INVERLOCH Interview

Inverloch L to R: Tony, Paul, Ben, Matthew, Mark. Photo: Rebecca Tovey.

INVERLOCH need no introduction other than to highlight of course that they are the extension of what was known as d.USK who were born of the legendary Melbourne based diSEMBOWELMENT. This in depth interview was kindly answered by guitarist Matthew Skarajew. 

1 - What inspired the formation of d.USK so long after the disestablishment of Disembowelment? Why are/were original Disembowelment members Jason Kells and Renato Gallina not involved in d.USK? How have the new members in d.USK(and INVERLOCH) filled their spots? Please give a quick profile of these members, these strengths and history?

Matt: Well, Paul and I had been asked time and again, for years - whenever we were at shows “why doesn’t disembowelment play?” or “we’d love to hear those songs live…just once” but we always maintained that circumstances being as they are, disembowelment could/would never really happen. But Paul and I always wondered what the songs might sound like in a live situation – I think Paul had never given up hope of bringing the songs to life. One night, driving home from a show and musing on it all, I wondered about putting together a concept/project band with some different musos that could feature the classic tunes. I felt it would be more respectful to give the band a different name – but still relate it to d. - At that point it was nothing more than a concept. I knew Paul would be right into it, but finding some competent players that could help us realize the songs was going to be the litmus test. Anyway, Tony Bryant (Bass – also drummer in grind outfit La Haine) was recommended to us by a close friend – he’d been a fan of d. growing up and he was committed from the outset. So for a while the 3 of us simply re-discovered the songs to see if it was even worthwhile. We tried a few vocalists – they were all great in their own way – all had different strengths – and at Tony’s suggestion we tried Ben James and he just complimented the songs – he was pretty raw at first, but we could all see the huge potential and diversity in his voice. I think the d.USK project is his first serious foray into this kind of vocal work – and it’s a bloody tough gig – but he handles it brilliantly and his voice has developed very well. Completely varied – covers a ton of territory and is a great frontman. Lastly, we called on one of my long-time buddies Mark Cullen to share guitar duties with me. He’s been apart of the Melbourne Metal Scene from way back in the classic mid-late 80’s era with Paul and I – with Mark it began more as a session spot but he grew into the role and was enjoying playing with us and stayed put! He’s a great player and friend with a ton of live  experience, so it’s awesome to have him there. This band has really gelled – everyone gets on great and that has contributed considerably to making the songs translate so well. 

We gave ourselves 12 months to see if we could really make it work – I so nearly pulled the pin a few times but the guys were stoic and I’m glad they pushed to make it happen. At that stage we only ever expected to do one show!

2- The original reason given for Disembowelment never performing live was that the music wouldn’t translate as well as it did in the studio. How much truth was in this? How do Disembowelment songs Translate live when played by d.USK?

Matt: It’s a good question. There are certainly some tunes that work better than others – at least in my opinion. There were a number of reasons d. never played, though. Regarding live translation, depending on how well you know the recordings it can be almost startling – but songs like ‘Tree or Excoriate are so raw they sound killer live. I’d never imagined playing ‘Burial’ live – for example, but we’ve got that happening on account of Roadburn Festival requesting the entire album – I’m not 100% convinced it’s the best way to present the songs… but that’s what the offer was based on and we didn’t want to pass up such a tremendous opportunity! We’ll have to simply give it a go and see how it sits. So far, ‘Burial feels immense in a room – it too is very raw, and I have been pleasantly suprized. For some of the other material I’d almost like to have a third guitarist. It’s interesting – the Inverloch track ‘Within Frozen Beauty’ was written specifically with our live d.USK set in mind – to be a contrasting point in the middle of the set. It can get a bit medium paced. But ‘ Burial can be central now, to slow things down a little, so… 

Paul. Photo by Adam Preljevic

Disembowelment – as it was in the early 90’s – would have been somewhat ill-equipped to play and convey the songs in a live context, from both a musical perspective and a technical perspective. It was certainly considered … and there were some crazy ideas discussed – in hind-sight some very naïve, but ultimately it was left alone. 

