Interview - MORTUARY - All we are guilty of what happens. ~ DEADLY STORM zine

Interview with legendary death metal band from France - MORTUARY.

Answered Patrick Germonville, thank you!

Translated by Duzl, thank you!

Questions prepared Jakub Asphyx.

Recenze/review - MORTUARY - The Autophagous Reign (2019):

https://deadly-storm.blogspot.com/2019/11/recenzereview-mortuary-autophagous.html

Ave MORTUARY! Right on the beginning, I have to say that your latest album „The Autophagous Reign“ is great. I have not heard such a pressurized and insane album for a very long time. I have it at home, in my car and even in work in many formats and I listen to it every time I need new energy. How are you satisfied with your new album and how are the fans´ reactions?

First of all, we are really happy that you like our new album this way. You're totally addict, be careful (ha!ha!). Of course, we are really satisfied with this new album and more. We worked so hard for many months and the results is beyond that we could expect. As we can see during our gigs, the fans reactions are really great too from everywhere in any countries. At this time, we are happy guys!!

Personally, this album is a perfect album. The sound is great but also the ideas and the cover. How do MORTUARY compose and how was the process of composing the new album? It seems to me that with each album you have a different line-up in your band. Who has the lead word in your band and is the one who can say – this song is good, let´s leave it like that?

The sound is exactly as we wanted it supposed to be and it's very important that the listeners could listen to this album and say to himself; „oh! This is Mortuary, isn't it?“ Many of the riffs ideas came from Alex and also Bastien our new guitarist. Alex composed and recorded tons of riffs and sent it us for we could find at home some lyrics on, some drums parts and bass lines. Jno brought some parts too so we had tons of plans to work. Then when we met together in rehearsal, we mixed all these ideas and „The autophagous reign“ was born!! Seriously, it was an awesome work for that each members to be agree with the song's structures finally but the final results is the perfect reflect of that everyone wanted on this album. About the lyrics, I wrote tons of words and themes before and decide where I could put these words, on what song it could be the best. Vocals line came after when i was working in my home studio. Obviously, I recorded many vocals line before to be satisfied with my work. I didn't want that the chorus on this album sounds like in a pop style but that's interesting to have in a album some parts with a memorable vocals line.

„The Autophagous Reign“ has a harsh brutal sound. Raw and real. At the same time penetrating. Where did you record the album? And who is signed under mastering? I really like that the sound is organic, so real, you have avoided “artificiality” and “overwhelming”, as unfortunately some bands do today.

This album was recorded and mastered at hertz Studio in Poland by Slavek and Wojtek Wieslawski in June 2019.Right in the beginning, we wanted an organic sound, a living sound. Something with an old school mixing, nor cold and no artificial. Something that sounded like the metal underground. We are really impressed by the results. In modern times of metal, some of the bands got a very intersting style but sometimes, unhappily they doesn't sound enough real or living.

It is clear that in death metal lyrics are often on the second . How do you perceive the content of the texts and how they are created by MORTUARY? What they are about on the new album and what influenced them?

That's true, lyrics in metal aren't important for most of the people. But for every singer, i think it's important to explain themselves on different topics. Whatever the way you sing, raw, clear, guturral, screamed, our throat are our instrument. I don't sing to tell the truth or to proclaim to the face of the world, I have got the solution to save the world. But only that I feel of this modern world. This overconsumerism society, human inequalities, or what is the future we gonna leave to our children. All we are guilty of what happens. We are indefensible!

If I am not mistaken, MORTUARY dates back to 1989. How do you perceive that time? You stood with other bands at the birth of something new that wasn't here yet. Your history is full of changes and exciting albums that belong to every fan's golden collection. I'm just wondering why there's no more of those recordings? Six long-playing records in 31 years are not very much. Can you explain why just five?

