The May Issue of Cryptic Inscriptions is up and like we promised we got this one up quicker than the last one.This issue features Interviews and Reviews with the following bands:
Interviews with: Wormrot,Cellgraft,Custodian and Copremesis
Reviews of: Wormrot's "Dirge",Atrium Carcer's"Phrenitis,Copremesis's "Muay Thai Ladyboys" and Insect Warfare "World Extermination".
Working on the June issue and have things planned for a July issue.Enjoy
Joe and Ashley
Monday, May 16, 2011
Insect Warfare "World Extermination" LP Review
Insect Warfare “World Extermination” LP
I have to say as far as grind bands were concerned in the 2000’s the band that really did it for me was Insect Warfare. Formed in 2004 in Houston Texas by Beau Beasley (Coffin Grinder/ The Homopolice) the band put out a demo, a decent amount of splits, a few EPs including a straight up noise release, but what honestly describes the band best is their only full length in 2007’s “World Extermination”. Just my opinion but I have to say with the exception of Napalm Death’s “From Enslavement to Obliteration” this album is by far one of the great grind albums of our time. The album itself is primitive, barbaric, and all in all a straight up grindcore release. With its sheer merciless attack on the listener from start to finish Insect Warfare isn’t taking any prisoners. Opening with the harsh noise intro followed by the opening song “Oxygen Corrosion” the band gives you just a taste of what’s to come. Followed by songs such as Self Termination, the punk laced, Enslaved by Machinery, Street Sweeper, Dead Inside, Mind Ripper, Hydraphobia, Protection Maze, Evolved into Obliteration and my personal favorite Human Trafficking( the guitar break in that song makes me want to go punch someone in the face). The musicality on the album is fucking amazing! Drummer Dobber Beverly tears it up with his machine gun blasts and punk d beat assault powered by the guitar riffs of Beasley( Beau also plays bass on the album which is a bit buried in the mix) which is complemented by the blood curdling screams and aggravated grunts of singer Rahi. The production on this album is far superior to the other bands releases and the songs on the album will put you in a chaotic frenzy. The only complaint I have is the bass being really buried in the mix and I think a few bass fills would have done nicely with this album, but all in all this release is definitely in my top 5 as far as great albums are concerned. Unfortunately the band broke up in 2008 reformed to do a tour in 2009 and broke up again afterwards. Quite a shame I know, they would have continued to make more killer albums as time went on. At least we can appreciate the fact they left our ears bleeding with their straight up harsh aggressive grind core assault! At least we have the albums to remember them by.
Copremesis "Muay Thai Ladyboys" LP Review
Copremesis Muay Thai Ladyboys LP
“Unoriginal death grind poop” the bands own tag to describe themselves. New York’s Copremesis has been going at it since 2001 and have done a good job at putting out sick release after sick release. I had the opportunity to play a show and see them twice on their tour with Pigsty. Live these guys fucking owned and to me were entertaining as hell. So after seeing them live I decided to check out their first full length entitled Muay Thai Ladyboys. The album’s title has some weird significance to a Muay Thai boxer named Nong Toom who fought his way to the top to get a sex change and become Parinya Charoenphol. The album opens with the title track and the opening guttural roar show that this album is not to be taken lightly. Paulo and Alex laden the release with fast, technical and actually interesting riffs complemented by Daniels drumming/bass playing makes for a solid musical foundation. Add the crazy vocals of Paulo and Alex together and you got yourself a sick intense release that you’ll continually listen to. At least that’s the way I reacted and still to this day react when I hear this album. This one is definitely in my top 20 as far as grind/death grind albums are concerned. The standout tracks are “Muay Thai Ladyboys” (the title track),”Bestial Castration”, “Push”, “Zombie”, “Mad”,” I am Envy”, “ Tsueto”, and a hidden Vomit Remnants cover I’m sure if you’re perceptive you caught on to that. There are various guest vocal spots courtesy of Danny Nelson(Malignancy),William Smith(Buckshot Facelift, ex Biolich) Erik Undzuis(Gorged Afterbirth, Seven Gates) and Daniel Olivencia(ex Biolich)to make things interesting. The only complaint I had was that the tracks all just run into each other which might confuse some people as to what song is which. The vocals could have been somewhat lowered, they seem a bit overpowering at some points. Other than that this album is definitely one to add to your record collection. Go check out the band live too and bring your glow sticks (if you’ve seen them live you know what I mean)! Trust me you’ll see true musicianship and be entertained at the same time! I can’t wait for the next release what’s taking so long fellas?! ;)
Atrium Carceri "Phrenitis" LP Review
Atrium Carceri “Phrenitis” LP
You can’t really go wrong with Ambient, but those who extensively listen to the genre know what to look for as far as good and bad is concerned. One of the bands that really caught my attention recently was Sweden’s Atrium Carceri. The band’s name which means “Prison’s Hall” was created by Simon Heath; who has previously released 5 other albums including this album on dark ambient/industrial label Cold Meat Industry. Now on “Phrenitis” the band paints a horrifying picture that is almost disturbing but also has a sense of emotion. Relying on the use of keyboards, sound effects, samples, haunting rhythms and other instrumentation Heath paints a picture of haunting vision of the end times; this is best heard in the tracks “Surfacing”, “Hypnosis”, and “Eraser”. This particular album could be best described as an audio interpretation of the movies “Silent Hill” and “28 Days Later” with an undertone that is haunting and apocalyptic, yet beautiful and exquisite at the same time. Phrenitis speaks to the listener in a way that a lot of ambient releases don’t. I guess the union of horror and emotion really do work at times. On this particular release I must say it does. I recommend checking out Atrium’s previous releases as you’ll definitely see the progression from album to album. I end this review of the album with my own interpretation “As the world crumbles to the ground, my soul remains infinite”.
Wormrot "Dirge" LP Review
Wormrot: Dirge
With the underground being tainted with shitty scene/grind bands and just shitty bands in general. It’s a breath of fresh air to finally hear a band that can straight up kick you in the teeth with straight up punk/grind attitude. Wormrot is one of those bands formed in Singapore back in 2007. The band would go through several lineup changes until finally settling on their current lineup singer Arif, guitarist Rayshid and drummer Fitri. The band signed to Earache Records and released their first full length entitled “Abuse”, which is a collection of unreleased material as well as some older stuff. Following this release was the split with IAbor and now the highly anticipated “Dirge”. The album starts off with the slow apocalyptic doom paced No One Gives A Shit, but that quickly ends. The band speeds it up towards the end of the song leaving you dead in your tracks. The band showcases a brand of old school grind mixed with groovy hardcore punk aggression heard in tracks such as No go Emo, Principle of Puppet War, Overpowered Violence, Erased Existence, Meteor to the Face and Deceased Occupation. This release brings back some life to what seems to be a dead grind scene or just a dead scene in general. The harsh distorted riffs of Rashiyd have an almost Assuck, Phobia, Insect Warfare and Napalm Death vibe to them, followed by the screams, growls and yells of Arif and the one thing that really draws my attention to the band is the drumming of Fitri. He kicks you in the face with his stampede of fast aggressive blast beats, and punky ass grooves and fills that make the music so mosh worthy. The band really does well on this album, but if you really want the real picture check them out live! Trust me you won’t be disappointed!
Interview with Paulo of Copremesis
Copremesis Interview:
Joe/Cryptic Inscriptions- I like to tell you thanks for taking the time to do this interview Paulo. Tell the readers a little bit about Copremesis, and also the significance behind the name?
