Drummer Carl Warslaughter of Bestial
Mockery
Interview by MetalGeorge
Sweden's Bestial Mockery don't fuck around, as evidenced by their
newest platter of disaster, entitled "Evoke the Desecrator". A
fresh addition to the burgeoning Osmose Productions roster, Bestial
Mockery have been kicking around the depths of the underground's sewers
for quite some time now, and with this album's release, it looks like
widespread recognition has finally arrived to these chainsaw-totin',
christ-hatin' thrashers. I caught up with drummer Carl Warslaughter to
get the skinny on what's new within the ranks, as well as what's on the
horizon for this ever-prolific yet misanthropic act.
Warslaughter,
hailz once again! How is everything in the Bestial Deathcamp these dayz?
Readying the chainsaw for another poser assault, or are you still
cleaning the blood from the last attack? I see you've struck again with
another attack in the form of your newest lp, "Evoke the
Desecrator"! What are your thoughts on it now that it's out?
Heilz! Right now we're working on new songs for a demo tape to be
called "Sepulchral Wrath", and a split LP with Brazil's Unholy
Massacre (RIP). Our side will feature some 5 or 6 songs, and their side
will feature their last recording, "Brazilian Deathsquad
Attack". Working title for the split is "The Eve of the
Bestial Massacre". So that's what we're up to at the moment besides
doing a few gigs here and there. Looking back at "Evoke the
Desecrator"...well, I think it's a good, brutal, violent, and dark
Black Metal album. I don't listen to it much (as with all our other
releases), so I don't have any fresh criticism of it; but the last time
I listened to it, I thought there were some things in the production
that could have been done better. I don't like the snare drum much, but
it's no big deal. In an overall sense, I like it.
It
seems that the dust hasn't even settled from your "Christcrushing
Hammersaw" release, and you have already return to molest us again!
Why so soon? Did you feel you really had to capitalize on the buzz which
your last release caused, or was it just that you had so many songs
already written that you felt it was time to unleash another frontal
assault?
Actually, none of the above alternatives. It took about half a year
or more after the "Christcrushing Hammersaw" LP was recorded
before we started making new songs, and it took another few months
before we had finished making the songs for "Evoke..." I mean,
after a while, you get tired of doing nothing, and we're quite fast
songwriters. Now it's been over a year since we recorded
"Evoke...", and the new stuff mentioned above is almost up to
a new album in numbers. That's the way it works for us.
Were you happy with the way "Hammersaw" came out, and
the way Metalblood Music handled it? In what way do you feel
"Evoke" differs from it's predecessor? This album seems even
dirtier and darker, a bit more serious maybe...Is progression a bit
issue with you, or do you just do what you do and let the chips fall
where they may?
I think that "Hammersaw" came out as a good first album,
and that Metalblood handled it very well. I can't really complain
[about] anything. It was a very crude LP, and I think that it set the
path for future albums of Bestial Mockery. "Evoke the
Desecrator" differs in a few ways. It's darker, heavier, and maybe
a bit harder, as well. I wouldn't consider it more "serious"
than the last one. They're basically equally serious, but I think that
the whole thing about this LP gives that impression. The packaging and
layout, and shit like that may give that impression. Another thing might
be that the collection of songs featured on "Evoke.." fit more
together with each other than those on "Christcrushing.." did.
As for the progression, there isn't anything deliberate. We pretty much
do what we do, and it ends up the way it does. Of corpse we progress,
it's hard to avoid that after having played together for eight or nine
years, but we try to stay within certain limits. Bestial Mockery is
ugly, morbid, Chainsaw Black Metal, and will so remain. There's no room
for melodic shit in our universe.
