Interviewing Pat McCauley (Lucifer D. Larynx and the Satanic Grind Dogs of Death)

First of all, I have to say I am bit pissed off and sorry at the same time for discovering this Lucifer D. Larynx and the Satanic Grind Dogs of Death years after they’ve split up. As you could see from my short review of their only full-length from 2012 titled “Absolute Defilement”, those guys could grind with a gusto!

So, anyway, I’ve reached to Pat McCauley anyway to exchange some words and to bring those mysterious grinders from some place in the USA to your attention.

Well, hello there! Later, but it’s still better than never, here we are with some stupid interview questions, so let’s cut the crap
and get to the point! First things first…how the hell did you come up with bandname like this one? I have to admit it was the name itself which has aroused my curiosity in putting the disc into my player…

It was just me (Pat McCauley) and an old high school pal (Joe McDowell). We had tried throughout a couple of years of high school and maybe a year or two after to start a straight up Grindcore band. We managed to pull that off long enough to have maybe a handful of practices with various drummers and guitarists. We could find anyone that really wanted to do this kinda stuff. Everyone liked the Death Metal stuff, but not Grind. I preferred Grind over Death, likely due to it’s links to hardcore/punk sounds…at least back then. Eventually, Joe got his girl pregnant and didn’t have time for the band thing. He asked me to do a recording project, as he thought that was all he had time to do. I clearly remember riding around in Joe’s white and rusty Camaro, blasting a cassette recording of the Regurgitate/Vaginal Massakre 7 inch… Joe said to me, “Let’s just use a drum machine and do a Grind recording project.” I said something like, “I’ll do it, but only if we can call it “Lucifer D. Larynx and the Satanic Grind Dogs of Death.”

OK, let’s transfer ourselves in time back in the 1990s (seems like millenia ago, doesn’t it)….how did LDL actually got together as a band? Who was in the original line-up and where did you know each other from?

Honestly, it was never much of a “band.” It was just me doing drum programming, recording, guitars… Joe would growl on top of it all. We met in our 2nd year of high school, if I remember right. We’d occasionally have friends wanting to take a shot at doing some vocals.

Your first material, as far as I can find, was the 1997 demo “More Evil Than Your Fat Naked Mother”. What can you tell us about that debut of yours? I know the original batch of tapes is sold out (no surprise it’s been a while), but if you can remember, have been songs from this demo re-released in some other format? What was the response from the public after this demo being released? I guess it was probably just a locally distributed, right?

There were actually 2 versions of “More Evil…” I believe both versions had the same songs, but different mixes… maybe different vocals or pre-song samples. The cover may have been slightly different, as well. Only slight variations, like the 2nd version had minor things done “in color.” I’m not positive, but I do remember us “releasing” it twice with some variations between the two. Some of the songs might have ended up on one of the 7 inches or full length. I can’t remember the track listing, to be honest. I haven’t been very good about hanging onto any cassette stuff I did. I only remember a song called “Gunnin’ Down The Congregation” being on that one, as well as a “punk song,” which I can’t remember the title. Those were personal favorites of mine, at the time.

A lot of those tapes were traded internationally or sent out for review. They did end up in a few local stores and possibly on a couple distro lists. I’m not sure if that stuff happened with both tapes or just with the 2nd one. This was pre-internet days. I’m not really sure how much of a response that particular tape got. I don’t remember much in way of reviews. Maybe a laugh at the ridiculous cover art. Back in those days, Joe handled a lot of… maybe even all of the “sending out” and all that. I am going to guess there were about 300 of those tapes passed around or sold. They weren’t done all at once. We were dubbing them off at home as they were needed. We would purchase these “semi-pro looking” cassettes from a local company. You could get them in different lengths. Totally DIY. It was all done with a great laugh.

I do remember getting compared to MORTICIAN a lot back then. Likely because of the samples and the drum machine, but we started doing LDL long before we ever heard Mortician (nothing against them, they were fantastic). I do remember a hardcore/power violence fanzine review saying we had “completely down-tuned guitars,” which we never did. I’ve always tuned to either standard E or D in any music I have made. Never lower than that. Trivial stuff, but our name definitely gave some the impression that we were a straight up “death metal type band,” but in those days I was more influenced by hyperfast hardcore like early DRI, No Comment, Heresy, Filthy Christians, the Napalm Death demos and things more from the hardcore side of things. I really liked that nasty UK Hardcore Punk stuff from the mid/late 80’s. Chaos UK, Filthkick, ENT… stuff like that. We definitely had some metal influence going on. A lot of that came from crossover bands like The Accused. Actually, the Accused was a massive influence on LDL’s music. More so than most of the Death Metal going on at the time. Of course we were into bands like Terrorizer, Carcass and the Earache stuff, but we were also lucky enough to be involved with tape trading and had one particular friend that would pick up stuff for us on the underground trade circuit… purchasing 7 inches, demos of some really obscure stuff from guys like Steve O Bannon and people that would “suddenly disappear” with peoples money… all grind folklore, of course.

