R13: First, who does the band consist of and how did you get together?
Lawrence: We formed in 2005, Carl, the rhythm guitarist and a couple of other guys started the whole thing off. After that Beam came in on bass and me on drums. Beam and I are from New Zealand and have played together in a few bands before so that just seemed to make sense. Graham came in on vocals after the original vocalist was given the big elbow for never being at practices and so on. Graham actually arrived on the first day of recording our Legion EP – he'd never even heard the songs before! The original lead guitarist was moved on in 2006 and Dave came aboard, his lead work really lifting the whole thing to a new level.
R13: You're going to be supporting Saxon on their UK tour, what does it mean to you to have the support of such a major metal artist?
L: It is absolutely fantastic. Saxon are a popular target for people in the press to take the piss out of, and I really don't know why. When I grew up they were amongst the best British metal bands alongside Maiden, Priest, Motörhead and guys like that....and they still are! They're still playing good old headbanging British metal after nearly thirty years – and playing it bloody well. For me personally it's cool because Nigel Glockner is one of the most underrated drummers in metal, so it'll be bloody great to share the stage with him. So, all in all, opening the shows for these guys is a privilege and we're looking forward to it.
R13: Has the support you've had from critics and other artists changed your ambitions for the band?
L: No not really. We've always just wanted to do what we do. Of course it is brilliant to have support from people and we get really good crowds wherever we go, so things are good.
R13: From the studio photos on your site it looked like you enjoyed recording the new album, what's it like being in the studio with Chokehold?
L: It's cool. We recorded with a producer we really like (Steve Watkins) in a studio we really like so the whole thing was great. There's a hell of a lot of work to do so it's not too damaging being in there....nice to have a beer or two, but we're still pretty focussed. It's all about getting the best out of everybody, and that is all that matters really. Still you have to have a laugh otherwise you start going nuts and drooling...
R13: Are you pleased with the fruits of your labour; is there anything you felt you could have done better?
L: There are always going to be things that you would like to change or whatever, but on this album I think it's fair to say that we're all very happy with how it has come out. Everybody worked hard on this, including - and probably especially - Steve who became an integral part of the machine. Although each of us is bound to have their favourite parts of it I think it's fair to say that we're all ecstatic with the end result and it's the first album that I personally have been involved with where I like every track on it.
R13: What are you most proud of about 'Sweet Sense of Genocide'?
L: It's heavy...and sounds pretty much like Chokehold should. I don't suppose it's a huge surprise to say that we were all a bit disappointed with certain aspects of 'The Killing Has Begun', whereas this one sounds bloody good, and pretty much how we envisioned it in the first place.
R13: What's been your most exciting or wild moment as a band so far?
L: Hmmm...Some of the gigs we've played have been fucking great, along with some of the cool bands. We're totally fired up about the Saxon tour as well. Wild moment? I suppose the story of Carl, a bathtub of mayonnaise, an Angora goat and a spatula springs to mind - but I don't think I should go into that here...
R13: What do you think of the UK metal scene at the moment, are there enough budding new acts or does a fan have to turn to old masters like Saxon for good music?
L: You should never turn your back on the greats. Maiden, Saxon, Priest, Motörhead, AC/DC etc etc are ALWAYS gonna be the rock hard backbone of the metal scene. But there are shitloads of truly great newer bands out all over the UK. We've played with some dynamite acts, like Asomvel and Pitiful Reign in England, Achren in Scotland and in Northern Ireland there are some seriously good bands led by the likes of Sinocence and Honey For Christ who are really tearing it up but being totally bloody ignored by the metal press. In fact one of the coolest cities with an amazingly healthy metal scene is Belfast where all the bands cooperate and do their best by each other all of the time. THAT is what metal should be all about.
R13: Have you found it hard to get industry attention as a band coming from outside of London?
L: Yep!
R13: How does your live show differ when you're playing a big stage supporting another group, compared to intimate local gigs? Which do you prefer?
L: We like any gig where people go nuts. Big or small doesn't matter. It's nice to have a stage and good PA and monitors but equally cool to rip up some back room with just a vocal PA and backline in a pub jam packed with sweating metalheads. The only thing that genuinely sucks is indifference.
R13: Do you hope to play any festivals this Summer?
L: Oh yes....should have some announcements soon hopefully.
R13: Thanks for your time and good luck with the new album!
L: Danke. See you on the road!