Cling Records from USA is an probably unknown name for you. The reason is that they operate on the Christian metal market. As an atheist; I do not have any sympathy for religious (Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Satanist etc. etc.) views, but I still regard it as very important to also include bands and record labels who active promote views I strongly disagree with. Both I and the magazine are open-minded and tolerant.
Scott Busbee, Chief Undertaker at the Graveyard Media Group answered my questions.



Please note that the similarities between our name and the Graveyard Media Group are coincidence. N.F.T.I.G. and News From The Infested Graveyard web magazine are not in any way commercially connected or in any other ways connected with Graveyard Media Group.


1. Please give us the background history of Cling Records.

Cling Recordings got started about 3 years ago when we realized that there was a huge gap in the Christian Extreme Market (there was no Christian Extreme Market) The few really heavy bands out there either totally sucked, were total rip-offs or were too expensive or too underground to get a hold of. So me and a friend decided to start this thing with a band called Aeturnus (dropped because of an old record contract problem) and Frank's Enemy (R.I.P.) We put out the albums and they were mildly received. However, due to our underground way of handling things we did not need a huge response. Anyway we got into some personal problems and me and my friend broke off relations that is where Jason Moore stepped in.

2. Please give us a presentation of your releases.

Frank's Enemy has two releases on our label - They are schizophrenic hard-core/death-metal. They can't pick a style but they are so brutal. Not many bands in the ECM (Extreme Christian Music) market can touch them.
Corpse - straight ahead old-school death metal. No frills no spills just brutal.
The Passion and Pauper's Field also have realases on our label. They are progressive/modern rock. We were experimenting to see what we could do with that.
Looking Jonny and Caustic Eminence were our foray into punk (didn't work).

3. Cling Records is a part of the Graveyard Media group, who also include some other labels and activities. Please tell us more about this media group. How is this business organized ?

Well actually we more or less dropped the name Cling Recordings because it is not us anymore. What we were 3 years ago and now is so different. We now group all of our music into the Graveyard Media Group (GMG) and all of our future titles will hold that name. We are composed of three divisions now our Label where we produce music, Carfax Abbey - our distro for other ECM bands and Nevermore Macabre our gothic/metal lifestyles store where we sell everything from swords to body jewelry to spiked collars and gauntlets. Nevermore will also be opening up a retail outlet here in Michigan soon.

4. Do you see your business as a tool for spreading the Christian faith or do you regard Cling Records as a record label where the music are the most important ?

The answer to both questions is yes. Being a Follower of Christ I look to spread His message of Peace and Love to all I come in contact with. But Music to us is also very important we will not stand behind a band if we do not feel it sonically is as pleasing as it is lyrically. We look for a well rounded package. We sell in both the Christian market and the Secular (non-Christian) markets. We don't want a typical fan of death-metal (Christian or not) to think he got ripped off by inferior stuff.

5. I have been listening to your releases and viewed your website with great interest. As an atheist; I cannot find any significant differences between White and Black Metal. How is the contact with you and so-called Satanists ? Any death- threats or damaged property ?

I see no difference musically in White Metal and Black Metal. I really don't like the generalization of white and black anyway. I prefer to just call it Black Metal. Just as we call Christian based Death-Metal; Death-Metal. I find it lame to try and change stuff names to like "Unblack Metal" (what color is unblack ?) "Life Metal" (waaaaaa Stryper in Da House") or even "White Metal" (one of the better labels) Death-Metal/Doom-Metal/Black-Metal are all just types of music it is the lyrics that make the difference. And even then it is preference There are Black Metal singers that give thier praises to Satan and those that give them to Thor (what color metal would that be?) Anyway, We have had mixed emotions from the so called "Satanists" many are real confused because Corpse is such a solid band and they can't call it wimpy. I get Satanists on the page all the time usually they send letters full of profanity trying to shock me. Oh no!!!! like I never heard those words before. After I reply back they are more responsive when they don't get the usually you are going to hell routine. I have had discourse with Marlyn Manson through email we discussed his thoughts on religion and sucking his male member (he he I love that rumor) anyway as far as damaging stuff happening; no; we have been protected from that. Normally the non-Christians respect us I am good friends with many people in the industry and hope to make more. I feel we are more accepted than I thought we would be.

6. Ten years ago; my granny bought me a Petra album. I could not fail to spot the overflow of Def Leppard and Kiss riffs on this album. At the same time; Petra accused both bands of being satanists. Is the White Metal scene still stealing riffs like ravens or has the standards been raised since my meeting with Petra's rip-off ??

Yes and no. There is plenty of originality in the market, but there are also blatant rip-offs as well. We like to center our attention on real bands who are serious about making some good music and a statement. Anyone can rip-off Metallica or Korn but it takes time and energy to make something original.

