Human Butcher: An interview with Rick Finnegan of Excoriate

What was the first band that dropkicked you in your cabeza and made you realize that metal is law?


Well, it was probably Infernal Majesty. that shit back in the day was just so evil sounding ..........great stuff. 

What was the metal scene like in new London during the 80's?


The metal scene was kicking ass back then. There were shows all the time. Great bands, great people, good times..... 

What or who gave you the initial inspiration to puke all over the mic?


I think it was John La Bossiere, the singer from Sado Massakist. I was playing guitar back then for Sado and watching him made me want to try it so I did and it sounded great so I kept practicing til I had my style of voice down. 

Were there any bands before excoriate that you were involved with?

Yeah,  I was involved with a band called Corpus Delecti then Sado Masakist and then Mortalis. 

What led to the formation of Excoriate and what were the band's long term goals at that time?


What led up to the formation of Excoriate was the demise of 2 great local bands called Blind Hatred and Mortalis. Me and Joe got together with Chris and Rob from Mortalis, figured out a few things and started jamming and we just clicked.  All great guys into the same music and we wanted this to go all the way. We knew we had the correct material to put out and it was comparable to anything back in the day, so we wanted a piece of the death metal pie, lol.

How often did you guys gig and what were some of the bands you guys shared the stage with? Any stand outs?


We were gigging quite often from Jersey to Mass an did some sick ass shows with Putrid Decay, Morpheus (now Morpheus Decends) and those monsters PYREXIA. Great shows. Great turnouts. 

In '92 the band recorded and released the 'Dead Molestation' demo. Looking back almost 20 years later, what are your thoughts on it. Were you pleased with the way that it came out and do you feel that it has stood the test of time?


The production was kinda rough and distorted and kind of disappointing. Couldnt really hear everything but it was what it was and it did the trick and the music was just absolutly crushing and now 20 yrs later, seeing the attention we're getting, I'd have to say it definitley stood the test of time and then some...

During Excoriate's existence who were some of the other bands from CT that you guys had a camradrie with?


There were a few bands around back in the day. Necrofeast, Sado Masakist and a few others.

Could you tell me a little about your fellow Eastern CT deathsters, 'Necrofeast'?


Necrofeast was an awsome band formally known as Decomposed. They made a big mark in this area for a long time then changed their  name for legal reasons. Jesse, my best friend, was the singer and was a great singer (R.I.P. Jesse) and made that band sound just awesome. 

From your perspective, what were the events that led to the break up of Excoriate?


We broke up because Joe got arrested and just started not coming and we just went our separate ways. Now looking back, what a shame it was. Our drummer had 3 requests from 3 different record labels, with Relapse being one of them and 2 other good ones but Chris the drummer was mad at us and never said anything and most of us never saw each other again.

Did you stay involved with the metal scene since then, aside from listening to music, obviously?


Yes. I formed another band called Excessive Behaviour and Man, you guys gotta check this shit out! Death metal at its finest. It's not Excoriate but its some great old school death metal with a new twist to it. It's me, the singer from Sado Masakist and the drummer from Sado. Turned out great.  I'll set you up a link to down load it . 


What does the future hold for the band? Any chance of seeing a re-release of 'Dead Molestation'?

I dont think we will be doing a re-release of Dead Molestation anytime soon. That demo is what it is and now its time for something fresh.   



Are there any plans to work on a full length, perhaps?


Yes, a full length album is the goal we're shooting for and we're well on our way. Our new drummer is slamming and this music is coming together unbelievably. 

Alright Rick, thanks a bunch for your time Brother, any final words for the dying and the damned?


Well, for all you fans sending me all these e-mails and stuff, dont worry, this shit is on its way and will dissappoint none. This new Excoriate will be a fresh shot of sick ass, grotesque, head ripping, skull pounding fucking death metal the way it's meant to be . See you guys soon... Excoriate.

Black Hollow Black: An interview with Johan Jansson of Interment

A lot of attention has gone towards Carnage/Dismember, Grave and of course, Entombed in regards to the early years of Swedish death metal yet there were many more bands out there at the same time, honing their craft such as Crematory, Macrodex/Crypt of Kerberos, Gorement and of course Beyond. Could you shed some light on those times from your perspective as well as the circumstances that led to the formation of Interment?

Hey there! Well, of course all those bands were a big inspiration for us and they still are. When I heard all the old demos with Nihilist, Carnage, Unleashed, Crematory and the albums “Left Hand Path” and “Dark Recollections” for the first time, I was totally sold on Swedish Death Metal. So that’s a big reason why we started to play Death Metal with Beyond that later became Interment…

I understand Autopsy had made a large impression on many Scandinavian death metal bands, what other bands inspired you to form Beyond/Interment?

That’s right, before the Swedish death metal explosion we listened and were inspired of bands like Autopsy, Death, Sadus, Morbid Angel, Celtic Frost, Bathory, Possessed, Destruction, Kreator and Sodom to mention a few…

What were the circumstances that led to the hibernation of the band and what are your thoughts on the state of the death metal scene throughout the mid to late 90's?

The reason why Interment was laid to rest 1994 was mainly lack of inspiration and interest at that time. We were also busy with other bands and have new projects on the way. Michael and I played in Uncurbed then and the same year I joined Fulmination on guitar and I also began to make songs for my new band Dellamorte with Kennet and Mattias Norrman. So it was a natural step to put Interment on ice for a while…

Some of the bands in the death metal scene developed more into death’n’roll and a kind of grunge metal, it was both good and bad I think…

I am very curious to know your thoughts on early American death metal acts such as Magus, Incantation, Rottrevore and others. What is your opinion of that particular style?

