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April 2010, Spotlight33
The Smell of Death
Angela finds the upside to the Smell of Death.
I recently caught up with the Smell of Death in their recording studio. Band members include Khris "with a 'K' for KILL!" (vocals), Patrick Doom (lead guitar), Brother Dave (bass), Cousin Adventure (guitar), and Beard Fist (drums). This is a group of guys that enjoy their music and have fun but take what they do seriously. Some of their fans even showed up during rehearsal to watch them perform and work on recording their new album.
They put on a great show and are sure to make your face melt, which is exactly what they're going for. If you love heavy metal, this is a band you surely have to see. They give off incredible energy with each performance. As far as shows go, right now you can catch these guys playing at the Darjeeling Café in Staunton, Virginia.
They are basically immortals that have fought in most every battle you can imagine. They said the Smell of Death was a power given to them by a deity.
33: Why did you decide to make music?
Khris: We got bored and decided to make metal. We wanted to make metal that didn't suck. When we play we want people's faces to melt.
33: Who are your musical inspirations?
The Smell of Death: Judas Priest, Ronnie James Dio, Man O' War, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots.
33: How did the band form?
Khris: After work we just decided to play metal. We were just kinda playing around and then found a drummer who left, and we had to keep finding drummers.
Cousin Adventure: I was originally in a different band and saw these guys plays and broke my nose in a mosh pit and was immediately hooked. I loved the energy of their shows, and I always wanted to play 
something that was heavier.
33: Where did the name come from?
Khris: I thought it sounded pretty cool, and when you smell death it has a distinct smell. It sounded a lot better than some of the names you hear.
33: Do you write your own lyrics?
Khris: Yes, except Cousin wrote the lyrics to one song.
Cousin Adventure: We combined efforts on the song. Khris does the majority of the lyrical writing. We all have equal say in the band.
Khris: No one says shit to me though 'cause I'll punch them in the face.
Beard Fist: We all have the same thing in our head.
33: Do you guys all play instruments?
Cousin Adventure: Pat and I do the bass.
Patrick Doom: Everyone plays instruments in the band.
33: What has been your favorite place to perform?
The Smell of Death: The Darjeeling Cafe.
33: What other musicians have you worked with?
The Smell of Death: The Cinnamon Band, the Static Machine, the Viccas.
33: Do you plan on playing with any other local bands or singers in the area?
The Smell of Death: Yeah, anybody who can perform a good rock show and put up with rude people and rude lyrics. The biggest thing we are trying to bring to the area is a real energetic, fun, scary metal show. Our goal is to melt faces.
Beard Fist: We played "Sweet Home Alabama," and that is what got the crowd moving.
Cousin Adventure: Playing is a lot of fun, and we want to continue to have a lot of fun.
33: Where can we see you perform?
The Smell of Death: Darjeeling Café
Khris: It's hard to get gigs around here unless you play songs that are on 98.5.
33: What can we see from you in the future?
The Smell of Death: Lots of face melting, lots of cuss words.
33: Do you have any albums coming out?
The Smell of Death: Yes, in about an hour we are going to start working on our album.
33: Anything you'd like to say to your fans?
The Smell of Death: Please come to our shows. Wear an extra pair of socks because we will surely rock the first pair off of you.
33: Any advice you can give to young musicians?
The Smell of Death: Smoke weed, drink beer, write shit that rules.
Angela was born in Waynesboro, Virginia. She has since lived in Townsend, Tennessee, and Stuarts Draft, Virginia. She can be a very interesting person to get to know. She is much like a book, you have to open the cover to get to her many talents and qualities that are hidden in her pages. Her love for music came when she played drums in a band as a teenager. She always loved every genre of music. She also has a passion for photography, poetry, blogging and writing. She enlisted in the army in 2004 and is a Persian Gulf War veteran. She recently attended Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center and became Student Government Association President. She was editor of the SGA newsletter Old Ragtime News and worked in the Marketing Department at WWRC on the 2008 Annual Report. Recently she achieved a certificate in Web Design and has started her own business, Fine Designs & Creative Works. You can find her online on Facebook, and numerous other sites.