If you haven’t yet heard Iperyt’s No State of Grace, you’re missing out on one of the finest slabs of industrialized black metal to come along in years. The Polish quintet’s mix of eviscerating, blackened riffage and pummeling electronics pushes the intensity so far into the red that few if any can ever hope to match it. I spoke to programmer/vocalist Shocker via e-mail to get the lowdown on No State of Grace and the inner workings of Iperyt’s nihilistic musical assault.
Josh Haun: For our readers who might not be familiar, can you tell us about how Iperyt started and what your motivations were for forming the band?
Shocker: Hi! To make a long story short: it all started a long time ago when I met Hellhound (guitar). I was coming from a speedcore/hardcore techno world and he had been involved in black metal for a long time. We found a common ground on our views, music and world and we decided to experiment a bit and try to compose some music together. And that’s how the whole idea of Iperyt came to life. Later Black Messiah (guitar) joined and finally People Hater (vocals) and Abuser (bass). Our first EP Particular Hatred was released. Then some gigs, some problems, new releases and so on. Typical stuff for a band. Read more »
I first encountered Floridian grindcore lords Maruta back in 2008 while they were touring behind their debut album In Narcosis. I distinctly remember vocalist Mitchell Luna almost inadvertently whipping the beer out of my hand with his microphone chord, such was the manic energy he and the rest of the band were releasing on stage. I was totally blown away, and Maruta had clearly stolen the show. I briefly spoke with Luna afterwards, long enough to buy a copy of In Narcosis and requisite t-shirt + shill a bit for the website I was writing for at the time (Sonic Frontiers.net, don’t bother looking for it, it’s not there anymore) in the hopes of securing an interview. The interview happened a few months later and In Narcosis wound up taking the #7 slot on my best metal albums of 2008 list. Read more »
With their second album Agony (read review here), Italy’s Fleshgod Apocalypse have upped death metal’s musical ante considerably by fully incorporating symphonic elements into their ultra-brutal assault, creating a sound that’s refined, raging and utterly unique in the process. I touched base with guitarist Cristiano Trionfera via e-mail while the band was in the midst of a North American tour with Decapitated in order to discuss the making of the new album and the thought process behind their intricate brand of classically-inspired carnage.
Josh Haun: Previous Fleshgod Apocalypse albums had trace elements of orchestral music, but on Agony you’ve fully incorporated the orchestral arrangements into your music. Was this always the plan or did the music just naturally evolve in that direction?
Cristiano Trionfera: We have always thought that our sound would have been structured as a real symphonic classical ensemble and not only as a neoclassical death metal way of thinking about the music. Basically we always wanted to increase our sound and to make a step forward on our evolution and this is the result.
JH: What can you tell us about the making of Agony? What challenges did the total integration of symphonic elements present when you were conceiving and recording the album?
CT: Well it has been hard for us to face the writing and the recording of Agony since we changed the writing process this time, no more based on the guitar riffs, but on the orchestra and then arranged with the whole thing. In the studio we’ve spent a lot of time to find a good balance between all the instruments and it has been a lot of hard work. In any case I think we have faced all these challenges in a good way and we’re pretty much satisfied with what came out of that.
JH: What can you tell us about the lyrical themes of the album? Is there an over-arching theme that ties all of the songs together?
CT: Absolutely yes. Agony is a concept album, treating the theme of what mankind is all about. The evil part of every man is what brings us to oppress, to forsake, to betray, to violate and so on. These behaviors keep us trapped into a perpetual state of agony and the songs in the album represent all the evil behaviors men have to other men.
JH: How would you describe your writing process for Agony? Did the death metal parts of the songs or the orchestral arrangements come first, or did both pieces of the puzzle evolve simultaneously?
CT: As I was saying, we started from the orchestra and the drums, then we arranged all with the guitars and the bass as they were part of the orchesta itself.
JH: Some people assume that brutal death metal and orchestral music are totally incongruous, but Agony proves otherwise. When and how did you first come to the realization that these two genres could be successfully merged? What was the common ground?
CT: We based the band on this idea and it has come from our passions and inspirations. We all love Death Metal and Classical music and the challenge was to merge them in a personal and fitting way.
JH: Did you get into metal or classical music first? What sparked your interest in classical/orchestral music? Are you classically trained?
CT: We all got into classical music first since when you start to approach music and an instrument, especially in our country, you need to get it from its very first beginning to its evolution. We all are classically trained, not in the sense we made academic studies, but meaning that we started with that background. The metal came when we were teenagers and discovered this incredible way of comunication.
JH: Black metal has been incorporating symphonic elements for quite a while now. Did any of your inspiration to do this come from symphonic black metal bands such as Emperor?
CT: I wouldn’t say that our inspirations come from the Black Metal symphonic way, but for sure we know all that world and something must have been taken even if not counciously.
JH: Are there any specific classical composers that inspire Fleshgod Apocalypse? What composers are the most “metal”?
CT: There are alot of composers that inspire us and I think that the romantics are always the ones who make us think about a connection between death metal and classical music since you can feel the passion in it, the aggression and so on. To me personally the most metal composers are Beethoven and Mahler.
JH: Many metal bands incorporating symphonic elements have made the jump to working with full orchestras for their recordings. Do you forsee Fleshgod Apocalypse doing this in the future? Why or why not?
CT: Absolutely! We are working now in that way cosidering all this possible future steps. We have a specific shape of how the band should be in our minds and there are so many things in it. Of course to play with an orchestra not only is an incredible experience for the show but also it gives you as a musician something more.
JH: You recently shot a video for “The Violation”. How would you describe the experience? What made you choose this particular song for the video?
CT: It has been fun to shoot the video, even if really hard. We’ve shot for almost 20 hours in a row and at the end of it we were really tired, but so excited! Salvatore Perrone, the director, has done a great job and the videoclip has been really helpful for the promotion of the band and the album. We have chosen The Violation because since the very first versions of it we knew it would have been a good single. In that song you have a bit of all you have in the album and the melodies are very representative I think.
JH: Your first album and EP were released on Willowtip, but for Agony you made the switch to Nuclear Blast. What made you decide to switch labels and how did you get hooked up with Nuclear Blast?
CT: It has been really natural. After Mafia we felt like we needed something more. We are greatful to Willowtip for all they have done for us, but at a certain point you need to watch beyond just a few months and start seeing the project as a years lasting one. From this point of view Nuclear Blast is able to give you a great background and it’s a pleasure to work with such an experienced and solid label.
JH: Fleshgod Apocalypse has been doing a lot of touring this year. What does the rest of 2011 have in store for the band?
CT: In this moment we’re on tour in North America with Decapitated and Decrepit Birth. We’ll be on tour here until the end of october, then in November/December we’ll hit Europe back with Decapitated and Aborted. Then 2012 will be completely crazy. We’ll probably be touring the whole year. We’ll be in the UK and France with The Black Dahlia Murder and Skeletonwich in Jannuary/February, then a bunch of headlining shows, then South Africa in March and so on. It could be continuing like this for a long time.
JH: What are you currently listening to? Do you have any recommendations for our readers?
CT: I personally love the last Enslaved album and the last Hate Eternal too.
JH: Are there any final thoughts you’d like to add?
CT: Well thanx alot to all of you for reading my chats. Hope to see you all guys on the road! Cheers!!!
Raw, primal, hypnotic. These terms describe the hellish, killing floor blues of Robert Johnson and Howlin’ Wolf just as aptly as they do the grim, violent black metal stylings of Darkthrone and Mayhem. And yet the two genres are complete polar opposites. Or are they? French black metal quartet Glorior Belli doesn’t think so. Beginning on 2009′s Meet Us at the Southern Sign, the band began experimenting with combining black metal and the blues, to devastating effect. On The Great Southern Darkness, the devastation is complete, resulting a in sound that brings to mind a whiskey ‘n’ weed-fueled musical brawl between Eyehategod, Pepper Keenan-era COC, and the aforementioned Darkthrone and Mayhem. I met Glorior Belli guitarist vocalist J. at the crossroads of black metal and the blues to discuss the making of the new album, the French BM scene and other esoteric subjects.
