Exmortis Interview

Paul Campbell of the legendary 'AAAARGGHH!!!! Magazine' recently told me that in the late 80s, when the first Death Metal demos were starting to come through "I heard Exmortis after Death, Morbid Angel and Autopsy - Exmortis was the 4th (in that order)". Sadly, although totally deserved (Check out some of their tunes below and on youtube), misfortune meant that Exmortis never caught that wave.  The band has however released a strong new mini album.  Read more about Exmortis in the in depth interview below with Brian Werking.

Exmortis current line up

1 - Around the time I’m asking you these questions a new Exmortis release has just come out called “Resurrection… Book of the Dead”. What is it exactly and what can people expect from it? Who plays on it and how was it recorded? How can people obtain a copy?

BW) Well, it’s pretty much a piece of work as a tease to what’s to come this year with a full length release probably in August/September… What can be expected is True American Death Metal the way it was done back in the late 80’s to early 90’s. I’ve always written all the music for the band and will never stop doing so. It’s simply Exmortis. That’s all I can really say about it. It sounds like its own style and not like 95% of these bands coming out these days getting their influences from the generations before them. Exmortis was on a wave of Death Metal that soared across the planet with the biggest band being Death. At the time bands such as Autopsy, Immolation, Revenant, Goreaphobia, Suffocation, Nihilist, and countless other were just getting started. At its recording, I was the only member of the band so I’m the sole person playing all instruments. I’ve always played guitar and bass and also have always done vocals for the band with the exception of the “Descent into Chaos” demo. It’s funny because I learned how to play drums on my own with about a year’s practice it wasn’t hard to put together some music. Most of what you hear is me playing but for some of the most complicated stuff, I had to program. You see, I used a Roland TD-5 drum set for triggering analog drum samples. Now don’t get on me for doing this because most bands that you don’t even think use triggering use it. I can attest to that. Everything was recorded here in at my house in my home studio and sent off to be mixed and mastered by Javier Fernandez Milla at Room 101 Studios in Spain. 

You can obtain a copy of this CD by going to either of these websites: http://www.exmortis.us/merchandise.htm 

or http://www.xtreemmusic.com/label/public/ViewAlbum.php?id=118 … 

You can listen to a sample of an entire song from this CD here:

2 - From the research I’ve done, in the mid/late 80s Exmorits were one of the key underground bands in the embryonic demo tape trading days of early Death Metal. Many of your peers from that era have gone on to become what are now (or were) the big names that genre. Also from said research it would seem that due to bad luck and missed opportunities Exmortis missed catching the wave those bands did. Looking back, do you regret those missed opportunities? Where do you think Exmortis might have been now if you your fortunes had been better? Alternatively, what positive things have happened for you over the years that might not have If Exmortis had taken off back then?

BW) There are no regrets as far as what happened. It was unfortunate that it happened the way it did but you really have to chalk that up to bad luck. We were just getting into the prime of our time when we broke up but shit happens and that’s the way we ended up. Well, if Exmortis would have stayed around then I could see us being at the top of the heap of bands like Cannibal Corpse and Morbid Angel. There is no doubt in my mind what so ever. Positive this that happened throughout the years were going back to school for a degree, getting a really good paying job, getting married and having a child. None of this stuff would have happened if Exmortis would have made it to the top. With the way these bands at the top need to make money, I’d hardly ever be at home to enjoy my family. That’s mainly why I want Exmortis to be underground forever. However fortunate or unfortunate the name becomes, I’ll always be doing what I love to do and without sacrificing my home life that I’ve built throughout the years.

Promo photo of the original Exmortis

3 - For a time in the early 90s there was another Exmortis formed by ex-member Chris Wiser. That version of the band released a demo called “Butchers of the Urban Frontier”. What is your opinion on this version of Exmortis? “Butchers...” was supposed to be re-released on the “Darkened Path Revealed” CD but then wasn’t. What happened there? How is the relationship between you and Chris Wiser now?

BW) This is something that I’ll probably be asked time and time again but that version of Exmortis was just another version. It carried the Exmortis name because Chris bought the trademark for it. At the time I really didn’t give it any thought. Even now I don’t think it as being a true Exmortis representation but it is part of the history of the band so it cannot be dismissed. I liked the music but I really wasn’t into it that much. I at the time and now do not think it sounds like Exmortis. Chris told me that he didn’t want it to sound like Exmortis so there you go. It’s an Exmortis demo that didn’t get published on the discography “Darkened Path Revealed” because Chris didn’t want to have anything to do with it after he heard the production Juan “Punchy” Gonzalez did for it. I think he did a great job for what he had to work with. But, I do think the original productions sound more brutal and not as clear. So, after creating a master CD and adding it to the layout and insert we had to remove it which slowed production a bit. That’s okay because I still think it sounds good even without that demo. There really is no relationship between Chris and I anymore. Everything was cool up until he heard the production for the CD. He wanted to have it re-mastered by someone else and I flat out told him not a chance. After all I’d already paid to have it re-mastered. Anyway, that’s enough with that. We don’t talk anymore.