I’m very into Incantation, Immolation, and Malevolent Creation etc. I like that kind of American bulldozer death metal!

What are your thoughts on the so called old school "revival" that has sprung fourth as of late? Are there any bands that are "blowing your hair back" these days?

I really enjoy the “old school revival” and that new bands grow up and old bands reunite. My favorites are definitively Tormented, Tyrant, Morbus Chron, Bastard Priest, Brutally Deceased etc…

What does the future hold for Interment and what is the current status of the mighty Moondark?

Right now we are working on new songs for Interment and the plan is to record a new full-length in the beginning of 2012. We have some shows coming up as well… Moondark will record some new stuff for an EP as soon as we can, one track is ready and I have a lot of recorded riffs for more tracks. So prepare for total and cold darkness...

Finally, the fellows in Graveyard (swe) have mentioned that despite their style of music they actually prefer beer over ganja! Is this true for Interment as well? 

Not at all, we prefer Vodka rather than beer and ganja!

Once again, many thanks for your time Johan! Any last words?

Thanx Joshua for the interview and good luck with your blog! For latest news and updates, please check out our websites and support the underground Death metal scene! By the way, we will do our first show ever on American soil at the Rites of Darkness festival, San Antonio TX, 9-11 December and at Maryland Death Fest 2012!!

Cheers!
/Johan & INTERMENT

http://www.interment.se/
http://www.facebook.com/interment

No Longer Silent: An interview with Thomas Pioli of Ceremonium

Not much is said about there being a "regional" sound in Jersey, yet there is an unmistakable thread throughout many of the death metal bands in the area. Listening to bands such as Symphony of Grief, Disma, Solemn, Incantation, Putrifact and Entrapment, the similarities are glaringly obvious. Being from the NY/NJ area, what are your thoughts on the unmistakably crepitus style of death metal in that area? Was it in your conscious to write this way back in the days of Putrefact?

I think its having some coffee thinking plans ahead and saying fuck theres a lot to do! Honestly this is NY, and its one of the most expensive places to live so that can be frustrating. There always some grim shit going on as well. The bands you mentioned had experienced many of the same bands in the underground by tape trading, writing, then going to shows of course. It was definately an authentic time. For me Putrifact was pretty cool. I lived in Brooklyn, and Omar lived in NJ. I would spend weekends at his house hanging out and rehearsing. 

How was it working with Craig Pillard in the early days and what led to the formation of Ceremonium?

I think I met Craig through Incantation. Eventually I toured with them as bassist so I got to know him better. I realized he was also a Putrifact member at a different time than myself and common interests were present. After Putrifact disbanded, I was still working on music and knew I had to get my own band started up. I went out to a show in NJ where Goreaphobia, Ripping Corpse, Demonacy and others played. I struck up conversation with Oscar and Victor and seeing how musical favorites were so similar decided to form Ceremonium. One of the first songs "Incarnated Entity" is actually riffs I was writing with Putrifact. Fast forward several years, releases, and so on and we learned we required a bassist. As I did bass on Into the Autumn Shade word spread around. Craig volunteered his four strings and it became a solid. For this reason we put on the album he was in the band, however he only did a number of shows with us. I would say hes a very talented player and rehearsals were a very comfortable vibe. Since he also done vocals before he pushed Brandon to take on vocals in addition to guitar when that role became needed. It was known Craig have a more in the background role with Ceremonium

Ceremonium

I understand you played alongside current Electric Wizard axewoman, Liz Buckingham in legendary NYC sludge squad, 13. Could you share with me a little bit of the background that led to such an unholy communion and your experiences throughout?

Sure. Good times! I met Alicia and Liz at Lamours when Entombed played. I recall talking doom metal, and while this genre got little notice back in the 90's, I really appreciated it. They asked me to come down to play guitar which I did. I helped write some music which appeared on the Wither 7" ep. 13 did shows in NY, a couple out of state and kept things very sludgey. The rehearsal room was a sardine box, though space is limited in NY. There were some very cool shows with Brutal Truth, Pungent Stench, Grief, etc. It was just not right after disbanding, everybody went their way. I contacted the two girls to see where the compilation album often spoke of stands, and get no response. I know they went through personal hardships, however chances come around to step up, and they never did with me. Im left in the dark now. 

Around the same time, roughly, you were also involved in the black metal band, Hemlock. What were the circumstances that led to your contribution?

This was in the late 90s while in Ceremonium. I had evil stuff I wanted to create which didnt fall in Ceremoniums realm. I spoke with other Ceremonium mebers, Lino and Brandon about doing a black metal band. Some rough demos were made with a drum machine I think, then got in touch with His Eminence the Wicked who I'd known years before that with local death metal band Porphyria. I urged him to pick up his drum sticks again and alas Hemlock had a drummer. I think Dan Lilker lived in the area and somehow it crossed our minds to ask him to play. Once the loyalty was reached, Hemlock became a working unit. I enjoyed having this creative outlet. Everybody was inspired by the greats like Bathory, Celtic Frost, Mercyful Fate, Dark Throne and everybody contributed. It helped that Balth had his own Smoke, Grind, Sleep studio gear set up so we recorded our own albums except for the split with Black Army Jacket which I still think is a killer production. At one point, I needed a break from music, and stepped out of both Ceremonium and Hemlock. Years later I still speak to some of them, not all due to certain friction. I think the unholiness was the real thing and people should try tracking down those albums

How were you able to juggle all of these bands including your commitment to Ceremonium?

