If you’ve never heard the legend of The Sweet Meats Slaughterhouse than vocalist/founder Zach Wager of Dead Animal Assembly Plant will introduce you to his morbid meat grinding creation. He’s the main string puller of the Oregon based five-piece, playing a mix of industrialized metal fitting for what abominations could come out of the cracked, conjured earth or the bitter cold abandoned wastelands.
They’ve taken the best and darkest decorative derangements of Gein and his cinematic Texas kin to the early blood-splattered inspirations of Father Alice into their own mobile serial-killer style art show. Instead of classic rock it’s headbanging, pit inducing industrial noise fitting what could be called the bastard children of Mushroomhead, KISS, and maybe some under the table dealings with GWAR. “When you look at music, and theater they go hand in hand forever,” Wager says. “It’s a long tradition of carrying that torch. I’m a big stupid kid that refuses to grow up. It justifies dressing up, going on stage.”
They may resemble animated road kill brought back Re-Animator style or smell the same post-show but they’ve created a Devil Rejects mixture of creepy skin crawling Kabuki with black metal influence. If the Grudge’s Kayako Saeki was a metal head, she’d crackle-crawl her way to a show.
They would’ve been burned at the stake in days past for looking other or under-worldly, with outfits part of their purgatory penance rather than voluntary attire.
The bands origin and creative darkness belongs to Wäger. Joining the unholy union in holy matrimony is wife/guitarist Rebecca Wager. Rounding off the product are guitarists Eric Bergen, drummer Jason Moore and bassist Nick Snyder.
Their name came from a legit business license in Oregon, “In order to transport animal remains legally, you have to get a license called Dead Animal Assembly Plant. “It’s really absurd,” Wager says. “Since I took the name, if you look it up, it’s all pages of me. If you want a legit license you’ll have to dig through pages of seeing my stupid face.”
Though the job title sounds like perfect fodder for Carcass, they sell the gore visually while keeping other darker inspirations for the lyrics.
Their discarded animalistic history began officially with Our Hero’s Are Dead followed by the Prime Cuts EP in addition to remix albums and early demos. Though Wager admits there’s an earlier work called Strip Off Your Niblets and Giblets. “At the time I was in another band. Niblets was me tinkering in the studio, finding my sound and footing.” He considers some of it cringe-worthy but appreciates his humble beginnings.”
His wife designed their original logo, eventually joining the band. “I met her on Facebook when the band started.” They met on an Elvira-like local show, Wager co-hosted. “She did artwork for the show. I commissioned her to do our first logo. From there it developed. In 2015 she officially joined. She’s always been an incredibly creative person, playing guitar since she was a kid.”
They’re all horror nerds drawing inspiration from slasher movies. “Texas Chainsaw Massacre, we all grew up on that. We’ve been obsessed with it for awhile, incorporating theatrics to music.” Wager believes the crowd deserves a well-created show and experience to remember counting Rob Zombie, early Marilyn Manson, Slipknot and Skinny Puppy as inspirational showmen under the demented big-top.
On show nights, he’s in costume and character the whole time, hiding in plain sight. Some people don’t recognize him elsewhere incognito until he ‘reveals’ himself in street clothes. “They’re like, oh my God I didn’t recognize you without your makeup.”
He’s taken the early KISS philosophy using mystique and mystery, at the same time being approachable and accessible. “We’re not gonna hide on our bus till we come on stage. We still enjoy interacting with everyone before and after. That’s a big part for us.”
The bands Sweet Meats Slaughterhouse back story began in 1895. Though pure fiction according to Wager; sounds based in fact. After all, Wilhelm Schröder would’ve lived around the time of H.H. Holmes, though he would’ve made headlines long after Holmes met the rope. Though Schröder’s fictional death was much more brutal than Holmes’ demise. “It’s entirely made up by me, developed over the years,” Wager says. “It’s easier to create a back story and mythology and build off it.” It allowed him to focus. “Having this underlining foundation allowed me to explore what I can do with this.” It has to be during a period that’s believable. “There’s not a lot of documentation for everyone back in the 1800’s. It’s believable there was some weird cannibal butcher killing people, feeding them to townsfolk.” If factual, Sweet Meats may have historically overshadowed The Murder Castle.
Wager’s been a fan of true crime since childhood. “You can be fascinated with something without endorsing it.” As a child The Amityvile Horror scared the bejesus out of him, “The original one, forget it, it traumatized me. The scene where the wife looks out the window and sees two glowing eyes looking back made me paranoid to look out a dark window all my childhood.”
It may seem tame, even laughable to today’s generation but holds up from Wagers POV. “There’s something genuinely terrifying about those psychological movies. The way they executed it, maybe because of limited budgets, no CGI and being practical. They got more creative.”
Those he’s a fan, their new records title Bring Out The Dead isn’t a straight forward tribute to Monty Python. “We went through a ton of names but nothing really stuck,” Wager recalls. “I suggested, since the opening track “Cemetery Slums” has that repetitious line, bring out the dead, why don’t we borrow it. It frames the whole concept behind the album. I will say, subconsciously it’s a nod to Python.”
Wager says the pacific-northwest houses tons of ghost towns, perfect for shooting creepy, disturbing videos. “We discovered this turn of the century school house. One of those old single-room school houses in an unincorporated part of Oregon called Friend, Oregon. We camped out there the night before, woke up and filmed all day.”
The concept of “A Violent Breed” was elder gods putting humans on trial for crimes against all of life. “To me, politics and religions are the most egregious offenders of crimes against humanity..”
The video was directed by Karl Whinnery “He’s really good at layering effects incorporating the T.V., The Head Prosecutor character. It was interesting to have their eyes dart around and see what’s on the T.V., playing in the background.”