Josh Haun: First of all, tell us a little about the making of the new album, The Great Southern Darkness. What were you looking to accomplish with this release? How would you describe the album’s conception?
J: Same motivation as usual, we always aim to top our past efforts, this time by going even further into incorporating those Americana/Southern/Blues sounds that we cherish. Our last record “Meet Us At The Southern Sign” left me with a feeling of non-achievement, sort of, it’s still a good album but feels like a transition record while “The Great Southern Darkness” emphasizes all the best of Glorior Belli elements into a monolith of Deep NOLA grooves and blazing darkness. The entire process of creation went smooth, took us about half a year from the very first riff ’til we could hold the Master CD in our hands.
Josh Haun: Unfortunately, my digital copy of The Great Southern Darkness did not include lyrics. What can you tell us about the lyrical themes being explored on the album?
J: Well, it took me longer to write the lyrics than the damn music as I’ve spent a lot of time studying and arranging the texts in a poetic way, like I always did in the past. A French guy rhyming in English and singing about the forces of the nightside, it can’t get any better. It’s really important for me that people understand the lyrics, as my ultimate goal is to give them the opportunity to forge the weapons of their own liberation, yet my words will confuse the weaker minds just like the fire of Lucifer can both illuminate and destroy. This is one of my favorite parts (taken from ‘Negative Incarnate’): “From behind the nervous curtains of my trembling cosmic prison, the dark Gods are firmly waiting filled with hatred for the cosmos; outside the frame of creation lies the darkest of all secrets, the magic of the queen dragon waits for us to crush the gates!”.
Josh Haun: You started incorporating blues elements into your sound on Meet Us At the Southern Sign and have continued to refine your fusion of black metal and blues on The Great Southern Darkness. What for you personally is the connection between the two genres? How are they alike and how do they differ from one another in your eyes?
J: It’s kinda like playing with what may seem like 2 opposite elements but in the end they interact with each other. The very first thought that comes to mind when you think about a desert for instance would be the heat… Yet if you go further more into the reflexion, you’ll realize that it can also be deadly cold at night time. Just like the Blues can be devilishly attractive and hypnotizing too. It’s nothing complicated to mix up the genres if you keep in mind what you’re going for in the end. I wanted this record to be almost inviting but still dark and this duality, that could apply to any other life situation, is what keeps the balance in the right position.
Josh Haun: Is blues music popular in France? How did you discover the blues and what prompted you to attempt combining it with black metal? What classic blues artists have influenced you over the years and more specifically your work on the new album?
J: I wouldn’t say it’s really popular as in “trendy” but lots of musicians of course enjoy it. I personally have a thing for Howlin’ Wolf, Robert Johnson obviously, John Lee Hooker, also some of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s best hits, more or less all the classics. I’m really in love with a record called ‘Negro Prison Blues’, the convicts were singing over a beat that they actually made while breaking rocks at the penitentiary. Primal, deep and going straight to your gut and soul. That’s how I like my Blues.
Josh Haun: Which genre do you feel a closer kinship with, black metal or the blues? Has your work in Glorior Belli influenced you more in one direction than the other or have you found a balance between the two styles?
J: Like I said earlier, I think I found the right balance now. Made peace with my past, I’m not fighting against Black Metal anymore now and I don’t want to be influenced in one direction more than the other but rather maintain that balance.
Josh Haun: Black Sabbath started out as a blues band. Do you think heavy metal has always been some sort of mutant form of the blues at its core? Do you think Robert Johnson and Leadbelly would’ve invented heavy metal if electric instruments had been around back then?
J: Now come on! Basically all the genres are some sort of mutant family tree. People experimenting, mixing, giving birth to a new sub-category and so on. But those things take time and Robert Johnson would still have been Robert Johson even if the devil had given him an electrical 8-string Meshuggah guitar.
Josh Haun: Many black metal bands I’ve interviewed believe that the genre is an inherently Satanic form of music. Do you agree with this and why or why not? Is blues music also Satanic? Certainly the legend of Robert Johnson would seem to support this. Is Glorior Belli a Satanic band?
J: I think we’ve been talking about Johnson a bit too much already. Anyway, Glorior Belli is a satanic band if you base your definition on the fact that we are fighting against the lies of the Demiurge, for our essence is to defy and challenge the bastard gods and to pierce through the walls of our cosmic jails. On a more personal note I have been gathering knowledge over the past 10 years or so and experiencing my own path through practices that you wouldn’t even dare to dream about. I don’t think it’s mandatory to sing about Satan when you’re in a Black Metal band as evil can be found in many forms and most certainly in our very own essence.
Josh Haun: Are you at all influenced by any of the bluesier metal bands that have come before, such as Danzig, Corrosion of Conformity or Eyehategod? Why do you think the incorporation of the blues into metal has been mostly an American trait in recent years?
J: CoC and Eyehategod are amongst my top favorite bands. I don’t think Metal bands in France/Europe understand exactly how to incorporate Blues elements into their sound, it’s more like they’re trying to get as close as possible to the American Stoner Rock scene but fail at defining their own identity, at least for the most parts.
Josh Haun: Glorior Belli recently released a music video for the song “They Call Me Black Devil”. What made you choose this particular song for the video? How would you describe the experience?
J: Well basically, there’s a lot of humor in that video, starting with a fake budget-denied letter that I made myself underlining the cheapness of what’s to come. It’s kind of a fuck off to the music industry that echoes to the Red Fang video clip “Wires” where they waste $5,000.00 on trashing random stuff with a car. I understand it can be confusing but that was the whole point of the video clip anyway. The rest is just really random, as I did it on my own with just a small camera. The most important thing here is the music, and they actually call me Black Devil for a good reason.
Josh Haun: The Great Southern Darkness is your first album for Metal Blade. How did you hook up with the label and how has the partnership been so far? At first glance it seems like kind of a strange pairing.
J: I got to know Andreas from Metal Blade ‘Europe’ by some contacts/friends. But it’s not like we had a special pass or whatever. Sent the new record, they loved it and super agent Ula from Clandestine Music helped us seal the contract. being signed on Metal Blade is definitely the greatest achievement for what started 10 years ago as a small yet ambitious band. I only expect the best out of this collaboration as we are absolutely determined to do what we have to in order to promote our new record the way it should be. I can feel that not a single drop of energy is being wasted and there’s a cool symbiosis in the collaboration. I’ve never been confronted by such professional and yet really supportive people, they know how to take care of business with high levels of passion and perseverance. So that’s one less thing I need to worry about as a musician, and it takes a lot of weight off my shoulders to be honest.
Josh Haun: Will you be doing any touring in support of The Great Southern Darkness? How would you describe the Glorior Belli live experience to someone who hasn’t seen you? Any chance you’ll make it over to the US?
J: Nothing confirmed yet, besides an Australian tour next year with friends from The House of Capricorn that should happen in early 2012. Got a couple of shows in November booked in Belgium/Holland/Germany and an exclusive Canadian date in Montreal on November 25th. Basically you will experience the sense of trekking through dark deserts and evil fields with Lucifer as personal guide.
Josh Haun: The French black metal scene has always been strong and extremely diverse. Why do you think this is? How do your surroundings influence your music, if at all?
J: I’ve never been one to believe that actual geographical frontiers could be determinant in the creative process. I don’t even feel like I belong to any kind of scene, if you close your eyes for a minute and listen to the CD, well except maybe for my ugly accent, I dare you to say this is French BM. What? You did?! Alright then. I guess it must be well-deserved somehow. It’s true we have a bunch great bands around here, but mostly great individuals who don’t care about limitations, just like me. Guys who don’t have to pretend.
Josh Haun: What are you currently listening to? Do you have any recommendations for THKD readers?
J: Lately I’ve been listening to The Dillinger Escape Plan, Botch, Rome, 16HP/Woven Hand, Down, Alice In Chains, Neurosis, Mastodon, Acid Bath, Kyuss…
Josh Haun: Are there any final thoughts you’d like to add?
J: We will defeat and bring down the cosmic scheme! See you all Frogerz somewhere down the road.