There’s no doubt that live you can never deliver the entire sonic spectrum of the album – that bothers me a bit simply due to the fact that, for some people, the TRANCENDENCE album is so sonically ingrained in their psyche that it may be hard to let go of that and simply enjoy hearing the music in a live format. But as we have always maintained – these run of shows are for people that have always wondered what the music might sound like live. That’s all there is to it. I maintain that if the concept bothers you – don’t go. I’m not offended. This is for the open-minded fans. That’s why it’s only a very limited run of shows.

3 - Just prior to sending this interview you informed me “d.USK tribute-format is basically over now apart from a few shows we're obliged to do over seas - and we have spawned a new side-project - 'INVERLOCH' - to play and release fresh material in the future.”. Can you explain why this decision has been made? Will INVERLOCH be a side project, or rather a continuation of the d.USK line up but playing new music? Lastly, from a completely selfish point of view, will those over seas d.USK shows include the New Zealand ones that were rumoured to be happening a while ago? A d.USK/INVERLOCH double header perhaps?

Matt: Yep – that is correct – the d.USK project will only play a small number of shows and then we will let it rest. There’s no point simply playing the old album over and over – there was no intention of it being an ongoing concept – or we’d have used a different name for a start! We only intended playing one show here in Melbourne. I honestly (and naively) felt that disembowelment was largely a bit of a forgotten relic of the past. I kept saying to Paul that I doubted anyone would be very interested. Well – the first show had an amazing response and before long we started getting some really cool offers to take the show to all sorts of places – globally! It was a trip! So we decided that we should keep it to one show in any given city – it could have gotten way out of control so we reigned it in and put the brakes on the whole ‘tribute’ concept. 

INVERLOCH was actually a name I was considering for the d. tribute band. 

As previously mentioned, we wrote ‘Frozen to give the set (as it was) some dynamic contrast – and live it works great as it contrasts with the old material nicely. Then Paul said he was sorry we didn’t do ‘Burial – early on I felt it was waaay to long for a live set – so we wrote a very doomy track, that filled that space. It’s a short one for us – 5mins! Ha! Anyway, with the band getting on so well .. a third song started to develop and so on – and we realized that there was something worth capturing here. There was absolutely no way we would ever consider releasing new music under the d.USK moniker – there’s already been a great DUSK (band), and our d.USK title was all about linking to the disembowelment legacy – so I suggested we simply create a new band – INVERLOCH – and we could then explore fresh ideas without worrying that we were denigrating the past. It’s been a lot of fun putting this together. And it gives Tony, Ben and Mark ownership of the new material. 

As for coming to New Zealand – well – we certainly tried and we will be trying again for late 2012 or early 2013 – probably as INVERLOCH – with some fresh songs to mix in with the best of the disembowelment material. I’m hoping that we can coerce Jay Kells to come and guest with us too – that would be killer. He seems keen, despite the difficulties of the distance. I know he still loves extreme music. It would be so awesome to have him in there slamming it down, too.

4 - Continuing with INVERLOCH, What will it’s key focus and goals be? What is the inspiration behind the name INVERLOCH? How does/will new material sound in comparison to d.USK/Disembowelment? Please name and describe some of the new songs. Are there any key themes in the music and lyrics that we can expect to hear? If so what? Do you have any releases or recordings planned? If so, when will they be out and how will people be able to obtain them?

Matt: The key focus with INVERLOCH is to refine that old-school ambient/death/doom sound we love – and be able to take it out live from time to time. It’s been a real pleasure to rediscover our musical ‘voices’ in this band – there’s no mistaking certain moments that will recall the past – but of course there are also key differences between my writing style and Jason & Renato’s. I like to push things technically at times – without trying to detract from the song. And I like to pay homage to my past influences – from the classic Thrash/Death Metal cross-over period. We have an EP coming out in April on Relapse – it is called ‘dusk | subside ‘ - the title reflects the moving on from one project to another.