4 - Continuing on with the "Darkened Path Revealed" demo collection CD.  Could you tell us exactly what this is made up of, how it came about and why people must obtain it?  Also the merchandise page on your website features a CD called "Unhallowed Grave" what is this exactly?

BW) The Darkened Path Revealed CD is a re-master of all the original demos, an EP and some compilation songs. I added some intermissions between the releases just to separate them a bit and clear your mind before going into then next. An outro to the CD was produced as well. I can’t really tell people they must buy it because that would be like shoving it down their throat. But I can say that it’s a great piece of the history of Death Metal that cannot be heard anywhere else. Hahahaha… The Unhallowed Grave CD was produced because people wanted to hear something new from Exmortis so I asked everyone I knew to pick a favorite song from each of the releases and send them to me. After I tallied them all up the final picks for the CD were made. So the premise of the CD is a fan favorite compilation. I also added a few other Exmortis songs into the mix to make it interesting. At the end of the CD is a sample of what was to some in the future by the newly rejuvenated Exmortis.

5 - The Exmortis band history talks about two unreleased demos, 

“Collapsed Soul” and an untitled 3rd 1990 demo that only had drums 

and guitar tracks recorded. Has or will anything ever become of these? What music/songs did they contain?

BW) The Collapsed Soul demo was some songs that myself and the late Giles Weiss recorded at my apartment in Pittsburgh. They were never professionally recorded but we were thinking about doing so. In any case Giles went on to perform vocals for Chris’ version of Exmortis. The 3rd 1990 demo is one that was never completed because we opted to record in a more expensive studio and we could only complete little at a time. Unfortunately time ran out for us and we broke up so it never got released. These were mainly new songs that we played live. Well, the next release on Xtreem Music will contain all of those songs plus a lot more new material. Basically music that only a select few that saw us live heard.

6 - I recently discovered a band from the late 80s/early 90s called “Derketa”, who were the first ever all women Death Metal act. Not long after that discovery I also learned that Sharon Bascovsky of Derketa was once your wife. Without going into the the personal side of that part of your life, What do you have to say about the Derketa of the past and the recent reformation of that band and the new album they are currently working on?

BW) We actually met when Exmortis played a show in Pittsburgh and started dating. After the band broke up I decided to move for a fresh start. About a year went by and we got married. That didn’t last too very long though… Anyways, we had our good and bad times. Derketa’s old material was great in my mind. Without going into detail, it made me think about metal in a whole new way. It was a surprise but who’d have thought metal would be this brutally heavy coming from a couple girls rehearsing in a basement cellar. Anyway, I still play some of the stuff from time to time and I still like it. Old School like no other… To be honest with you, I haven’t heard anything they are working on currently but it’s bound to be brutal. Their resurgence into the scene proves to you that metal will never die. 

7 - You also have/have had another project called “Shockwerks”. Could you please describe “Shockwerks”, why you started it and what it’s current status is? Where can we hear this or get hold of any releases?

BW) Shockwerks was at one time very serious and comprised of music which style sounded as droned classical/soundtrack like. Kind of like the band Zombie but quite different in many other ways. It’s hard for me to explain what it used to be because as far as I know there was nobody out there doing this style at the time. There were quite a few demos released throughout the years but nothing that anyone would publish besides the couple of songs used for the compilation CD titled History of Things to Come by Growing Deaf Entertainment out of Holland. There were a couple of companies interested in it sound for one movie and one creepy television show but neither of the projects actually happened. That’s when I decided to go back to school and my focus was on that for the next couple of years graduating with a 3.8 GPA I must say… Anyway, Shockwerks is still serious to me. As serious that I’ve been planning on writing new music for another upcoming release that was supposed to happen in 2011 but has now been pushed back to 2012 at the earliest. This time the style will change a bit to make it more commercially acceptable but I’m not planning on doing anything with it other than releasing it. I also plan to continue my drone/soundtrack sounding music but this time under my own name and start marketing it towards indie film companies. I think it has a shot at getting in a couple of films at least.

8 - Watch this youtube video from start to finish: http://youtu.be/iEeMJgV75nQ Then give a detailed description of what you most enjoyed about it?

BW) Man, I’ve seen shit like this before on YouTube. It’s probably some of the sickest shit I’ve ever seen. At this time I’m heating up some food to eat and thinking about how it must smell in that room. I saw one video that someone poked a small whole into what I could only say was a giant zit and the white nasty pustule infection was hanging from his neck like it was a 24 inch piece of spaghetti then it start hammering out like it tore the whole open. This guy needed to have stitches afterwards I’m sure. Go to YouTube and do a search. 

Here’s a search for you!

