Interview with Dave Kibler vocals and guitarist of Lividity done by Patrick
1. Hello Dave how are things going with you this week? Please introduce yourself to the readers?
D- Everything is fucking great this week my friend! The new album campaign is at full force and street date set for November 30th! Exciting times since this is the first album in 9 years! We haven't been involved like this with promotions for quite some time... so this is a great week. Introduce myself? I am Dave Kibler, guitarist and screamer for the brutal porn grind band LIVIDITY. I am a neurotic psychopath!
2. Dave you started Lividity in 1993 as a one man band when did you first get the idea to start a band?
D- We have had the name LIVIDITY since 1993, which actually developed July 1993 at Milwaukee Metal Fest. Went home to Central Illinois and bought a drum machine, microphone and 4 track recorder. Started writing... I would imagine that 75% of your readers may not have pooped outta the womb yet. Hell, I wanted to be in a band as early as 8-9 years old when I was listening to Black Sabbath, AC/DC, ZZ Top... I would sit there with my head phones on every day and dream. Personal situations, school, girls, parents and whatever else I wanted to head butt made me always stay on the extreme side of music. Motorhead late 70's... Iron Maiden, Slayer and Venom early 80's... Napalm Death, Metallica, Megadeth mid 80's... THEN THE FUCKING 90'S HIT!!! Obituary, Suffocation, Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Deicide!!!!!!! USA started getting wind of the Europe scene that was already ahead of us with bands like Carcass, Entombed, Carnage, Unleashed, Cancer, Hypocrisy... I had all this music in my head and influence from 3 decades... I had to do it! I had to get a band together!! I felt like I had something to contribute to the new and fresh sounds of the death metal scene! I wanted to make a band that would embrace energy and chaos! Like the bands I want to see!! Everyone can listen to the albums, but when you come to see Lividity, we want to make sure you get “The Show”
3. When did you first decide to add more members for a full line up? And what is the current line up of the band?
D- I was trying to acquire like minded metal heads to jam and form a band when I was doing the one man project. That wasn't easy in my area as death metal really wasn't in Champaign, Illinois yet... The ones that were able to play a little faster than the rest were all in thrash bands and playing already. So, I joined a kick ass thrash band called Section 8 in 1994. That proved to be the stepping stone to meet and mingle with the metal community and go out of town to play gigs and still talk the Lividity idea. Section 8 drummer, Tommy Davis, and I started jamming on the side with the Lividity project and my 4 track recorder. Once we were able to get a rough demo together that showcased some incredible emotion and energy, it was easier to get people on board. Section 8 and another local metal band, Desecration, split ways at the same time so Aaron and Matt joined Tommy and I. Then Rejoice In Morbidity 4 song EP poked it's stink fist right up out of the bowels of Champaign in 1996! The current line up of great brothers are Von Young- vocals / guitar, Garrett Scanlan- drums, Jake Lahniers- bass / vocals, Dave Kibler- guitar / screams. Garrett has played drums for CorpseVomit, Cumchrist, Evil Incarnate, Kommandant and more.. He currently drums with Sons Of Famine and Imperial Savagery. Garrett been with us since 2006. Von and Jake both played (guitars / bass) in Deaden. Von joined 2005 and Jake joined 2008. Jake played bass for The Vile Impurity and currently plays bass / vocals for Dead Shore.
4. Perverseverance is the bands seventh full length release how long did it take the band to write the music for the new release?How long does it usually take the band to complete one song?
D- We took all of 2017 to write the album. We didn't do any shows, only focus on writing this album. We entered Iron Hand Audio in Chicago October 2017 to start tracking. So it took a solid 8-10 months to put all the ideas together. Keep in mind though, all of us in the band live approximately 3 hours from each other every direction. We don't get the chance to jam with each other every day or even once a week. We write notes with riff patterns and beats on paper so we remember our shit. Everybody writes down the same ghetto notes and goes home with it to rehearse. If we lived in the same city or house we would probably write a song a week.
5. I know over the years that Lividity has played many shows around the world what have been some of your most memorable shows over the years?And who have been some of your most favorite bands to tour and share the stage with?
D- Give ya a few key shows / opportunities that are monuMETAL to me.