There are three main tracks interspersed with ambience – the tracks are ‘Within Frozen Beauty’, ‘The Menin Road’ and ‘Shadows of the Flame’.

dusk | subside

I was actually going to include a track that was recorded for Trial of the Bow back in ’96 – I always wanted to release and will one day – but sonically it just didn’t sit quite right, so we left it off. There are little Trial of the Bow moments here and there – certainly in the ambience. Actually, the 7/8 intro to ‘Within Frozen Beauty’ is in fact an un-used riff that I wrote for ‘Trial back in ’98 I think – on the Arabic Oud! I love 7/8 – love the feel, the swing of it. It grooves so heavy. Sonically, Paul and I wanted this EP to sit between the old disembowelment demos (dusk EP) and the Transcendence album. I think we’ve achieved that. Our engineer (Joel Taylor) did an amazing job really – at first these songs were pretty much just quick demos with no intended release – but despite the easy-going approach to the recordings he managed to pull a killer, old-school vibe and sound. It’s completely honest – no triggers or anally-retentive edits – it’s our sound on the disc. I ended up engineering a bit myself on this too – which was fun. So it definitely captures the past spirit of disembowelment, with a big emphasis on the melodies (certainly in ‘Shadows) – but it’s a logical variation, too.

One thing I noticed as we went on with this recording was just how important Paul’s drumming style is and was to the sound and feel of disembowelment. It’s so utterly apparent – I think if it we had a different drummer the new songs would have an entirely different feel. From that point of view – there are some strong similarities to disembowelment. Plus he likes to get inside the riffs and composition – so there’s a lot of his input there. I suppose the musical language of d. is so ingrained in our psyche that little parts here and there really follow on from the past – it’s kinda cool. We were saying the other day that if Jason (Kells) wrote and recorded music with Paul today – we would expect a similar outcome as well. On a personal level, I think it’s disappointing that Jason and Paul are often not given due credit for the outcome of the disembowelment sound – I think time has largely allowed their input and ideas to become somewhat under-appreciated. They were instrumental in realizing what was, in many instances, a fairly motley collection of ideas.

5 - You and Paul Mazziotta are also involved in a Death/Grind project called “Pulgar”. What can you tell us about that? How can we hear it? What releases are available?  Where can people get hold of them?

Matt: Ah Pulgar .. haha – well – we actually have a recording all done with that just waiting for Ben to come in and do the vocals for it. It’s really old-school Grind/Thrash – not a serious project but we’ve had a lot of fun with it. Not sure who we will release it with – perhaps a local release? It was our way of staying in touch with extreme music while we were dealing with our young families in the early 2000’s. Pulgar was a real test-bed for defining our sound, initially. Oddly enough, Pulgar hasn’t actually played a show yet – though we would love to – and we will eventually – but the current projects have taken up so much time. We fit the music in around our careers and our families – so it’s pretty crammed! 

6. - Going back to Disembowelment, in Subcide Zine #3 (print version from 1996) I printed a post break up Disembowelment interview which I believe was answered by Jason Kells. In it he referred to some cover songs that Disembowelment had recorded which he intended to release on his label at the time “P.C. Entertainment. The Disembowelment wikipedia page also refers to “5 cover tunes for a potential E.P release”. What were these songs? Do the recordings exist? Will they ever be released?

Matt: The ‘cover’ EP – that was an interesting period. That was the point that I moved over onto guitar. The Necrovore demo (Slaughtered Remains) is from that period – that’s just Paul and myself on guitars – and one night after a few drinks at my place we goaded Renato into laying a Vocal down (he didn’t want to do it initially) – that version was certainly never intended for a release but it’s pretty wild so it ended up on the Re-release of a few years back. Some people love the rawness of it all. 

Basically disembowelment was out of ideas at that stage – even ‘Prophetic had been a stretch to get finished for the album – I know Jason came to the rescue with that one. So I think Renato suggested doing a 4 or 5 song EP of covers some time later – apart from the Necrovore track, it was going to include tracks from Therion (demo era) Bathory, Autopsy and possibly Crematory? We got as far as jamming out Necrovore, Bathory and Therion but that’s about it. Nothing was ever formally recorded or scheduled for a release. That Slaughtered Remains demo is all we have.

Said diSEMBOWELMENT interview from Subcide Zine #3. Click the images to read.

