Interview with Michael Stützer of Artillery (2012)

I've had the opportunity to interview Michael Stützer, guitarist of Danish thrash metal veterans Artillery. Below you will find the English version of the interview. Beneath that you will find the original Danish interview. Pictures are all courtesy of Marika Hyldmar, whom you can find at her official Facebook!

ENGLISH:
Artillery has, since their creation in the 80's, been a huge influence on the many bands aswel as the general evolution of thrash metal in Denmark and Northern Europe. Having churned out 6 albums since the classic "Fear of Tomorrow" in 1985 they've stuck around for as long as many of the well-known Teutonic thrash acts like Destruction and Kreator. The brothers Michael and Morten Stützer form the solid core of Artillery and as such are the only members to have been on every Artillery release.

Goul
Artillery has had a lot of singers by now, especially on the early demos, but as steadt lead-singers you've only had Flemming Rönsdorf (Fear of Tomorrow, Terror Squad, By Inheritance & B.A.C.K.) and Søren Adamsen (When Death Comes & My Blood). I think most will agree that when the band switched from Rönsdorf's very old school vocals to Adamsen's Bruce Dickinson-esque vocals it brought with it a small change in style with the band. Was this change a natural part of changing lead singers, and was it a conscious change?

Stützer
When we started Artillery again (after By Inheritance with "B.A.C.K." in 1999, ED.) we met at my place to play in the practiceroom just for the fun of it. Already after two rehearsals we could feel that we wanted to seriously focus on it again. All agreed that we needed to find a singer who wanted it onehundred percent.

Former lead singer Søren Adamsen

I contacted Torben Askholm who at the time had just left Anubis Gate (Danish power metal band, ED.) just to start somewhere. He couldn't do it but suggested Søren.
After two rehearsals it went so well with Søren that we decided he was in.
We've written all the songs the same way as the time when Flemming was in and we haven't changed anything, at least not conciously.
Of course in the eyes of many Søren is more of a power metal singer, but we've always felt that he did a great job and we've had many great experiences with him. Søren was actually the only singer we tried out!

Goul
Then how did you find your new lead singer, Michael Bastholm Dahl?

Stützer
We already knew back in February that Søren would maybe stop the 22nd of September and that he wouldn't play two gigs in Denmark in the start of September.
So this time we had time to find our new singer.
We played in Agger (Danish town known as "Heavy Agger", ED.) with Mercyful Diamond (Danish King Diamond/Mercyful Fate cover band) where Michael was singing. Already there we were convinced at he could fill the role both musically and personally. I contacted him and asked if he could be stand in for Søren at the two jobs he didn't want to play and he said yes immediately.
After we played those two jobs in Svendborg and Nykøbing we were convinced he was the right guy. And he didn't think twice when we asked him to join us!
And with the response we've had on him and the new vocals and by the way also our new drummer Josua it looks like we'll be incredibly well equipped now with two new people who are onehundred percent ready to tour, record etc.!

Goul
You have had a rather large change in drummers... Is Josua a more permanent solution?

Stützer
Definitely!

Goul
You mentioned a new record... Is there a new album on the horizon?

Stützer
Yes we've started on new tracks and the plan is that we'll be going to the Medley Studio in February 2013 with Søren Andersen as producer again. The plan is to have it ready in April 2013.

Goul
Sounds exciting! Can we expect a sound as aggressive as on My Blood and When Death Comes?

Stützer
Yes, that's one of the reasons we're using Medley and Søren again. It worked extremely well on both When Death Comes and My Blood.

Søren Adamsen with guest-vocalist Søren Crawack of Impalers

Goul
Do you think Michael's vocals will influence how the new album is going to turn out?

Stützer
The vocals are ofcourse always incredibly important so yes it will, but we will still make the riffs as we usually do, so style-wise it'll still be thrash the rules. We have great confidence in Michael's vocals and look much forward to presenting some new tracks ASAP.


