End of Slumber: Interview with Ataul

Let’s begin with the band history?
I started Ataul around March 2012. I have 3 songs ready at that time. The first rehearsal was around May, only me on guitars and Edu On drums at that time. We needed to find a guitarist to complete the line-up and so I can handle bass duties. After days passed finding a guitarist, Nonong joined as of late June. After rehearsing almost every weekend, the demo was then recorded on January.
We haven’t booked any gigs yet, as I wanted to record first before playing live.
And as of April 2013, Edu departed from Ataul, and for whatever reason it is, it will stay that way. We have a session drummer as of now, helping us to record the new material due later this year.

Why old school doom/death, it seem to be the least known sub-genre in the local scene?
 I guess I wanted something not too slow and not too fast. Or maybe it just ended up that way, sounding a mix between death metal and doom metal, or maybe because I’m listening to too much old school metal or whatever you want to call it.
Least known, I’m not even aware of any bands playing in the same vein as ours, if you have recommendations, send them to me!

How you got into the underground? Who are your favorite bands?
I guess I’m not into what’s easily accessible and much more audible when it comes to music. I’d rather dig much deeper than be content with what the masses consume. I refuse to submit!
I’m really into Black and Death Metal, and I also listen to various metal genres. Rippikoulu , Avsky, Zemial, Father Befouled, Mgla, Reverend Bizarre, Evoken, Crowned In Semen… that what’s going on my head right now, tomorrow it’s different. There’s too much to mention, I can go on and fill this page.

What makes the underground music very interesting to you?
 The never ending possibilities.

How do your friends who have no idea what this music’s about react when they learn that you’re in a death metal band?
 Curious, but they don’t want to listen to it because they know it’s all noise. You know the stereo-typical don’t you? But we’d stay friends, just set aside the musical part.

Aside from death metal what other music do you often listen to?
Black/Thrash/Speed/Heavy Metal, and all that will bring pleasure to my ears. I also listen to some Punk and Classic/Hard Rock.

Tell us about your first demo, how long did it take you to complete the 3 songs?
It was five songs actually, the other two didn’t make it because I didn’t like the drum tracks. It took us almost 8 hours to complete these songs. Drums and rhythm section were recorded first. Then I have to record guitar 2, Bass, and vocals and Nonong took in for the solos. I’m a bit exhausted after that. But in the end, we finished the recording.

Lyrically, what are the songs about?
  Doom and apocalypse. And what I foresee after we leave this human form.

Have you submitted the demo to any labels and zines? What are their reactions like for the demo? 
I did send some copies to fanzines, but only limited. To labels, I didn’t sent out copies, because I initially wanted this demo to be self-released as a CDr and stay that way, I just wanted it to be free just like a promo copy. Anyways, things have been done, then so be it. Reactions for the demo were quite positive. I’ve read somewhere, and was compared to Goatlord, Necro Schizma. Which I doubt it, that we sound like them, though I listen to Goatlord (One of my favourites) and Necro Schizma, but that’s their opinion and not mine.

In what ways do you promote the band?
Giving copies to metalheads, distros, fanzines and anyone interested on our music. We are currently planning on doing live shows at moment, when something comes up, then we’ll see. And also when I do trades abroad, I always include the demo for them to hear. I much rely on people to do the promotion /recommendation of Ataul being a death/doom outfit from our own land.

The demo was recorded in Noiseworks. How was the studio experience?
It was good, I had a chance to work with Dondi again. My band Rabies recorded 3 songs from there previously, so it wouldn’t be a hard time for me keeping up. And we were the first to use his newly acquired gears. I guess it’s a bit exhausting for me as I have to record three parts of every song, guitars, bass, vocals, but it ended well.

Tell us about the bands’ song writing process?
 I write most of the songs. I record them at home using a drum machine and after the arrangements are done, I send the songs to my band mates, for them to hear. Nonong adds a riff or two, then I add some of my riffs to complete the song, then I write the lyrics.

Tape version of the demo is available under Mandarangan Records. How did you end up closing the deal with this label?
 Edu closed the deal with Mandarangan Recordings.

Tell us about the awesome artwork that Norman did for the tape version of the demo. How did you get hold of Norman to do it?
 I like what Norman did for the artwork. I didn’t dealt with him, Edu did.

Michael, you also play with Rabies, can you tell us about this band? I joined Rabies back in September 2011 I think, Vic contacted me because they needed a bass player, then rehearsals went on. I also got a chance to record with them for the first time at Noiseworks, it was three new tracks found on the “Survive the slaughter” demo tape by Dethrone Records.
We will also be recording new material later this year, and all I can say is “expect some old school trashing madness!”

Edu also runs a label, Lifespan Records. I haven’t heard much about the label’s activity these days?
Haven’t heard much of him also. Maybe the label is on hiatus or something or he’s busy doing shit.

You guys live in Laguna and Manila, do distant have any effect in the band?
We are all from Laguna. I’m from Los Baños, Nonong Is from Bay (Next town to mine), Edu is from Sta. Cruz (About 45min-1 hour commute), though our rehearsals always at Los Baños. Distance doesn’t’ bother me, because on my other band Rabies, I’m the only one from Los Baños, all of them are from Sn. Pablo which takes me 45min-1 hour commute on our weekly rehearsals and I’ve been playing for Rabies for 2 years now.

Most of the band nowadays uses the social media to promote their band but it seems Ataul is not that keen in using this media to spread the word, why?
I’m just too lazy to put up info’s on the internet that’s all. Maybe someone would put them up for us, even if that happens, I don’t mind. And I also prefer a word-of-mouth type for this band.