It was definitely hectic. The passion and drive was there which made it worryfree. Like I said we were always hanging out, drinking, partying outside rehearsals, shows so the vibes were fine. Ceremonium and Hemlock were two different beasts despite sharing members. Both bands were on indie labels so there was never any pressure. Writing took its course and many shows were played with both bands. 

What were the events that led to the eventual demise of Ceremonium?

It was sometime after "No Longer Silent" was put out. Ceremonium were spreading promos around to labels due to something else falling through. Rather than waiting, I took it upon myself to release it through Destro Records which I just formed. It added more responsibility for me though I did well at it. After a while Id say the band and myself became somewhat wrecked and gave the band a rest. Just that feeling youve been around someone so long its the relationship status on a rocky road. A few years later, I spoke with Brandon and Chris about playing again. We got a new bass player, Bryan and recorded a three song promo and did some shows. The response was very good to this material and the band played cool places again like Wetlands in NY for a small fest and Lamours these establishments that so many great acts did themselves. Soon it was realized the drive wasnt what it once had been and Ceremonium broke up again. Ideas were made to other members by me to do something again though it was more nightmare than anything

13

Sometime after you were involved with New York's Obliteration. How did that come about and what became of that band?

In 2003 I was going to school and met Jose, Obliterations vocalist. I wasnt so interested to start something up again, though egged on by him it happened. As I was also moving forward with Destro Records and other releases, I knew Cesar who was helping me out. I told him pick up your guitar were doing death metal. This was more aggressive death metal than I previously done with a black edge. Obliteration recorded the 2003 demo, changed vocalists twice and couldnt keep it together. Again some great clubs were hit, Lamours, Dingbats, and met Dying Fetus, Hell-born, Misery Index, all great experiences. 

OK, now I understand that you also contributed to that ever revolving door of band members, Incantation, as a live guitarist. care to share your experiences there?

Well the door is a good way to put out. it opens then watch out for the falling paint bucket. Overall they were killer times, having done a tour as bassist in the US, and another as guitarist in Brazil. Its hard to say positive things about the way John and company handle or mishandle things. Ive done my part and did my best to see things straight with them. I cant waste time on negative energy. 

How did the idea for Destro Records come up and what were/are your intentions with it?

As I said before it was my idea after Ceremonium recorded "No Longer Silent." It was a spontaneous idea thinking someone should really believe in this album. Of course this must be true of everything I promote. Dedication to underground metal is first and foremost and wanting people to hear the great bands out there is very rewarding. Its hit obstacles along the way. As long as I have fun doing it I will continue. 

You've told me in the past that the Holt/Hunolt team was a big inspiration on your writing techinque. What were/are some other bands that you cull inspiration from?

Yes definitely! I think Pleasures of the Flesh has incredible duel guitars although many favor Bonded by Blood. Having a chance to hang with Exodus on a tour bus, then have them invite Hemlock to play CBGB, is amazing. There are so many. early Metallica, Slayer, Mercyful Fate, Iron Maiden, Queensryche, Death, Crematory, Demigod, Immolation, Morbid Angel, Autopsy, Paradise Lost, Black Sabbath, Dismember, Anathema, Carcass, the list goes on

What's currently spinning on the record player at the Pioli residence? Any suggestions?

Just looking at the stacks by me, Znowhite, Goreaphobia, Watain, Dark Throne, Impiety, Obituary, Pink Floyd, October 31, Dead Can Dance

Hemlock

Any chance of resurrecting Ceremonium?

No doubtful. I just dont see it happening or reason to. Ive been putting together Thevetat, a brutal death metal band lately. Ive talked with a few awesome players and written some of the best music Ive done yet. Im anxious to get the ball rolling with it, and this is priority for me. 

Alright Tom, thank you so much for taking time out and answering these questions! Any last words for the damned?

Leaving me to guide the damned is a sign the end is near. I just want to say the Ceremonium "Dreams We Have Written" double discography album will be out by Weird Truth Productions soon. The label has pushed it back several times though assures me its almost complete. I think it will be appreciated by all involved and those that embraced it from the beginning of course. I hope to show the world more unholiness by Thevetat soon. Check out Destro Records and continue supporting underground metal.

Mortuary Science: An interview with Jason Hildebrand of Cemetery Earth

What were the beginnings of the band and what year did you guys form?

The band was formed from the ashes of Hazarax, a thrash band that started in ’87 and I joined in ’89 from Levittown, PA.. We parted ways with our drummer and bassist in Hazarax in ’90 and founded Cemetery Earth with the three remaining members, myself, guitarist Ron Wojcik and vocalist Jack Gannon. Once we got our new bassist Chris Gatto and drummer Kris Kwiatowski (who was 16 when he joined) we went full-on Death Metal. Officially, Cemetery Earth was a band in early ’91.


What was the metal scene in Philly like in those days, in particular, the death metal scene?

