Do některých lidí byste to v životě neřekli. Byl to takový hodný pán, který se vždy usmíval. Nevýrazný a obyčejný. Měl jen jednu takovou zvláštnost. Rád si vyřezával z lidských kostí. Začínal s tím jako mladý. Často navštěvoval staré hřbitovy a vykrádal hroby. Jenže mu to nestačilo. Potřeboval čerstvé maso, potřeboval vidět smrt v jejich očích. Cítil se být umělcem. Když jsem vstoupil do jeho sklepa, vzpomněl jsem si na SKELETAL REMAINS. Na kapelu, o které píšu od jejich úplných začátků.
Líbí se mi vývoj, kterým prošli. Od klasického, primitivního smrtícího kovu k větší brutalitě a temnotě. Tahle smečka hraje postaru a jejich desky připomínají návštěvu zaprášeného archívu. Kapela cituje ze starých spisů a dělá to velmi zkušeně a elegantně. Pokud to takhle máte rádi, nová deska je pro vás doslova povinností.
Nové album je takovou poctou, odkazem toho nejlepšího, co nahrály kapely jako MORBID ANGEL, DEICIDE, PESTILENCE. Temnota a chlad čerstvě otevřených hrobů se zde potkávají se surovostí a brutalitou. Skladby jsou, jak už je u Američanů dobrým zvykem, jsou velmi dobře napsány a skvěle se poslouchají. SKELETAL REMAINS už dávno nejsou jen obyčejnou retro kapelou. Naopak, stavějí na pevných základních a tradičních postupech své vlastní konstrukce. Pro mě je potom hlavní to, že skladby drtí a žhnou, jsou kusem masa, který vám kapela opakovaně hází přímo do obličeje. Novinka musela vznikat hluboko v podzemí, mezi nemrtvými a démony. Jednotlivé motivy hoří jasným černým plamenem. Tlak a energie, které se povedly kapele do songů dostat, jsou doslova zničující. Viděl jsem tuhle smečku několikrát naživo a už teď se těším, až uslyším i nové skladby. Naživo mě tahle parta hrobníků baví stejně nejvíce. Líbí se mi masivní zvuk (Dan Swanö - producer, mastering, mixing) i motiv z obalu (Dan Seagrave) bych si dovedl představit nosit i na triku. Až zase jednou půjdete do sklepa, ve kterém se stalo něco zlého, vezměte si "Fragments of the Ageless" určitě s sebou. Jen si dejte pozor, abyste nebyli pohřbeni zaživa. Maniaci z Kalifornie nahráli hudbu, která vás rozseká na malé kousky. Je v ni obsaženo vše potřebné k poctivé pařbě na starých hřbitovech. Do některých lidí byste to v životě neřekli. Byl to takový hodný pán, který se vždy usmíval. Nevýrazný a obyčejný. Měl jen jednu takovou zvláštnost. Rád si vyřezával z lidských kostí. Hnilobně mokvající, totálně devastující death metal! Mrtvolné ozvěny z dávno opuštěných hrobů! Temnota a brutalita!
Asphyx says:
Some people you would never say that to in your life. He was such a nice man, always smiling. Bland and plain. He had just one peculiarity. He liked to carve out of human bones. He started out young. He often visited old cemeteries and robbed graves. But it wasn't enough for him. He needed fresh flesh, he needed to see death in their eyes. He felt like an artist. When I entered his basement, I remembered SKELETAL REMAINS. The band I've been writing about since the very beginning.
I like the evolution they've gone through. From classic, primitive death metal to more brutality and darkness. This bunch plays old school and their records are like visiting a dusty archive. The band quotes from old writings and does it with great skill and elegance. If you like it this way, the new record is literally a must for you.
The new album is such a tribute, a legacy of the best of bands like MORBID ANGEL, DEICIDE, PESTILENCE. The darkness and coldness of freshly opened graves meets the brutality and brutality. The songs are, as is already a good habit with Americans, very well written and great to listen to. SKELETAL REMAINS are not just an ordinary retro band anymore. On the contrary, they build on solid fundamentals and traditional practices of their own construction. For me, then, the main thing is that the songs crush and burn, a piece of meat that the band repeatedly throws right in your face. The novelty must have originated deep underground, amongst the undead and demons. Individual motifs burn with a bright black flame. The pressure and energy that the band managed to get into the songs is literally devastating. I've seen this pack live a few times and I'm already looking forward to hearing the new songs. Live, I enjoy this group of gravediggers the most anyway. I like the massive sound (Dan Swanö - producer, mastering, mixing) and the motif from the cover (Dan Seagrave) I could imagine wearing on a t-shirt. Next time you go to a basement where something bad happened, take "Fragments of the Ageless" with you for sure. Just make sure you don't get buried alive. The maniacs from California have recorded music that will shred you to pieces. It's got everything you need for a good party in the old cemeteries. Some people you'd never say that to. He was such a nice man, always smiling. Bland and plain. He had just one peculiarity. He liked to carve out of human bones. Rotting, swelling, totally devastating death metal! Dead echoes from long-abandoned graves! Darkness and brutality!
Ave MALEDICTION! I guess we can't start our conversation any other way than by welcoming you back. I can't tell you how much I've been looking forward to hearing new music from you. I belong to the generation of old fans. So thanks a lot! But I have to start by asking... Damn, what took you so long?
Hey mate, thank you, I’m glad there were people out there who were actually waiting for this to happen!
Doing more Malediction has been on the agenda for us for quite a few years. I think we originally agreed on it probably seven or eight years ago, this was when Shaun was still living and working in the US, we were going to do some new long-distance recordings, the plan then was to do a new 7“ with two songs on it or something.
Anyway, both Mark McGowan and I had since then tried to come up with some new Malediction material without much success. I had loads of new riffs but couldn’t quite get them to work together for a new song. Some of these riffs were what ended up becoming “Black Narcissus.” Anyway, during the pandemic, mid-2021 I tried an experiment and challenged myself to write something completely new in one week from scratch and this worked and got me out of the terrible writers block I’d been suffering from. “The Omerta Masquerade” was the song and this then helped me to finish “Black Narcissus” as well although that took a couple of attempts before I was entirely happy with it. I then quite quickly wrote some other new stuff as well as completing new arrangements for the old songs that are also on the new EP.
It took us a long time, and finishing the EP also took me a long time for a variety of reasons that I won’t go into here, but it was finished and now it’s out. I’m happy. I’m also happy be able to tell you that I am writing new material faster than I ever have done and we are on track to be able to record our debut album in 2024.