DANSK:

Goul
Artillery har efterhånden haft en god del sangere, specielt på demoerne, men som faste foresangere har I kun haft Flemming Rönsdorf og Søren Adamsen. Jeg tror de fleste vil være enige i, at da bandet skiftede fra Rönsdorfs meget old school vokal til Adamsens Bruce Dickinson-inspirerede vokal medbragte det et lille skift i stil hos bandet. Var det skift en naturlig del af det at skifte forsanger, og var det et bevidst valg?

Stützer
Da vi startede Artillery op igen, mødtes vi hos mig for at spille i øveren bare for hyggens skyld. Allerede efter 2 øvegange kunne vi mærke at vi ville satse seriøst igen. Alle var enige om at så måtte vi finde en ny sanger der ville det her 100%.
Jeg kontaktede så Torben Askholm der dengang lige havde forladt Anibus Gate for ligesom at starte et sted. Han kunne så ikke men foreslog så Søren.
Efter 2 øvere kørte det så fedt med Søren at vi besluttede at han var med.
Vi har skrevet alle numrene på samme måde som den gang Flemming var med og ikke ændret på noget, i hvertfald ikke bevidst.
Selvfølgelig er Søren i manges øjne mere en Power metal sanger men vi har altid syntes at han gjorde det godt og har haft mange gode oplevelser med ham! Så Søren var faktisk den eneste sanger vi nåede at prøve!

Goul
Hvordan fandt I så frem til jeres nye forsanger, Michael Bastholm Dahl?

Stützer
Vi vidste allerede i Feb. at Søren måske ville stoppe 22 Sept og ikke ville spille 2 jobs i DK i starten af September.
så denne gang havde vi tid til at finde vores nye sanger.

Guitarist Michael Stützer

Vi spillede så i Agger med Mercyful Diamond hvor Michael var sanger. Allerede der var vi overbevist om at han kunne gøre det både musikalsk og på det personlige plan. Jeg kontaktede ham så og spurgte om han kunne være stand in for Søren i de 2 jobs han ikke ville spille og han sagde ja med det samme.
Efter vi spillede de 2 jobs i henholdsvis Svendborg og Nykøbing var vi ikke i tvivl om han var den rigtige mand. Og han var slet ikke i tvivl da vi spurgte ham om ville joine os!
Og med den respons vi har fået på ham og den nye vokal og i øvrigt også på vores nye trommerbasker Josua ser det ud til at vi står utroligt godt rustet nu, med 2 nye der er 100% klar til at turnere ,ny plade etc!

Goul
Ja I har jo også haft en ret hæftig udskiftning af trommeslagere... Er Josua måske en mere permanent løsning?

Stützer
Helt sikkert!

Goul
Nu nævnte du selv en ny plade og sådan... Er der et nyt album i horisonten?

Stützer
Ja vi er startet på nye nr. og planen er at vi går i Medley studiet i Feb 2013 med Søren Andersen som producer igen. Planen er den skal udkomme i April 2013.

Goul
Lyder spændende! Kan vi så forvente en lyd der er lige så aggressiv som på My Blood og When Death Comes?

Guitarist Morten Stützer

Stützer
Ja det er en af grundene til at vi bruger Medley og Søren igen. Det funkede ekstremt godt både på WDC og MB.

Goul
Tror du Michaels vokal vil have en indflydelse på hvordan det nye album udformer sig?

Stützer
Vokalen er selvfølgelig altid utrolig vigtig så ja det vil den, men vi vil stadig lave riffne som vi plejer så stilmæsigt vil det stadig være thrashen der styrer. Vi har stor tiltro til Michaels vokal og glæder os utroligt meget til at præsentere nogle nye nr asap

Find Artillery at their official Facebook here
Find more of Marika Hyldmar's concert photos here

Interview with El Bukkakë of Abörted Hitler Cöck (2012)

Having just released a new album entitled "Erections at an Animal Autopsy", the British pornogrind band ABÖRTED HITLER CÖCK is now two releases into their musical career. Master ejaculator porno luchador El Bukkakë had this to say:

Goul
First of all I would like you to introduce yourself.
According to a few different sites, Spirit of Metal and Metal Archives in particular, AxHxCx has two members, El Bukkakë and El Fucko - Is this true?