The death metal scene in Philly was something we just started getting involved in towards the end of the Hazarax days. We hung in the parking lot of the great old Philly club ‘The Empire’ before shows and saw a lot of killer bands roll through there. We met our manager at the time Anne Bowman there and she introduced us to the scene, basically. We caught the beginning of the wave of Death Metal at the time in late ’89 and got to see great bands form in a few short years like Goreaphobia, Necrotion, Lesch Nyhan, and Crucifier. The latter two bands weren’t from Philly, but were near enough to be included in the small but talented scene at the time.

What/who were the primary influences on Cemetery Earth? What were you jamming out to back then?

I know the other guys liked some similar bands I’m about to mention, but for me as one of the primary song writers in the band I was extremely influenced by some particular albums/demos. First it was Death’s ‘Scream Bloody Gore’. For almost two years I wore tapes out of that album. Then what turned me into a full-fledged Death Metal freak was the year 1989. Pestilence’s ‘Consuming Impulse’, Napalm Death’s ‘Mentally Murdered’ EP, Defecation’s ‘Purity Dilution’, and of course Entombed’s ‘Left Hand Path’. 

How often did you guys play out and how far outside of Philly did you get to play? 

We didn’t travel all that much. One fest in Rhode Island towards the end, we’re close to New Jersey and Delaware so we played some clubs around the tri-state area. Mainly, we played a hell of a lot of great shows in two clubs. G. Willikers in Pennsauken NJ., and The Cell Block in Bensalem, PA.. Many bands now considered legendary rolled through those two clubs, and we got to open for a lot of them. 

What were some highlights?

Playing with a lot of bands that were in their infancy from the PA/NJ/NY area like Cannibal Corpse (who were still in NY at the time), all the ‘-tion’ bands from NY/NJ like Apparition, Immolation, Incantation, Suffocation. Some of these bands didn’t even have their first album out at the time.

George ‘Corpsegrinder’ Fisher was originally from NJ, he was in a band in the early 90’s called ‘Corpsegrinder’ oddly enough. He wore a fishing hat on stage, and his guitarist played a Telecaster with no shoes on. He told me one time when I saw him on the CC ‘Gallery of Suicide’ tour, not to tell anyone about those days (jokingly), but there it is. His secret is out. Haha.

I know CE has been compared to Crematory (swe), how do you feel about that comparison?

I fuckin’ WORSHIP Crematory man. Their demo ‘Wrath from the Unknown’ is a work of perfection as far as real Death Metal was concerned, in my humble opinion. To be compared to a band like that is a high compliment. It made me proud! That fruity German goth band should be drawn and quartered for sullying that great band name. 

What led to the eventual demise of the band and could you tell me a little bit about 'Mourn Thy Passing'?

If there ever was a bad mistake made, it was when we decided to give in and change the name of our band. But by then, it really didn’t matter because the band was in the shitter anyway. The name change came about because of our former ‘label’ - if you can call it that. ‘JL America’ to be exact. We were stoked to be labelmates with the mighty Morpheus Descends, and a few other bands, but weren’t hearing good things about the label’s status at the time of our ‘signing’. 

One of the bands they had just signed before us was Skeletal Earth, from AL.. They didn’t want two ‘- Earth’ bands on their roster so we gave in. Fuckin’ dumb move. Our shit luck then surfaced when the label went belly up right before the pressing of the album we self-financed. That soured our drummer’s outlook, and he split for college. Imagine that shit! We never found a suitable replacement, then our vocalist Jack left to join Deteriorate before their second album. We folded for good not long after.

I know you've been involved in quite a few things since Cemetery Earth including your current band, 'Dead in the Face', could you shed some light on these accomplishments

After the demise of Cemetery Earth, I took a nap creatively for a while. About five or six years later I joined Funeral Mask, who had Ron Wojcik on guitar as well. That lasted a few years and two EP’s, then in 2003 I formed Dead in the Face, my current project. My brother Justin is a beast of a drummer, so we finally hooked up in a band after all these years, then Ron decided to switch from guitar to bass, now we’re a four piece rounded out with our vocalist John Williams. We’re looking to record our fourth CD soon.


What have the other guys been up to in the years since?

Our drummer Kris is the only one I don’t know too much about, but college did him good it seems. He lives in Hawaii now I believe. Our bassist Chris Gatto is running his own construction business and raising a family. Our singer Jack Gannon is still involved in music. Most notably for his Black Noise project ‘T.O.M.B.’. Our singer Bundy is raising a family and is still involved in the occasional project. I hope to work with him again one day. Of course, Ron and I still have DitF.

What have you been listening to these days? What bands are blowing your hair back? Any suggestions?

Lately as far as Death Metal goes, Akercocke, The Cleansing, Hail of Bullets, Hooded Menace, Nader Sadek and Squash Bowls. And just this week I got turned on to a killer grind band from Finland called Death Toll 80k. I can’t get enough of crust/grind bands! As far as other genres, Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord and of course the mighty Godflesh still blow my mind every time I hear them.


Alright Jason, I sincerely appreciate you taking the time out of your day to shed some light on one of death metal's best kept secrets , any final words?

Absolutely! Thanks for the interview, it brought up memories I haven’t thought about in quite a while. That’s what it was always about and always will be with Death Metal. No bullshit, just love for the music and what comes along with it! Good luck on this blog man, some TRUE shit on here so far, glad to be a part of it!!! HAILS! \,,/


Check out Jason's band 'Dead in the Face' here.