Needless to say, I think the new album's killer. I've followed you
guys since the split with Suicidal Winds, and you've never failed to
deliver. What do you feel is the formula which makes Bestial Mockery
what it is? Especially on this album you can feel the varied influences
from Black Metal("Necromantic Ritual Desecration" and
"Marching For Hell"), to Thrash, "Flash From a
Razor", "Chainsaw Demons Return") and Death Metal
("Goats Feast"). Specifically, however, I really enjoy the
filthy Motorhead/Discharge vibe to a lot of the new songs, such as the
title track and "Necroslut" (I love the breakdown riff here!).
Was this something you consciously made an effort to show more with this
album than on previous releases? I assume the influence has always been
there, it just rears it's ugly head more on this album, so to speak...
I don't know, man. Some of these songs ("Chainsaw Demons
Return", and "Necroslut") are five or six years old, so
there wasn't really any deliberate attempts to make songs with all
directions on this LP. We just took some old songs that we wanted to
re-record, and some new songs, and put them together; and well, it just
happened the way it did. We've always taken influences from all of these
four genres, although we focus on the Black Metal part of it all. After
all, Bestial Mockery is a Black Metal band; we just draw inspiration
from different sources. I guess that's a reason why we sound the way w
do. The formula of Bestial Mockery is to go straight ahead and not stop
to think too much. We don't get stuck in details and overanalyze what we
do. It's just "fuck off" and straight down to Hell!
How did you get in contact with Osmose for this release? Were they
aware of much of your previous output? How have they been to you thus
far, and how many albums do you have for them?
I suppose they were aware of our old stuff, but I don't know. We have
sent stuff to them in the past, but they haven't been interested. This
time around, we sent the finished recording of "Evoke..." to
them, basically just to check out the response, and they said they were
interested in signing us and releasing it. So, we bought ourselves out
of the old contract we had with Downfall Records, and signed to
them{Osmose{ instead. The deal we signed was for 2 albums, with an
option for a third, if both parties agree. We'll see about that.
With this album being on Osmose, it should prove easier to find in
stores for American metalheads. Is this something that you were looking
for, a greater recognition of the Bestial Mockery name? Any chance of
tour support or any festival appearances Stateside for you guys?
One of the basic reasons for signing to Osmose was their
distribution, definitely. The thing is that we never really cared for
getting big or so. It's better to have a small, steady audience; but on
the other hand, if people wanna listen to Bestial Mockery, it shouldn't
be like going through Hell and back to get hold of our stuff. That's why
we're not into this "300 copy LP" stuff. Fuck, it doesn't have
to be ultra-limited to be underground, and it doesn't get fuckin'
"cult" just 'cause it's hard to get. Anyways, that's basically
why we signed to them; not really to get a greater recognition of the
Bestial Mockery name. Osmose doesn't organize gigs or tours themselves,
and we don't work with any booking agency or anything, so it doesn't
look too bright regarding gigs in the States as for the moment. I don't
know, man...if someone wants us to play in America, then I guess they
have to arrange it by themselves. Shit, just get in contact, and maybe
we could work something out.
How have you done on American shores thus far? Do you find you
have a lot of fans over here? What are your impressions of our scene,
and how do you think it compares to yours? A lot of metalheads over here
worship Swedish Metal, myself included, yet I've spoken to a lot of
Europeans who are obsessed with a lot of the kult old school American
bands like Death, Morbid Angel, Necrovore, Autopsy, Nunslaughter,
etc....I guess the grass is always greener, eh? If we were to head over
to Sweden for a weekend of metal debauchery, how would Bestial Mockery
show us a good time with regards to "Sex, Drinks, and Metal"?
What are some good places to go?
I don't really know how well we have done in America and Canada.
Sure, we have done lots of inties, and have many connections and so on,
but as for sales I don't have a clue. In the past, we sold quite much to
you guys, but since our later releases have been on the record labels'
responsibility to spread, we don't know much about that. My guess is
that Metalblood has sold and traded pretty much with American and
Canadian labels and distros, and I would be surprised if Osmose hasn't
done more. I don't know how to compare the American scene with the
European, as it differs very much from country to country over here. For
example, Sweden has many bands for being such a small country (speaking
of inhabitants here, we're just 9 million), but on the other hand there
isn't any good band support. If you go to a gig, it's rarely more than a
hundred metalheads there. People are too egocentric and individualist.
