It came from the movie "The Lost Boys" where Corey Haim kills a vampire with his stereo.

The band has been around since 1999 and has undergone quite a few line up changes. I currently think the band is the strongest it has ever been musically. Would you agree?

I think it's pretty strong right now and I hope this lineup stays solid. It's hard to keep people around for as much touring as we do.

The new album "Death For Life" is truly a remarkable album and will probably be a landmark record for the band. What do you think are the biggest attributes the album has to offer?

I think the album has great hooks and it's very catchy. We really worked on our song structure this time around so the songs linger in your head.

I think it's fair to say that "Death For Life" is a very emotionally driven album. Were there any specific events that lead to the writing of the album such as relationship problems, problems with the government or society as a whole?

We had a tragic accident in Blacksburg, VA and that affected us greatly. Definitely inspired some of our lyrics. There are other things like our friend had an out of body experience when he died temporaily.

The band recently released the video for "Entombed We Collide". It's a great song and even better video. It looks like everyone was having a blast making it. How did the video shoot go?

We just played in front of all these mirrors and rocked out all day long. It was a great time making it and all the crew were really cool.

Recently, I saw you on tour with Rise Against and Alkaline Trio. You put on such an amazing performance and impressed me far beyond the other two bands. It was clear to see that Death By Stereo loves playing and performing the music that they create. With many other bands out there that just kind of stand there and play, why bother putting so much energy, effort and attention on your live show?

We love playing live and I personally like to watch bands that have a lot of energy when they play. Sick of it All are one of the best bands live ever. I read a quote from Chuck Dukowski from Black Flag that said something to the extent of "If there are 50 or 5000 people there, you have to give 110 percent". I totally agree with that and I think a lot of bands don't do that. We don't always do that either but we fucking do what we can.

Speaking of live performances, on August 7th, 2005, you'll be performing at this year's X-Games. How were you approached about doing that and was it a right away 'yes' or did the band have to think about it with the considerable amount of touring you're currently involved with?

We have a friend who got us that gig. We said "Yes" right away. It's probably going to be pretty fun.

Epitaph Records once was the premier punk/punk rock label. Today, not so much, but it's still got a handful of great bands. Who are some of your favorite bands from Epitaph? Who are some of your favorite bands in general?

My favorite band on Epitaph is still Bad Religion. I think Converge is pretty good but I can't really think of anything else on Epitaph off hand. I really like Muse, Bruce Dickinson, Night Ranger, Yngwie Malmsteen, The Clash, The Police, King Diamond, and the new Avenged Sevenfold record is pretty fucking good.

One of the things that most impresses me about you guys is that you've got great musicianship and play the more metal side of punk rock (is there such a thing?) which I dig completely. What bands have influenced you and has some way molded who and what Death By Stereo is today?

We really like Iron Maiden and how their guitar players and bass player interact. We like bands that can really play their instruments and write great songs. I've been listening to a lot of Night Ranger lately. They are ripping guitar players with great melodies and songs.

Enough with the serious questions. Let's take a break with some more relaxed questions. What does the band do when they're not recording or performing?

I drink coffee and go to the gym. We all go out the occasional bar and do a little socializing.

What was the last album you bought and what are some albums you would like to check out?

I want to check out the new Bruce Dickinson record. I heard the single and it was pretty awesome.

Okay, let's play a word association game. I'm going to say someone or something's name and please tell me the first thing that comes to mind.

Britney Spears

Toxic

George W. Bush

Smug

Reality TV

Terrible

Punk Music

Sometimes boring

Sex

Yes, please

Chinese Food

More tofu

The Muppets

Swedish chef

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