Paulo- You’re a great and honest dude so I take this interview as an honor! Copremesis started out when Alex and I met Daniel and Wilson. During the years things change, people leave, join, kicked out, grow up, etc. Now we have Ian to torture.
We fit the name; we rip off the bands we love and regurgitate their riffs and try to pass it off as ours.
Joe- The last album you guys released was “Muay Thai Ladyboys” are you guys currently working on a new album will it be material for a split, EP or another LP? What will the title be, and what do you hope to achieve on the next recording that you didn’t on this one?
Paulo- We’re working on new songs, no idea if it would be for a full-length, ep or split. We have a working title but I don’t want to get too excited and blurt things out like I did few years ago, I said in other interviews a few years back that we would do splits with a couple of bands [Buckshot Facelift, Cesspool, Gorged Afterbirth] but because we’re lazy and we procrastinate, nothing has yet to materialize.
Joe- I really dig the dual vocals of Alex (guitar/vocals) and yourself. Did you guys from the get go decide on doing dual vocals?
Paulo- Originally it wasn’t, we started out with triple vocals like Gorgasm / Nile. Daniel who recorded the drums for Muay Thai Lady Boys was originally the bassist / vocalist. He did inhales, Daniel and I have similar vocals but his stand-out vocals were those high shrieks in the demo [Therapeutic Battery] and split [Push]. During the recording for Muay Thai Ladyboys, he didn’t have time to record his parts, because he was getting ready to join the USMC. He was busy filling in for the drums and recording the bass on 8 of the songs.
Joe- Back on the vocals I have to say you have some of the most sickest and original sounding vocals that I’ve heard in the scene. Did you do vocals in any bands prior to Copremesis, and how did you establish your unique style of vocals?
Paulo- Ha ha ha, thank you for the kind words but they’re not original at all, I basically rip off Jamie Bailey, Batu Cetin, Danny Nelson and Antimo Buonanno when I came to a realization that couldn’t fully pull off iniQuity’s Brian Petrowsky. Alex and I were in a band prior to Copremesis but we weren’t vocalists. Discovering Brodequin, Cenotaph, Malignancy and Disgorge became my Game Genies.
Joe- Let’s go back in time for a bit, why did you guys choose the name “Muay Thai Ladyboys” as the album name? Was there some kind of back up story to the name of the album or is it just something you guys came up?
Paulo-Alex was responsible for the album title; he got it from the movie Beautiful Boxer, which is based from a dramatized true story of Nong Toom. He was a Muay Thai Kickboxer who fought his way to make money to get his sex change. He eventually got enough funds to have the operation then set on her transformation as Parinya Charoenphol.
Joe- Does the whole band write material together or does one of you come up with the music/lyrics?
Paulo - Alex and I usually write on our own but there’s a couple of ways we would write. The last few songs I’ve written were technically just a collection of riffs and placed in a haphazard structure, when I’m comfortable enough with the material then I show it to the guys at rehearsal, from there we trim the fat then rearrange the structure to have a cohesive song. Alex has a better grasp of writing than I do because he understands repeating riffs is necessary, I on the other hand tend to fall under the “riff-salad” mentality. If we hit a slump, we ask each other for help to throw some ideas for the next part.
Ian is very instrumental in helping me write songs, when I would present the songs to him we would work on the comfort level of executing the playability and structures. In Muay Thai…, the songs were hard for us to replicate live because the songs were going 1,000 MPH and we would cramp playing them and eventually execute them sloppily. He also has a very strong sense of timing, he’s a human metronome and working with him would be usually hard for me since I have absolutely no sense of timing, he’s been helping me hear the beat by playing the riff over and over and over again until I get it right.
Joe- Do you feel that the band has progressed since the early days until now? What’s been the most important thing that you’ve learned from being in a band or just being a musician?
Paulo- Listening to Wormed made me realize that I don’t have to play out of my skill level and working with Ian made me realize that I need to back up and not rush into things. Wormed’s songs aren’t forced, they flow and there’s no super meedly weedly parts but actual memorable and relaxed riffs. I’d love to play Malignancy but I just have to be honest about myself and realize I’m nowhere near Ronny’s playing ability.
I’m trying to avoid the dirty habit of Riff-Stacking; I’m being more open to suggestions from the other guys. The main goal for Copremesis for me is to have fun and we took the break, it’s because things were becoming stale, it’s very important to have other avenues of outlets so when we come back, things are fresh again. We don’t want something to sound forced or out of character. Even though it might not be apparent for many people out there, we do have somewhat of a theme or an idea, lately songs I’ve written were more straightforward and very dark; it didn’t feel like Copremesis so I’m holding that off for something else.
Joe- Do you feel that the live show captures Copremesis better or that the recording does or both? Explain.
Paulo- I think we’re better live than in recordings, not playing wise but more entertaining. We’ve been VERY lucky to be a part of some really bizarre show where the people who put on the show, took the album concept to heart and made it possible to perform with a transgender shitting all over the floor and being tipped over from inside a port-o-potty [ source: http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/pooptastik/06252008/ ].
Speaking for myself here, I’m someone who is an introvert and passive aggressive, playing live is a release; you’ve seen us play and I spazz out. I don’t care how many people are there for us, even if it’s just one person, I really take it to heart that this person took their time out to spend it with us and I feel that I owe it to that person to give something back and that is to entertain them also. Make them remember after the show was done that it wasn’t such a waste of time and hopefully did not regret coming out to see us. It may seem pessimistic but coming from a person who is living in NYC where everyone is jaded and barely come out to shows, I know how it feels to be let down when I could’ve just stayed home and rest.
Joe- Do you play any other instruments besides guitar and if you do does that help you out in the writing process or just working with other musicians?
Paulo-I literally, PLAY the drums and bass, especially the drums. I don’t really do much with my bass but playing simple Grindcore riffs but in drums, there’s only one thing I can do and I enjoy it very much which is hyperblasting. I have a very basic set up very much like Jon Engman’s which consists of 1 electronic kick pad, a hi-hat, a crash, a small china and a tiny snare [and a saw blade as the ride but Engman doesn’t use that cuz he’s too awesome for that]. It doesn’t help me with writing at all, just relieves stress.
Joe- What is the song “Verb the Noun” about?
Paulo- There’s no lyrics yet but the working idea is about poking fun of the lack of originality in the Death Metal scene, mostly based a lot from Unique Leader / United Guttural / and various Brutal Death Metal song / album titles. The 1st half of that song is meant to be brutal and the 2nd half well, you already know what it’s about but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone else, it’s meant to throw people off.
Joe- You guys have any shows, tours coming up in the near future?
Paulo- The only show coming up is the show with The Kill / Noisear / the Communion. It’ll be a 1 year anniversary since I played with The Communion since Lee Altomare passed away, Copremesis didn’t perform but that’s when I played with Buckshot Facelift. We weren’t going to do any shows this year either but we’re doing this as a way of paying our respects for a great friend [Lee Altomare of The Communion] who passed away last year.
Joe- You also do vocals in Andromorphus Rexalia and do guitar/vocals in Buckshot Facelift do you take part in the writing process of either of these bands? Does being in different bands and jamming with other musicians help when it comes to writing new material or just understanding music in a different light opposed to just being in one band?