Florida’s Maruta are the future of grindcore. Their second album, the blistering Forward into Regression, finds the Florida-based quartet pushing the grind envelope even further than on their debut, the well received (and one of my all-time favorite grind records) In Narcosis. In a genre that is rarely characterized by musical evolution, Maruta stand head and shoulders above their peers. I got in touch with vocalist Mitchell Luna to discuss the making of the new album and the price of progression.
Josh Haun: What were you looking to accomplish with the new album, Forward into Regression? Are you pleased with the results?
Mitchell Luna: We were honestly just trying to challenge ourselves a bit. Put together a grind/metal album that is not traditional or predictable. When we sit down and write, we pretty much only compose stuff that is pleasing to our ears. We have no regard for what others think when they give it a listen. I guess you can say we are a “sonically selfish” band. What sounds great to us, might just be ok to you… and thats fine. We are all really happy with the outcome, and I think Forward into Regression is the best representation of Maruta yet.
I don’t expect everyone into grind to like Maruta, but as long as you hear us, or see us live and say “well, these guys are fucking really into what they do”.. if we get that point across, to me it would feel like we musically suceeded.
JH: You recorded the new album at Mana Studios. How would you describe the experience?
ML: The recording process was pleasant. Brian and Erik were very cool, down to earth, and cracked tons of jokes. There also happened to be a total wine and liquors store nearby. I spent most of my time (when I was not recording vocals) hanging out and sipping on micro brew beer while playing playstation, so it was pretty laid back to say the least (for myself haha). We tracked drums and vocals over there, and recorded the D.I. tracks for the bass and guitar at my house/Mauro’s house, then re-amped them at the studio. Definitely some good vibes in that studio. I would say we are all pretty pleased with the outcome and the experience in general.
JH: After the great response In Narcosis received, did you feel any pressure while conceiving the follow up album?
ML: Well, In Narcosis got a good response as far as blogs, and smaller zines are concerned… we are extremely grateful for that. But for the most part I think it was pretty overlooked by all the “bigger” metal publications. It didn’t sell all too well either, haha… but that is probably just due to the times.
As far as pressure, I would say no…we played a few songs off Forward into Regression even as early as 2008 live, and the response was always positive. Forward into Regression is basically In Narcosis on steroids. If you liked that album, you will like this one as well or even more.
The pressure will be on for full length number 3 though. I would like to change things up a bit, for the sake of variety. And no, don’t worry we don’t aim to alienate our listeners. No clean singing or cheesy breakdowns will be involved. It will still be a grind record.
JH: What was your mindset while crafting the songs that make up Forward into Regression? How would you describe your approach to creating new material?
ML: The songwriting process was all over the place for this record. I’d say half of it was written by Eduardo on his own (sometimes with my help, I would sit there and hum riffs because I can barely play an instument haha)… Our new bassist Mauro wrote 3 songs off of it, and there were several songs/ parts of songs that were written on the spot at practices.
Our mindset was like what I said earlier. To put together music that is pleasing to our own ears before anyone elses.
JH: How do you think the band has progressed since In Narcosis?
ML: Well… we have a bass player for starters. The songs on “forward into regression” flow together better as a cohesive whole I think. There is a lot more going on musically this time as well.
JH: The songs on the new album seem a bit more technical. Was this a conscious effort or just a natural progression for the band?
ML: It honestly just happened naturally. Eduardo writes riffs that are very tech-y, but in his head they are not… I don’t know if that makes any sense to you, but what I am trying to say I guess is that we don’t aim to be technical. It sort of just seeps out on its own.
JH: What are some the of the lyrical themes being explored on Forward into Regression?
ML: Most of Maruta’s lyrical content touches social themes, and the same applies to Forward into Regression…. there are a couple of songs on the new album that are extremely personal though, and a few that venture to the abstract. I personally think that lyrics are left best for interpretation, it takes the fun and “art” out of it if I just sit and talk about what they really mean to me, and what I felt when I wrote them.
Whats weird is that I never really discuss the actual lyrics or their subject matter with my bandmates.. I am really closed off and reserved when it comes to that for some odd reason, and I am never truly comfortable speaking about what I wrote. I’d even go as far as saying that no one in the band usually even knows 75% of the song titles until we are in the studio recording them. Either way, the rest of the guys are usually too caught up in all that is going on musically, and have enough on their plate to sit and be worrying about what I am going to write.
JH: Who created the cover art for the new album? How does the artwork tie into the themes of the new album?
ML: Our friend Alex Eckman Lawn handled the art duties. He has pretty much been our go to guy as far as artwork goes. He has desgned a shit load of shirt designs for us in the past, but this is the first time he actually puts together album art for us. I am extremely happy with the results, and we are going to stick with him from now on.
The art is very gloomy. We were aiming for a “crumbling dystopian city“ type look, and Alex achieved it well.
Forward into Regression definitely has a dark theme to it. It conveys our views of society and humanity in general. These are strange and difficult times for everyone… greed and close-mindedness are not just abundant, but it seems as that in times of ecomonic frustration and unrest, man’s negative traits have flourished. Therefore it feels like we are moving forward into regression, we are making the opposite of progress.
JH: You’ve added a bass player since the last album. How has this changed Maruta’s approach?
ML: We always wanted a bass player…. Finding an individual that was on the same page as us on a both muscial and personal level was what prevented us from having one before. Mauro is a great guy, and we couldn’t be happier to have him. He is very skilled, fun to be around, and shares the same “open minded” mentality that we have in regards to songwriting. He has brought more “energy” to the band, of that makes sense.
JH: This is also your first recording with new drummer Danny Morris. What does he bring to the band and the new album?
ML: We actually got very lucky finding Danny… he is actually Mauro’s (bassist) roomate and they have great chemistry together as far as music goes. A lot of the songs on Forward into Regression were originally written with our old drummer (Nick Augusto, who left the band to persue more commerical musical endeavors with Trivium)… and then he basically had to re-write most of the drums, with certain old parts in mind. I love Danny’s style, it is definitely more “relentless” sounding to me, and I am very happy to work with that bastard. He is extremely tight, and always manages to throw in creative fills here and there that are very pleasing to my eardrums.
I would say overall, the drums on the new record have a different feel to them, and I believe it is a step in the right direction.
JH: With that said, I have to ask: What was your reaction Nick Augusto leaving to join Trivium(barf)?
ML: It was pretty odd at first, but it was a good move for him financially. He lives off playing drums now, so if he is happy then I am happy for him. It must be weird playing in a band that you don’t think is good, but then again it must be nice not having to work a day job and do things like travel around in tour buses and make good money.
I personally have invested a couple grand into Maruta, and we barely even break even most of the time. So yea, this band is something that so far has provided very little financial gain. Things like that can take a toll on you over time, and make you wonder why you still keep getting back in a rusty van and loosing jobs to play in front of 8 kids in some moldy basement somewhere in middle America. You have to really love what you do to keep going. It is not for everyone.
Back to the subject of Nick, I still talk to him from time to time, and there are no hard feelings. It ended up working out for the best, because I think Danny made the band sound tighter.
JH: Maruta is often mentioned as one of the bands that is pushing grindcore forward. Where do you think the genre is going? What are your thoughts on the current state of grind?
ML: Well, first of all thanks for those kind words! We experiment alot, and will throw in riffs from the death metal side of things, or let doom influence seep in from time to time. The way we see it, is if we write a riff.. and it sounds good, but a little too death metal… or a little too hardcore.. or a little too whatever.. it would be an absolute shame not to use it because it doesn’t sound “grind” enough. We listen to all sorts of different styles that the muscial spectrum has to offer, and for us I feel it would be dumb to close ourselves off to experimentation just for the sake of fitting in neatly into a certain mold or genre…. don’t get me wrong either, we all fucking LOVE traditional grind.. but there are plenty of other bands holding that genre down and keeping things going alot better than we ever could. Experimentation is not something that is necesarry, it just happens to be what we are into.
I have said this in other interviews, but we are usually that band that death metal fans consider too grind, and grind fans consider too death metal, haha.
As far as the current state of grind: 2011 has been pretty crazy. Tons of great records have surfaced (new Noisear, Wormrot, Gridlink, Weekend Nachos, Rotten Sound, etc.).