9 - Please tell us about the tracks you did for the Dwell Records 

tribute albums in the late 90s. What songs did you record? How did 

they come out? Is there anywhere we can hear them?

BW) Well, I recorded a total of six songs for six different CD’s. Not all of the music was Death Metal though. Unser the Exmortis name I did 3 songs “Death – Baptized in Blood”, “Morbid Angel – God of Emptiness” and “Ministry – Breathe”. Under my other project band name Shockwerks I did 3 more songs “Kraftwerk – Man Machine”, “Marilyn Manson – Man That You Fear” and “White Zombie – More Human Than Human”. They were all fun projects although I think I spent just about all my spare time recording them. I spent probably about a month on each song. If I could go back and fix a few thing I would though. You can hear the songs at the following link

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL81DEE4F8B52B1A77&feature=view_all

At the moment I have only 5 of the 6 out there but will upload the other probably before you read this.

10 - Also at the time of writing the 10th anniversary of the passing 

Chuck Schuldiner has just occurred. Could you please say a few words 

about him from your perspective and what he means to the existence of Exmortis?

BW) It’s funny you should bring this up because I did an interview a short time ago that was released by Metal-Rules.com. If you’d like to read the entire interview about many musicians’ views (Chris Reifert, Terry Butler, Jeff Becerra, Danny Lilker, Mike Browning and countless others) about Chuck go to this link and you can read the entire thing. 

http://www.metal-rules.com/zine/content/view/2288/1/

It was released on the anniversary date of his death and here’s exactly what I had to say:

01. When was the first time you heard Death (or Mantas, pre-Death), and do you remember what song it was? What initial impact did it make on you? 

BW) The first time I heard Death was when I was in high school. It was 1986 when I finally heard the Infernal Death demo (Which was released in 1985 I think) and wow, it blew me away. Even though it was a rehearsal demo it was the song "Infernal Death" that I heard first. In 1986 I had only heard bands like Slayer and Possessed. From then I heard nothing more from Death until the Scream Bloody Gore Album was released.

02. Did you ever meet Chuck in real life? If so, what was he like? If you never got an opportunity to meet him in person, what would you have said to him?

BW) Man, this is a hard one because I wanted so much to sit down and talk with him on a one on one basis but it never happened. About as close as we ever got together was walking through a crowd of people and shaking hands while on the move going other directions. I was surprised that he even knew who I was. I could only think it was because of the band Exmortis and the photos in the fanzines from that time. At that point in time I had still not realized the impact Exmortis had on the general crowd. I was a kid that only knew Chuck as the kind of person I wanted to be. An idol of sorts you might say. He was a man that believed in what he was doing in life and had a mission to fulfill it.

03. What is your personal favorite single Death album / song, and why?

BW) My favorite Death Album of all time has got to be Scream Bloody Gore. No other compares to the shear Death Metal it represents. In my opinion, it's one of the greatest accomplished Death Metal albums in history. It's funny but my favorite Death song changes from time to time because I like them all... Right now I've been listening to Suicide Machine a lot. That song just hit's home with me. It's technical guitar riffs and the Lead is just classic Chuck... He always had his own style and while the average person can't hear the difference in song writing from year to year I can surely do so. As far as I'm concerned, when they went more technical, the Death style stayed in tacked. I love to listen to any of his songs and as a technical guitarist and vocalist myself I understand his thoughts and creativity. In hind sight, I look back and wonder why I didn't move to Tampa sooner to get to know some of the guys from those early days.

04. (For musicians only) What kind of things did you appreciate about Chuck as a musician? How did he influence your playing, approach to your instrument, or song-writing??

BW) This is an easy one, hahahaha... I appreciated Chuck for what he stood for. His ambitious nature inspired me from the first time I heard Death. It's almost like he never stopped to take a break. From what I understand he was always thinking about what needed to happen next. That's the approach I took in the early days and it seemed to work out well. Although I was influenced by a lot of other bands I was drawn to Chucks style of writing guitar riffs. They were always generic but yet technical in mind. One that you would remember easily and that's what sells records. People love to here repetition as well which I incorporated into the Exmortis style. Not that other bands weren't doing this already but I really felt it was important to do. It didn't hurt that some people called me little Chuck in demo reviews and interviews for Exmortis. hahahaha

05. What do you make of the lasting impact that Chuck has made on metal?

BW) Well, he accomplished a lot in the Death Metal genre. As far as a lasting impact, he will always be known as the godfather of Death Metal by anyone who knows their history... I think he will continue to influence musicians in the future with his song writing. But, There are some (a lot) bands out there that took Death Metal to a level that was (is) to me not Death Metal. Sub genre after sub genre... Personally, I do not like the cookie monster vocals that a lot of people are into. Anyone can pick up a microphone and grunt into it and nobody would ever know what they were saying. Chuck would turn over if he only knew. Hell, I'm turning right now in disgust.