I popped the news into the player, got comfortable, and after half an hour was bouncing around the room like I was seventeen again. The family was looking at me, the kids were tapping their foreheads. But I can't help it. The new EP is short, but it's really good. Death metal, grind, but also unmistakable atmosphere and your signature. Well, beautiful! Can you tell us how the new EP was made? Did you change your approach after all these years?
A conscious decision was made with the new material to keep this direct and to the point and not go off into the 6-7 minute realm we explored in some of the later stuff we did in the 1990s. I think “Black Narcissus” was at the time the shortest song I’d ever written. We didn’t want to outstay our welcome and made the songs work in shorter timescales. “The Omerta Masquerade” is a bit longer, but mainly due to the outro riff.
Secondly, the EP was made with the awareness that this was the relaunch of the band and that we couldn’t rely on anyone remembering us or knowing who we are, which is why we re-recorded “Infestation” and the other old songs. We wanted people to have new versions of those songs, but we didn’t want them to be on a debut album, hence they’re on the EP. The second side of the EP is also a kind of celebration of thirty years of the “System Fear” 7”.
The cover art is tinted green and I think it's really hilarious. Daniel Bechthold from Germany painted it. Why him? How did you guys get together? I confess I don't know his work that well, could you tell us more about this very talented artist?
Me and Shaun were throwing links at each other, trying to work out who we could ask to do the cover art and Daniel was in the mix. We both really liked the piece he did for Leipa for their “Reue” release. Shaun messaged Daniel, found out he was a cool guy and interested in collaborating with us and we took it from there.
I really like what he came up with and it’s grown on me even more.
Raw, dark and cold sound is the basis. This year he was really good. You recorded with Dan Mullins, who is also the drummer of MY DYING BRIDE. That's a completely different kind of music! I really have to bow down to the ground because the new EP literally kills. It reminds me of old productions from somewhere in the late 90's. How did you achieve this sound, how did the recording process work?
We recorded the drums first in early August 2022 at Vibrations Studios here in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. Dan engineered the drum recording and him and Jon our drummer cooked up the drum sound between them. Everything else was recorded in my home studio between August 2022 and March 2023. Most of it was recorded in August and September 2022. I had a bit of a wobble with my health in the middle of it, which meant I didn’t finish until early March 2023. The only things that were really left to do were the guitar solos, but I was really struggling with my confidence over doing them so ended up writing and recording them all in a week, which wasn’t ideal, but it got the thing finished.
Dan Mullins did the final mix and mastering and was sending us rough mixes throughout the process. He sent a rough mix of “Black Narcissus” that absolutely blew me away. I find it hard to be objective about my own stuff and couldn’t really tell from listening to it whether it was any good or not. But when I heard this mix of “Black Narcissus” it totally blew me away. I was like “this is the sound that the EP needs.” Dan did some re-amping of the guitars to add a bit of an HM-2ness to them. I’m very proud to say that the bass sound is pretty much all my own work. I learned so much doing this EP. Experience that you can’t buy. We’ll be doing the album in the same way, and we’ll be working with Dan again on that too. The brief for the EP was “modern, but with old-school sensibilities.”
Once we had everything recorded, I went over to Dan’s a couple of times, and we mixed and edited together to get it across the finish line. It was a great and extremely collaborative process.
Yes, Dan drums for MDB bit he also drums in his band BLASPHEMER who are a lot more straight down the line death metal. Their new EP “Marked for Death” on Macho Records is killer!
Also, times have changed a lot. Today's technology is different. Artificial intelligence, the cloud, you know. How do you as musicians deal with these changes? It must be very different from 30 years ago. Do you follow new trends?
Yes. I’ve had to. It’s been necessary to record in the way that we have done. The only way this new recording was ever going to see the light of day was if it utterly smoked all of our old releases and to do that, I needed to become producer and engineer so that I could be really deeply involved in all stages of the recording and mixing process.
A proud moment for me was after handing over all the tracks I’d recorded and engineered to Dan, I asked him whether what I’d done was of sufficient quality for him to say that the work was “exceptional”. But everyone knocked their contribution out of the park on this, Jon kills on drums, Shaun has never sounded better. I’ve never played as well as I have on this recording. The only people we were in competition with was ourselves and I personally think that we exceeded all of our aims for this recording and that absolutely never happens.
Of course, it’s a double-edged sword because the album has to be even better!
I'm an old dog too, and like everyone I like to remember my youth. I'm sure our readers will be interested to know how did you actually put the band together back in the day? If I'm not mistaken, you were originally called NEUROSIS. Will you reminisce for us please? When and how did MALEDICTION was formed?
That’s correct. The band started in 1989 and I wrote “Infestation” that year. We were just messing about initially with the first lineup.
Myself, Shaun, and Mark Fox knew each other at Teesside Polytechnic, in the Northeast of England and had talked about starting a band, I don’t think we thought it’d still be a thing thirty-four years later though!
Then during 1990 things got more serious, Alastair joined on drums and Darren on second guitar, and we took it from there. We recorded the “Infestation” demo in August 1990 and the “System Fear” 7” later in 1990 and things just progressed from that point on.
It’s cool to have a legacy from back in the early 1990s, but this new version of MALEDICTION has been really about not repeating the past. The legacy is extremely helpful and has given us a bit of a leg-up since we reformed, but for me it’s very much eyes forward, what can we do next, how can we improve.
I remember in my younger days waiting for long hours in line outside the store to buy a new record. My friends and I didn't have money, so we would copy tapes and then argue for endless hours about which band was better. It was a great time, of course. How did you get started in music? Who was your role model? When did you first pick up an instrument? What about your first gig? And the first live performance? Tell me, exaggerate...
I have quite diverse influences, some of the guitar bands of the mid 80s inspired me to try to learn to play. I then progressed by getting into prog rock, a lot of the 1980s new prog/prog revival bands before I got into metal. Thrash bands really appealed to me in a way that traditional metal bands had not up to that point. I liked the “street” attitude, just their wearing every-day clothes and I loved the fact that their songs were about the real world, not dragons and wizards.
I started playing the guitar in 1986, so it wasn’t long between my starting and forming this band, three years or something.
The first gig I played was the first Malediction gig. We weren’t very good, but you have to start somewhere.
You're from Middlesbrough. What's your background in underground music? Do you have any clubs? Or do you have to go to London? I'd be interested in the current state of your scene. What about gigs? Fans? How many people do you get when you play somewhere?
The band was based in Middlesbrough because we were at Teesside Polytechnic (now a university). There wasn’t much of a scene, it was mainly hardcore punk bands. We had the perennial problem of being to punk for the metallers and too metal for the punks. But we got one, we played with punk and crust bands, it was fine. I only ever went to a couple of gigs in London, not somewhere I went.