Have you written any new songs lately? How have you progressed In terms of song-writing?
Currently we are working on new material and will be recording hopefully by the end of the year. It’s a planned five song release. Two songs from here were recorded previously on the demo but didn’t make it, and we wil re-record a new version of it. On the new material, I can say that it’s more darker and gloomy than the previous release. So again, expect some Death, Doom And Destruction. (Haha! that was from Cianide)

What are you plans in the near future?
Record/Release more material. Play more shows. Spread the word of Metal!
ataul_ph@yahoo.com

Violent Annihilation: Down FromThe Wound Interview

How was the show in Vietnam? How does the crowd react to your music out there?
Saigon was a blast, people are very friendly, the crowd went nuts and I was dumbfounded when I happen to smell and see some crazy shit mofos smoking weed, enjoying the music and moshing all throughout during our set. Feels like us playing in front of Filipino crowd, fun!!!

I’m sure you had lots of fun while roaming the streets of Vietnam. Aside from the show can you tell us some memorable moments during your visit?
Right, when you are in Vietnam one thing you will notice is there is a huge number of motorbikes you’ll go fucking insane to see them most especially during peak hours on the streets. Aside from that, street foods are amazing very cheap, healthy and really authentic, plus you’ll be able to smoke weed even on public places like restaurants and parks as long as there are no cops. Haha cool!!!

How was your show in Singapore and Thailand? What’s the experience like to play in another country?
It feels great to play outside the country, you’ll get the chance to meet other people, experience the culture and see the scene.
Bangkok has one of the craziest crowds we’ve seen so far. Thai people really know how to enjoy brutal death metal and fucking supports us all the way.

You almost never made it to the SGDF; will you give us the details of this airport incident?
The Philippine Immigration never let us pass through the airport it’s because these certain scum bug officers are required us to show em some working visa and shit. They don’t understand that we are playing in other country and will not get any money from the performance. They insist and believed that we will earn big money out of the tour and for that we, according to them, should show and secure a working visa on that same day which is really impossible to. They didn’t allow us to board the aircraft and for that, our ticket was forfeited.
Immediately, I made a phone call to the organizer in Singapore and told him what had happened. We have to show up in Singapore we worked really hard and came up with the idea that yes, there are other ways of getting our ass off the country.
We have 24 hours before the fest so we decided to get another flight but this time on a different airport. Good thing we still have extra money just enough to buy tickets for five and finally we made it to Singapore.

You’ve just commenced recording tracks for the second album. How’s the progress so far?
It’s almost done; we are on the process of reviewing the entire record and will do the mastering soon.

Can you give us more info about the second album?
The new album “Violence and the Macabre” will be released under the belt of Comatose Music USA. 11 tracks written from 2009-2013 recorded at Demiurge Digital with producer Ian Cuevas, artwork by Isa Pilapil and Executive Produced by Alexander Dela Cruz.

What about the artwork and layout, who are going to handle them?
Art work and CD layout by Isa Pilapil of Demiurge.

How would you compare the songs to this album to your previous records?
We still have the same creative visions and styles, the slam, blast and heavy rifling’s are still the major components of the new songs but we are much mature musicians right now and we wanted to incorporate much more elements into our music.
We don’t have a bass player and we realized that we are not clearly a technical death metal band but we as musicians joined together and push ourselves off to the limits in writing and creating the music and the sound we like. Obviously, the new materials are more devastating compare to the old ones.

Comatose Records will release this album. How did you managed to snag this deal? Is this going to be a one shot deal or multiple album contract?
Steve Green of Comatose is not really that hard to get along with, I mean if you have band and has proven that you are capable to be included in his roster, you’ll get that deal very easy.
We hope we could sign another contract again with his label after the 2nd album.

The band has gone through some tough times with the line-up before. I remember being dumb-struck when asked for advice back then, but in the end you guys were able to patched things up and ended up much stronger than ever. What have you learned from that?
I guess our passion and our interests keeps us going, I mean this is what we want to do and we are happy doing this thing, the weed explains the rest, hahaha.

Jayquin recently left the band. Can you give us more information about his departure?
He is not capable of playing the music we’d like to play and decided to move forward without him, it’s a wise decision for us and it’s proven but yes we are still friends and manage to get along with him sometimes.

Are you now searching for another bass player or simply go on as 4-piece or perhaps re-shuffle with your instruments?
We are. We have couple of friends who want to play bass with us but couldn’t find a single time to jam and practice with us. If there’s anybody out there who has time, willing to play bass and with the same interest like us call me up!!!

You are all now busy with your regular jobs with different working time. How do you manage to get together for rehearsal and shows?
Quite tough!!! With a different working schedules? I and Jeff live in a same apartment but seldom see and talk to each other. By the time I arrived he is already sleeping and by the time he wakes up to go work I’m still sleeping. For rehearsals we normally set a schedule mostly after works or on day offs but very limited time only. We do the conversation on text message, haha!!!
Good thing I got my own kit here in my apartment and I’m always able to jam and practice whenever I want, Jeff do the same thing, he got all the gears and guitars.

There was once a very active metal scene in Gapo, now I seldom hear activities in the area, or am I simply unaware?
Most metal bands here are I call the fly by night bands they just happen to be a band whenever there is a gig/show organize by themselves. They don’t even bother to record or write their own shits.

I’d say the local scene is more active now. More bands are coming up with their own records and the supporters are keener in going out to shows. Unfortunately there are some leeches who are taking advantage of this situation. What can you say about this latest “trend” in our scene?
Yeah good to see more new bands are coming out with their own records these days I just hope they’ll stay true to themselves and on the scene.
Talking about gig organizers/promoters that take advantage to bands and to the scene, these filthy scum bugs should be eradicated. If you really have the passion, do it and don’t take advantage to others.

And speaking of trends, what’s your take on new bands who gets to release tons of shirts first before even releasing a demo?
The situation is very clear, these bands that came up with shirt before music are the one I called corporate bands, selling shirts and wants to earn money. Music first before merch.

