Each Day’s a 'New Hell' for Greet Death (But In
a Good Way)
Story by LCC Staff Reporter Katie Gleason
Logan
Gaval and Sam Boyhtari met in 1st grade and they’ve been inseparable ever since.
Their decades-long music career (which is impressive for a band full of twenty-somethings)
started in middle school band class, and only grew from there. What started out
as a mutual appreciation for Neil Young, Nirvana, and old classic country,
slowly evolved into the now nationwide-touring band, Greet Death, named from the
famed quote “greet death as an old friend,” putting a positive spin on a rather
grim topic, which seems to be the boys’ primary goal as a band.
After adding on drummer Jim Versluis, the Davisburg locals quickly began to make
a name for themselves throughout the local Michigan Music scene. Their first
record, lovingly titled Dixieland after their Flint-area roots, took off rather
quickly. Since its release and subsequent popularity in the summer of 2017,
Greet Death has released two other albums that have carried them all around the
country.
The
band’s newest album New Hell, released last month, is a darker themed album. Sam
explains that many of the songs have to do with coming to terms with depression
and change. Those lyrics, backed with a hardcore loud rock sound is a far step
away from the album named after a Flint flea market. However, according to
Logan, the name for the album New Hell came about in a similar way. He was
working over the summer in food service, and one of the men he worked with would
come in everyday and say, “Well, you know what they say; each day’s a new hell!”
The sentiment really amused Logan, so he named their third album after his
coworker’s unconventional catchphrase.
Being among such talent doesn't come without tribulation, however. Logan
explains that they do their best work on the road while touring and around other
bands, but seeing the strides that these bands make around them, the boys feel
that they start setting impossible goals for themselves in a need to keep up.
This overexertion leads to a loss of confidence, which surprisingly, is
reflected in the music of their newest album. “So I guess it works out okay,”
Logan laughs.
Sam and Logan are incredibly passionate about what they do, and are very
proud of their most recent release, New Hell. You can buy their album digitally,
or on vinyl from them online or at any of their shows! (I did after this
interview! All three of the boys were also more than happy to sign the front
cover as well.) You can catch them in Grand Rapids at the Pyramid Scheme on
December 21st, at 7pm.
Don’t forget to greet them as old friends!