We just headline Dead of Winter Festival in Glasgow, Scotland. This was our first gig back since reforming. The festival featured eleven underground death metal bands from the UK, we felt extremely fortunate to be asked to play this festival, let alone headline it. The festival sold out and we played to a three hundred capacity crowd.
We have another show coming up in March with BLASPHEMER who are great guys and then in May we’re playing Incineration Festival in London, which is a huge opportunity for us. We’ve not been short on offers to do gigs, in the quality of the gigs is very high, it’s not like in the old days of playing a random pub to a handful of people, these are bigger shows for us. It’s been very gratifying to be organically invited to play prestigious shows in the UK capital.
A very important question for us fans! How and where do you want MALEDICTION to go in the future? We want a first full-length album! No seriously, what are you planning in the near future?
Debut full length will be recorded in 2024 for sure. I have the album sketched out, I have four new songs that I’ve written for it and they’re the best stuff I’ve ever written. We’re going to revisit 2-3 old songs and I’m hopeful that Mark and Rik will also have at least one new song each on it. We’re aiming for 9-10 tracks, 40 minutes max. We’re in a good position, we have more material than we need, so we’ll record a bunch of stuff and choose the best. There might be a new EP in there too that could follow the album closely.
What does music mean to you? Why did you start playing death metal and grindcore in particular? How does music influence your life and world view? What has music given and taken away from you?
I listen to a lot of music from a lot of different genres, but DM is special to me, and it’s been a real pleasure in the last few years to re-immerse myself in the scene and get to know some of the current bands. I think I’ll always be a metal musician; I love other genres, but my skillset was really mostly in metal and its various subgenres.
I got a lot of my worldview from artists that I have listened to, music has been helpful to me in developing an ideological and political framework for my life. Some of my earliest exposure to ethical issues was via the music I was listening to.
On the negative side, music is demanding work and often for little or no reward. We spend hundreds and even thousands of hours honing our craft and spend thousands of pounds on gear to what is often a disinterested world. The tortured artist may be a cliché, but it’s a quite accurate cliché for the most part.
It was a great honor to interview you. I wish you all the best for the new EP to sell out worldwide and for you to have a gig packed to bursting. May you do well in your private life. You know what? I'm gonna go play "The Soil Throne" again! Massacre!
It was my pleasure to answer your questions, sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you. Thank you so much for your kind words about “The Soil Throne” EP, it is very much appreciated!
If anyone wants to get in touch with us, they can visit www.malediction.co.uk which has links to our Bandcamp and all our socials.
Recenze/review - MALEDICTION - The Soil Throne (2023):
Ave MALEDICTION! Náš rozhovor asi nemůžeme začít jinak než tím, že vás přivítám zpátky. Ani nevíš, jak jsem se na novou hudbu od vás těšil. Patřím do generace starých fanoušků. Takže díky moc! Musím se ale rovnou na začátek zeptat… Hergot, proč vám to trvalo tak dlouho?
Ahoj kamaráde, děkuji, jsem rád, že se našli lidé, kteří na to skutečně čekali!
Udělat další Malediction je pro nás na pořadu dne už pěkných pár let. Myslím, že jsme se na tom původně dohodli asi před sedmi nebo osmi lety, to bylo v době, kdy Shaun ještě žil a pracoval v USA, chystali jsme se udělat nějaké nové nahrávky na dálku, v plánu tehdy bylo udělat nový 7" se dvěma písničkami nebo tak něco.
Od té doby jsme se s Markem McGowanem snažili přijít s nějakým novým materiálem pro Malediction, ale bez většího úspěchu. Měl jsem spoustu nových riffů, ale nedařilo se mi je skloubit do nové písně. Některé z těchto riffů se nakonec staly "Black Narcissus". Každopádně během pandemie, v polovině roku 2021, jsem zkusil experiment a vyzval sám sebe, abych během jednoho týdne napsal něco úplně nového od nuly, což zafungovalo a dostalo mě to z příšerného autorského bloku, kterým jsem trpěl. Byla to "The Omerta Masquerade" a to mi pak pomohlo dokončit i "Black Narcissus", i když to trvalo několik pokusů, než jsem s tím byl úplně spokojený. Pak jsem poměrně rychle napsal další nové věci a také dokončil nové aranže starých písní, které jsou také na novém EP.
Trvalo nám to dlouho a dokončení EP mi také trvalo dlouho z různých důvodů, které zde nebudu rozebírat, ale bylo dokončeno a nyní je venku. Mám z toho radost. Jsem taky šťastný, že vám můžu říct, že píšu nový materiál rychleji než kdy dřív a jsme na dobré cestě, abychom mohli v roce 2024 nahrát naše debutové album.
Vložil jsem novinku do přehrávače, pohodlně se usadil a po půl hodině skákal po pokoji, jako kdyby mi bylo zase sedmnáct. Rodina na mě koukala, děti si klepaly na čelo. Jenže já nemůžu jinak. Nové EP je sice krátké, ale opravdu se povedlo. Death metal, grind, ale také nezaměnitelná atmosféra a váš rukopis. No, nádhera! Prozradíš nám, jak nové EP vznikalo? Změnili jste po těch všech letech nějak přístup?
U nového materiálu jsme se vědomě rozhodli, že bude přímočarý a věcný a že se nebudeme pouštět do 6-7minutové oblasti, kterou jsme zkoumali v některých pozdějších nahrávkách z 90. let. Myslím, že "Black Narcissus" byla v té době nejkratší skladba, kterou jsem kdy napsal. Nechtěli jsme se předbíhat, a tak jsme písničky udělali tak, aby fungovaly i v kratších časových úsecích. "The Omerta Masquerade" je o něco delší, ale hlavně kvůli outro riffu.
Za druhé, EP vznikalo s vědomím, že jde o obnovení kapely a že se nemůžeme spoléhat na to, že si nás někdo pamatuje nebo ví, kdo jsme, proto jsme znovu nahráli "Infestation" a další staré písně. Chtěli jsme, aby lidé měli nové verze těch písní, ale nechtěli jsme, aby byly na debutovém albu, proto jsou na EP. Druhá strana EP je zároveň jakousi oslavou třiceti let od vydání sedmipalce "System Fear".
Obal je zabarvený do zelena a podle mého opravdu povedený. Maloval jej Daniel Bechthold z Německa. Proč právě on? Jak jste se dali dohromady? Přiznám se, že jeho práci zase tolik neznám, mohl bys nám o tomto velmi talentovaném umělci prozradit něco víc?
Se Shaunem jsme si navzájem předhazovali odkazy a snažili se vymyslet, koho bychom mohli požádat, aby udělal obálku, a Daniel byl mezi nimi. Oběma se nám moc líbila práce, kterou udělal pro Leipu na jejich vydání "Reue". Shaun Danielovi napsal, zjistil, že je to fajn kluk a má zájem s námi spolupracovat, a tak jsme se do toho pustili.