You have been around for almost 10 years together, did you ever thought that you could go this far? What keeps the band going?
I didn’t realise that we are on our 10th year already, haha fucking awesome. When Jeff and I started the band our aim was to play the heaviest form of music and that is metal.
All throughout the years passed, we continued doing this thing, writing music, playing live, meeting new people, travelling, and all that shits. These are the best things we got out from the band and I think all of these shits are the reason why DOWN FROM THE WOUND keeps going on.

How far do you think the band could go? Do you think you guys can still carry on once you have your own families?
Good question, I have my own kit and I will play the music I want till I can, this is the thing I love to do and this is the music I want to play all through my life. I think as long as we have the proper time management everything we have started 10 years ago will pushes through till we have our families. Death fucking metal!!!

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Sacrilegious Profanation: Pathogen Interview

Pathogen’s been together for over 12 years now. Have you ever thought that he band could live this long?
Deathful greetings Roel, and to all the maniacs and readers of Tripalium ‘zine out there!
Some 12 odd years gone by in a blur! No, we never expected the band to ever last this long to be perfectly honest. Although we always dreamt of making music our careers since we were young. But considering the odds, We’re not a ‘Manila’ band, we are the outsiders from a middle-of-nowhere quaint little city in the province and we just wanted to play music that moves us, basically, so it was so very far in our minds back then to think of ever lasting this long.
We were that band that everybody ignored and looked down upon in the beginning. But we just wanted to play and create our own music I guess. We’re very much inspired by that D.I.Y. punk mentality to create your own music, fanzine, or whatever it is that can help you express your thoughts and ideas. It doesn’t really matter if it’s crap or done very well as long as you’re creating your own original shit without conforming to any so-called ‘standards’.

What motivates you to keep going despite the fact music you’re playing isn’t exactly popular in the local scene?
It’s mostly our love for this particular kind of music, I mean I don’t think we could have lasted a year if we didn’t like what we’re playing.
We all like metal and all its sub-genres, from grind, black, doom, thrash, classic heavy metal, punk/crust/D-beat, etc...But it is death metal, among other genres that really resonates strongly within us and we try to add a little of those other influences in our songs in order to create some sort of ‘sound’ of our own. We all know that we’re not really selling an obscene amount of CD’s so success and failure never really mattered to us.
We’re not trying to be overtly original by any means, and I suppose it’s hard not to wear your influences on your sleeve when you’re playing in a metal band- because this genre practically feeds off itself-you have to really listen to a lot of this music in order to play this particular musical style. This is not jazz or progressive music where things sort off drifts away into a cacophony. Metal is always based on the ‘riff’-which is a very integral part of the song, and without it you have nothing. But then again, death metal is versatile enough to add jazz and progressive elements (or any other metal sub-genre for that matter) and be still considered ‘death metal’.
Anyway, another reason we keep on doing this is because we have chips on our shoulders, nobody in our local musical community, in San Pablo City, ever believe we could ever achieve anything from playing this kind of music-they all think what we do is bullshit and therefore we could not play a single note of music. They are all trying put us down and that fires up our boilers and we wanted to prove them wrong. And to be really candid with you many people here that actually does not believe we have albums released overseas and stuff. But then again we never really focused too much in promoting our own band locally in the beginning. It’s only in the recent years that we are getting noticed locally-in a small way, because of the internet thing and such.

Erwin left the band recently, what happened?
Erwin went through some very difficult period in his life in 2010. He and his wife separated-in the ugliest, most unimaginable way possible. And things went on a downward spiral for him for the next couple of years, he went back into doing drugs, he lost weight and some of his hair due to stress, and the most significant thing was that his attitude changed. After the separation he was never the Erwin Javier that we all knew, his mood became darker, his behaviour more erratic, he started to miss rehearsal sessions for months, he and (drummer) had an argument once and the conflict built up until we had to make the terrible choice of firing him. None of us wanted that to happen, but he’s acting in a manner that is affecting the entire band and even some people around the band, and I suppose there are times in life when you have to make a very difficult decision. It was a tough move but we have to be decisive and we never looked back. But we all hope the best for him and his kid in the future. I hope he’s pulled himself together out of the debacle that he has been through.

How’s the current band line-up?
The line-up we have now is comprised of basically the same people since we recorded ‘Blasphemous Communion” with the exception of Erwin-he is duly replaced by Jervish Alcos, also of Rabies which is also a long time Pathogen session player.

You used to have other bands/projects, why did you decide to put them all to rest in favour of Pathogen?
I’d like to focus on a single band right now, and try to put a lot more effort with song writing and stuff like that. We’re maturing as musicians and people. We don’t want to lose sight of what Pathogen is all about, we want to remain true to ourselves and our music but add a little bit more of ‘finesse’ in our playing for a lack of a better term. I had fun playing in different bands and playing with different people in other bands over the years. It broadens your musical horizon and develops a musical connection and intuition with other people because it sharpens your harmonic and rhythmic senses. But I feel that it’s time to put more focus on Pathogen right now. I’m not really sure why but it’s just my gut instinct.

One of your projects that I’ve been longing to hear from again is Children of Badeath. Is there a possibility that COB might come back to life again? How you get the idea of doing this project in the first place?
It all came about in a drunken night with several friends-the Toxemia guys, mostly, at another friends’ apartment in UP Village in late 2004. He was learning to make good use of his brand new recording software and he got all these instruments and effects and just recorded some shit for the hell of it! It really meant nothing to me now in all honesty! Hehe! We just tried out some new stuff, reworked some cover songs, etc... I haven’t heard anything we did since 2009! I threw all the COB recordings with a bunch of local demos from that era on my storage bin! Hmm, maybe I’ll pull them out one of these days and have a blast!