The next year, 1998, has seen the release of your second demo “Sex, Drugs, Booze, Grind!” Any significant changes on this
compared to the debut one?

You know, I think it may have been more than a year. “More Evil…” may have come out earlier than 1997. I don’t remember, for sure. Earlier versions of that demo may go back to as early as 1995, but again I am not positive.

SDBG sounded a little better, I think. We had more vocalists on some of those songs. Joe wasn’t all that available during the making of that one, so I filled in certain vocal spots with other voices. It was recorded on the same Tascam 4 track cassette recorder as the first one. I had different guitars, amps and mics, but nothing really extravagant. I guess just a tiny bit more experience, if anything. It was shorter than the first one. I liked the title. If LDL ever had a mission statement, it would be Sex, Drugs, Booze, Grind.

Next release comes from 2001. How did you spend those 3 years between releasing a second demo and split “Wrong Side of the Tracks”? Practicing, drinking…any other fun activities?

LDL was pretty much inactive after the 2nd demo. I did record another couple batches of songs, during that time. Stuff I think was just fantastic! Fast and brutal! More vocalists per track. I think that might have happened within a year after SDBG was released. Nothing ever came of those recordings. Joe kind of started not coming around so much. He was busy with family and work. I also may have pissed him off to some capacity. I would occasionally call him and say “Let’s record some more Grind! I’ve got some stuff demo’d! Let’s spend a night laying some vocal tracks!” It didn’t go very far. Those conversations always ended with “Dude. You don’t understand my situation…” So I just eventually gave up on it. However, one day out of the blue, Joe called me about that 4 way split 7 inch. Joe was still in contact with the band DAHMER from Canada. They got us on that release.

I was always in more active bands than LDL. In the 90’s and early 2000’s it was a hardcore/punk band called Very Metal. Actually, the vocalist of that band did some vocals for LDL. That band had a somewhat busy schedule. LDL was just something I was doing “with an old friend.”

Your next stuff released – after long 8 years!!!! -was self-titled 7” EP and looking at the tracklist I’ve got my earlier question answered, lol… any missing songs from the demo tracklists? Seeing it’s probably the only release from the label Must! Play! Fast! Records, any idea what happened to it?

The songs on the 7 inch were all from various demo sessions in the 90’s. I think there were a total of 55 songs from the 90’s. I picked 3 songs I wanted on there and let Joe pick the rest.

Must!Play!Fast! approached Joe. If I remember correctly, the owner, who’s name was Anthony, seemed to go out of his way to contact Joe, or so it seemed. I hadn’t heard from Joe in quite a while. At least a few years or more. Suddenly got a call out of the blue about a potential 7 inch. I know we weren’t the only release on that label. There was a Godstomper / Xanax Feast 7 inch, Crucial Section 7 inch and at least a few others. When the LDL full length was released, Anthony, the owner of Must Play Fast did a trade with me for copies of the CD. We talked for a while by phone and online, then he disappeared. I have no idea what happened to him.

Another 3 years…and then, finally, the full-length “Absolute Defilement”. Because I own this one, let’s talk about it little
more. How did it actually happen? Was it planned in any way, or the request from the record company?

Well, the fact that Must! Play! Fast! tracked us down and released a 7 inch of our stuff… I guess I found that a bit inspiring. I always wanted to do more LDL. It was always a lot of fun. It was always good for a laugh. I guess the hard part to admit is that it was also about friendship. As time goes by, friends move on. Joe moved on and then some. By that point, doing LDL had as much to do with revisiting an old friendship, as it did the music. I always liked hanging with Joe. We shared a liking for similar music, much more than most friends I’ve had. Music has always been very important to me, for whatever reasons.

I can’t remember exactly how the full length came to be. If I remember correctly, Tim, the owner of Metallic Media had either heard the 7 inch or wanted a copy, which then evolved into us doing the full length for them. Tim and Metallic Media were really awesome about the whole thing. We were supposed to do a follow up, but too much time went by and no finished product on our end, so it never happened.

Evidently, CD format, and with the more distribution options/possibilities in 21st century, your full-length got much more
exposure than your previous material. Any interesting reviews from mags or fans? How do you view this material of yours from the distance of several years?

Well, I was learning a new recording format at that time after years of very little experience with recording, in general. It was learning on the fly. I’ll always remember that. It was done during a time when I had actually stopped being in a touring band and all that. I had just stopped doing thrash metal band Head On Collision. It was the only thing I was doing at that time. I enjoyed putting that album together. I used a bit too much reverb at times, hahaha. It could have used a bit more bottom end, but I played it safe during the mix, for whatever reason.

