Cleveland’s Ringworm is the rare hardcore institution getting better by the day. Not that their ’91 demo or ’93’s The Promise aren’t enduring classics. Not that their embryonic stage isn’t important. Their pre-split early stretch laid the groundwork for Ringworm’s patented assault, uniting the grinding speed of crossover thrash, Slayer‘s searing aggression, and Integrity‘s chunky dissonance. 21 years on, wild slashes such as “Death Do Us Part” still cut deeply. It’s also actively infectious. It stays with you, transmitting its DNA. Just ask the carriers of the core that followed. Ringworm is there. So, yeah, that early stuff is big. Really big. It’s the kind of big thing that might overshadow a career.
Yet, upon reforming in ’99, Ringworm continued to kill. They didn’t rest on any laurels, easily unleashing the lightning bottled by the initial incarnation. ’01’s Birth Is Pain rewired punk’s expectations, demonstrating that, yes, a sophomore album could be as fiery as the first; from a resurrected band, no less. An anomaly? Nope, it kept happening. Indeed, over the proceeding decade, Ringworm exhibited no signs of rigor mortis. Each of their three other records hurdled the previous bar, amping up the intensity while burrowing into your subconscious courtesy of hooks buffed via a limiter set to zap superfluous bullshit. Wondering where you were? If you didn’t catch them, it wasn’t your fault. Stuck on Victory throughout the label’s descent into big box retail hell, Ringworm was the sore-thumb holdover from the days of DIY, Iceburn, and Strife. Black sheep? Ringworm was the black ram in a herd of fruit flies. Needless to say, it didn’t do them any favors.
However, good things come to those who persevere. Now extricated, Ringworm is keen to show off its new pad: Relapse Records. Hammer of the Witch, their housewarming gift to us, is finally receiving the push such a badass burner deserves. Lord, does it burn. That said, is this a surprise? History repeats, after all. When the Ringworm comet comes around, we know it’s more than a tour announcement. We know to never question it. The quality will be there. Therefore, why would this one be any different? It is different, though. It’s stronger.
Witch‘s thirteen song set is incisor-sharp, conscripting twin six-string attackers Matt Sorg and John Comprix to man a riff machine gun and letting them revel in the Pleasure to Kill. The rhythm section of bassist Ed Stephens and drummer Danny Zink provides ample cover, lobbing stinging snare hits and plucked concussions through your speakers. Plus, James “Human Furnace” Bulloch remains right there in the middle of the maelstrom. His voice is richer than it has ever been, deepened by a career of cathartic larynx obliteration. His howl is the surrogate release of every Clevelander’s pent-up despair, the salve for decades of near-misses and almosts. His haymakers paradoxically soothe. Heck, listen to how he does it on “Psychic Vampire.” Heck, listen to all three previews. Again. Again.
And, that’s the thing: Six LPs into a 23 year career, Ringworm is still doing. The group is still vital. They continue to hone their craft. Hammer of the Witch proudly displays that dedication. Because of their hard work, it somehow has a greater immediacy than its predecessors. Tougher. Stronger. But, it’s Ringworm through and through. Only, you know, better.
Of course, we had to know more. We got in touch with guitarist Matt Sorg and roarer Human Furnance. We asked five questions, they gave us five answers.
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Hello! Thanks for doing this and, of course, congrats on full-length number six. The three tracks on your Bandcamp have been repeated more times than Law & Order re-runs around here.
So, on the distribution side of things, the big change between 2011’s Scars and Hammer of the Witch is the label shift. What’s it like landing on Relapse? Your tunes always crossed over to a thrash/grind crowd, but have you noticed a different demographic checking the band out now? And, is it nice to be getting a nudge from a company sitting closer to your aesthetic than what Victory sort of evolved into?
MATT: It’s great to be on Relapse. It’s a much better fit for us and in the short time we’ve been working with them they’ve already shown way more interest in the band than Victory did in the 10 years that we spent fulfilling that contract. As far as a different demographic, we’ve been noticing that happening for a few years now. More Bathory and Assück shirts at the shows which is cool with us.
