Keith Buckley from Every Time I Die
By Keith J. Varadi

I've had about enough with these asinine genres made up by lameass thirtysomething mouthfuckers who claim that Coldplay and The Flaming Lips are the Beatles and Floyds of our generation and that they actually know something about anything. One genre in particular that I want to vomit into the toilet and flush away for ever is “screamo,” which is evidently what said mouthfuckers have assigned to bullshit coming from better looking, pussied-up versions of bands like Hatebreed. One band has immediately and effortlessly proven why no one should give the time of day to the genre titles those idiots crap out of their mouths. That band is Every Time I Die. Dig it…

KJV: So first of all, the arrest at Ozzfest – I’ve heard the rumors, I read the site, but what really went down?

KB: Basically, I was in a hurry to catch Superjoint Ritual play and I was trying to take a beer through the parking lot and all of a sudden, these fucking cops came over and were hassling me and shit and I told them I’d just finish it before I got to the one point or whatever and started downing it and they cuffed me and that was that. I tried to be as nice as possible though, you know?

Speaking of Ozzfest, other than you guys, who has been the must see band of the tour?

Well, like I just said, I dig Superjoint Ritual and obviously Black Sabbath is awesome. As far as second stage bands go, Lamb of God has been tearing it up every night. But I’d have to say seeing Judas Priest play this much has been surreal.

Okay, so then who has been the must avoid band of the tour? I mean, I know that for as many great bands there are this year, there are some nu-metal turds on the bill as usual.

[Laughs] Yeah, you’re right. But no shit talking from me about this tour – this has been such a great opportunity for our band. Oh, but there is some shit talked about our band and a few other bands. We have this crew called the “Shirts Off Crew” with some other of the more up and coming bands, like Bleeding Through and shit and basically, we just get real drunk and run around with our shirts off and well, there are some people on this tour who don’t like us or the idea. There is one band, in particular, who hates us though.

I’ve heard about this crew. Apparently Ozzy and Sharon are big fans of the crew, right? When they try to make conversation with you guys, can you understand anything they are saying or do you sort of just smile and nod your head?

[Laughs] Yeah, I was hanging with Kelly and she said her parents love us. Ozzy is a partier. I haven’t talked to them in person yet. But Kelly said she’s going to introduce us.

So off this festival and on to another – Hell Fest. You did it again this year, even though I know you guys are always complaining about being dragged into it.

[Laughs] Yeah. Well, I mean the cramped area and short sets is kind of a pain, but as much of a sacrifice as it was this year, since we almost missed an Ozzfest date because of plane issues and all the money and time and stuff, we really needed it, this year, more so than any other. I mean, at Ozzfest, these crowds need to be won over. They don’t know us. They don’t like us. But coming back to a show like Hell Fest where the kids know our deal and get into it, it really helps to bring your spirit up.

Well, you were saying a lot of crowds at Ozzfest don’t like you guys, but it seems that today, you guys are extremely well-respected by a number of bands from all across the musical spectrum. Why do you think that is and how do you feel about it?

Honestly, I am so flattered by that, you know? It’s kind of a big deal. I mean, I’d love for everyone to like us, but it really means a lot for other musicians to be into us. We have kind of always been a “band’s band,” which I like. I think respect from fellow musicians is more important than popularity amongst the public.

Well, if you are the favorite of so many bands out there today, who are some of your favorites?

Converge and Coalesce have always been big for me. They really helped our band kind of develop the sound we were going for, but I have to say that the new Dillinger Escape Plan is probably the best album ever.

I’d say lyrically, you have always been on top of your game. Your lyrics have consistently been far superior to any other vocalist of any hard rock vocalist and could be argued as some of the best in all of music today. And I mean, the band has always been tight, but it seems like on the latest album, Hot Damn!, the rest of the band kind of caught up musically, you know?

Thanks. Shit man, thanks a lot. I really appreciate that. But yeah, I totally know what you mean. Once the band kind of stepped it up, I realized I had to step it up as well and take my lyrics to an even higher level. I just had to. The music now sounds like it is deliberately orchestrated and I think we are where we want to be as a band.

Whose idea was it for the images of young females smoking and making out and lifting up skirts and such in the CD booklet?

Umm, no one’s really. Basically, we had this idea for a very claustrophobic, very dark, party vibe. And Jake Bannon and my friend, Chris, took that idea and kind of did it their own way by doing a bunch of close ups of our friends in this bar and the way they did it turned out great, we thought.

I thought so too. So wait, those girls are your friends?

Yeah. [Laughs]

Good for you.

[Laughs].

So do you have any good “bar stories”?

Umm, ones directly involving me – no. But hmm, oh, this one time, this douchebag stole my friend’s hat and my friend was like, “Dude, Keith, if he doesn’t give me my hat back, I’m gonna smash this beer bottle over his head.” And I was like, “No fucking way, dude.” And he was like, “I’m tellin’ you.” So then he went over to the dude and asked him for his hat back and the guy taunted him some more, so he grabbed his beer bottle and smashed it over his head. It was awesome.

So you’re from Buffalo — exactly how much do you hate the Dallas Cowboys?

Aww man, touchy subject. They were actually my favorite team, behind the Bills, up until those fucking Super Bowls. But that’s water under the bridge. The Bills are going to be a different team next year, I’m telling you. They’re growing.

Yeah, let’s cross our fingers, right? Heh. So last question – how many times have you actually died?

Oh boy. Hah. Umm, not yet today. But you know, it is kind of being like a cat. I die like every day and then I wake up and forget how it happened.