I still get psyched when I hear new music that blows me away. Whatever it may be, as long as it is played with passion and it comes from the right place.
JH: What are you listening to right now? What bands/albums do you find inspiring?
ML: As far as heavy music is concerned: The latest Noisear album is fucking great like I mentioned earlier. For those who have slept on listening to it, I would highly recommend it. Same goes for the new Sulaco record (even though I do not think it is officially out yet) My good friends Erik and Henrik who used to be in Crowpath started a new band called Tellusian that is pretty awesome as well.
JH: Will you be doing any touring in support of Forward into Regression?
ML: Yes sir. We have a 5 week tour planned in Europe that we will be doing with Wormrot. It will be the first time we head overseas, so I am stoked as hell. We have some off dates here and there in the US, 2 of them being Scion sponsored shows alongside Phobia and Gridlink.
I would have loved to do a full U.S. Tour, but things really did not pan out this time. Perhaps in 2012 we can tour and do things right this time. I still self book all of our tours, which has both helped and hurt us in the past.
Unfortunately, even on a decent label and with 2 full lengths under our belt, we have not had much luck as far as finding a booking agent to work with us full time.
JH: What’s next for Maruta? What does the rest of 2011 have in store for you guys?
ML: Like I said, we are doing that lengthy European tour in Sept/October. Our friend David Hall actually just finished wrapping up shooting a new music video for a song featured off “forward into regression”, so you can expect that to surface soon. He does great work, and has shot videos for Today is the Day, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Fuck the Facts, Jucifer and others, as well as the MDF films. The vinyl version of the album also finally comes out late this month through Power it up records. It will be gatefold and limited to 500.
JH: Are there any final thoughts you’d like to add?
ML: Thanks for the interview, Josh, and thanks to those that took the time to read it Cheers!
Avichi’s The Devil’s Fractal is a fierce yet seductive beast. The album is an exercise in scathing yet hypnotic orthodoxy, a musical dialogue between man and Satan. It is infused with a frightening level of conceptual complexity rarely seen in American black metal. With the help of Profound Lore’s Chris Bruni, I contacted Avichi mastermind Andrew Markuszewski in order to delve into his head full of hate.
Josh Haun: What is The Devil’s Fractal? Where did the term come from and how does it fit into the overall concept of Avichi?
Andrew Markuszewski: The Devil’s Fractal is a reflection of my own innate understanding to and resonance with the dark. His fractal is an equation revealing his immaculate aspect in me and furthermore his manifestation here in the physical reality and beyond. The title came to me while I was observing fractal geometry and reflecting upon the whole world and my life in general. It describes how the will to fashion the world in one’s very own image (an inherently satanic attribute) is a continuous yearning and unavoidable effect of all things.
JH: The album’s lyrics appear to be a dialogue between mankind and Satan. Can you elaborate on this and what inspired it? Is The Devil’s Fractal a concept album?
AM: It is very much a dialogue. I’ve always flirted with the idea of writing for the screen or even a play, so I set out to experiment with this desire while writing lyrics for the record. I remember seeing Homer’s Odyssey in a beautiful theater in downtown Chicago once when I was a young adult, and it’s interesting to notice how such an experience can invoke inspiration many years later. I’m sure the plays of Faust also had their influence. Writing in dialogue form has a different energy to it especially when focused on monumental and grandiose themes. Even now I have some ideas in mind for further continuing such writing.
As for The Devil’s Fractal being a concept album – it is and it isn’t. I’ve always admired and sympathized with the romantic Satan of writers such as John Milton and Charles Baudelaire, so I weaved my own tale with this character since I feel his own lines drawn upon my face. It isn’t so much a tale as it is a collection of short dialogues with different aspects of the same being. It is my tribute to the devil.
JH: Is black metal an inherently Satanic form of music? What does Satan mean to you on a personal/spiritual level, and how does your concept of Satan inform your work in Avichi?
AM: Black metal is absolutely influenced by satanic themes, but it is in no way limited by them. Sometimes it may even find such themes completely unnecessary. That is all fine and ok. Whatever inspires to create something powerful ought to be used. Whatever stagnates should be discarded.
Satan on its highest level is a symbol foreboding by might and empowering to souls of elite temperament. As a deity Satan is limited by his own attributes – however strong they may be. To quote Milton, I feel more akin to the phrase “All deities reside in the human breast”. Yet in moving beyond this quote, I would like to see my spirit trample all deities towards establishing my own unequivocal radiance. If this is the essence of Satan, then call me Satanic. Avichi was born of this essence, but if the spirit of self-rediscovery dictates I am to draw inspiration elsewhere then elsewhere shall the music progress. Avichi is the projection of me, but maybe it’s the other way around.
JH: What inspires you to create this music and what is it about black metal that you find appealing? Also, can you tell us a little about the genesis of Avichi and how the project has evolved?
AM: Hate. I am mostly inspired by just pure hatred. Sometimes I am able to move beyond it after a certain satisfaction of release, and I enter a state of tranquility and peace. Sometimes it is just the void itself which inspires, and I let myself go to give birth to free expression. This is felt by proficient composers of all mediums, and tapping into this stream is a very rewarding and beautiful feeling.
In many ways I’ve reached a stage where I am at peace in hate. I meditate in it, and I weave black rituals underneath Hate’s altar. Hate is my savior, and it is he who watches over me. He kept me from killing myself when I was younger. He was defiance in the face of despair and my strength against America’s system of social conditioning. Black Metal is Hate’s direct conduit; hence, as a musician, it’s in my blood.
Sex and the energies of the released serpent also inspire me, although I can be likened more to a sinister monk. I’m delving more into kundalini yoga now, but not just the version of white light ideology. Sexual energy is now used for more refined purposes taking precedence over your typical bang and shoot. Of course, as anyone who knows me personally would know, I am not without my instances of debauchery.
I would personally like to see Avichi move beyond just hate and see it become more passionate at every level. As a recording artist I don’t want to be limited and stagnate within one emotion although I probably have a lot to offer in that area and continue to do so. There will be an ever more defining and open sound with this band.
JH: How did you hook up with Profound Lore for the release of The Devil’s Fractal? What is it about the label that makes it a good home for Avichi?
AM: I met Chris Bruni at a few shows while touring with Nachtmystium, and I gave him a copy of the unmixed Avichi record during one of those meetings. Things took off from there, and Chris gave me free reign to get things done as I so envisioned. Profound Lore cares about its releases and has a highly refined sense of aesthetics. It’s also a label able to stay ahead of what people want to hear. I think that’s what sets them apart from other indie labels and is putting them next to the more major players in the business.
JH: What does Benjamin Vierling’s artwork bring to The Devil’s Fractal? What made you decide to enlist him to create the artwork and how important to you is the visual aspect of Avichi?
AM: It complements the album beautifully. I got in touch with Benjamin through Tyler at AJNA after inquiring about who was doing all the killer oil painting work for his front.
Benjamin has more than met my expectations. Not only did I get the artwork and everything that I asked for, but I also got a handwritten letter on parchment and a sketch of the interior meditative monk piece that’s in the layout. I mean, he’s a professional artist, and his pieces can be found in galleries on both continents.
(As a side note, the art that’s in the interior of the layout was actually commissioned for some songs I recorded for a 7” and for a compilation before I even started on The Devil’s Fractal. They never were released. I’m really critical of what is released, and I was almost at a point where I didn’t want The Devil’s Fractal released in its current recorded state. However, something had to be released. I plan on re-recording a track or two of the unreleased material when I’m back in the studio, but that won’t happen until I am confident in my drumming.)
Of course the visual aspect is important. Everything is. Most refined black metal bands would tell you this. This music is very personal to both the artist and listener. When I’m holding a release, I want to feel like I’m holding a Beksinski.
JH: Does Avichi play live or are there plans for any live rituals in the future? What would the ideal live Avichi experience entail?
AM: Avichi doesn’t play live and most assuredly never will. There was a moment a year after The Divine Tragedy where I almost had a full line-up, and it started to look and sound like a proper band. We almost even flew to Rotterdam to play some festival from what I remember. Things didn’t turn out that way. Devotion from others was lacking as was skill, and I was not about to put on a performance I was not completely confident in.
