Interview with death metal band from United States - PUTRESCENT.
Recenze/review - PUTRESCENT - Darkness Embraced (2025):
Ave PUTRESCENT! Greetings to the underground. I hope everything is going well for you. It should be, since you have your first full-length album of your career out this year. I must admit that it literally blew me away. It's dark, energetic, and cuts like a sharp knife. It's clear that you've done a great job and that you have a lot of talent. How do you perceive the new album in relation to your debut "Inhuman Infestation"? Where did you want to go and how do you think the recordings differ?
As for the recording process, it was different because of the energy we devoted leading up to the release. We had spent a year polishing these songs so the recording process was much more smoother and precise. We really did have a lot of fun recording it.
"Darkness Embraced" has all the attributes of good death metal. For me personally, it's an album I love to come back to. How did it come about? How does PUTRESCENT compose new material?
We all take pride in different portions. The main composer for the guitar riffs and lyrics is Dixie. Fransico writes solos, Demitri writes bass lines and Abraham writes his own drum beats.
I found out that Erol Ulug was responsible for the recording and mixing. I have to say that the sound is literally killer. It keeps making me turn up the volume on my hi-fi system. Erol Ulug created a sound that is cruel, raw, dark, and animalistic. How was it working with him and why did you choose him? Which studio did you record in and how did everything go?
We actually recorded with Allen Falcon from birdcage studios, mixing and mastering took place with Erol Ulug. It was a great and smooth process with both recording and the mix and masters due to us working previously with Allen recording the inhuman infestation EP and us being so familiar with Erol’s work they knew what we had envisioned in aspects of sound, clarity and rawness during recording and mix and mastering.
An integral part and a kind of bonus for fans today is the LP. You released it on Rotted Life Records and it has a mysterious cover. Who designed it? How did you choose the motif and how does it relate to the music on the new album?
The artist of the cover is Melbourne based Stewart Cole also known as “rotten realm” on Instagram! We reached out to him because we loved the work he did for of feather and bone album ‘sulfuric disintegration’. When we reached out we gave him the lyrics of the song ‘darkness embraced’ and we explained that would also be the name to the album as well and we let him have the creative freedom he envisioned through out lyrics.
I've been wandering the underworld for over thirty years, and I go to California for music because I know I'll find what I'm looking for. I think we have a similar nature and taste when it comes to metal. I really like your bands and follow your scene closely. Maybe I envy you a little, because we only have a few death metal bands that are worth mentioning. How do you explain the fact that death metal is so successful in your country? How do you perceive your scene, fans, and labels?
I think it’s successful because a lot of us in the death metal scene in Los Angeles are mutual friends which help with creative influences. We definitely go out to support the shows our local bookers throw as we do meet bands from other cities who are traveling to play in Los Angeles.
You play old-school-influenced death metal. Today, bands can't avoid comparisons, but I'd be interested to know how the idea to form PUTRESCENT came about, who your role models were and are, and where you want to take your band. Are you attracted to big international festivals, are you willing to tour with a more famous band?
We definitely would like to plan our first international festival soon. Our goal is definitely to create a wider ranging audience by playing these international festivals whether it’s in Europe, South America/North America and even Asia. Definitely a dream to tour and open for a more famous band in the death metal world.
When I started my website seven years ago, I had a vision that I would try to support bands that I felt weren't getting enough attention. To let the world know about them. I think I'm doing pretty well, at least according to the feedback. How do you approach promotion? Do you leave it to the label, or do you send CDs out for reviews yourself? I buy albums that I really enjoy. How about you? Are you also fans who like to support your colleagues often? Do you go to concerts? Do you party?
As for the album we definitely had support from the label’s PR team and our friends who are also fellow musicians in the Los Angeles scene have been pushing our album through their social media. We definitely go to support our local promoter's shows and our colleagues' shows when they’re playing locally as well.
On the one hand, today's new bands have a lot of opportunities to make themselves known, but on the other hand, there are so many bands that fans get lost in the crowd. A lot of people just download MP3s from the internet and instead of going to concerts, they prefer to spit venom on Facebook. How does modern technology influence you as PUTRESCENT? What do you think about downloading music, Google metalists, streaming music, etc.?
I think streaming services and modern technology help a ton with underground bands getting discovered by a fan. Especially if they pop up on a shuffle playlist they have, it gives them an opportunity to go back and look over their page. Definitely easier access to discover underground music through streaming, youtube, forums etc.
I like to ask musicians what death metal means to them. How would they define it, is it more of a philosophy and lifestyle for them or "just" relaxation. What does it mean to you? How do you perceive and experience it?
Death metal is definitely a style of extreme music that we all enjoy to listen to, write and play. Experiencing it in forms of live music can be inspiring in terms of what style of death metal that we enjoy listening to.
Finally, a classic but important question. What does PUTRESCENT have planned for the coming months? Where can we see you in concert and when will you be visiting Europe? If you want to say something to your fans, labels, or promoters, here's your chance..
Putrescent will be having a couple of local shows and will be having a record release show in these upcoming months, please be on the lookout on us playing any future shows through our instagram @putrescentdeathmeal. As for planning something for Europe we will make that happen, hopefully within the upcoming year or so, also thank you to all of our fans who have been enjoying and blasting darkness embraced!
Thank you very much for the interview. I wish you every success with your new album and hope that your fan base grows as much as possible. I look forward to seeing you live somewhere and wish you all the best, both musically and personally. I'm going to listen to "Darkness Embraced" again!
Thank you for having us and supporting the underground death metal scene!
Recenze/review - PUTRESCENT - Darkness Embraced (2025):
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