The definition of Stoner Rock might have to be broadened these days. Forget the slow, un-polished sounds that you’re accustomed to knowing, because Virginia death metal band Cannabis Corpse is taking the genre and making it louder, faster and yes, “stonier”. With songs like “Blunted at Birth” and “Mummified in Bongwater”, well, you know you’re going to be in for a good time.

First, a little disclaimer: Obviously this band sings about smoking weed, and weed happens to be fairly illegal in most places. Here in California, it’s mostly tolerated and accepted. Does that mean we think it’s okay for everyone in all ages to get baked? No. But, let’s be real here – everyone in the band is an adult, everyone at the show was an adult, and just like any other area in life, when you’re an adult you can choose to live your life how you like, as long as you know the consequences. So for all you kids out there, sorry, you have to wait until you’re older before you have an excuse for doing stupid things.

Now that that’s out of the way…

I love bands like this because you know it was born out of pure passion and a desire to create something that they totally love doing. They’re not trying to say they’re better than anyone, they’re not labeled as anything, they’re just simply a band that has a great time and they sound killer as they’re doing it.

The show they put on was awesome. If you like to get a little “inspiration” before you rock out, you’ll love seeing these guys. There was so much weed going around that the smoke machine actually made the air cleaner. But you know, the weed didn’t make the show, it simply helped people channel their energy into enjoying some pure Virginia Death Metal in the city of peace and love.

Before the band went on I had a few minutes to talk “weed and death metal” with bass player Land Phil, who is also a member of thrash-metal band Municipal Waste.

So, I’m here with Phil. The artist formerly known as Land Phil?

The artist currently known as Land Phil! That’s my professional name!

I have to say, I think you guys have the best idea for a band. You guys are like, “We love smoking weed. We love Death Metal. Let’s get paid to do both.”

Hey, that’s the idea! And, we want to pay tribute to my favorite band in the world, Cannibal Corpse.

Hell yeah man! You know, I’ve been saying this for a long time, but I think Reggae has had a monopoly on ganja-inspired tunes. Do you feel the same way?

No. I think that there’s a huge stoner-metal scene. Just sludgy, slow. It’s like a whole genre of music, just “stoner metal”. I’m sure a lot of listeners out there know exactly what I’m talking about [DS: I record the interviews, hence his comment]. But there aren’t enough stoner death-metal bands that are fast!

Right. So when you think of stoner metal, you usually think of the slower stuff. But you guys are like, “You know what dude? We’re going faster!”

Yeah. I mean, we just love to smoke weed all the time. We figured that we’d be true to what’s real to us, which is smoking weed, because we fuckin’ do it every day.

I always felt that when I smoked weed and played that I played better, but I’m pretty sure I sounded like shit. You guys, you don’t sound like shit when you’re high. What’s the secret?

Practice. Lots of practice. Smoking weed and playing. I mean I basically smoke weed everytime I play so I’m just used to it.

Is it like toke up and then play and maintain throughout? Or is it just once and then go?

It’s more like wake-up, smoke weed. Eat breakfast, smoke weed. Eat lunch, smoke weed. Practice, smoke weed. Go to bed.

Is it possible for you to listen to Cannibal Corpse now without being high?

Well, it would be impossible to listen to Cannibal Corpse not high, because I’m pretty much high all the time.

Do people care that you sing about smoking weed? Or do you think it’s pretty much accepted now, culturally?

Ehh. I think most metal-heads smoke weed. So, everybody’s down. We’ve never had anyone that’s been like, “Ohh, you guys like to smoke weed?” [sarcasm]. It’s not something that really happens. I want to say that most metal-heads, I wanna say 80% smoke weed.

I was gonna say, can you remember the last time you’ve been to a concert and someone next to you didn’t light up?

Yeah. It’s just a part of cutting-loose.

I don’t know about Virginia, but in California there’s a gaining movement to legalize weed. Do you guys care about that? Or do you feel like, “Hey, we’re getting high either way the law goes”?

Well, it matters because I want to be able to openly smoke weed, like at restaurants and stuff. So if they legalize it, then we can just walk around on the streets and smoke weed. It would be awesome. It’d be like paradise.

I don’t know if you’ve heard about Oakland, but they have this little community called “Oaksterdam” where it’s kind of like Amsterdam where they embrace the “weed” culture. You can go and learn about growing weed and all that.

Killer. That sounds great. I need to learn about weed. Hey! I heard this – if you study high, then you get high grades. Think about it.

Haha! I’ll have to think about that one for a second. After I have a few beers and stuff it’ll make sense. So, you guys get inspiration from Cannibal Corpse and weed together, but not necessarily separate?

Well, I would say we get the motivation from weed because everytime I get stoned I just want to play guitar for fuckin’ hours. And I get the musical inspiration from Cannibal Corpse because they fuckin’ rip. So I combine those two things and then I receive powers…

Yes!

…from the nether-world, or the “dark-lord”.

Have you gotten “inspired” today before the show? Do you usually get a little “inspiration” before you go on stage?

Hell yeah! I would say we get inspiration between every meal, maybe every other hour. We’re just constantly inspiring ourselves.

Ah, okay. It’s part of a well-balanced meal.

(laughs) Yeah, I mean it’s more of a “need” to be inspired.

Well, on behalf of all of San Francisco and the Bay Area, we’re glad you guys are here. You’re touring throughout February?

Well, we’re doing the European tour in February. It’s going to be amazing. It’s going to be our first time to Europe with Cannabis Corpse and I heard they have really killer bud in Amsterdam.

You guys are going to be able to write like 10 more albums while you’re over there.

Yeah, I mean we should do that. We should just get ripped and write the whole next album – in Amsterdam. That’d be like a black metal band going to Norway and then, just fuckin…

That is the Mecca…

That is the Mecca! I heard they’re going to get rid of the weed in Amsterdam too. I heard that they’re working on getting rid of all that cool stuff.

Well, they might as well just get rid of air, because it’s probably not going to happen.

(laughs) Yeah. You got a point there.

Phil, thanks for taking the time to talk to me. Have a kick-ass how and we’ll see you around man! Good luck on the tour!

Hey! Hell yeah!

Check out the band’s myspace page for more information about how to get their latest album, The Weeding.