Embedded Files
Music Interview: EXHUMED
EXHUMED
English Version:
THE SAW IS THE LAW!
- Exclusive interview with EXHUMED
by Demogorgon
Done in April 2003
Published on the 27th issue of Xmusick Magazine
"Fuck the pen, fuck the sword, die by the saw, the saw is the law." Let's go back to the lab and discuss the blood and the gore with Mr. Matt Harvey of EXHUMED...
Exhumed is hailed as "Carcass reincarnated", are you satisfied with it?
Matt Harvey: It’s a compliment, since Carcass are undoubtedly one of our biggest influences… but at the same time, we’ve never set out to try to emulate Carcass or any other band. We just write the kind of musick that we would want to hear. We have a ton of influences outside of just Carcass, ranging from Slayer to Discordance Axis, to Bjork, but we don’t try to deny that Carcass has been a big influence on our sound.
Now, the original members of Carcass are all into 70' Rock music (Black Star Rising and Firebird). If I am not totally wrong, Bill Steer even stated that he had wasted ten years with Carcass. How do you feel about it and the "Retro" trend?
Matt Harvey: I don’t know if it’s such a trend where we’re from. I get into all kinds of Rock music, though, from Elvis to Donovan, to the Beach Boys, the Animals, The Beatles, Cream, Vanilla Fudge, Iron Butterfly, Ten Years After, through the 1970’s stuff like Ted Nugent, Thin Lizzy, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, and all through the spectrum. I thought that the Firebird stuff I heard was pretty cool, actually.
There are certain ones who see Gore is not a wide enough writing territory comparing other Metal forms, and it is true that the quantity of nomenclature is not a big number. What's your ideal about keeping its continuous development with Exhumed?
Matt Harvey: I think that Death and Gore are universal concepts that resonate within the collective consciousness of all people. All life can be reduced down to its component parts, the raw anatomy, and that is one of the few universal truths of human existence. To me that’s a theme that has a lot of depth and substance. People who think that Gore is too “narrow” of a theme can fuck off! When our new record, “Anatomy is Destiny” comes out this year, anyone who thinks that nothing interesting can be done within the Gore genre will be forced to eat their words…
I am just about to write some Biochemical lyrics in the same way as most Gore Metal bands do. Like "dying casualties / in the leaked toxicity, / innominate gangrene until cytolysis. / ODS silica gel to hydrophobic resin columns, / nonsensical for take precautions against liver cancer / caused by microcystins...” I remember I told you I graduated from this major.:) Do you think if it would work?
Matt Harvey: Definitely. I think that there’s a band you should check out, called the County Medical Examiners (www.countymedicalexaminers.com) who base all of their gore lyrics on actual scientific practices- and they’re all actual morticians or medical students. I think that chemistry is an important tool in understanding the processes of decomposition, as well as a surprisingly large factor in criminal insanity. Our drummer works for a biotechnology company now, and he helps to assure that our lyrical content is as scientifically feasible/accurate as possible.
Films and comics are big inspirations for your total gory lyrixxx, is Italian Horror one of them for Exhumed? Obviously there are all the necessary elements of Death Metal in those films.
Matt Harvey: Definitely, but the main thing is the overall feel of those things. The EC comics of the 1950’s and the Warren Magazines of the 1970’s both possessed a kind of gritty and very dark overall feel, partially a product of the printing processes used during those eras, and partially from the fantastic artwork of Graham Engels, Berni Wrightson, and many other outstanding artists. The films of Fulci also have a very filthy overtone, that gets under one’s skin, as well as splattering your senses with over-the-top gore. Exhumed aims to create the same kind of visual aesthetic with our covers and lyrixxx. In fact, so much so that our musick is irrevocably intertwined with this kind of imagery.
Do you listen to any other music style? I do not think Exhumed fit in with most US Death Metal bands. Your music more relies on European bands.
