Full Of Hell: "Violence comes along with live shows, but it’s certainly not the point"

The true sound of Full Of Hell, although it is defined under the general term of what we might call grindcore, adopts within its harsh framework many elements from grimy metal (such as sludge and death), as well as many textures from hardcore. From the very beginning, however, they committed to the idea that they would not remain static within a single musical framework and would not limit themselves to doing just one thing well. Thus, each of their discographic releases becomes a new unexpected path, filled with stories whose central theme is catharsis.

The biggest step toward expanding their musical pluralism came with the decision to include a very large number of collaborations with other artists in their discography—something they explain below was inspired by The Body, who operate in this way and quickly became their friends. This led to spectacular results while it became a defining characteristic of their musical identity. Through the harsh musical paths they have chosen, Full Of Hell deal with themes of loss and stories of everyday madness, which they will unfold before us at their first live performance in Greece—and they are known for their chaotic shows. On the occasion of this visit and the start of their upcoming European tour, we spoke with the band’s frontman Dylan Walker about the details of their career. Do not miss their explosive performance with Jarhead Fertilizer on April 28.

Hello there and welcome to Rocking.gr! How is 2026 for Full Of Hell?

2026 has been an interesting transitional year for us. We are all getting older and learning how to balance our private lives with touring. So it’s a bit quieter than usual and we are focusing on writing and being with family. Except for now, when we are touring Europe for a month. Haha.

The listener’s relationship to our music borders on irrelevant only because taste is so subjective.

Your latest album, "Coagulated Bliss" is out for almost a couple of years now - and it has been your most experimental to date. How has the feedback been for it?

Feedback seemed positive! I’ll be honest, I don’t look anymore. I’m grateful if people like it, but it doesn’t do me much good to dig much deeper than that. The listener’s relationship to our music borders on irrelevant only because taste is so subjective. All we can do is write songs that are fun to perform and just play our hardest. Beyond that is out of our control, thus out of my periphery. 

How was it working with a couple of the most renowned musicians of your genres, Ross Dolan and Jacob Bannon?

They have been friends of ours for many years now. These two guys in particular represent a lot of the spirit that we care about in this subculture. Having the big brothers on record is always a good feeling. 

You also worked with  Eric Richter in the video clip for "Doors To Mental Agony". How was that experience?

Eric is awesome! Very brilliant and creative. It’s a different medium for us, so it was very cool to watch him work. I feel like I learned a lot. 

And then it was the EP "Broken Sword, Rotten Shield". Does this release carry an anti-war message?

No, that isn’t what the title infers. The EP is a concept record about losing the ones you love and finding that you have no metaphorical armor or weapon against a cruel world. A broken knight without his dog. 

How do you choose between when to release a full length album or an extended play? What makes it or breaks it for you?

We always got together with format in mind. There’s usually a road map ahead of around 2-3 years. We know when we are writing for a proper full length, or an EP, or a collaborative record. 

There is a theme of otherworldly entities and apparitions on your album covers. Is that intentional or did it happen and you stuck to it?

Always intentional. We want the art to reflect the lyrics and themes on each album and I can’t help but write about anything but what’s in my head. I’ve struggled with existential crises all of my life, so the fascination with apparitions and peeking beyond the veil have always come up.

We know when we are writing for a proper full length, or an EP, or a collaborative record.

You also recently released the album "Scraping the Divine" with Andrew Nolan - a very interesting collaboration joining the worlds of hip hop, industrial music and harsh noise. One of your most unexpected works, how do you feel about it now?

Andrew Nolan has been a big brother to us for a very long time. His old band The Endless Blockade was very influential to FOH early on and he was always there with advice, guidance and perspective. So in this sense, it was very unsurprising for us and our circle of friends, it just made sense. He works mostly in hip hop and dub now, but he has a long history with extreme bands. We love what we made with him.

Collaborative albums are a good way to make a permanent bond with a band that you believe in, people you care about

There is a long list of collaborative full length albums or splits that you have composed over the years. What is the importance of collaborative music for Full Of Hell?

I think that it’s a good way to make a permanent bond with a band that you believe in, people you care about. On a purely musical level, everyone in the room has to come together and compromise and melt together. It makes something unique. I’ve never left a collab recording session where I haven’t felt like I learned a lot from the other band. It’s healthy!

You have expressed a lot that you wanted to sound like all your favorite bands, and in a way you could do this with several different projects instead of just one. Did you choose to work a lot with collaborations on order to have many different outlets for experimentation without thinking to initiate a different project?

There wasn’t really an intention like that at all. We fell into our first collab accidentally via our friend Balazs Pandi, who put us in touch with Masami Akita (Merzbow). After that, we finally met up with The Body and became friends and that is literally their language. They get together and make records with their friends. I guess we just adopted that ethos as well. Never looked back. 

Is any of your works in particular that stands out for you, because you enjoyed it too much or because the outcome was completely unexpected?

I think in recent memory, the Nothing record came out particularly well (from my perspective at least). It was a pretty stark contrast between bands, but we met in the middle and made our own wall of sound. The themes and story the LP lays out also had an effect on me. It felt heavy in the best way.

There are quite a few very successful collaborative albums out there in extreme music today. Do you particularly distinguish one?

I couldn’t tell you, honestly. The Body has a crazy one coming out with Cel Genesis. Really crazy.

You have been on a quite big tour the last month along with a few special quests. How has it been so far?

It’s been a great journey. This is the way I think it’s meant to be done. Tour with and make music with your friends and the bands you truly believe in.

From the age of 13 onward, I only wanted to play more shows

Live performances is something you tend to excel at, how do you approach every live show?

It’s simply the most cathartic and enjoyable experience I’ve ever had in my life, to this day. From the age of 13 onward, I only wanted to play more shows. I think the idea is that you just fill your spot and give it everything you have. Leave it all on stage.  Not novel ideas, and rarely achieved, but the pursuit is there.

Greek culture is beloved by many Americans

You are closing this tour with your first time in Athens! Are you excited about this one, what are you expecting from the city from other things that you’ve heard about us?

SO excited! It’s kind of funny that we haven’t made it down there yet, but time is always woefully limited. Greek culture is beloved by many Americans, not only because the diaspora is so broadly represented all over our country, but also because your history and food is just amazing. We’re looking forward to sitting down and taking in the sights and eating a lot of food. 

One could say that there is a lot of violence and desperation in Full Of Hell’s lyrics, music and live show energy, but for me it has always been about expressing those feelings and not let them affect you. How do you stand on this and what is the importance of underground live shows in this ritual?

I am a pretty staunchly non-violent person, so I would agree with you. I would say the outcome during the set is more one of feverish grief and terror. Violence comes along with it, but it’s certainly not the point. 

During those very difficult times that we are experiencing at a worldwide level, where do you find outlets as musicians to still enjoy writing and playing music?

Nothing inside the vehicle of being in a band has changed when it comes to what we get from it. It’s always been the balm, and it still is. 

Is this a good time for a new Full Of Hell Album or a collaborative one? What does the imminent future hold for the band?

I don’t think it’s a good time right now. I want us to go quiet for awhile. We will be back when the time is right!

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions. Please feel free to say as and ending, anything you’d like to our readers!

Thank you for the interview!