Org 666 consuming literature.

1997 marked the start of something special: the coming together of a group of very different individuals to make one fleshy sound rooted in the belief that all organized religion is detrimental to human existence and should be buried, along with… well, other stuff. But definitely not their creativity especially of the on-stage variety, which has brought them both popularity in the Alberta metal community, and notoriety with the kinds of people who think Pamela Anderson knows the first thing about chicken farming.

More than a decade has passed since Dead Jesus splattered the guts of something on the Alberta stage, and the melodic death act from Edmonton, Alta. now has three epic full-length releases in their bloody wake, including 2008′s …God and the Devil, a double disc set that came complete with a novel written by the band’s bass player. Add a legion of fan-like minions across the globe, and one has to wonder how it all started.

According to Lord Bedingfield IV, bassist for the damned, “we’re actually part of an ongoing study being conducted by the Alberta Mental Health Board.”

“We weren’t really given any options,” he shrugs nonchalantly, twirling his curly locks with his fretting hand.

“Well, that explains a lot, my lord,” interjects this curious reporter, “but how did this unholy creation come to be named?”

“The sweet miracle of Christ’s Holy Resurrection is the staff of life, my friend. That’s what we’re talking about here,” Bedingfield starts. “Without the beautiful, immaculate, fabulous and entirely implausible fabrication of hut-dwelling madmen who worship the ghost of a dead carpenter, we never could have chosen that name. So, at the end of the day, you can thank your god for sending that punchline of a messiah down here… Wait, what was the question?”

Twelve years has left many changes on the world, not to mention a few line-ups for our prophets, which now embrace the teachings of Lord Bedingfield IV himself through his thunder-infused low end techniques, drummer Father Twelve, the illegitimate son of a Ukrainian puppeteer, guitarists Blagerbaas and Evilglen Botchenstein, who also contribute with vocals, and Org 666, the pipes behind the project.

But Evilglen explains that’s just part of the job when your preaching the unholy word to the masses.

“Sometimes the cops have trouble rounding us up, so I’m sure we should have been in many more line-ups than we already have. It’s cold in that little room holding those numbers, and yes, we usually get singled out,” he says, rolling his eyes.

How has the overall sound evolved since the band’s initial line-up?

Lord Bedingfield IV: We have tried to take a solid step backward with each member change. What we’re shooting for here is absolute horseshit, you know? Something completely worthless, like Beethoven, or the repetitive sound of a whistling tooth.

Last year’s …God and the Devil release brought quite the theatrical show: wenches, fornicating angels and, of course, lots of blood; where did this come from?

Evilglen: Like all of our inspiration, we find it all in the bottom of Jack Daniels bottles. Sometimes at the distillery, they throw in a good idea before they fill the bottle. It is our job to drink each and every bottle we can until these “rare gems” are found. It’s a tough life, but someone has to do it. And come on, where would we be without blood and angels?

How much planning goes into putting on a show that intense?

Evilglen: There’s a plan now?

How much importance do you place on a good stage show?

Father Twelve: It’s the difference between an Alice Cooper show and Nazareth live. When Alice is on stage, the crowd is glued to the man because the whole stage show is a theatrical production, whereas at a Nazareth show everyone is listening but no one is really watching those crusty dudes. With Dead Jesus, we very much rely on the crowd’s interaction. When we throw guts in the crowd, people pick it up and throw it right back.

When and why did Org666 start the self-mutilation etc. on stage? Was it merely for shock value, or is there a deeper meaning behind it?

Lord Bedingfield IV: We used to cut Org666 quite a lot actually, because he frequently misbehaved. Thing is, both Evilglen and I are epileptic, and the other two tend to shit themselves at the sight of blood. So it got terribly messy, not to mention ineffective, as a disciplinary measure. In the end, Org just said “Here, I’ll do it myself,” and we just ended up taking that on stage.

Father Twelve: Yes, many times. Medicine Hat, Cowtown, and Kamloops all have venues that have placed a lifetime ban on Dead Jesus for the subject matter of our performance. There have also been cases of offensive retaliation against us. Specifically the steroid freak pussies from the Stetson stuffing guts in the band Skepsis’s tail-pipe, and trying to beat up Org666 after he just finished beating up himself.

Who gets cleans up duty: is it up to you guys or does the venue take care of it?

Lord Bedingfield IV: We’re actually very meticulous about the clean-up process. We go to great lengths to ensure that every piece of glass, every scrap of viscera, and every last droplet of blood is collected and removed from the premises. Then we take it to the nearest orphanage and siphon it into baby bottles. Later on, when those babies grow a little, we eat them.

You recently remixed, re-mastered and re-released 2004’s Let Them Suffer. Why was this album chosen over the others?

Evilglen: After careful consideration, we lined-up all our framed pictures of “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” (Evilglen’s secret wife) and placed overhead the names of each of our albums. Then, after adding a precision amount of alcohol to ourselves, we proceeded to play Russian Roulette with Org’s Spiderman jelly gun. When the goo stuck we knew we had it.

What’s next: new material, shows, or just taking it easy for a bit?

Lord Bedingfield IV: I’m quitting actually. Once I’ve killed the others, I’m thinking they’ll probably stop too.

Are there any plans for a Halloween show this year?

Lord Bedingfield IV: Dead Jesus will be performing a benefit concert for Elderly Hot Air Balloon victims at the Underground in Calgary. Children are welcome to attend, but they must be at least 18.

What do you enjoy about Halloween gigs?

Evilglen: Personally I enjoy the lights, the turkey, the gifts. There’s a guy in a red suit with little horses that visits the mall. Most of all I enjoy – wait, I think that’s a different holiday.

What, if any, are the downfalls of Halloween shows?

Evilglen: I can’t collect Candy (or her sister), Org can’t sit in a giant pumpkin and pretend he is a pie, Father Twelve can’t escort “the children,” Lord can’t usher in the Devil with a proper ceremony, and Blager can’t set off his fireworks tied to a cat’s tail. It’s very disruptive.

Do you have any more Jack Daniel’s?

Of course we do!