Interview:Jamie Saint Merat and Michael Hoggard
Supreme Brutality
supremebrutality.net
How are things in going in New Zealand?
Jamie: Things are OK here, the extreme metal scenes are small but fucking kick-ass. Living here is definitely enjoyable, but our isolation from scenes where big things are happening is a little frustrating…
Would you start out by giving a brief history of the band?
Jamie: Sure, we started kicking around under the name Bloodwreath in late 2000 when myself and Michael were in our second to last years of high school. We went through a number of members that were either not committed enough or were just essentially posers in the sense that they liked the thought of being in a band, but couldn't be fucked with the hard work. We finally found our current vocalist James Wallace in 2002 and began to develop the sound we have today. Since then we've played a whole heap of local shows and released a couple of demos, which have been getting great response…
You recently released your new demo "The Coming of Genocide". How has the response been so far?
Jamie: Locally, people have been really into it, which is totally exciting for us. We've also received a handful of humbling reviews, which is with any luck, getting our name out there.
Michael: We've taken a fairly low-key approach to its release so far. Immediately after we finished the recording we had some major line-up changes to work through, as a result we've only played 2 shows since then, both of which have been part of Dawn of Azazel's CD release tour, so we played it down somewhat. Despite that though, what response we have had so far has definitely been positive.
Have you had any offers from labels?
Michael: As yet we haven't actually sent anything out to labels. We decided this time to hold off until we had a few reviews back in the hope of including some of them as part of a bio.
Jamie: We've had a couple of 'offers' that probably wouldn't really do us all that good at this stage, shit like offering distribution in Russia(!) etc.
"The Coming of Genocide" is a brutal offering possessing enough own identity to keep it interesting and fresh. How long have you been working on those four songs?
Jamie: Thanks a lot Per! We began writing those songs at the beginning of 2003, so basically a year by the time we came to record them. Writing for us is a very long process and we're constantly refining and reworking the songs, in an effort to shed any 'filler' material. No doubt when we come to record a full-length those songs may sound very different indeed!
Michael: When we came to record, we did sort of a pre-recording and reworked some of the parts again so that when it came to the actual recording there wasn't any riff, harmony, overlay, drum or vocal arrangement that we weren't happy with. The whole process can be quite arduous at times but I think it's something that all too many bands overlook.
You recently had a slight change in line-up with the addition of guitarist Michael Rothwell and bassist Phil Kusabs. What happened?
Jamie: For a good couple of years we had been searching for a bassist that was both capable of playing the material and 100% into the vision of the band, and came up empty-handed every time. Just before we released 'The Coming of Genocide' we picked up bassist Reuben Luis, but his heart was not in it. Our second guitarist Jared Commerer (who filled in on bass on the recording) also wanted to give up playing death metal, so that brought our line-up to a 3-piece, which is totally impossible for us. We talked to Michael Rothwell (guitar) and Phil Kusabs (bass) about possibly joining, and they were very keen to give it a go, and so here we are today. Both Michael and Phil play in Graymalkin also, which is one fucking killer band!!
Do you feel your new line-up is you strongest yet?
Jamie: Normally I'd say at this stage it's too early to tell, but in this case I think it's safe to say that this line-up kicks ass, and it's the most comfortable I've felt in this band since we started!
Michael: Definitely. In the past Jamie and myself have been the sole writers, now with the inclusion of Michael and Phil we have four separate sources, each with our own unique style and approach to riffs, so it can only be positive for further diversifying our sound and continuing to push us forward, both individually and as a band as a whole.
How does your "Promo 2003" compare to the material on "The Coming of Genocide"?
Jamie: We're glad that we recorded that material and happy that people seem to dig it, but compared to our new material, it sounds like a completely different band. Although only a year separates the two, the first demo sounds far too primitive for my tastes, but at the same time, everything has to have a birthing stage.
Michael: The new one shits on it.
I know it may be a little early to ask but do you have any new material ready?
Michael: We pretty much recorded as soon as we had finished work on the last 4 songs, and have recently been busy introducing Michael and Phil to the existing material.
Jamie: We've got a lot of new ideas, but no structures as of yet. The new stuff is going to be in a new direction again with any luck, so it's just a matter of finding a format that works.
Which bands are you inspired by?
Jamie: Collectively Ulcerate is most inspired by diverse death metal such as Immolation, Hate Eternal, Cryptopsy, Anata, Gorguts, Anaal Nathrakh. Possibly the largest source of inspiration is the bands we play with in NZ. Personally I enjoy a lot of jazz and classical, grindcore, and all round crazy shit like Dillinger Escape Plan.
Michael: I find that we're inspired by any and all forms of music. Even though something may not specifically affect our sound it still inspires us to create and gives us new and fresh ways to look at things.
I know it's a terrible cliché thing to ask but where do you find the lyrical inspiration?
James: I find that my hatred for altruism is at the very core of everything I write about, and will continue to dictate this in the future. I think I'm heavily influenced by David Vincent of Morbid Angel and Eric Rutan of Hate Eternal. When writing the lyrics for 'The Coming of Genocide' I was in the process of reading John Milton's 'A Paradise Lost', so that rubbed off into my lyrics. I've also found recently that the work lyrically on 'The Coming of Genocide' is in a similar direction to Doug Cerrito's work on Suffocation's 'Despise the Sun' and Hate Eternal's 'Conquering the Throne'.
How is the death metal scene in New Zealand?
Jamie: Small but vibrant, which I think is a far better thing than having a huge over saturated scene. Shows are few and far between, but we always get totally buzzed when one comes along…
It's not everyday we hear about bands from New Zealand so could you recommend a few?
Graymalkin (www.graymalkin.nzmetal.com) - groovy death / grind
Dawn of Azazel (www.dawnofazazel.com) - Militant war / deathmetal
Forced to Submit - schizo-deathgrind
Skuldom - raw blackmetal
Militia - fucked up Dillinger Escape Plan styled jazzy weirdness
Aphelon (www.aphelon.co.nz) - modern war metal
Any closing comments?
Thanks a lot for showing interest and supporting Ulcerate Per - very appreciated!
www.ulcerate.orcon.net.nz
ulcerate@gmail.com
