Interview + Mini Album Review: Caustic - Fiend I
- Canis Lewis
- Sep 22
- 9 min read
Caustic is back with Fiend I, and Fiend II releases on the 24th!
Take a journey in to some of the most interesting and fun offerings of 2025 so far, this hits on so many levels and so many tastes, what you'll hear in this, and take away from it will be different to every other listener.
Vulgar distorted beep boop music.
Wisconsin's favorite singer-songwriter.
FIEND I is the "manic" to the "depressive" of FIEND II, the "past" to the "present". While both albums are intended to stand on their own, they are also interconnected in many ways.
Fiend II releases 24th of September
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Interview
Q. It's been a while since the last album but you've had some great releases since such as 'Not your body', tell us what sparked the flame to release not just one new album but a 2 parter?
A. When I started FIEND (I had the title from the start, more or less) I wasn't necessarily aiming for two albums (as opposed to a double album-- both albums are separate but interconnected to me)
but as the demos and ideas grew and mutated two distinct albums formed.
My only goal was to make them both worth listening to and integral in their messages. I didn't want some bloated ego trip, rather two distinct, full messages with each album justifying their existence individually.
Q. The songs overlap in to one another in a rather interesting way, not letting the listener go for a second, which strikes me as quite the concept album offering so can you tell us the themes, messages, and overall picture you wanted to portray with this release?
A. I was listening to Chuck D on a podcast and he talked about not allowing for any “dead air” when Public Enemy made “It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back” so listeners wouldn't have a reason to stop listening to the cassette (CDs were just finding their market) and I applied that to my albums. We're in a time now when “albums” are frowned upon unless it's a huge artist. I made these albums AS albums, not just 11 songs I had done that I thought I'd just put in the same collection of songs. I wanted to encourage listening to them as such.
Q. So, I'm not going mad right.. 'Rhythm Is A Cancer' is a cover of SNAP!'s 'Rhythm is a dancer' right..right? Tell us about your choice of lyrical changes here.
A. Well you're not going mad but it's not an actual cover.
I have a tendency to play on other song/album titles, such as “MMM Papcraper I Love You” (Underworld), “This Fuck Will Shut You Up” (Combichrist), and the album “This is Jizzcore” (Pulp). I had the title for a long time and needed to wait for the idea and music to find that connection. It's a song about me and my time
doing industrial music, but it's definitely a nod to Snap! and that era of dance.
Q. You've also covered Nick Cave's 'Thirsty dog', Which aspects of this song do you fit in well to the overall album?
A. Regret and shame are a recurring theme in both albums, as well as working through guilt and trying to accept responsibility for what you've done.
Nick Cave's album Let Love In is one of my all time favorites and Thirsty Dog is the song that resonated with me on a primordial level, having gotten sober some 15 years ago at this point. Both this cover and the Jane's Addiction cover (Chip Away, with clubdrugs) are songs that speak to me deeply and have for decades.
A lot of tracks on FIEND I and FIEND II have “brother/sister” tracks on the other album. Thirsty Dog's is “Survive Myself, Despite Myself”.
Q. Will Fiend II follow a similar vibe and structure to this album or take on a whole different direction, and how so?
A. While FIEND I has a lot more energy and chaos, I see it as a more external experience.
FIEND II is diving into my brain meat and pulling out a lot of hell.
It's very internal, or the “depressive” to the “manic” of the first. This one, for me, was more experimental.
Q. I've heard these may be your last albums, tell us about your journey over the years with your music and the mindset you find yourself in now compared to the start and 'middle' of your journey.
A. Caustic has had a good run and I've achieved more through voracious tenacity than I probably should have. :)
Honestly I just don't know if I feel like doing it any more. It's not because of a lack of interest or bitterness at the “industry”. My brain just needs to go where it's most inspired. I've been doing a low-fi kinda hip-hop thing called The Ill Subliminal on Patreon/Bandcamp this year which has been interesting, for instance. There are other projects as well (daddybear, Klack, etc)
that all have some nice traction as well. I'm not quitting music. I just don't know what name to put on everything at this point.
I'm also at the point where I truly don't give a shit about competing for gigs or festival slots or whatever. If people ask me, then maybe. I'm in that phase where I could just be seen as a nostalgia act and I have little interest in just doing things for money (and let's be honest-- not a lot of it.:)) I just want to tinker in my little world, maybe release it, and see where the cards fall.
Q. Have there been particular moment, say during shows, or with fans that have always stuck with you?
A. Doing Not Your Body at Infest a few years back was a big deal to me. Our mutual friend Marie/grabyourface absolutely destroyed on vocals during it and it was important to me to stand up for what I consider right.
Most artists in general are too scared about losing fans by being political and taking sides, but that wishy washy bullshit is how we got into this mess. I'm going to upset the apple cart as much as possible.
I've always been uncomfortable with the terms “fans”, as I think of Caustic as a family and we're all welcome. Caustic has been a cult part of a niche genre. I'm deeply indebted to those who have stuck with me and my evolution as an artist in this scene. I try to do
right by people and they do right by me. I'm incredibly grateful to people who take time out of their day to listen to my stuff.