7 - Also post Disembowelment you were involved with a non metal ambient project called “Trial of the Bow” along with Renato Gallina. What is it’s current Status? Has it changed the way you (Matthew) create music? If so how? For those who are unfamiliar with this project, where can they obtain it’s releases or hear it’s music?

Matt: Trial of the Bow is fundamentally no more – although I have been developing new ideas in that style for some Documentary and Indie Film projects of late (as well as INVERLOCH) – so that might trigger some new music. I’m still fond of chasing the original ideal of blending musical cultures and ideas. Trial of the Bow basically burnt out in the late 90’s – Renato was struggling with his role a bit, I think. By the end of the album he declared he didn’t want to sing anymore. 

It’s tough – if you’re not really a practicing musician that style of music can become a big challenge. Some of the melodic ideas were still great though– it was a real challenge seeking our voice. Sadly, as we went along, it started to become apparent to me that the ‘look’ or fashion was overtaking the music – and I was really uncomfortable with that. It was starting to feel a bit ‘cool’ – a bit ‘night-club’ – then we were licensed to Rykodisc who, from when I spoke to them, were purely interested in sales, product, marketing etc. A complete turn-off. And there was zero money coming in. I was trying to live off music at that point. I became pretty disenchanted with the project.

Anyway – by the late 90’s both our families went through some enormous personal tragedies – we took time out from music and simply lost touch. 

It may come back – never say never. Not as a duo, though. 

Due to the fact that Trial of the Bow was so experimental, I learned an enormous amount – and it certainly figures in the way you compose/create. Working with someone who was essentially not a musician in the first instance – I say that with the utmost respect – taught me to simplify and be conscious of the importance and strength of simpler melodic concepts. Having been a student of composition with some pretty hardcore academics – it was a healthy reminder to utilize whatever skills I had but focus on simpler, more communicative ideas. Conceptually that has translated to heavy music, as well. Often, if I’ve been jamming it – if I’m still humming things in the car later or whatever – that’s a key indicator that we’re on the right path. Menin Road is a classic example of that. 

As far as I know the Trial of the Bow discs are still floating around – I’ve seen them on iTunes – perhaps Relapse/Release still sell them?

Matt.  Photo by Adam Preljevic 

8 - d.USK are going to be performing at Roadburn 2012 festival and playing “Transcendence into the Peripheral” in it’s entirety. Apart from the music are you doing anything special or different for that show? If so what? Roadburn shows are often recorded and filmed. Have you considered the possibility of documenting this performance as an official d.USK release?

Matt:- At this stage I am hoping to have Jay Kells join us for Roadburn – that would be brilliant. It is not confirmed by any means – but Paul and I are hoping he can come out with us – even if it was just for a few songs. We’ll have to wait and see. I suppose Roadburn might film the shows – but there will be no official release of any vision – it might be different if we had the original line-up, but in this instance I think it better to just enjoy the music. That’s what d,USK is all about – celebrating the music. Personally I’d prefer it not to be filmed or recorded.

(PostScipt - ) Roadburn and the visit to Europe turned out to be an amazing experience. It was a complete head-trip to fly all that way, run a tech-check and then hit that stage. It felt like it was all over in minutes! Quite intimidating too as it was our 7th show together, but I think it went well enough. The following short tour was so much fun, by Scotland we were really tightened up and they were a killer crowd – really passionate.

More importantly, it was so cool to meet so many genuinely nice people and bands – in some cases people had made a major effort to get to our shows, and of course some had been waiting a very long time to hear what the songs might sound like in a live context. And that made it a privilege to be there and perform the songs. I was really surprised by the positive interest in INVERLOCH, too.

Very cool.

9 - Melbourne has always been a hot bed for exciting new music, including underground metal, grind core, noise as well as other non genre definable sounds. Are there any up coming bands or acts that you are aware of that you think readers should check out? If so please give some names, descriptions and links (if possible).

Matt: Some bands we really dig are Nihilistic Front, and WURMS put out an amazing record last year that our engineer Joel Taylor played drums on. Highly recommended. I filled in with WURMS for a few shows, actually, and we played a show with a great band called Sons of the Ionian Sea. The new Ignivomous album is brutal as hell, too – highly reccomended! This question reminds me that I need to get out and re-discover a bit more, though .. Melbourne is such an eclectic art environment – living here, you can sometimes take that for granted.