Paulo- I have absolutely have zero musical input for Andromorphus Rexalia and I like it that way, I’m just there to make fart noises on the microphone. The role may seem insignificant but to me it gives me relieves from the stress of writing music, it’s a different role and gives a fresh point of view.
For Buckshot Facelift, I participate in the song writing, Tom [bassist] and I would usually meet up and show each other riffs, and then whenever we can get everyone else in the same page, we rehearse and go over the new songs. Problem is that we can’t actively rehearse every week, it’s because our conflicting work and personal schedules, another factor is the distance between the members. It’s fun playing Buckshot’s stuff since its new to me, they have a very NYHC hardcore style and I’ve been assimilating my style to fit theirs.
All these different styles are great because it relieves me from being stale and stagnant. Variety is a spice of life. Sometimes I would have a riff for this band or an idea for another; it keeps my mind working instead of hitting a brick wall trying to figure out what’s the next step to take in the one band.
Joe- Like always I want to thank you like always for doing this interview Paulo. Any last words for the readers, and do we expect dance music and glow sticks half way through the set at the next live show or a cover song placed at the end of the album ;) ?
Paulo- Thank you, Joe! Thanks for taking your time to include us! It’s much appreciated! And I’m very sorry for being always late with this stuff!
We have a show coming up and we don’t even know what we’re gonna do. Ha, we just need to get off our asses and actually record something. Honestly, we don’t know, we’re working on new material right now, I’m sure many people won’t like it.
Always carry glow sticks; you’ll never know when it’s time to dance.
Joe/Cryptic Inscriptions- I like to tell you thanks for taking the time to do this interview Paulo. Tell the readers a little bit about Copremesis, and also the significance behind the name?
Paulo- You’re a great and honest dude so I take this interview as an honor! Copremesis started out when Alex and I met Daniel and Wilson. During the years things change, people leave, join, kicked out, grow up, etc. Now we have Ian to torture.
We fit the name; we rip off the bands we love and regurgitate their riffs and try to pass it off as ours.
Joe- The last album you guys released was “Muay Thai Ladyboys” are you guys currently working on a new album will it be material for a split, EP or another LP? What will the title be, and what do you hope to achieve on the next recording that you didn’t on this one?
Paulo- We’re working on new songs, no idea if it would be for a full-length, ep or split. We have a working title but I don’t want to get too excited and blurt things out like I did few years ago, I said in other interviews a few years back that we would do splits with a couple of bands [Buckshot Facelift, Cesspool, Gorged Afterbirth] but because we’re lazy and we procrastinate, nothing has yet to materialize.
Joe- I really dig the dual vocals of Alex (guitar/vocals) and yourself. Did you guys from the get go decide on doing dual vocals?
Paulo- Originally it wasn’t, we started out with triple vocals like Gorgasm / Nile. Daniel who recorded the drums for Muay Thai Lady Boys was originally the bassist / vocalist. He did inhales, Daniel and I have similar vocals but his stand-out vocals were those high shrieks in the demo [Therapeutic Battery] and split [Push]. During the recording for Muay Thai Ladyboys, he didn’t have time to record his parts, because he was getting ready to join the USMC. He was busy filling in for the drums and recording the bass on 8 of the songs.
Joe- Back on the vocals I have to say you have some of the most sickest and original sounding vocals that I’ve heard in the scene. Did you do vocals in any bands prior to Copremesis, and how did you establish your unique style of vocals?
Paulo- Ha ha ha, thank you for the kind words but they’re not original at all, I basically rip off Jamie Bailey, Batu Cetin, Danny Nelson and Antimo Buonanno when I came to a realization that couldn’t fully pull off iniQuity’s Brian Petrowsky. Alex and I were in a band prior to Copremesis but we weren’t vocalists. Discovering Brodequin, Cenotaph, Malignancy and Disgorge became my Game Genies.
Joe- Let’s go back in time for a bit, why did you guys choose the name “Muay Thai Ladyboys” as the album name? Was there some kind of back up story to the name of the album or is it just something you guys came up?
Paulo-Alex was responsible for the album title; he got it from the movie Beautiful Boxer, which is based from a dramatized true story of Nong Toom. He was a Muay Thai Kickboxer who fought his way to make money to get his sex change. He eventually got enough funds to have the operation then set on her transformation as Parinya Charoenphol.
Joe- Does the whole band write material together or does one of you come up with the music/lyrics?
Paulo - Alex and I usually write on our own but there’s a couple of ways we would write. The last few songs I’ve written were technically just a collection of riffs and placed in a haphazard structure, when I’m comfortable enough with the material then I show it to the guys at rehearsal, from there we trim the fat then rearrange the structure to have a cohesive song. Alex has a better grasp of writing than I do because he understands repeating riffs is necessary, I on the other hand tend to fall under the “riff-salad” mentality. If we hit a slump, we ask each other for help to throw some ideas for the next part.
Ian is very instrumental in helping me write songs, when I would present the songs to him we would work on the comfort level of executing the playability and structures. In Muay Thai…, the songs were hard for us to replicate live because the songs were going 1,000 MPH and we would cramp playing them and eventually execute them sloppily. He also has a very strong sense of timing, he’s a human metronome and working with him would be usually hard for me since I have absolutely no sense of timing, he’s been helping me hear the beat by playing the riff over and over and over again until I get it right.
Joe- Do you feel that the band has progressed since the early days until now? What’s been the most important thing that you’ve learned from being in a band or just being a musician?
Paulo- Listening to Wormed made me realize that I don’t have to play out of my skill level and working with Ian made me realize that I need to back up and not rush into things. Wormed’s songs aren’t forced, they flow and there’s no super meedly weedly parts but actual memorable and relaxed riffs. I’d love to play Malignancy but I just have to be honest about myself and realize I’m nowhere near Ronny’s playing ability.
I’m trying to avoid the dirty habit of Riff-Stacking; I’m being more open to suggestions from the other guys. The main goal for Copremesis for me is to have fun and we took the break, it’s because things were becoming stale, it’s very important to have other avenues of outlets so when we come back, things are fresh again. We don’t want something to sound forced or out of character. Even though it might not be apparent for many people out there, we do have somewhat of a theme or an idea, lately songs I’ve written were more straightforward and very dark; it didn’t feel like Copremesis so I’m holding that off for something else.
Joe- Do you feel that the live show captures Copremesis better or that the recording does or both? Explain.
Paulo- I think we’re better live than in recordings, not playing wise but more entertaining. We’ve been VERY lucky to be a part of some really bizarre show where the people who put on the show, took the album concept to heart and made it possible to perform with a transgender shitting all over the floor and being tipped over from inside a port-o-potty [ source: http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/pooptastik/06252008/ ].
Speaking for myself here, I’m someone who is an introvert and passive aggressive, playing live is a release; you’ve seen us play and I spazz out. I don’t care how many people are there for us, even if it’s just one person, I really take it to heart that this person took their time out to spend it with us and I feel that I owe it to that person to give something back and that is to entertain them also. Make them remember after the show was done that it wasn’t such a waste of time and hopefully did not regret coming out to see us. It may seem pessimistic but coming from a person who is living in NYC where everyone is jaded and barely come out to shows, I know how it feels to be let down when I could’ve just stayed home and rest.
Joe- Do you play any other instruments besides guitar and if you do does that help you out in the writing process or just working with other musicians?