Tell me about the writing process, especially on something like “Bleed” or “Psychic Vampire.” These cuts ooze aggression, they’re the dictionary definition of ripping, yet I wouldn’t say either pushes the listener away or operates on the fringe. They’re just, top down, solid songs any listener could easily acclimate to. That seems to be a Ringworm hallmark: balancing the extremes with undeniable hooks, keeping everything pretty palatable. From where is this derived? Experience? Is this just an unexplainable knack? Do you spit-shine the heck out of these things in a practice space? Do you road-test these songs first?
MATT: We’ve been doing it for so long now that I think we just kinda have it locked down. I try to come up with strong riffs and make them flow together as best as possible. I want to give HF something solid to write to. He takes it from there. It’s got a lot to do with putting our influences to good use. We try to mix the meanest elements of punk and metal together.
Ringworm has been in the game since ’91. You guys have seen whole epochs of hardcore come and go. But, despite a brief break, Ringworm remains. Any secret to the longevity? How do you stay passionate while keeping the quality so high?
HUMAN FURNACE: I dunno, I guess we’re just too dumb to quit, haha. Nah seriously, I think it’s because we just still love what we’re doing. It’s never been a “job” for us. We’ve never felt any pressure to create anything so, I think, that helps songs come more naturally. Some groups often are pressured to release new records every year, and there is nothing wrong with that really. I get it. Attention spans are so short these days, you have to keep your visibility up. But, this often times leads to sub-par material. We’ve never really felt any pressure like that. Records happen when they are ready, sometimes that takes one year or three. If you put out quality records, people will wait for them.
Speaking of, the Clevo “sound,” for lack of a better word, has been a key building block for the Y2K wave of metalcore and, later, their devotees. Is it ever weird hearing your compositional style reinterpreted by kids who know it now as a landmark? Anything you wish young bucks would pay attention to? Anything you wish they’d drop?
HF: I’ve always found it strange when I see a “For fans of – Ringworm, Integrity…” and when I listen to the band, I think it sounds nothing at all like us. Not that that’s a bad thing but most times I just don’t hear it. I think this kinda breaks down on a few levels when I think about it:
1.) I have no idea what the “Clevo” sound IS really, and 2.) Perhaps I’m not hearing it because we OURSELVES have completely different influences, so when someone is influenced by US or our “style” they’re getting it all wrong. They need to be listening to more Kreator or Voivod.
Do you still have the tattoo shops? First, how important is it to have this “other” creative outlet? Have you been able to stave off burnout that way? Secondly, is being in a band easier when you have a steady stream of income? Considering our nomadic and niche existence, is life as a punk/metalhead a little bit more fulfilling with some semblance of financial security?
HF: Yeah I still have a couple of shops here in Cleveland. Tattooing has really been my bread and butter for the last 20+ years. I still love it. I’m no millionaire. I still have to bust ass to pay my bills but tattooing has definitely allowed me “afford” being in a traveling band for 24 years. But besides tattooing, I’m into all sorts of other shit art-wise. And, these days, as much, if not more than tattooing. For me, it’s super important to have many different outlets. That’s what really keeps me from burning out on any particular thing. Plus I get to indulge in all sorts of different stuff. From fine art (painting, illustration), computer graphics/animation, storyboarding for commercials or movies, movie posters, album covers, t-shirt design, and all sorts of other shit. Not to mention the bands that I do “on the side” (Gluttons/Holyghost) It keeps me insanely and, at times, inhumanly busy, but I love the feeling of “creating” something. The past few years have been a storm of work in all types of facets. I never sleep. But just like with anything you’re passionate about, it all boils down to sacrifice. Whether, it’s sleep, money, relationships, jobs, etc. it’s about what you’re willing to sacrifice to do what you love or something that you just “need to do.”
Again, thanks so much! Really appreciate your time.
HF: Not a problem. Hope to see all you sick-o’s out on the road this year. Stay heavy.
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Ringworm’s Hammer of the Witch is available in the US on March 18 through Relapse Records.
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