10 - In closing, Disembowelment has had a huge influence in underground metal, Was this something you anticipated at the time? What are your personal thoughts looking back on that bands over all impact now? Apart from what has already been said, is there anything we may have missed in this interview or anything you’d like to say in closing?

Matt: Each of us seem to have a unique feeling for whatever legacy disembowelment may have left. A huge impact? It was certainly never anticipated – disembowelment was very much a reflection of what we were listening to at the time., and what we wanted to listen to. It’s interesting to note that back then the reviews certainly weren’t all favorable, either – but it seems to have stood the test of time. We are collectively very proud of the fact that people still enjoy the music, and I think it’s fair to say we all still love it. The recording process was really quirky and we produced it from a very different point of view – always pushing to be stylistically and sonically separate from everyone else. I think that worked!

It’s very different for Paul & I to see that band in the way that someone from the other side of the world might perceive it. Because we were so (seemingly) remote, it was one major release and then gone, there has been a bit of a mystique that has grown over the last 20 years that has really skewed away from the realities. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone – but we are often pretty amused or surprised by the perceptions people often have (of the band) when we meet. We feel it’s important not to get ‘sucked-in to’ or start believing hype – we keep it real and maintain our humility and respect for people that have enjoyed the music.

We have really enjoyed bringing the old music to life, but from here we are focused on INVERLOCH and the future that it presents, however that might manifest itself. I hope people will enjoy the new music – and look forward to taking it out live and mixing it up with the old material. Thanks so much for the time and interest … cheers.

Photo by
Adam Preljevic

Sabbatic Goat - Interview

Earlier in the year I reviewed the Sabbatic Goat self titled promo CD (Click here to read). As they were completely new to me I thought it would be worth firing off a few interview questions to Sabbatic Goat main man Nathan Barrow.  Following are his answers. 

1 - Unlike most of us crusty old bastards playing decent underground Metal in New Zealand, you guys are all quite youthful and about half our age. Exactly why is it that you are playing the quality underground raw Metal that Sabbatic Goat play and not Korn and Limp Biscuit covers/rip offs?

A. We have no interest in weak music such as bands like that. It offers no contribution to true metal what so ever. It dissapoints me to see how those sort's of bands are what most 'Metalheads' of todays scenes consider to be real metal.

2 -You recently sent me the lyrics for your song ‘Anemic Swine’. What exactly is that song about? What exactly is your inspiration for these lyrics? Are they reflective of your views of the world and society in general? Why/why not?

A. The song is a fictional idea of an apocalyptic extra-terrestrial event in which the human race and our planet is destroyed. I like to believe that there is some form of being or force unknown to us that would prove us weak and powerless compared to our idea that we are the superior race.

3 - You are currently working on a proper studio recording to follow up your self titled promo/rehearsal CD. Could you tell us about this? i.e. what will it be released as? what will it be called? What songs will be on it? When and how will it be available? What are your personal views on the s/t promo CD?

A. We are still in the process of writing at this time. We are possibly going through more line-up changes so no plans have been made yet for recording. It will feature Anemic Swine from the promo, plus another 3-4 new songs and will be released as a demo tape. As for the promo, i dont regret releasing it, but it was extremly rushed and more though, effort and time could have been put into it. But it has still done ok for what it is and helped spread our name.

Self titled promo CD

4 - I recently witnessed you play an awesome live set at the Rites of Abomination show in Auckland. What were your thoughts about your set that night and of the show in general?

A. I thouroughly enjoyed all the other bands at Rites. It was a memorable experiance for me and as a band we took alot from it. As far as our set goes i wasn't entierly satisfied. It was our first show in Auckland and i felt we were rather unprepared for it and my own personal performance i was unhappy with. But we recieved a positive responce so we can't have been as bad as i thought.

