Rob caught up with Stitch D and The AVD from The Defiled in Birmingham during to talk about being on the Jagermeister Music Tour 2013, their forthcoming album and much more.

Last time we spoke to you was back in October 2012, how have things been since then?
The AvD, Keyboard) Our lives have changed dramatically, we have recorded an album since then, toured Europe, signed our first worldwide record deal with Nuclear Blast, everything's different.

You have just signed a worldwide deal with Nuclear Blast Records, how did this come about, and how important is it to the band?
The AvD) We were talking to a few different labels, they put their offers forward, for us it wasn't about who gave us the most money, we wanted to work with people who were into our music and really push it, and the person we talked to was Mark Farmer, he understood where we were coming from. We needed a team that believed in what we are doing.

You have been busy working on your new studio album ‘Daggers’ what can you tell us about the album and how did you come up with the title?
The AvD) There's a story behind every title I suppose, It's a metaphor for life as a dagger, take it as you want, it's broad and covers all the tunes, it made sense to call it Daggers.
Stitch D, Vocals) We went to Florida to record it, with Jason Suecof, it was fucking awesome, it was nice and sunny so we got a holiday at the same time.

You are planning on releasing ‘Daggers’ sometime this year, any idea when?
Stitch D) Sometime in the summer.

You have released the first song from the album, ‘Sleeper’, last Sunday via Itunes, what made you choose this song over all the others on the album? And what has the response to the song been like?
Stitch D) It wasn't meant to be a single, we released it more as an album teaser, that's why we didn't do a proper video for it, it's not the best song on the album but to keep people entertained before the album comes out.

The AvD) Our fans have been waiting for this album for a long time, they funded this album so it's the least we could do for them to be honest.

You are currently touring alongside Ghost and Gojira on the Jagermeister tour, how have the shows been so far?
Stitch D) They have been cool haven't they, we are the middle ground between the two bands, one is as metal as shit and the other theatrical. Gojira are just so good, it's retarded as to how good they are. We are really happy to be touring with Ghost, as we are fans of the band.

The AvD)They keep messing with us too, saying I am this guy who plays the guitar, then another guy will say I'm this guy in the band.

What has it been like being on the road and playing alongside Ghost and Gojira?
Stitch D) I think we're the misbehaving band on this tour (laughs) We're not the most well behaved boys.

The AvD) I woke up this morning with our sound engineer kicking me in the head saying I pissed in his luggage (laughs) I think it's the worse thing anyone can do, I was mortified, and have been apologising for it constantly.

What has your set list been like for this tour, have you managed to included any new songs?
Stitch D) We are doing two new songs from the forthcoming album, we can't really add more because no one will know any of the songs, so we're playing hits still I guess.

Jagermeister are a massive brand who have been helping bands out in the music industry for years now, how would you say they have helped The Defiled over the years?
The AvD) It was the first ever company to believe in our band, no one gave us a chance, I know people hate to hear this but you have to pay bills in life, they were the first to fund us, we wouldn't be where we are without them, they used to print our t-shirts for free so we could make some money, Thank you Tom Carson.

With Jagermeister everywhere on this tour have you found yourselves having any Jagermeister parties?
Stitch D) With Jager freely available on this tour, its gets kinda messy, I've drank a whole bottle to myself.

You are heading out for a small tour in May, can we expect a longer set and more new songs at these shows?
Stitch D) Yeah definitely, It's kind of a tester tour for the new material, before festival shows, its a small batch of shows we have lined up, then we are coming back later in the year to do some bigger shows.

The AvD) Its a lot more hard work in smaller shows, You'd think it was easier but you have to interact with the crowd a lot more as it's a more intimate venue.

Where do you hope to see The Defiled in a year’s time?
The AvD) We want our record to be worldwide and we want to tour the world aswell, we're not going to give up so you will hear a lot of violence from us (laughs)

Thanks for your time do you have any message for your fans reading this?
Stitch D, The AvD) Thank you for supporting us, and funding our record for us so thank you for that, we hope to see you at shows and please buy the new album.

Interview by Robert Lawrence