El Bukkakë
That's correct. Those were the names that we adopted upon the formation of AxHxCx, a Porno-Gore Luchador never reveals their true identity. The band started as a duo, myself, El Bukkake on guitars and vocals, and El Fucko on vocals and drums. He has some other commitments touring with a band whose name I cannot disclose, so I recorded the last CD as a solo project. The line-up is likely to return to being a two piece before recording the next album, although I foresee the release of several more EPs or splits soon in the current one-man incarnation.

Goul
If El Fucko is sometimes out touring, how much of an influence does he have on songwriting in the band?

El Bukkakë
We wrote the majority of the material from Erections at an Animal Autopsy together over a series of jam sessions, a couple of years back. Recording it and getting it out there was long overdue and we just fell into an unannounced hiatus, but I began feeling that itch again around six months ago and just had to scratch it.

Goul
The itch to what? The itch to just play music?

El Bukkakë
Yeah just to make the kind of grinding porno gore metal I'd like to hear, and get it out there for people to be able to listen to it.

Goul
So I assume El Bukkake is your alter ego or artist name or whatever. Is this simply for... "aesthetic" reasons? Or is it because being in a band that by nature is designed to offend people could cause some problems socially and the like?

El Bukkakë
I've always enjoyed bands who constructed their own mythologies...I find the supposed back-story alone of a band like GWAR to be far more entertaining than the entire discography of a lot of bands. I'd rather tell a story and make people laugh at something fucked up than sell a bunch of generic records. The anonymity is all part of the lore, and the character.

Goul
Are you thereby saying that it has nothing to do with social stigma, such as jobs and whatnot?

El Bukkakë
That's an added bonus. To be able to dissociate from everyday life and become a character does give more freedom to offend.

Goul
For the people who don't know the band, can you please explain the sound and lyrical themes of Abörted Hitler Cöck?

El Bukkakë
The sound is a sludgy, distorted, low-tuned guitar and an electric drum kit, just being thrashed the fuck out. Listening to Pig Destroyer's 'Explosions in Ward 6' had a lot of impact on that, I had no idea something without a bass could be that heavy...Musically, AxHxCx plays a blend of grindcore and traditional heavy metal riffs. I've always been interested in 'blurcore' guitar technique, I think that' going to be a direction the band moves in. But the songs are pretty much just whatever comes out of the instruments at the time, there's no predetermined genre...The lyrics and song titles are just exercises in infantile 'offensiveness'. You've got to remember the buzz from reading a Cannibal Corpse track list for the first time, or looking through the liner notes on a Carcass records. The grotesque, violent, freak-show shock aesthetic that borders on parody, AxHxCx aims to take that to the next level.

Goul
How did you come up with a name so blasphemous?

El Bukkakë
The name really is meaningless, but days of contemplation were spent trying to find the most amusingly horrendous combination of random words. Hitler and abortion, two traditionally "taboo" subjects often deemed off-limits for art or humour, and then the cock for rhythm. I like the sound of the hard 'k' at the end.

Goul
Is it something that adds to the offensiveness of the band, or is it some rather interesting marketing strategy?

El Bukkakë
There are a lot of mediocre garage bands with generic "shocking" names out there...But why be bad when you can be the worst? That's probably about as far as a market strategy goes. It's a niche product, not everyone is going to enjoy it.

Goul
What fueled you to create this carnal monstrosity and what makes you write those kinds of lyrics? Is it just to offend people or is it something... deeper?

El Bukkakë
It's holding a mirror up to the world, and reducing it to something unquestionably tasteless and obscene. And then laughing at it. Something so relentlessly abhorrent that it comes out at the other side, deconstructing the concept of offensiveness. It's pitiful when people have an imaginary line they won't cross, but are more than happy to take pleasure in everything up until that line, which is often tied up in their own worthless issues. If one instance of personal tragedy, disease, sexual malfunction, death or deformity is deemed funny, then they all should be.

Goul
It seems obvious to ask... Do you actually hate babies?

El Bukkakë
Babies are terrible. I've never seen or heard of one doing anything of any value, they're just missed opportunities to abort. The same goes for all children, they have no redeeming qualities. Even child slavery produces inferior goods. Children are such a boner-killer.