Sadistic Intentions: An interview with Bill Mears of Accidental Suicide

Around what year was Accidental formed and how old was the average age of the band at the time? What kind of relationship did you guys have with one another before the formation of the band?


We formed back in March of '89. I was 17 ,Ed and Travis were 18 , Chris was I think 14 . He was just a pup i know that and i believe Eric was 14 or 15. Ed and Travis had been friends since they were kids. The rest of us had all not known one another very long at all.

What were your influences back then and what was the scene like in Milwaukee in the 80’s/early 90’s?


Me personally , I was into Death ,Obituary, Morbid Angel, Paradise Lost etc. As for the scene in Milwaukee, well, support of death metal sucked ass. Unless you were a cover band and played mainstream music , you were pretty much fucked! Although so damn good death metal bands came out. Viogression, Dr. Shrinker, Phantasm, etc. 

How did your signing to Grindcore Records come about and what wa your experience with them like?


Really being with Grindcore was basically by default. Deaf/Peaceville Records were who we were signed with and Grindcore was pretty much american distribution and contact for us. my dealings with them went well.

One of the greatest and most unique aspects of Accidental’s style was the bands ability to drop the tempo and conjure fourth the heaviest riffs imaginable. Was it intentional on behalf of the guitarists to incorporate such doomy elements into the song structure or was it an unconscious endeavor?


The best way I can answer that is simply were wrote what we wanted to hear. i guess it was what felt natural and right to us. It was all about atmosphere. 

Who was the mastermind behind the grisly cover art for ‘Deceased’?


Eddie drew the cover. He"s as good an artist as he is vocalist. Also the cover was painted by a guy in England. His name escapes me at the moment. Sorry dude

I understand Ed (vocals) was in an accident some time after the release of the album. What were the circumstances surrounding this and in what way did it affect the band?


Actually Eddie's car accident happen shortly after we started recording Deceased. He fell asleep at the wheel and tried to take out a big ass tree. He sustained multiple injures , some of which were serious in nature. The whole ordeal I feel pulled us closer as a band . To this day I consider him a brother to me and couldn't have imagined doing Accidental with anybody else.

Until recently it was a largely unknown fact that there is a wealth of unreleased Accidental material out there including an EP and an unmixed album. Why were these songs thrown on the back burner and is there any chance to see them properly released in the near future?


Well the first and foremost reason is just flatout laziness. When we parted ways with Deaf records we continued to go into the studio and self finance sessions. I am left with so much regret with not shopping the last stuff we recorded around. In my opinion we were another level with death metal then. I'm not saying we were the best because i don't believe that but those last recording no one was doing that kind of shit.

What were the events that led to the eventual demise of the band?


That's a great question. I wish I could give you a straight answer. We just slowly started slowly dropping off . First Steve then Chris and then we decide it's not Accidental anymore ,so fuck it!

I understand you and Ed have been working on a new project together. Can you shed some light on this for us?


Yes. Eddie, myself, Bryan Jaeger from Viogression, and Jimmy Casper started jamming a few months back. It's awesome to be playing and writing again. The name of the band is "Of Sorrow". Heavy ass shit! As soon as we have something laid down , we"ll post it.

What are your thoughts on the recent re-discovery of the band and its growing popularity due to the internet?


It fucking blows my mind and is very flattering. I'm glad true death metal as a whole has resurfaced and started getting the credit it has so long deserved.

Alright Bill, thanks a bunch for your time and for being gracious enough to answer these questions, any last words for the damned?


Thanks to all the have supported the band throughout the years. Josh, to be doing this interview for you, a true fucking fan is an honor and privilege. Stay in touch bro!

Dark Grey Epoch: An Interview with Ronnie Ripper

What was the first band that turned you into a raging metal maniac. The one that made you go, "holy fucking shit, what the hell is this??!!"

-Well, the first band to really hit me like a ton of bricks was of course Motörhead with the “Ace of spades” album back in the early 80:es. Later on this went into Venom and Sodom and the likes there of so it’s hard to really pinpoint what band had the most influence on my life. Since my vocals sound like they do and I play distorted bass it’s easy to say what trinity created who I am today, that’s of course Venom, Sodom and Motörhead.

At what point did you begin to flirt with the notion of singing in the "death metal" style and could you give me a little background on the formation of 'Vomitory'?

- We started Vomitory in late 1989 and headed for the Sodom-style but soon enough after that we got in touch with the Swedish death metal underground and got hooked right away. I started growling right at the start I reckon but I didn’t even know it had a name, it was just the way it was supposed to be done. The Vomitory constellation was a trio from the start and soon we realized that I had to choose either bass or vocals to move on so we got a separate bassplayer, that also pushed us into getting a second guitarist and all of a sudden we had the sound they still carry on delivering. I left the band in January 1997 due to personal differences and that’s that I guess. I growled on all demos, first EP and the first CD before that.

In my opinion, there are precious few who could contend with your vocals on 'Raped in their own Blood'. To this day, those are some of the most hateful and commanding vox known to Man. What, then, led to your decision to abandon that style and the eventual split from the Vomitory lads?