After that experience and all the wasted energy trying to play with others, I buried the idea and threw a rock over it. Right now I’ve been getting my live shits and kicks in Nachtmystium and Lord Mantis.
JH: Avichi hails from the Chicago area. How do your surroundings, and specifically an urban environment influence Avichi?
AM: I live in Chicago, and I’ve seen most of its parts. I’ve seen everything from its immaculate and divine neighborhoods to its dilapidating infrastructure and depressed ghettos that look more like the set for a post apocalyptic horror movie. If you stick to its more admirable areas, it can be a great place to live and indulge in, but it can also be dangerous. There’s not a day that goes by where I am not astonished by a new level of human filth walking on the street, whether it’s some fat ugly American with diabetes spewing out of its pores, or a crackhead bum begging me to give him my hard earned money so he can stay a crackhead. I just saw this black prostitute the other day who looked like she was three years pregnant and about to shoot out some glassy-eyed maggot on my boot holding a crack rock, astroglide, and a welfare check. Sometimes it’s just the twilight zone of shit.
My daily life is mostly spent in a three mile radius around Wicker Park – hipster capital of the world. It’s where you’ll find the majority of artists and musicians in Chicago, and it’s generally pretty nice. I am here because here is where my current state of opportunity as a recording artist exists. I’d enjoy living in an unholy temple up in the mountains somewhere, but sometimes you just have to live where the action is. I can see my life slowly leaning towards the other direction though as I get older. That is if I do get older.
The world one experiences has a direct affect on who you are, but only to the extent that you let it. It never dictates how you must react and choose to live. Writing for Avichi is about writing for myself. No one and no world can tell me how I should write for it.
JH: What do you think sets American black metal apart? What makes USBM unique amidst the international black metal scene?
AM: I don’t see anything as necessarily apart from one another. I also don’t consider Avichi a USBM band. Avichi doesn’t belong to any territory. These are labels from critics, and critics are just critics. Perhaps USBM bands tend to be a cunt-hair more rebellious and experimental, but I think you only hear people saying that because here you have hipsters, hippies, even probably a few hip hop people listening to bands you would only find black leather-clad thrashers in Europe listening to. I’m one of the black leather-clad guys. I don’t see us as anymore unique than what’s created internationally. Every country has their talented and dedicated musicians and their not so good weekend warrior musicians.
A lot of USBM probably sucks for sure, but a lot of it also sucks everywhere else. I don’t really care. I usually just come across a killer record or band and absorb it for a few months. Right now all I’ve been listening to is Necros Christos everyday, but Thorns has been making its way into the player recently along with some Skinny Puppy.
JH: With that said, what do you personally want to add or contribute to black metal with Avichi? What are your aspirations for the work?
AM: I just want to make meaningful records – whatever musical state they make take. If my work is recognized and praised by anyone of the black metal community then I am honored for I am of the same army.
My personal aspiration is to be a complete and well-rounded musician able to go into a studio with just myself and an engineer and leave with a great record. I know I can write. I am confident in my ability to write and compose. I’m doing it constantly with all the bands I play in. I wrote more than half a record for Avichi in 24 hours when I got back from the last Nachtmystium tour. Right now my main focus is playing the drums whenever I can. The next time I go in to record for Avichi it will be alone. Expect something daring.
JH: What is your take on the current state of black metal and how do you foresee the genre growing/evolving in the future?
AM: It’s fine. Breathes of fresh air continue to enter the scene and that’s all it needs. Plus you can never go wrong listening to the fundamental originators. There’s plenty out there and many classics that bear repeated listening ad infinitum. It’ll continue to grow and new beasts will take shape as long as some of us are here and we have our instruments. I plan on becoming one of those beasts.
JH: You’re involved in several other projects, such as Nachtmystium and Lord Mantis. How does your work with these other bands inform what you do in Avichi? Is it an entirely separate entity, or do elements of one occasionally spill into another?
AM: Avichi is of course an entirely separate entity, but it’s true when you learn to write new rhythms and grow with another band, it does in turn spill its knowledge into whatever you do. Not a bad thing. I try to utilize my complete bag of arsenal yet keep things in with the spirit of the band I’m writing for or contributing to.
JH: What is your take on the so-called “hipster” black metal phenomenon being spearheaded by the likes of Liturgy? Does it matter what other bands are doing?
AM: There is no “phenomenon”. What we have here is only music for the weak and non-threatening. I’m not a hipster. I’m a fucking warrior. Black Metal at the end of every day is a dangerous and uneasy art. It is hard on the spirit and requires an unwavering will. Even when not dangerous and hateful, these capabilities can still be sensed through the artist. Hipsters financed by people with money who see a temporary window of opportunity to capitalize on what these dregs see as ‘cool’ will never come close to the essence of the craft. Just because one has found a way to transcend something, even black metal, does not mean a pinnacle has been reached. Transcendence has been an important theme in Avichi as well, but I stand against the thought black metal has seen its end and its ‘theories’ have all been laid out capable of being taught to anyone wishing to enroll in its train of thought. Perhaps the hipsters are on to something which I am blind to; however, I can’t help but sense a smug piousness in their lofty attitudes which fills my abdomen with hate – the same hate I’ve always felt towards sheep and white light ideology. I myself have many refined tastes corresponding to my own vanity and could even be seen as hypocritical at times, but for fuck’s sake – burrow your roots deeper into hell before you attempt to dwell amongst the stars. As it was once said by a great band, “I transcend with blood on my hands”.
It only matters what other bands are doing if you let it matter. All things are empowered by attention. Remove your attention, and they cease to be relevant.
JH: Are there any final thoughts you’d like to add?
AM: No. I’ve answered enough questions for now, but thank you.
In 2005, I interviewed Dylan Carlson, guitarist/mastermind behind drone/doom pioneers Earth for a multi-band feature on experimental music that I had been working on for my college newspaper. The story fell through when several other bands flaked out, and the interview w/ Carlson languished on a digital recorder in the bowels of my mother’s basement, destined to go unpublished… until now.
Josh Haun: This is the first Earth release in a while for you guys and I was wondering, why such a lengthy wait? [note: at the time of the interview, Earth were preparing to release Hex; Or Printing the Infernal Method, their first album in nearly a decade]
Dylan Carlson: After I did Pentastar, to be blunt, I had drug problems and legal problems to take care of and my relationship with Sub Pop ended, so I spent the next few years sort of getting my life back together and that’s why it took so long.
JH: Did those hardships that you went through have an impact on the new material?
DC: As a musician, whatever happens in your life is sort of grist for the mill. For a long time I didn’t play guitar. I knew I was going to play music again, I just didn’t know if I was going to do it professionally again or whether I was going to do Earth again and I feel very fortunate, not many people go away for seven years and have anyone interested in their next phase. I definitely feel fortunate in that respect, that a lot of people seem to want to hear from Earth again and seem very happy about the fact that I’m doing it again.
Earth2: A monument unto itself
JH: So, was there pressure because of that when you were working on the new album?
DC: There’s always pressure when you’re doing a new album, especially it seems with Earth since Earth2 has become this kind of monument unto itself and anytime a musician does something that people view as their best work, there’s always going to be that pressure to try and better it or do something of the same caliber. I definitely think with this album we were able to spend the time and the budget to do things right, and I had time to work on the songs and make it the strongest album we could.
JH: I’ve seen a lot of awesome reviews of [Hex], are you happy with the reaction it’s gotten and how it is being received?
DC: Oh definitely, as a musician it’s always kind of frustrating that you yourself don’t really determine your finest moment, it’s sort of up to everyone else. There’s always the case where someone thinks they’ve done a great album but the critics hate it and the public doesn’t want to buy it, so it’s nice when something that you feel strongly about is also well received.
JH: You took Earth in a different direction than what had been on previous albums, what made you decide to steer it in that direction?
DC: To me Earth has always been the sum of my interests and the last few years have been sort of a rediscovery of musical roots with the country playing, and also I’ve been really interested in the older forms of instrumental music, like Duane Eddy. Back then it was like instrumental music was popular and it hit the charts, which is unheard of nowadays. Also, I’ve been reading a lot of books about the American frontier and the Cormac McCarthy books and it was just sort of my obsessions at the time and they came out in the music.
