Following the Intercorpse review on VM-Underground, we wanted to take the conversation a little further and hear directly from the people behind the record. The band were more than happy to answer our questions, giving us the chance to look beyond the four tracks and get into the history, influences and ideas behind Intercorpse.
The self-titled release has a very clear connection to the uglier side of early Death Metal, with the dirty Swedish guitar sound, the obvious presence of Grave and the darker, slower passages that give the record another dimension. There are also moments that bring early Paradise Lost to mind, while the rough production keeps everything from sounding overly polished.
But there is more to talk about than the music itself. We also wanted to get their thoughts on where those influences came from, what they are trying to achieve, the state of today’s underground, digital consumption, and whether CDs and vinyl still mean something in an increasingly disposable music culture.
So let’s get into it.
Let’s start with the formation of Intercorpse. How did the band actually come together, and what were you guys doing before this? Was Intercorpse something you had been wanting to do for a long time, or did the whole thing come together unexpectedly?
Hi man, Cerberio here. The four of us got in touch to answer your questions properly. The band was born in August 2025, as Will and I had been wanting to make rotten, crude and filthy Death Metal for months, so we called Fabio and Giulio to join the line-up. Before Intercorpse, we had already played in other bands. Giulio and I are still part of Blood Offer, while Will and Fabio were part of Vultür.
Listening to the record, the Swedish Death Metal influence is impossible to miss. The guitars immediately brought Grave and that whole early Swedish sound to mind. Was that sound one of the main reasons you started Intercorpse in the first place, and what was it about those old records that grabbed you so strongly?
Absofuckinglutely, we were craving an HM-2 sound, and we also think that’s the most brutal, rough and evil distortion sound you can possibly achieve.
Grave is an obvious reference point, but the record doesn’t sound like you’re simply trying to recreate ‘Into the Grave’. What other bands and records form the real foundation of Intercorpse? We’re talking about the albums you personally keep returning to, rather than the names you would normally mention in a band biography.
Obviously, ‘Recordings 89-91’ by Nirvana 2002, ‘Where Death Will Increase’ and ‘Scent of the Buried’ by Interment, ‘World Without God’ by Convulse, ‘Dark Recollections’ by Carnage, ‘Stillbirth Machine’ by Order From Chaos, ‘Buried Death’ by Coffins, ‘Dissected Humanity’ by Anatomia, and many, many more.
There are also slower and darker sections on the EP, and parts of ‘Sexual Scourge Ritual’ brought early Paradise Lost and ‘Lost Paradise’ to mind. Is that darker, almost Doom-laden side of Death Metal something you deliberately wanted to bring into Intercorpse, or did those passages come naturally when you started writing?
Of corpse, man, we like to keep it evil! It was our choice to maintain a slow, macabre element in our style. Bands with slow passages like Anatomia and Coffins are certainly big inspirations for us. There is an album that captures this slow Death Metal riff conception perfectly: ‘Mortuary in Darkness’ by Coffins.
One thing I liked about the release is that it doesn’t sound polished to death. The production has weight but still leaves some dirt and character in the music. How important was that to you when recording the EP? Did you deliberately avoid the modern approach of making everything huge, clean and perfectly separated?
We came to the Macabro Bunker Studio with the idea of recording a rotten demo/EP live, so we particularly looked for a raw, necrotic sound. We never choose fancy and refined productions, either, including in our other projects, whether it’s an album, EP or demo. In fact, although the upcoming full-length album will clearly present better quality through track-by-track recording, it will remain pure, without any form of modern refinement. We particularly thank Maso of the Bunker for the great work behind this release.
The EP is only four songs and around sixteen minutes, and you don’t stretch the material unnecessarily. Was keeping the release short and concentrated a conscious decision? Do you think Death Metal loses something when bands feel they have to fill forty or fifty minutes simply because they are making an album?
We just wanted to give people a taste of our sound. For us, it’s normal to debut with a shorter release before offering a full-length experience. Regarding the second part of the question, I simply think that it’s obviously easier to make a good EP rather than a good album. Making a full-length requires more time and effort to avoid putting filler tracks in there, so yes, in some cases, some EPs are better. But if the album is really well done, I think it doesn’t lose value at all.
There are now countless bands trying to recreate the sound of 1989, 1991 or 1992. When does paying tribute to the old school become nothing more than imitation? Where do you think Intercorpse draws that line?
Regardless of the choice to maintain an old-school style or not, the important thing is to make music that’s not banal, that has value and a bit of originality. Just avoid putting together a series of common passages without making a real impact. Instead, make something that’s worth listening to again.
Other than that, we aim to maintain that specific, recognisable style while putting our own mould on the songwriting. We want to emphasise the obscure and macabre elements that add something to classic Swedish Death Metal.
Digital platforms have also changed the way people consume music. Someone can discover Intercorpse today, listen to the EP once and immediately move on to another hundred releases. Do you think streaming has made people more open-minded, or has it turned music into something disposable? Do you guys still listen to albums from beginning to end?
Listening to music online has made people lazier. Even if we are young and, unfortunately, belong to the digital age, it’s obvious that physical releases create a more direct connection with music, even more so when they were the only way to listen to it. It’s positive to have access to so many albums, but many people have lost the value of getting off the couch to go and see a band and buy a physical copy. And yeah, of course we still listen to albums from beginning to end.
On the other side of that, physical releases are still very much alive in the underground. Why do CDs, vinyl and tapes still matter to you? Is owning an actual record part of the experience of being involved in Metal, or do you think physical media is becoming more about collecting than actually listening?
It is the most direct form of contact with the band; it holds an intrinsic value. Also, when music becomes a physical object, it automatically gains more value.
What are the members of Intercorpse listening to right now? And because you’re from Italy, give us three Italian underground bands that you think are criminally overlooked outside your country.
Will and I are listening to stuff like Dead Congregation, Interment, Immolation, Purtenance and some new releases, such as Azatoth and Malformed. Fabio is more into Nunslaughter, Misfits and Maiden, while Giulio is deep into Gorgasm, Disavowed, Immortal Suffering and Brodequin. Regarding the Italian underground, you all have to listen to Funest, Deathfucker and Morbus Grave.
Do you know any Singaporean Metal bands? If you’ve heard anything from our scene, which bands or releases have crossed your path? Have you heard of the label Pulverised Records from Singapore and their releases?
Unfortunately, as far as we can remember, we haven’t heard anything about either the Singaporean scene or Pulverised Records.
Intercorpse is still at the beginning of its story. What do you want this band to become? What is the one thing you absolutely don’t want Intercorpse to lose as the band moves forward?
We definitely want to take our material outside Italy and have the chance to play as many sick gigs as possible. We absolutely want to maintain the rotten, filthy, obscure and macabre elements that characterise our style.
Thank you for your time, Intercorpse, on behalf of VM-Underground and our readers! Please say a few words for those who have heard your music and have become fans!
Hi, maniacs! Delve into the Italian underground because it’s sick as hell, especially the material brutally forged in the Macabro Bunker.
