Michael Crafter - Confession (02/07/2014)
“There was this kid who went to our Soundwave show who got his knee fucked in the pit. We met him in Newcastle I think. He was telling us that when he went to the hospital from the set, they found a fuck ton of tumours and cancerous lumps in his knee! They were able to remove them and he’s in remission and doing great now! His friends and family were all so thankful not just for our set being the catalyst, but also for our stance with cancer. Breakdowns and moshing saved his life!” Confession frontman Michael Crafter tells us.
The story is an apt description of Confession. It takes in the heavy and energetic qualities of not only their recordings, but also their live presence; one of intensity and dominance. It also sums up the band’s obsession with moshing (just look at their merchandise as a reference). But it also talks about something that has become a huge part of the Confession journey: cancer.
The band, and more specifically Crafter, began a series of shirt that held in big words: “FUCK CANCER”. It’s a very bold and heavy statement that, despite being what many no doubt think, has caused a stir among some for its use of profanity.
Yet when speaking with Crafter, we began to see that this truly was no form of gimmick, marketing too or attempt at pissing off people; it was a real message and belief held by a man who’s world has been ripped apart by cancer.
"When my mum got cancer I said to myself that I needed to do something, I thought I'd just out up some shirts and see if anyone buys them and they started to. We ended up raising four to five thousand dollars in a few months! People ended up only buying them so we took 'em down for a bit. It got to the point where we were sitting there for days on end! Just posting them out! There was hundreds of them! Although it was great to get the cash and all, we just had to stop for a whole as it was a bit much for us to do. I donated the first lot of cash and it felt great! I could've made a company out of this! But I realised that we're a band and I didn't want to milk it too much and make the band seem like a charity."
"We started having Paypal disputes as we weren't an organised charity and had our Paypal and Big Cartel shut down! Then when all that got sorted and we've been selling a few ever since then which is still really cool. I felt good 'cause I was raising money and doing something rather than sitting on my arse being depressed about my mum and my friend who got brain cancer,” Crafter says solemnly.
"People want us to do track pants and jackets but I just want to keep it a shirt!" he laughs. "I don't want to take it to the point where that's all Confession is and sells."
The cancer message among others on the record is one that will hit home for many listeners. With such a serious issue being dealt with, it creates a stark contrast too much of the lyrical content on the market at this point.
There are many bands on the market that are exploiting the topics of drugs and partying, among other vices. Although some do so in order to ‘take the piss’ (Attila), there are others that genuinely hold those as ‘values’.
“I feel there are a lot of bands out there that just don’t have a lot to say. You have bands like The Amity Affliction who have their stance on depression and suicide and really believe in that. I love seeing stuff like that as it’s really awesome. It has more weight and depth to it; you can feel it. There are a lot of bullshit bands out there that just say what they think people want them to say and it’s really tragic that they waste their music on stuff like drinking and sex and stuff. That doesn’t appeal to me as I’m not a partier, I’m straight edge. I’m into real life and I’m singing about my really world, my personal shit. Not in a way that’s emo, like real proper emo which is crammed with metaphors on a page. It’s all real that’s what I love singing about.”
Track number two on Life and Death, Holy War, is a song that holds a very polarising topic: religion.
Featuring Ahren Stringer of The Amity Affliction performing some of the most intense and unexpected screams around, the track not only has an aggressive soundscape, but also a lyrical one. With many profanities loitered in the song towards religious bodies and believers. Holding a very strong line of: “I’ll burn your churches to the ground,” the song will no doubt create some conversation among listeners.
We were keen to see just what Crafter had to say about the issue out of a three minute time frame.