Goul
You just released a brand new album entitled "Erections at an Animal Autopsy" through Torn Flesh Records. Around 15 minutes of gory, groovy pornogrind. How long time did it take you to write and record all the songs?

El Bukkakë
The song-writing was normally a case of getting the guitars and drum parts down first, and then coming up with a song title and lyrics. Way too much work goes into the lyrics considering that the vocals are almost entirely unintelligible. The production of this album was really sporadic, it's taken 3 years to get it recorded. I don't think there'll be that much of a wait for the next releases.

Goul
Erections at an Animal Autopsy isn't AxHxCx's first release ever - In 2008 you released the 8 minute EP "the Foetal Grinder". Are there any differences, musically or otherwise, from then to now?

El Bukkakë
The Foetal Grinder EP was a lot more 'raw' sounding...Cheap equipment...bad drum samples...At the time that was very much the vision for it. Reaction to it was positive, but in hindsight I think a lot of the composition was lost in the production. I wouldn't rule out re-recording some of those songs at a later date, even though I've got feedback from people who say they prefer the old sound. The new album has higher production values, more clarity, it's more aggressive. It's the direction future recordings will move in.

Goul
I know you've just released the new album, but what does AxHxCx have in store for the future?

El Bukkakë
Expect tits, gore and grindcore. It wont be long until another couple of releases are vomitted up. There's something in the works right now. 2012 will be one hell of a year for Abörted Hitler Cöck.

Goul
Do you have any projects going on other than Abörted Hitler Cöck that you would like to tell us about?

El Bukkakë
Nothing outside of the band, but I think there'll be some interesting side projects coming up. Some non-musical output. But that's all I can say so far.

Goul
What inspires you musically? As in, what kind of music do you like and what are your favourite bands?

El Bukkakë
Where do I start? I listen to a lot of stuff but there are a couple of movements that really draw me in. I liked the early British grindcore, Napalm Death, Carcass...I still listen to both of those bands fairly regularly. 80's and early 90's thrash has always been pretty close to my heart too, Anthrax's 'Among the Living' CD was one of the first things I learned to play guitar to. The 90's and early 2000's American grindcore movement really appeals to me. I couldn't name a favourite band but there are a lot of bands that I really like, some are more obvious influences while some don't really effect the sounds that I make...I like Lord Gore, Repulsion, Autopsy...Cattle Decapitation, Nasum, Strapping Young Lad...Melvins, early Mastodon, Coffins...Pantera for the guitars and drums at least...I think Abörted Hitler Cöck is the result of meshing some of those sounds together. The lyrics were a result of trying to capture the essence of bands like The Mentors and Anal Cunt, and GG Allin. I wasn't aware of the contemporary pornogrind/goregrind scenes at the time, I didn't know about bands like Gut and Rompeprop until the Foetal Grinder demo CD had already been recorded. It's interesting to suddenly see the popularity of modern porno/goregrind.

Goul
But did the discovery of bands like Rompeprop, Gut or maybe Cock and Ball Torture affect the sound on Erections at an Animal Autopsy? I think most will agree that the sound is a bit more polished nowadays and that songs like Abort 'Em All sound like they're influenced by, say, Cock and Ball Torture.

El Bukkakë
Yeah I was impressed by the quality and heaviness of that kind of recording, hearing a lot of the contemporary grind releases was a wakeup call.

Goul
A final question: What does AxHxCx mean to you on a personal level and has it changed your life in any way?

El Bukkakë
I don't think the part of me that lives for infantile repulsiveness will ever die. As long as there's a demand for it, I'll be making more music...No wait, actually it'll be funnier when there's no demand at all. AxHxCx will intentionally be around long after there's a willing audience for it. But the fans have been great, and that's why I wanted to give something back by offering Erections at an Animal Autopsy as a free download.

Goul
Alright, that concludes the interview. It's been very interesting - Thanks for participating!


Abörted Hitler Cöck official site
AxHxCx merch
Download the new AxHxCx album "Erections at an Animal Autopsy" for free here

Interview with Damnum Animus (2011)

Neoclassically-inspired black metal mastermind "Chaosweaver", the man behind Damnum Animus who's been reviewed twice on Goul's Crypt, agreed to do an interview on the basics and future of his solo project Damnum Animus and had this to say:

Goul

So you're from North Carolina. What's the scene like there?