Q. Industrial Gossipz is back! I can imagine you've had so many people ask for that, how on Earth do you manage to think up all of the humorous headlines that you do? Also, are there any bands that you want to roast but feel like they'd take it too personally?
A. It's weird to say but I think since I discontinued it several years back that someone brings it up a literally any event I've played. I stopped it simply because I was burned out on it. It's a fun exercise and I'm only doing it for another 4-5 episodes because it was a stretch goal for Kickstarter, but I can't say it's not a lot of fun coming up with stupid stuff.
For a tl;dr response people I put a lot of work into coming up with these, and I can't typically just plop in any artist to make one work. I need to feel like the artist and the silliness are linked and that that's the only artist that could make it work. I know some bands/artists really want me to do one on them, but I have to balance old school stupid with new school stupid, and I also try and do them on artists releasing stuff now or soon to get them in people's heads. Yes, I think about this shit waaaaaay too much and I'm weird like that.
In terms of artists I won't roast it's not typically because I think they'll take it personally, as I rarely say anything that would actually be insulting to them. The only artists I won't talk about are artists I don't like. It's not like 100,000 people listen to Industrial Gossipz, but I won't talk about bands with right-wing ideologies or who I know are assholes. I'm giving air to artists I like or want to get into people's heads a little bit and hope that the listener checks them out.
Q. Do you have any advice for newer artist or those just starting?
A. Have fun, don't take too many tutorials so you can mess up and maybe learn to do things in ways that will make your sound unique, and don't follow trends. You will only find your voice through tons of failure. Give yourself grace and try and make every element of creating something you find joy in, even if it kinda sucks.
Think of the bands you like and why you like them. What makes them stand out? Think about what makes YOU stand out and explore that, but don't be afraid to throw away ideas (you'll always get
more) and start over; And, again, have fun.
Q. Are there any artists out there that you feel deserve a lot more love and attention for people to go check out?
A. I'll just list a bunch off the top of my head: grabyourface, Nevada Hardware, clubdrugs, Bixlee, Moaan Exis, Null Device, E.T., Backxwash Normal Bias, the_boundless, Dildox, Red Meat, Sawtooth, INVA//ID, The Kings of Black Magic, and Blaklight.
Q Anything you'd like to say to your fans?
A. No, I won't share my lunch with you. Get your own goddamn lunch.
Mini Review
'Rhythm Is A Cancer' kicks the album off nicely with an old school EBM boot stomper. As you probably read in the interview this has a heavy hint of SNAP's 'Rhythm is a dancer'. It floods the senses with almost Tron like synths and beats, not letting up for a moment in it's constant loops, leaving you open to the vocal left hooks and swings that make this a damn good floor filler.
'Little Pharma' is a real fun truck with a slight touch of hip-hop that makes it really catchy, and still has that old school dance style synths the last track had making them flow together nicely. You find yourself singing along with this one with some great lines like 'Pocket full of pills' and 'What you think we're doing, we're trying to find drugs'.
The track 'Violent Ape' has an eerie sample talking about addiction of multiple kinds with a mind twisting silence to start off with, then brings back the stomp, the drums, and a real sense of urgency in the electronics. High tempo thumping goodness.
Speaking of thumping goodness, fans of ESA will really like 'I Love You, Matt, But Fuck Off' as it has that powernoise kinda percussion and dark techno feel - completely at odds with the next track 'Car Crash In Slow Motion' in it's slow, contemplative playout.
'Thirsty Dog' brings back the same energy of 'violent Ape' but with a constant loop to back up the apologetic lyrics.
'Pushing Rope' is a heavy hitting look back on his life and a commentary of it's current state. Pushing rope has two meanings.. One is to do something pointless, the other.. you look it up..
'Problematic' is a chilled melodic techno vibe in quite an interesting directional shift, and had me bopping away quite happily, I thoroughly enjoyed this little EDM gem.
The last few tracks are mind twisters, taking you in different directions and make you feel all sorts of things. The opening to 'Not Going Anywhere' is beautiful so check that out!
Conclusion
This album is complex to describe track by track, especially as this is not my usual listening genre but it's definitely one that should either be danced to mindlessly, or contemplated analytically as a biographical audio art exhibition.
Imagine if you will a room of multiple people in said art gallery, some with wine and elegance listening quietly, several fiendish people jumping on furniture in abject - disrespectful glee, some who resonate deeper with the content, smoking hard - staring off in to the void with their own remembrance and traumas, and those who are just there to enjoy the dance vibe. ..I suppose Caustic has made a Goth night out, all in an album. What Caustic has presented with Fiend I is a complexly layered piece of brilliance, in that you can enjoy it on the depth and level that YOU CHOOSE to.
Some will enjoy it as tongue in cheek humour, some with revel in nostalgic fun, whilst others will be hit hard by the poignance and lessons of the lyrics, either way this is a twisted and yet wonderful labyrinth leading in to the mind of Caustic..
I'm looking forward to Fiend II!
Thank you!
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