Dwid Hellion Is Obsessed with Dudley Moore, So Stream The New Integrity Cover of 'Bedazzled'. Seriously.

Let's talk gateway drugs, shall we? The biggest gateway drug for people looking to go from metal to hardcore and vice versa is, and always will be, Cleveland's Integrity. Fronted by Dwid Hellion, the band roped in Slayer riffs and aesthetic into their nightmarish hardcore, creating a new genre in the process. See the classic Systems Overload, Humanity is the Devil, or Those Who Fear Tomorrow for further reference. Now, 26 years into his career, Dwid is still as prolific as ever, readying the release of a new Integrity split with Vegas for Record Story Day. Stream Integrity's contribution below… a cover of the theme song from a Dudley Moore film?

Seriously.

We asked Dwid what the deal was with that and about his recent reunion with the Melnick brothers, who helped shape the sound of the early releases. Check out our interview below.

NOISEY: To an outsider or casual listener of Integrity, a cover of the theme from the Dudley Moore vehicle Bedazzled seems like an odd choice for a cover. What about the druggy, spaced out original do you find so inspiring, and why did you choose to cover that track?
Dwid Hellion: Bedazzled (1968) was the first film that i watched. As a small child, it had a life changing effect upon my character. I think it explains many aspects of my personality. As for the original version of the song, I feel that Peter Cooks deadpan rendition of "Bedazzled"is brilliant. That scene has haunted me since i was 5 years old. I have read that the song, Bedazzled was partially intended to be a parody of Syd Barretts Pink Floyd. Thorsten of VVegas and I both share a love for the film, and years ago we discussed recording cover versions. The integrity song was actually recorded about five years ago. We finally got around to releasing it.

Are you a fan of the work of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore?
Yes, their early collaborations were among the greats of all comedy teams. Their competitive nature fed their creative outlet and it also destroyed their partnership. A sadness lurking beneath the clown makeup.

Why record store day? Do you personally feel a connection to the "holiday"?
The initial concept of RSD was great, but like all great concepts, it became infected by the human element. Unfortunately, limited vinyl records that are available exclusively for RSD are too often bought up by soulless "eBay flippers" intent on inflating the price for their own profit and exploiting the original concept of RSD. And that is a great tragedy to the concept of RSD. We have an exclusive vinyl colorway for this record and for the PSYWARFARE/FULL OF HELL split 12" that we will be offering on April 19th from our personal webstore, so if the copies are hoarded by eBay flippers at RSD, our audience will still have the opportunity to acquire a copy.

Photo by Josh Sisk, from the A389 10th Anniversary Bash.

You recently played the A389 Anniversary with your Systems Overload lineup. How did it feel to share the stage with those guys? Was it fun or did some of the old tensions come to the surface?
It was an enjoyable time to play music and get reacquainted with my childhood friends. It had been quite a while since we were all in one room together. Aaron and I have been working together for a couple years collaborating on the vinyl reissues that Organized Crime Records release. But, we hadn't seen each other in the flesh since 2005. It was a fun weekend at the A389 fest. Dom is a close friend and I feel that he did a great job putting the A389 festival together this year.

What are the plans for Integrity in the future? Will there be any more reunions with the Melnicks?
Anything is possible.

What were guitarist Rob Orr's feelings on the reunion?
Rob actually was a part of the reunion. Rob came out on stage, halfway through the set and played a few songs with the band. I think the entire performance can be viewed on YouTube. Rob also recorded the song, "Beyond The Realm Of The Witch". This is the 7" that A389 released in january which features the original lineup.

What is the status of Integrity as of today with respect to personnel and plans for the future?
At this moment, Integrity does not have any planned performances.

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More Integrity? Is there such thing as enough? Check out our piece on Systems Overload and our interview with Aaron Melnick. Also don't miss the new Gehenna 7" (and our interview) that recently dropped on Holy Terror.