Paulo-I literally, PLAY the drums and bass, especially the drums. I don’t really do much with my bass but playing simple Grindcore riffs but in drums, there’s only one thing I can do and I enjoy it very much which is hyperblasting. I have a very basic set up very much like Jon Engman’s which consists of 1 electronic kick pad, a hi-hat, a crash, a small china and a tiny snare [and a saw blade as the ride but Engman doesn’t use that cuz he’s too awesome for that]. It doesn’t help me with writing at all, just relieves stress.
Joe- What is the song “Verb the Noun” about?
Paulo- There’s no lyrics yet but the working idea is about poking fun of the lack of originality in the Death Metal scene, mostly based a lot from Unique Leader / United Guttural / and various Brutal Death Metal song / album titles. The 1st half of that song is meant to be brutal and the 2nd half well, you already know what it’s about but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone else, it’s meant to throw people off.
Joe- You guys have any shows, tours coming up in the near future?
Paulo- The only show coming up is the show with The Kill / Noisear / the Communion. It’ll be a 1 year anniversary since I played with The Communion since Lee Altomare passed away, Copremesis didn’t perform but that’s when I played with Buckshot Facelift. We weren’t going to do any shows this year either but we’re doing this as a way of paying our respects for a great friend [Lee Altomare of The Communion] who passed away last year.
Joe- You also do vocals in Andromorphus Rexalia and do guitar/vocals in Buckshot Facelift do you take part in the writing process of either of these bands? Does being in different bands and jamming with other musicians help when it comes to writing new material or just understanding music in a different light opposed to just being in one band?
Paulo- I have absolutely have zero musical input for Andromorphus Rexalia and I like it that way, I’m just there to make fart noises on the microphone. The role may seem insignificant but to me it gives me relieves from the stress of writing music, it’s a different role and gives a fresh point of view.
For Buckshot Facelift, I participate in the song writing, Tom [bassist] and I would usually meet up and show each other riffs, and then whenever we can get everyone else in the same page, we rehearse and go over the new songs. Problem is that we can’t actively rehearse every week, it’s because our conflicting work and personal schedules, another factor is the distance between the members. It’s fun playing Buckshot’s stuff since its new to me, they have a very NYHC hardcore style and I’ve been assimilating my style to fit theirs.
All these different styles are great because it relieves me from being stale and stagnant. Variety is a spice of life. Sometimes I would have a riff for this band or an idea for another; it keeps my mind working instead of hitting a brick wall trying to figure out what’s the next step to take in the one band.
Joe- Like always I want to thank you like always for doing this interview Paulo. Any last words for the readers, and do we expect dance music and glow sticks half way through the set at the next live show or a cover song placed at the end of the album ;) ?
Paulo- Thank you, Joe! Thanks for taking your time to include us! It’s much appreciated! And I’m very sorry for being always late with this stuff!
We have a show coming up and we don’t even know what we’re gonna do. Ha, we just need to get off our asses and actually record something. Honestly, we don’t know, we’re working on new material right now, I’m sure many people won’t like it.
Always carry glow sticks; you’ll never know when it’s time to dance.
Interview with Custodian's Jon Engman
Custodian Interview
Joe/Cryptic Inscriptions:I like to thank you Jon for taking the time to do this interview. Give the readers a brief history of when and why you started Custodian, also why did you choose the name?
Jon- Thanks for the questions. I started listening to noise in 1997 after I read an article in Relapse's RESOUND zine/catalog called "the current state of american noise" written by Joseph Roemer of Macronympha. I was already ordering a lot of records through relapse so after I read this article and paged through the titles in their distro I became extremely interested in the genre and started ordering stacks of releases by Killer Bug, Incapacitants, Masonna, Atrax Morgue, Brighter Death Now, Merzbow etc. Comps like The Japanese American Noise Treaty, Release Your Mind series, Esthetiks of Cruelty, Absolute Supper, and American Noise all blew my mind. I started recording my attempts at harsh noise soon after. I continued to record on and off, to varying degrees of intensity and styles, until late 2007 when I feel I started Custodian as an actual project.
As for the name: Honestly, the word itself first caught my interest while watching an Aeon Flux animated short, although it's not used in reference to that. I just liked the sound of it. Coincidentally I work as a 3rd shift janitor/custodian at a shady downtown parking structure, so Custodian was perfect...and in retrospect, painfully obvious. I wanted a name that "sounded cool" and that could somehow relate to my life in an everyday manner.
Joe: When I listen to Custodian I get a vibe of anger, aggression, depression, solitude. Is this what you’re trying to convey or is there a deeper meaning to the noise ridden soundscapes?
Jon: Those are definitely apt descriptions, but I'm not aiming for that necessarily. The tracks are recorded on the fly and being that I'm disappointed/frustrated with life in general, they always tend to sound bleak. I try to keep focus on severe sounds, not on concept.
Joe: The one thing I really like as far as Custodian is concerned is the fact that you seem to mix sounds to make the soundscape interesting where sometimes a lot of noise bands lack on this, and only rely on one sound. Do you improv everything or do you sit down and decide what types of sound you’re going to use?
Jon: Tracks are for the most part improvised. I usually have no preset structure besides a certain mood in mind or sometimes just a loop to start with. Everything so far has been recorded with 2/3 different pedals, a shaker or mic, lots of gain, and the occasional random metal junk object. Maybe opposed to some wall noise, drone, and truly minimal acts my sound is varying but compared to other harsh noise acts I think custodian is pretty strict.
Joe: I know you have a pretty minimal setup as far as equipment is concerned. Not only for Custodian, but for some of your previous bands as well, i.e.: Foetopsy. Do you feel less is better? Explain your setup as far as Custodian is concerned, and also which piece of equipment could you not live without as far as Custodian is concerned?
Jon: I always keep my gear down to essentials. It forces me keep focus on each track and the project as a whole. The setup as of right now is a shaker, boss rc-2, eq pedal, korg px4d, and mixer. Other than that I have a netbook with that I record on live to one track. I could probably live without the eq in the current chain I have going but everything else is necessary.
Joe: I really like the dark dreary vibe of the artwork. Does the theme of the art go together with the titles of the album? Or is that entirely different?
Jon: For my first handful of releases the art was just visual references to the sounds. The last few releases were more thought out where the title and artwork were related. I only started using titles because it was odd keeping track of everything using just numerals, and it's also not a very original or compelling idea. The titles add a bit of guidance into the artwork and sounds that I think was lacking for the first few releases.
Joe: In your opinion what makes Custodian stand apart from other noise bands?
Jon: With every project it's about the individual so what makes Custodian stand apart from other projects is that it's my take on harsh noise. The sounds, loops, timing of cuts etc make it just a touch different than other acts working in the same field...I'm not doing anything too original and am 100% fine with that.
Joe: I know you did a few collaboration releases recently; will there ever be a live collaboration with Custodian and any of the bands you did collaborations with?
Jon: So far I have collaborated with Gnawed from Minneapolis. We released a 3"cdr titled "loathsome" but have not performed live together yet. Then there’s the project known as DeathJenk...a 3 way collab with Gnawed, Grainbelt, and myself on loops and mixer. We have done two live sets and have recordings completed that will eventually end up being released. I've also done one set and collabed on a couple tracks for Disgust (Chicago).
Joe: Would you describe Custodian as a natural disaster decimating civilization or an angered stampede of animals trampling someone to death?
Jon: I would describe it as me being disgusted and relating it to harsh electronic noise.
Joe: Do you have any other projects you’re involved in? Will there ever be a Foetopsy reunion?
