A few questions - interview with death metal band from Germany - ABYTHIC.
Ave, can you introduce your band to our readers? – When was it founded and what style of music do you play , etc.?
AVE! We are Abythic from Germany and play Old School DEATH METAL with some Doom elements! The band was founded in 2015 by M.D.B. In the same year we released our debut MCD "A FULL NEGATION OF EXISTENCE" through a small Label called Metal Inquisition. It was released as CD and LP.
Where and under what conditions were you recording the new album? Who was in charge of sound, production and mastering?
The new album was recorded in 2 different studios. The drums were recorded again, as well as on the MCD, at the CKB Studio in Essen / Germany. The other instruments, as well as the vocals were recorded in the Flashback Recordings Studio (Herne/Germany) under the direction of Tim (Suffocate Bastard). We are more than happy with his work. He himself is an absolute metal maniac and knows how to create a dark and brutal sound which fits to our ideas. The whole album was then mixed and mastered by Patrick Engel at the Temple of Disharmony. The cooperation was really pleasant and we are more than satisfied with the final result.
How many copies were released and which medium was used for this new edition (CD, digital, vinyl, cassette)?
"Beneath Ancient Portals" will be released as CD, LP, MC and Digital Download. There will be 1000 cds, 500 lps and 100 mcs.
Who is the author of the lyrics and how were they created and about what do the lyrics deal with?
Leimy, the singer, is responsible for the lyrics. At first we are searching for good song-titles and after that he creates lyrics around them. He isn't a big fan of esoteric or satanic stuff, so he creates little horror-stories which are inspired by films and books in the old school way. Let's comment the songs on "Beneath Ancient Portals“:
-PURULENT PHANTASM: It's about a man with hallucinations. Everyone around him seems to rot away and he realizes that he is becoming insane. He can't take it anymore and kills himself.
-ABANDONED TOMBS ON UNGODLY GROUNDS: Under an old temple the dead came back to life to feast upon the living. It has a direct reference to the next song which is called...
-BENEATH ANCIENT PORTALS: It is inspired by the babylonian mythos of Nergal's descent to the underworld and describes his journey to the shadows and realm of death.
-REDEMPTION THROUGH SOUL TRANSFUSION: A man suffers from a terminal illness and plans to transfer his soul to another body. But something goes terribly wrong and his soul is lost in the netherworld.
-AFTERWARDS BEHIND BEYOND: A man wishes for death and salvation and realizes that the church has lied to him his whole life and nothing but total darkness will await him in the afterworld. A very nihilistic song ;)
-DEPTHS OF OBLIVION: It's a very figurative description about the terrific horror of a mass-grave. Death Metal to the bone ;)
Who created the logo of the band, and who took care of the graphics and the website? What about you and social networks? Do you consider these things important?
The current logo, which was also used for the new album was drawn by Drummer and Songwriter M.D.B.. Our former guitarist D.B. then digitalized and adapted it. The cover was drawn by none other than the legendary artist Axel Hermann, who should already be known for his cult covers for bands like Morgoth, Asphyx, Bloodbath etc pp. The layout was made by Birger Schwidrop (Harvest of Eyes). He has also created layouts for numerous bands such as Venenum.
Of course we also use social networks. We are not constantly doing any posts on it right now. Use it only to publish reviews or news on our part. Other bands are constantly posting stuff, which is very annoying. We are more likely to use it as a tool to give important information about the band and not for being a self-exposer. As far as promotion etc pp is concerned, everything is done by our label.
Which label did you choose for releasing your album and why this label? Are you satisfied by how your label represents you and takés care about you?
We chose the Swedish label Blood Harvest Records. That was relatively fast. We received a response very quickly and were able to quickly agree on the framework conditions for the contract. We are very satisfied so far. The label makes good publicity for the band. The communication is also absolutely ok. Blood harvest records enjoy a good reputation in the scene. We also consume quite a lot of bands from the Blood Harvest Records program. Therefore, we are very proud to work with a label whose bands we also like and respect.
Which bands do you idolise and where do you get your inspiration?
Well, there are many bands that inspire us. But certainly it is clearly the bands from the early 90s to mid-nineties. We are often associated with elements from bands like Grave, Asphyx and Bolt Thrower. You are certainly not completely wrong with this. But nevertheless we have developed our very own and individual style, which is very important to us.
Did you send your record to some Labels - which are the labels? How was the response?
Of course we applied to other labels. But they were all too slow, hahahahaha. We did not have much patience to wait that long cause we just wanted to publish the album quickly. The reactions from the other labels were mixed.
How many gigs have you played? Which type of gigs do you prefer, whether it's (clubs or festivals) and which of your performances would you consider as the best?
Abythic have played a total of 3 concerts so far. That's because we play exclusively with selected bands. We have to like and hear these bands ourselves, or at least know them. We've had the pleasure to share stage with bands like: Sadistic Intent, Blood Incantation, Cruciamentum, Phrenelith, Undergang ... to name a few. We are not interested in playing trivial concerts on every street corner with even more irrelevant bands. Therefore we rarely play live. These shows are also something special for us. Next year we play a show with great bands like: Dead Congregation, Fleshcrawl, Krypts ....
What about your plans for the future? What do you want to achieve with the band?
In may our first album will be released. But we are already working on new songs. Enough song material already exists. We will see what the future will bring. But we do not want to be rock stars ;)
How and where can your fans contact you? Can you provide some contact information?
Thanx for the interview.
We thank you for the interview and for your interest in the band.
With bestial greetings : ABYTHIC
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