06. Where do you think Chuck would be today if he was still playing metal?

BW) Chuck would be at the top of the game. Many people thought he was going to loose his light after Scream Bloody Gore and all the line-up changes. I can understand what he went through completely. If what you are doing is your own creation then you'd better make sure you have the right tools (people) to help you in your quest for greatness. If music is truly your life then make it happen. In my opinion he did make it his life and is still living it today. "Open Casket" my friend and may you continue to live forever...

11 - What new up coming Death Metal bands of today do you find 

exciting and why?

BW) I’m sorry. I hate this question because I don’t listen to any of these new bands. Why because I don’t like hardly anything I hear. It’s not like in the old days where everyone had their own style. Now a day’s everything sounds the same for the most part. True Death Metal doesn’t exist anymore. You have to go back to the roots of it all to really hear it.

Note: The next three questions have been written after the 

initial interview was sent and after he forwarded me an advance copy 

of “Resurrection… Book of the Dead”

12 - After listening to the music on “Resurrection… Book of the Dead”, it would seem to me that you’ve captured the same early raw Death Metal spirit of the original Exmortis demos from over 20 years ago. What is it that you do now that captures that feel in your new music?

BW) When I pick up my guitar, it’s just what comes out. It’s the style of Death Metal I’ve always written. It’s with me and not anywhere else. Not that I’m a great guitar player because I’m surely not, but it’s the feeling behind the music that pulls me in. Oh and I wrote those songs in a matter of a week (Easy stuff).

13 - If there was one difference between “Resurrection… Book of the 

Dead” and the old recordings, it would be that “Resurrection...” 

has a clearer production. My assumption is that this is a result of it being recorded digitally as opposed to the demos which would have been recorded in Analogue studios? Is this correct? What are your views around Analogue vs Digital recording in relation to your music? Why?

BW) Well, most everything starts as an analog signal then it’s converted to digital. I don’t think it’s an analog or digital issue as much as its 20 years later. Technology in the music industry has come a long way. Plus, it didn’t help any that the first two demos were recorded in an 8 track studio with limited capabilities.

"Descent into Chaos" demo cover

14- “Resurrection… Book of the Dead” has a strong Horror movie theme.  

Have horror movies been an important influence in the creation of your 

music? If so what movies in particular and why? What other themes inspire your music? 

While still on the Horror theme, I note that you’ve set up a “Horror Movie Trailers” group facebook. Care to tell us about that? Are there any obscure Horror movies that you think readers should check out that they may not have heard of? If so what are they?

BW) Hahahaha, you picked up on that huh? Horror music is what Exmortis is all about. All the lyrics spell out short stories of the horror genre and nothing more. It’s not like these thought go through my head all the time. It’s always when I’m creating. There are times that I think of a line or a song title and jot it down. So, if anyone has ever mistakenly took any of the Exmortis lyrics literally then that’s messed up. It’s all about Pain, gore and suffering. It’s my safe place… No other themes inspire the music at all. Thinking back to the days, all the Evil Dead films, all the Hellraiser films, and all the Alien films stick out to me. Anything that had the names Clive Barker, Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Mario Bava (the list could go on for days…) were strongly influential. Not to mention all the Creature Feature movies that came on every Saturday afternoon. I was about 10 years old and got a BetaVision VCR for Christmas. Wouldn’t you know it, I freaked my parents out with the first tape I played. It was “The Gate of Hell” US name or “City of the Living Dead” Euro name. Hahahaha, I’ve been hooked on anything scary or freaky since then. Yes, I started that page on Facebook but it didn’t really catch on to well. Anyway, there are tons of old and new obscure movies out there. You just have to know where to find them. 2 that I was hooked on back in 88’-89’ were a series of films called Nekromantik. Here’s the trailer for the first:

15 - Anything to add in closing?

BW) In closing I’d like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to your audience. It’s been a pleasure. Thank you all for reading.

Another promo photo of the original Exmortis line up

Review: Sabbatic Goat - s/t promo CD

Sabbatic Goat - s/t Promo CD (Self released)

Sabbatic Goat are brand new to the New Zealand underground Metal Scene and unlike the majority of us, who are crusty old mollusks, these guys are all around 18 years old. Something that is always refreshing to see, as the creativity that comes from youthful naivety and arrogance is often impossible to replicate as we become older. This demo features three raw rehearsal recordings and a live track of in your face chaotic War metal.

The opening Intro is a mid paced instrumental which sounds semi-developed, although it could show more promise if structured and developed further.  It's not the best start to the demo but when track two "Anemic Swine (Traitor of All Existence)" kicks in the goods really start flying! As they continue to do with Track three "Imprecation".  These two songs highlight the bands solid song writing ability with memorable riffs, decipherable vocals and pounding rhythms.  They also capture the youthful attitude of the band with what comes across as genuinely angry vocals and lyrics.

