Band Interview: Spite

We spoke to vocalist, Darius Tehrani of Californian metal band, Spite. Currently rising through the ranks of metal, thanks in part, to their incredible new album ‘Dedication To Flesh’. An album that has only enhanced their popularity and is available worldwide now via Rise Records.

Spite will be touring the UK with Suicide Silence and After The Burial as part of the Never Say Die Tour.

You can see the band at the following dates:

8th November 2022 – SWX, Bristol
9th November 2022 – The Mill, Birmingham
10th November 2022 – Garage, Glasgow
11th November 2022 – Club Academy, Manchester
12th November 2022 – The Electric Ballroom, London

Tickets on sale now here.

Below is a select transcript of our interview with Darius. You can watch the listen to the full thing via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud and YouTube.

Hi Darius. Thank you for taking the time to do this. How’s your day going so far?

Oh, great. I think we’re like three and a half weeks or something into this tour. And I think everyone is kind of hitting that point where they’re getting a little tired and everyone’s feeling a little bit, like I think we needed the day off today. Everyone was looking forward to it. We just had a six- or seven-day streak and everyone’s just – I need to sleep, I need to do laundry, I need to just do nothing for a while. But it’s not bad. It’s not bad.

It’s great to be back in a position where you can even complain about the tour life!

Exactly. I was talking about that to somebody that, even though right now I’m a little gassed right now, I would still rather be out here then be at home. Personally, I had enough time to sit on my ass.

It’s just that you’re not quite match fit, as it were. Basically, getting into the swing of things properly again, doing this on a regular basis.

We did our first tour back over summer as a headliner and I think it was great. It was so fun. But that was definitely the tour of adjusting again. It was our first tour back and then this one. To be honest, I feel the best I’ve ever felt on stage in my entire career right now. I feel great.

Why is that, do you think?

I don’t know what it is, but I’m driven. I’m extremely hungry for it right now. And I don’t know, it doesn’t matter what’s going on or how many people are there. Like, the show’s sick, the show’s, whatever. I just like to get up there and fucking destroy shit, man. That’s just where I feel comfortable, it’s where I feel at home and I’m really just running with it right now.

What else is kind of keeping you guys busy at the moment? Are you just focusing right now on shows?

Yeah, we just came out with our record a few months ago, Dedication to Flesh. And we’re really trying to just be on the road as much as possible right now and get people to hear us and see us live because we feel like we’re a band that translates extremely well live.

Dedication to Fletch is the first record that we feel embodies what Spite really is. But I think what we really want to be doing right now is just playing shows. I talked to our agents and I was like, just keep us on tour as much as possible and that’ll make us happy.

It only came out in August. How the reaction been to it so far? For what I know, what I’ve been paying attention to, is that people are loving it.

I don’t really think I’ve heard anything bad, really. I feel like most people are saying it’s their favourite album that Spite have put out, which is extremely gratifying for us because we worked so long on this album, three years on this record and I think it really paid off as far as people, our fans digging it because it is a little different than our older stuff, for sure. But people are liking it.

People are like, it’s still Spite. It’s just Spite evolved, which is exactly what I want to hear. I think that for new people discovering Spite, this album has to make its rounds. I want to milk it as much as possible, but I think for new fans, this is a great spot for new people to fall in love with this band.

Yeah, not a debut, but has that debut feel. If you’re brand new, coming in and discovering this evolved you.

Yes. I feel like Spite is in its best state right now.

Do you feel as though the record is a strong encapsulation of not only where you are at but where you’re heading?

Absolutely. The record is full of bitterness and revenge and just like triumph and coming out on top and it’s exactly what’s playing out right now, you know what I mean? And we spent those three years miserable in such a gruelling situation. This album’s out, it’s the best work we’ve ever put out and we’re starting to get the tours that we want.

I believe more in Spite than I ever have in my life and I just can’t wait to see what happens.

It’s the first record that we put out that I feel like I have not a single gripe with. Like, there’s nothing I would go back and change with this album. I’m so happy with it. I know everyone in our band is happy with it and I’ve never been more proud.

Do you feel you feel as though your hard work over the last few years is beginning to pay off? And is that success started to sink in a little?

I don’t know if it’s paid off yet. I think we have a long way to go. I think taking those years off took a pretty big hit financially for us as a band as well. And I think these first tours back are kind of helping us get back on our feet. But I do see the future. I can see down the road and I know that the future is very bright for this band. And I’m all along for the ride, man, you know what I’m saying? Spite’s been around since 2014. I’ve played in bands before that and stuff, and this is all I do, this is all I want to do and I’m going to make it fucking happen. And I believe it is happening now.

From your perspective, what has it taken to get Spite to this incredible stage, as you say, 2014, that’s only eight years ago.

We have been on this train non-stop since we started. Just touring and just working our fucking asses off, man. I know a lot of other bands do the same, but you’re right, it hasn’t even been ten years since we’ve been a band and things kind of moved quick as a young band. We seem to be just kind of levelling up every time, you know what I mean? We just move up in the slot and the fan base gets bigger and bigger and I can just see the growth coming at quite a rapid pace, especially with this new album out.

What is it, though, from your perspective that’s connecting Spite to so many people, not just around the world, but from different walks of life?

Well, to me, it’s no gimmicks, you know what I mean? So, some people might argue that it is, but I don’t believe it is. I believe it’s very genuine and, like, when you come see us play live, it’s something that you could feel no matter what genre of music you like, subgenres of metal or whatever you listen to, you could come watch Spite live and identify with it because it’s angry.

Everyone gets angry and it’s not like we get up there and we’re just playing our riffs and I’m just trying to sound like, 100% on the mic. It’s like we’re having a fucking fit up there, bro. And it’s something that radiates so much energy that I don’t think you can turn away from it. You know what I mean? It’s like watching a fucking scary movie. It’s like pulverising. And you’re just like, wow. And I think that our live show and our record really translates that. And I think that people are just grabbing onto that feeling, like it makes you feel something. You’re clenching your fist or whatever it is. It definitely fits with you, for sure.

Energy, man. It’s such an energy. It’s something that you just cannot ignore. You can’t turn your head away from it, and if you’re in that room, you’re going to experience Spite.

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