Your releases are on different labels. How it’s like to deal with different people every time you have to release something new?
It was very difficult to snag a record deal earlier in our careers. Oftentimes the labels would say their release schedule is full for the entire year or some other excuse. But we persisted and kept on spreading promos to bands and fanzines and kept contacting other record labels, until some of them would take notice. We’re being rejected for us is a very common thing and we’re used to it. But at least we got a pretty good deal with Old Temple and Dunkelheit Produktionen in the recent years. Anyway, we’ve always operated on a more ‘global’ level since the very beginning. 90 percent of the time foreign labels have invested in our music-which we really think is good because the music reaches more people.
There’s no point in just being a ‘local’ band these days in this vastly globalized world of today and a lot of the music we listen to pretty much comes from everywhere now.

Old Temple Records have just released your third album and the Lust of Evil EP on CD. Will you tell us more about it?
We got the Old Temple deal in early 2011. And it took nearly a year and a half for them to get the third album released-release schedules, you know! But it was well worth it when they finally put the thing out. (in October 2012). The ‘Lust Of Evil’ MCD came out in April this year, (2013) which previously was released by Afterlife Productions, Malaysia in 2011. The CD version has a different track listing than the tape version and the tape version of our third album would be released by Mandarangan Records, USA sometime this year.

What about the split project with Toxemia, how did this project happen? What can you say about their new musical direction?
It’s been a long time coming. We have planned that release since 2005 and it is only this year that it finally became a reality. A lot of other things have gotten in the way but we were very happy it finally came out. I think Toxemia these days are hitting their stride in being good and prolific songwriters and musicians their ideas and musicianship are developing and I really liked their new material. Slow, riffs contrasting with fast blast beats, I think they’re really into creating a vibe, an atmosphere in their music instead of just grinding their way into their songs.
Toxemia has been our long time friends, brothers in fact, and we’ve always collaborated musically and alcohol-wise over the years. Vic and Erwin played with Toxemia in the past and I laid down some guitar parts for their full-length album and more recently Kenneth, played drums for Pathogen for the As Sahar gig.

Your second album “Miscreants of Bloodlusting Aberrations” was finally immortalized on CD. Will you tell us more about this album?
Yes, finally after three long years! That album is born out of pain if I should say so myself. Around the time we wrote that in 2008 things were not well personally for several of the band members at the time but that album is also a huge step forward in terms of songwriting and production compared to our first album, “Blasphemous Communion” which is almost a ‘crust’ record if you ask me.
We were more prepared and better rehearsed for ‘Miscreants...’ compared to ‘Blasphemous...’ There are a few glitches on it because like ‘Blasphemous...’ it was also rushed during recording. It was ten-fold better than everything we have done during that point and nobody seemed to be interest in it during the time we released it on our own except for that low-key French tape label, Satanized Productions who released it in March 2010. We have had several deals from other labels but nothing really came into fruition until we came across Dunkelheit Producktionen in 2012.

How did you managed to land a deal with Dunkelheit Productions?
Sometimes things just happen in a strange way. Back in 2012 we have practically given up any notion that ‘Miscreants...’ would have any other proper release. But we were still actively trading and spreading the promo everywhere when all of the sudden I came across Bernd of Dunkelheit through his band, Nacht. We traded some materials and surprisingly enough he offered us a record deal and I didn’t even know yet that he was running Dunkelheit Produktionen and it was finally released on CD in March 1st 2013 and he also did everything he promised in terms of promotions and everything.

You are now in the process of recording another album for Dunkelheit. Will you tell us more about it?
I don’t want to get too much into the details yet, but we’re still working on it for sure!

In what direction is the new record heading into? Have you made any major changes in terms of music and song-writing?
I can say that there are songs there that are very aggressive than many of the previous songs we have written in the past and some of the songs arrangements and definitely more complex and really a challenge to play live and record.

What about the release of Lust of Evil on CD. What can you say about the way Old Temple do things for the band?
Old Temple is a good company and they still very much adhere to the old underground traditions of trading and promoting music. They also run their own fanzine. They are probably one of the few good Polish underground labels since Time Before Time has already closed down a few years back. They have very wide connections and distribution globally and recently they also have digital distribution via Code 7/PHD, and ‘Forged In The Crucible Of Death’ and ‘Lust Of Evil’ are now available on that format for all the anti-CD crowd.
It is a fact nowadays that there are a new generation of metal fans out there who have never bought a single CD in their entire lives, it’s a pity but that’s the reality of this modern age that we’re in! I suppose I’m that person who wants the music contained in a format that you can hold and read the lyrics and look at the artwork.
But anyway, yeah we are very much happy with the outcome of ‘Lust Of Evil’ the quality of the CD that they pressed and the reproduction of the artworks and photos are nothing short of immaculate.

You guys are often invited at gigs, sometimes with rather odd band line-up. How do you deal with the crowd who doesn’t have any idea about Pathogen’s music?
It’s always been a challenge playing in front of people who are not aware or even familiar with the particular kind of music that we play. And we think it’s always good to do things outside your comfort zone from time to time. It keeps you on the edge and you don’t get too complacent as with playing in front of an audience that are comprised mostly by friends and bands that you already knew.
Personally I don’t really mind if they are not into our music. We just wanted to play and make some fucking noise, basically!