“For me, I believe in straight edge. I don’t believe in pushing straight edge onto other people. We all have our rights to believe in what we believe in. Religion is the most judgemental things on the planet; they look down on everyone who doesn’t believe in their religion. It got to a point where religions were waring against other religions. If you have to wage a war against someone else because of whatever mythical thing you believe in in the sky, then that’s a serious problem. You need to accept what everyone else believe and move on. That’s not the fucking problem though. The problem is that religions are so caught up in their own bullshit that they want to go to war with each other. It’s not just happening in war-torn countries, it’s happening in full blown cities. Whether it’s the Christians arguing with Atheists or the Muslims arguing with Christians, it’s all bullshit. Just go to your fucking church or mosque or tent and chill the fuck out. Believe in what you believe in. You don’t need to judge, you need to just be happy with what you believe.”
“I don’t give a fuck what you believe in or what any one has to say. I live the way I want to and I let others live the way they want to. The ‘I’ll burn your churches to the ground’ is Ahren Stringer. You’ll have to talk to him about that one!” Crafter says with roaring laughter.
“He usually has the voice of an angel and forces thousands to his shows with his beautiful voice, and here he sounds like a demon in a death metal band! I was so stoked that he did it and he did it so well! He had a statement to make and he wanted to piss some people off and he went all out!”
The conversation then went very askew into detail of the original plans for the song and how it all flowed into Stringer getting the guess position.
“I originally had CJ from Thy Art is Murder planning to come and do it but he was too busy with Thy Art,” the Confession singer cackles.
“So I called Ahren up and asked him if he could scream. He was down to do it with no hesitation. He could have fucking said no and just hung around getting drunk or high or whatever, but he went and booked a studio and then within under a day, he had his lyrics and his parts done and sent. It was just so fucking awesome to have him do it for us. It shows real sense of mateship!”
Crafter was very avid to talk about his friends but we brought the conversation back to religion quickly as the man had much more to say about it all.
“I feel like a lot of the way religions are is that they’re stuck in their ways and they won’t change; even if it makes the world a better place. Like the Catholics and Christians getting angry and not wanting the [gays] to get married. It’s like ‘shut up and move on’! It’s going to happen one day. Your stupid book says a lot of things are wrong but it’s all a contradictory mess and you only read what you want to read. Just let people get married and move on. You have the right to believe in what you want to believe in, just let everyone be. Some people think straight edge is for kids but that’s the way I live and I’m happy.”
He ended the statement with strong and bold words, “I personally think religion is fucking retarded.”
Life and Death is out now.
Matthew Sievers
The story is an apt description of Confession. It takes in the heavy and energetic qualities of not only their recordings, but also their live presence; one of intensity and dominance. It also sums up the band’s obsession with moshing (just look at their merchandise as a reference). But it also talks about something that has become a huge part of the Confession journey: cancer.
The band, and more specifically Crafter, began a series of shirt that held in big words: “FUCK CANCER”. It’s a very bold and heavy statement that, despite being what many no doubt think, has caused a stir among some for its use of profanity.
Yet when speaking with Crafter, we began to see that this truly was no form of gimmick, marketing too or attempt at pissing off people; it was a real message and belief held by a man who’s world has been ripped apart by cancer.
"When my mum got cancer I said to myself that I needed to do something, I thought I'd just out up some shirts and see if anyone buys them and they started to. We ended up raising four to five thousand dollars in a few months! People ended up only buying them so we took 'em down for a bit. It got to the point where we were sitting there for days on end! Just posting them out! There was hundreds of them! Although it was great to get the cash and all, we just had to stop for a whole as it was a bit much for us to do. I donated the first lot of cash and it felt great! I could've made a company out of this! But I realised that we're a band and I didn't want to milk it too much and make the band seem like a charity."
"We started having Paypal disputes as we weren't an organised charity and had our Paypal and Big Cartel shut down! Then when all that got sorted and we've been selling a few ever since then which is still really cool. I felt good 'cause I was raising money and doing something rather than sitting on my arse being depressed about my mum and my friend who got brain cancer,” Crafter says solemnly.
"People want us to do track pants and jackets but I just want to keep it a shirt!" he laughs. "I don't want to take it to the point where that's all Confession is and sells."
