NAME: Necrowretch
THEY ARE: Old School Putrid Death Metal
FROM: Valence, Rhône-Alpes , France
FOR FANS OF: early Death, Repugnant, Grave, Morgoth
LATEST RELEASE: "Now You're In Hell" 7" (Detest Records 2012)
SONGS TO CHECK OUT: "From A Hideous Summoning", "Sadistic Exipation", "Putrefactive Infestation"
WHERE TO FIND THEM
Necrowretch deal in a style of death metal that pays a lot of homage to the late 80's/early 90's death metal masters aswell as more recentbands such as Repugnant who influenced a whole new generation of death metal musicians/bands and mainman Vlad has a very charasmatic and energetic vocal style, akin more to that of the horrifying demented evil screams of a man possessed!
My first introduction to the band was the song "Sadistic Expiation" which was on a CD sampler sold with Mystical Music Magazine (a long running German death metal zine) and I was blown away by the sheer ferocity and the caustic ear ripping sonic torment that exploded out of the speakers at me and a song which culminated in probablys one of the most downright insane sounding screams I have ever heard!.
The band were recently signed to legendary long running German label Century Media who were very much at the forefront of the early 1990's death metal boom and who helped to make bands such as Unleashed, Grave, Asphyx and Morgoth well known names within the extreme metal scene. Necrowretch are currently working on the debut full length album but they have a new 7" again on Detest Records titled "Now You're In Hell" ready for imminent release which features a new song "From A Hideous Summoning" and a cover of the Death classic "Zombie Ritual" aswell as a prominent support slot opening for Dutch death metal legends Asphyx in Germany on March 10th. So I decided now was a good time to fire some questions at mainman Vlad and get the lowdown on the new 7" and the forthcoming debut album amongst other things.
Please give me a quick background history on the band and who currently does what in the band. What made you decide to pick up an instrument and from a band in the first place?
Vlad : Necrowretch is a putrid abomination born in 2008 who puked out two demos Rising From Purulence & Necrollections and one EP Putrefactive Infestation.
I was obsessed with playing something in the vein of Scream Bloody Gore since I was a little teenager, so it was just natural for me to start learning the guitar in order to play that putrid kind of music.
In late 2011 our former drummer quitted the band due to a total lack of motivation, so now it's just two of us: Vlad (Guitars & Vocals) and Amphycion (Bass).
Your debut EP "Putrefactive Infestation" came out via the prominent underground Belgian label Detest Records in 2011, which features 4 songs on it, how was the overall response to this recording? Are you still satisfied with it looking back on it now? Is it still available, if so how can the readers get hold of it and what can they expect from those 4 tracks? Who did the artwork for that release?
Vlad : This EP got a lot of good unholy words concerning the dark feeling of the music.
We've worked very hard to write, rehearse and record those songs, by putting the maximum of energy into it to make something morbid and twisted.
Due to some problems of communication with the sound guy, the final mix was not a 100% as good as we wanted, but however, the final result is putrid as fuck, and that is the important !
The artwork was brought out by our usual bestial and talented artist, Milovan Novakovic, who made the former releases' covers.
I think this EP is now sold out, but Detest Records is gonna repress it later this year.
Order that shit if you want some pure infusion of putrid death !!
You are about to have a new 7" released via Detest Records, please tell the readers abit about this recording/release and what they can expect from it, how did you initially hook up with Jerry a while ago...he seems to be very much at the forefront of the current underground death metal scene and is putting out some great releases. Did he contact you first about a collaboration?
Vlad : Jerry was in touch with us since our first demo. We've met him at a gig, and, convinced by the power of our rituals, he proposed to us an EP release on Detest Records. He's a death metal maniac, musically and professionally.
Now about the new EP, it's gonna be called Now You're In Hell.
It will contain a new song named "From A Hideous Summoning" and a cover of DEATH "Zombie Ritual".
The drums have been recorded by Mörkk as a session drummer, and he's without a doubt much better than our previous drummer.
