REVIEWS
INTERVIEWS
|
|
UNRESTRAINED! MAGAZINE
By RealDeadOne, Issue #34
www.unrestrainedmag.com
"DISGUSTED WITH THE PATH MANKIND HAS CHOSEN!"
If you looked at a map of Canada, there is one place that people know little about, is rarely discussed and seldom visited. This place is the Maritime Provinces. The people are friendly and the country side can be beautiful, but the metal bands are as brutal and deadly as the heavily snowed winters.
Halifax Nova Scotia's Thy Flesh Consumed are one of the most impressive acts from this region, with a brand of death and grind that can crack concrete and leave you pondering the fate of humanity. After the release of their third full-length, Pacified By Oceans Of Blood, a testament of war, shamefulness and disgust, I got in touch with front man Peter Mestre to try and figure out the secrets behind the band's vision.
The new album is incredible and the production is big. Tell us about the recording process this time around.
Gord Ash is the man. Gord is the one who recorded and co-produced our album Pacified By Oceans Of Blood. Gord put his sweat and blood into this recording, and is responsible for the expenditure of roughly a million cups of coffee. His tongue literally turned black. What made this recording different from the past two recordings (which were recorded by Steve Outhit) is that we had someone who also lives and breathes metal working alongside us in the studio. Gerald was given one fucking day to record all the drums tracks. He is a machine, and this was proven after 11 hours of grinding, with little break. This was due to a very limited budget. Not even the lack of money can stop us!
This album, like the two previous, has some solid anti-christian and anti-humanity themes with the lyrics so focused that they feel dead serious. Where do these ideals stem from and how serious are they for the band?
The lyrics are very serious for most of us. We are all pretty disgusted with the path mankind has chosen. I shouldn't have to go into any details about our world, as it's very obvious what man is all about. Man is just concerned with "himself" and "right now". Nothing else seems to matter.
The people who do believe that it matters often don't have the power to get the message through. I'm very torn about everything. You want to be the change but then you're left wondering why the hell you give a shit most times. Then I end up writing "why bother?" and "let's just end it already." I guess if you dig deep enough into the lyrics you'll find a personal struggle with the world, how it works, why it works the way it does, and if it will ever change. Basically I could go on all day about the lyrics, but that would defeat them and the way I write. I want people to think about them, pick them apart, get confused or angry with them, or not like them at all. I care and I don't care. Sounds like a suitable motto. Often the lyrics are coated with sarcasm, which also seems to be a suitable attitude.
Religion has always agitated me, and this is because of my upbringing. No, I wasn't an alter boy that was defiled by my priest; religion dominated my childhood, it was forced upon me, it surrounded me. I've always been fascinated with religion and its effects on people on a global scale, from holy wars to organizations in my community. I feel it's a complete waste of energy. One would soon discover this quickly by viewing any of our albums, as desecration to religion is a constant theme.
One of the most impressive things about TFC is the vocal assault you are able to unleash and the new album has impressive improvements in this department. What can you tell us about this?
The microphone was on a mic stand. This was completely unnatural for me, as I need to be holding the microphone so I can manipulate it to attain the certain sounds I've been working on. During the first week, I just about blew my voice pushing myself too hard because the volume was not loud enough in my headphones. It seemed like I was deaf, I could not hear what I was doing. But as Gord played the takes back to me, I found they stood out; the tracks sounded much more clear and wretched than my previous vocal offerings.
Since signing to CDN Records, have things improved or have things become more difficult or ambitious?
Being signed to CDN Records has definitely given us that added drive when creating our music. We'll often be in the middle of creating a song and say that Craig is going to freak out when he hears this. He does an excellent job of spreading our music worldwide. I'll search the Internet to see how far our CDs have made it, what distributors in what countries are selling them... it's exciting to see. There is nothing difficult about our relationship with Craig. My only qualm would be that we never get to party together.
You've always done the artwork and the new cover is really killer. Do you do this as a hobby only? Have you done other bands artworks?
My artwork is my hobby. I create all the artwork and imagery for Thy Flesh Consumed. I have never done artwork for any other bands. I live in front of Adobe Photoshop. I'd be lost without it. I only used to use a pencil back in the day, but I haven't used one for many years---six years actually. I often curse at myself for ceasing to draw, but I guess if I really had the desire to do so, I would have rediscovered it by now. The lyrics are about real issues, so the artwork has to be real as possible. My intention is to create something I myself can get lost in. If I can achieve this goal then I feel better about exposing my artwork to others, as I am my own worst critic.
Along with a few others, Thy Flesh Consumed has always been at the forefront of Maritime metal. What's the Halifax scene's state of affairs? Are any bands working as hard as you?
There is always something in the works whether it's here in our grind camp, or at our brother's camps, Terratomb, Hellacaust, Burning Moon, Inexoreath or Cephalectomy, whom we share the forefront with. Strength in number! Venues in this city come and go; so far there hasn't been responsible for some venues' highest alcohol sales. Overall, the Halifax scene is a very tight community.
Regarding bands from out of town, promoters in the area have been responsible for plaguing Halifax with the likes of Belphegor, Martyr, Suffocation and Behemoth, to name a few heavyweights, and so far there has only been a few, though it's a giant leap for this city.
Are there shows or tours planned outside of the Maritimes to support the new album?
We are currently planning a tour to support the new album. There is talk we will be striking parts of Ontario and Quebec as well as the rest of Eastern Canada. We're going to slow down on the shows though, for we are working on the next album. We have a couple of new songs in the works right now, and everything is sounding sicker and faster then ever before. So far, not only Ross, but Dan, Dave and Gerald have all written some incredible riffs for the next album.
I could be mistaken, but last time we spoke you were driving a bus for children or something? Are you still doing that on the side?
Haha! A bit of confusion there. Gerald is a driver for Big Brothers and Big sisters, an organization that gives support to children (who are from single parent homes, children with no siblings that desire role models, et cetera) by raising money through a never-ending clothing drive. Gerald picks up the clothing donations. I used to work at the office on the phone, occasionally being Gerald's gimpy sidekick out on the truck.
And so it seems that in the most twisted way possible, you do your part in this world, and do more good than most. An irony emphasized by the spellbinding soundscapes of hatred created by Thy Flesh Consumed...
|
