Interview with Mike Perun of Cianide (USA)

Questions by Sandi Mujanovic & answers by Mike Perun
(2024/03/10)



Question 1:
Who of the members came up with the band name Cianide, there weren’t any garage bands with the same name around at that time, sounded too dangerous for them? You started rehearsing in a garage in Chicago yourself too or not?
It was Scott and our original singer, Bill Thurman who came up with the name. They took it from the Sacrifice song, “Cyanide” but changed the “y” to an “i” as to not confuse with all the other “Cyanide” bands running around. But there’s only a Punk band named that that I can think of. Actually our very first official rehearsals took place in our then drummer’s basement in Whiting, Indiana. Which is right over the border from the East Side of Chicago.

Question 2:
You came rising during the golden age of death metal, who are some of your best befriended bands from the scene over the years?
Mostly local Chicago area bands, Contagion, The Dead Youth, Morgue, Maimed, Dead Fetus, Eye Gouger were who we hung out, got drunk, played shows with etc. Nowadays the bands we’re pals with are also local bands like Cardiac Arrest, Kommandant, Molder and Junkers.


Question 3:
Did you send around a lot of demo tapes to strike a record deal for your first album? Many trades with other bands too? Can you name some demo gems you’ve kept in your collection from those days?
Lots of trades with other bands. That’s how you got your name around. Especially here in the Midwest, with Milwaukee Metal Fests and Michigan Death Fests only a few hours drive from where we are. That was half the plan, go there armed with a bag full of our demos and trade and/or give to as many people as possible.

Question 4:
Who is the main song-writer in Cianide?
There’s no one main songwriter, but it is Scott who comes up with the majority of the riffs. Andy is good at arranging and I further that along with how vocals should or shouldn’t fit all on top of all that. But there’s no real set pattern to our song writing. Everyone is allowed to put in their 2 cents worth. If just one of us doesn’t feel a riff or a song, we’ll try to play it every which way until it works or we toss it to oblivion

Question 5:
Do you believe Hitler committed suicide with his family with cyanide pills or he was assassinated by allied forces?
I thought Hitler was abducted by Bigfoot and married Elvis or some shit…

Question 6:
Is Hells Headbangers now your main label? Any aspirations to move on to something bigger like Metal  Blade or Nuclear Blast? You like those labela?

I don’t have anything against those labels and if they ever offered us a killer deal I’m sure we would definitely mull it over. For our current status, HH is a perfect label for us. No pressure to tour or put anything out year after year. We can go at our own pace. Which is low and slow….

Question 7:
Do you have a crazy story from touring that you got so inebriated you didn’t know what you were doing anymore or something like that?
Well we rarely play shows, let alone tour, but that shit happens to me like every weekend!!! Hah! At least every one of our rehearsals is more or less of a get together, drinking fest. Pre-practice warm up consists of smokes, drinks and busting each other’s balls. An hour or so later it’s like, “Well do we want to go down and jam or just order a pizza?” Having said that, we’d never get anything done otherwise if it wasn’t for the demon alcohol. It’s our fuel.

Question 8:
What bands, rock or metal, are the main influences on Cianide’s sound would you say?
Easy one. Master/Deathstrike, Slaughter, Post Mortem, Celtic Frost/Hellhammer early Death. Just playin the music we always want to hear.

Question 9:
Do you have a best friend in the band you best get along with or are you all equal friends?
The 3 of us are brothers at this point. Creative tension sounds more fun on paper and it most likely is. The lack of ‘one-upmanship’ I would guess maybe results in our scarce recorded output. But hey, we’re all on the same page with this shit and each other. That’s why we’re still around all these years. It’s all about us, what we want to play and what we want to hear.


Question 10:
Do you believe in witches? If yes, should they be burned at the stake or let them do their thing as Venom said?
Witchy-poo stuff or not, I think everybody should do what Venom says or F.O.A D!!! I know I do. DIE HARD!!!


Question 11:
What is your favourite work of Cianide you recorded so far and why? Stand out songs that fans love?
Well I like all our shit but my favorite full album of ours is still probably Gods of Death. That was the only album of ours that I was involved with every aspect from start to finish. Every recording track, mixing, layout even the cover artwork I had my chubby hands in. Songwriting-wise I think is probably our peak shit. We slaved over the recording and mixing as well. Took us some 9 months to finish the fucker!
As for songs, when we do play live our “must play” songs are Rage War which is our opener for forever. Mindscrape, Scourging At The Pillar and Metal Never Bends. Funeral is getting up there too as well as Death Metal Maniac. That’s half a setlist right there.

Question 12:
Where does the future of Cianide lie, new album, new tours? Please tell us and give us your final promo and words:
Working on new material for our next full length album. We have 5 completed songs right now. 2 or 3 more and we should be good to cut. Honestly we only have like about 2 or 3 more live shows left in us as well. So if we do decide to play live in the near future, better make those travel arrangements! We ain’t getting any younger over here.
Check out our Bandcamp page as we’re always putting up rare shit for sale: cianide2.bandcamp.com
Thanks for the interview and as always METAL NEVER BENDS!!!