It was a different situation than the earlier releases. In the early days, we’d sit in on of our basements with a case of booze, maybe a couple doobs and record on the fly… on a 4 track recorder. Fast forward to the recording of the full length… Joe lives in Arizona at that time, I’m just learning to record on computer. Joe has no recorder gear, whatsoever. So I mail him my old 4 track recorder and a couple microphones. He records his vocals, mails me back the 4 track record and tapes… and I edit his vocals into place. Not much communication. A very rare chat on the phone. Very different situation. I think it reflects in some of the material. More tempo changes. More metal riffing. All that stuff. I think I might have spent too much time on some songs. Some of the longer songs. They aren’t bad or anything, it’s just “more metal” and less spontaneous. I enjoy that album as much as the early LDL stuff. It’s all in the same spirit, just a different time and definitely different circumstances.

The thing is, there are about 25 to 30 songs left over from that session!!! Drums, bass, guitars and samples are all complete!!!! Some of them need vocals, editing an mixing. There is at least another full length of material and then some. There was supposed to be another full length on Metallic Media and 2 splits with other good labels that never happened.

The reviews I remember were somewhat hilarious. I remember them being better than I anticipated. Also, let’s face it… when someone gives “music” like Grind a negative review, it tends to be hilarious. I suppose there might be some “inside joke” type thing going on with LDL. You either get it, or you don’t. When people don’t get it, it’s usually quite hilarious seeing them trying to translate the disgust for what they are hearing.

I’m not quite sure the album being on CD helped or not. Everyone asked when it would be released on vinyl!!!

You seem to be in a lot of places…OK, maybe not a lot, but Encyclopaedia Metallum shows place of band’s origin as St. Louis
(Missouri), Phoenix (Arizona) and Portrand (Oregon). Why so much moving? Many changes in the line-up during these phases?

Joe moved. That pretty much sums it up. No lineup change, spare for a handful of songs with different vocalists guesting on tracks. The lineup was always me on all guitars, bass, drum programming, most samples/intros, recording, mixing, screaming, etc. Joe collected some samples/intros in the early days and was a majority of the total death grunts on most of the songs.

Apparently LDL is no more. Is the split up permanent or there is some hope of getting active again? Also, what are the plans with the yet unreleased tracks? Can we expect some release of them after all?

There are many tracks. Probably 30 or more. LDL didn’t end well after the release of the full length. I was bothering Joe too much about finishing vocals for another full length and a couple of splits that were in the works at the time. It ended with insults and fuck offs. A lot of the tracks just needed some editing, mixing and mastering. Some need some vocals finished or redone. Truth is, I lost the inspiration when Joe bailed. I seen no reason to continue doing something that requires a lot of my time without the other involved parties sharing in the enthusiasm or at least a simple “thank you” for all the time and effort. It’s a matter of respect for your friends and the time and effort that was spent working on this project, which is something Joe laughed about when I mentioned it to him. “Respect for what? Do you think you’re the fucking Godfather?” were his exact words. Hahaha. I just moved on to other things. Of course after a while, the offers for the releases disappeared and now all those songs are sitting on a hard drive somewhere in a closet. If there was serious interest in releasing some vinyl, I might consider putting in the time and effort. A few local fans/friends have tried to get me into doing it with them on vocals, but I just haven’t had the time… or the inspiration to make it happen.

So, which band you are play with nowadays, Pat? HOC?
Infinite Sun. Heavy Psych/Space Rock. It’s as if Hawkwind and Budgie had a space baby. We put out our first full length LP back in April. If anyone would like a copy, get ahold of us through Bandcamp or Facebook pages.

https://infinitesun.bandcamp.com/

Head On Collision wrapped up at the end of 2009. Oddly, the bassist and drummer I started HOC with are in Infinite Sun. Also, the last drummer of HOC did a handful of vocals on that LDL full length and some unreleased tracks!

What are your plans for 2019?

Two Infinite Sun full lengths are in the works right now. We hope to release one in 2019 and one in 2020. We’ll see what happens. We are a total DIY band and self financed. Some smaller labels have shown a small amount of interest in a future release, but that remains to be seen!

Well, I think that’s all for today, final message to LDL fans?

Thank you all for listening to a band with such a fucked up name. If you own one of those demos, 7 inches or the full length, thanks for spending your time listening to us and collecting our shit!!!

EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS to people like Tim Buchmiller, Anthony and Must Play Fast, Dry Retch Records, Seb and Dahmer, The Kill and any distro or fanzine that gave us any sort support. Especially the good old local radio show formerly on KDHX called “Super Fun Happy Hour.” They played us many times on their show and were awesome guys and great friends. Thank you Matt! Thank you Tim (RIP)!!!