7. I have so far failed to find any touch-of-an-angel music on Corpse's very good "From The Grave" album. I guess this is not music you will find in all Christians homes. I rather guess this album has provoked large segments of the Christian church or am I wrong ? Any angry outbursts from this cosy Pat Robertson chap ? (you know, the guy who claim that my country, Scotland, is run by homo- sexuals. Where did I put my machine gun, the air- tickets and my passport again ??….. )

Robertson, no not yet, maybe I should send him a copy. You should have heard the demo. They were right on the edge of splatter death metal. We are not well accepted in the Christian market, however, we are deemed to be to "worldly" or "wolves in sheep's clothing" but Jesus put it to the point when he said a prophet is never accepted in him own town. That is fine Jesus also told if we are not accepted to shake the dust off our shoes and walk away. You don't have to accept me or respect me just don't get in my way. As for that Robertson chap and all his TV evangelist cohorts ... don't listen to that crap they are nothing more than a bunch of money hungry thieves who steal money from old ladies. It is people like them that give the true followers of Christ a bad name. Sometimes I am ashamed to put myself in that camp. But then again, I am not in that camp. I only follow Christ not other men. Whoa sorry there didn't mean to get to preachy just that those guys tick me off !!!!

8. Staying with Corpse "From The Grave": Which segments of the Christian market buys this album ? I have so far failed to find this album in the underground metal scene. Why don't you distribute this album through the secular underground Death Metal distributors ?

I am actively looking for more places to distro if anyone is interested email me at clingrec@clingrec.com. We are sold on relapse for and that is going over well. We are also talking to a couple other distros now. We would like to get on some of the larger distros that deal with many of the other distros. But we like dealing personally better. So any of you distros out there who are not closed minded, check us out we can work some great deals out. Anyway Corpse is bought by a very small percentage of the Christian Music community (probally about 5%) so that put us in a real small market. Currently we are the only US ECM label out there are a couple rumors of a few new ones starting but we will have to see about that. We don't sell huge quantities (not time to quit the day job yet) but we sell enough to keep going.

9. I cannot stand this segregation between Christian metal and secular metal. Metal is metal. Why does this segregation exists ?

I don't know. I hate the segregation myself. The way I see it ECM is no different than Satanic Music. We are both out actively preaching about the one we worship. I would like to see the walls of segregation break down because there are a lot of good ECM bands out there for the world to listen too but they are pinned in to the Christian corral.

10. Thanx to this segregation; most or all of our readers are not able to get information about the Christian metal scene. For the benefit of our readers; please tell us how the Christian metal scene operate. Any new, upcoming bands we should know about ??

Upcoming bands to check out would be
Feast Eternal - Possibly the best Death Metal album I have heard in ages (we distro the album through carfax abbey)
Noise - excellent Grind Core
Immortal Souls - Atmospheric Black Metal from Sweden
Mordecia - More great black metal from Sweden
Day of Atonement - Awesome black/death metal

There are tons of good bands out there check out our webpage for more info The Christian Metal market is ran really stupid (it is a dog eat dog world) There is one main mag (that would compare to like a Metal Maniacs) called HM they suck!!! we advertised in there for two years and got nothing but crap in return. Wrong ads placed, ads put in the wrong place, no reviews (or crap reviews) and, well you get the drift. We have a radio chart called the pure rock report which reports about 55 stations. And there about four real good distros. People keep in touch on message boards and fests like Cornerstone (sucks) and Tomfest (cool but it is in Seattle way to far for me here in Michigan) But the scene is real malicious. We get crap about the production on our CDs (even though they were mastered by Fuller sound at a whopping $200 an hour), they are just really hard people to please. Either it is too evil or too wussy. Unless that is, if it is on Tooth and Nail the big commercial entity in the market. What Tooth and Nail says is gospel. Well many think the ECM community is like a mini secular market, that is not true. It is not all bad though because us true metal heads band together.

11. Please tell us what you feel about the world wide metal scene.

I think we all need to stick together. Metal has made a tremendous comeback and if we want to continue to grow we need to stick together.

13. What is your plans for the rest of this year and year 2000 ?

We plan to open Nevermore Macabre before December and also hope to put out an ECM comp and the New Noize album. If we are all still alive in the year 2000 we hope to take over the world or maybe just own a small country.

14. Any final comments ?

Thanks for being so open minded about our efforts. And to Metal world out there, please stop by the site.
There are MP3s and real audio files to check out. Make your discussions about ECM from that. If you want check out the lyrics as well. Anyway, we are not out to point a finger in your face (we have our hang ups as well) and we are not here to condemn you (we listen to secular stuff as well) I just pray we can all get along and drop the barriers that the media has created. Those goofs on TV are not what we are about if you want to know what we about please check out our page.
Blessed B
Scott