Jon: As of right now, Custodian is the only project I'm active with and into doing. No plans on a foetopsy or brodequin reunion, sorry.
Joe: If a painter listened to Custodian and then was told to paint a portrait of what he perceived from listening to your soundscape what do you think he would paint?
Jon: Probably something dark or abstract. I'd like to see what someone would come up with.
Joe: Thanks again for the interview Jon, what’s in store as far as Custodian is concerned recording and live?
Jon: Thanks for the questions! Coming up next is a split LP on No Visible Scars, and a c30 for Housepig, then there’s a few labels I need to get back to. As far as live sets...May 27th in Chicago, and June 3rd in Milwaukee are the only things lined up at the moment. I'm also hoping to have an official and thorough .com up soon. I'm not really into using the BlogSpot so expect a change in homepage within the next few months.
Joe:Any last words for the readers?
I guess just check out my BlogSpot for (limited) news and info, and soundcloud page for streaming audio. Thanks to the few who've been listening.
Joe/Cryptic Inscriptions:I like to thank you Jon for taking the time to do this interview. Give the readers a brief history of when and why you started Custodian, also why did you choose the name?
Jon- Thanks for the questions. I started listening to noise in 1997 after I read an article in Relapse's RESOUND zine/catalog called "the current state of american noise" written by Joseph Roemer of Macronympha. I was already ordering a lot of records through relapse so after I read this article and paged through the titles in their distro I became extremely interested in the genre and started ordering stacks of releases by Killer Bug, Incapacitants, Masonna, Atrax Morgue, Brighter Death Now, Merzbow etc. Comps like The Japanese American Noise Treaty, Release Your Mind series, Esthetiks of Cruelty, Absolute Supper, and American Noise all blew my mind. I started recording my attempts at harsh noise soon after. I continued to record on and off, to varying degrees of intensity and styles, until late 2007 when I feel I started Custodian as an actual project.
As for the name: Honestly, the word itself first caught my interest while watching an Aeon Flux animated short, although it's not used in reference to that. I just liked the sound of it. Coincidentally I work as a 3rd shift janitor/custodian at a shady downtown parking structure, so Custodian was perfect...and in retrospect, painfully obvious. I wanted a name that "sounded cool" and that could somehow relate to my life in an everyday manner.
Joe: When I listen to Custodian I get a vibe of anger, aggression, depression, solitude. Is this what you’re trying to convey or is there a deeper meaning to the noise ridden soundscapes?
Jon: Those are definitely apt descriptions, but I'm not aiming for that necessarily. The tracks are recorded on the fly and being that I'm disappointed/frustrated with life in general, they always tend to sound bleak. I try to keep focus on severe sounds, not on concept.
Joe: The one thing I really like as far as Custodian is concerned is the fact that you seem to mix sounds to make the soundscape interesting where sometimes a lot of noise bands lack on this, and only rely on one sound. Do you improv everything or do you sit down and decide what types of sound you’re going to use?
Jon: Tracks are for the most part improvised. I usually have no preset structure besides a certain mood in mind or sometimes just a loop to start with. Everything so far has been recorded with 2/3 different pedals, a shaker or mic, lots of gain, and the occasional random metal junk object. Maybe opposed to some wall noise, drone, and truly minimal acts my sound is varying but compared to other harsh noise acts I think custodian is pretty strict.
Joe: I know you have a pretty minimal setup as far as equipment is concerned. Not only for Custodian, but for some of your previous bands as well, i.e.: Foetopsy. Do you feel less is better? Explain your setup as far as Custodian is concerned, and also which piece of equipment could you not live without as far as Custodian is concerned?
Jon: I always keep my gear down to essentials. It forces me keep focus on each track and the project as a whole. The setup as of right now is a shaker, boss rc-2, eq pedal, korg px4d, and mixer. Other than that I have a netbook with that I record on live to one track. I could probably live without the eq in the current chain I have going but everything else is necessary.
Joe: I really like the dark dreary vibe of the artwork. Does the theme of the art go together with the titles of the album? Or is that entirely different?
Jon: For my first handful of releases the art was just visual references to the sounds. The last few releases were more thought out where the title and artwork were related. I only started using titles because it was odd keeping track of everything using just numerals, and it's also not a very original or compelling idea. The titles add a bit of guidance into the artwork and sounds that I think was lacking for the first few releases.
Joe: In your opinion what makes Custodian stand apart from other noise bands?
Jon: With every project it's about the individual so what makes Custodian stand apart from other projects is that it's my take on harsh noise. The sounds, loops, timing of cuts etc make it just a touch different than other acts working in the same field...I'm not doing anything too original and am 100% fine with that.
Joe: I know you did a few collaboration releases recently; will there ever be a live collaboration with Custodian and any of the bands you did collaborations with?
Jon: So far I have collaborated with Gnawed from Minneapolis. We released a 3"cdr titled "loathsome" but have not performed live together yet. Then there’s the project known as DeathJenk...a 3 way collab with Gnawed, Grainbelt, and myself on loops and mixer. We have done two live sets and have recordings completed that will eventually end up being released. I've also done one set and collabed on a couple tracks for Disgust (Chicago).
Joe: Would you describe Custodian as a natural disaster decimating civilization or an angered stampede of animals trampling someone to death?
Jon: I would describe it as me being disgusted and relating it to harsh electronic noise.
Joe: Do you have any other projects you’re involved in? Will there ever be a Foetopsy reunion?
Jon: As of right now, Custodian is the only project I'm active with and into doing. No plans on a foetopsy or brodequin reunion, sorry.
Joe: If a painter listened to Custodian and then was told to paint a portrait of what he perceived from listening to your soundscape what do you think he would paint?
Jon: Probably something dark or abstract. I'd like to see what someone would come up with.
Joe: Thanks again for the interview Jon, what’s in store as far as Custodian is concerned recording and live?
Jon: Thanks for the questions! Coming up next is a split LP on No Visible Scars, and a c30 for Housepig, then there’s a few labels I need to get back to. As far as live sets...May 27th in Chicago, and June 3rd in Milwaukee are the only things lined up at the moment. I'm also hoping to have an official and thorough .com up soon. I'm not really into using the BlogSpot so expect a change in homepage within the next few months.
Joe:Any last words for the readers?
I guess just check out my BlogSpot for (limited) news and info, and soundcloud page for streaming audio. Thanks to the few who've been listening.
Interview with Cellgraft
Cellgraft Interview:
Joe/Cryptic Inscriptions: I wanted to say thank you guys for doing this interview. Give a brief history of Cellgraft for anyone that doesn’t know who you guys are?
Matt: Haha, not really much to tell.
Zell: yeah we started it in late '08 out of the remnants of other bullshit musical projects. We've just been writing and recording as much as we can since then.
Joe: I know the name of the band is actually the name of an Insect Warfare song. Why did you guys choose this particular song name as the name of the band? Was their ever another name that was used before?
Matt: well they're a strong influence and we thought it sounded awesome.
Zell: yeah they're one of my favorite bands, they're a band that got more intense as they went on too. Something that I hope we can do as well. Before Cellgraft the band was called Piles Sufferers and had a different guitar player, but once he left and I joined we decided to write all new songs and go for just straight grindcore influence.
Joe: When it comes to actually writing music how do you guys go about it? Does one of you write all the music and show the rest of the band or do you guys just all collaborate?
Zell: Sometimes we write songs on the spot and sometimes we write songs on our own. We always collaborate on ideas before a finished song though just too fine tune it.