They don't support each other much. If you take a look at Germany
instead, there aren't many bands for a country with 80 or 90 million
inhabitants, but the show-up at gigs in generally good. There are more
people satisfied with being fans, I guess...I don't really know how it
works in the US, but I suppose it's more like in Germany than Sweden. My
impression is that underground connection works equally good on both
shores. I love all the above mentioned American bands, but I also like
old Swedish bands like Entombed, Dismember, Carnage, and so on (as
everyone should!-mg) I'm afraid there wouldn't be much to do here if you
came over for some metal debauchery. As I said earlier, there isn't much
of any metal "happenings" here, although it's slowly getting
better. There are a few clubs, bars, and a couple festivals for Metal to
go to. So, the best thing to do would probably be just to throw a party
with some friends, and get really drunk and/or stoned. Sad but true,
man.
Where and with whom did the recording for this album take place,
and how did it go? This album is probably the best sounding Bestial
Mockery release I've heard. It doesn't take away from the raw atmosphere
of the band, however. Was this important for you as a band, to keep what
you've become known for, yet moving forward as well? How did you go
about achieving this balance of listenable chaos? Are you content with
it?
The recordings and mixings of "Evoke..." took place over
five days at a studio called Fullmoon, just a few hundred meters from
our rehearsal space. The guy we recorded with is called Robert Bngtsson,
and is an ex-member of Grief of Emerald. I'd say everything went very
fast and easy in the studio this time. I've always dreaded recordings,
because of the stress and time (money) pressure, but with this there was
no problem. I mean, we had been on a mini-tour with Grief of Emerald
just a few months before, and been drunk together with Robert and raised
some Helel, so we all knew each other pretty well. About the sound, sure
we wanted to keep the rawness. That's a big part of our sound, but there
wasn't really any deliberate attempts to move on as well. It simply was
a matter of the studio. This was the first time we actually recorded in
a professional studio, whereas in the past it's always been demo studios
with friends helping us out. So that's the big reason, basically. We
don't do anything special to get our sound. We just say what we want it
to sound like to the producer, and start playing. You never are fully
satisfied with a finished recording. There are always things you want to
change in hindsight, but it's nothing big. All in all, we're content
with it.
You've always been quite the prolific band, release a bunch of
limited splits and demos. Is keeping this underground spirit important
to the core of the band, and do you see yourselves continuing to do this
in the foreseeable future? Judging by the impending release of your
split with Axis Powers, I assume the answer is yes! What can you tell us
about this split?
You assume right. We still see ourselves as an underground band.
Everything about the underground, like doing inties or trading
something, or writing someone, however tiresome it might be now and
then, is still a big part of Bestial Mockery. We'll continue doing EP's
and tapes in the future for sure. I can't see why we should stop, you
know? I love that shit. Now let's see...about that split with Axis
Powers. Our side has three tracks: "Prolapsing Orgy of the Twisted
Black", "Chainsaw Metal", and "Lies of Peace".
The first one was recorded during the "Evoke..." sessions, and
is a flat out speed thing, kinda influenced by Discharge and old
Black/Thrash stuff. Next song is influenced by the old German thrashers,
and is just basically metal to the core. Final song is just downright
Discharge/AntiCimex with a few metal hints here, haha...Insane. Both of
these songs were recorded during the "Sign of Satanic Victory"
sessions. Anyway, so you see there isn't actually much Black Metal on
our side. I suppose not many people will like this, hehe! The Axis
Powers side, on the other hand, is two tracks of heavy-as-fuck old
school Death Metal: "Superior Stand" and "Land on
Fire". It's a mix of early Bolt Thrower and old Swedish death, like
Grave and so on, with lyrics about World War II. Very good stuff!
