Mark Kloeppel of Misery Index

Interviewed by George Archibald

Mark Kloeppel of Misery Index Photo by Andrew Bastion

Misery Index has been a staple of death metal since their inception in 2001. Currently the band is on the road with The Black Dahlia Murder, Napalm Death, and Abnormality on the Abysmal Predator Tour. This is a great mix of heavy death metal bands that will hit you right in the gut with their signature brands of aggression. I was fortunate to get a few minutes to speak with Mark Kloeppel, (Misery Index’s guitarist and vocalist) to find out what the band has been up to, and how touring is going.

GA: How has this tour with The Black Dahlia Murder, and Napalm Death been going for the band?

MK: Great, it’s been very cool. We just had some great shows. There have been a lot of sold out shows and the sick turn outs. The crowd has been very enthusiastic, and it’s been a lot of fun. We haven’t had much time to do anything non-tour related.

We had some decent drives on this tour. It’s cool to be able to get out and travel the country. See our friends out west that we don’t get to see that often. Before the Hate Eternal tour that we did a year ago, it’s been close to 4 years since we were out that way. So, it is kind of cool to be back.

GA: Your last album was 2014’s The Killing Gods, any plans to release any new material for 2017?

MK: That is what we are shooting for. We are currently in writing mode right now, putting stuff together. It’s in the beginning stages, some riff trading going around. Everyone is kind of writing their own songs and whatnot. It is going to start coming together quickly here in the next couple of months.

GA: What is some of the inspiration that goes into the writing process for the band, where do you guys draw that focus from?

MK: It comes from a lot of different places. Jason is our primary concept lyric writer. He usually delves into literature and things like that. Then he presents these ideas to the band. We will then go back and forth on content, and what the lyrics should be about. As far as inspiration goes, it comes when it comes you know.

GA: Misery Index has been a band since 2001, what is something that has helped to keep the band going all that time, and continue to keep things fresh?

MK: We are probably addicted to it. We’ve like taken the oath to death metal. To us, it’s like something we must fulfill. I think most artists are like that. It’s the shit they got to do, it doesn’t feel right if you aren’t expressing yourself. I think we are all in the same boat. We all have that need to write songs, and get out there and scream at people.

GA: I got a chance to speak with Pat O’Brien of Cannibal Corpse at Summer Slaughter, and I asked him something like that question. He said to me,” I wouldn’t know what else to do.”

MK: (laughing) He is compelled!!

Misery Index perform at Agora Ballroom. Photo by Andrew Bastion

GA: Misery Index has been a somewhat political band over the years. What are your thoughts on this past election, and the reaction the decision has had on the people?

MK: My initial reaction was it seems like it is one big joke, because Donald Trump is the elected president of the United States. It is likes seeing something out of a fucking cartoon or something, and you did! As far as the intentions of that guy, he is a manipulative dude. There are a lot of people concerned about the rights of everyone. I think one thing to consider is, he just totally manipulated the system; he appealed to ignorance, and fascism. He appealed to those people that are living in communities that embraces those things. He knew that there was a lot of them. He probably had some people do some research, and then he appealed to all that stuff. Now the things that he has said, is he going to be acting on that, I don’t know? It’s been a big sham. I don’t know whether to hate him or like him. He has said from the get go that, it’s a big fucking charade. He was going to work this thing, like he has worked anything else to get his way, and it worked. So, there you have it, is it going to be good or bad for the people? I don’t know, it is just a confusing time.

GA: What gear are you currently using on this tour? Any endorsements please mention.

MK: We are endorsed through ESP guitars, and they have treated us well over the years. I have been endorsed by them personally since I joined the band. I also use EVH amplifiers. We have gone through a lot of stuff over the years, and trust me dude they are the best. We also use Ernie Ball Cobalt strings; they have nice magnetic properties that give a little more definition out of them. Jason uses the Darkglass pedals which sound amazing. I have a backup rig which consists of a Tight Metal pedal from Amptweaker. The engineer James Brown who invented the original 5150, me and him kind of worked on that pedal together for a while and it’s sick.

GA: Is it an overdrive or a distortion based pedal?

MK: It is a preamp. James has made a smaller one now so it’s like a Jr. So, that is cool. I also like the warmth of tubes, but those things are fragile; so, I have my Tight Metal rig in the case ready to go if that breaks. I also use it when I go someplace like Indonesia, where the back-line can sometimes be subpar for what we do live.

GA: What are some of the things you guys enjoy when you are not on the road?

MK: My wife and kids, I like them a lot (laughing). I love hanging out with them. I also manage several bands for Extreme Management Group. I enjoy doing that immensely.

GA: Any bands you want to point out?

MK: Cognitive just released their record on October 28^th on Unique Leader Records called Deformity, and its super sick. They are currently on tour now, and will be on a tour come January with Artificial Brain. We have another band, Your Chance to Die which features Simone “Som” Pluijmers formerly of Cerebral Bore, and Missi Avila, so it is like a two-female fronted symphonic death metal band. They are super fucking awesome. I want to go through everybody, because we have some cool releases coming up. These are like my first two of my schedule.

GA: What is next for Misery Index?

MK: Write. Write. Write. Write. We are going to write, write, write, and then record, record, record. We also have some cool stuff that will be a part of the recording process. We are going to have some cool dudes involved in the process. We are getting some people that we have been wanting to work with for a long time to help us out. We also are planning on going to Great Britain in April. We are going to be playing a festival there, and some club shows in the area. The band also has some European festivals coming up for summer time.

GA: Anything else you would like to add?

MK: ESP, EVH, Ernie Ball, Amptweaker, The Black Dahlia Murder, Abnormality and Napalm Death are super sick!! Check them out.

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George Archibald

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