We hammered out the songs on “Pay with Your Face” from a violent swirl of thrash, death metal, crust punk, and utterly random detours. Here are 10 records that were brain filters throughout the process, with honorable mention to hundreds and hundreds of beers.
—Ready for Death
Dismember – MASSIVE KILLING CAPACITY
Artie White (vocals): We worked on most of the songs on “Pay with Your Face” in late 2023, around when Nuclear Blast reissued the entire Dismember discography. I only knew the first two records until then, so I was psyched to explore the later stuff. They slowed down a little on this one for some ultra-mean mid-paced death metal. While writing lyrics, I couldn’t stop thinking about how Matti Karki screams every single line like a declaration of war.
High on Fire – BLESSED BLACK WINGS
Dallas Thomas (guitar): Much of the mix and production for “Pay with Your Face” was inspired by this record. The washed-out live drum sound, the feeling of a couple stinky dudes sweating it out in a room… that’s the vibe we were chasing. Raw but massive.
Melvins – BULLHEAD
Luca Cimarusti (bass): We approached this record differently from the last one since we were down to one guitarist from two. Without trying to, we brought the tempo down a bit. What’s the best, slowest, heaviest power trio going? Melvins. I think we ended up channeling their beefy dynamic this time.
Various artists – MURDERS AMONG US 7”
Artie: There’ve been many “New York Hardcore” comps over the years but this one has always been my favorite. Life’s Blood, Nausea, Born Against, and Absolution… Four of the grimiest, most un-subtle shit-disturbing bands to crawl out of the early 90s, delivering four tracks that are flawless fucking anthems. Over the years I have tried to copy every singer on this record in some way.
His Hero Is Gone – MONUMENTS TO THIEVES
Dallas: One of the heaviest and most vicious records of all time. The perfect mix of punk, crust, and metal. Always an inspiration. It sounds like it was recorded in a concrete bunker during the end of the world, with no survivors.
Neurosis – TIMES OF GRACE
Luca: The last record was tracked fast and dirty in our practice space. For “Pay with Your Face” we had room to breathe. We took time to add some more layers, dynamics, and atmosphere to the mix. I kept “Times of Grace” by Neurosis in the back of my head when working out synth soundscapes and roomy rhythms on this record, aiming for a casual “ambient dread” sensation.
Lee Hazlewood & Nancy Sinatra – NANCY & LEE
Artie: “Spacebreeders” is the first track on “PWYF” and the last song we wrote for it. Dallas ripped the rhythm and melody from “Summer Wine” and married it to a track he previously wrote for some shelved horror movie. We played this in our practice space a lot and I got sucked into the creepy, ominous vibe coming from what is ostensibly a late ‘60s pop record.
Turbonegro – APOCALYPSE DUDES
Dallas: We always talk about how some bands can master speed and brutality but somehow forget how to just write a memorable track that just sticks. This is a master class in songwriting and a great reminder to metalheads: Don’t forget to rock.
The Spits – Every single record
Luca: Artie and I always talk about how we play metal, but we’re a punk band at heart. The Spits, with their brilliantly bonehead lyrics and simplistic, streamlined approach are a huge influence on Ready for Death, maybe more so with regard to our behavior than our sound. The Spits are excellent; what the Ramones would sound like if they were dumber.
Rorschach – REMAIN SEDATE
Artie: The “checkmate” part on “Utopia of War” was a deliberate reference to that song on this record; it just fit effortlessly with the lyrics and theme. Even though it’s the more primitive of the two Rorschach albums, this one is a panic attack pressed on vinyl and has always resonated with me. Decades after it came out, it’s still menacing enough to make everything else feel safe by comparison.