This week in Interviews From The Crypt we jump in the way back machine and rerun a piece that was originally on From Dusk Till Con in 2015.
Check out our chat with Chuck Dietrich of Bullet Treatment, Basement Records, and Batshit Crazy.
By Adam Holtzapfel
Adam Holtzapfel–Being the constant sole member of Bullet Treatment since it’s inception and working with members of The Bronx, Rise Against, Vultures United, Civet and various other bands, how did that come about? Was that kind of the idea to start the band as a rotating door of
contributors?
Chuck Dietrich-Yea, from the very beginning I had an idea that I wanted to do a project where I would be the only person on every album, song, etc. It was around the late 90’s, and I was noticing all my favorite bands were losing their original members yet still touring and releasing music under the original band name. Bands like the Misfits, Social D, Bad Religion, etc. always had someone new popping up on stage. So I thought to myself I’m just going to do that on purpose and see what happens.
AH–How has the writing process been with the way the band is set up?
CD-Actually pretty easy, I just write all the music. Haha Actually it really isn’t as hard as someone might think. Being that I have such talented guys join me on the ventures it actually makes for a pretty easy process. I’ll write a bunch of music and think to myself who would sound rad on this track? Oh yea he’d be great I’ll shoot him an email, or ask a buddy to get me in touch with him, etc. The lyrics are the only thing I don’t write and I leave that interpretation up to the singers. It helps add to the friction needed to keep the music tense and on edge. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a singer tell me “if you had only had the part go an extra 2 bars” or something along those lines which in turns forces them to fit their idea within that structure. That was something I really tried to explore with the “Designated” 7” series, I wanted to see how many different versions we could get from singers with only using music for one song.
AH–Being a band that doesn’t tour and mainly plays in California, are you surprised with how word of mouth has helped your fan base grow?
CD-YES! It blows my mind how many people email me, or send messages to me through facebook, Instagram, etc. I’ll come across someone wearing a Bullet Treatment shirt standing in front of the Eifel Tower or something weird like that, haha. Or when I see a band and one of the guys on stage is wearing a BT shirt, blows my mind. I remember when Dave (drummer from Social D) sent me an advertisement for the last Social D album and he told me the photo was taken in Chicago and right on the front of the Social D ad was some kid wearing a Bullet Treatment hoodie, haha, Seriously, it blows my mind!
AH–Yeah I remember seeing a ton of pics back in the myspace days of random people in BT gear. I know when I first heard the band it was around the time of the Dead Are Walking 7 inch. Lou Brutus was playing it a ton on XM Radio, do you feel that was also a huge boost to where any radio station in Ohio or wherever wouldn’t play anything edgier than Green Day?
CD-Oh yea for sure. I remember the first time I heard us on there, I was driving out in the middle of nowhere (which is why I was listening to XM) and all of the sudden we pop on the radio and they start talking about the whole concept of the band and everything. Totally caught me off gurad, I had no idea anybody in radio land even had a clue what I was doing. Then within like a couple of weeks we had something like 10 different tracks in rotation and pretty much heard a BT track every hour or so. And that lasted for a long time and no doubt had something to do with people learning about us especially in those hard to reach areas around the U.S. Sure do miss that station on those guys!
AH–You also run Basement Records, how did that start?
CD-I started the label in 2001 really just to release a Bullet Treatment 7”. I had been working for a small indie label and basically running it myself so I figured might as well just start my own. So I did a couple comps., 7” records and the B.T. release. What really got me off the ground was I
released these sampler cds and gave the entire pressing away for free. I ended up doing 10 volumes of them called “Radio Disaster”. That is also how I came in contact with so many bands and labels which made it easier to hit people up about Bullet Treatment. Looking back I had bands like Rise Against, Avenged Sevenfold, Fall Out Boy, etc. etc. all on those comps. before
they blew up as well as bands like 7 Seconds, Kill Your Idols, Riverboat Gamblers, and the like.
AH–I have one of the Radio Disaster comps, didn’t Teenage Bottlerocket, Plain White T’s, and Smoke or Fire appear on a couple of those?
CD-Oh yea all of them did, man I had so many bands on those I can’t even remember half of them. Love you dropping the Smoke of Fire reference though. What a great band!
AH–What can people expect coming up from the label in the next year?
CD-I plan on releasing at least 1 new Bullet Treatment album, I say at least because I have over 30 songs recorded and probably another 20 or so written so as time permits hope to get some of that music out. I also have a couple new e.p.’s from some east coast bands. One is from Hot Blood
called “Overcome Part 2”, a great hardcore band from Jersey. Also a more Alt/Punk band called After the Burn which should be out in Jan. And I just did a digital release by a more stoner rock/metal band I produced called Darkwalker. They are a great band and I am super stoked on their debut album “The Wastelands”, if you’re a fan of heavy rock Sabbath type stuff and more Alice in Chains type melodies you’d love this. And there are a few other things in the works but that will keep me busy for the first part of the year!
AH–What are some of your favorite spots to eat at or what do you cook when you’re home?
CD-Hahaha, Buffalo Wild Wings, my fav things…Wings, Beer, Sports! Haha When I’m home, I’m
grilling……. chicken, dogs, steaks, corn on the cob, etc.
AH–What’s your go to shop for some vinyl?
CD-You know, there was once a time when I would spend entire days driving all over Southern California going to record stores. I knew where every store from El Cajon to Santa Barbara was, but nowadays it’s so much harder to find reliable stores, or should I say stores in general. But if I am looking for something I have to have then I go to Amoeba in Hollywood.
AH–Last but not least, what’s your favorite movie of all time?
CD-Haha, that’s a good one, probably “Smokey & The Bandit”. I can’t even tell you how many times I have watched that flick. What’s better than bootlegging beer, being chased by a foul mouth cop with music from the late great Jerry Reed! There is an endless amount of one liners in that movie.
You can keep up with Bullet Treatment on Facebook, Instagram, and Bandcamp.
You can keep up with Batshit Crazy on Instagram.
A very close second is “Major League”, apparently comedies with a lot of bad language are my cup of tea! Haha
Adam Holtzapfel is the face behind Reviews From The Crypt and Interviews From The Crypt. Growing up in the 80s on a steady diet of VHS horror, he has maintained a love of the genre since. Loving almost everything from the good, the bad, and the weird he now searches the deepest realm of the Roku to press play on any film he hasn’t watched a million times.