- Oh my, big words there! I didnt nothing out of the ordinary if you ask me, it was just supposed to be pure death metal and that’s my version of it, there was not too much skill or technique behind it really, I just aimed for the coolest noises I could spew out and the rest is for the listener to judge if it was good or not. For about 13 years no one ever seemed to have an idea that I was even once in that band but lately I have got some real fucking praise for my time there and it sure makes it all worth the while. I left the band in January 1997 due to personal differences and that’s that I guess. I growled on all demos, first EP and the first CD before that. I never really left growling behind, it was just not part of the plan after that point, these days I am halfway back into it in some ways but I doubt I will ever do what I did in Vomitory again.

Could you share with me a bit of the history of Gehennah and what the future holds for that band?

- Gehennah was started in March 1992 and was supposed to play Venom covers exclusively but after just a few moments we realized we were too bad musicians to pull it off and our attempts to pick out their riffs turned into our own material. As time went by we got more and more into just promoting booze and violence and all of a sudden we found ourselves being drunks playing for beer instead of a band getting beers for playing gigs. We were signed in 1994 to a small Swedish label and “Hardrocker” was a fact. Out of that we got signed to Osmose and the rest is kinda common knowledge by now as it seems. We disbanded in 2008 but got back together this summer and that’s all we know. We are back but what it means is for the future to tell. We have a few gigs planned but regarding recordings or whatever is still to be revealed even for us.

How did your stint with the black metal project 'Grinning Moon' come about and whatever became of it?

- Ah man, why and where the hell did you dig up this dirt??? Grinning Moon is not only a crappy name for a band, it was a crappy experiment to try on black metal. One fun detail is though that a few of the songs from there ended up on the first Gehennah demo. The G.M. demo was only released in perhaps 5 copies, I really don’t remember the whole story even.

Could you give me a little information in regards to the little known outfit, 'Upon the Cross'?

- Actually, no… I don’t know where you find all this weird info but Upon the Cross was a local band that to my knowledge never played a gig or even did more than recording a demo and they asked me to growl a few lines. It’s not really worth knowing even, it was a fun moment but the band disappeared and I haven’t even thought of it until now in many years…

Turbocharged: In your words...

- Turbocharged is a thrash band with strong punk feel to it if you listen to the reviews. We have adopted everything we find cool in any band from any genre and we do it as hard as we can basically. We have been around since March 2000 and was a trio in the beginning and then expanded into a five piece unit with several member changes. We strayed from the thrash vein for a few years due to members not familiar to it (small town, you take what you find) and we played some kind of raw and rough rock and roll for a while. After losing the dead weight in 2008 we really started finding our true calling again. We recorded two demos before we got signed to polish label Hellrocker Records for a vinyl edition. Later on we also got signed for the CD version by Mexican label Chaos Records. We are currently trying to find gigs and meanwhile writing a second album. I wish I had more to say about us but the story is still being written so you all should keep your eyes open for our name, you just might see more of it in the future.

Gehennah

I understand you've been hammering away at a relatively new metal/rock project entitled, 'Ronnie Ripper's Private War'. How did the idea for this come about and what can we expect from this?

- Actually, this was never an idea, it just created itself due to problems in the band. I had too many riffs and lyrics laying around so I got this home studio gear and started making what I thought was demo versions for myself to remember the damn thing. All of a sudden I saw that I kept writing new stuff instead of just the intended songs and I came up with the name just to name the folder on my computer where I put the mixes. I mentioned it to someone and was asked to send a few songs and there you go. The guy behind Bottom Records, who released the CD, was one of the first to hear it and I got such a positive feedback I kept on recording new stuff. On the CD there are 20 songs picked from three virtual MP3-albums and I still have two or three more of those not yet finished laying around. We’ll see if I ever finish them, RRPW only exists when I have too much time on my hands, ha ha.

As a veteran metal head who's weathered many trends and seen many fellow soldiers come and go, what are your thoughts on the current state of it all?

- Well, it’s not 1988 anymore, we can all agree on that… But I gotta say that I think the scene has become more like it was in the early 90:es lately than it was ten years ago. I don’t know even why I say that but vinyl is being pressed in larger numbers again and the cassette demos are once again being mailed around the globe. Maybe I have just been isolated out here in the woods but I find it refreshing to see all this again despite all the digital progress out there. I myself is no major collector anymore, I don’t have the time, money or room for such things these days with my son and all but I still have it in my soul so to speak. The sad part is seeing all these shitty genres that pops out of the ground that keeps mixing metal with all sorts of disgusting styles but you can also easily avoid it too so why even bother? They are just shit under our marching boots…

The end of the world: Impending or over blown hype?

- Part of me really looks forward to see what the end of the Aztec calendar is all about but I’m sure nothing will happen. Although, looking at all that happens around the world these days with floods and starvation and all, it fits the profile of nature rebooting itself so who knows, maybe they were spot on after all? 7 billion people on this planet might have been the golden limit to when we all have to perish…

What's currently spinning on the turntable over at the Ripper household? Any suggestions for the viewers?

- Besides the old classic Venom albums I have a few new faves spinning right now, like Violentor (Ita), Eat my fuk, and some others. I have to mention the latest Autopsy of course, that album was an instant classic!!

Alright Ronnie, thanks a million for your time, any last words for the dead and the damned?

- Thanks for your interest, bro! Well, I am probably supposed to say something clever and thoughtful here now and no matter how I would try you’d all still be disappointed in me so let’s keep it simple… Keep your eyes peeled for more noise from this bastard, as long as I still stand I will make sure to shout out my non-P.C. messages far and wide! Cheers one and all, see you in the pit!