How does the social media and internet in general affect the band?
Its effects on the entire underground scene not just on Pathogen are massive. Some die-hard underground dwellers might underestimate it but its benefits undeniable. There never was a time in the past where underground and independent musicians are so empowered. 90 percent of correspondence of bands, labels and fanzines are happening on the web, plus the postage is free!
A decade ago there were fears that the internet would kill underground traditions such as making paper fanzines, releasing physical albums and demo tapes, snail mail correspondence, etc… But guess what, It didn’t! Although there are downsides such as lazy bands releasing music only in the web and the overwhelming amount of accessible music available, but that’s for the here again, gone tomorrow type of trendy wannabe scenesters! Majority of the real underground bands are still releasing tapes CD’s and vinyl, underground media is still flourishing with paper fanzines and newsletters, and real fans still buys or trades records and demos!
The mediocre people will always use the internet in a mediocre way-but why bother? I wouldn’t want to waste my time on such insects. It’s just the reality of life in this ultra modern world that we’re living in. Time moves forward not backwards. It’s something that we have to face-the changing of the times. But I do believe however that all that old underground ways and tradition can peacefully co-exist with modern technology-it’s happening right now.
Some people in the underground scene just couldn’t accept that reality and they just could not develop a more mature perspective on things, unfortunately-which is kind of a shame really. To each his own, I suppose.

What’s your view about bands that are very active in playing live but couldn’t find the time to record their materials?
We’ve encountered and still encountering one too many bands like that for as long as I can remember and I couldn’t really figure out what they’re all about.
Some bands have recorded demos and albums but don’t have the slightest idea of how to promote their materials-they don’t even know what a fanzine is. While other bands have more shirts released than the songs they’ve written!

You’ve been in the scene for quite a long time; you’ve been to several bands and have done a couple of zines. What can you say about the local scene’s evolution?
Well it’s still developing. It has definitely changed a lot since we started out around 2000-2001. Today there are a lot of bands and fanzines. More and more people are getting into the scene with an equal amount of posers coming in as well. More foreign independent bands are playing-which is something that is unheard of back then, except in the punk/HC scene. Fans, bands, labels and fanzines are more interconnected now because of the internet and social media-which is a good thing, especially in averting the near-disastrous As Sahar gig. Information and updates are faster now compared to 2 decades ago.
Only time can tell about what the future would bring to the local scene-but I’m hoping for better things to come.

OSDM recently made resurgence and lots of bands from the 90’s were suddenly active again. What’s your take on that?
Yeah, it’s basically the same with the thrash scene a decade ago. I’d hate to think that they’re just cashing in on nostalgia but in a way they are, you know. A lot of fans have missed them and would pay real money to see them live. But I’m not too excited about their newer releases though. It’s quite apparent even on the underground scene that many new bands are adopting that old-death metal style and sound and the underground media are proclaiming a revival and all that hogwash, because in reality, OSDM never really went away from the true metal heads. The underground media have this tendency to create all these revivals and ‘movements’ with one great band spearheading it and the rest are pale imitations.
It’s the same thing in the 80’s and the 90’s as it is today. But you know, I don’t believe this so-called ‘resurgence’ will be as big and as awful as the black metal explosion of the mid-to-late 90’s where the bands like Cradle Of Filth and Dimmu Borgir were almost topping the mainstream pop charts in Europe in terms of record sales and popularity.
Death Metal was big in late 80’s and early 90’s but it never eclipsed the popularity of thrash and it was nearly dead by 1994 with too many bands and shit releases flooding the scene. And even though it became popular it never was truly accepted by the mainstream as thrash was in the 80’s and black metal was in the 90’s and I don’t think it’s because of the lyrics either.
Horror, Gore, Violence, Satanism and Nihilism are totally mainstream entertainment, just look at films and TV shows! It’s probably because of the music because Death Metal is not as catchy and as melodic as thrash or 90’s black metal. It’s a bitter pill to swallow and definitely an acquired taste.

And speaking of band re-union, who among the bands from the early years you’re happy to see coming back from their grave and who you wished have kept the lid of their coffin permanently closed?
There are a lot of bands out there that I wished would rather call it a day instead of perpetually disgracing themselves, Celtic Frost is one. They’ve gone too much overboard in being experimental and they just practically alienated their fanbase.
As for local acts, there are plenty as well. Many old bands have reformed but they just didn’t have the same attitude and musical integrity that they have in the past. They should try to make more great music instead of just re-living former glories.

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The Beast Unleashed! Toxemia (PH) Interview

Interview with founding member/guitarist Corix

It’s been a while since we’ve all been together. How’s everything going in Toxemia camp?
Everything’s fine, thanx man!…We had a blast playing live in San Pablo Laguna yesterday sharing stage with our good friends Pathogen again for a long time.

How did Kenneth and Cryster got into the fold? How do they managed to keep up with Toxemia’s way of life?
Kenneth and Cryster both smoke and drink, so it wasn’t hard for them to keep up with toxemia’s crooked edge style…hehe!

You guys are now busy with your family and work; it personally surprised me when the band returned back. What’s the prompted you to awaken the beast once again?
It’s because our long term goal and dream for Toxemia is to exist long and to release more recordings and demos, Family and work wasn’t the problem why the band is not moving though most of us have our own family now. Erwin and Vic’s distance and availability is one of the reason the band was on hiatus (2008-2010) because we were too far away from each other, we cannot set up a good schedule to practice and to drink.
I was hook on playing Dota and MMORPG, Ron and Patrick were doing their own stuff. When I met Kenneth and Cryster last 2010 that was the time I was inspired again and called up Ron and Patrick…Cavite’s Beast was created.

What’s more surprising was the release of Cavite’s Beast, your first professional studio recording. Can you tell us a bit more about this record?
All of us were excited, because Cavite’s Beast is really the Beastly release for Toxemia in my opinion, because it was premeditated before we run to the studio to record.

What made you choose Noiseworks? How’s like to record with Dondi? How’s the whole studio experience like?
Because we like Noiseworks’ works, like for example the Pathogen recordings, because we want to maintain the rawness of Toxemia like the old way, though it was decent this time but still the raw feeling is still there, neat but not digital…working with Dondi in the studio was like partying, smoke some and drink some, very nice guy.

