Pulverised Records has grown into one of the world’s most respected underground Extreme Metal labels while remaining true to its roots. For readers discovering the label for the first time, can you take us back to the beginning and tell us the story behind Pulverised, its philosophy, and how it evolved into the institution it is today?
Thank you so much for the kind words! Pulverised Records was founded in 1996 by Roy Yeo, Ayong and Leng Hiang with an immense passion for all things Death Metal. The main push that started the label was when Roy got hold of the Amon Amarth demo and loved it so much that he approached the band and asked if they would be interested to release it on CD and they were. After the success of the Amon Amarth Mini CD, the label started receiving demos especially from Sweden and from there went on the sign more Swedish bands. However, in year 2000, the label finally went on a hiatus when Roy just could not handle the label singlehandedly when Leng Hiang went to pursue his career in the States and Ayong had also decided to start his own label.
In 2004, Roy decided to resurrect Pulverised Records again as he felt that the label was simply something that he could not let go off. The first signing after the 4-year break was one of Singapore’s longest running band Opposition Party. Roy met Francis Frightful, the vocalist/guitarist of Opposition Party, through some mutual friends and found out that Opposition Party had already recorded a new album and was looking for a label to release it and so this was the catalyst as to how Pulverised Records came back from the grave again.
You’ve been with Pulverised Records for close to two decades and have worked with countless bands from around the globe. Looking back, what have been some of the label’s defining moments? Are there any releases, signings or experiences that you feel best represent what Pulverised stands for?
I was approached by Roy probably sometime in 2004 as he was interested to know what my old band Raspatul was up to. Shortly after the passing of our frontman in 2005, I joined Pulverised as the A&R guy and damn you’re right, it’s been 21 years but what a journey this has been. Well besides Amon Amarth, the other band that did really well for us was Tribulation. I still very clearly remember when we announced the signing and it did caused quite a stir. Even though they went on a different path musically right after ‘The Horror’, it was cool knowing that we released their pure Death Metal record and that we were part of their history; I’m still a huge fan of them now and they’re definitely destined for great things.
A few other releases come to mind that made an impression on me were the bands Guillotine, Morbus Chron, Temisto, Exhumation, Take Over And Destroy, Speglas, Doldrey and mostly recently with Ordh. We’ve also worked with a couple of high profile bands back then and those experiences have definitely defined and shaped us into the label we are today.
As the person overseeing A&R, you’ve undoubtedly heard thousands of demos over the years. What immediately captures your attention when listening to a new band, and what qualities make you believe a band deserves a place on the Pulverised roster?
You’re right, we’ve literally heard thousands of demo by now and I’ll be honest here; a huge percentage of the demos that came through don’t make the cut. For me personally, there’s no definitive qualities in what I look for in a band because as much as this sounds ridiculous, I’m very much based on gut feeling these days. But of course, the music has to absolutely kick my ass and certainly no compromise on this. I’m all about discovering new bands and to me I like bands with a certain youthful energy. This might sound shallow though but the overall image of bands have to aesthetically look put together and this makes them look like a cohesive unit.
Behind every long running label are stories that fans rarely hear. Are there any memorable experiences with bands, whether inspiring, challenging or unexpected, that have stayed with you throughout your years at Pulverised?
There’s been quite a few but the one that I’ll never forget would be I turned down the offer to release Ghost’s debut album. In hindsight we should’ve released it but to be fair I was sent a rough mix of just one song and there was no context of what the band was about and how they looked like visually, etc.
The underground has changed tremendously since the days of tape trading and mail orders. From your perspective, how has the relationship between labels and bands evolved, and what do you think today’s underground has gained and lost compared to the earlier years?
For sure the underground isn’t that underground anymore, extreme music has evolved into a scene that is pretty widely accepted; don’t get me wrong I feel it’s still niche but the numbers have definitely grown. And for a long time the relationship that we have with our bands is simple, it’s usually verbal agreement and that’s it. If the bands do well and if they still like us enough, then we’ll work again on their next record. Pulverised till today still remains to be a two-man operation and that’s how underground and DIY we are hahaha.
In my opinion the underground scene is moving at lightning pace for the past couple of years, or dare I say for the past decade even. There has also been a very evident cross-contamination of Punk/Hardcore musicians dabbling into Death/Black Metal and they have an interesting approach to it. I didn’t think we lost much and I do like how everything is connected in an instant and information is gathered so quickly. If you had to force me to name one thing I’d think it’ll be the fact that there’s no longer the curious anticipation of how a new album sounds like. These days singles are put out in advance and full-album streams are released a few days prior to release dates, etc.
While many people know you as part of the driving force and the face behind Pulverised Records, you’ve also built a long history as a musician through bands such as Raspatul, Obliterhate, Onset, Offset and Punebre. Having experienced the underground from both sides, how has your time as a musician influenced the way you work with artists and run the label?
I would say it’s a blessing and a curse at the same time. The musician side of me will undoubtedly focus on the instrumentation and musicianship aspect of things. But being in a record label also teaches me to take on a different role and that I have to listen to music objectively. Honestly I still don’t know what to look out for but as I’ve said earlier, it’s somewhat based on gut feeling and if the band is a live unit then I’ll check them out to see how they’re like on stage as well.
Obliterhate continues to showcase your passion for uncompromising Death Metal. How has the band evolved since its inception, and what can fans expect from the future of the band?
Right now all I can say is that the record is finally mixed. There’s still more stuff to work on but I’ll try to put up more details soon.
Singapore has consistently produced quality extreme metal despite being a relatively small scene. Having witnessed its evolution over the years, where do you think the local underground stands today, and what advice would you give to young bands hoping to catch the attention of respected labels?
I think the current state of the Singapore Metal scene is shrinking, there isn’t enough Metal bands here and we probably need the young generation to come up and form more Metal bands. For the young bands I think it’s still the same though; be well-rehearsed as a band and write killer music that either makes people feel something in their chest or level the place to the ground. Or do both!
Finally, after decades dedicated to underground metal as both a musician and label representative, what continues to motivate you, and what does the future hold for both Calvin Chiang and Pulverised Records?
I think for the fact that I’ve always enjoyed discovering new and exciting bands is what continues to motivate me to do this. I’m extremely grateful to be able to run a record label and there’s still so much for me to learn. For Pulverised, we’re forever on the lookout for stellar bands and/or interesting collaborations. Personally for myself, I hope to be able to still write music and be involved in bands as long as I physically can.
Thank you Calvin & Pulverised on behalf of VM-Underground and readers for your time! Any last words for brother Darkness?
No problem it’s been a pleasure! I’ve known Ricardo and VM since my time in Raspatul, so it kinda feels like coming back in full circle again. Hey there’s no last words for Brother Darkness yet because it won’t be the last you’ll hear from me.
