After 11 years, BRUTAL TRUTH are returning to Australian. Frontman KEVIN SHARP chooses his words carefully when discussing the band’s new lease on life and their legendary weed intake. TOM HERSEY writes.

Kevin Sharp sounds tired. Or stoned. But you’ve gotta give the dude the benefit of the doubt – he is doing press at two in the morning. Fielding questions from Australia about grind legends Brutal Truth’s return to Australian soil and their awesome reunification, it’s understandable that Kevin Sharp sounds dreary.

As dull as Sharp might sound, Brutal Truth’s rebirth has heralded a new age of intensity through the sonic cluster-fuckery of his band. As fans worldwide have been applauding Brutal’s latest full-length effort, Evolution Through Revolution, Sharp just sounds stoked on the fact that Brutal Truth can exist and maintain some control over their career.

“Things are a little different now, because we’re not really being pushed into things. The industry has changed quite a bit in the last ten years. Nowadays it’s more in line with the musician and they’re able to make more calls as to when they want to do things. It’s kind of gone full circle to what it was like back in the day, and that’s just given us more control over the band. Because when we broke up we were getting bullied and pushed into things and it was kind of like we were slaves. I don’t wanna be pushed around and talked into doing in this quarter or blah blah blah anymore.”

Even though Brutal Truth’s previous Australian jaunt was one of the last tours before the band imploded, Kevin still holds fond memories of the tour, which he is happy to share. “Anytime you go out with Blood Duster and their vocalist Tony, you’re going to have something to remember, even though he probably won’t. Quite a few drinks into an evening one night, this is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen in my life, there was Tony taking face plants trying to learn how to skate at this crappy skate ramp in Bondi Beach. It was like 3 or 4 in the morning, he was completely drunk and he’d just drop in and rub his face on the wood.”

Since Brutal Truth’s first incarnation called it a day almost ten years ago, a lot has changed for the band. Compounded upon original guitarist Brent McCarthy not sticking around, and since being replaced by one-time Lethargy shredder Eric Burke, the four dudes that comprise Brutal Truth seem older and wiser. So what does that in terms of on the road partying for a band that coined the term Grind. Smoke. Sleep?

“That stuff would be more in line with Rich or Danny. I’m mostly more of a drinker.” So does that mean that Brutal Truth have eased off on their reportedly gargantuan cannabis consumption? With a sly chuckle Sharp replies, “I didn’t say that.” 

While Brutal Truth have metamorphosed into a new beast during their absence, Kevin is clear that some things will never change.

“Some of us may be older and wiser, but certainly not Tony. I’m expecting some high marks of stupidity when we tour Australia with Blood Duster.”

BRUTAL TRUTH headline the year’s sweetest grind bill with Blood Duster and Captain Cleanoff, desecrating The Hi-Fi on Friday Dec 18. EVOLUTION THROUGH REVOLUTION is available now through Relapse/Riot. www.myspace.com/brutalfuckingtruth

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