What are your Name's and what do you do in your band?
Matt Coyle -  guitars, Tom Quach - bass, Jason Barron - vocals, Clayton Gore - drums

Who are your influences?
Matt: Too many to name.... some are Jeff and Kerry from slayer, Morgan from marduk, Toni Iommi, the guys from Mastodon, Balsac, the jaws of death and Flattus Maximus
Tom: Steve Harris, Alex Webster, Steve Digorgio, Ron Royce, Nefarious, Schmier and many others
Jason: Enthroned, Nokturnal Mortem, Baltac, Graveland, Emperor, Enslaved
Clayton: Terry Bozzio, Michael Langevin, Steve Shelton, Gene Hoglan, Dave Lombardo, Jeff St. Louis,manymore

What are the Reasons you choose the style your band plays over any other type of music?
Tom: For it's evilness, aggressiveness and technicality of instrumental work.
Matt: I like aggressive, dark sounds. and this style embraces technique and musicianship more than most styles. Except classical music I guess.....
Clayton: I'd say that extreme metal is the most challenging of all styles of music for a drummer to play, and that's fun to me.

Why or How did your band choice the name of your band?
Tom: Mike Evans, our old drummer, came up with it and we thought no one else had the name.
Jason: Yeah, Mike named the band. The Harkonnen were the evil tyrants of Dune.

Who were your bands founders?
Tom: Mike Evans, Drake Poeschel, Jason Barron

Where is your band currently located?
Tom: St. Louis , Missouri

What is your favorite song to perform? Why?
Matt: Probably "Devil's Rain". I get to yell "Satan" at the end.
Tom: "Firechrist", it's all over the fucking place. Get to show off a little bit I guess you could say. Heh
Jason: "Devil's Rain" because I love the movie & the lyrics are great, if I do say so myself.

What is the most enjoyable part about performing?
Matt: The people responding to your music in the crowd
Tom: Just banging your fucking head and enjoying the talent to play good metal

What's the best/worst experience you have had so far playing live?
Matt: The "Blueberry Hil"l experience.
Clayton: Yeah, the Blueberry Hill gig was bad. My cymbals actually got stolen that night. As far as best, with this band I'd have to say the Satyricon gig.
Tom: Losing to a simplistic hard rock band in a battle and we played so damn good. Or driving all the way out to Crawfordsville , IN and no one was there and we didn't even get gas money out of it.
Jason: I drank the fog juice in Indiana (while playing with Fog). Someone handed me a bottle & I thought it was water. As for the best - Satyricon & Goatwhore shows were both great.

Do you have any advice for people starting a band?
Tom: If you have the heart and desire, keep on going and don't let anyone hold you down. Do it for the love of music and enjoyment for yourself. The rest of it is just a bonus.
Jason: You will not make any money.
Clayton: Try to step back & take a good listen to yourself; if you sound like everyone else, do us all a favor & quit.

How long have you been playing together in the current band?
Matt: I joined in July of 2004
Jason: 2001 original, July 2004 for the new lineup.

What Instruments do you use? What brands do you prefer to use?
Matt: Gibson Les Paul guitar - THE best guitars. DR strings. Crate BV amp. I would buy a lot more shit if my wallet allowed it.....
Tom: Fender , Ampeg, Monster Cables, Crown Power Amp
Clayton: I've always used Pearl drums. I prefer Paiste Rude cymbals, but right now that's financially not an option.

What do you feel your band brings to the scene?
Matt: Some good extreme metal.
Tom: Nothing else that any of these lame ass bands around here can. Representing true underground metal to the fullest, which there isn't very much of at all around here.

Describe your sound, as I'm sure your influences have a big part in it. Please explain more on that?
Matt: Black/Thrash based....with other elements floating around. I don't really know how to describe it other than that. I don't really write to a style....I just play what pops in my head.
Tom: Tech-Thrash with various styles of black metal mixtures
Clayton: Yeah, I'd say we have black metal sensibilities with a distinct thrash execution. And great black metal vocals.

Who are some of your favorite bands to play with and/or bands you would like to play with?
Matt: I've always wanted to play with Slayer. Playing with Satyricon was awesome though, and it was my first show ever.
Tom: Goatwhore, Exhumed, Satyricon, Rune, Frankenhookers, Cast the Stone, Impaler
Jason: Goatwhore, Satyricon. I would like to play with Morbid Angel, Enthroned, Mayhem
Clayton: Definitely Satyricon & 3 Inches of Blood, with this band. I also enjoyed Exhumed & Uphill Battle. And of course Macabre is always great to play with. I'd love to play with Ripping Corpse again, but since that's not possible I'd love to play with Dim Mak. Maybe DBC, Voivod, Darkthrone, and Thesyre.

If you had to pick a band that doesn't get the respect or exposure they deserve, whom would you pick?
Matt: Hard to pick one.... Most extreme metal bands don't get the exposure that they deserve. As far as respect... I'd say plenty don't get that either...I can respect a band's musical talent and still hate the music. Most people I meet don't seem to differentiate liking and respecting music.
Tom: TANKARD BITCH!!!!!
Jason: Enthroned definitely.
Clayton: Thesyre, Ripping Corpse, Dim Mak, Melvins, Confessor.