Moc se mi líbí, s čím přišel, a přirostlo mi to k srdci ještě víc.
Surový, temný a chladný zvuk je základ. Letos se opravdu povedl. Nahrávali jste u Dana Mullinse, který je i bubeníkem MY DYING BRIDE. To je ale přeci úplně jiný druh hudby! Opravdu se musím poklonit až k zemi, protože nové EP doslova zabíjí. Připomíná mi staré produkce někde z konce devadesátých let. Jak se vám takového zvuku povedlo dosáhnout, jak nahrávání probíhalo?
Bicí jsme nejprve nahráli na začátku srpna 2022 ve Vibrations Studios v Huddersfieldu v hrabství West Yorkshire v Anglii. Nahrávání bicích se ujal Dan a on a náš bubeník Jon mezi sebou uvařili zvuk bicích. Všechno ostatní se nahrávalo v mém domácím studiu mezi srpnem 2022 a březnem 2023. Většina byla nahrána v srpnu a září 2022. V polovině jsem měl trochu zdravotní potíže, což znamenalo, že jsem nahrávání dokončil až na začátku března 2023. Jediné, co mi opravdu zbývalo udělat, byla kytarová sóla, ale nad jejich provedením jsem opravdu bojoval se svou sebedůvěrou, takže jsem je nakonec napsal a nahrál všechny za týden, což nebylo ideální, ale věc se díky tomu dokončila.
Dan Mullins provedl finální mix a mastering a v průběhu celého procesu nám posílal hrubé mixy. Poslal mi hrubý mix skladby "Black Narcissus", který mě naprosto ohromil. Je pro mě těžké být objektivní ohledně vlastních věcí a z poslechu jsem nedokázal říct, jestli je to dobré, nebo ne. Ale když jsem slyšel tenhle mix "Black Narcissus", úplně mě to odrovnalo. Říkal jsem si: "Tohle je zvuk, který EP potřebuje." Dan trochu přebasoval kytary, aby jim přidal trochu HM-2. S hrdostí můžu říct, že zvuk basy je z velké části moje vlastní práce. Při práci na tomto EP jsem se toho hodně naučil. Zkušenosti, které se nedají koupit. Stejným způsobem budeme dělat i album, na kterém budeme opět spolupracovat s Danem. Zadání pro EP znělo "moderně, ale s citem pro starou školu".
Jakmile jsme měli všechno nahrané, několikrát jsem zašel k Danovi a společně jsme to smíchali a sestříhali, abychom to dotáhli do konce. Byl to skvělý proces, při kterém jsme nesmírně spolupracovali.
Ano, Dan bubnuje pro MDB, ale také ve své kapele BLASPHEMER, která je mnohem přímočařejší death metal. Jejich nové EP "Marked for Death" u Macho Records je vražedné!
Ono taky, doba se hrozně změnila. Dnešní technologie jsou jiné. Umělá inteligence, cloud, znáš to. Jak se s těmito změnami vyrovnáváte vy jako muzikanti? Musí to být přeci úplně jiné, než před třiceti lety. Sledujete nové trendy?
Ano, musel jsem. Bylo nutné nahrávat tak, jak jsme to udělali. Jediný způsob, jak mohla tato nová nahrávka vůbec spatřit světlo světa, byl ten, že naprosto vykouří všechny naše staré nahrávky, a k tomu jsem se musel stát producentem a inženýrem, abych se mohl opravdu důkladně zapojit do všech fází procesu nahrávání a mixování.
Pyšným okamžikem pro mě bylo, když jsem Danovi předal všechny skladby, které jsem nahrál a "zinženýroval", a zeptal jsem se ho, jestli to, co jsem udělal, je dostatečně kvalitní, aby mohl říct, že je to "výjimečná práce". Ale každý na tomhle díle má svůj příspěvek, Jon zabíjí na bicí, Shaun nikdy nezněl lépe. Já jsem nikdy nehrál tak dobře jako na téhle nahrávce. Jediný, s kým jsme soutěžili, jsme byli my sami a osobně si myslím, že jsme na téhle nahrávce překonali všechny naše cíle, a to se absolutně nikdy nestává.
Samozřejmě je to dvousečná zbraň, protože album musí být ještě lepší!
Jsem už taky starý pes a jako každý rád vzpomínám na své mládí. Naše čtenáře bude určitě zajímat, jak jste vlastně dali kapelu kdysi dohromady? Jestli se nepletu, tak jste se jmenovali původně NEUROSIS. Zavzpomínáš pro nás prosím? Kdy a jak vznikli MALEDICTION?
Správně. Kapela vznikla v roce 1989 a já jsem v tom roce napsal "Infestation". Zpočátku jsme si jen tak pohrávali s první sestavou.
Já, Shaun a Mark Fox jsme se znali z Teesside Polytechnic v severovýchodní Anglii a mluvili jsme o tom, že bychom mohli založit kapelu, ale nemyslím si, že by nás to napadlo ještě po třiceti čtyřech letech!
V roce 1990 to začalo být vážnější, Alastair se přidal na bicí a Darren na druhou kytaru a od té doby jsme to rozjeli. V srpnu 1990 jsme nahráli demo "Infestation" a později v roce 1990 sedmipalec "System Fear" a od té doby se věci vyvíjely.
Je fajn mít odkaz z počátku devadesátých let, ale tahle nová verze MALEDICTION byla opravdu o tom, neopakovat minulost. Odkaz je nesmírně užitečný a dal nám trochu náskok od doby, kdy jsme se reformovali, ale pro mě je to hodně pohled dopředu, co můžeme udělat dál, jak se můžeme zlepšit.
Pamatuji si, jak jsem za svého mládí čekal dlouhé hodiny ve frontě před obchodem, abych si koupil novou desku. S kamarády jsme neměli peníze, tak jsme kopírovali kazety a pak se nekonečné hodiny dohadovali, která kapela je lepší. Byly to samozřejmě krásné časy. Jak si začínal s muzikou ty? Kdo byl tvým vzorem? Kdy si vzal do rukou poprvé nějaký nástroj? Co první koncert? A první živé vystoupení? Povídej, přeháněj…
Mám poměrně rozmanité vlivy, některé kytarové kapely z poloviny 80. let mě inspirovaly k tomu, abych se naučil hrát. Pak jsem se dostal k prog rocku, hodně k novým prog/prog revival kapelám 80. let, než jsem se dostal k metalu. Thrashové kapely mě opravdu oslovily způsobem, který tradiční metalové kapely do té doby neznaly. Líbil se mi jejich "pouliční" přístup, prostě to, že nosili každodenní oblečení, a líbilo se mi, že jejich písničky byly o skutečném světě, ne o dracích a čarodějích.