Joe: What are some of the subjects you guys touch on as far as lyrics are concerned? Who writes the lyrics?
Matt: I usually write all the lyrics, sometimes Chris will throw in some. The lyrics usually reflect my personal perception on religious and political subjects but I tend to stray toward everyday issues.
Joe: I checked out the 4 way tape release you guys did and I like the noise interlude after the first song. Do you ever see Cellgraft making a straight up harsh noise release?
Zell: I don't really want to do exclusively noise stuff for a whole release. It's really fun making harsh noise; I want to utilize it more in our recordings.
Joe: What do you rely on to retain that noisy guitar tone that is the essence of Cellgraft?
Zell: Basically distortion pedals and lots of amps. I also play out of bass equipment for live shows just so it sounds huge and gross. On 'External' I actually used three, the third for straight noise parts.
Joe: Do you guys plan to add a bass player in the future or do you just plan to rely on the wall of amps to fill in the gaps? Do you record bass on the albums or is it all guitars?
Zell: We tried out our friend on bass but teaching someone so many songs is a chore. On recordings I usually just record a "bass" track and EQ it to sound deeper.
Matt: yeah we'll just fill in the gaps with more amps, haha.
Joe: Most of your releases are 7 inch releases or tape releases. Do you guys plan on sticking to releasing just 7 inch EPs and tapes or do you guys plan on releasing a full length at some point on CD format?
Zell: we usually stick to tapes because they're cheap, fast and sound good. We do plan on putting out an LP on RSR as soon as we're done writing enough songs though; I think it might be on CD too.
Joe: If you could describe Cellgraft in a visual aspect what would it be? For example: Either a natural disaster taking out all in its path or an epidemic infecting and eradicating the face of mankind?
Matt: I can't really describe it, inner conflict maybe?
Zell: yeah all I think of when I try to visualize a grindcore song is the actual band playing.
Joe: Do you believe a lot more goes on behind closed doors as far as the government/establishment is concerned? Do you think our demise has been executed slowly but surely and we have no recollection because of the state of sloth were in?
Matt: I think too many people lay the blame when it's really up to us; we're the only ones that put restriction on ourselves. I'm passed the idea that there's a hidden agenda, it's mostly monetary now and we fear the opposite which is independence. Money is so engrained in our lives and we can't see past it.
Zell: C.R.E.A.M. Haha.
Joe: You guys have covered some pretty killer songs such as: Napalm Death’s "Scum", Discordance Axis "Integer" and Assuck's "Civilization Comes and Goes". Have you guys ever thought of covering a song from a completely different genre and grinding it up?
Matt: we've thought about it we've just never put in the time to do it
Zell: yeah I love the idea of turning something really weird into a grind song, I joked about doing a Devo cover but it never materialized.
Joe:So what’s up and coming for Cellgraft recordings, shows, tours, and merch wise? Anything you want to add or say to the readers?
Zell: we have a split coming out with Drainland from Dublin, and the full length we're writing right now.We're also screening more shirts and getting stickers and all that. If Matt can take time off we're doing another east coast tour, for a little longer this time hopefully. Thanks to everyone who's supported us in any way, and thanks for the interview.
Joe/Cryptic Inscriptions: I wanted to say thank you guys for doing this interview. Give a brief history of Cellgraft for anyone that doesn’t know who you guys are?
Matt: Haha, not really much to tell.
Zell: yeah we started it in late '08 out of the remnants of other bullshit musical projects. We've just been writing and recording as much as we can since then.
Joe: I know the name of the band is actually the name of an Insect Warfare song. Why did you guys choose this particular song name as the name of the band? Was their ever another name that was used before?
Matt: well they're a strong influence and we thought it sounded awesome.
Zell: yeah they're one of my favorite bands, they're a band that got more intense as they went on too. Something that I hope we can do as well. Before Cellgraft the band was called Piles Sufferers and had a different guitar player, but once he left and I joined we decided to write all new songs and go for just straight grindcore influence.
Joe: When it comes to actually writing music how do you guys go about it? Does one of you write all the music and show the rest of the band or do you guys just all collaborate?
Zell: Sometimes we write songs on the spot and sometimes we write songs on our own. We always collaborate on ideas before a finished song though just too fine tune it.
Joe: What are some of the subjects you guys touch on as far as lyrics are concerned? Who writes the lyrics?
Matt: I usually write all the lyrics, sometimes Chris will throw in some. The lyrics usually reflect my personal perception on religious and political subjects but I tend to stray toward everyday issues.
Joe: I checked out the 4 way tape release you guys did and I like the noise interlude after the first song. Do you ever see Cellgraft making a straight up harsh noise release?
Zell: I don't really want to do exclusively noise stuff for a whole release. It's really fun making harsh noise; I want to utilize it more in our recordings.
Joe: What do you rely on to retain that noisy guitar tone that is the essence of Cellgraft?
Zell: Basically distortion pedals and lots of amps. I also play out of bass equipment for live shows just so it sounds huge and gross. On 'External' I actually used three, the third for straight noise parts.
Joe: Do you guys plan to add a bass player in the future or do you just plan to rely on the wall of amps to fill in the gaps? Do you record bass on the albums or is it all guitars?
Zell: We tried out our friend on bass but teaching someone so many songs is a chore. On recordings I usually just record a "bass" track and EQ it to sound deeper.
Matt: yeah we'll just fill in the gaps with more amps, haha.
Joe: Most of your releases are 7 inch releases or tape releases. Do you guys plan on sticking to releasing just 7 inch EPs and tapes or do you guys plan on releasing a full length at some point on CD format?
Zell: we usually stick to tapes because they're cheap, fast and sound good. We do plan on putting out an LP on RSR as soon as we're done writing enough songs though; I think it might be on CD too.
Joe: If you could describe Cellgraft in a visual aspect what would it be? For example: Either a natural disaster taking out all in its path or an epidemic infecting and eradicating the face of mankind?
Matt: I can't really describe it, inner conflict maybe?
Zell: yeah all I think of when I try to visualize a grindcore song is the actual band playing.
Joe: Do you believe a lot more goes on behind closed doors as far as the government/establishment is concerned? Do you think our demise has been executed slowly but surely and we have no recollection because of the state of sloth were in?
Matt: I think too many people lay the blame when it's really up to us; we're the only ones that put restriction on ourselves. I'm passed the idea that there's a hidden agenda, it's mostly monetary now and we fear the opposite which is independence. Money is so engrained in our lives and we can't see past it.
Zell: C.R.E.A.M. Haha.
Joe: You guys have covered some pretty killer songs such as: Napalm Death’s "Scum", Discordance Axis "Integer" and Assuck's "Civilization Comes and Goes". Have you guys ever thought of covering a song from a completely different genre and grinding it up?
Matt: we've thought about it we've just never put in the time to do it
Zell: yeah I love the idea of turning something really weird into a grind song, I joked about doing a Devo cover but it never materialized.
Joe:So what’s up and coming for Cellgraft recordings, shows, tours, and merch wise? Anything you want to add or say to the readers?
Zell: we have a split coming out with Drainland from Dublin, and the full length we're writing right now.We're also screening more shirts and getting stickers and all that. If Matt can take time off we're doing another east coast tour, for a little longer this time hopefully. Thanks to everyone who's supported us in any way, and thanks for the interview.