It is true that in 30 years, our discography is reduced but we have had so many line up changes, it's just incredible. We also took time to create our style, to write good songs. We have preferred quality over quantity too. We have experienced the arrival of all different styles of metal music. Mortuary is part of a journey through the history of this music. Obviously, we are proud to belong to this history and to this beautiful family.

I saw you in Pilsen where you played with VADER in the club Divadlo pod Lampou two years ago and I have to say that you mature like a good wine. You performance was just excellent. You managed to bring the spirit of your albums to the stage. I felt like „I was visiting an abandoned psychiatric hospital where there is blood flowing down the walls and in the corridors you can hear the screams full of suffering“. An absolute massacre. How did you enjoy the concert? Did you visit Pilsen city also? Did you like it here?

The concert, like the whole tour, was an excellent memory. The audience was large and we had a great time sharing with them. Unfortunately we did not have time to visit this city but we will come back, for sure

I love your country, culture, monuments and beautiful girls. But during the last years France happened to be like a well of great metal music. You play music a little bit differently than other bands. I like SVART CROWN, DEATHSPELL OMEGA, but also the veterans like MERCYLESS, or new bands like RITUALIZATION, SKELETHAL…there is a lot of great bands – how is that possible? It is because of the wine? J Can you mention any other good bands? Do you see any differences between playing concerts in other countries and in France?

I think that this is due to the fact that each of us in the group apprehends music in a different way, with a sensitivity specific to him. In fact, I think that each group appropriates this music in its own way and it define them its style. Audiences in other countries seem more attentive to what you play, I think. In France, the public sometimes seems a bit jaded by what they came to see. The band also have to make them want to take part in the show. During all these years, we have played with tons of bands and it would be difficult to name them all (DEPRAVED, BENIGHTED, DEADLY WHISPERS, BURN YOUR KARMA, DEATHAWAITS, DEATH DECLINE,,,,) but the ones the more impressive with whom we played was undoubtedly Mithridatic. The day we saw them on stage, we received a big slap in the face! They had been that monstrous that night !!

Death metal is not exactly a style that would be in the sunlight of fans' interest. And that is a reason why it depends on support. From the old days I have fixed that favorite bands should be supported by buying CDs, t-shirts, going to a concert. But time has changed. The world is ruled by the Internet, music downloads. How do you perceive these changes as a band? Did you have to adjust your functioning somehow? What about the fans, are they also different?

Nowadays, every fans can listen before buying or come see you at the show. They are less focus on a band in particular too because there are so many groups to listen to or discover. The times have changed. Before, there were fewer bands and it was so hard to be informed of the latest album releases. Now thanks to social media, you know everything, you see everything, you hear everything. There is bands overdose and you only remember a few.

31 years have passed since the founded of MORTUARY. You are a name on the scene, you have loyal fans, you perform at concerts. Is there anything else you want to achieve as a band? What are your goals for the future?

Our only wish is to continue for a very long time. Take pleasure in playing, meet new fans and also give pleasure to the people who come to see us in concert. After all these dates, we will work on new songs to prepare our next album.

Thank you so much for the interview and for your great music and I wish MORTUARY to have a lot of sold out concerts, mad fans who will broke your hands for your merch. I wish you a good luck, success and well-being in your persona lives.

Thank you Jakub for this great interview. It was really a pleasure to aswer; Hope to see you the next time when we will play in your lovely country. We wish you long life with passion and music!!!! We try to do our best! You can trust us!!

Take care and stay Brutal!!!

Mortuary

Recenze/review - MORTUARY - The Autophagous Reign (2019):

https://deadly-storm.blogspot.com/2019/11/recenzereview-mortuary-autophagous.html

https://mortuarynancy.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/mortuarynancy/

http://mortuary.free.fr/

https://soundcloud.com/mortuarydeathmetal

https://twitter.com/mortuarybands

https://www.youtube.com/user/mortuaryofficial

http://www.xenokorp.com/
https://xenokorp.bandcamp.com/album/the-autophagous-reign