Track four is a live version of "Anemic Swine". It's really noisy/distorted and you can only really make out one one thing of importance; that these guys are absolutely crushing live!  

Not a perfect release, but a good kick off for what sounds like a band who are going to develop into something exciting!

I understand that Sabbatic Goat may already have a label release in the pipe line, but in the mean time you should obtain this. Find out how by contacting the band directly here: sabbaticgoatnz(at)hotmail.co.nz 

Check out "Imprecation" here: http://soundcloud.com/sabbaticgoat/imprecation

Demo Download - Wölfe - I

Something a tad different this post.  I was contacted via the Subcide Webzine Facebook page today by a two piece band called Wölfe from Melbourne, who have been playing together for years not decided to record anything until 2010.  They sent me a link for their demo "I" and said I could do what I wanted with it including uploading it.  As I think this is a pretty damn fine classic raw underground Metal demo, I thought I'd do just that and share it with you.

Click here to download "Wölfe - I"  and post your thoughts in the comments box.

There is a mixed bag of sounds here including raw chaotic black thrash and swedish crust.  There something cool about a raw sounding demo that has samples and intro and interludes between each song.  Love it!

For more information about Wölfe and how to contact them click on the image below 

Review: Stone Angels - Within The Witch

Click this album cover art to go to the Stone Angels website

and find out how to obtain "Within the Witch"

Stone Angels - Within The Witch 

(Self released/Satan City Records, Christchurch, New Zealand)

Three days ago (two days before Xmas Day) my old home town of Christchurch was hit by its fourth major earthquake since September 2010. Ironically, around the same time I read another review of ‘Within the Witch’ quoting the Christchurch band's bio (see the bottom of this post), which talked about how Stone Angels had formed during this time (after the first Earthquake) and how inadvertently their existence as a band had become a by-product of it. But to the music... ...All will become clear.

My first impression of ‘Within the Witch’ was playing it while driving home from seeing Stone Angels play live for the first time at Stonerfest 2011 - Northern Lights show. My thoughts after a few minutes were: "This is actually a pretty damn enjoyable listen - especially for a first release". I've since listened to it quite a few more times.

If I had to name the sound that best describes Stone Angels it would be ‘Bleak Post Apocalyptic Sludge’. Reason being is their music is along the lines of the post-Sabbath sludge doom played by bands which I'll leave you to guess the names of, but with a unique difference; the best way to describe this difference, which lies in the songs, sound, intros and interludes, is to try and imagine the setting of the movie ‘The Road’, and then picture the sort of music a group of rogue survivors might make if they stumbled across a cache of drums, guitars, amps and diesel generators in the midst of the destruction. Take the environment that Stone Angels actually exist in and it all starts to make sense.

It's actually hard to pin point exactly where said sound lies in the music, but I think it's partially from the production and musical input of Sinistrous Diabolus’ main man Kris Stanley (live Session guitar for the band and who features on some of the album's tracks), who would be lying if he denied the mighty ‘Disembowelment’ as an influence. However, for the most part it's in the songs themselves. Some compositions including the title track, explore a rock groove while other tracks such as the closer ‘Coffin Cross’ delve into discordant down-tuned black textures; all of which makes for rewarding listening.

While Christchurch is still being hit by thousands of aftershocks, people are grieving for the 182 loved ones lost in the 22 Feb 2011 quake; houses are falling down, streets are full of sink-holes swamped with silt from liquefaction as well as the smell of raw sewage, and probably more major earthquakes are to come. At least a silver lining is that, much like the mass unemployment that influenced so much good music there in the early 90s, Christchurch musicians and artists, including Stone Angels, will be drawing influence from their experiences and producing gems like ‘Within the Witch’ into the foreseeable future................ or until the city returns to the sea from which it once came.

Stone Angels - Band bio

The band is not bound to any tag, fusing elements of doom, rock and metal into a lo-fi melting pot. Formed in Christchurch New Zealand after two devastating earthquakes, Stone Angels writes most of its material off the cuff - without pre-conceptions - in an effort to capture the feeling of the times. In an abstract way, to capture what it is to live through this sort of chaos. This has been the focus until now, however the direction is not limited by anything other than those creating the music.

The debut album Within the Witch was recorded in a concrete shed amongst the ruins of Christchurch, with K.S (Sinistrous Diabolus) handling recording and production duties. The CD was released on 02/12/2011, with tape + digital download coming early 2012.The band has shared the stage with, amongst others, Creeping, Ulcerate, Shallow Grave and Thrall (Australia). Members are also involved in Sinistrous Diabolus and Second Gear Grind, alongside other projects.

Review: Red Dawn - World Eater

Red Dawn - World Eater (Self Released)

The sound of Red Dawn could best be described as traditional Heavy Metal with tinges of melodic 80s speed/thrash (think Anthrax - Spreading the Disease) but with a modern production.

