Ex Annihilator and Nevermore axe man Curran Murphy has stepped out of the shadows of these bands to create Shatter Messiah. Back with the follow up to their acclaimed "Never Play The Servant" we caught up with Curran to give us the low down on the new record and what's next for the Messiah boys.

I am doing really well, SHATTER MESSIAH is getting great reviews, my recording studio “SMILEY SOUNDS STUDIO” is busy as all get out, hell I am able to pay my rent with and make great sounding records as well!!! HAHA

Reactions have been wonderful, from the press to the fans people really dig this album, they keep saying that they all really liked “NEVER TO PLAY THE SERVANT” but that “GOD BURNS LIKE FLESH” makes the first album sound weak!!! HAHAHAHA of course they still like the first album but the new one is better for sure!!! We are also getting some new fans that used to be detractors of the band, they hated the first album and the band in general but now they are liking the new record and getting into what we do as a band!! So this makes me really proud and happy. Those are the people I love to meet on the road or anywhere and buy them a beer!! HAHAHA

Well lets answer that question by hitting the last part of it first, FUCK organized religion, they are ALLLLLLLLL liars, thieves, and truly evil, they all divide humanity into hateful creatures that kill each other over invisible “gods” in the sky, and where do they get this from????? A book written by the same kind of liars and scum bag fear mongers that they are over thousands of years ago. “DO WHAT I SAY OR I WILL KILL YOU AND YOU WILL BURN IN HELL FOR EVER” what a crock of cock sucking bullshit!!! God damn it this gets me angry. BUT the album title is not about religion, it is about the new gods, the flesh gods. Celebrity, Politician, Sports Stars, and how they do not deserve your worship, they are beneath you and worthless. These creatures or “walking skin bags” as I like to call them are devoid of anything good or real, the guy who picks up my garbage on Fridays is a better human being then these scum bag fuck faces, and he probably drinks to much and beats his wife and kids. AND he is still a better man in my eyes than these fuck shits that people worship in the magazines, and movies, and the ones in charge of our countries direction, AND our lives. Fuck religion it is EVIL!! However, I will say that people that have found “god” as a source of peace or stability in there lives to help them and make their own personal existence better, I find this aspect of “spirituality” wonderful and a necessary part of human existence. But when they start to preach and wail about their “gods” superiority that is when they become my enemy. Once again FUCK THEM!!!!!!

How do you feel the new record compares to your first album “Never Play The Servant”? Was the approach to the writing of “God Burns Like Flesh” any different from that of “Never Play The Servant”?

I think Jayson (Bass Player) put it best, he was just coming into the band when he told me that he thought it was like the move from Metallica’s kill ‘em all to Ride the lightning, a HUGE step forward for the band and the sound and writing and all of that good stuff. Of course being a GIGANTIC Metallica fan this made me blush! HAHA and feel pretty fucking good about myself for a change. (until I had to start recording guitars for the record them I went right back to wanting to kill myself)

What is the writing process in Shatter Messiah, is it an individual or collective experience?

It is a combination of both of those methods; I write constantly on my own (its nice having my own studio). Dusty, and Jayson both write and have music they want to bring in for the new album that we are already working on!!! HAHAH no rest for the wicked EH!! And on “GOD BURNS LIKE FLESH” we had music like BURIED IN BLACK, and PATHWAY where all written in the loud room as a band which was awesome for me.  And then a song like “GOD BURNS LIKE FLESH” was BOBS and me down in the load room with only ONE riff and fifteen minutes later we had this anvil smashing tune that I think is just brilliant and brutal all in one fell swoop!!!!!!!!

I see from a number of posts on the bands website that the time in the studio recording “God Burns Like Flesh” was often last minute to finish certain aspects of the album. How did you enjoy your time in the studio, was the pressure a stimulus or hindrance?

Well it always seems to end up that way, I always procrastinate or think I have more time than I actually do and then BAMM!!!! Deadline is on top of me!!! I swear next time I am going to have the new album done ten months in advance!!!! HAHAHAHAHA but I do think the intensity of the situation bleed into the music and mix. At least in my opinion but it would be nice to make a record with no stress and only fun. Instead of fun and stress HAHAHAHAHAHA

Are you at all conscience that the band is seen as a one man show, and that the band is referred to as Curran Murphy’s band?

Actually no, of course people know me first, but the band stands on its own, I have zero beef with people looking at SHATTER MESSIAH how ever they want to look at it. What matters to me is whether they like the band and want a copy of our album or not. So many bands are really one man shows. it seems to be the only way anything gets done. democracy in bands fails every time. DAVE MUSTAINE said that a band needs to be like a group of generals preparing for war, everyone of them ready to do the job together and with aggressive intention for victory

“God Burns Like Flesh” is the first record to feature new bassist Jayson Chamberlain who replaced Ron Boisvert. How did you guys hook up with Jason, what were the reasons for Ron’s departure?

Well Ron wanted a normal life, house, wife, kids, all of that and SHATTER MESSIAH just eats up all of your life. So he bowed out of the game. I have been extremely conscious of SHATTER MESSIAH being a band, and not a one man show. I wanted to avoid the revolving door joke that so many bands become. Can’t keep a guitar play or fire a singer  because  he  is  fat,  or  can’t  let  people have other music in their lives

besides the ONE band you are a part of. That kind of shit makes a band LAME and TIRED. So I had a very big discussion with BOBS about the bass player situation and we decided to really look for “the last new guy” and not just settle on the first kat that walked in the door that could play. Jayson was a friend of mine on the scene here and he found out that we needed to have a fill in guy for a string of shows we where putting together. Now I figured that Jayson had his own bands and was a death metal guitar player, he is only offering to help NOT be in the band. So this takes the pressure off of me and BOBS and lets us worry about playing shows and touring for “NTPTS” but as the months rolled on Jayson just turned into the man and ended up moving into the house with me and we both came to the decision that he would like to be the bass player for SHATTER MESSIAH. BOBS love the idea after working with Jayson for so many months and of course Dusty, and WAGS where on board as well. So there you go, and now he is working on material for the new SHATTER MESSIAH album already!! Very cool guy

We want to get out on the road and tear up as much as possible for the new record.  We should have some announcements in the coming months

“God Burns Like Flesh” is the second album to be released through Dockyard 1. Having experienced other labels with previous bands how have they been treating you?

All labels seem to pretty much be the same. They try to get the most for the minimum and if they clear a profit, which they do, they are happy, I just wish that dockyard1 was as hungry as SHATTER MESSIAH is to really get out there and make some bigness happen. Of course I am a very impatient person when it comes to SHATTER MESSIAH and my career; I want it all to happen NOW!!! But it is a slow build. It will all come to me and the band soon enough!!!!! And we will work it fucking hard for certain!!!!

Thrash is riding the crest of a wave at the moment in terms of popularity with both old school and the NWOTM bands finding new audiences. To what do you attribute the genres rise in popularity?

Lame music is the reason, people get sick of the cookie cutter cookie, and they want macadamia nuts with raisins and chocolate chips in their cookies. True thrash and true metal has never died and it never does. These bands just keep working hard for their core fans and new fans that they win and this is what makes metal awesome. I do this because I love it and it is a part of my life. I can’t stop doing it. 

We WILL see you soon out on the road and hoist some metal and beers my brothers!!!! Keep it true and keep it metal!!!!!