Another new tune includes a ghost story about Friedrich Nietzsche, “The idea of “The Ghost of Friedrich Nietzsche,” was to write a classic ghost story.” Like old country or swing music with a fake biopic. “I thought it would be fun to write a story where Nietzsche is in hell warning people, you’re gonna join me soon.”
The track “Colors Under Attack” was recently released on Bandcamp. “That was not a planned single but such a relevant song with what’s happening and I felt really compelled to release it and donate the proceeds to a good cause.”
“Ghost Transmissions” is a post apocalyptic concept of the paranormal. “The idea is flipping through a radio in between stations having white noise. Kind of a warning, it’s ghostly and you can’t tell if it’s from the other side or the future warning us about things to come. It’s a nod to psychological mind-bending sci-fi horror.”
The song “Somewhere Else” has a very Willy Wonka feel. “I wanted it to be this weird, chanting nursery rhyme. Willy Wonka going down the tunnel creeping everyone out..” It’s a mixture of Marilyn Manson’s “Crucifixion In Space,” “Lunchbox,” and “Dopehat.”
To the educated ears of early ‘90s industrial music, “Do The Inferno” could be DAAP’s “Wish.” “That was one of my favorite songs to do.” Just really fast, a little rockabilly, but fast. That’s something in DAAP I’m really happy with. We’re not trying to pigeonhole ourselves.”
More videos for the new record are planned, “I definitely plan to do more for the album. I have a number of ideas and locations to film at. We plan on doing a post apocalyptic video. Since we played Wasteland we’ve become close to this group of Pacific Northwest Wastlander’s with several post apocalyptic vehicles. They drive around at Wasteland Weekend and gave us access whenever we want, Mad Max-all Fury Road style. After band discussion if he gets his way, it’ll be for “Do The Inferno.”
The album’s grim, dismal art was a collaboration with Belgium artist Mothmeister. “We loved how stark, lonely and bleak it is. We didn’t want to be cartoony or comic book-like. We wanted to be grittier and darker to represent what the album is.”
“Rise with Me” off their Prime Cuts EP could be their most controversial and misunderstood song and video so far. “It’s funny, most people I’ve talked to get it. When people don’t get it, they drastically don’t get it. It’s pretty black and white. It’s either, I get it, it’s about media exploitation and shootings or people think, you’re trying to endorse mass shooting. I’m like you totally missed the mark.”
The video was filmed in three locations with band shots done at a junkyard, “The other places were guerrilla filming.” They snuck into the abandoned part of an active mausoleum,. “The third place was very close to where we filmed “A Violent Breed.” An old turn of the century hydro-plant that’s now a state park.” Weather was less than accommodating. “It was like 14 degrees, four inches of snow and closed. We had to hike down this trail, it was miserable. All the videos we’ve filmed we’ve been miserable in one way or another.” The end result was always worth it.
Last year was their first six-week coast to coast tour. “Richmond, Virginia down south to New Orleans, and Texas, we played all over the country. Their last show was at Bar Sinister in Los Angeles. “It was phenomenal. Then…. 2020 happened and here we are.” Wager says that remote, live slaughter by streaming is possible.
They’re focusing on new music and collaborations, pushing the new album. A release date is up in the air, pending a return to touring.
Infiltrating all 50 states is still on the schedule, skipping over to Europe for Download, Wave-Gotik-Treffen and Hellfest is also in the future portfolio, along with playing Tokyo. Locally, The Gorge Amphitheatre is a major goal to play.
On average it takes them an hour or so to get suited up, depending on time frame. “If we had more time, maybe get more detailed, keep it interesting.” Wager wanted to mix classic skull paint and KISS into his own signature war paint. Horror punk Misfits elements with warrior battle field marks.
Though makeup and costume removal can be done in roughly 30 minutes, via an H20 hydro-blast, they’ve made several public appearances in half-paint and garb to neighboring Denny’s creating memorable experiences. “Rolling into a Denny’s at 3 A.M. People are like ok… The classic record screeches to a halt moment and everyone stops to stare at you.”
They’ve never done a show without makeup. “Doesn’t matter if there’s one person there; we’re going full-out. You’re committing to a character.” They won’t be going unmasked anytime soon. “Getting into character allows you to be free. It’s exhausting but once you’re in it, it feels really good.”
Whether people love or hate you, in the crowd or at Denny’s, “They’ll remember you looking a certain way.”
While performing he has two minds about cell phones, “I’m more pro-cell-phone though seeing A Perfect Circle, Maynard had this whole anti-cell-phone thing,” Wager remembers. “I was appreciative of it and more in the experience. When I see people with it in my face, I’ll grab them, take it on stage, video the band, the crowd and hand it back. It’s engrained, it’s inevitable, you’re not gonna do away with them. You may as well embrace it and have fun with it.”
In his perfect world, the stage would be a mobile grindhouse, literary. “If I got a budget I’d go bigger and bigger, full-Rammstein.” He eventually plans to pay respect to Father Cooper’s guillotine upping the ante with a moving skin masher. “For years, one of my dream props was a human sized hand crank meat grinder that I could feed someone into. If anyone wants to give me a budget, I’ll do it.”
A DVD would be needed if Wager’s full vision ever materialized along with a biography explaining his dark process. The band might even pour blood into the ink so they’ll live in the words forever.
After 2020, he’ll never take a single show for granted again. “Not that I did before but especially now. I’ll be so overwhelmed with emotion just to be back with a stupid grin on my face the whole time. I’m really looking forward to it, I don’t care where, I just want to be on stage again.” In the end, we’re all stuck on this planet together. “Let’s relax a little. Be safe everyone. Let’s be a little bit nicer and patient to each other, everyone’s so on edge and boiling over with everything. The slaughterhouse is always open, come and hang out.