I know he was involved with selling a demo cassette tape of the band called "Necrollections", please tell us abit about that tape..
Is that demo still available? What was the overall response like to your last demo, there seems to have been abit of a buzz surrounding the band from what I have seen, so you have obviously impressed quite a few people out there in the death metal scene since a little while ago even with your earlier recordings.!
Vlad : The recording of this demo was quite horrible !
We didn't have any good gear, the guitar used was just a piece of fucking shit... And the vocals were recorded into a cardboard box !
The tape was released in early 2011 by Aural Offerings Records, but the 100 copies were sold-out in two days, so Jerry decided to repress 50 tapes for the Kill Town Deathfest, that's why there are two versions of this tape, both sold-out now.
Obviously, the first demo Rising From Purulence, which had a studio recording, was a lot better than Necrollections.
You covered a Nihilist song on that recording, I assume its safe to say those Swedes have had a big impact on your sound?! Necrowretch is still a fairly new band to the scene and you guys are pretty young, what made you want to form such a band in this style, what bands fuel, inspire and shape the sound of Necrowretch?
Vlad : We don't give a fuck about sounding like a band, we just want to sound as death metal !
Of course the swedish death metal has a lot of impact on me, but I don't think that it influenced the sound (here I mean the way of recording) of Necrowretch.
We've always played and recorded the songs with the amp at full volume, no other shit !
And I think that DEATH and CARCASS and closer to us than NIHILIST or GRAVE.
Why did you choose to record a cover of "Zombie Ritual" by Death for the 7", what is it that appeals to you so much about that song in particular?
Vlad : We've recorded this song the 13th of December 2011, exactly for the 10th doomsday of Chuck Schuldiner.
DEATH early releases Reign of Terror, Scream Bloody Gore and Leprosy had a huge impact on me when I was younger, it really showed me the real music, attitude, spirit of death metal.
From my point of view, Zombie Ritual is the pure essence of death metal, everything is just fucking morbid, and listening to this song always drowns me into a world of crawling chaos.
We've tried to make a necro-version of this song, I think it's darker and more opressive, but the main evil spirit is still present.
What is the reason behind the name exactly?
Vlad : The Necrowretch embodies the conception of an evil priest from hell ! This creature is also named the repugnizer or the anthropomancer.
Back from the dead, it thinks that everything is unholy and impure, so it brings the expiation upon the livings.
You recently signed with Century Media Records, how did this deal come about, I guess it must be quite a surreal feeling signing to such a legendary label who have released many death metal classics in the past!? What do you hope this deal will do for the band in the near future and beyond? What are your expectations?
Vlad : Yes, of course it was unexpected to have that proposition, and we've never tried to contact them before that.
It's an honour to see that our previous material and all the efforts we've done put us into Century Media !
This legendary label is the better way to play more and more gigs, to record in the best conditions and have the opportunity to work in a professional way.
Do you have much new material written for a full length album, when can we expect you to hit the studio to start recording your debut full length for CM? Do you have a possible title for the full length album? Any new songtitles you can reveal? Will the new material be following in the same vein as the 7" material? What can people expect from the debut Necrowretch album?
Vlad : The full lenght is almost written, I'm finishing the last songs.
It will be recorded this summer, and we will probably work with a session drummer, such as on the 7".
The new material will be FUCKING better that everything we've done before !!!
The morbid is hitting the top on certain parts and the bestial songs will be speeder than ever.
Expect nothing else than putrid, death and sorcery !!!
Out of curiosity who are your fave new "labelmates"? Which CM albums have had a huge impact on yourself?
Vlad : I didn't have the chance to meet other artists from CM yet, but we're honoured to share the stage with ASPHYX !
My favorite releases on CM are definitely MORGOTH – Ressurection Absurd and The Eternal Fall.
Will you be planning to tour extensively in support of the debut album, which countries would you especially like to visit/play in? Which bands would be ideal/perfect touring partners for Necrowretch?