Matt Harvey: I listen to all different styles of music, from Country and Western to Rap Music, and everything in between. Some of my favorites are The Swans, Cocteau Twins, Geto Boys, Johnny Cash, Ennio Morricone, The Beatles, Alice Cooper, Coil, XTC, and so many more it would be impossible to name. I think that Exhumed is most directly influenced by the first twenty Earache Records releases, though. And most of those bands are English or European, so we resemble that style more than the Suffocation/Cannibal Corpse/Morbid Angel influence that comes from the US. We are more influenced by Carnage, Carcass, Terrorizer, Concrete Sox, Heresy, Doom, Electro Hippies, Napalm Death, Bolt Thrower, Entombed, Cadaver, Extreme Noise Terror, and also Autopsy, Death, Master, and Possessed from the US.
"We have to be the sickest / the most powerful / the fastest band ever", I know these are the things many bands thinking about when they start. Does Exhumed share a same thought? What's your point of view now?
Matt Harvey: We definitely wanted to be the sickest band ever when we started out, but now we really don’t compare ourselves to other bands. We just focus on our own music and making it be as good as it can be. We compare ourselves to our previous work, and our abilities and try to push to improve and grow, but not so we can be “better” than anyone else. I’m not worried about what other bands are doing- just what Exhumed is doing.
Nowadays many Death Metal bands have total different ideological theory with those old bands, Rebaelliun is a good case in point. At the same time, many other Death Metal bands are longing for the old days. Besides the music, I find another main difference is in the attitude; newer bands do not consider the truth of Death or the meaningless of life, they worship the inner power, which is represented in the living’s world. What's your opinion?
Matt Harvey: Our only ideology is that all life ends in death. Physical death is the universal truth of human existence, and, aside from birth, Death is the only experience that all people share. At the point of physical death, consciousness ends. There is no heaven, no afterlife, no hell, nothing, just the processes of decay. Our physical manifestation is the sum totality of our existence and there is nothing beyond physical death. Only death is real.
Could you please explain what topics Death Metal should discuss? Does Death Metal also should have a strong background or ideology? If so, what is it?
Matt Harvey: Death Metal should be about DEATH. That’s why it’s Death Metal. As long as the content is negative, nihilistic, and morbid, it could be Death Metal. Death Metal is not about empowerment or positivity. That’s LIFE Metal. Fuck that.
Can we say there is certain connection between Exhumed's music and Punk Rock?
Matt Harvey: Absolutely. We are definitely influenced by 1980’s Crust/Punk/HC/Grind acts like Larm, Siege, Discharge, Deviated Instinct, Heresy, GBH, Exploited, Ripcord, Final Conflict, Cryptic Slaughter, Amebix, as well as later acts like Disrupt, Assuck, Dytopia, Crossed Out, etc.
Do you consider Neo Metal bands are perverting "metal" and "extreme" music in general by turning "metal" into just another trendy form of music for jocks and frauds to get their aggressions out? I personally find these bands intolerable and pathetic, and I'm interested in knowing what will happen when Exhumed meet one of those bands in any performances if they dare...
Matt Harvey: I really don’t care what those people are doing. If they’re having fun, let them. They’re definitely not Metal in any way. I think most people want to listen to shitty music, so let them. I don’t give a fuck. It’s the same as Grunge, or Glam Rock, or any trend, it’s all manufactured for mass consumption. I don’t listen to that kind of music, and I don’t know much about it, except that I don’t like it. If people who are into that kind of music think that it’s metal, that just shows their own ignorance.
Is there a certain line for you to separate "selling out" from "trendy"?
Matt Harvey: We just do what we want, and write the kind of musick that we enjoy period. We want to become as successful as possible so that we’ll be able to realize our vision of what Exhumed is all about more fully and so that we’ll be able to travel to more countries and play, but, we would never write musick with the sole intent of trying to get more fans. We would be playing the same shit regardless if we sold 1,000 records or 1,000,000.
It seems that you are not friendly to keyboard. Why?
Matt Harvey: Keyboards don’t belong in Metal. If you use it for an intro or on one part of a song, that’s just adding a little extra touch, but so much of the European Black Metal scene a few years ago seemed to use the keyboard as the main instrument, not the guitar, and that’s just not fucking Metal. I don’t like to put on a Metal album and hear more synthesizer than guitar. Thankfully except for Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth, two of the worst bands ever, that style seems to be dying out.
What your reaction will be when you read a bad review? I remember that you once said "I think it is great to be perceived as a subversive element. It fits the image of metal, as wolf among sheep we wander." If there were somebody critic your music for the guitar tune which they do not like while some others point out some part of your music has certain similarity with other bands' music, will your reaction be the same?