JH: Do you think that instrumental music is starting to become more prominent again? You guys are back, Pelican is getting big now and a few other bands, do you think it’s making a comeback at all?
DC: I don’t know if it’s ever going to be as big as it was, but it definitely seems like it’s ok now to do it. I mean like Kinski and like you said Pelican, I haven’t heard them but I see them everywhere in magazines and whatnot, so yeah it definitely seems like it’s becoming acceptable to do it again, which is cool, I think. I think the last instrumental hit was a Joe Satriani song back in the eighties, before that I think the Ventures were the last, so I don’t know whether it’s ever going to be a chart trend.
JH: On this album you played some additional instruments, such as the banjo. Did you already know how to play them beforehand?
DC: No, there just happened to be a banjo in the studio and I actually tuned it to guitar tuning. Although I’ve been learning banjo techniques like banjo rolls on the guitar, I’m not a banjo player. It was more like a color to use on the album.
JH: What’s the recording process like for you? Do you take the same experimental approach to recording that you do to composition?
DC: For this album, we cut the basic tracks, like the guitar and drums, we did one take as the basic track and then just overdubbed the additional instruments, so I guess it was a fairly traditional method of recording. The songs were more nebulous and when we got to the studio, since in the live situation we’d been doing a lot improvising, in the studio we arranged the songs and decided ok we’re gonna do the definitive versions, and so we wrote up arrangements and whatnot. We knew we wanted the other instrumentation, so there’d need to be some charts for the other musicians to deal with.
JH: Are your live shows completely improvised?
DC: They’re kind of semi [improvised] now, they used to be improvised, now we’re actually playing material off the album. It’s not like exact copies off the record, some of them are longer, some of them are shorter and there’s a couple newer pieces that are more improvisatory. Before when Earth recorded something, I would never play it live, it would sort of get left behind, but now we’re being more conventional and playing stuff off the album.
JH: I know you’ve performed as a duo and and you’ve also done some things that are just you playing guitar solo, so what is the ideal live setup for you?
DC: I don’t really have an ideal one I guess. Right now we’re touring as three piece, we’ve got a new member Jonas Haskins playing baritone guitar. Part of what I like about the live situation is that it’s like a roller coaster ride and I like trying different combinations to see how they work and see what serves the music best.
JH: On this album you’ve experimented with some different tones and layed off the super-distorted stuff. Did you have to change your equipment or setup?
DC: I don’t lug around all the huge speaker cabinets and whatnot anymore, I’m too old for that. I’ve sort of become a Telecaster freak and I have a couple tube combo amps, so 1x12s and 2x12s and then this last tour because we had to fly in for the shows, I was using one of those new Crate powerblock little solid state heads which seemed to work pretty good. I’m all about smaller amps now.
JH: So, the sheer volume isn’t as important to you anymore?
DC: No, no… I mean we’re still pretty crankin’, especially now with the baritone guitar on board. We have the low end covered again so it frees me up to do my new thing.
JH: Is it harder for a band to convey emotions without the use of lyrics and vocals? Or since you’ve been doing it for so long does it come naturally to you?
DC: I’m fortunate that since I’ve always tried to do that it seems to work. Even before we did the album, when we were playing the new songs live, people would talk to us about how it gave them the image of a ghost town or a desert, so it seems like somehow by obsessing on stuff it comes out in the music. I don’t know if it’s just purely accidental or not but I definitely think that’s the challenge of instrumental music and what makes playing instrumental music exciting. Plus I like it because it allows the listener a more active roll in the music process. When there’s lyrics it’s like the band is telling people what they should feel and what they should think about the song and with instrumental music I like the interactivity of it.
JH: When someone comes up to you and tells you what they thought of when they heard the music, do you ever feel like it is being misinterpreted?
DC: No one’s ever told me they wanted to rape children or anthing like that. It seems like people get it or respond to it in a pretty similar manner.
JH: What emotions do you go through when you’re playing or composing the material?
DC: I know the emotion comes out but it’s nothing definite, like “oh this part sad” it’s more like you’re offering the totality of your being. To me a lot of music exists in it’s own realm and you’re channeling it. It’s like if music was water and you’re a vessel and everything you’re obsessed with or feeling shapes that vessel and then music has now come through it and so that’s the shape it takes. Everything that you go through during the day seems to be wrapped up in it. I know that some people have commented that this album seems more hopeful than previous Earth records and I’d think it would have to be, because I’ve become a much more hopeful person and I have better balance and sense of priorities now, so I think it can’t help but come out in the music.
JH: I was looking at the album art while listening to it yesterday and it is beautifully put together. How do you feel the album art ties in with the music? Does it help tell a story?
DC: I don’t know if it tells a story, but I think it definitely helps, especially since this is music that is fairly visual in its impact I think it’s one more thing that helps the music convey its meaning. Steve O’Malley was telling me basically what he did is spent a few weeks listening to the rough mixes and that’s where he started getting ideas and then looking for pictures. He definitely made the album cover while listening to it, so that’s why that’s such a seamless work, why they work together so well.
JH: A more general question, how do you think your talents have evolved from say, Earth2 up to now?
DC: I’ve become a better guitar player, I definitely think I have a stronger sense of melody, a stronger sense of direction. My work ethic is stronger. Part of it is when I did Earth2 we were trying to make an extreme statement, we only had less than a week to do it. I think I’ve always tried to do the best album to the best of my abilities with what I’ve been given and I was fortunate with Hex to have a budget that allowed us to explore some options and gave us time to really work our asses off and then also gave us time to sit back and digest it and decide what we wanted to do, and when we decided to add instrumentation to be able to secure the services of some amazing musicians. I was able to devote more time and effort to the music than previously.
JH: How did you hook up with Southern Lord for the release?
DC: In 2003, Greg [Anderson] invited us down to play at the Southern Lord showcase at South By Southwest. I had met Greg when I was living in LA and he had talked about reissuing some older stuff and it never quite came about but we had maintained contact over the years and then he invited us down for that and then he came to see us a few times after that. He was confident in our abilites and wanted to invest in the future of Earth, so it worked out.
JH: I’ve seen a lot of interviews where Greg [Anderson] and Stephen [O'Malley] say they formed SunnO))) as an Earth tribute band, and it certainly isn’t just them that consider you influential. How does it feel to be so highly regarded?
DC: It’s very flattering. There’s so many musicians that aren’t fortunate enough to receive the opportunities that I did and I’ve been fortunate to have my music heard by people and have people enjoy it and get into it. I’m grateful for that interest and it’s pretty cool. Obviously, the kind of music I do, success is measured in different ways and being influential is one of those rewards.
JH: My last question for you is kind of off subject. Have you ever been approached to do any soundtrack work or is that something that would interest you at all?
DC: Yeah, I would love to do that and unfortunately I haven’t been approached to do any! [laughs]
Let me keep this short and sweet. Autopsy is my favorite death metal band. I got in touch with drummer/vocalist Chris Reifert via e-mail to discuss Macabre Eternal, their first album since 1995′s Shit Fun and quite possibly the best death metal album of 2011.
Josh Haun: When did you first realize that it was time for Autopsy to be resurrected? Was it when Abscess decided to call it a day, or was there more to it than that?
Chris Reifert: When we first realized we wanted to, to be exact. Wanting to had a massive part to do with it. The whole thing really started when we made an agreement with the MDF folks for the first Autopsy gig since 1994. We were feeling really excited about things and this triggered more gigs and an onslaught of ideas for new songs. Also at this time, Abscess split up due to Clint Bower leaving the band. We really didn’t want him to leave but we respected his decision and Abscess had to fold as a result. This however opened the door for Autopsy to continue full time and this just may be the last time I explain all that. Haha!
[note: you can read THKD's first interview w/ Reifert, which took place just as Abscess was dissolving and Autopsy's resurrection was falling into place HERE]
JH: Was it difficult getting back into “Autopsy mode” after not doing the band for so long? Is Autopsy always a part of you?
CR: Not a problem at all, and that’s because it is indeed in our very blood. It’s not forced, contrived or canned!