Vlad : We're hungry to play a maximum of lives in a maximum of places, it's really on stage that the Necrowretch is evil and bestial !
It would be fucking incredible to play in Europe with MARDUK or ASPHYX, but the dream would be to play in South America Hell with ANAL VOMIT or our friends of ECUADOR CADAVER !
You are due to support the legendary Asphyx in Germany soon..what are your expectations for this show?
Vlad : A chaotic epic crusade !!! What else can you expect from a 1000km trip and an ASPHYX gig at the end ?
Have you played live outside of France in the past? Is Necrowretch a very active live band? What can people expect from a Necrowretch live show?
Vlad : We've played something like 17 gigs, most of all in France but also one gig in Denmark at the Kill Town Death fest with ANATOMIA, BURIAL INVOCATION, MIASMAL... And another one in Holland with KRYPTS, STENCH OF DECAY, ENTRAPMENT...
What you can expect from a live ritual of Necrowretch is bestial possession ! We're playing at our maximum, putting all our energy to bring chaos everywhere ! Most of the time we barely pass out on stage !
Lyrically where do you get the inspiration to put pen to paper?
Vlad : Death metal, books, movies... but mostly from a famous OST written by Matt Uelmen.
What is your opinion on the current death metal underground scene, there seems to be a lot of great new bands out there that are embracing the "old school" style and approach, which other death metal bands out of your peers do you like and feel you have a bond/affinity with?
Vlad : I don't really like to talk about "old school", it's just fucking death metal in the way it has to be played !
Young death metal bands that often blow my mind are : MORBUS CHRON, REPUKED, NECROS CHRISTOS, KRYPTS, BURIAL INVOCATION...
In your opinion what should REAL death metal sound like? What feelings and visions do you think death metal should evoke in people?
Vlad : The stench of death surrounding you at every fucking second !
It doesn't matter if the voice is cryptic or screamed, if the guitars are tunned to E or to B... The only thing is the atmosphere !
You have to feel something creepy, something chilling your veins...something from beyond and something definitely not played by normal humans !
If you don't feel that, it's not death metal !
Is any of the members of Necrowretch involved with any other bands/projects currently or are you just focusing all of your attention on one band?
Vlad : To be clear, I'm the only brain in the band, I'm doing all the writting... including drums, bass, lyrics and arrangements.
I don't say the line up is me and nameless zombies, but I'm the essence and the soul of Necrowretch, and that's why I'm putting all my attention on this putrid abomination !
Apart from that, Amphycion is the leader of a heavy metal band called SANCTUAIRE, they sing in french, so you definitly have to check'em out !
If you only had 5 words to use to describe Necrowretch what would they be?
Vlad : Putrid, Bestial, Death, Cryptic, Sorcery !
What is your local extreme music scene like? Many places to play or are there any cool bands from your area that you would like to recommend to the readers out there? What is your opinion on the French Death metal scene both past and present?
Vlad : There is not so much bands in France who play death metal in the right way, but I can strongly recommand you EVISCERATION and RITUALIZATION !
Moreover, there are not so much places to play in, and it's really hard to catch people by playing death metal without blast and sweeping shit !
I don't know how was the scene before, I wasn't there !
But apparently it was the same shit, the bands are more known outside the country than inside.
To name some excellent bands who don't exist anymore : MASSACRA, MUTILATED and BLOODY SIGN.
What are the concrete plans for 2012 and beyond?
Vlad : The new EP, the full lenght, gigs in Europe !
It's already a lot of work and it will bring enough unholy essence to bury your soul !
What merch is currently available? How can people check out your music and purchase it? Many thanks for answering this small interview Vlad, the last words are yours!.
Vlad : There are shirts, patchs, pins, tapes of the demo and vinyls of the EP.
One only way to the crypt : necrowretch.net
The material will be distributed by Century Media and Detest Records.
Thanks a lot for your questions, and thanks for promoting death metal with your putrid rag !
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