Matt Harvey: Most reviews I really don’t care about. A lot of people don’t really even understand what we’re doing (or trying to do) and those people can’t even really review our shit accurately. I just think that you can’t listen to what everyone else says about you or you lose perspective. We’ve been lucky and had mostly very positive reviews, but you can’t believe those either or you start thinking that you’re the greatest, just because somebody else said you’re wonderful. I like that what we do is a bit extreme for some people in the Metal scene, that’s funny, but overall I really don’t even care about reviews. If a friend of mine that’s been into the same kind of shit as I have for a long time thought that we sucked, then I might give it more weight.
Of course, Exhumed is very important to each and every one of Exhumed, especially you and Col. How about your Cadaverizer recently?
Matt Harvey: Cadaverizer is a project that is still in the works. After we record the new Exhumed album in March, Col and I will turn our attention towards Cadaverizer and our Thrash Metal band, Dekapitator, which have both been inactive for far too long! We have 7 songs of pure, primitive old-school Death Metal ready for Cadaverizer, heavily influenced by early Death, Necrovore, Massacre, Nunslaughter, Possessed, Autopsy and Sarcofago. We will hopefully record an album this year sometime…
It is well known that the live performance of Exhumed is very TRUE to gore; I will definitely go there to attend one sooner or later! The first issue of my magazine Dragonland will come with a free CD, do you have interests to license me one or two live video tracks, so that there will be an enhanced compiled CD for our readers and your Chinese fans to get a better impression?
Matt Harvey: I would love to submit some video footage to you, but all of the footage we have is on VHS. If this will work, I’ll definitely send you some! We would love to come to China in 2003, as we are already planning to return to Japan and possibly go to Korea for the first time, maybe China is next…? Then you can witness the gore assault first hand- smell the vomit- feel the fire- taste the blood- hear the grinding of the chainsaw… That’s what it’s all about!
"Fuck the pen, fuck the sword, die by the saw, the saw is the law." From whose guts this sentence jumped off?
Matt Harvey: That’s my homage to Slayer’s “Die By the Sword” intro from “Live Undead”. I figure that what we’re doing is taking what Slayer began and making 10 times crazier and sicker, so why not borrow a line for the live intro of “Limb from Limb”? It fits perfectly, so we decided to use it!
How about the complete discography of Exhumed?
Matt Harvey: Here is our Complete discography (from most recent to oldest):
Thank you for your time! Any last comments?
Matt Harvey: Thanks for the support, it would be amazing to get out to China and show you all the real meaning of GORE FUCKING METAL! Hopefully in the future… Cheers, watch for these upcoming releases:
“Anatomy is Destiny” First new full-length album in over 2 years on Relapse Records!
“Deceased in the East” Split live 10” Mini-LP with Aborted- Exhumed live in Tokyo on Listenable Records!
“Platters of Splatter” Double CD Compilation of old Exhumed material from the past decade of disgust!
Also coming soon, a new, official Exhumed website, to launch this May: www.exhumed.us
See you all on the road, in the morgue, or at the bar…
Hail and Kill!!!!!! From head to toe, from heart to soul, from hammer to gore!!!!!! All the best wishes from the far far East Dragonland!