-First show ever as Lividity, in Champaign, Illinois August 5, 1995. with Dying Fetus & Deaden! We only had learned 4 short songs and was on and off the stage in 10 minutes. They were Graveyard Delicacy, The Urge To Splurge, Process Of Disembowelment and Feasting On Mankind. It was amazing! Crowd with broken finger, bloody lip, etc... battle wounds!
-First out of state gig was 10-11 hour trip to Moosic, Pennsylvania October 1996. Drogheda (US) was in relations with a club there, they had to cancel out of that and told the club they had a replacement, as Buddy and Dan had asked us... we booked it, made a road party out of it and opened for Grave (Swe), Insatanity and Ossuary! Brutal fucking show and being in the right spots at the right time... Opening these doors of opportunity.
-All of our appearances at Milwaukee Metal Fest every July!! By the 3rd one we did in ('98 or '99) we had evening slot and played the same time DRI (US) was playing across the hall. We had a packed room of 800 as all 3 other bands playing same time, different stages, had only hand fulls.. Powerful moment.
-All the Ohio Death Fest appearances with the greatest underground brutal death bands like Exhumed, Mortician, Vomit Remnants (Jap), Aborted (Bel), Regurgitation, Deaden, Internal Bleeding, Goat Whore, Repudilation, Disfigured, Dying Fetus and tons more!!
-The fucking killer show with Deicide, Peoria, Illinois December 5, 1998 with Deaden. Von was in Deaden at that time, he got us hooked up with that show! I have always been a huge Deicide fan from their beginning. That was an honor and a good spot to be in.
-First Europe mini tour June 1999 with Fleshless (Cz) and Sanatorium (Slk). Was brilliant. “Fetish For The Sick” had been out on Ablated Records (US) for a couple years. We purchased all arrangements for being in Europe! No label, no organizer... Just like setting up local shows haha. 8 shows total (Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia). We stayed in Decin, Cz. As home on off days and hiked the mountains, got to know the community. Very spiritual moment for me!
-2002, we were on Morbid Records (Ger) label with their 1st release by us, “Til Only The Sick Remains”. March 2003 we did a 4 week Europe tour with Master (US/Cz), Damnable (Pol) and Mastic Scum (A). That tour put us in a much larger realm of things to come. That was our first headlining coach liner tour. It was really special.
-May 2005, co-headlining Fuck The Commerce Fest (Ger) with Entombed on that Friday! Fucking honored and in front of 5000 metal heads!
-August 2008, Party.San Open Air (Ger) in front of 10,000 metal heads and we played right after the awesome Hail Of Bullets! A lot of people didn't know who we were. Fan base really took off from that point... and here we are... still talking about the great Lividity moments, but the list goes on with Bogota, Colombia (South America) @ Bogota Death Grind Fest 2009 with Bloodsoaked and 2016 with Gorgasm! Las Vegas Death Fest 2015 and 2018! More Europe tours with Lower Than Zero (Ger) 2015 and Dictated (NL) 2016! Festivals, tours, and the people!
6. As mentioned Lividity has had the chance to play around the world what have been some of your most favorite countries and places to play?Are their any countries that the band has not had the chance to play that you would like to play one day?
D- You heard a lot of it from last answer, as most of our Europe tours are consistent in the central area. Germany seems to always be home base because you can jump in and out of that country to get to the surrounding countries like Austria, Netherlands, Czeh Republic, Poland, Denmark... and always have a show in Germany. This is home 90% of the time, Places we want to play real bad are Australia, Japan, Spain, Indonesia, Brazil... just to name a few. Hell, I would like to play Los Angeles, California and Tampa,Florida here in the states.
7. Are their any tours or shows coming up in support of the new release Perverseverance? If yes where is the band playing and who will you be sharing the stage with?
D- We just played Full Terror Assault Open Air here in Illinois September 8 and Ontario Death Fest in Toronto,, Canada October 6. Our next adventure will be the “European Perversion Tour” May 10-26, 2019 with Sacrificial Slaughter (US), Devine Defilement (Iceland) and Bastard Asylum (US). Only confirmations we have received are two killer fests... Nice To Eat You Death Fest (Cz) and Rock The Hell Fest (Swiss). It will be a fucking sick ass tour! We just confirmed headlining Monterrey Death Fest in Monterrey, Mexico July 19-20, 2019!! Just confirmed Chicago Domination Fest August 8-10, 2019... The fests are a mega party... you can see the posters of all the sick and great acts that will be there.