Chaosweaver

The metal scene in North Carolina, as a whole, is fairly diverse, but I live in a podunk town where very few people like metal. Those that do normally are classified as scene kids, because many of the so called "metal" bands out here are stereotypical deathcore. However, there are a few notables, such as Final Curse (classic thrash), Black Acid Moon (stoner doom), and Syopsis (techdeath).

Goul

So I don't take it there are any bands like yours, genre-wise, in your area?

Chaosweaver

Unfortunately, no. Finding another member with similar influences is hard enough, let alone finding other bands.

Goul

What inspired you to make what is essentially neoclassical music mixed with ambient and black metal vocals and drumming?

Chaosweaver

This started, as you may or may not know, as a DSBM (Depressive Black Metal) project. The transition from that to what Damnum Animus became was pure happenstance; I was messing around with a MIDI file of "The Last of My Kind" on my DAW, and put cellos in place of the guitars. Voila, Damnum Animus was born. That being said, I've always had a love for classical music, especially bombastic classical (movie soundtracks, Tchaikovsky), so transitioning wasn't a stretch of the musical imagination.

Goul

Did this genre come naturally to you?

Chaosweaver

Some of the elements took some getting used to. Creating an atmosphere isn't the easiest thing to do if you're used to metalcore style songwriting.

Goul

Are you in any other bands, or do you have any other musical projects?

Chaosweaver

I have both, in fact.

Invoking the Divine: an experimental metal band with my good friend Josh Horne.

The Fall of the Heretic: a metalcore project that I've been messing with for a good 6 years.

Decaying My Youth: death/doom metal project. Main feature: huge riffing.

Goul

To return to Damnum Animus, how was the initial response to your style of music, especially "Sanity: The Lies of the Father"?

Chaosweaver

Generally, the response was good. I got several reviews commenting on the "coldness" of the music, which was what I was going for. The main complaints were the sudden stops and starts, as well as the similarity of the tracks.

Goul

Since you're only one person in the band it seems obvious to ask: Why? Why are you the sole person in Damnum Animus? Is it because of creative controle, was it too difficult to find band mates, or something other?

Chaosweaver

It's multiple things. Creative control was never an issue, as the other bands I've been in have never had that problem. The main reason I'm the sole person in Damnum Animus is finding people with similar influences. Drummers are hard to come by in this area of North Carolina, as are good bassists. Session musicians are not out of the question; however, it doesn't seem like there will be any for a good while.

Goul

Can you tell us about the pros and cons of being a one man band?

Chaosweaver

Pros:

No arguments with band members.

Make your own working schedule (rather than practice x times a week).

Decide exactly where the band will go.

Cons:

Some ideas sound great to you, but shit to others.

Less outside influence to add new sounds to the band.

No live playing.

That last one is a big one.

Goul

Do you have any goals regarding Damnum Animus?

Chaosweaver

Yes, I'd like to play live at least once.

Goul

You've got a new release coming out sometime in the future called "Beneath the Swells". Can you tell us a little about this album and what it's gonna feature?

Chaosweaver

This will be a FULL LENGTH album. It will feature many of the same elements of the previous EP: symphonic soundscapes, ambient and black metal influences; however, it will feature both acoustic and electric guitars, more vocal variance including clean vocals, epic length songs (10+ minutes), and much more. The lyrical content is also much different. The last album was focused on depression, religious struggles, and hopelessness; this album will be focused on depression as well, but the lyrics will be written through my love of oceans. It's going to be nothing like you've ever heard; the old EP will be "Thrown To The Sharks" (song title!).

Goul

If you wouldn't like to add anything, this concludes the interview! Thanks a lot!

Chaosweaver

All I'd like to say at this point is thanks to everyone who's listened to the music and given me feedback on it, including you. Get the album when it comes out!


Visit Damnum Animus on Facebook
Read the original review of Sanity: Lies of the Father and Forgotten by the Waves