Chinese Version:
生命血肉里的骷髅骨架
——独家专访EXHUMED（被掘出的尸体）吉它手/主唱Matt Harvey
Demogorgon
“搞那笔，搞那剑，死在电锯之下，电锯就是法律。”让我们回到实验室，与美国血块死亡金属/碾核乐团EXHUMED（被掘出的尸体）的吉它手/主唱Matt Harvey先生讨论鲜血的存在与生命的意义……
DEMOGORGON：EXHUMED被称为“CARCASS（尸体）复苏”，你对这一称呼满意吗？
Matt Harvey：这是一种赞誉，因为CARCASS毫无疑问是我们最大的影响之一……但是与之同时，我们从来也没有试图仿效CARCASS或者任何其他乐团。我们只是在写我们想听的音乐。我们在CARCASS之外还有极多的影响，从SLAYER（杀手）到DISCORDANCE AXIS（斜轴），再到Bjork（比约克），但是我们不会试图否认CARCASS一直是我们的声音的最大影响。
DEMOGORGON：现在，CARCASS的原班人马全都关注于上世纪七十年代摇滚乐[BLACK STAR RISING（黑星升起）和FIREBIRD（火鸟）]。假如我没记错的话，Bill Steer甚至表示过他在CARCASS里浪费了十年。你对于“回溯（Retro）”风潮怎么看？
Matt Harvey：在我们的立场上看来我并不知道这是否是这样一种潮流。但是，我关注于所有类型的摇滚乐，从猫王到Donovan，到THE BEACH BOYS（沙滩男孩儿），ANIMALS（动物），THE BEATLES（甲壳虫），CREAM（奶油），VANILLA FUDGE，IRON BUTTERFLY（铁蝴蝶），TEN YEARS AFTER（十年以后），整个二十世纪七十年代的东西，诸如TED NUGENT，THIN LIZZY，ALICE COOPER，BLACK SABBATH，整个系列。我认为我听到的FIREBIRD的东西非常酷，真的。
DEMOGORGON：有人认为与其它金属类型相比，血块儿这一创作领域不够宽泛，而且术语的数量确实不是很多。那么你对于如何保持EXHUMED的持续性发展有什么看法？
Matt Harvey：我认为死亡和血块是宇宙化的概念，在所有人的集体意识中回响。所有生命都能被简化到它的构成部分，露骨的解剖，这是人类存在中少有的宇宙真理之一。对我来说这是一个有着大量深度和材料的主题。认为血块作为一个主题而言过于“狭窄”的人们该滚一边去！我们的专辑《解剖就是命运》（Anatomy is Destiny）发表时，任何认为在血块类型中做不出什么有兴趣的东西的人都该被迫把自己的话再咽回去……
DEMOGORGON：记得和你说过我毕业于生物化学专业，于是我使用血块金属乐团一样的方式写了些生物化学方面的歌词，例如“dying casualties / in the leaked toxicity, / innominate gangrene until cytolysis. / ODS silica gel to hydrophobic resin columns, / nonsensical for take precautions against liver cancer / caused by microcystins...”不知是否可行。提点建议？
Matt Harvey：当然，我认为有支乐团你应该关注一下，THE COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINERS（郡药检员，http://www.countymedicalexaminers.com），他们将其所有的血块儿歌词基于真实的科学实验——而且他们都是真正的尸检员和医药学生。我认为化学在理解尸体解体过程中是一件非常重要的工具，在犯罪的非理智中也是个令人惊讶的因子。我们的鼓手现在为一家生物工程公司工作，他在帮助确保我们的歌词内容尽可能地在科学上有着可行性并且精密。
DEMOGORGON：电影和漫画对于你们的血腥歌词有很大启发，那么意大利恐怖电影是否列于其中？那些电影里显然有着死亡金属所有必需的元素。
Matt Harvey：当然，但是关键在于那些事物的整体感觉。二十世纪五十年代的《趣味漫画》（EC comics，Entertaining Comics）和七十年代的《沃伦杂志》（Warren Magazines）全都缠绕着一种粗糙而且非常阴暗的感觉，部分源自那个时期所采用的印刷过程，部分来自于Graham Engels，Berni Wrightson和很多杰出艺术家的幻想艺术。（Lucio）Fulci的影片也有着一种非常污秽的联想，在你的皮肤下面，也在用突破界限的血块让你的感知嚓嚓作响。EXHUMED旨在使用封套和歌词创造出同一类型的可视美学。事实上，有着那么多此类意象，我们的音乐不可避免地与之纠缠在一起。