The four consistently strong tracks on "World Eater" are all reinforced by solid drumming from Steve Francis (Ex-Demoniac and who also beats the skins for Wellington (NZ) band Bulletbelt), as well as Guitar and Bass work from Andrew McGregor, Greg McColl and David Wong.  But the highlight for me are the outstanding "sung" vocals of Thomas Barker  That's right, Red Dawn haven't copped out and made a trad Metal record with stock standard growled Vocals, Thomas actually sings and sings well.  I wouldn't go as far as to compare him with the strength of Bruce Dickinson or Rob Halford, but I'd definitely say he's on the same path.

World Eater is a strong first EP.  The only thing that's missing are a few sing-a-long metal anthems.  Add a few of those to the mix and the Red Dawn debut Album will be a classic in the making.

Find out for your self at the band's website:

http://www.reverbnation.com/reddawnnz

Review: Heresiarch - Hammer Of Intransigence

Heresiarch - Hammer Of Intransigence CD (Dark Descent)

Following on from their pro-cassette released "Obsecrating the Global Holocaust", reviewed here back in August 11, "Hammer Of Intransigence" is a natural progression and also overall improvement in the Heresiarch sound.  Members of the band themselves have accurately said that this sounds ten times better than the previous recording.  Not only that, but you can't escape a review of this with out making mention of it's epic cover art by Nick Keller. 

Stand out tracks in my opinion are opener "Carnivor", a reworking of "Man is Carnivore" from the "Obsecrating" demo, and the heavy as all fuck doom closer "Intransigent". Both these compositions stand out to me because of their huge memorable riffs and intros which hook you in to the rest of "Hammer".  I'd like to see Heresiarch utilising more of this in the future to further enhance their sound.

This EP/Mini album is the sound of warlike chaos with definition and clarity at the same time. Lets hear what comes next.

Sinistrous Diabolus - Interview

As previously mentioned here, Sinistrous Diabolus are one of New Zealand's undiscovered underground treasures. I have been lucky enough to witness almost all of their 20 year history. This interview is with Kris Stanley and digs into all aspects of what makes Sinistrous Diabolus what it is...

1) A couple of years ago you lost your left thumb in an industrial accident. Could you give us a run down of that i.e. how it happened and what has happened since. How has this affected your playing and more importantly your motivation to create and play music?
It was a work related injury. I work in a bronze foundry and got my hand caught in the machine used to straighten the bronze bar we make-the scene in the machinist where his arm is ripped off was a pretty accurate depiction…that feeling of pressure then realizing there’s no way of getting out. Ha Ha my inner monologue said, ”This isn’t going to be good!”
I had 4 operations to skin graft/muscle graft the big mess back together. My surgeon did an amazing job considering. Function is reduced noticeably but I can still play at probably 50% of my former ability, which is better than not being able to play at all. And it pisses me off enough to want to get as much recorded as I can before I go hack something else off by accident and end up like Stephen hawking programming guitar pro with a mouth stick. I’ve never been terribly accomplished as far as technique goes so its pruned some of the creative deadwood-using the right hand to fret extended chords or trying different tunings to reach the more dissonant intervals. I have had years of listening to useless dropkicks formulating every reason why they can’t do something …I’m not about to join their ranks any time soon. My first gig with Diocletian was 4 months after the accident-you just have to get off your ass and do these things. Supreme hailage to the DCOG for giving me the opportunity.

Enter the Pus Samosa

2) Opus One was released in 1993 and has just had a pro produced cassette re-release (the orignial was pro-duplicated but had a color photocopy cover) How can people get hold of this? Will it see CD or vinyl release? Why do you think that ‘Opus One’ has taken so many years to be recognised as a classic underground release?

It's funny what passed for "pro" back in the day. ...dot matrix printer stickers and all.The re-release is a co release between dark descent (USA) and goat gear (NZ), each label carrying 100 copies each. By the time i get round to finishing this, DARK DESCENT will probably have sold out of their copies, they have 20 copies remaining last i heard.(update: dark descent sold out: goat gear less than 10) As for being a classic? Having vocal supporters like yourself certainly helps. Scourge wanted to create something powerful that built on solid influences and carried them one step further-i think this essence is captured in that recording…no Sinistrous Diabolus material will see a CD release! It is a redundant format as far as I'm concerned. After "II" is released id like to do a vinyl with opus one on side a and the redone promo 08 tracks on side b. But that’s way in the future….

http://www.goatgear.net/

http://darkdescentrecords.com/

Note: This reissue of Opus One is now sold out. However you can download an authorised high quality version here: http://sinistrousdiabolus.bandcamp.com/album/opus-one

Original flyer for Opus One

3) There have been multiple different live line ups for Sinistrous Diabolus, varying from the awesome four piece line up that performed at SATANFEST 2009, to the a solo performance in 2010. Whilst not forgetting the original 3 piece line up from 92/93 and all the Variations up until now. Which line up do you see as being the perfect one and what are we most likely to see heading into the future?