The cancer message among others on the record is one that will hit home for many listeners. With such a serious issue being dealt with, it creates a stark contrast too much of the lyrical content on the market at this point.
There are many bands on the market that are exploiting the topics of drugs and partying, among other vices. Although some do so in order to ‘take the piss’ (Attila), there are others that genuinely hold those as ‘values’.
“I feel there are a lot of bands out there that just don’t have a lot to say. You have bands like The Amity Affliction who have their stance on depression and suicide and really believe in that. I love seeing stuff like that as it’s really awesome. It has more weight and depth to it; you can feel it. There are a lot of bullshit bands out there that just say what they think people want them to say and it’s really tragic that they waste their music on stuff like drinking and sex and stuff. That doesn’t appeal to me as I’m not a partier, I’m straight edge. I’m into real life and I’m singing about my really world, my personal shit. Not in a way that’s emo, like real proper emo which is crammed with metaphors on a page. It’s all real that’s what I love singing about.”
Track number two on Life and Death, Holy War, is a song that holds a very polarising topic: religion.
Featuring Ahren Stringer of The Amity Affliction performing some of the most intense and unexpected screams around, the track not only has an aggressive soundscape, but also a lyrical one. With many profanities loitered in the song towards religious bodies and believers. Holding a very strong line of: “I’ll burn your churches to the ground,” the song will no doubt create some conversation among listeners.
We were keen to see just what Crafter had to say about the issue out of a three minute time frame.
“For me, I believe in straight edge. I don’t believe in pushing straight edge onto other people. We all have our rights to believe in what we believe in. Religion is the most judgemental things on the planet; they look down on everyone who doesn’t believe in their religion. It got to a point where religions were waring against other religions. If you have to wage a war against someone else because of whatever mythical thing you believe in in the sky, then that’s a serious problem. You need to accept what everyone else believe and move on. That’s not the fucking problem though. The problem is that religions are so caught up in their own bullshit that they want to go to war with each other. It’s not just happening in war-torn countries, it’s happening in full blown cities. Whether it’s the Christians arguing with Atheists or the Muslims arguing with Christians, it’s all bullshit. Just go to your fucking church or mosque or tent and chill the fuck out. Believe in what you believe in. You don’t need to judge, you need to just be happy with what you believe.”
“I don’t give a fuck what you believe in or what any one has to say. I live the way I want to and I let others live the way they want to. The ‘I’ll burn your churches to the ground’ is Ahren Stringer. You’ll have to talk to him about that one!” Crafter says with roaring laughter.
“He usually has the voice of an angel and forces thousands to his shows with his beautiful voice, and here he sounds like a demon in a death metal band! I was so stoked that he did it and he did it so well! He had a statement to make and he wanted to piss some people off and he went all out!”
The conversation then went very askew into detail of the original plans for the song and how it all flowed into Stringer getting the guess position.
“I originally had CJ from Thy Art is Murder planning to come and do it but he was too busy with Thy Art,” the Confession singer cackles.
“So I called Ahren up and asked him if he could scream. He was down to do it with no hesitation. He could have fucking said no and just hung around getting drunk or high or whatever, but he went and booked a studio and then within under a day, he had his lyrics and his parts done and sent. It was just so fucking awesome to have him do it for us. It shows real sense of mateship!”
Crafter was very avid to talk about his friends but we brought the conversation back to religion quickly as the man had much more to say about it all.
“I feel like a lot of the way religions are is that they’re stuck in their ways and they won’t change; even if it makes the world a better place. Like the Catholics and Christians getting angry and not wanting the [gays] to get married. It’s like ‘shut up and move on’! It’s going to happen one day. Your stupid book says a lot of things are wrong but it’s all a contradictory mess and you only read what you want to read. Just let people get married and move on. You have the right to believe in what you want to believe in, just let everyone be. Some people think straight edge is for kids but that’s the way I live and I’m happy.”
He ended the statement with strong and bold words, “I personally think religion is fucking retarded.”
Life and Death is out now.
Matthew Sievers