The Endless Blockade Interview: SXSW 2010

With a sound comparable to hornets stinging a skinless elephant, Toronto's the Endless Blockade are easily one of the most abrasive acts at SXSW 2010. Formed in 2003, the band has sustained a sound that combines split-second songs with guttural vocals, tempo shifts and violent riffs, earning themselves a reputation as one of the few remaining "true" power violence bands, although guitarist Nolan describes them in simpler terms. Be sure to arrive punctually for their performances -- if you blink, they may have already finished playing.

You don't seem like the kind of band that would be necessarily interested in playing an industry showcase. What prompted this?

Our label did it. He asked us a long time ago if we wanted to do it, and we figured we could book a week of shows with our friends Hatred Surge and do some awful industry bulls--t at the same time.

Describe your sound in your own words.

Hardcore punk.

How did your band form?

At a black mass.

What are your musical influences?

Heresy, Napalm Death, Infest, Con-dom, Ramleh.

Does the rest of the band share these influences?

It doesn't matter -- they do what I tell them.

How did you come up with your band name?

Part tribute to [Japanese punk band] GISM, part tribute to the New Blockaders, part magick ritual. Aaah s--t! We assigned random words to tarot cards and then picked.

What's your biggest vice?

Kindness to those undeserving. The problem with these kinds of questions is that all of my answers become flippant. I feel you have yet to know the real me, the artist behind the noise.

What's in your festival survival kit?

Books, so I can sit in the van and read. We also plan on going to the shooting range with Hatred Surge when we're in Austin.

Who was your first celeb crush?

I don't even remember her name, but she was a cartoon character. She lived in a jungle and she had a Native American friend with a magical spear, and she had a tiara. Or both lovely ladies from Strawberry Switchblade.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

Violent mosh metal -- [specifically] Hatebreed. I love the mosh.

What's the craziest thing you've seen or experienced while on tour?

An elderly relative of our host s---ting all over a house we were staying in -- that was crazy and depressing. That was 'krazy', with a 'k'.

You just released a new album.

It's a split LP/CD with the legendary Bastard Noise. The CD has a recomposed track of our material by 65-year-old classical composer Noah Creshevsky. Yes, we're turning to that old "work with classical musicians when you run out of ideas" schtick.