Long Island thrash metal band, This Is Hell will release a new limited 7″ single titled The Enforcer on I Surrender Records on February 19.  Guitarist Rick Jimenez said these songs are different than previous This Is Hell releases in that the band was pushing the boundaries of what they’ve done before and that the riffing is on a level they haven’t visited before.
The record includes a cover of “Whiplash” by Metallica, so it is no surprise that when Ghettoblaster caught up with Rick before an extensive run of dates (below) to discuss his favorite record, he cited Metallica’s …And Justice For All.  This is what he said about it…
What is your favorite album?
…And Justice For All by Metallica.
Do you remember when you received or purchased the album?
Yeah… i believe it was spring 1990. My sister’s boyfriend at the time had left his cassette copy behind and it quickly became mine.
What is your favorite song on the album?
Hard to say… it changes from time to time. As of right this second I’d choose the title track. All 10 minutes and change of that song made it onto two of my annual mix tapes when I was a kid and made one official mix tape a year. That’s got to mean something.
What is it about the song that resonates with you?
Probably the push and pull of the entire piece. The fact that it’s over 10 minutes long but never drags and is remarkable.
Have you ever covered a song from the album?
This is Hell did a Halloween set of Metallica songs in 2011 and we closed with “One.” We threw a piece of “Blackened” in a part of our set for a tour last summer as well.
What is it about the album that makes it stand out against the band’s other output?  
The epicness of it and the sonic quality. A lot of people bitch about the basslessness of the record and the “bone dry” production, but I love it.
Have you ever given a copy of this record to anyone?  What were the circumstances?
I am sure I have at some point. Obviously I force it onto anyone’s ipod that plugs into my computer that doesn’t have it already.
Which of the records that you’ve performed on is your favorite?
Usually it’s the newest one. Two weeks ago I would have said Black Mass, but after recording The Enforcer I would say that. New is always fun, especially when you’re an evolving band like we are. Each record pushes the boundaries and that’s fun.
What is your favorite song on the album and why?  
As of right now I’d pick “Flag of the Serpent.” It was written real quick and by accident; just noodling around on the guitar while I was waiting for Photoshop to load and it just came together. It went from “listen to this ridiculous riff” to “I think this might be a cool intro track” to “wow, this song is so much fun to play” to “this shit kills.”
(Catch This Is Hell at one of these dates:
01/21/13 – Baltimore, MD @ Charm City Art Space
01/22/13 – Fayettville, NC @ The Drunk Horse Pub (w/ EVA)
01/23/13 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (w/ EVA)
01/24/13 – Augusta. GA @ Sector 7G (w/ EVA)
01/25/13 – Savannah, GA @ Taco Abajo (w/ EVA)
01/26/13 – Jacksonville, FL @ Phoenix Taproom (w/ EVA)
01/27/13 – Orlando, FL @ Backbooth (w/ letlive.)
01/28/13 – Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero (w/ letlive.)
01/29/13 – Wilmington, NC @ Soapbox (w/ letlive.)
01/30/13 – Richmond, VA @ Kingdom (w/ letlive.)
01/31/13 – West Springfield, VA @ Empire (w/ letlive.)
02/01/13 – Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus (w/ letlive.)
02/02/13 – Amityville, NY @ The Spotlight (w/ letlive.)
02/04/13 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair (w/ letlive.)
02/05/13 – Danbury, CT @ Heirloom Arts (w/ letlive.)
02/06/13 – Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rossa (w/ letlive.)
02/07/13 – Ottawa, ON @ Mavericks (w/ letlive.)
02/08/13 – London, ON @ Call The Office (w/ letlive.)
02/09/13 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Smiling Moose (w/ letlive.)
02/10/13 – Toledo, OH @ Frankies (w/ letlive.)
02/20/13 – Honolulu, HI @ Hawaiian Brian’s
02/23/13 – Brisbane, AUS @ RNA Showgrounds (w/ Soundwave)
02/24/13 – Sydney, AUS @ Olympic Park (w/ Soundwave)
03/01/13 – Melbourne, AUS @ Flemington Racecourse (w/ Soundwave)
03/02/13 – Adelaide, AUS @ Bonython Park (w/ Soundwave)
03/04/13 – Perth, AUS @ Claremont Showground (w/ Soundwave)
03/06/13 – Auckland, NZ @ Zeal Art Room
03/08/13 – Medan, Indonesia @ USU Student Hall
03/09/13 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia @ Black Box (w/ Sick Of It All)
03/10/13 – Singapore, Singapore @ Emily Hill
03/12/13 – Bangkok, Thailand @ Immortal Bar
03/16/13 – Grand Prairie, TX @ South By So What Festival
04/13/13 – Toledo, OH @ Jamboree Festival)