Sabbatic Goat playing Rites of Abomination

5 - Has the international exposure of other New Zealand bands such as Diocletian, Witchrist, Heresiarch etc inspired your approach to music? If so how?
Those bands definatly have an effect on us. I have been in contact with a few members from these bands and recieved plently of support and advice from them. Seeing Diocletian and Witchrist at ROA was definatly an inspiration to further ourselves as a band and to stick to what we are doing in hope of one day reaching the same level of international attention as them.

6 - What is your long term vision for Sabbatic Goat? How do you intend to get there?

Sabbatic Goat is mostly a project of mine so im always changing my mind on what i want to do with the band and where i want to take it. So only time will tell. For now all im focused on is achieving a solid line-up and releasing our demo.

7 - Any last words?

Keep your eyes and ears open. We have more to come.

N.B
Sabbatic Goat

Contact Sabbatic Goat Here

Nathan Barrow

Review: Vanargandr - Uralten Todgeist Promo 2011

Vanargandr - Uralten Todgeist Promo 2011

Vanargandr is the solo project of one Wellington based "Fenrirsson". It has been in existence since the mid/late 90s and has been responsible for intro and interlude tracks on albums by Vassafor and Heresiarch.   "Uralten Todgeist Promo 2011" is a taster for the Vanargandr full length CD, which is self described as  it's "Sinister Magnum Opus - a monument to Death Worship".

The sound contained within, could best be described as dark oppressive apocalyptic noise soundscapes. You could probably also use the word "ambient", but it would be kind of like calling a banana a type of apple because it has the fruit label in common. If there is something to anchor Vanargandr against it would be closer to the noise of Merzbow or Whitehouse than anything musical.

This promo contains three tracks of which I can't tell you the full titles of because the track list is printed in light grey against a darker grey back ground (See above), which is probably intentional. Throughout the tracks you are taken across various journeys of impending hopelessness.   Imagine shitting yourself in fear of your life, whilst trapped inside in a giant subterranean concrete pipe as that monster from the movie "Cloverfield" stomps around above you roaring with Tanks and Jets try to bomb the crap out of it. All this combined with additional unidentifiable howls, crashes and low frequency drones from places beyond. That's what I see when listening to the 9 minute long second track.

It's hard to  say what is good and bad about "Uralten Todgeist" rather that it is an experience best had alone in pitch darkness with headphones on.  Vanargandr is truly it's own thing.

A post on the Vanargandr facebook page says "Death monument "Uralten Todgeist" will be available no earlier than April 2012. Paradoxically, while there will be copies pressed, none will be available for sale for money. Limitation will not be disclosed, and all copies will be misnumbered". It's anyones guess what that means and how you would obtain a copy, but I'd say looking here would be a good place to start.

This brings me to the end of the Uralten Todgeist review and to a quick word I wanted to say about the Vanargandr Live show which I recently witnessed here:

While this was still a unique experience, it consisted of Fenrirsson wearing a cloak in a corner on a microphone and not moving for the entire set whilst Vomit, Piss and Torture porn was projected against the wall behind him.  This imagery was powerful, and I still  remember the the text "Miss Iowa 1994" appearing below one of the actresses before indulging in vomit and urine swapping with another unnamed model. But it's effect was to override the fact that there was actually a performance happening.  

There is huge scope in Vanargandr performances to enhance the impact of sound by not only using various moving and still images to reinforce the themes, but for Fenrirsson to enhane it him self by utilising his own presence to add different creative performances of his own.  There is huge opportunity here to shock and get in the audiences face in a way that they will know they have just witnessed Vanargandr!   Just  a thought to consider....

Vanargandr Live at an earlier show in Wellington.

Review: Zombie Inc. - A Dreadful Decease

Zombie Inc. - A Dreadful Decease (Massacre Records)

This has been out for a while now, but it's new to me. "A Dreadful Decease" features ex - Pungent Stench front man Martin Schirenc on Vocals and an awesome Zombie movie theme.

The songs feature thick heavy catchy rhythms, with a huge Swedish/Sunlight production and flashes of Necroticism/Heartwork era Carcass here and there throughout the album.  Nothing new here, just an enjoyable and fun listen or as the album cover says "Ten Evil Tracks Of Horror".    

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