JH: Is there anything you’re looking to achieve with Autopsy this time around that you might have been able to do during the band’s original run? Any unfinished business?
CR: We’re simply here to make sick and heavy death metal. The kind we always wanted to hear but never existed. The kind that will singe your toe hairs. You get the picture, eh?
JH: How does Autopsy 2011 compare to Autopsy compare to mid-1990s Autopsy? How has your conception of the band changed over the years?
CR: We pretty much feel and play the same way when it comes to Autopsy. It’s essential to feel like always, that way we know we’re tapping into that indefinable thing that makes us do what we do. I don’t think any of us really thinks of 1990 vs. 2011 or anything like that, we just want to horrify your ears and minds and ours as well!
JH: Where does the inspiration to keep doing death metal come from after 20 years? Do the same things inspire Autopsy now that did back then?
CR: Hell, I really don’t know. Must be in the blood, bowels or brains. Maybe some sort of weird combination of the three. Plus the fact that it just sounds damn good to us. Hmmm. As far as inspiration goes, we have to inspire ourselves for the most part.
JH: Were you at all surprised by the “legendary” status the band had achieved in the years following its demise? What are your thoughts on the legacy of Autopsy?
CR: Hmmm, it’s always nice to hear things like that of course. Ultimately though I don’t think about stuff like that very much since I’m usually busy with whatever’s going on at the moment. What folks think about the band is up to them and I want to high five everyone who says nice things about us. Unless they have poop on their hands or something. I hope no one is disappoined to hear that.
JH: Let’s talk a little about the new album, Macabre Eternal. How do you think this album compares to Autopsy’s classic recordings, such as Severed Survival and Mental Funeral?
CR: It goes with the other albums like peas and carrots, peanut butter and jelly or blood and guts. All of those are great pairings.
JH: Macabre Eternal was recorded at Fantasy Studios in Berkley, CA. How did you choose this location to record and what can you tell us about the sessions?
CR: We usually go where our engineer Adam is working at the time and he’s now a full time engineer at Fantasy so it seemed to be the right place to go. It’s a very nice studio and everyone there is really cool to us. No one expects us to behave either, so it’s a great place to record. Haha! The sessions went really smooth this time. No equipment problems, car wrecks or other assorted catastrophies.
JH: How were the songs on Macabre Eternal conceived? Does Autopsy compose material as a group or individually?
CR: We pretty much write individually when it comes to the music, but everyone can throw what they want into a song if it makes it better. Sometimes I will write lyrics to someone else’s music. Whatever it takes to get the song finished, you know?
JH: Where does your lyrical inspiration come from? Are any of the songs based on real life horrific events, or are they all pure fantasy?
CR: They are all 100% true of course!
JH: What are your favorite songs on Macabre Eternal? Are there any specific moments on the album that you’re particularly proud of?
CR: I love the whole damn album from start to finish, just like it should be. Although Sadistic Gratification is epic as hell. I wish I’d written that one. Damn you, Eric! Haha!
JH: What can you tell us about the song Sadistic Gratification? A longer composition is a bit of a departure for Autopsy.
CR: Yeah, but we can write short songs, fast songs, slow songs, whatever. As long as the song is good, that’s the main thing.
JH: The artwork for Macabre Eternal is one of the year’s best metal album covers. Who came up with the concept for the cover and what made you decide to work with Wes Benscotter?
CR: Thanks much! Yeah, Wes really kicked ass with that cover. It was totally his idea. I just gave him the album title and maybe a few other song titles to work with and he ran with it. As far as why we ended up working with him, I looked through my cd collection trolling for covers that stood out. I saw several that Wes had done that looked killer and I found his contact and hit him up. Wes was totally cool and easy to work with and I definitely recommend him.
JH: Prior to the album you released an EP, The Tomb Within. What made you decide to do an EP first? Was this something of a warm-up in preparation for an Autopsy full length?
CR: It was sort of that, though mostly we just had too much material to fit on one album so we broke off a chunk to record as an ep.
JH: Another recent Autopsy release is the Awakened By Gore collection of demos. How did this release come about? What made you decide to make these demos available again?
CR: Nuclear War Now was interested in putting those out and I had recently found the original reel to reel tapes so it seemed like a good thing to do. The tapes were actually intact still which was amazing since they were over 20 years old and not properly stored. The release sounds really killer and now the tapes are preserved digitally for the ages which is nice too.
JH: Will you be doing any touring/festivals in support of Macabre Eternal? Do you still enjoy playing live after all these years?
CR: Yep, we’re doing a few live dates. Not too many, just a select few. And yeah, we’ve been having a blast doing the shows. The only thing that’s rough is the long flights, but it’s definitlely worth it. The crowds have been absolutely amazing and we love playing for them.
JH: What are you currently listening to? Do you have any recommendations for THKD readers?
CR: Right now I’m listening to the sound of the washing machine which is right next to me rattling the house. Not recommendable for caual listening though it’s great when the laundry needs to be done!
JH: Are there any final thoughts you’d like to add?
CR: Nah, I think you covered things pretty well. Thanks much and see you around, eh…
I feel like complete shit. Death warmed over. It started in my throat and worked its way up into my sinuses. Awesome. Anyway, I’m not too terribly inspired to write about metal (or anything else for that matter) while in the clammy grip of a summer cold, so I thought now might be as good a time as any to direct you, dear reader, to a couple pieces of writing I recently participated in outside the realm of THKD (while I take a brief hiatus to focus on being able to breathe through my nose again).
With all the faux-hysteria going surrounding NYC false black metallers Liturgy, the open letters, the rebuttals, the manifestos, the flame wars, the anal love beads, etc, I couldn’t help but jump at the chance to throw my two cents in when the inimitable Danhammer Obstkrieg of Spinal Tapdance and Metal Review fame invited me to partake in a hipster black metal throwdown. A good time was had by all and many interesting aspects of the black metal genre as a whole were discussed, all without degenerating into name-calling, finger-pointing or “yo mamma” jokes. You can read this beast here: http://spinaltapdance.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/spinal-tapdance-vs-thats-how-kids-die-the-liturgy-smackdown/
Second, I was asked by the mighty Erebus Magazine to answer an interview about my writing background and this site. Erebus is run by my friend and confidant UA, he of The Ash Eaters and Brown Jenkins fame, not to mention one of the most underrated guitarists in metal. The Erebus archives are a veritable treasure trove of metal-related reviews, interviews and essays, and I was honored to be considered worthy to have my words placed amongst such good company. You can read the lengthy and extremely in-depth interview here: http://erebuszine.blogspot.com/2011/06/interview-josh-haun-of-thkd-magazine.html
So, until I either kick this contagion or completely turn into a depraved flesh-eater (whichever comes first), you’ve got plenty to chew on. Stay tuned for my thoughts on Hell’s stellar Human Remains album, an interview w/ Autopsy and a piece on “bestial metal” (which at the moment only exists in the darkest recesses of my brain) and plenty of other top secret THKD goodies in the very near future. Beware.
Sweden’s Vomitory has been crafting quality death metal since 1989. Their latest album, Opus Mortis VIII, is their most crushing and accomplished to date. How many bands can say they are more ferocious than ever twenty-plus years into their career? I spoke with drummer and founding member Tobias Gustafsson via e-mail about the making of Opus Mortis VIII and life in death metal.
Josh Haun: Vomitory has been going since 1989. To what do you attribute the band’s longevity? How has your conception of what Vomitory is changed over the years? Has the band gotten the attention it deserves?
Tobias Gustafsson: Ever since we started the band back in 1989, we have never had any big ambitions or high expectations. And therefore we never got really disappointed or discouraged, I believe. We have done our thing our way at our own pace. There sure have been setbacks even for us, just like any other band, but in some way it has been rather easy for us to deal with the problems and then carry on. There were never any big egos in the way in the band either. We also never made our living out of the band, so we have avoided a lot of the “evil necessities” that comes with that. Our approach to this whole thing back in 1989, was to hang out and play death metal just because we love it. And that’s basically how it still is today.