Na kytaru jsem začal hrát v roce 1986, takže mezi mými začátky a založením kapely neuplynula dlouhá doba, asi tři roky.
První koncert, který jsem odehrál, byl první koncert Malediction. Nebyli jsme moc dobří, ale někde se začít musí.
Pocházíte z Middlesbrough. Jak to u vás vypadá s undergroundovou muzikou? Máte nějaké kluby? Nebo musíte do Londýna? Zajímal by mě současný stav vaší scény. Co koncerty? Fanoušci? Kolik tak přijde lidí, když někde hrajete?
Kapela sídlila v Middlesbrough, protože jsme studovali na Teesside Polytechnic (dnes univerzita). Nebylo tam moc scény, hrály tam hlavně hardcore punkové kapely. Měli jsme věčný problém, že jsme byli pro metalisty příliš punkoví a pro punkáče příliš metaloví. Ale nějakou jsme získali, hráli jsme s punkovými a crustovými kapelami, bylo to fajn. Já jsem byl jen na pár koncertech v Londýně, ne někde, kam jsem jezdil.
Teď jsme byli headlinery festivalu Dead of Winter ve skotském Glasgow. Byl to náš první koncert po reformě. Na festivalu vystoupilo jedenáct undergroundových deathmetalových kapel z Velké Británie, cítili jsme se nesmírně šťastní, že jsme byli požádáni, abychom na tomto festivalu hráli, natož abychom ho headlinovali. Festival byl vyprodaný a my jsme hráli pro tři sta diváků.
V březnu nás čeká další koncert s BLASPHEMER, což jsou skvělí kluci, a v květnu budeme hrát na Incineration Festivalu v Londýně, což je pro nás obrovská příležitost. O nabídky na koncerty nemáme nouzi, kvalita koncertů je velmi vysoká, není to jako za starých časů, kdy jsme hráli v náhodné hospodě pro hrstku lidí, tohle jsou pro nás větší koncerty. Bylo velmi potěšující, že jsme byli pozváni na prestižní koncerty v hlavním městě Spojeného království.
Pro nás fanoušky zcela zásadní otázka! Jak a kam chcete MALEDICTION směřovat do budoucna? My chceme první dlouhohrající album! Ne vážně, co plánujete v nejbližší době?
Debutová deska bude určitě nahrána v roce 2024. Album už mám načrtnuté, napsal jsem pro něj čtyři nové písně a jsou to nejlepší věci, které jsem kdy napsal. Vrátíme se ke dvěma třem starým písním a doufám, že Mark a Rik na něm budou mít také každý alespoň jednu novou skladbu. Naším cílem je 9-10 skladeb, maximálně 40 minut. Jsme v dobré pozici, máme víc materiálu, než potřebujeme, takže nahrajeme hromadu věcí a vybereme ty nejlepší. Možná tam bude i nové EP, které by mohlo na album těsně navazovat.
Co pro tebe znamená hudba? Proč si začal vlastně hrát zrovna death metal a grindcore? Jak muzika ovlivňuje tvůj život a pohled na svět? Co ti hudba dala a vzala?
Poslouchám hodně hudby z různých žánrů, ale DM jepro mě výjimečný a v posledních letech je pro mě skutečným potěšením znovu se ponořit do této scény a poznat některé současné kapely. Myslím, že vždycky budu metalový hudebník; mám rád i jiné žánry, ale moje dovednosti se opravdu týkaly hlavně metalu a jeho různých subžánrů.
Hodně ze svého světonázoru jsem získal od umělců, které jsem poslouchal, hudba mi pomohla při vytváření ideologického a politického rámce mého života. Některé z mých prvních kontaktů s etickými otázkami se odehrávaly prostřednictvím hudby, kterou jsem poslouchal.
Negativní stránkou je, že hudba je náročná práce a často za malou nebo žádnou odměnu. Strávíme stovky i tisíce hodin zdokonalováním svého řemesla a utrácíme tisíce liber za vybavení pro často nezajímavý svět. Zmučený umělec je možná klišé, ale z velké části je to klišé docela přesné.
Bylo mi velkou ctí udělat s vámi rozhovor. Přeji ti, aby se nové EP prodávalo po celém světě a abys měl koncerty narvané k prasknutí. Ať se vám daří i v soukromém životě. Víte co? Půjdu si znovu zahrát "The Soil Throne"! Masakr!
Pokud se s námi někdo chce spojit, může navštívit www.malediction.co.uk, kde jsou odkazy na náš Bandcamp a všechny naše sociální sítě.
Recenze/review - MALEDICTION - The Soil Throne (2023):
Nejdřív to vypadalo jako obyčejná hromada kostí. Jenže když jste se podívali blíž, zjistili se, že jsou vyskládané v přesných symbolech. Doslova jsem cítil bolest obětí, které zde byly nejdříve mučeny. Ve jménu starých bohů. Obětní stůl byl poškrábaný a od krve. Měl jsem pocit, že slyším nářek, který se nesl mezi zdmi starého chrámu jako hlasitá obžaloba. Na tohle album jsem se těšil jako na první obrácenou modlitbu. Předchozí desky totiž bývaly velmi častými hosty v mém přehrávači.
"Muerte" vás hned v úvodu přenese na starodávná pohřebiště. Stačí jen vstoupit a přistoupit na jejich krutou hru. Kolem se toulají démoni, kývají spokojeně hlavou a vy si tak můžete vychutnat poctivě zahranou porci syrového black death metalu s ochrannou známkou HACAVITZ. Slyšte ozvěny z plesnivých hrobů, ve kterých byli pochováni padlí kněží.