Chronicle of the Shadowed One: An interview with Rob Yench of Morpheus Descends/Mausoleum

Can you give us a brief history of Morpheus leading up to the name change and perhaps a perspective of the scene in the Middletown, NY area, or lack thereof?

In 1990 when we formed Morpheus, the most popular band in Middletown was the almighty "Prime Evil", we were all good friends and played our first few shows with them. One at a warehouse party in Middletown, soon after that we played again with them and with Morbid Angel in Poughkeepsie NY, Morbid Angel was on tour for A.O.M. It was a great time for metal as it was starting now starting to recognize death metal as a genre, thrash's interest level to fans was starting to dwindle off as a scene/genre. We were the first band in our area that was "officially" dubbing ourselves as Death Metal band. We soon started meeting lots of other bands and people that shared the same specific desire to play Death Metal. It was not long before we were playing shows out of state and with other NY bands, friends like Mortician, Decomposed, Immolation, Malicious Onslaught, Suffocation, Sorrow and Mutilation. It was a a great time to be part of something new. We played tons of shows with so many bands signed and unsigned just too many too list.

What were the primary influences of the band at the time? 

Pestilence, Obituary, Death, Autopsy, Napalm Death Carcass and Black Sabbath are the strongest ones that come to mind at this moment. But everything coming out at that time was being hungrily consumed by all of us.

I remember seeing an ad for ‘Chronicles of the Shadowed Ones’ in a Relapse catalog years ago an next to the CD title it read “New York Death Metal, Yo” and I always thought that was a little off as in my opinion Morpheus played a more blasphemous version of death metal closer in style to Incantation and Immolation rather than the more slam oriented stuff like Internal Bleeding. What are your thoughts on this and was there any camaraderie amongst the bands in the Jersey/NY area?

Well to be honest I think the "yo" reference was more a NY thing, if you talked to any one of the NY bands even to this day I am sure you hear "yo" many times, it’s part of the accent. But as it relates to MORPHEUS DESCENDS, I would say that we had a foot in both sides of the emerging NY Death Metal scene, dark music generally and the subject matter equally dark. We still had some of that NYHC influence from our past lives in us too. We were always good friends with all the bands we ever played with, especially most of the NY/NJ/CT/PA bands.

Morpheus Descends

The early 90’s seemed like a field with landmines scattered throughout in the guise of rip off labels such as ‘Seraphic Decay’, ‘Wild Rags’ and so on. What was your experience with the infamous Turbo/JL America like? 

I think at the time we were happy enough to have someone release our stuff on 7" like Seraphic Decay and put the time into making the packaging something cool, it was much better than making our own dubbed demos and mailing them everywhere, this is long before the internet. Also it got the band and our music in places and scenes that we would have never reached solely on our own. Now that original Morpheus 7" is 21 years old and is a worthy part of any classic metal head's 7" collection. As far as Wild Rags, we traded some stuff with them and didn’t really have any other business with them. JL/Turbo was again a opportunity to get the music out to more people again. The entire “ROI “CD is a collection of recordings the band had done in a 2 to 3 year time span. It was like one day we got a call from the owner of JL saying “We want to put your stuff out and we have great distribution, etc etc. So again it may not have been the "ultra" cool record deal that some bands landed with cooler labels, but on the up-side of the deal, JL did like 10,000 CD, 5000 cassettes at that time. That is more people than we would have ever reached. By today's standards that is mega good!! I met many people touring in all the bands I have played in ( Morpheus Descends, Incantation & Typhus), it's has always been a great honor for me to hear someone say that "ROI" was one of the first CDs they ever got that was Death Metal, or that Morpheus Descends was one of their first exposures to Death Metal. Some die hard still bring Morpheus / Morpheus Descends around for me to sign, I always have appreciated this, it is one of the highest forms of compliment. \m/

Around the time I had met you at Bloodstock in Newburgh Tom (Nokturnel) Stevens was fronting the band on guitar/vocals. What had happened to the previous lineup and how was it working with Tom?

The original lineup when we were Morpheus changed when Craig our first vocalist left the band. Then a year later Steve left, then it wasn’t much longer after that Ken left the band as well. One this occurred, that significantly changed the face of the band, if we had not already changed just changed the name to Morpheus Descends, we should have anyway. It was a different band after, and was different a vibe than "Morpheus". Sam and I were the roots of the Morpheus Descends and we had teamed up with Jeff Reimer of Decomposed right before Ken left the band. I think for most of the guys, they could not or choose not to be in a band that was rehearsing 3- 4 nights a week. Also playing dozens of shows a year, this does consume a lot of time and for some, they get burnt out on it. Sam and I then brought in our friends Andy and Brian from Indiana's Subconscious to join MORPHEUS DESCENDS and to finish recording COTSO and to continue to play shows. When Brian returned home to Indiana we asked "Mot Snevets "aka Tom Stevens to join the band. When we parted ways with Jeff, Tom just stepped in, that is how the lineup for out final recording HOTT came about. We played shows with that lineup until about the end of 1995, I felt this was the strongest lineup we ever had. Sometimes I ponder what else we could have achieved with this line up, I love all incarnations of the MORPHEUS DESCENDS but I think that lineup was the one that could have taken the band to the next level, whatever that was. \m/

It was always a pleasure working with Tom in Morpheus Descends, Brimstone, and Exile and when I joined Incantation we toured for a while with Daniel Corchado (The Chasm) fronting the band, but when we supported Morbid Angel on the "Formulas Fatal to the Flesh", we asked Tom to sell merchandise for us, but this also had another purpose. He was also learning all the tour songs because Daniel had announced to us at the start of the tour, he was leaving to play with The Chasm at Milwaukee Metal Fest. I knew Tom with his ability, could jump in handle the guitar and vocals for Incantation. He stepped up and we finished the tour and several others ones. I would much enjoy working with Tom again.

