1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
We’ve all been friends for around 18 years, and met through being a part of the Texas metal community. The line-up is Champ Morgan (of Kill the Client) on vocals, noise and theremin, Mark Key (The Dead See, Clrvoyant) on guitars and vocals, and Neil Barrett (of Pornohelmut) on drums, samples and live visuals.
2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?
We have pretty diverse influences. It’s abrasive, noisy, experimental metal. I would say pick up a record or come see us live and just check it out.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
I think as a band we’re all pretty fed up with the situation of global madness that seems to be spiraling into chaos, with corrupt politicians, banking systems, corporations and the extremely wealthy steering our planet into a capitalistic landfill with no regard for the rest of humanity. Our aesthetic and lyrics definitely reflect that.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Blk Ops'?
With the name BLK OPS I guess we feel we’re turning the tables on government control and systems of power and flipping the paradigm, to say back to the oppressors: we see what you’re doing; we’re also infiltrating, we’re changing minds, and there are things in motion and movements in the underground that are invisible to you, that you cannot control. We are coming for you.
5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Our first show in our hometown we were invited to play the Decibel Tour and shared the stage with High on Fire, that was pretty amazing. Since then we’ve played with bands like Full of Hell, The Body, Cattle Decapitation, Today is the Day, Yautja, Sumac . . . we’ve been really lucky to be in the company of and share the stage with of some of our favorite bands working today. We do everything we can to make our live performances as intense and punishing as possible. We use a lot of loud gear and have synchronized visuals and put everything we have physically into every show we play.
6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We have some dates coming up soon supporting the split LP with Cave Bastard on Accident Prone Records, that’s going to be a blast. You can find all of that info here:
http://www.earsplitcompound. com/site/2017/07/13/blk-ops- cave-bastard-tracks-from- accident-prone-records-split- lp-streaming-preorders-posted/
7.So far this year you have been a part of splits with both 'Krvshr' and 'Cave Bastard' what are your thoughts on the other bands that had participated on the recordings?
Both of the bands contain members that have been old friends with some of us for a long time, so both releases were kind of a natural fit. Krvshr is a Texas band from Houston that’s been doing some big things lately and their whole side of the tape split is one epic, 16-minute destructive, driving track. It’s got everything from blast beats to ear-gouging guitar solos. Cave Bastard hails from San Diego and they do a potent mix of unrelenting thrash/grind that sometimes gives way to atmospheric, pummeling doom. Totally crushing stuff on both counts and cool dudes all around. We’re very proud of both the releases and the bands we share them with.
8.The split is coming out on 'Accident Prone Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
I can tell you that Gary (the owner) has put out some really amazing, finely crafted releases. A lot of killer limited edition colored vinyl and picture discs with awesome packaging, that kind of stuff. He's released bands like Nadja, Make and Cattle Decapitation throughout the years. The work he’s done for this release is absolutely awesome and he’s great to work with.
9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sludge, doom metal, grind and hardcore?
It’s been very positive. It’s kind of hard to put a label on what we do, but there are definitely elements of doom, grind, noise metal, and experimental aspects to our music. But overall, it seems like fans of most things in the metal world are supportive.
10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We have a full-length already tracked and currently being mixed which was done at Public Hi-fi in Austin with our good friend Brad Bell, and we’ve been talking to a few different people about a release. Musically, I would say we’re just going to do our best to forge further into the great unknown while still being as crushing as possible.
11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
There are bands like Pig Destroyer, Today is the Day, Neurosis, The Jesus Lizard, and Unsane for instance who have become kind of cornerstones in the metal/rock/noise worlds, and I’d say they’ve all been influences of ours. As far as what’s come out lately, we’ve been listening to stuff like Full of Hell, Ex Eye, Gatecreeper, River Black, The Body, Primitive Man . . . there’s been a ton of good stuff coming out the last year or two.
12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Morgan is into MMA and combat sports, and fitness in general. I co-own a video production company called novelconcept.tv that does animation and directs videos, mostly for bands. Mark is into stuff like documentaries about dystopian modern society and global catastrophe, and he does some drawing and painting when he’s not busy collecting records. It’s hard to say because all of us are involved in multiple musical projects, so it doesn’t leave much free time. Most of what all of us do revolves around music in some way.
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
The BLK OPS / CAVE BASTARD split LP comes out August 25th on Accident Prone Records, and you can find pre-order information here: https:// accidentpronerecords.bandcamp. com/album/blk-ops-cave- bastard-split
There’s a very limited run of clear blue/opaque orange splatter (only 80 available through mail-order) in addition to the black vinyl, so don’t sleep on the pre-order, they look amazing and they’re going fast.
Keep an eye out for info on the BLK OPS full-length album, coming winter/spring 2018. Thanks for the support, and thanks for listening.
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