Smíchejte feeling devadesátých let, přidejte k tomu krvavou mlhu, syrový, chladný black, prach umletý z pravého death metalu a výsledkem je nové album "Muerte". Skladby jsou napsány velmi podmanivým způsobem. Musím zmínit i vystoupení kapely v Praze v září roku 2017, které ve mě dodnes rezonuje. Kapelu jsem znal samozřejmě již dříve, ale teprve při živém vystoupení vynikla jejich síla naplno. Stejně jako nová nahrávka, to byl spíše obřad pro vyvolání temných sil ze záhrobí, než jen obyčejný koncert. Letos jsem trávil s deskou spoustu času a nejvíce mě bavilo ji poslouchat, když město pokryla mlha. Toulal jsem se ulicemi a užíval si chladnou a bolestivou atmosféru. Vše je velmi živočišné, opravdové, ukované kdesi v podzemí z té nejlepší oceli. Nové album je jako hororový film nebo kniha, které když vstřebáte, tak ve vás zanechají svůj otisk. Trávíte potom dlouhé hodiny ve stínu, neustále se vám vracejí pochmurné myšlenky. HACAVITZ nahráli skvělou desku. Má v sobě vše potřebné pro poslední věci člověka na tomto světě. Tmu, špínu, chlad, vlastní rukopis i sílu načerpanou na starých pohřebištích. Jako by se díval nějaký zlý jedinec na svoji vlastní tvář do krutého zrcadla. Postupně se rozpadá v prach, mění se ve zrůdu, která byla odjakživa v jeho nitru. Tahle hudba ji dokáže vytáhnout na povrch a ukázat ji přesně takovou, jaká doopravdy je. Zvuk, obal, produkce, vše je v nejlepším pořádku. Můžeme se tak soustředit na krev, která vytéká ze skladeb jako z čerstvě proříznuté tepny. Oltář je znovu připraven! Garantuji vám, že při poslechu této nahrávky, jste další na řadě. Smrtící, temný a syrový black death metalový zážitek z onoho světa! Budete obětováni na starém pohřebišti!
Asphyx says:
At first, it looked like a simple pile of bones. But when you looked closer, they were arranged in precise symbols. I could literally feel the pain of the victims who were first tortured here. In the name of the old gods. The sacrificial table was scratched and covered in blood. I thought I heard a wailing that carried between the walls of the old temple like a loud accusation. I was looking forward to this album as my first conversion prayer. In fact, the previous albums used to be very frequent guests in my player.
"Muerte" transports you to ancient burial grounds right from the beginning. All you have to do is enter and accept their cruel game. Demons roam around, nodding their heads in satisfaction, and you can enjoy a fairly played portion of raw black death metal with the trademark HACAVITZ. Hear the echoes from the moldy graves where the fallen priests were buried.
Mix the 90's feeling, add the bloody fog, the raw, cold black, the dust ground from true death metal and the result is the new album "Muerte". The songs are written in a very captivating way. I must also mention the band's performance in Prague in September 2017, which still resonates in me today. I knew the band before, of course, but it was only during the live performance that their full power shone through. Like the new recording, it was more of a ritual to summon dark forces from beyond the grave than just an ordinary concert. I've spent a lot of time with the record this year, and I enjoyed listening to it most when the fog covered the city. I wandered the streets and enjoyed the cold and painful atmosphere. It's all very animalistic, real, forged somewhere underground from the best steel. The new album is like a horror movie or a book that when you absorb it, it leaves its imprint on you. You spend long hours in the shadows afterwards, and gloomy thoughts keep coming back. HACAVITZ made a great record. It has in it everything necessary for the last things of man in this world. The darkness, the dirt, the cold, his own handwriting and the strength he's picked up in the old burial grounds. It's like some evil individual looking at his own face in a cruel mirror. Gradually he crumbles into dust, turning into the monster that has always been inside him. This music manages to bring it to the surface and show it exactly as it really is. The sound, the cover, the production, everything is top notch. So we can focus on the blood that flows from the songs like a freshly cut artery. The altar is ready again! I guarantee that when you listen to this recording, you're next. A deadly, dark and raw black death metal experience from beyond the grave! You will be sacrificed in an old burial ground!
Report, photos, video - HACAVITZ, ESCARNIUM, MALLEPHYR - club Modrá Vopice, Prague - 10. 9. 2017:
Myslím si, že nové album VLTIMAS nejlépe charakterizují hudebníci samotní. Zde jsou dva citáty, pod které bych se podepsal
"[EPIC je] staré a současné, symbióza všech skvělých věcí, které milujeme na extrémním metalu," říká Eriksen. "Všechno spojeno do jednoho alba."
"Chci být stejně emocionální a upřímný [s VLTIMAS]," dodává Vincent. "Chci vyprávět příběhy; chci mít témata, která mě osloví; chci mít nějaké poselství, které si někdo může vzít, v tomto případě sílu. EPIC je síla."
Za sebe mohu dodat snad jen jediné. Temnota v mnoha podobách a stavech, dlouhé stíny, které se vám nikdy nepodaří překročit. Přesně takoví jsou letošní VLTIMAS.
Novinka je vznešená, majestátní a tajemná. Vybroušená až k dokonalosti. Taková je nová deska "Epic". Pánové letos napsali skladby, které připomínají zvláštní, napínavé a elektrizující okamžiky před bouří. Stojíte na vysoké hoře a díváte se dolů, do hlubiny. Extrémní metal byl vždy o emocích jdoucích za hranu, do oblastí a myšlenek, které by měly být raději ukryty. VLTIMAS je vzali, vytáhli na povrch a vypálili na hudební nosič. Jedná se samozřejmě o velmi zdařilé dílo po všech stránkách. Zvuk (Jaime Gomez Arellano at Orgone Studio), obal (Daniele Valeriani w/ additional layout by Adrien Bousson) i celková produkce, vše sedí perfektně na svých místech. Fanoušci se tak mohou soustředit na to důležité. Na hudbu samotnou, na její sílu a energii, která jakoby byla doslova do songů narvaná pod tlakem. Líbí se mi, že i když se zde sešli vynikající muzikanti, tak je pro ně nejdůležitější motiv samotný. Cítím pokoru, slyším pradávné ozvěny ze záhrobí. Kapela vypráví příběhy pomocí originálních riffů, divokých bicích a zvířecího vokálu, kterým věřím. Pro mě osobně je to velmi důležitá věc. Svět je poslední roky divné místo k žití a podobné nahrávky se pro mě vždy stanou záchytným bodem, jistotou. Dívám se na organismus ze starých časů, který se neustále mění, vyvíjí. Občas z něj vylétne chapadlo, které mě zardousí. Ano, během společných setkání s novým albem si připadám, že mi někdo stojí po celou dobu těžkou botou na prsou. Zároveň jsem svobodný. Vše probíhá spíše v klidnějších tempech, ale o to naléhavěji. Minulý počin se mi moc nelíbil, ale letos mě tihle vyslanci pekla přesvědčili na svoji stranu. Budete chyceni do pevných pavučin, utkaných ze zloby, zášti a nenávisti. Satan bude sedět na svém trůně a usmívat se. Majestátní, vznešená black death metalová vichřice, která vás smete z povrchu zemského! Temná energie z onoho světa!
Asphyx says:
I think the new VLTIMAS album is best described by the musicians themselves. Here are two quotes that I would subscribe to
"[EPIC is] old and contemporary, a symbiosis of all the great things we love about extreme metal," says Eriksen. "Everything combined into one album."
"I want to be just as emotional and honest [with VLTIMAS]," Vincent adds. "I want to tell stories; I want to have themes that speak to me; I want to have a message that someone can take away, in this case, power. EPIC is power."
