In a new interview with multi-instrumentalist and producer-engineer Scoobert Doobert, CRO-MAGS founder Harley Flanagan discussed the upcoming feature documentary “Harley Flanagan: Wired For Chaos”, which charts his tumultuous life and survival. Speaking about how Flanagan‘s early life — which consisted of childhood neglect and sexual abuse as well as drugs, violence and PTSD — affected his lyrical approach and ultimately gave voice to other people’s stories through the therapeutic power of his music, Harley said: “Well, I’ll tell you what, man. It really is pretty incredible to have that type of effect because, obviously, I’ve never felt like a spokesperson for others, and I’ve never felt like an important person in that way. But Jocko Willink (American author, podcaster and retired United States Navy officer who served in the Navy SEALs and is a former member of SEAL Team 3), who’s a friend of mine — for those of you who may or may not know him, look him up — he told me that my music got him through some of the hardest parts of his life. And that motherfucker has seen some things. So that made me really feel a little bit different about my input, my value. When I can help someone get through shit like that, I’m, like, ‘Wow.’ And let’s just say that’s happened more than once, where people have really given me a lot of appreciation for my music, helping them at times when they really needed the help.

“My music, the way it sounds and the lyrics, are really a byproduct of, for the most part, my trauma,” Harley explained. “And the aggression and the rage that’s in my music is part of my story. I think pretty much the reason I stayed alive and out of prison is because I had that way to let the steam out instead of just letting it completely eat me. And that has become the soundtrack for a lot of other people and given them a place where they could release some of that steam or perhaps not feel so alone in their own situation. And I think my movie may have that effect too, because I think people who’ve suffered through some of some of the things that I’ve been through may say, ‘Wow, I’m not alone.’ They may say, ‘Wow, I can make it if this guy did.’ Because I’m the first person to say I don’t feel like a tough guy. I feel like I’ve survived a tough life. I’m not even a very big guy. People look at me and they’re, like, ‘Oh, that fucking dude’s huge.’ No, I just work out a lot. And I do a lot of pushups right before I get on stage, so I look a little bigger when I’m on stage. But I’m not a big guy, and that’s part of the reason why I had to be as intense as I was, ’cause it’s an intense world and I had to survive in it.”

After Doobert noted that hearing that story coming from Harley “hits a lot more than coming from somebody else that didn’t live it,” Flanagan concurred. “Well, I don’t think anybody who didn’t live it, I don’t think they can really speak on it,” he said. “I think it becomes a masquerade. That’s why I didn’t get into metal when I was a kid, because I felt like it was a bunch of fantasyland bullshit, and I felt like hardcore was more from the streets. It wasn’t until later on in life that I realized at least 60 percent of the hardcore kids were faking the punk as well. I mean, I grew up with — and God bless ’em; I love ’em to death — I grew up with some of the guys from the BEASTIE BOYS, and they were straight-up rich kids. They never smoked dust in their lives. It was just fucking fun; it was just fun and games. And a lot of the so-called thug guys on the scene who write all this shit, it’s just storytelling. They’re writing songs. That’s the difference. I was writing, basically, my journal down and putting it to music. So the trauma and the drama and the blood was real. It wasn’t made up for your listening pleasure. (Laughs)”