We started out as a pure underground band and remained so for a number of years. Then we stepped things up a few notches when we got signed to Metal Blade Records. Our albums sold better, we got more exposure, got a lot better tours etc. During the last few years I think we have stepped things up even more. We have gained more recognition for our long and hard work and the fan base seem to grow constantly. During this development, we have become more professional in our approach to the band, the scene and the business. I guess you get the attention you deserve, but sure, we always want more and I honestly think that there are too many shit bands out there today that get way too much attention for their own good.
JH: What inspired you to start the band? Do those same things still continue to inspire you today?
TG: It was our guitarist (also my older brother), Urban Gustafsson and Ronnie Olson (ex vocals) who started Vomitory in October 1989. I actually joined a few months later. The band was started because of the love for the brutal and extreme. Bands like Sodom, Slayer, Venom, Celtic Frost and Napalm Death were all reasons why we wanted to play brutal. I’d say that some of those bands are still to this day substantial influences to us. I guess you can figure out which ones haha…
JH: When you started Vomitory back in ’89, did you ever imagine you’d still be doing the band in 2011? Why or why not?
TG: No, not in my wildest dreams. I sure thought that the band would be going for many years, but not for 22… Many of our fans aren’t even 22 years old! Damn, we’re old haha. When I was younger, and I’m sure this is quite common, I had an image of how my life would be when I was older. Say, 37 as I am now. I did see myself still playing drums but not in Vomitory. Not because I didn’t want it, but I thought that life would perhaps go in another direction, both musically and everyday life. But I’m really happy with how it turned out and I’m very proud of what we have achieved with Vomitory during all these years.
JH: What is it about death metal as a genre that has compelled you to do it for 20+ years? Do you ever see yourself not playing death metal?
TG: I don’t know. Probably most importantly, we love playing brutal, intense and fast music. Maybe it’s the feeling of “this is our own music”. That feeling has always been very strong, especially during the very first years. The mainstream people still don’t know much, or anything at all, about death metal and I love that. Along with our growing recognition in the scene, we have of course got more encouraged to keep going. And it has been worth it.
JH: Does it annoy you that all these new jack bands are coming out of the woodwork and aping the classic/traditional Swedish death metal style, while you’ve been consistently flying the flag for over two decades?
TG: Yes, it’s a bit annoying because it’s obvious where many of them get the inspiration from, but they don’t sound nearly as good as originals. They’re doing it so baaad! I don’t like that style of “death metal” at all. Rather the reverse. But I’m not thinking of it as if Vomitory has been overlooked because of those bands. We know what we’re doing and we’re doing it quite good, and I’m sure our fans see the difference between us and those new bands that are trying to be brutal.
JH: What can you tell us about the new album, Opus Mortis VIII? What were the circumstances surrounding it’s creation?
TG: The circumstances were rather fucked up, to tell you the truth. The writing process kind of got stalled halfway through, due to private reasons, so we had to finish a lot of the material in the studio during the recording session. That is not something unique for a band, and certainly not Vomitory, but this time around it was ridiculous. Some time before the recording start, I also recorded the drums for the new album with The Project Hate MCMXCIX “Bleeding The New Apocalypse“ (which I realize now afterwards took too much focus from the preparations for Opus Mortis VIII) and I also underwent back surgery for a herniated disc last October. So we never really got the time to rehearse the songs that were finished properly. But in some unlikely way we managed to create one hell of an album, and not only that – it’s probably one of our best ever. Well in the studio we worked our asses off, and so did Leon Music Studios owner/producer/engineer Rikard Löfgren, who outdid himself once again. We played the song “Hate in a time of war” together for the first time just the other day, and that’s the truth!
JH: When and where was the new album recorded? What was your mindset going into the sessions and what were you looking to accomplish that you might not have yet achieved with Vomitory’s previous seven albums?
TG: The album was recorded in November last year in Leon Music Studios outside Karlstad/Sweden together with owner Rikard Löfgren, and mixed and mastered in December. This is our third album we’re doing with him in his studio. My – and the band’s – mindset was obviously to get the album done at all, haha! But part from that little detail, we wanted to continue and develop mixing the speed and intensity with more groove, to get a more varied album. We did that on our previous album, Carnage Euphoria, but on the new one we worked more determined on that. Then there’s the usual – we always aim on making a better album than the previous one on all accounts; songs, riffs, lyrics, production, individual performances, artwork. So far I think we have managed to do so.
JH: Unfortunatley, my digital promo of Opus Mortis VIII did not include lyrics. Can you tell us a little about the album’s lyrical themes?
TG: Even though Opus Mortis VIII is not a concept album, at least half of the lyrics are about war, which is quite common when it comes to us. The other lyrics are in the true Vomitory tradition: torture, death and gore. Brutal music calls for brutal lyrics and that’s what we do. We don’t have an agenda or message that we want to spread with our lyrics, but we do want to entertain with sick and brutal violence with our lyrics.
JH: You recently shot your first ever music video for “Regorge in the Morgue”. What made you decide to a video after all these years and how did you choose this particular song? How would you describe the experience?
TG: We have wanted to make a proper video for many years, but we never really gave priority to it and we didn’t have the financial possibilities until now. We have always had other, more important things, to spend the little band money on. But now the time was right, and “Regorge in the Morgue” felt like the obvious song from the new album to make a video to. It has a “hit quality”, it’s short (2:32 min) and it was rather easy to come up with a cool idea for it. It was great fun shooting the video. The shooting took less than 12 hours and then the video guys spent a couple of weeks working on it. It was shot in an abandoned dairy factory, which was very fitting with all the white tiled walls and rough industry feel. I think the video turned out great.
JH: Who created the cover art for Opus Mortis VIII and what does it represent?
TG: It’s made by the Polish artist Lukasz Jaszak. It was Peter (Östlund – lead guitar) who came up with the working title “Opus VIII” in the beginning, and after brainstorming we ended up naming the album “Opus Mortis VIII”. It was also Peter’s idea to have a string quartet of these wounded (or already dead?) soldiers, playing in the middle of a battle field where a full-blown war is going on behind them on the cover. They’re playing the Opus Mortis – the opus of death. Quite epic. I’m really happy with the artwork and it works so well with both the musical and the lyrical content of the album.
JH: What else do you have planned for Vomitory in 2011 and beyond? Will you be touring in support of Opus Mortis VIII?
TG: We will do a few festivals in Europe during the summer and by the end of October until mid-November, we will do a European headlining tour. Dates and details will be announced soon.
JH: If Vomitory could be a part of the ultimate death metal show, what other bands would be on the bill with you and why would you choose them?
TG: We have actually already played something very close to the ultimate death metal show. That was the No Mercy Festivals in Europe in 2004. Some of my favorite death metal bands ever were on the bill, Exhumed and Cannibal Corpse being two of them. But if I could make up a new dream line-up it would look somewhat like this: Cannibal Corpse would definitely have a spot on there, just because they’re a killer live band, great guys and they represent everything that is death metal. Exhumed because they are one of my absolute favorite bands ever and they’re great guys too. I’d pick Vader and Napalm Death because of the same reasons. And if I could go back 20 years in time, I would also include Entombed and Grave.
JH: What are you listening to currently? Do you have any recommendations for THKD readers?
I am currently listening to the upcoming Exhumed album “All Guts No Glory”, which I absolutely love! To me, it’s the most anticipated release for the last five years! I’m also spinning “Mutter” with Rammstein, the 80’s albums with Rush and the very first albums with Motörhead. I command everyone to check out the new Exhumed album “All Guts No Glory”, which will be out soon. I also recommend the latest Unleashed album “As Yggdrasil Trembles”. Great Swedish death metal!
JH: Are there any final thoughts you’d like to add?
TG: I think you covered it all up pretty darn good here. Thanks for the chat! Check out our new album Opus Mortis VIII and stay away from jail and crappy music. Cheers!
If you haven’t yet heard Iperyt’s No State of Grace, you’re missing out on one of the finest slabs of industrialized black metal to come along in years. The Polish quintet’s mix of eviscerating, blackened riffage and pummeling electronics pushes the intensity so far into the red that few if any can ever hope to match it. I spoke to programmer/vocalist Shocker via e-mail to get the lowdown on No State of Grace and the inner workings of Iperyt’s nihilistic musical assault.
