Autopsy is dead, long live Abscess! The creators of filthy and chunky Death Metal are back with a new album, and it took a while to get these answers back from the Abscess guys. But here they are, read all about an Autopsy reunion, what they think about US Death Metal, and becoming the Rolling Stones of Death Metal.
I must admit that the new album ‘Through the Cracks of Death’ is the first Abscess album I’ve heard in its entirety. I have heard tracks from Abscess before, but never a complete release. So although I can’t compare it with the older ones, I can compare it with your previous band, Autopsy. I must say there are quite some similarities between the bands, although Abscess seems to write longer and more refined, better-arranged songs than Autopsy.
Clint: People really notice that we have improved the quality of our recordings on ‘Through the Cracks of Death’. That’s great to hear because our first two Relapse CDs were really low budget, ‘Urine Junkies’ being a collection of demos, and ‘Seminal Vampires’ was recorded and mixed in a marathon 24-hour session. We spent more time on our third CD ‘Tormented’ for Listenable. Now we are really trying to use the studio to explore Metal’s limitations.
In short, what this whole introduction really comes down to is: why did you disband Autopsy and start Abscess while the musical style and sound really don’t differ that much?
Clint: Abscess started out as a melding of Immortal Fate (Freeway), Hexx (me), and Autopsy (Danny & Chris). Abscess is much different as it has two lead vocals, mixing the vocal styles of Hexx and Autopsy. In the beginning of Abscess, all four of us did vocals. On ‘Seminal…’ we lined up four vocal mics and did all the vocals live, one take, good fun that was. The whole concept of Abscess was different; we were trying to leave behind the seriousness of our other bands. We made a point of making our live show destructive and unpredictable. We also felt we couldn’t call it Autopsy without Eric Cutler’s guitar work.
Danny: We are banned from the first six clubs we played due to the bloody mess and colourful destruction we left behind.
I mean, two-thirds of Autopsy (I say two-thirds because you always had a different bass player on each release) is in Abscess. Why the new name, while you know people will always compare it to Autopsy?
Clint: Make that one half now that Joe Allen has rejoined the band. Joe played bass on ‘Tormented’, the Abscess/Deranged split, and you can also find Joe on the re-release of the Von recordings.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any lyrics with the promo, but are the lyrics in the typical gore vein as we’re used to from Chris Reifert? You also used a drawn/painted cover – why not an explicit picture of mutilated bodies like many Death Metal or Death/Grind bands these days?
Clint: The lyrics and the album cover are one and the same. Miran Kim did a great job of painting the lyrics and song titles into the cover. Take another look, it’s all part of a dark spell.
Danny: Why follow what’s been done to death? Prepare for the psychedeathic shotgun to splatter your brains into a multicoloured mindfuck.
You have to tell us how you get those sick vocals out of your throat, they really rule! Do you use some effects occasionally, or are they naturally that sick? What do you do with your voice to be able to growl in this manner for so many years?
Clint: No, nothing fancy. I don’t use any effects on my vocal parts, nor does Chris, aside from a little reverb to liven up the room. Those vocals are live and uncensored, we are strong from a diet of Jim Beam and raw meat.
Another thing that reminds me of Autopsy is the new bass player. How many bass players have you already had in Abscess? Probably not as many as in Autopsy – or perhaps even more? Why is it so hard to find a good and permanent bass player?
Clint: Just two. Freeway was the original bass player on ‘Urine Junkies’ and ‘Seminal Vampires’, then Joe took over for ‘Tormented’ and is currently working with us on new Abscess songs.
Danny: You forgot Jim Mack, we played one live show with him – no recordings though. Bass players are weird!
You’ve signed to Peaceville after being on Relapse for a while and on Listenable for a short time. Did you feel that Relapse and Peaceville never really did enough promotion for the band? How many albums is the deal for?
Clint: Peaceville seems more interested in helping us improve and grow than other labels we’ve been on. Most labels get swamped by giving minimum effort for a whole pile of bands instead of deciding on a few bands to believe in.
Now that you’re on Peaceville, will you also do some European gigs or perhaps tours? Would you prefer a headlining tour or a tour where you’d be one of the support acts?
Clint: Yes, a real horror show, just looking for the right line-up. Probably a supporting spot this time.
By the way, do you ever play Autopsy stuff when playing live? I can imagine people scream out for some of that old stuff.
Clint: No, we have trouble cutting some of the Abscess songs. We have to play ‘Die Pig Die’.
Danny: We love the old Autopsy stuff, but that was another band and we don’t need to milk the old beast. We have so much essential new horror for your gore-hungry minds.