Interview with Arif of Wormrot
Wormrot Interview:
Joe/Cryptic Inscriptions: First off as usual I like to thank you Arif for taking time to do this interview. For anyone that doesnít know give us a brief history of Wormrot, and give an update on your new album thatíll be out in May entitled ìDirgeî? Why did you guys decide on that title for the album?
Arif- Hey not a problem brother. Wormrot started back in 2007. I was in a goregrind band Flesh Disgorged and left the band in 2006. I started recruiting members, finding our sounds and all that shit and hit it off in 2007 playing grindcore, and we’ve been grinding ever since. The new album Dirge is available as a free download through Earache Records now. Hit this up for the tracks: http://www.earache.com/misc/downloads/wormrot/
There are links to purchase/preorder the vinyl and whatnots in the link as well. Dirge basically means a slow mournful song for the dead, and the reason why we picked that title because it was cool. It's just a random choice, and it’s actually somewhat the total opposite definition when you listen to the tracks. I think.
Joe- In your opinion is it tougher to be a signed band? Seeing that the pressure is on you continually to tour and put out records that almost have to top the other? Or do you feel differently about it? Explain.
Arif-It's definitely a challenge for sure. We used to be DIY taking our sweet time doing our shit, but it's definitely a fast progress being on a label as things are well planned and much more focused on aiming towards our goals. We are on Earache about almost a year now and we are getting used to it. They are definitely doing a great job in promoting us/booking us tours and all that. Honestly without them, we would have a hard time spreading our music live throughout the world.
It's definitely not easy to create a record to top the previous or whatever. We do feel kinda worried at times, but yeah you can't please every single one. As long it sounded cool in our ears then it's all good.
Joe- You guys are what I like to call a legitimate grindcore band, which is a breath of fresh air from the entire shitty fag ass death core that seems to dominate the underground scene. Do you feel that the now-a-day’s band seem to over think technicality and flashy playing, instead of actually just sitting down and writing a good song?
Arif-Well personally I'm not a fan of deathcore. I mean we listen to every single genre out there. You can't go on grindcore 24/7. I don’t think these bands are taking over the underground scene that's for sure. The right people will support the right music that is all I have to say. They do their shit, we do ours. I despise comparison when it comes to genres. Nowadays bands I have to say are pretty awesome. You bound to bump into much heavier/faster bands every single day which is a great thing. Different bands different mindset on song writings. Same goes in terms of listeners. So I can’t say much regarding "over-writing" songs. Oh and fuck guitar solos ;)
Joe- What’s the main lyrical focus and inspiration for writing tunes as far as Wormrot is considered? Do you feel like you’re writing as a band has gotten better with every release?
Arif-Well the rest of the members don't really give a shit about what I wrote in the lyrics. It's all me. They just need to grind the fuck out. Wormrot albums are always about social issues, past bad and good experience in life. Not much of political words. I believe there are none. Better every release? I think the better phrase is more pissed off on every release. Inspirations keep on coming because me personally, there are haters out there to contribute on what I have to write. Also good times and bad times touring the world. Ideas will never end. As a band, we are very comfortable on how we work on making tracks. We enjoy brainstorming in the rehearsal studio. It's pretty much the same on how we work for every album.
Joe- I definitely hear a punk influence in some of the riffs and drum parts. Does punk play an initial role in inspiring you guys to write tunes? Are there other types of music that influence you guys as far as Wormrot is concerned?
Arif-Punk crust has definitely influenced us a lot. We love d-beat. All of us do. I mean we listen to bands like Skitsystem, Disfear, Wolfbrigade, Pazahora etc. These roots are essential when it comes to grindcore. I personally listen to rap, rnb, powerviolence and all that shit too. Tons of genres influenced us. But it boils down to definitely grind.
Joe- I know you guys covered “Rich” from the Yeah Yeah Yeahís on the album “Abuse” which I thought was pretty badass, but interesting. Why did you guys decide to cover this particular song and this particular indie band?
Arif-I have no idea why we picked this cover. It was Rasyid's idea. I'm just going with the flow and it turned out pretty cool. That's actually the first time I heard about Yeah Yeah Yeah., probably the last. Personally not my shit.
Joe- Compared to the US does Singapore have a better grind or just music scene in general? What are some more unknown bands from that area that you recommend checking out?
Arif-Singapore is a small ass island. There isn’t much scene going on here. Don't get me wrong there is a scene but it's always the same band on every single fucking shows. We do have bad ass bands over here like the mighty Demisor, Magnicide, Pazahora, Analdicktion, Asilent, Shaktii, Whore House Butchery, Flesh Disgorged, Cardiac Necropsy, Truth be Known, Nafrat, Rudra etc2. DO check them out sick!
Not much grind bands in terms of GRINDCORE over in Singapore maybe around 3 or 4? But there are gazillion of trendy deathcore kid's bullshit going on. So we're pretty much fucked, but entertaining.
Joe- Do you feel the machine age has taken away some life in the underground scene? What I mean by that is the lack of attendance of people at shows, people downloading albums, just the general attitude at shows now in this modern day in age?
Arif-Modern age rules, Internet fucking rules. It's definitely because of modern technology Wormrot is being heard and spread worldwide. If you have the advantage of getting things done fast then why the fuck not, but there are some stupid kids who tend to abuse the age if you know what I mean, I have no problem with people downloading albums. I download too. I will only buy records when I enjoy what I hear from the download. Either way the band is being heard or music is spread. Shows are still ok. Friends and strangers still down for support. At times, but we ever played a show just 3 people watching us. and that was our girlfriends. haha! When we toured places like the US/Europe/Uk even Malaysia and Indonesia, shows are fucking amazing. It's fucking extreme for sure. Not comparing but Singapore does have a few extreme show where the crowd go fucking bananas, but rarely.
Joe- I’ve heard some of the older material and it has somewhat of an almost gore grind sound to it mainly on the vocals. Do you guys ever plan on incorporating that back into the newer material or are you going to steer toward a different direction? Do you guys ever plan on getting a bassist again?
Arif-I think u heard BUTO and not Wormrot, Buto was just a fun project between 2 bands. Us and a band called Asilent over in Singapore. It's dead now. Just for the fun of it. All I can say is we won’t steer to another direction. We are comfortable with who we are right now sticking to our grind roots. We don't need a bassist. Three is already a crowd. We work better with minimal members. Sound doesn't concern us because we are happy with how we are back then and now. Also Rasyid is handling all the riffings and he is too fucking lazy to teach, and more room in the touring van. haha
Joe- Do you see Wormrot as an innovative band that’ll inspire other bands to keep the spirit of raw aggressive grindcore alive? What band or bands can you say inspired Wormrot to create its filthy aggressive grind assault?
Arif-I see Wormrot as Wormrot. I don't know if we would keep the spirit of grind alive but we do enjoy what we are creating. I've always love the raw intensity of the early days of grind and I would be happy if there are more new bands have the same direction of bringing the past back to life. I'll be definitely checking that out. In my opinion, a band like Demisor grind gods from Singapore totally inspired me personally on having its fast tunes, raw yet audible ferociousness. Simple muscianship,no bullshit just pure fucking grind-grooves.
Joe- If you could describe Wormrot in one word what would it be?
-Angst.
Joe- Wanted to thank you once again for doing the interview Arif. Anything else you want to add concerning Wormrot?
Airf-Not a problem! Thank you for the interview dood!
Dirge will be out in May in US and Europe through Earache Records. The free download is already available but do support grind! cheers!
