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Narcotic Wasteland rocks Gallup

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Inspired by addiction … fueled by Metal!

Interviewing different bands, you’re always interested in what makes them click, whether it be their passion in the music they play or simply just being on stage and doing what they love. With that in mind, they also possess the elements that make a great band with all gears in sync and taking you away in a memory bliss.

Narcotic Wasteland, a death metal band from Fayetteville, N.C., is one band that has all gears cranking away, and yet stand out simply by their name of the band, and the story behind it.

On their Narcotic Wasteland 2017 North American Tour, the band made a stop Oct. 28 at the Juggernaut promoting their brand-new album “Delirium Tremens.” The Sun got a chance to interview the band and found out what makes this band click and the meaning behind the band’s name as well as the new album.

Narcotic Wasteland consists of Dallas Toler-Wade-guitar/vocals, former Nile front man who started this band as a side project; Ed Rhone-guitar/vocals; Christ “Lutachrist” Dupre-bass; and Phil Cancille-drums.

Sun: Hey Dallas congrats on your literally brand-new spanking album man.

Dallas: Thanks man, I feel good about it and I’ve gotten a positive response. We really worked hard on it and followed up on it … really excited about it.

Sun: I was trying to figure out what your band stood for, and to be honest with you, I thought it was just another cool hyped up name that you find with death metal bands, until I read your bio and I was totally blown away.

Dallas: Coming from a military town that has a PTSD rate of up to 75 percent in males, and is the highest rated city in the U.S. for Shaken Baby Syndrome, the availability of street drugs is astounding, and the ever-growing epidemic of addiction to pharmaceutical drugs is an extremely toxic and unstable environment to grow up and live in. Fayetteville’s disenchanted population chooses to escape misery through drugs and alcohol, a true narcotic wasteland.

Sun: I understand you at a low point in your life walked through the wasteland, what does NW mean to you?

Dallas: I had my problems with alcohol in the past, it felt like I was going crazy. You waste your life trying to forget reality with booze, pills, and cocaine. With NW, it’s an outlet for myself and the band members, to express the darkest thing in our lives, our lives that have upset us, the emotions all over again. That’s basically it, the outfit is raw, and we just play the show. It’s a new venture discovering what’s possible;music is a different journey for myself. Others do it to think they are going to get popular, I want to hit someone in the *!&^ gut with my music. I just want to be capable of ideas that come across the table. It’s straight from the gut baby.

Sun: Your new album “Delirium Tremens” tell me about that, and how it fits perfectly with what you’re talking about.

Dallas: Delirium tremens is the medical term for symptoms an alcoholic suffers after about three days without a drink. These include uncontrollable shaking, shivering, sweating, heart palpitations, confusion and hallucinations. Our title track is very expressive personal things, my bouts with alcohol, a destructive personality, it was a moment that was happening and one day I got some pen and paper, it all came together.  It’s an addiction with everything else, we wanted to get it off our chest. I’m addressing all the serious stuff that goes on with addiction and making statements about what I see through our songs.

Sun: Speaking of songs, I must tell you most of them just pull your face right into it, except for one track, “In Memoriam,” this one was very different … tell me about it.

Dallas: We wanted the message to be straightforward, so you can hear the message. We are not trying to sugar coat, but to simply get the message across that a lifestyle of drugs will kill you. This song was dedicated to a friend of mine who simply didn’t want to stop, eventually it stopped them – you will die.

Sun: Dallas, I got to say it has been one interesting interview, talking with you and listening to the songs explains the whole package.

Dallas: Between the power with this band and the songwriting aspect, we’re gonna blow the roof off places, it’s perfect chemistry. I love these guys. Come check us out, a lot of raw attitude and a level of communication and brotherhood. we’re all here for the same reason – we love metal, we need to help each other and be true.

By Dee Velasco
For the Sun