In an interview in the early 1990s (which was with Wim Baelus for Dutch Aardschok/Metal Hammer, by the way), there was some discussion between old-school Death Metal bands like Autopsy and Incantation on one side and newer blasting Death Metal bands like Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation on the other. Do you remember this, and if so, do you still feel the same way?
Chris: Yeah, pretty much. It’s all fun and games until you forget there’s a song going on. So bend your mama over and let me in.
If you still feel this way, you must consider the current US Death Metal scene a huge bore, as there are many bands without much variation who seem to be doing a contest of blast beats. What’s your opinion on such bands?
Clint: I find it hard to listen to a whole CD that stays in the same tempo. Two or three songs of extreme speed is OK, but I like to hear a groove I can hook into, a foot-tappin’ part.
Danny: Foot tappin’!?!? Ha ha ha! (Much laughter ensues.) There are so many bands I lose track and interest. Only a few great ones still capture my interest and imagination.
Another thing I remember from that same interview was that you didn’t like the newer Morbid Angel stuff because the production was too clean. You also claimed that Death Metal bands shouldn’t make video clips of their songs. Do you still think that way?
Clint: I found Morbid Angel’s ‘Gateway to Annihilation’ on 12″ vinyl and I think it’s a great record, true defenders of the faith. And remember, video killed the radio star.
To what music do the band members listen? To what musical styles, besides Metal, do you listen?
Clint: I started out listening to Aerosmith, Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Uli Roth, Scorpions. Then came Motörhead, Iron Maiden, Sex Pistols, Judas Priest. Later came Voivod, Sodom, Slayer, Venom, and Celtic Frost. ‘A Clockwork Orange’ turned me on to classical, and the Rolling Stones turned me on to the blues, Chess recordings like Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters.
Can you name your current five favourite albums? Perhaps a top five of all time?
Clint: I listen to vinyl mostly. I have here next to the turntable: The Kinks – ‘Misfits’, Kreator – ‘Endless Pain’, Black Sabbath – ‘Technical Ecstasy’, Venom – ‘At War with Satan’, Slayer – ‘God Hates Us All’.
It seems Abscess doesn’t have a website. Why is that? Are you not into the Internet, or don’t you believe it to be a useful medium?
Clint: I don’t have a computer, but I’m not against the medium.
Danny: Chris hates it, but I like it, great porn!
A personal question: it’s a well-known fact that Chris Reifert played on the first Death album. Did you stay in contact with Chuck over the years? How shocked were you when you heard the news about his untimely death?
Chris: Yeah, we always remained friends. Of course it sucks that he died, but it’s better than living in agony. Rest in Metal.
The revival fever seems unstoppable – many old Metal bands are reforming. Do we really need all those bands back while the current scene is already quite flooded? The last one I heard to reform was Suffocation. Any comments on that?
Clint: It’s only rock and roll, but I like it. As long as it’s good or better, do it.
Danny: Ninety percent of everything sucks. If you can be that ten percent exception, if you can destroy your audience and break musical ground, then play on.
An inevitable and irritating question: is there a chance that Autopsy will reform? Or do you consider that chapter closed and buried in the past? Don’t you ever get bored that the band is always being brought up by fans and press?
Danny: Ha ha! Chris hates it, I love it. But no plans on that front. The band is dead, but there are always zombies!
Autopsy enjoys a cult status, and as there are a lot of resemblances with Abscess, you’d think Abscess would get a lot of recognition too. Unfortunately, it seems that Abscess doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Any idea why?
Clint: There’s such a saturation in Metal right now that I think it takes longer for the good ones to be noticed, but the infection is growing.
Ravenous just signed to Southern Lord. How about your other projects? Any news?
Clint: We’re recording the new Ravenous in December and January. Then Abscess becomes malignant.
Danny: Beware, ‘EatMyFuk’ is coming soon!
I don’t want to sound disrespectful, but for how long will you continue making Death Metal? Or are you aiming to become the Rolling Stones of Death Metal? Is there an age at which you’ll stop, or will you continue until you can’t bring it the way it should be brought?
Danny: First off, the Rolling Stones rule! They’ve been around longer, play better, and have more energy than most younger, pre-Madonna, contrived, untalented, studio-created crap bands. I will continue to slay old and young alike. When I’m dead, then you can write my epitaph!
Anything you wish to say we haven’t asked, the famous “last words”?
Danny: Prepare to have your conscious mind destroyed. Open the doors to ‘The Cracks of Death’ and fall into musical dementia, you will be changed!
Chris: Live, fuck, puke and die.
Clint: You’ve got to believe in something, anything. Believe in something and give it everything you’ve got. Always believe in yourself and die with no regrets, at least too few to mention.
