Interview with The Enemy Within at Firehouse 13
by Slimedog
The Enemy Within is a fairly new band consisting of veterans of the local punk and hardcore scenes who have fast become one of our favorite bands on our site. I’ve seen them several times now and they play consistently strong sets that are always well received. They play a heavy sounding hardcore style with a metal influence and this, they do, extremely well.
They have a great energetic frontman, Joe; two excellent guitarists, Billy and Pat, who deliver a fully developed sound along with a powerful, tight rhythm section of Ryan on bass and Mike on drums; the latter two I interviewed in their van outside the Firehouse in Providence after they had just finished a set.
Slimedog- Did you know when you write out the initials of your band it spells, “Ew”?
Mike- Did we leave the T out?
Slimedog- Um…Oh, yeah.
Mike- Some bands I know, lately, have been calling us Enemy Within. I guess it doesn’t matter to me.
Slimedog- So how did you all get together?
Mike- Back in 2010 I was playing with Craig Silverman who is now playing in Slapshot and Blood For Blood, we put an ad for a singer and we found Joe. We put together a lineup and it didn’t really work, Craig left the picture and it was just me and Joe. And then we found Ryan through Craigslist, Joe knew Bill through Dharma Punks. And then I think we put an ad for a second guitarist?
Ryan- No, actually Pat had put an ad up ’cause Milo’s Syndicate had broken up and Joe happened to see the ad and said, “I think this guy might fit us.”
Mike- Yeah, I think that’s right; nothing too sexy, too glamorous.
Slimedog- How would you describe your style?
Mike- For me, I grew up on the New York hardcore sound, you know- Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front, Sick Of It All, Breakdown- things like that, so that’s always an influence. So no matter how good these guys play I will always bring them down to that New York hardcore level (laughter). You know, I’d definitely say we’re a hardcore band with some metal influence. Pat and Bill are definitely accomplished players who could play the metal shit if they wanted to- I’m a one-trick pony where hardcore is what I do.
Slimedog- When I first saw you guys I noticed more the metal elements, maybe with the time changes and guitar tone. But the more I see you now I say, “Oh, no. They are hardcore.” I think you’re more the aggressive hardcore not the lighter, funnier stuff.
Mike- And that’s why I say New York hardcore. There’s a difference between the D.C. And Boston stuff versus New York. I never really got into the Boston hardcore like Jerry’s Kids, SS Decontrol- like you said, it was light, didn’t fit my personality, my outlook; probably still doesn’t.
Slimedog- You got any plans for the band coming up?
Mike- We got a couple of shows coming up. We’re playing the Midway January 19th, headlining an afternoon show with a lot of bands that helped us out in 2012- Abject from Brooklyn, Mouth On Tailpipe from Connecticut, Foxfire from Worcester, Gator King from Central Mass. And then playing at the Firehouse on February 12th with Breakdown, the original ’87 lineup, they’re one of my biggest influences and we’re pretty excited about that. As far as recording, we’re kicking around the idea of doing some pre-recording demo stuff.
Slimedog- Who does the writing in the band?
Mike- Pretty much all of us except Joe, he contributes here and there but he does write all the lyrics.
Slimedog- Who drinks the most in the band?
Mike- Who can? I’d say Pat, but who does drink the most? I’d say it’s Bill.
Ryan- That’s probably a fair statement.
Mike- Me and Ryan, we definitely drink but I have yet to see either one of us fall face down but I think I’ve seen Pat and Bill on the cusp (laughter). Joe doesn’t drink at all.
Slimedog- How about a favorite dive bar?
Mike- I don’t go out like I used to, used to be The Rat, right? Everything else pales in comparison; the Midway?
Ryan- There’s a place in Harvard Square called Whitney’s Pub that’s kind of fun.
Slimedog- Oh, of course! That’s still there. Nothing is still there in Harvard Square, now it looks like Faneuil Hall.
Ryan- Cheap drinks, cash only, most of the time it’s got, like, the same ten guys.
Slimedog- What would you do to make the world a better place?
Mike- (pauses) I’d give myself a lot of money. (laughter) And I say this not because I want the money. But I really think if someone was to give me a lot of money I would do a lot of good with it. Sure, I’d keep a lot of it for myself, but as me and my wife get older- we’re big animal lovers and I think if someone gave me a significant amount of money…
Slimedog- You don’t mean in the bestiality sense?
Mike- No, at least I’m not gonna admit that right now (laughter). I’m not prepared to admit that yet. I wonder what the law is in Rhode Island.
Slimedog- Who’s most likely in the band to become a serial killer?
Mike- I’m either going with Joe or Pat.
Ryan- Yeah, I would go with that.
Slimedog- And why?
Mike- Well, first of all with Joe, he’s very quiet, reserved and he’s the only one in the band who has a PhD which, you know, means “Piled Higher and Deeper.” (laughter) He might be the one just to snap. Pat’s a loose cannon, he might just have a rage and take out a whole lot of people at once.
Ryan- I think if Joe does it, it will be multiple people over a long period of time but if Pat does it, it will be a bunch of people all at once.
Mike- It’s gonna be a bang! It’s gonna be a thrash and bang!
At this point a raccoon was crossing the street ahead of us and I noticed Mike eying it in a longing manner so I felt it best to conclude the interview. If you’re interested in seeing powerful dynamic hardcore check these guys out!
