The Casualties’ Meggers Talks Deleted Songs, Police Mishaps + More

The Casualties are gearing up to release their new album Resistance, via Season of Mist of all labels, so Noisecreep sat down with drummer Meggers to discuss key details about the record. The band isn't "metal" in the traditional sense, but they are connected to the genre on many levels.

Some of the topics that came up were recording with Zeuss, who is best known for work with metal bands like Shadows Fall and Bleeding Through; why metallic audiences are embracing the band now; the one song none of us will ever hear; and how they managed to bring the police to the studio during the recording process...twice!

The Casualties are more metal than you may have previously given 'em credit for.

So any good recording stories with Zeuss? There has to be one, right?

Hmmm.. Well I'm kind of proud of the fact that for over 20 years of Zeuss recording of recording metal, hardcore and punk at Planet Z Studios, we were the first bands that made the police come out. Twice. And we were the last band to record there.

Why did the cops show up...twice?

They claim they were called due to noise complaints, which I don't believe. Nobody lives near the studio and there is so much soundproofing. I think they noticed a beat up RV with New York plates, accompanied by four weird looking out-of-towners, in their area and wanted to check up on us and see what our story was.

Why do you think that metal audiences have now embraced The Casualties?

Have they? Shit. About time you pricks. Thanks. [Laughs] I just think people who may have heard of us, or have seen what we look like, automatically think of a slower, '77-style punk rock. Now that we have toured with some heavier bands, and signed with a label that is pretty much all metal bands, people have given us a listen and hear that we are a fast, hardcore, thrash punk band. And like it. If not like it, they can at least bang their heads fast and long enough until GWAR or the English Dogs play. I'm psyched. We all have our metal roots.

Listen to 'My Blood. My Life. Always Forward.'

Pick one song on the new album Resistance and share a writing or recording story. Something we could only know if you told us!

There is one song we wrote that you nor any person alive will ever hear. It was titled "Four Whores and 7 Beers Ago.. Abe Lincoln's Demise." We got absolutely hammered one night at our practice space. We were mixing Jack Daniels and rum. We thought it was the greatest, funniest, fastest song we ever wrote. We then forgot about it. Then, I played it a few days later for everyone. I was crying laughing and everyone was just looking at me like, "What the fuck is wrong with you, and please turn this God awful shit off." I tell them it's us, and everyone lost it. I went to send it to Zeuss and deleted it. Trust me, it's a good thing that it is just a hilarious memory. The title still rules though, I think.

Do you have any non-musical skills or talents?

I skateboard. Maybe not as "talented" as I was as a wee young lad, but I can hang. [Guitarist] Jake [Kolatis] is also a top notch dog trainer. He taught his dog Oscar how to steal cans of beer.

One thing you look forward to about Riotfest?

The Descendents.