INTERVIEW: Talkin’ Before The Blast Blues with Sam of Flagman
Sam Stewart talks industrial metal, recording (mostly) solo, and “The Punishment Committee.”
My first review for Toilet Ov Hell was for a little record titled Tastes Incredible, a strong mini-LP heavily inspired by the sounds of early-aughts/late-’90s groups like Faith No More, System of A Down, and (most notably) Primus. With Les Claypool and company stuck firmly in the Maynard James Keenan polycule along with A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, Flagman‘s effortless blend of nu-metal and funk rock carried the torch of lead bass into the 2020s. The source of their idolatry makes them stand out in a sea of aging zoomers enraptured by Deftones and shoegaze. All this considered, Flagman should be poised to dominate in the metal zeitgeist.
The intro/outro tracks, “Les Enfants Perdus Pt. 1” and “…Pt. 2,” serve as grim jam tracks with sinister spoken word segments that seem to contain similar anti-war and authority themes to Tastes Incredible‘s “Bombs Away.” The lead single, “The Punishment Committee,” sounds like a bonus track on Ministry‘s Psalm 69 crossed with the nu-funk-metal stylings of a group like Mr. Bungle or first-album-era Incubus. The other two tracks, “The Nobody In Charge” and “The Flashlight Of God” are experimental cuts that build on the framework laid out by the single. All 5 songs make up a pseudo-concept record surrounding a mysterious organization named The Punishment Committee and mirrors a lot of modern angst in America, political or otherwise.
All this to say, I was more than curious about the EP as a whole. Luckily. I recently had a chance to talk to Sam Stewart and ask him a few questions about Before the Blast and the future of Flagman.
Ghoulson: To start, thank you for your time Sam.
Sam: Absolutely. Thank you for taking the time to check out the tunes 🙂
G: If the recently leaked “Exhibit A” video is anything to go by, Flagman is in a bit of a bind. If able to do so, can you tell us any about “The Punishment Committee?”
S: The Punishment Committee is a nameless, faceless body of bureaucrats doling out heavy heaps of “justice” as they see fit. There’s no reasoning with them, pleading does no good. Their judgements are swift and merciless and rarely checked for accuracy.
G: While the new single is still in the vein of Flagman, it’s clear that industrial metal acts like Ministry were a big reference point for the band. What about this style drew you in? Was it difficult adding another main influence to the band?
S: I had been listening to lots of Ministry and Nailbomb in the last several months. I approached these tunes as running those bands through the filter of Flagman. I think I was particularly drawn to these bands as I was heading up this creative process pretty much entirely myself. Those “bands” are similar in that it’s played by a group but the studio process is fairly streamlined which wasn’t something we’d ever really attempted with this project before. I didn’t find it difficult, I just kinda tinkered my way into the sounds I liked.
G: I also read that Before the Blast is primarily written and recorded by you (with Orlando Rivera on drums), how has this change shaped your approach to songwriting? What were some of your goals when embarking on this project?
S: It was a wholly different writing process than anything else this band has done before. All of our previous releases were born out of months (sometimes years) of jamming on, writing, demoing, and re-writing songs until we got our final product or ran out of time before the studio time. This process was done almost entirely from my living room. The pace was a lot quicker and the stress was a lot lower because I could take as much time with each piece as I needed to without having to worry about how much we’re paying per hour or the clock running out. It was a really organic process for me because my goal was initially to just learn the software and plugins I had bought—I made myself record something every day and as I built up more and more pieces I suddenly had a handful of songs that I was sitting on.
G: Can you tell me a bit about the theming around this EP? What sparked the conceptual approach and pointed lyrical content?
S: The theming sort of reflects some of the personal upheaval I’ve been experiencing and the changes that I and the band have gone through in the last several months and years. The band has gone through a lot of changes in the decade plus it’s existed, and that’s required a lot of adjustments and lessons that sometimes come at a high financial and/or emotional price. Some of it is also reflected in our world both in the past and presently. We have these ideas of what the future should hold and many times life has other plans, some better and some worse than you hoped for. You try to make sense of it but all you really have is the moment you’re in and making the best of what is right in front of you.
G: What was it about the quote “I’ll show you something you won’t ever forget” that spoke to you so much?
S: I have always really been drawn to lyrics that paint a picture without being overly verbose or descriptive. Something that draws you in quickly but stays with you as you think it over. I had that phrase written down in a notebook and it fit well rhythmically as I was demoing and it just sort of grew from there. It felt like it fit nicely with the idea of this board of higher ups deciding your punishment arbitrarily. Almost like a parent telling a child “I’ll give you something to cry about.” It’s vaguely threatening and intimidating.
G: What should the reader go into Before the Blast expecting?
S: Non-stop action and stunts, thrills, chills, and maybe even a little romance.
G: What do you see in the future for Flagman?
S: More tunes, more tours, more everything. So open wide—I hope you’re hungry.
We are plenty hungry and I’m sure it will Taste Incredible.