For myself, I can add perhaps only one thing. Darkness in many forms and states, long shadows that you can never cross. That's exactly what this year's VLTIMAS are.
The novelty is sublime, majestic and mysterious. Honed to perfection. This is the new album "Epic". This year, the gentlemen have written songs that recall strange, thrilling and electrifying moments before the storm. You stand on a high mountain and look down into the depths. Extreme metal has always been about emotions going over the edge, into areas and thoughts that should rather be hidden. VLTIMAS took them, brought them to the surface and burned them on a music carrier. This is obviously a very successful work in all aspects. The sound (Jaime Gomez Arellano at Orgone Studio), the cover art (Daniele Valeriani w/ additional layout by Adrien Bousson) and the overall production all fit perfectly in place. Fans can concentrate on what's important. On the music itself, on its power and energy that seems to be literally crammed into the songs under pressure. I love that even though there are some excellent musicians here, it's the motif itself that's most important to them. I feel humbled, I hear ancient echoes from beyond the grave. The band tells stories with original riffs, ferocious drums and animal vocals that I believe in. That's a very important thing for me personally. The world has been a strange place to live in recent years and records like this always become a clue, a reassurance for me. I'm looking at an organism from the old days that is constantly changing, evolving. Every now and then a tentacle flies out and chokes me. Yes, during our sessions together with the new album, I feel like someone is standing with a heavy boot on my chest the whole time. At the same time, I'm free. It's all happening at a more leisurely pace, but all the more urgent. I didn't like the last effort, but this year these ambassadors of hell have convinced me to their side. You will be caught in a tight web woven of anger, resentment and hatred. Satan will sit on his throne and smile. A majestic, sublime black death metal whirlwind that will sweep you off the face of the earth! Dark energy from beyond the grave!
Track-list
1. Volens Discordant - 1:022. EPIC - 4:35
3. Miserere - 3:51
4. Exercitus Irae - 4:01
5. Mephisto Manifesto - 5:05
6. Scorcher - 3:21
7. Invictus - 5:30
8. Nature's Fangs - 3:52
9. Spoils Of War - 5:54
Line-up
David Vincent - Vocals
Rune 'Blasphemer' Eriksen - Guitars
Flo Mounier - Drums
Ype TVS - Bass
Recording Studio
Arda Records (Porto, Portugal)
Producer
Jaime Gomez ArellanoSound Engineer
Jonathan Mazzeo
Mixing, Mastering Studio & Engineer
Jaime Gomez Arellano at Orgone Studio
Artwork Artist
Daniele Valeriani w/ additional layout by Adrien Bousson
Ave GRAVEHAMMER! Hello to the underground. I hope all is well with you. It should be, you have a great debut album. I have to admit, it literally drove me up the wall. It's dark, it's energetic, it cuts with a knife edge. It's very telling that you've done a great job, and a great deal of talent as well. How do you feel about the new record in relation to your previous EP? Where did you want to go and how do you think the recordings are different?
J.S.: Hails Deadly Storm Zine and thank you for your kind words. It was our aim to capture the energy of playing Death Metal as a band. “Bones to harvest” could be considered a next step in the band’s development. Writing an album and not just a demo or an EP was a new experience for us. It is more challenging since you have a higher amount of work as more material has to be written and rehearsed. Our goal was to come up with a conclusive songwriting. The record has received some positive feedback so far which we are very happy and grateful about.
„Bones to Harvest“ includes all attributes of good death/black and doom metal. For me personally, it represents the record, which I really like to listen to. How did you produce it? How look the writing process of new material in the case of GRAVEHAMMER?
Arillus: Wow, that is a pleasing comment! Our music is never a construction in one's head but something that evolves live during rehearsal. I guess this is one of our essential properties. No overthinking but doing what feels right, just then. Next, there is no gap between the first creation and taping the fragments of a song. Thus, we are able to keep the original feel of a song and stick to it when we take off for the studio later. Besides that, just put us into our rehearsal room. After a few beers and an average working day “Bones to harvest” is what you get.
Who's signed for the sound and mix? I have to confirm that they literally kill. It keeps making me turn up the volume on the hi-fi tower. You've got a sound that's harsh, raw and dark and animalistic at the same time. How did you achieve it? What studio did you record in and how did it all work?
Arillus: With the former records, recording, mixing/mastering and all the technical stuff was in my responsibility. Especially the last E.P. taught us to get a really raw and energetic sound since we recorded the instruments live in our rehearsal room. Now, with the new record we decided to separate the recording process and also the responsibility of the production. We recorded in my other band’s (Nosturaack) rehearsal room which is far from perfect but kind of optimized to make some heavy noise ;) So, there was no one else to pressure us but ourselves. We took the time we needed and enjoyed a familiar atmosphere to do the work. Then, we gave the material to Alex from Holodeckstudio. He really has the right touch for this kind of music, shares our vision of sound and made it real.
An important part and a kind of extra bonus for fans today is the physical CD. You released the new album at CD in El Rotting Misery Records, and it has a „morbid“ cover art. Who is the author? How did you choose the motif and how does it relate to the music at the record?
T.W.: The physical release is an important milestone. Since we are not very much into streaming and digital platforms, it’s way more than a bonus for us. We are happy that we found labels that support us. Rotting Misery indeed released the CD as a nice digipak. The tape version was done by Kellerassel Records and Fucking Kill! Records did the vinyl versions.
The Field Alchemist: Thanks for allowing me to pitch in! I very much prefer traditional over digital art - a rusty nib and ink on cold-pressed paper feels more alive, raw and expressive to me than any digital drawing ever could, all imperfections included. I hand-drew the cover design inspired by the lyrics and leitmotif of the album - an all-engulfing tyrant killed by a dozen weapons throwing up not blood but rusty chains and countless corpses including a dagger symbolizing ritualistic murder. I was going for something crude, guttural and rotten as I feel it matches Gravehammer's vibe. Some additional illustrations within the CD design were done by me as well and I enjoyed the contribution.
MB: The layout did indeed capture the essence of the lyrics perfectly. The common theme of all the lyrics on the album is the way humans treat each other. The main focus lies on the brutality and humiliation that always has and always will be found when conflict, greed and craving for power strike. I took a lot of inspiration from Roman antiquity this time, which is full of blood, violence, gore - everything that’s needed for good death metal lyrics.
I have been wandering the underground for over thirty years and I still go to Germany for music with certainty. I think we have a similar nature and taste when it comes to metal. I like your bands a lot and I monitor your scene carefully. Maybe I envy you a little, because we only have a few death/black doom metal bands that are worth it. How do you explain that underground metal is doing so well in your country? How do you perceive your scene, fans, labels?