8. Are the bands previous releases still available for the readers to buy Besides physical releases does the band have any other merchandise available if yes what is available and where can the readers buy it?
D- ALL previous studio releases are reissued now through Metal Age Productions (Slovakia). New sick covers, all with matching limited edition vinyl. Check them out at www.metalage.sk … contact us at www.facebook.com/lividityofficial and there is a photo album of all merch we have and the info to get it with descriptions. Let's get sick people!!
9. Dave i know you have been active in the Illinois brutal death metal scene since the early 90's. What are your thoughts on the scene in Illinois over the years?
D- Man, it was strong as fuck in the early and mid 90's. Even if you were a local band of any metal Iin the Champaign, Illinois area) people would travel to be at a show. I am pretty sure youtube fucked it all up for everybody these days... You don't have to leave your house to see a killer concert when you can see anybody you want perform on the computer!! I still enjoy it here now. Chicago has the killer scene and great bands run through there all the time and a lot of great metal bands to open and promote. Back in the day when we were all young it was heavy as fuck!! Bands like Waco Jesus, Slough, Fleshgrind, Oppressor, Canabyss, CorpseVomit, Deaden, Broken Hope, Asmodeus, Evil Incarnate, Macabre, Num Skull, Gorgasm, Avernus, Demented Ted, Syndrome and many more... The scene is strong, depending on who you are, and there are great bands today here like Imperial Savagery, Sons Of Famine, Dead Shore, Macabre (still), Broken Hope (again), Gorgasm (split in 2 – 3 states), Waco Jesus and a ton of the “new crew” of death metal. A lot of talent....
10. Who are your all-time favorite metal bands coming out of Illinois?And are theere any new bands you feel the readers should check out soon?
D- All the early 90's bands were my favorites... I really played the fuck out of my Fleshgrind demos! Deaden and Waco Jesus are favorites! Oppressor! Slough was the sickest!!
11. When you need to take a break from working on new music or band business what do you like to do in your free time?
D- Who's got free time!?? I like cooking food on the grill, drinking Icehouse Beer from Plank Road Brewery, favorite football team Pittsburgh Steelers, favorite baseball team St. Louis Cardinals, and I do all this while watching pornography!!
12. As mentioned Dave you have been active in the underground since the early 90's were you a big reader of fanzines back in the 90's? If yes what were your favorite fanzines to read?Are their any current fanzines that you read?
D- With today's computer age everything is more web zine now, which is cool for convenience and nice graphics, but I am partial to receiving a cut and tape xerox rag any day from a fan
giving their whole heart and soul into each word. I used to work on a zine called Dreaded zine issues 4-8 (RIP) 1995-1997 and had a blast! I did all reviews of music and some interviews with Evil Incarnate, Numskull, Fleshgind to name a few. Was with our past bassist, Mike “Papa” Smith. I really enjoyed Simbiotic Magazine (Sp), Flesh Salad Fanzine (Sp), Metal-Core zine (US), Sickness zine (US), War Torn zine (US) and so many more, but I will have to pull out the boxes! So Many magazines.. I still thumb through some of the old ones every once in while and still a great read!
13. What is your opinion of web-zines and are their any web-zines that you try to keep up with?
D- Web zines are cool. There is less leg work involved but has great graphics and bright colors. It is always convenient to check anything out on the computer. I haven't really kept up with them all... only the a few mostly the ones that find me more through interviews or reviews and find out they have a kick ass zine.
14. Thank you Dave for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for the readers?
D- Hail b for taking the time to ask questions! Hope to cross your path in the near future!! Everyone get a hold of Metal Age Productions and get get your swag sickened!! Cheers!
Band Contacts
https://lividity-map.bandcamp.com/album/perverseverance
https://www.facebook.com/lividityofficial/
Label Contacts
http://www.metalage.sk/
https://metalageproductions.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/metalageproductions/