Joe/Cryptic Inscriptions: First off as usual I like to thank you Arif for taking time to do this interview. For anyone that doesnít know give us a brief history of Wormrot, and give an update on your new album thatíll be out in May entitled ìDirgeî? Why did you guys decide on that title for the album?
Arif- Hey not a problem brother. Wormrot started back in 2007. I was in a goregrind band Flesh Disgorged and left the band in 2006. I started recruiting members, finding our sounds and all that shit and hit it off in 2007 playing grindcore, and we’ve been grinding ever since. The new album Dirge is available as a free download through Earache Records now. Hit this up for the tracks: http://www.earache.com/misc/downloads/wormrot/
There are links to purchase/preorder the vinyl and whatnots in the link as well. Dirge basically means a slow mournful song for the dead, and the reason why we picked that title because it was cool. It's just a random choice, and it’s actually somewhat the total opposite definition when you listen to the tracks. I think.
Joe- In your opinion is it tougher to be a signed band? Seeing that the pressure is on you continually to tour and put out records that almost have to top the other? Or do you feel differently about it? Explain.
Arif-It's definitely a challenge for sure. We used to be DIY taking our sweet time doing our shit, but it's definitely a fast progress being on a label as things are well planned and much more focused on aiming towards our goals. We are on Earache about almost a year now and we are getting used to it. They are definitely doing a great job in promoting us/booking us tours and all that. Honestly without them, we would have a hard time spreading our music live throughout the world.
It's definitely not easy to create a record to top the previous or whatever. We do feel kinda worried at times, but yeah you can't please every single one. As long it sounded cool in our ears then it's all good.
Joe- You guys are what I like to call a legitimate grindcore band, which is a breath of fresh air from the entire shitty fag ass death core that seems to dominate the underground scene. Do you feel that the now-a-day’s band seem to over think technicality and flashy playing, instead of actually just sitting down and writing a good song?
Arif-Well personally I'm not a fan of deathcore. I mean we listen to every single genre out there. You can't go on grindcore 24/7. I don’t think these bands are taking over the underground scene that's for sure. The right people will support the right music that is all I have to say. They do their shit, we do ours. I despise comparison when it comes to genres. Nowadays bands I have to say are pretty awesome. You bound to bump into much heavier/faster bands every single day which is a great thing. Different bands different mindset on song writings. Same goes in terms of listeners. So I can’t say much regarding "over-writing" songs. Oh and fuck guitar solos ;)
Joe- What’s the main lyrical focus and inspiration for writing tunes as far as Wormrot is considered? Do you feel like you’re writing as a band has gotten better with every release?
Arif-Well the rest of the members don't really give a shit about what I wrote in the lyrics. It's all me. They just need to grind the fuck out. Wormrot albums are always about social issues, past bad and good experience in life. Not much of political words. I believe there are none. Better every release? I think the better phrase is more pissed off on every release. Inspirations keep on coming because me personally, there are haters out there to contribute on what I have to write. Also good times and bad times touring the world. Ideas will never end. As a band, we are very comfortable on how we work on making tracks. We enjoy brainstorming in the rehearsal studio. It's pretty much the same on how we work for every album.
Joe- I definitely hear a punk influence in some of the riffs and drum parts. Does punk play an initial role in inspiring you guys to write tunes? Are there other types of music that influence you guys as far as Wormrot is concerned?
Arif-Punk crust has definitely influenced us a lot. We love d-beat. All of us do. I mean we listen to bands like Skitsystem, Disfear, Wolfbrigade, Pazahora etc. These roots are essential when it comes to grindcore. I personally listen to rap, rnb, powerviolence and all that shit too. Tons of genres influenced us. But it boils down to definitely grind.
Joe- I know you guys covered “Rich” from the Yeah Yeah Yeahís on the album “Abuse” which I thought was pretty badass, but interesting. Why did you guys decide to cover this particular song and this particular indie band?
Arif-I have no idea why we picked this cover. It was Rasyid's idea. I'm just going with the flow and it turned out pretty cool. That's actually the first time I heard about Yeah Yeah Yeah., probably the last. Personally not my shit.
Joe- Compared to the US does Singapore have a better grind or just music scene in general? What are some more unknown bands from that area that you recommend checking out?
Arif-Singapore is a small ass island. There isn’t much scene going on here. Don't get me wrong there is a scene but it's always the same band on every single fucking shows. We do have bad ass bands over here like the mighty Demisor, Magnicide, Pazahora, Analdicktion, Asilent, Shaktii, Whore House Butchery, Flesh Disgorged, Cardiac Necropsy, Truth be Known, Nafrat, Rudra etc2. DO check them out sick!
Not much grind bands in terms of GRINDCORE over in Singapore maybe around 3 or 4? But there are gazillion of trendy deathcore kid's bullshit going on. So we're pretty much fucked, but entertaining.
Joe- Do you feel the machine age has taken away some life in the underground scene? What I mean by that is the lack of attendance of people at shows, people downloading albums, just the general attitude at shows now in this modern day in age?
Arif-Modern age rules, Internet fucking rules. It's definitely because of modern technology Wormrot is being heard and spread worldwide. If you have the advantage of getting things done fast then why the fuck not, but there are some stupid kids who tend to abuse the age if you know what I mean, I have no problem with people downloading albums. I download too. I will only buy records when I enjoy what I hear from the download. Either way the band is being heard or music is spread. Shows are still ok. Friends and strangers still down for support. At times, but we ever played a show just 3 people watching us. and that was our girlfriends. haha! When we toured places like the US/Europe/Uk even Malaysia and Indonesia, shows are fucking amazing. It's fucking extreme for sure. Not comparing but Singapore does have a few extreme show where the crowd go fucking bananas, but rarely.
Joe- I’ve heard some of the older material and it has somewhat of an almost gore grind sound to it mainly on the vocals. Do you guys ever plan on incorporating that back into the newer material or are you going to steer toward a different direction? Do you guys ever plan on getting a bassist again?
Arif-I think u heard BUTO and not Wormrot, Buto was just a fun project between 2 bands. Us and a band called Asilent over in Singapore. It's dead now. Just for the fun of it. All I can say is we won’t steer to another direction. We are comfortable with who we are right now sticking to our grind roots. We don't need a bassist. Three is already a crowd. We work better with minimal members. Sound doesn't concern us because we are happy with how we are back then and now. Also Rasyid is handling all the riffings and he is too fucking lazy to teach, and more room in the touring van. haha
Joe- Do you see Wormrot as an innovative band that’ll inspire other bands to keep the spirit of raw aggressive grindcore alive? What band or bands can you say inspired Wormrot to create its filthy aggressive grind assault?
Arif-I see Wormrot as Wormrot. I don't know if we would keep the spirit of grind alive but we do enjoy what we are creating. I've always love the raw intensity of the early days of grind and I would be happy if there are more new bands have the same direction of bringing the past back to life. I'll be definitely checking that out. In my opinion, a band like Demisor grind gods from Singapore totally inspired me personally on having its fast tunes, raw yet audible ferociousness. Simple muscianship,no bullshit just pure fucking grind-grooves.
Joe- If you could describe Wormrot in one word what would it be?
-Angst.
Joe- Wanted to thank you once again for doing the interview Arif. Anything else you want to add concerning Wormrot?
Airf-Not a problem! Thank you for the interview dood!
Dirge will be out in May in US and Europe through Earache Records. The free download is already available but do support grind! cheers!
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