DEMOGORGON：你还听其它音乐类型吗？我认为EXHUMED和美国死亡金属乐团不太一样，你们的音乐更像是支欧洲乐团。
Matt Harvey：我听所有类型的音乐，从乡村到西部到说唱音乐，以及其中的一切。我喜欢的包括THE SWANS（天鹅），COCTEAU TWINS（极地双子星），GETO BOYS，Johnny Cash，Ennio Morricone，THE BEATLES，ALICE COOPER，COIL，XTC，以及很多很多不能罗列出名字的。但是，我认为EXHUMED受到“耳痛（Earache）”唱片公司的前二十张出品影响最为直接。那些乐团大多数来自于英国或欧洲，所以我们模仿那种风格要多于SUFFOCATION（窒息）、CANNIBAL CORPSE（食人者之尸）、MORBID ANGEL（病态天使）那些来自美国的影响。主要影响我们的是CARNAGE，CARCASS，TERRORIZER，CONCRETE SOX，HERESY，DOOM，ELECTRO HIPPIES，NAPALM DEATH，BOLT THROWER，ENTOMBED，CADAVER，EXTREME NOISE TERROR，以及美国的AUTOPSY（剖尸），DEATH（死亡），MASTER（主人）和POSSESSED（着魔）。
DEMOGORGON：“我们不得不成为有史以来最病态的、最猛的、最快的乐队”，我知道这是很多乐队在刚开始的时候所想的事情。EXHUMED是否也有同样的想法？你们现在的观点呢？
Matt Harvey：在我们刚开始的时候，我们当然想成为有史以来最病态的乐团，但是现在我们真的不再把我们与其它乐团相比。我们只是关注于我们自己的音乐，把它做到能做的最好。我们和我们自己以前的作品和我们的能力相比，努力发展和成长，而非因为我们这么做就会比别人“好”。我并不担心其它乐团在做些什么，只是想做EXHUMED要做的事。
DEMOGORGON：现在很多死亡金属乐团和那些老乐团有着完全不同的理念，例如REBAELLIUN。同时，很多死亡金属乐团都在怀念过去的日子。音乐之外，我发现态度上也有着一处关键不同：新乐团并不考虑死亡的真相或是生命的无意义，他们崇拜的是在活人的世界上所表现出的内在力量。你的看法呢？
Matt Harvey：我们的唯一理念是所有的生命都终结于死亡。生理死亡是人类存在于出生之外的又一宇宙真理，死亡是所有人类都会分享的唯一体验。在生理死亡时，意识终结。没有天堂，没有地狱，什么都没有，只有腐败的过程。我们的生理声明是，我们存在的总体集合，在生理死亡之上什么都没有。只有死亡才是真实的。
DEMOGORGON：能说说死亡金属应该讨论些什么吗？是否应该有着强力的背景或者意识形态？如果有的话，又应该是什么？
Matt Harvey：死亡金属应是关于死亡（DEATH）的。这就是它为什么被称为死亡金属。只要内容是负面、虚无主义、病态的，就能是死亡金属。死亡金属与赋予能力或者正面毫不相关。那是生命（LIFE）金属。操。
DEMOGORGON：那么我们可以说在EXHUMED的音乐与朋克摇滚之间有着联系？
Matt Harvey：当然，我们绝对受到二十世纪八十年代的壳核（Crustcore）、朋克（Punk）、硬核（Hard Core）、碾核（Grindcore）影响，乐队包括LARM，SIEGE，DISCHARGE，DEVIATED INSTINCT，HERESY，GBH，EXPLOITED，RIPCORD，FINAL CONFLICT，CRYPTIC SLAUGHTER，AMEBIX，以及后来例如DISRUPT，ASSUCK，DYTOPIA，CROSSED OUT等等晚些的组合。
DEMOGORGON：你是否认为新金属乐队因为将金属变成又一个给找乐子的人和假装自己喜欢的人所提供的潮流音乐类型，只是为了释放他们的过剩精力，而在广泛意义上带坏了“金属”和“极端”音乐？我个人认为这些乐队的音乐难以忍受而且有些可悲。我对于当在任何演出中，EXHUMED遇到那么一支乐队时会发生些什么很感兴趣，当然，那要他们胆敢的话……
