IN MEMORIUM - Interview with In Memorium - Miscellaneous - http://maxpages.com/aeazine2/IN

In Memorium said they formed "to channel the spirit of utter darkness and distill it into a musical avatar." Your work is described as "an aural holocaust that has... deepened, descended further and further down into the stygian bowels of sheerest morbidity." Care to elaborate on the level of misanthropy the band have explored since the beginning?
Nihilist: That's more of a personal thing that I don't feel the need to discuss in an "interview." Let's sit down over some Belgian Chimay & I'll let you in on a whole new world of scars, hate & a loathing for humanity in general.

In Memorium's current base of operations is Wallingford, Washington, going by the contact address provided by your biography. As a metal band from a state that has long been known for the Seattle alternative scene, do you see extreme music being overlooked in that part of the country? Any Washington bands in addition to yourselves worth checking out?
Caleb: Wallingford is just a neighborhood in Seattle, but my intentions on putting Wallingford as our location was the fact that there are killer bands in the same neighborhood like, Drawn and Quartered they have come along way from where they began and Serpens Aeon, both of these bands have CD's out on Moribund. Vs. The World is another band that is unsigned as kick ass. We all at one timed lived in the same neighborhood and partied together.
Steve: Extreme metal is strong and growing all over the country, and also in the Northwest. Seattle has a thriving metal scene, including extreme metal bands. There are also lots of bands coming out from Eastern Washington (Strigoi, Choice Fatal), Boise ID (Frantik, XeX), and on the West side of the state, centered around Bainbridge, WA (Blackgoat, VS the World). Bands worth checking out: those previously mentioned, and Of course, Himsa, Nevermore, and Undone (Steve's side project).

How many bands from Washington and elsewhere have the band played and/or toured with since you got together? Which of these would you recommend going to see? Are there any road stories from playing with these bands you deem worth recounting for the readers?
Caleb: As I mentioned above Drawn and Quartered, Serpens Aeon and Vs. The World have been fun to play with. It really hard up here to get on a national act going through town. But we've been able to play with Entombed, Impaled, Agalloch but the best show was when we opened for Death back when we were just starting out.
Steve: Drawn and Quartered, Serpens Aeon, Scorched Earth. Most bands are pretty good, and well aware of the "scene" worldwide. Every band where people get out and play has something to offer.
Nihilist: We've played with a number of Washington State bands. Most notably: SERPENS AEON, SCORCHED EARTH, DRAWN & QUARTERED, TEEN CTHULHU, SOL NEGRO, & WORMWOOD. Bands that we've done shows with from afar would be AGALLOCH, VIRGIN BLACK, IMPALED, ANTIMATTER & SANGRE AMADO. We've only done 2 shows outside of Seattle, & that would be Portland, Or. w/ AGALLOCH & Port Angeles, WA with WOODROT. So no real memorable stories, sorry. Usually we're all wasted, & the next day we're tired & bruised from the thrashing & slicing on stage from the night before.

When the band formed in 1997, in what ways did the environment of Wallingford influence the way you composed your songs? Did your music have qualities you couldn't compare to other bands that were in the same genre as In Memorium back then? How did you see yourselves standing out from other bands in your genre?
Caleb: We have been rather for fortunate as the scene up here consists of some killer bands Funeral Age, Sol Negro, Scorched Earth and Swarming Hordes, none of us really sound the same. If a very unique scene.
Steve: I would describe our music as texturally complex-layered with keyboards, two guitars, and assault drums.

