Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Abominator Interview for Evil Proclaimed

Abominator
Evil Proclaimed
Heads Hellbangers
Interview by hutch with: Chris Volcano
Line-up: Chris Volcano – Drums & vocals, Andrew Gillon – Guitars, BM Brad – Bass & Vocals

 “It all started on a blood chilling day in late 1994, when I forged a pact with Andrew (Gillon) to write beastly tunes for Satan.”  A bold mission statement is precisely what defines the Melbourne, Australia metal band, Abominator. Despite many line-ups, the core of Chris Volcano and Gillon, recently recruiting new bassist, BM Brad, deliver their new album, Evil Proclaimed. Their sound may have evolved, but the fire inside burns brighter.

“Today, it feels as though we have started the band all over again.” Volcano discusses his spark after commenting that this album took a long time to record. “We remember what it was that motivated us in the beginning, but we have wiser heads on our shoulders. The band can continue in the darkest possible direction for the next few years. The new album is massive, but also harsh and scathing.”

Volcano is direct about the disease of current metal bands’ grand production techniques. He secures Abominator’s oath to “not falling victim to a weak, overly digital production. It is absolute black chaos from start to finish.” Volcano’s pride is palpable; as sin is worth total indulgence. Abominator produced Evil Proclaimed with Sam Johnson on the boards and Alan Douches of West West Side mastering the album. Seeking premier professionals is “a product of the way we chose to do things. We've had enough experience to know what does and doesn't work. Money wasn't really a factor, as we paid for some of the recording ourselves.”

Reading some early rviews online, I am confused by some purists wanting a strictly defined, genre aligned album. Volcano laughs at these rigid “wimps”.  After the two decades which Abominator has recorded, people should expect change. “It is impossible for a band like us to go into a studio and replicate the sound from our first album, it just doesn't work like that. The album is relentless, heavy, raw, and chaotic. It is more or less straight black metal, but it does have the aesthetic of that time honored tradition of the bestial sound.  If you are a true black/death maniac, there is enough variation in tempos and riffing to get your head around.”

Opening already this year for Black Metal legends, Marduk and Inquisition, Abominator are looking to tour. For now, the Melbourne scene is where Abominator will play their home scene. Members have other bands; Ignivomous, Cemetary Urn, and Voidchrist, perpetually participating in the scene. Volcano is quick to boast about Australia’s strong metal history. Volcano is quick to list many current and historical bands. “Australia has had a rich and diverse metal scene for years now. There are a lot of bands who are trying to be the next big thing in tech death or the next Dark Funeral. We need more young bloods who crave the bestial sounds of old.”

That 1994 oath Volcano procured with Gillon has been fulfilled with creating savage war metal. There is the portion addressing who it is created for, though. “Satan, and the portrayal of it, is very important to us, but it is crucial to express it in the right way. It represents the duality of our human condition, and I have some deep demons to deal with. I use this music as a focus for that dark, primal energy. It has been fascinating for me to learn about Satanism and various branches of occult knowledge. It is not necessarily about the outright praise of evil, but an understanding and acceptance that the darkness is a fundamental aspect of life on this Earth plane. Besides, God and Satan are very subjective in terms of the forces that currently influence this world. Somebody like myself may be closer to the truth than your average hypocritical Christian. Look at the rich and greedy elite, how they ravage the environment, brainwash people and send people off to their doom in wars they have created.”

Volcano boasts that this is no image like some black metal bands. “For me, it is a way of life, especially having experienced the spiritual dissociation from the rest of society. That is the extent of it. I perform Satanic art, but I haven't got time to go out and burn churches or sodomize goats. That is not how it (actually) works anyway. Literally, there is a divine force in the universe, as well as a force opposing it.”
While those opinions may seem brash or abstract, it pales to Volcano’s distress over the tangible plane’s fruit of the metal scene. “I don't think metal could get any more popular in such a fickle society, unless there was a massive paradigm shift away from shitty mainstream culture. If that were to happen, you can be sure that others like me will have had nothing to do with it. None of the true fans want it to get that big anyway, it just wouldn't be the same.”

Chris Volcano suggests other Australian metal:

Current:
ESKHATON, BEYOND MORTAL DREAMS, IMPETUOUS RITUAL, INVERLOCH, DENOUNCEMENT PYRE, NOCTURNAL GRAVES, DESTRUKTOR, TZUN TZU, LUSTRATION, ALTARS, PORTAL

Historical:

 HOBBS ANGEL OF DEATH, SADISTIK EXEKUTION, BESTIAL WARLUST, SLAUGHTER LORD, ARMOURED ANGEL, DESTROYER 666.

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