J.S.: Germany has had a strong scene right from the beginning in the early eighties. I guess, we are also lucky because of its position right in the center of Europe. Hence many tours are routed through the country when going from west to east or vice versa. From a business perspective, the German market is still very important when it comes to sales of releases. So labels pay attention that their releases are available in Germany.
However, these days it is difficult for many venues and promoters to survive. Rising costs for touring and production on one side, less money among the fans for tickets on the other side. I hope that most of the Metal devotees will cope with this situation and survive these difficult times. “Take nothing for granted” as the saying goes.
You play doom death/black metal influenced by, among other things, the old school. Today, the band can't avoid comparisons, but I would like to know how the idea to start GRAVEHAMMER was born, who was and is your metal idol? Where do you want to move your band? Are you attracted to large foreign festivals, for example, are you willing to go on tour with a more famous band?
T.W.: I think the initial idea was to play old school Death Metal in the vein of bands like Nihilist, Grave, old Tiamat and Winter, without having had an elaborated concept or long term strategy for the band. We were (and still are) very much into that archaic sound and noticed that there were no bands in our area playing that kind of music. However, it turned out that we did not really know how to achieve that. We had some technical limitations and were biased by our individual backgrounds. Our first demo is probably closer to Hellhammer than to nineties Death Metal. Still, we noticed that there is the potential for a certain primitive energy, which I associate with the first waves of extreme metal.
Hence, we gave up the idea of being a pure Death Metal band and put more focus on finding our own identity. Although we still primarily identify as a Death Metal band, there is a lot of Doom Metal, Black Metal and War Metal in our current sound. By not limiting our music to a specific genre, we are maybe even closer to the essence of the early days of Extreme Metal - a time when it was more important to play energetic music than to find the right marketing tags. Look at - again - Hellhammer or early Sodom, Morbid, Master’s Hammer, Bathory, Sarcófago and the like. Although they sound very different, all of them have an incredible, primitive energy plus a dark, morbid aura. Yet, there is a certain lightheartedness in the chaos they embraced. Today, I can‘t name one specific band that influences us the most, but for sure we are inspired by those core aspects of the first waves of extreme metal.
For the second part of the question, we don’t really have a long term goal. I guess we will try to find a good balance of playing live and working on new material. There are for sure some stages we‘d like to enter, but yet I feel that smaller, shady venues fit our style of music better. I don’t think that our music is made for big stages and that‘s totally fine. Playing in front of 10 maniacs in a putrid garage can be a blast. Of course it would be also cool to share the stage with a bigger band we all like, but it’s not our biggest dream and definitely we would not pay to get a support slot. Yes, this happens, and it has nothing to do with Metal.
When I started my website seven years ago, I had a vision that I would try to support bands that are not so much popular, or they are lost in underground. To let the world knows about them. I think I'm doing quite well, at least according to the responses. How do you approach the promotion of your music? Do you rely upon the label or do you send the CDs for various reviews by yourself? For example, I buy albums that I really enjoy. What about you? Are you also fans who often support your colleagues? Do you go to concerts?
J.S.: Most of us attend shows on a regular basis. When we like the band we also hit the merch table since we like physical releases. And of course, shirts, too (who doesn’t?).
The promotion work of Gravehammer consists of several components. Our labels do promotion for their releases. Furthermore, we also do promotion on our own by using social media and getting word of mouth promotion going. Attending concerts and speaking to other fans is an important part of this, too.
On the one hand, today the new band has a lot of opportunities to make themselves more known, but on the other hand, there are a huge number of groups and the fans are getting lost in this big metal sea. A lot of people just download mp3s from the internet and instead of to visit the concert they prefer to spit poisonous saliva on Facebook. How do modern technologies affect you as GRAVEHAMMER? What do you think about downloading music, google metalists, streaming music, etc.?
MB: Well, the developments of the last decade or so are both a blessing and a curse. As it has become quite easy to record music on your own and release it, there is a huge flood of new demos each month or even week - yet, there are also many good releases among the many rubbish ones. But, even though we (this includes Gravehammer as well as Skardus, a band J.S. and I play in together) put our music on bandcamp, youtube and the like, we still see many people buying our stuff - both online and at our concerts. That said, I think that the attention span of people who listen to music via streaming exclusively has drastically shortened because that way music can be consumed everywhere and all the time. Thus, for many people, music has become a mere background noise which needs to be changed and skipped through as fast as possible. This, of course, leads to the problem that complete albums or demos do not get appreciated the way they should. But, on the other hand, I do feel that the people who rather live and support the underground do still buy the bands’ albums and merchandise to support them (and also support the bands on said pages like facebook etc.) and by that keep the flame burning, so to speak.
I like to ask the musicians what death metal means to them. How would they define it, whether it is more the philosophy and lifestyle thing for them or "just" relaxation? What does it mean for you? How do you perceive and experience it?
J.S.: Lifestyle is a strong word. On the other hand, Metal in general consumes much of my spare time. This includes rehearsing with my two bands (Skardus is the other one), attending concerts and listening to records.
Since this answer is not toooooo exciting, I may rephrase your question a bit to “What do you favour in Death Metal?” I personally like bands which capture a sinister atmosphere and not just playing “buddy Death Metal”. Records that evoke a similar feeling for me when visiting old churches and vaults or looking at medieval woodcuts. Teitanblood, Possession, Necros Christos, Beherit, Goat Molestör… you get the idea.
Finally, a classic but important question. What is GRAVEHAMMER planning in the upcoming months? Where can we see you at the stage and what about a tour of Europe?
T.W.: Yes, we do have some gigs in the pipeline, most of them in Germany. In March, we will hit the road with our friends Hallucinate and play in Mülheim (22.3.) and Göttingen (23.3.). Check them out, they released their debut last year, an incredible atmospheric yet old school Death Metal album. In April, we will play in Lübeck (27.4.) inside a freakin’ ship.
Most interesting for you and your readers and certainly one highlight for us will be the “United in Brutality” festival. On Saturday (21.9.) we’ll hit their stage in Jablonec Nad Nisou in the Czech Republic. All further announcements can be found on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Gravehammer
At the moment, we prefer weekenders with 2-3 dates since they are easier to organize. But who knows.
Thank you so much for the interview. I wish a lot of success to the new album and let the number of your fans expand as much as possible. I will look forward to seeing you somewhere live again. I wish you a lot of success both musically and personally. I'm going to push „Bones to Harvest“ into my head again!
J.S.: Thank you for featuring Gravehammer in your zine and also for your kind words! We hope to see many of you guys when we play at “United in Brutality” in September.
Recenze/review - GRAVEHAMMER - Bones to Harvest (2023):