Shortly after the release of the stellar ep ‘The Horror of the Truth’, MORPHEUS DESCENDS seemed to have faded into obscurity. What happened and did Toms joining Incantation have anything to do with this? 

The Horror of The Truth was the point where I feel Morpheus Descends developed a more matured sound, reminiscent of COTSO but faster and more intricate song structures. I would have loved to record a full length at that time with that lineup and mindset. 
In Morpheus Descends we stopped communicating and things fell apart. While this was going on, Andy, Tom and I recorded and black thrash project "Brimstone", then Tom moved to Florida and Andy returned to Indiana. Before things totally stopped with MORPHEUS DESCENDS, Tom and I recorded a two song demo. It had a track we did for the Venom tribute on Dwell Records “Angel Dust" and an original, ”The Forbidden Path of Unthinkable Evil". Eric the ex drummer from Nokturnel played drums for us. On that session.
Turn the clock 14 years later, and Sam and I got together at my studio in western PA. We played about 8-9 MORPHEUS DESCENDS songs together and it was amazing. We still played off of each other and it was surprising how well we got through all of the songs. It was a great experience and I hope sometime down the road we can possibly do something together again. We are keeping the lines of communication open and that is always a good start.

Mausoleum

Speaking of Incantation, I’m more than curious to know of your experience in that band during ‘The Infernal Storm’ era. How much did you contribute to the writing process and what led to you eventually bowing out of the band? How did your involvement in the mighty Mausoleum come about?

I joined Incantation when Diabolical Conquest had just been released, we went on tour right away and did so for the next 2 years. Just like in past Incantation lineups, we suffered several member changes, (after all incantation has had more members than even Napalm Death). Anyway, John and I became the "core" of the band for a while and that is when we began writing the material for Infernal Storm. We also negotiated a new contract with Relapse Records, the previous line ups had owed Relapse for things that they did for the band over time. I did not want this to apply to the new lineup, so Relapse wrote it up like a brand new band, and a brand new agreement. I had a lot of input on this record and also in the studio, I wrote most of the lyrics and about half of the music, and helped run much of the band business at that time. I do not regret the time I spent in Incantation, I got to meet a lot of good friends and had a great time while we were performing all over. In 2001 my interest level dwindled, the new music John had written with Kyle who had returned into the fold, I found uninteresting and it was hard for me to get behind the project whole heartedly, the music had no input from Mike Saez and I. When I conveyed my concerns, all this did was strain my already growing tumultuous relationship with the John and Kyle. The move was to include me less on the writing process and keep my in the dark about many subjects. Now after handling much of the affirs for the last 4 years and living on a shoe string and not believing in the new music, I left the group in 2001 right before they left to record "Blasphemy", After that my relationship with members of Incantation became estranged. I did decided to stay in PA where Incantation was based, rather than returning back to NY again. I re-connected with another ex-member of Incantation Rick "Slim" Boast, Slim had played drums for us on the AngleCorpse / Krisiun tour in 1999. We stilled shared the same interests in metal and in 2001 we formed Mausoleum with some guys Slim had played with in a band called "Necrotomie". We have been a band ever since and without the revolving door lineups of past endeavors. We wanted to just play early death metal and not try to re-invent anything. Just play early sounding death metal and be true to ourselves and our likes and interests.



What bands are “blowing your hair back” these days? Any suggestions?

Repuked, Anatomia, Kommandant , Nader Sadek and Ghost would be the ones that come to mind the fastest right now. I listen to a lot of music and only a small portion of it right now is new bands. I have such a nice collection of stuff that I just can’t ignore and I play many blasts from the pasts. I listen to a lot of Stern too and that kills many hours in my day as well. \m/




As a tried and true old school warrior who’s been there from the start and weathered many a trend, I’m curious to know what your thoughts are on the current old school “revival” that’s sprung up as of late.

It is a cycle that occurs in Metal that something old becomes something new, etc, etc. I do not persecute people for sounding like their influences. Mausoleum is not reinventing the wheel either, we formed and shaped what we sounded like around the same Influences and feelings we had when we formed our earlier bands Morpheus/Morpheus Descends, or when we formed projects like Brimstone and Exile. This "revival" movement will pass as well and I am sure people will be more into something else again. I support any band that plays what they feel best expresses the music inside their heads. Also to have the talent to execute it in the way that it needs to be conveyed deserves respect.

Alright Rob, mega thanks for taking some time out to do this Brother! Any last words for the damned?

Many thanks to you brother \m/ and to the good times we had in our previous metal lives \m/ Please check out any of the bands I play in, Mausoleum, Typhus and Pithfork, I am working on some other projects that I hope work out too. People who use this fucking Facebook shit should get in touch with me there \m/ Mausoleum is playing our first shows ever, 10 years together in NYC & Brooklyn in about a week, 2 Nights of Zombiecult Death Metal \m/www.thezombiecult.us