Compared to the earlier materials, I think Cavite’s Beast is by far your best materials. How has the song-writing process evolved since the early days of Toxemia?
Three trax from Cavite’s Beast EP was written last 2008 when Vic is still our drummer, it was rearrange when Kenneth and Cryster join in and added two new trax, the evolvement is really obvious these days compare to the old ones, because all of us are contributing in every track as a team effort.

How would you describe Toxemia’s music? Where does the band draw their musical and non-musical influences?
Aaargghhh! We draws a lot of musical influences, we are colliding each other’s musical trips, from Punkish Thrash to Grind, from Doom to Death Metal…non musical are Marijuana and Alcohol.

Consciousness Expansion sounds a lot different from your previous materials and by far my personal favourite among your records. Can you tell us more about this song?
Lyrical content of this song tackles about drugs, how drugs expand our consciousness when we are influenced on it…the song is doom and some thrashy parts inspired, there are more slower trax like this in our new materials.

I think the only song that connects the EP from the older materials was Ihaw-Ihaw. Was it a conscious effort to keep the old Toxemia spirit in your newer materials?
Yeah you are right, and also it’s because Ihaw-Ihaw was created from the past line up when Vic is still our drummer.

You have quite a number of songs written in the past and all of them are crudely recorded either at the rehearsal room of live in the studio. Ever thought of re-recording some of your older materials and if you do which songs do you think deserve a proper studio treatment?
Greed and Toxemia Attack were on the planned list to be re-recorded in our next recording and actually planned to be re-included in our debut full length hopefully.

You recently uploaded a raw rehearsal track and it looks like you guys are once again expanding your horizon. How many new songs have you written so far? In which direction the new songs are heading this time?
We have already 5 new songs but we are on the process of re-arranging and mixing riffs and beats and stuffs, the musical direction varies from fast to slow, but the grindcore elements were minimized unlike the old stuffs but you can still feel the feeling of the old Toxemia way.

You guys are planning to release an album soon. Can you give us a bit more information about it?
Yeah…we are hoping to finish this before the end of the year, for Toxemia’s dream come true! Because some members at the moment has a tight schedule, we are rehearsing once a week only and sometimes we failed it, we really hope all trax will be settled by November or December this year so the debut album will be release early 2013 together with our 10th year anniversary (A decade of existence) as a band…we will release this with label or without label! It will be on Cd’s and Cassette Tape.

Aside from uploading your songs on fakebook, how else do you promote the band? We are promoting our band by doing local underground gigs, selling and trading our stuffs on gigs, printed flyers, contacting local u.g individuals from bands, zines, labels and distros as our first target, now, we are preparing our packs to foreign u.g creatures, hope our financial aspects permits.

Thanks guys for your time. It’s a pleasure to have you in Tripalium. I’ll see you guys in a few months. It’s OUR pleasure to be featured in Tripalium zine, man! Thanx a lot for giving us an attention, we really appreciate that much! See you soon, man! Emperador brandy is waiting for you here in the Philippines. Hehe and RURAL CARNAGE 4!!!
Toxemia – Cavite’s Beast EP is still available on Pro Cdr and Cassette Tape, trade is always welcome!
For Toxemia info, write us at:
c/o Corix Baluca
Blk. 14 Lot 11 Villa Apolonia Phase 2
Naic, Cavite 4110
Philippines

http://toxemia.cjb.net

Sound Quest 101: Noiseworks/ Demiurge Digital Interviews

DB of Noiseworks Studio and Ian of Demiurge Digital shared their insights about the not-so-simple world of recording.

Please tell us how you get started as recording engineer/producer?
DB: I never intended to be one. Originally I just wanted my own place to rehearse and record my own songs at odd hours (I have an abnormal, erratic sleep cycle) and not have my neighbors call the cops on me. It started out with just soundproofing the guest house which my late aunt left me. Then I bought a drum kit, and a second drum kit, then amps and then it just snowballed from there. I eventually ended up accumulating more and more gear until I had everything necessary to start Noiseworks. I figured if nothing else, this place can bring in some extra cash to pay for the stuff I had already accumulated.

Ian: It was the mid 90's and my old garage band’s rehearsal space opened to the public [mostly just friends and their bands plus the occasional neighborhood punk band at first]. It was during this time that I inherited an old Kenwood tape deck that had both an auxiliary in and a stereo line-in and we had these hooked up to an old 8 track mixer/PA.
We recorded our live rehearsals for mostly just songwriting but then our other patrons took notice of the setup we had -- it finally came to a point that we didn’t take on as many rehearsal schedules because recording demos took up a lot of time setting up and tearing down.
Feedback gathered from people said that our recorded demos had a reputation for having a clear kick drum and bass guitar sound that could be heard in the “mix”-- unheard of in those days and in that method. What made our DIY configuration, without the benefit of formal training, better than some of the stuff I heard from actual recording studios was what really got me seriously into the thing.

Aside from the usual studio instruments, do you have something else that you think make your job easier in the studio?

DB: Pen & paper, masking tape, gaffer tape, extra picks, extra cables and a cable tester/tone generator. Oh yeah, and alcohol. Something to look forward to at the end of the working day if the client sucks. Next studio upgrade will be a standalone hardware RTA and some more mics.

Ian: I have a really comfy chair and air-conditioning!

What exactly are the roles of a producer/engineer on a certain record?
DB: In a nutshell, a producer sets the overall tone and vision for the performer, something to guide their performance. While the engineer is in charge of realizing that vision by refining the raw recorded performance into something as close to the producer's vision as the limits of recording technology will allow. On a related note, I don't mind if a member of the band is the acting producer during a session and in post production but I don't allow producers who aren't band members in the studio. Take note if your girlfriend is your producer you can fuck off and record somewhere else.

Ian:The role I assumed in our studio is to make things run as smoothly as possible for the time we have available. Yes, I take it upon myself to make the a project sound the best that it can. But the band sounding good is still just the band -- sounding good. Yes, they can sound better but there’s only so much you can do if they suck.