With all these releases, you guys must be pretty quick
songwriters! Do Bestial Mockery songs generally go through much
retooling, or do you guys pretty much complete a song in one practice?
Do many songs come from spontaneous jamming at a practice, or do many of
the ideas get worked out independently? How many songs would you say
you've written total, and are there many that are still unreleased? Do
you practice very often?
A song generally takes one or two rehearsals to finish, and then we
also have time to play other things, so yes, I guess we're pretty fast
songwriters. In 95% of the cases, the lyrics are made first, and then
the one who wrote it says their ideas about it, and we start making a
song with the lyrics as a base. There is some jamming, or someone has a
finished riff. It depends. I've counted a little, and I think we have 40
songs released alltogether, and 7 songs finished for the two upcoming
releases, with more to come. Apart from those, there are no unreleased
songs, actually. So, there are no hidden treasures. We try to practice
two times a week, but it depends on this circumstances.
Would you say you've been playing more live gigs lately? What's it
look like on the live front for you guys? I've seen some live shots of
some of your gigs, and they look sick! What could we expect from a live
assault, and what have been some recent memorable live stories of
debauchery from the frontline?
We played gigs in Germany and Holland in February, which was great.
In the near future we will play a couple of gig here in Sweden; one in
our hometown Uddevalla, and one in Hultfred....and maybe, if there are
no fuck ups, we'll do some gigs in Italy with Mortuary Drape in July.
We'll see...These kinds of things have a tendency to go to Hell. You
could expect total mayhem and insanity from a Bestial Mockery gig.
Fistfights, insults, gasmasks, blood, dolls, devil worship, and general
chaos! Recent stories? Man, I never remember things like that...maybe
because I'm sitting behind the drums and aren't involved too much with
what the others do. I'm no Bernie from Lust (kult Kanadian BM act -mg),
I can't give you any long stories. Sorry pal, no stories this time.
The artwork is killer. It's a bit atypical from your usual Bestial
Mockery fare, however. I feel it reflects the increased deadly
seriousness of this album in comparison to your older works. How did the
decision for this sort of art direction come about, and are you happy
with the final result?
We decided way back, when the lyrics to the song "Evoke the
Desecrator" was written, that we would title an album that sometime
in the future. So, we started looking for cover art after that. So, it's
been decided to use this artwork for maybe five years now. We thought it
suited the lyrics of the song, and how we wanted the atmosphere of the
album to be. We also made the layout influenced by that of Coroner's
LPs, as a tribute to them. Both the artwork and layout ended up looking
great, I think.
What can you tell us about the future of Bestial Mockery, as well
as of the side projects you have going on?
Well, as I wrote earlier, we're going to release a new demo called
"Sepulchral Wrath" containing 6 mostly slow, or mid-tempo
songs. At the same time, we'll record the tracks for the split LP with
Unholy Massacre, probably 6 as well. After all that is finished and
done, we'll start working on the follow up to "Evoke...", to
be called "Gospel of the Insane". The songs for that one will
probably be very chaotic and, well.. insane. That's the plans for
Bestial Mockery. As for side-projects, there may be stuff coming up
featuring Doomfanger and Devil, but that's more in the lines of old school
punk and garage rock, and I don't know much about it, really.
Alright, thanks once again for the interview, Warslaughter! I
appreciate it as always! All final words are yours, let it burn!! Till
next time, The Saw is The Law!!
Thanks like Hell for this interview! It took a while to answer, but
it was the best one in a long time. Good, interesting questions! So, as
always, good luck with the zine! If anyone wants something, then write
either to one of the email address on our homepage, or to me or Master.
I suppose that's it. Burn in Heaven!
METAL FUCKING DEATH Warslaughter
BESTIAL MOCKERY
c/o C. Warslaughter
Fanjunkaregatan 1C
415 04 Gothenburg
SWEDEN
Osmose Productions:
www.osmoseproductions.com