Matt Harvey：我真的不关心那些人在做些什么。假如他们很高兴，就让他们去吧。他们从任何一方面来讲都不是金属。我认为很多人想听到屎一样的音乐，就让他们去吧。I don’t give a fuck.对于垃圾摇滚（Grunge），或者华丽摇滚（Glam Rock）或者任何潮流都是一样，都是为大众消费制造的。我不听那种音乐，我也不怎么了解，除此之外我并不喜欢。假如听这种音乐的人认为那是金属，也不过是显示出他们自己的无知罢了。
DEMOGORGON：你有个明确的界限区分“畅销”和“潮流”吗？
Matt Harvey：我们在做我们想做的，写我们某一时期喜欢的音乐。我们想尽可能地成功，那么我们就可以更完整地实现我们对于EXHUMED应该是什么的想象，那么我们就能去更多的国家旅行和演出。但是，我们永远不会只是为了获得更多乐迷的目的去写音乐。不论卖了一千张唱片还是一百万张唱片，我们都会演奏同样的东西。
DEMOGORGON：似乎你们对键盘很不友好，为什么？
Matt Harvey：键盘并不属于金属。如果你在一段序曲或者歌曲中的一部分使用了它，它只是增加了一点额外的感觉，但是欧洲黑暗金属界几年来有那么多的乐团似乎将键盘当成了主要乐器，而不是吉它，那就不是他妈的金属。我不喜欢放上一张金属专辑而听到比吉它更多的合成器。万分感谢除了DIMMU BORGIR（阴暗城堡）和CRADLE OF FILTH（污秽摇篮）两支有史以来最烂的乐团，这一风格似乎正在消失。
DEMOGORGON：当你读到一篇坏评论的时候会有什么反应？我记得你曾经说“我认为被看成是一种破坏性的元素很好。它符合金属的意象，我们好似羊群里的狼一样徘徊。”如果有人批评你们的吉它音色是他们不喜欢的，还有人指出你的音乐里的一些部分和其它乐团有着明显的相似，你的反应还会是相同的吗？
Matt Harvey：大多数评论我根本不关心。很多人甚至真的不理解我们在做什么（或是试图做什么），那些人甚至不能准确评论我们的东西。我认为你听所有人关于你说些什么，否则你就会失去洞察力。我们很幸运地得到的基本上都是正面评价，但是你也不能相信它们，或者只是因为一些人说你很棒就开始认为自己是最棒的。我喜欢的是说我们做的比金属圈子里其他人做的要极端一点，这很有趣，但是总体而言我真的不怎么关心评论。假如有我的一个和我一样长时间关注同样东西的朋友认为我们做的很烂，我就可能更严肃对待了。
DEMOGORGON：当然，EXHUMED对乐团中每个人，尤其是对你和Col而言非常重要。你的CADAVERIZER（尸化）近来如何？
Matt Harvey：CADAVERIZER是个仍然运作中的计划。我们录制EXHUMED新专辑以后，Col和我会把注意力转向CADAVERIZER以及我们的鞭击金属乐团DEKAPITATOR，都已经太长时间没有行动了！我们已经为CADAVERIZER有了7首纯粹的、基础的老式死亡金属，受到早期DEATH，NECROVORE，MASSACRE，NUNSLAUGHTER，POSSESSED，AUTOPSY和SARCOFAGO很重的影响。我们希望可以抽时间录张专辑……
DEMOGORGON：众所周知EXHUMED的现场演出对于血块的表现淋漓尽致；迟早我会去亲自看一场的！我相信一些现场录像一定可以让我们的读者获得些更佳的印象。
Matt Harvey：我们将很乐于去中国演出，因为我们已经计划去日本以及（可能的话）韩国演出，也许中国是下一个？那么你就能见证一手的血块攻击、闻到那呕吐物的味道、感受到火焰、品尝到鲜血、听到电锯的碾磨声……全都和这些有关！
DEMOGORGON：“搞那笔，搞那剑，死在电锯之下，电锯就是法律。”这句话是从怎样的肚肠里跳出来的呢？
Matt Harvey：那是我对SLAYER的《活的不死人》（Live Undead）里的“Die By the Sword（死于剑下）”的尊敬。我考虑我们在做的就是SLAYER开始时做的事情，只是十倍的疯狂和病态，所以，为什么不给“Limb from Limb（割裂四肢）”的现场序曲借用一句话呢？很适合，所以我们决定用它了！
DEMOGORGON：谢谢，最后说点什么？
Matt Harvey：感谢支持，去中国演出展示给你们他妈的血块金属（GORE FUCKING METAL）的真实含义将是非常令人兴奋的事情！希望有朝一日……和你们相遇在路上，在停尸间，或者在酒吧……
请登录新的EXHUMED网站：http://www.exhumed.us
DEMOGORGON：请接受来自遥远东方龙土的致意！从头皮到脚趾，从心脏到灵魂，从锤子到血块！
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