Technically, what’s the difference between a producer and a sound engineer?
DB: Strictly speaking, the producer advises the performer on how the recording ultimately ought to turn out sound-wise, while the engineer actually sets up the room, the gear, coaches the performer on certain techniques to facilitate getting a particular sound (mic technique for vocals for example) and twiddles the knobs to coax that particular sound out of a raw recording.

Ian: An engineer’s like the surgeon to the producer’s diagnostician. In some cases, the attending physician can also be your surgeon. Dunno if that makes any sense! Haha!

What are the pros and cons of having your own studio and doing everything from tracking to mastering, even sweeping the floor, haha?
DB: Pros: No more wasted time getting to and from work. No boss or co-workers to deal with. I set my own hours. I can spend as much time as I like going over and redoing my own stuff.
Cons: I end up spending as much time as I like and then some, going over and redoing my own stuff.

Ian: It’s great not having to rely on anyone else. I would though, love to have a person that can stand as a translator for people who can’t understand Logic and Reason.

It’s a producer job to give input on recording. Up to what extent do you normally get involved in a particular project? How do bands normally react when you’re making suggestions?
DB: I do what I can to keep the raw recorded sound within certain range so as not to become a mixing nightmare in post. I make it clear to the bands that good recording technique is absolutely necessary to avoid headaches and wasted time later on. If the band has a professional attitude to recording they usually follow my suggestions which are entirely to do with working with the physical limitations of the hardware.
There have been times however when I've had to deal with Mr. Producer Jr. In such cases I just make sure they sign a waiver that they insisted on recording their performance a certain way against advice. As far as I am able to without compromising the quality of the recording, my studio's name goes on the credits after all, I try to accomodate the client's preferences. But if I feel they'll fuck things up irreparably I tell them so.
As for producing, I limit my involvement with a band's tone shaping to the absolute minimum and I generally leave that up to the band and their preferences. If a band wants to sound like whatever flavor of the month thing is happening, fine with me. Making a recording sound good is my job, making a band sound original is the band's job.

Ian: I don’t know if it’s me but most of them don’t seem to object. There’s a whole lot of stuff you can do to get a band to do what you want but at the end of the day, it’s their sound and I can always choose to not take credit for blunders.
I made a meme from one such experience:
"Spent a whole HOUR putting together the HEAVIEST, most BRUTAL configuration for an entirely UNIQUE and original Guitar Tone using state-of-the-art reamping hardware and the best software plugins at my disposal -- present it to a client and he says: “That’s Great, but we just want to sound like Lamb Of God!"

What genre do you think is the toughest to record?
DB: Pop. Though I should qualify that: intelligent pop. Prefab "product" pop is easy.

Ian: Toughest to record would be an orchestra. I’ve actually done that -- it’s hell on earth especially for a one-man team.

What is the most challenging aspect of doing a metal record?
DB: Compression during mastering. It's a bit tricky getting a proper compression without squeezing out the good, chaotic "liveness" of a metal recording. The second most difficult aspect I'd say is keeping the vocal clear and punchy over the rest of the band.

Ian:Getting the bands to arrive on time!
Seriously, everything about time is an issue. I’m sure no one will admit to this but a lot of the extreme drummers from our lokal scene are rhythmically challenged. I think this has something to do with having no drugs or having too much drugs! Very few have found the actual sweetspot!

Listening to records I’m assuming that the toughest instruments to record are the drums, particularly the snare and bass drums. How do you normally record them in order to get the best sound?
DB: My prefered method is four mics: one each on the kick and snare and 3:1 condensers on overheads. But I can accomodate mid-side and a fully miked kit if the client requests it. It has been my experience that the kick+snare+heads combination is the best set-up for old school death metal though.

Ian: I’ve been using snare and kick drum triggers ever since we started Demiurge Digital a couple of years back. I still use acoustic miking from time to time, depending on the drummer but now mostly it’s the triggering they ask for.
I completely get it, it sounds great right away and it eliminates the need to go through unwanted bleeding, and uncomfortable gating. Now making it sound unique will be the challenge.
Not making a drummer sound generic, that’s the new ball game.

Drum triggers and false triggers are sometimes abused by extreme metal bands these days. What’s your take on this? Can you point out the advantages and disadvantages of using this technology compared to miking up?

DB:Well, from a business perspective you really need triggers to save time especially when the drummer's creative vision exceeds his/her technical capabilities. Also, the less time I spend behind the deck when an unskilled drummer is abusing the kit and my ears, the better! While I prefer the "liquid chaos" of a miked kit, in the hands of a competent drummer even triggered drums can be made to sound excellent.

Ian: There’s this misconception that floats around drum triggering that have people believing that triggering can make you play better. Especially in live shows. It’s actually the opposite. An adept drummer will sound really good on a triggered kit... A novice though, might have his work cut out for him. The one good thing triggers will do for you in a live situation would be unparalleled clarity.
Issues with latency and double triggering or crosstalk [where another hit on another drum part might trigger a different one] can all be addressed and a good enough time allotted for troubleshooting and idiot-proofing will make these problems non existent.
Making a bad drummer play better isn’t at all the case. Now, if triggering a preset path of notes or drumbeats are being used in live shows then I’d have to congratulate that band. That actually seems harder to do!

Guitar tone is often the first thing that we take notice of when listening to a record. Do you have a particular tone that you always wanted to appear on the records that you produce?
DB: Not really. I usually present a preliminary mix to the guitar player for approval before making adjustments based on his/her preference. I usually mix the guitars, regardless of genre, as "hot" as they'll go without clipping (yes even the relatively quiet bits), but only after I've made sure the kick and snare punch through the mix.

