Although they have been around since 2005, Florida's punk/metal act Centuries have just recently released their full-length debut Taedium Vitae. Featuring a bruising style and vocalist Eric Verporter's unyielding singing style; Centuries have an intense style seemingly all to themselves.
Speaking from a tour stop in Florida and in anticipation of tonight's performance at Tomcats West in Fort Worth, Verporter talked with DC9 about his band's uncompromising roar and how he's lucky that his dog-washing job allows him time off for touring.
Have you played Dallas before?
I think we have. It might have been a while ago. I don't remember the venue. It was a DIY kind of thing. This upcoming show got moved to Fort Worth, to Tomcats. Supposedly, there was an issue with a lot of shows going on that night. It was a draw issue.
When did you form the band?
We've been around since 2005. The demo came out in 2013 and the full length came out a bit later. Before that, we had only done EPs and split releases with other bands and stuff. We kind of took our time on the full length and we toured a lot.
Did you guys form right out of high school?
Yes, we went on our first tour when one of us was still in high school. We were all pretty young. All of our parents supported us. We have one member who went through college and still managed to tour.
The debut full length is only nine songs clocking in at 22 minutes. Why so brief?
We are used to writing in shorter spurts. We end up writing four songs at a time. We put all the songs we came up with on the album. We didn't want to make an album that was super long and drawn out. We wanted to make it short and sweet and to the point.
Do you perform as a trio?
We have done so before, but we are usually four members. We have had quite a terrible time with drummers. We finally found a drummer who is going to be with us a while. I hope. We have gone through, at least, five different drummers, maybe six. I wish I had an answer, some solution to that problem. I have absolutely no idea why that is.
Why title the album and the songs using Latin?
I don't know. I read other album titles and song names and I feel that it just isn't enough. Does that make sense? Instead of having something cheesy, Latin has always had a dark and mysterious tone to it. A lot of the words in Latin translate better. They are more descriptive than English. Using Latin makes things more interesting. Latin is an ancient language that is used in the Bible. It has a creepy sense to it.
So it's biblical and creepy?
Yes, if you think about, when you see horror films, things are in Latin. It's little things like this that are really interesting. It's such an old language.
Have you inspired your fans to pick up Latin dictionaries?
More than likely not. I, myself, am not fluent in Latin. It would be great if we have inspired that.
Where have you found the most receptive audience?
Honestly, it's weird because it's probably Tampa, Florida. That has been our home away from home. The sad thing about where we live is that there is not any metal, hardcore or punk scene. We have to drive two or three hours north or south to play a show or see a show. We get the best shows in Tampa.
Why not move there?
We all have full time jobs right now. We are still pretty comfortable and we are planning on making a move. We are thinking about moving to Pittsburgh because we have friends there. I hate the cold, but that's where everyone else wants to move. I would rather move to places like Georgia or Tennessee, nice warm places, but no one is game for that.
What is your full time job?
I am a dog-washer. I have a killer job. I feel a little bit ashamed to say that I am a dog-washer. But I get good money under the table. My boss is awesome. She lets me tour whenever I need to. It's kind of no strings attached. It is a good way to get some cash.
What are the most dogs you have washed in a day?
Probably like 21.
Your vocal style is very extreme. It sounds painful.
I guess that sometimes it can be. I guess that is a good thing. I will take that as a compliment. I put a hundred percent of myself into this band.
Have you ever thought of singing in your natural voice?
No, I have not. We have never been that kind of band. I would start another band if I wanted to do that kind of stuff. I don't have any qualms about bands having two singers or anything like that. That's just not our style.
What would your say is your style?
If we would have to be classified, I would say that we are a punk rock band. We have always listened to that kind of music, hardcore, that kind of thing. When I was in school, I was listening to Black Flag and the Ramones. The first band that really got me into the hardcore lifestyle was Converge. That is probably the same for a lot of people.