
Summon: What do you think of the Overseas scenes?
Patrick: I can’t really speak from first hand experience, but several of the bands that I enjoy in those sub-genres tend to be based across waters, so I’d say the situation would probably be similar.
Summon: What are some of new favorite black metal/death metal bands?
Patrick: I’m definitely enjoying Black Crown Initiate, and though they’re not new, I love Job for a Cowboy’s new prog-death direction.
Cory: I really want to see Carach Angren in the states! They rule. So dark.
Summon: When do you guys plan on writing any new material?
Patrick: As soon as we can get started!
Cory: I have a ton of riffs recorded. I will go through some of it when we begin the writing process again. Some of it might be throw away riffs but some of it might spark new ideas! You never know, but there are a lot of ideas floating around all the time. We are going to first hit this album cycle hard with some shows and tours and then we’ll start the writing process.
Dustin: The next album will be more of a concept.
Summon: What does the future hold for the band??
Patrick: More releases. Touring as much as we can manage, to wherever we can take our music. We plan to push this as far and as hard as it will go.
Cory: We are going to keep it going strong. We have a great line up and it only gets stronger from here!
Dustin: The future looks bright for CR I love our current line up. I wanna play shows and blow peoples minds for years!!
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