Ian: Yes. I want it warm and crunchy -- like freshly fried lumpia!
I’m not a huge fan of the full metal chug. I honestly think it sounds trendy and new. There’s really something about the slightly overdriven, vintage guitar tone at line level or blasting just a few dBs under a colder more calculated, modern tone - I make sure I have that in every project! It just adds an amount of depth that’s almost unheard of these days.

Some guitarists plugs in directly to the amp and still get a rich tone while others have a rack full of effects but still sound weak. My point is how far do you think a guitarist can go in terms of gadgets in order to create a really amazing tone?
DB: Depends on what you're trying to acheive with the gear. It's a tired old saw but in most cases, particularly in rock, less really is more. If the guitar player knows what he/she is doing, an overdrive pedal pushing the overdrive/dirty channel of an amp is a magical combination.
However there are instances especially when you're going for maximum ugly, that a rack full of gear is the way to go. I've got things set-up so that if I think the guitar player needs a little help tweaking his/her tone I can give 'em a few options with regards to tone shaping. In the end I have to disregard my personal guitar tone preference since people aren't paying me to make them sound like me.

Ian: It all boils down to two things:
a] The guitar player’s skills; his knowledge on tone; and his gear.
b] The levels they were recorded at.
There are amazing sounding cuts out there now that were recorded on a laptop, without the use of a recording interface and made to sound real with just software plugins. Every technique and style is available - just season to taste.

How far do you go when it comes to mixing? Does EQ play a big role in mixing? Are you particular in terms of sound/tone during tracking?
DB:EQ doesn't just play a big role in mixing, it's absolutely necessary. Anybody who tells you they got their "godly tone" with just a mic and pressing record is a fucking liar. Without filtering out the non-essential frequencies of any instrument or the human voice, a session that sounded fantastic while you were playing it live prints like shit on playback. You can't fuck with physics, all the little hisses, clicks and rumbles all add up to ruin a recording.

Ian: EQing before finalizing a mix is important, at least for me.
It really blends it all together and will help you get certain frequencies become more dominant or be less audible during playback. I use EQ to help shape what the final outcome will be.
For tone while tracking, we use a recording interface for guitar which splits one take into three ready-to-work-with tracks. Two of those tracks will be the stereo separation of the guitar tone that we’ll work on before we press the record button. The third and last track will be a dry one which I can then use for reamping.

I’ve read and heard in one article the basic process of recording wherein a rich sounding raw record become flat after mastering. How do these happen? Can you give us a basic overview of the whole production process?
DB:Mic placement then setting the levels. After that it varies depending on how the client wants to record their music. I usually record a test run and reset the gear as needed. Then cut three to four takes per song beginning with the rhtyhm section: rhythm guitar, bass, and drums. Overdubs of the rest of the instruments follow with either the vocals or the lead instrument at the end. Whenever possible I use the single best take instead of compositing from several takes. I render several different mixes over several days for the client's approval then when I've got a mix that satisfies their requirements I assemble the master recording. Then they have that duplicated and then they distribute it. Again the production process varies according to the requirements of the client.

Ian:It happens when levels of compression are allowed to go party, unsupervised.
Also a common occurrence in preset-heavy productions.

Are there any bands that you would want to work with? What pique your interest with this band/s?
DB:No, not really. If your band has got the right attitude I can see myself working with you. I can work with nearly anyone, even christian rock bands... I don't particularly enjoy it though, and I often need a stiff drink afterward to take the edge off. Tell you what I can't stand, the prima donnas who're rock stars in their own minds who think they can have the run of the studio once they've paid my professional fee. I've never had to throw anyone off of the premises yet but some people really try my patience.

Ian: Locally, I would love the opportunity to work with Nuclear Punishment on a full length release. They have a shitload of sharp and pointy aggression wrapped in a sense of humor that does not bleed out as pretentious and callus.
They’re part of the Dead Ends tribute and the cut they recorded for that sounds like it’s party time in the no fly zone!

Can you name out 5 of your favorite albums with great production value?
DB:This is entirely subjective but here goes: Led Zeppelin - I, Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties, Slayer - Reign in Blood, Annihilator - Never, Neverland and XTC - Apple Venus & Wasp Star. There's also a recording of Stevie Ray Vaughn & Double Trouble which has amazing production considering it was mixed on the fly during a live performance that was broadcast over radio. I can't recall off the top of my head what the title was.

Ian: Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come -- this is clarity and grit rolled up in a loud package.
Slayer - Undisputed Attitude -- your favorite punk/hardcore songs... Modernized and Slayerized.
The Beatles - Revolver -- waaay ahead of its time.
Indio I - Indio I -- not a big fan of lokal reggae and Star Records but this is proof that having someone with impeccable taste at the helm will make something one of a kind no matter where it’s from.
Obscura - Cosmogenesis -- fretless bass... I mean, YEAH! Fretless BASS!

What about 5 favorite albums that you wish could have a better production?
DB: There are plenty of albums that could have been mixed better but I don't spend any time wishing they were. That's time better spent on other things.

Ian: Metallica - Death Magnetic -- Rick Rubin and Metallica don’t mix well.
NOFX - Pump Up The Valuum -- the overheads on this one sound so much like heavily compressed death metal overheads. It doesn’t sound that bad but So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes just sounded so damn good!
Demiurge - Demiurge -- limited to what we had back then in terms of tech and knowledge -- I know I could have done a better job but...
Sceptic - Pathetic Being -- we bought this album online, at first we thought it was the MP3 quality that was off and we thought of complaining. Then one of my buddies got himself the CD... It wasn’t much different from the digital download version.
SKANB - Because let’s be honest -- nobody involved in any form of production back then, except for the bands, gave a shit about the music.

Thanks a lot for your time. Anything you wanted to add?
DB:Best of luck restarting Tripalium zine. Send some of that nastiness my way when you get it printed.Thanks in advance!

Ian: More cowbell! \m/

Noiseworks Studio
Demiurge Digital