Well my focus is less and less about being a 'band" in the traditional sense, so for now I'm more interested in hired mercenaries with ability and good taste. Geography is a limiting factor in attaining an ideal line-up (I don't deal in absolutes so "perfect" doesn't register)but I'd have to move north if I wanted enlist the personnel and fuck that! I'm content with the way things are for now. Unsurprisingly the advances in technology since the early 90's have made it far easier to enlist session players and demo/record a number of tracks from anybody/anywhere. If I'm happy with the composition of the new material then perhaps I'll look at forming a more solid line-up.

I was really disappointed with the solo performance. I think I just bit off way to much to chew that night….although it is something I may revisit in the future.

Kris Playing Satanfest 2009. Photo By Rebecca Tovey

4) Over the last year, Christchurch has been hit by a series of major Earthquakes, which have decimated large areas including the almost total destruction of the central city. How has this affected you? Describe some of the experiences you have had. Do you think that this will have a impact on your music? If so, how?

I was already on the path to becoming an angry old hermit and the earthquakes have just hastened the process. It has had a big impact on my creative process as I mainly stay at home playing guitar or listening to cave reverbed explosions instead of socializing. And of course the destruction has a major aesthetic value…we've had over ten thousand quakes of varying magnitude so its all getting a bit old now but occasionally a strong one will creep up and remind you just how easily one's puny human existence can be smeared across the landscape

Of course now the city centre is in ruins most of the available venues have disappeared as well. No bother to me, one live gig a year is plenty. Audience turnouts have been increasingly more pitiful over the last few years so maybe some absence will be a good thing, bring some of the hunger back. Or starve the dying dog to death!

5) Tell us about the “Total Death Total Doom” online release. How did it come about? Will it see an official release? A while back you also had the “08 Promo” available for download? What was this material? What will become of it?

A gig was organized with the idea that it would be all the doom cult bands - Vassafor had absent personnel so couldn’t perform and malevolence were called in to complete the line up. The only way I could see to have Sinistrous perform and avoid a logistical clusterfuck was to ditch the live lineup and do it myself. I'd had the idea of doing a minimalist type of set for a while so I bought a roland SP404 and got into it. The writing process was super efficient, the ideas flowed really well…however the live rendering was less than what I'd envisioned! So I re-recorded the set once i got home and added a few layers with the idea of distributing to a few people as a promo and a preview of some of the stuff that would be on the next release. I doubt i will bother to release it officially as most of the ideas will be better represented on the current material.

Click the image to download Total Death Total Doom

The 08 promo was an attempt at a fresh start, rather than struggle away with old stuff ….I just hammered out a few ideas. It would probably be still gathering dust if not for Mike C (2nd guitars) who put the word out on it. it will be re-recorded as those versions online are just writing/demo's…necrobastard of doomcult is re-doing drum tracks as his schedule allows. If and when this gets done is low priority.

Click above image to download the 2008 Promo

6) ‘Opus Two’ is going to be completed and released some time in 2011. Why has it taken so long? Can you describe and names some of the songs that will be on it? Are there any songs from the original era that weren't recorded for Opus One that may be resurrected in the future? If so what are they?

My writing methodology is extremely slow….coupled with an obsession for details. I'll demo something, listen it to death, pick it apart and hate it. So it is good to get some feedback from others as in the case of the promo 08 stuff. It seems the older you get the more the mundanities of life invade your creative time. I’m also a huge gear nerd and have wasted shitloads of time using crap/wrong gear that didn’t have the functionality to work for me…as well as learning to audio engineer as I go. We mostly started with shit gear that was traded for slightly better gear and on and on. Took a fuckin long time to get something worthwhile. I’m very happy with my set-up now, the short burst of demo’s came together very effortlessly. If the songs were created in more of a band type setting the output would be greatly increased I'm sure.
The material on "II" is a mix of some old post "opus one" riffs and expanded musical themes from that time, plus some newer pieces influenced from old stuff. We did play a rough hash of some of these riffs at Satanfest '92, I'm currently re-recording this as an "alternative" version to the one that will be included on Sinistrous Diabolus II.

Click above image to listen to said track.

The new recording will be two songs, separated into parts/movements (in name only)-two continuous pieces of music 25 mins long. I'm leaving it to the listener to decide where each starts/finishes…

7) Although not documented, drugs have played a part in the history of both Sinistrous Diabolus and what could be described as other legendary sounding Christchurch underground Metal bands from the early 90s. What impact do you see that they have had on your self, Sinistrous and that scene? What do you think might have happened if those drugs were not a factor?