Do you have any professional releases? If so where were they done? Do you like the recording?
Clayton: Yes, there are two studio albums, one live album and one demo.
Matt: I do the recording. I've gotten better with time, but there are lots of things I would still like to make sound better. Colin Davis mastered our last release and it was the first time I have ever had anything professionally mastered. He did a great job. I guess if I could learn or work with anybody recording wise, it would be Peter Tagtgren, Jim Morris, or Steve Albini.

If your not currently on a label what label would you choose to be on if you could? Why?
Matt: Whoever could bring us and our music to the most people to hear.
Tom: Metal Blade Europe, because Alex Webster said so.
Clayton: Lol. Honestly, a label to me is just a nice tool to help make your music available to the widest audience possible. So, whichever label could make a good commitment to that effect would be fine with me.

What Band(s) annoy you the most? Why?
Matt: EMO - I FUCKING HATE EMO BANDS. I want to kill them, reanimate them and kill them again. They suck. FUCK them.
Tom: EMO-CORE!!! FUCK ALL OF YOU EMO BITCHES OUT THERE!!!!
Jason: All the new "mallcore" bands because they are fucking hybrids off the same sound.

What venues do you like playing in most? Why?
Matt: I haven't played in any that really blew me away yet....but I have very little live stage experience as of right now.
Tom: Pop's. Just because.
Jason: The Creepy Crawl because they let us do whatever we want.

What do you do in you spare time when not playing Metal? Hobbies?
Matt: I'm a "South Park" nut, i could watch that shit all day. I'd say playing guitar is my main hobby though.I also like recordinging music a lot.
Tom: Smoking weed, drinking, and all types of ill shit.
Jason: I'm a tattoo artist.
Clayton: I work in the IT industry and have two children that take up much of my time. I also enjoy spending time with my girlfriend.

What's your feel on the whole mp3 or bootleg trading on the Internet?
Matt: I see pros and cons to it all. But the way I see it is that it is the new technology and you have to accept new technology and find a way to work with it, or you're going to be left behind. Every new technology creates some new problems. That's the way it is.
Tom: It don't bother me none.
Jason: I could give a fuck.
Clayton: It's just a faster way to make tapes, which is what I used to do "back in the day", for people. I see no difference. I think that it is a great tool for some bands to help spread the word. I find that most of the time if someone hears something they like, they will buy it to support the band. In any case, I honestly don't think this activity takes any money out of the hands of bands.

Do you guys miss the old tape trading days as much as some other metal brothers do? any cool stories you like to share about those days?
Matt: I'm 22..... by the time i was really into metal cd's had taken over.
Tom: I still collect metal on all the different mediums. The old school will always be in my blood even though I'm a youngster.
Jason: Yes! What the fuck happened to the band Abasinate or Hideous Corpse??
Clayton: What I miss about those days are the other things that would come with a tape. Most people would send some flyers from around the area, stickers, etc. I miss seeing all the great flyers. But I like being able to get my music quicker, with the internet. It's a fair trade.

What's in your CD player? What do you and your band listens too most together?
Matt: Amon Amarth, Anaal Nathrakh, Necrophagist, Enthroned, Mastodon. I don't know what we really listen to most together...Lately we are agreeing that Ripping Corpse is the shit.
Tom: Crumbsuckers, Arcturus, Mercyful Fate, Destruction, Amon Amarth at the moment. We don't listen to music that much together.
Jason: New Enthroned, Baltac - Massedonian War, Limbonic Art - Ultimate Death Worship
Clayton: The last five things I've listened to are: Ripping Corpse - 92 demo; Ripping Corpse - unfinished album; Dim Mak  - Enter the Dragon; Star Wars Episode 3 soundtrack; Atrocity -  Atlantis.

Do you think cover art is just as important as the music? If so give some reasons why?
Matt: Well I don't think it is as important as the music...I buy music for my ears not my eyes....but it is cool to have really badass packaging and artwork. Some albums just have art that sticks in my mind forever. I still think Divine Intervention has one of the coolest cover pictures ever. And any Cannibal Corpse art is memorable. I really like Napalm Death's artwork on the more recent stuff.
Clayton: Yeah, it's always sad when a band tries to compensate for lack of good music with a great cover. When I buy an album that has a great cover & shitty music, I feel like I was duped.

Who does all the artwork and album designs for your band including flyers and any promotional stuff?
Matt: Clay does all the computer stuff. But we all kind of work together to get what we want. It would be nice to have a badass artist though.....
Clayton: Yes, Matt & Jason give me ideas when I'm out and I digitize them. I take all the ideas we have & put it together, let's say. I also handle the websites.

Does your band have a website or link so people can get more info or merch from the band?
Clayton: Absolutely http://www.harkonin.com. Right now we have our new album for sale and will very soon have stickers & the new t-shirt designs available.

Is there anything else you would like to add to this interview?
Matt: Buy the new album so we can make more.
Tom: Fuck metalcore. It is making the scene look trendy and foolish.
Clayton: Thanks for the time on this interview. I hope you enjoy the new album. Everyone, well see you on the road!