What is In Memorium's present lineup and how long has this lineup been playing together? What bands, if any, were each member involved in before hooking up with In Memorium?
Nihilist: Well, I did vokills for a few bands in Pornland, Goregon between 1995-2002. Had a couple of raw bands called CIRRHOSIS (grind-punk for a joke) & THE HATEFUCKERS (grind/b.m./rock-noise with a touch of GOBLIN.) Then in 1996 as MURDERGOD were the best band in Portland, 3 of the guys joined with Mason Slut & myself & we formed THY INFERNAL. We recorded our demo in 1997 & got a deal with Odin From Moribund, at this time the bassist/other vocalist decide to kick me out, May 1998. A month later, I got asked to join some blokes in a new band & that turned into WRAITHEN. We recorded our "Legions of Wormwood" 1999 demo & got a deal with Killjoy on the Baphomet label. Who at that time had such great acts as: ANTAEUS, DEMONCY & OCTINIMOS. Then 3 of us from WRAITHEN decided to start an ultra sick tribute to gods AUTOPSY & IMPETIGO, which spawned LORD GORE. These 2 entities shared members, but WRAITHEN was more of a serious studio band, L.G. did a number of shows, WRAITHEN did only 3. Our contract with Baphomet got fucked up & WRAITHEN recorded the "Cult of the 11th Dawn" 2001 demo, which is a total underground release only probably 300-400 exist from our hands. This release got even better reviews than the 1st demo, thus we did a split 7" with German madmen BETHLEHEM. After L.G. recorded "The Autophagus Orgy" c.d. in 2001, we did some shows & I got into an argument with Gurge the other vocalist after a show in Seattle, & I was asked to leave 2 weeks later. A month later I got the call from M. Krutsinger asking me to come up to Seattle to help out with IN MEMORIUM. That's my past in Portland, now I'm in Seattle.

I noticed your singer Nihilist is also involved with Abazagorath, a black metal band originally from New Jersey that have been around since the 90s. Are you friends with this band at all? Have you seen them live or played shows with them?
MM: We don't know any of the guys in ABAZAGORATH, nor have we played any shows with them at this point. Someday we will though and make Nihilist pull double-duty!

Guitarist M. Krutsinger has a side project called Alchemy. Can you provide some information about this band and any material they have out? This band has a couple songs downloadable by mp3 on their own web page. How many people have heard them and contacted the band?
MM: ALCHEMY is a project I did with WOODROT vocalist Paul English. We have a 5 song EP out that I recorded on my 8 track in my living room, and Paul completed the disc in his home studio with vox and keys. I've done rough tracks for the next album, which will also feature IN MEMORIUM drum master Steve Fournier!

Your drummer Steve Fournier toured Europe with Himsa. How long was he involved with this band and what were his experiences touring with them? Would he tour with them again?
Steve: I was involved with HIMSA for about 4 months. I did several US dates with them, and the last European tour in support of the "Courting Tragedy and Disaster" release. European fans are very energetic and positive. HIMSA is a great group of guys- I loved touring with them, and would like to do it again. I did have the opportunity to join the band, but declined because of other musical obligations.

Discuss your debut demo An Ancient Word that was released in 2000. How many copies of the demo did you press and how aggressively did you promote it when it came out? Was the demo received well by the fanzine and trading circuits?
Caleb: An Ancient Word was recorded I believe in late 1998, so it took 2 years for it to come out. Just as From Misery ... it took that 2 plus years as well to come out. But An Ancient Word only had 1000 copies made, it was well received by the underground, but it doesn't compare to From Misery...

How well was the band treated by Moribund Records as they distributed An Ancient Word?
MM: Moribund tested the waters with this album which led them to pick up FROM MISERY... so it must have done OK. It is sold out and now out of print.

Your debut CD From Misery... Comes Darkness was recorded at Trillium Lane Studios in Bainbridge Island. Have other bands recorded here and who worked on the album with you? From the way the album came out, would you work with the same people again?
Steve: Serpens Aeon recorded at Trillium as well, and they used Todd (Hooper-senior producer) and Curran (Murphy-engineer) like In Memorium did. Although Todd Hooper will probably be on board for the next recording, like most bands, we want to expand our music and horizons by working with different people as well as old friends.

Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles christened From Misery... Comes Darkness one of the top five independent releases of 2004. Did this help further the band's name?
Nihilist: It's a pretty lame mag in my opinion, nice fucking layout with lots of potential, they just interview LAME bands. I haven't noticed any sort of difference since that list came out. They haven't stepped up to interview us yet either, so whatever.

On From Misery... Comes Darkness is a song called "The Legend of the Well-Fiend," which your biography describes as an "epic nine-minute tribute to Japanese celluloid horror." Is this song based on the movie Ringu (later remade as The Ring in the US)? If so, in what ways did this movie inspire the song? Which other Japanese horror films has the band seen?
Caleb: This song was originally recorded in 2000 and at that time it was 12 minutes.
Nihilist: The movie had a BIG impact on me when I first saw it in 2000. It totally creeped me out & I knew that no one else had written a song about it. So I watched it quite a few times & comprised the lyrics. They sat for a while till I heard the music M. Krutsinger brought to the table, the song was epic, had a watery like intro & I just toyed around with the phrasing & patterns to make it an odd sounding song, just different. Todd also made me write more lyrics in the studio which was on an island in winter & it reminded me a lot of the isolation & coldness of the area in which Sadako dwells. So it felt natural. Plus the studio is not that far from the area where they filmed the American "The Ring." I am a HUGE fan of Asian, Italian, Spanish, French, German & British cinema & films, down to the soundtracks. Other Asian films that I adore would be the following: Ichi The Killer, Uzumaki, Old Boy, Three, Wild Zero, Ring Virus, Battle Royale, Visitor Q, Versus, Chaos, Dark Water, Attack The Gas Station, Happiness of The Katakuris, Kakashi, The Devil, etc.

Since you made "The Legend of the Well-Fiend" available for download, how many people have been exposed to In Memorium?
Caleb: It's hard to say how many people have downloaded the songs, but we have gotten great feedback from the listeners.

How does the Japanese Ringu compare to the American remake The Ring? Have you seen any of the sequels to Ringu (Ringu 2, Ringu 0: Basudei)?
Nihilist: "The Ring" is nothing compared to "Ringu"! "The Ring 2" was a fucking mess & should just have been called "Dark Water." I've seen pretty much all of the "Ringu" films a few times each. Except "Virus," & the TV series. I liked "The Ring Virus" though. I actually found one of those promo "cursed tapes" that the film companies were leaving at various places, I found mine at a bar in Portland, with my bro Rob Fornicator & his girlfriend who found one in the ladies room too.

In what ways would you say Japanese horror compares with the classic Italian horror many metalheads around the world have been inspired to write lyrics by?
Nihilist: Horror films & rock/metal go hand in hand & have for years starting with Alice Cooper. Look at the popularity of bands like The Cramps, The Misfits, psychobilly, etc. nowadays. What Italy did for horror & sleazy violent films from the 60s'-late 80s' will never be created again with the proper feel these films had back in the day. Asian films go balls out & try to expose every taboo smashing everything that is good & happy in a "typical" film. French cinema has been doing some great things in the past few years as well. But it seems Italy hasn't made me happy with a film in a couple of years now.

From Misery... Comes Darkness was released back in 2002, and In Memorium spent a couple years in slumber as its members were involved with the bands discussed above. Is In Memorium working on any new material at the time of this writing? If so, how soon do you expect a new CD to be released?
MM: We'd love to get a disc out by spring 2006...but sometimes daily life gets in the way of best intentions...so please be patient and you will be rewarded!

Anything you wish to close the interview with?
Nihilist: Thanks for the exposure, & the time to spout off our mouths. Bleed for the devil disguised in the form of darkness.... 11:11
nihilist999@gmail.com
MM: Drop by the site to check out some mp3’s from the disc... www.inmemorium.tk. LONG LIVE METAL!!!

-DW

Sign Guestbook

View Guestbook

Visitors: 00051

Page Updated Mon Jun 12, 2006 4:30pm EDT