Dishumane interview

 Hi! Sadistic Malevolence never really became a band, but some of those ideas eventually evolved into DISHUMANE. Is there still a riff or complete song on Centurion's Demise that dates back to those early recordings, or did everything have to be rewritten once real musicians entered the picture?

I was always heavily inspired by first wave black metal and love blackened thrash. Sadistic Malevolence was very different from Dishumane in that regard. Dishumane was me realizing what I wanted to do most - which is to mix Old School Death with Brutal Death, and that is the reason not much of the sound of Sadistic came through on Dishumane. Some Melodic undertones could be related though.

You describe meeting Dave Procopio as finally finding someone who actually understood death metal. That's an interesting distinction. What separates somebody who simply enjoys the genre from somebody who truly understands it?

To me, it is about understanding the depth and the soul of death metal. This is music in my opinion that has to have an authentic feeling and energy. Anyone or any band that forces it, you can generally tell pretty quickly. Knowing the history, listening to all the bands, being obsessed, living it everyday contribute to this. You cannot force yourself to fall in love with death metal. Death metal to me either chooses someone or it doesn’t. Sorry to get all philosophical haha!

The rehearsal at that Seattle Guitar Center sounds almost mythical now. Do you still remember one specific riff or drum pattern that came out of that session and immediately made you think: "This is the band"?

The first song on Centurion’s Demise - “Conquering the Forlorn”. The slow churning riffs and then the sped up tremolo sections right after got me. We sounded so heavy with just a drum kit and a guitar day one of practicing. It was amazing to me. Dave is an old school death metal drummer who grew up with in my opinion the greatest influence. We were jamming Suffocation, Incantation, Immolation, Morpheus Descends, Deeds of Flesh - and many more to warm up. And the mix of our own sound and the influence from bands like this led to Dishumane.

Charlie Koryn has recorded with enough serious death metal bands to know weak material when he hears it. Before the sessions, was there any part of you wondering whether these songs would actually pass that test?

Honestly no. Charlie is one of the greatest metal drummers in the world currently, but I did trust my gut and I feel like I know what makes death metal great. Charlie told me he would not have done it if he did not love the material. He was so supportive and I am forever grateful to him for being such an inspiration and mentor to getting into the serious side. He is a great guy who opened the door to so much for me.

You openly admit you're not trying to reinvent death metal. Some people would call that creative stagnation rather than artistic conviction. Why do you think they're wrong?

I think you need to write something that is fresh, and has enough good writing to stand on its own; be unique enough. But as far as reinventing it? The genre does not need it in my opinion. Im a fan of some experimental death metal but my love is for what it is at its core. Controlled chaos, incredible compositions, and raw aggressive energy. Gotta evoke a feeling, be fast, and of course heavy!

You mention bands like Immolation, Morpheus Descends, Deicide, Gorgasm and Incantation. If someone listened carefully enough, which influence would they probably hear that nobody has pointed out yet - including reviewers?

Scattered Remnants comes to mind. And that was unintentional. But I do love Scattered so if anyone does hear that, it is an honor! Some melodic parts could also probably be part of a Deströyer 666 song as well!

Blood Harvest signed you immediately after hearing the material. Did that instant validation change anything creatively, or were the songs already completely locked in by then?

Songs had already been done. Rodrigo was super kind and has been supportive ever since signing us. He had a lot to say and seemed thrilled to have the band which is why I happily accepted his offer over any other labels that got back. 

Death metal today often swings between ultra-clean technical precision and intentionally lo-fi nostalgia. Centurion's Demise seems to reject both extremes. Was there a conscious production philosophy behind the EP, or did the sound simply emerge naturally from the recording sessions?

Completely natural recording. I did not wanna be a part of a group of new death metal bands. There was no sound I was shooting for specifically. I wanted it to come out the way it was played and be natural and live! 

Why Centurion's Demise? Roman imagery appears all over extreme metal, but rarely with much substance behind it. Is there an actual historical or conceptual thread running through the EP, or is the title meant to evoke a particular atmosphere rather than tell a story?

Only the title track is a true tale of Rome. The other tracks are completely about other things. The album cover ties all the song concepts together perfectly. Kyle Bowen did an amazing job. I should also mention that Chuck Sherwood came up with the lyrics to the third track - “Soul Spun Malice”.

You say you're not trying to reinvent the wheel - you just want to spin it harder and crush with it. Fair enough. But every once in a while a band pushes an old formula so far that it becomes something new anyway. If DISHUMANE accidentally ended up in that position, would that feel like success or like you'd somehow betrayed your original intent?

I would be fine with it either way. As a matter of fact, you can expect the album that we have slowly started working on to go outside the box more. I love all types of metal so my goal is to try to tastefully bring some other influences into what we established on the debut EP.

Which current death metal trend dies first if you have the final say?

The same sounding riffs and production that many bands have. I miss some of the intense raw energy that you would get from say a 1992 Deicide performance as well.

Imagine Centurion's Demise was discovered twenty-five years from now without any release date attached. What's the one thing that should convince listeners it wasn't recorded in 1992?

Hm. I am not sure I would even be able to tell! Maybe the way it sounds. It's very old school but has a certain cleanliness as well that makes it sound a little more recent.