We were all pretty young back in 91-92 so youthful experimentation grew to habit for some I guess - certainly showed the rotten underbelly of this town which I think is mandatory when playing ugly music and something I’m glad to have seen first hand.. ….I got bored of it all pretty fast. It showed just how lacking in character some were. A bottomless well of self pity and something I’ve grown to loathe. It’s the survival instinct in reverse, destroying yourself to live!  But this is not unique at all, every scene has fuck ups and deviants. As for what may have been-that time has passed so to muse over it is pointless.

8)Aside from the above, what factors (Social, technological etc) do you think contributed to the unique Underground metal sound that came from Christchurch in the early 90s? 

Being shit poor was probably the biggest factor. But however that was our choice-we were all too busy adding to the detritus of society to go out and work/save for good gear etc. The most flash amp we had between us was probably a peavey bandit….there was a certain rough and somewhat haphazard element as well. Although I think this was just from a lack of ability perhaps, cavemen with distortion pedals.

Sinistrous Diabolus Live at Satanfest 2009. Photo by Rebecca Tovey

9) Jon/Scourge was originally the creative force and leader of Sinistrous Diabolus when it was formed in 91/92(?). What lead to his leaving the band? How does you writing different to his? What parts of Jon’s influence remain in the music? I know there was recently talk of Jon collaborating with Sinistrous again. Is this still likely to happen? Why/why not?

I can only really comment from how i saw it back then as I've not actually spoken to him about it…..i think he was tired of the general pretentiousness of the scene at the time, second wave black metal was starting to gain momentum and every fuckin second meathead was bestowing them selves with "titles"…lord ,count, baron, etc.. This was exacerbated by his involvement with the O.H.L.P (Order of the Left Hand Path) and later O.S.V (Ordo Sinistra Vivendi) (remember key of Alocer/Aabaaner incendium? ha!)
He just said one day he'd had enough and if we wanted to keep it going, to do so. I guess its the case with all creative processes, you have a vision but the transition from theory to practice sometimes goes astray. J and I didn't start jamming again till maybe a year later but a lot of the ideas I had were weak as shit. Which is why there has been such a huge gap in the discography. Opus One was the standard by which all other material had to meet. We discussed collaborating but we came to the agreement that we've probably moved too far apart to make it work. I do still value his critique and try to get his opinion on most material since regaining contact. I sent him some rough demos on some of the new material which was well received-it good to know I’m on the right path.

Click above image to read interview with Jon/Scourge from Subcide Zine #1 from 1993

I still draw from the same influences as back when we started-lord of Putrefaction, Blasphemy, Laibach, hell awaits era Slayer, Bathory, Thergothon, Death in June Non.….

Sinistrous Diabolus was my first decent band so a lot of the ideas and techniques for sound have stuck with me to the present day. For instance we tried putting bass strings on a normal scale guitar and while it sounded rhythmically heavy, there was very little audible melodic content. I’ve since had a 30’’ guitar built that is tuned EADGBEA to try and achieve some of the vision we had then…more like a distorted string quartet –Bass ADGC, Bass vii EADGBEA, Baritone guitar ADGCFA and standard tuning EADGBE. It might seem confused but its an attempt to simplify the writing/recording process as instead of multiple overdubs there is one track per instrument. I’ve found out the hard way that too many overdubs destroy dynamics. Less is more!

10) You’ve recently been the session vocalist for Witchrist and session bassist/vocalist for Diocletian.  What have some of the highlights been? What have you learned from the experience?

The doom over Siam gig was probably the highlight for me, just such a complete reversal of what gigs generally are here in NZ. Drinking all afternoon in scorching jungle heat meant my performance was less than brilliant but it did give birth to the beast named CHANG WILDCHILD

…As far as the other gigs went, I fuckin hated being just the vocalist, I’ll never take that role on again that’s for sure. And now I think about it, nearly all the sole position vocalists I know are odd people. Some amount of personality disorder is advantageous….I enjoyed the recording process more than playing live, my playing has really gotten shit post accident…well guitar at least, bass I find a bit easier. I know I performed better with both bands back in NZ but that was then. Both bands have full time replacements for my session spots so I can concentrate on other things now.

Kris in Witchrist somewhere in Europe in 2010

Biggest lesson I’ve got from both bands is doing the basics right. I have a tendency to go off on tangents trying to squeeze too much into a song and fuckin smother it. A dose of the cult puts things back on track.

11) What is your view for the future of Sinistrous Diabolus? What definite things not already mentioned are on the horizon? Any last words?

The future? At the moment I can't see past completing the current material. Assuming it goes as intended there may be a few shows plus i have some other stuff in line to be recorded.
A huge thanks to the patient long time supporters-V.K, yourself, Rebecca T, the DCOG and the thoroughly cool cunts met through touring –id list them but ill save that for when the record is finished. Doom ‘till Death.

Photo of original Sinistrous Diabolus 1993 line up from inside of "Opus One" casstte

www.mediafire.com/?tdimzcyndml