What happens when your urge to create filthy, blood-soaked, viscera-smeared Old School Death Metal is greater than life itself? G. Drool (drums), A. Dawson (guitars and bass), and J.V. Blood (vocals) found each other through that shared compulsion, already resulting in three demos full of putridity that fans of this niche will surely appreciate. Exactly which niche… J.V. Blood is about to explain in meticulous detail.
Welcome J.V., take us inside those sick minds of yours: how did this inevitable filth known as Woundead get started?
Hi Ricardo, first of all thank you for the interest expressed in Woundead. Well, me and the other members of the band are friends since a lot of years …we had other bands/projects together …but we want to create a new band that played raw and rotten…so came naturally to us to create Woundead.
The main thing is beyond the genre of music, being passionate about Death Metal and gore grind, as I said before, it came almost naturally… clearly an important role beyond the attitude is the roughness of the sound we wanted to achieve… the main bands that influence Woundead are Necrophagia first and foremost, as well as Mythic, Baphomet, Devourment, Regurgitation, let’s say all the death metal bands of the 90s. In both the first and second demo there is a strong Necrophagia vibe while in the third demo the track “Consumed By blasphemy” there are clear references to Baphomet (USA).
Now that Necrophagia is mentioned, which is, as mentioned, clearly an inspiration for Woundead’s sound, which other releases defines your sound? Autopsy’s ‘Severed Survial’, Death’s ‘Scream Bloody Gore’, the Morbid Angel demos or maybe something else?
I think the releases you mentioned can all define the Woundead style…especially the Morbid Angel demos and Necrophagia’s ‘Season of the Dead’.
Although Woundead has just started feast of gore, which memorable moments can you already mention?
The most memorable moment was the concert that took place last year at Centrale Rock Pub during A Journey in Darkness Fest, because it was the first date. We were curious to see what impact our music could have live and at the same time how it would sound.
Let’s talk about your latest release, the ‘Lunacy Blasphemy and Gore’ demo which was released on cassette by Unpure Records. And we are going to talk about Unpure and the phenomenon called Cassette later on, but first the demo…
The composition and writing of the songs were done in the same way as the other demos…we changed the recording method as the vocals were recorded directly in the rehearsal room and not in the recording studio… All three songs included in the third demo have a special meaning for us as they are part of the third chapter, Woundead.
As for the artwork, it was created by Dawson. It was initially supposed to be used for a flyer, but it’s really killer because it recalls the artwork Nuclear Death used in their demos, so we decided to use it as the cover of the third demo. We once tried to make a preview video without vocals, without wanting to be seen, but it didn’t come out very well. The shot was of Dawson’s shoes, hahaha, so we decided to delete it…
And what’s the deal with Unpure Records?
We looked at several labels to release the demo, but Unpure’s proposal seemed the most interesting. Another label interested in releasing the demo was Iron Fortress, that released the American version of ‘Festering Death’, since the beginning of Woundead but we prefer to work with Unpure records.
How do you guys look back at your demos ‘Festering Death and ‘Breeding Depravity’? And what do you consider as the musical difference between your latest release ‘Lunacy Blasphemy and Gore ‘and its predecessor; ‘Breeding Depravity ‘?
I know that this answer might make many people turn up their noses but we can’t complain about how the demos came out… they are certainly very rudimentary but it was our intention from the beginning to create something that sounded raw and was recorded in that way on purpose to preserve the aura of malice and claustrophobia… little anecdote when we recorded the voice of the first demo, to try not to absorb the sound coming from the outside we wrapped the microphone with toilet paper ehehehehehehehe
Maybe on a musical level I don’t find many differences…certainly there has been an upgrade regarding the roughness in the recording, that’s true ehehe
In our review, written by FelixS, he mentioned that is feels like a demo tape from the 80’s: “from that vibrant period in which Thrash Metal was pushed more into the extremes and slowly started to take the form of what later would be labelled as Death Metal”. When people describing Woundead’s music like that, does it gives you a kind of “goal reached” feeling? Were you aiming for a description like this?
FelixS hit the nail ahahahha. Because that’s always been Woundead’s intention since they were born. Woundead started as an underground band and will always follow this path.
As promised, I wanted to return to the subject of cassettes. As a collector, it’s something I’m still very passionate about. Since all your demos have come out on tape, what’s the significance of that format for you? Are you keen to see your work released on vinyl at some point too?
The cassette format is very important to us. Let’s say that a demo should be released on cassette, as it always has been. Especially for a band like Woundead. I think cassette is the best format available. We’re also very bonded to the LP format… finding a label that can release our album on vinyl would certainly be fantastic. Along with the cassette, LP is our preferred format… we have many more LPs at home than CDs hahaha
With the past and present out of the way, what does the future have in store for Woundead?
Well, we have recorded last summer our full album that will be released later on February through Despise the Sun Records (cd version) and on tape through Unholy domain records. The songs of the album are already edited on the demos, but here you can find them better recorded and with some things that weren’t in the previous releases and one new song that is the title track of the album that follow the same style of ‘Breeding Depravity’. About expectations we will release new shit and may be some splits of other bands.
I couldn’t find any information regarding other musical projects you guys are involved in besides Woundead. Would you care to elaborate on that and fill us in?
Every one of us play in other bands connected to the underground.
Are there any particular albums or bands on your turntable at the moment that you’d like to mention? Perhaps a classic you’ve revisited, an overlooked treasure, or a new unsigned act?
One of the best releases of the last period that is strongly recommended is ‘Sickness Attracts Sickness’ by Us grinders Mephitic Corpse …their music reminds to old Rottrevore, Brodequin and stuff like that they are so cool and for sure they are great people. About unsigned or overlooked demo, I have the chance to get for a Mexican friend of mine, Profanum and Genital Retroplasia demo. Great stuff indeed, very old school Mexican Death Metal in the best way.
Bands that we recommend from Italy are too much eheheh …just to mention a few: Funest, Extirpation, Eternal Mourn, Into Darkness, The Rite, Black Oath, Morbid Sacrifice, Araphel, Morbus Grave…
Do you have any ‘go-to’ labels? Favourite illustrator and zines?
Labels: Extremely Rotten Prod and Headsplit records…Favorite Illustrator is Thomas Westphal from Necromaniac Zine. I like so much his style and every kind of stuff he will release is like a masterpiece to me. Any favorite zine for sure Necromaniac zine, Metal Execution zine, Echoes of Death, Noxious Ruin mag, Demoniac zine and the list goes on ahahahha
Before we call it a day, are there any last words for the readers? Anything I’ve missed out that you reckon deserves a mention? Cheers for the chat!
Thank you so much Ricardo for this great interview and for the space gave to Woundead. Last words for sure buy records, LPs and demos and support the underground as a way of life!!
J.V. BLOOD
