Interview with death metal band from Turkey - GROTESQUE CEREMONIUM.
Answered Batu Çetin, thank you!
Questions prepared Jakub Asphyx.
Ave GROTESQUE CEREMONIUM! I have never found any interview with you in Czech language. I will ask you first to introduce the band to the readers who do not know you yet. You can start from the beginning and take us throw the whole history of GROTESQUE CEREMONIUM.
Hello ,first of all thanks a lot for this interview,Grotesque Ceremonium started at 2014 as a one man band ,i recorded the first demo tape Blasphemous Goat Observence ,later on again as one man i recorded Demonic Inquisition album ,and this album released from Satanath Records and More Hate Productions ,after the first album i found live members for the band and we started to play live shows as well ,and the second album i recorded with my drummer Sanctum of Demoniac Deviance and it released from German underground label Neckbreaker Records on CD / LP formats.
This year, you have just released the new album „Sanctum of Demoniac Deviance“. Again, it's a dark, harsh and honest death metal. Did you access to the recording process differently than last time or did you choose verified practices?
After the first album i started to write the songs for the next one, but due to my busy schedule its took a bit while the writing process, bcs i have other bands as well Cenotaph and Molested Divinity and these bands taking most of my time ,albums ,rehearsals touring etc ,in meantime i succeed to write new songs for Grotesque Ceremonium and with my drummer Kerem we started to record new songs on summer 2019 at Ankara Deadhouse Studios ,the recording mixing and mastering tooks a bit time ,than we started sending promos to labels and German Label Neckbreaker Records offer was the best for us and we signed with them and the Sanctum of Demoniac Deviance released.
The new album seems to me more complicated, perhaps initially less accessible, at the same time incredibly dark and evil. Was it intentional? How did the album originate and how did you compose the music?
I wrote this album with different dark and evil emotions, every riff and idea i worked hard on them while writing the songs ,its a bit personal album maybe and hard to access but if you are into obscure dark doomy old school death metal you ll enjoy the album atmosphere we created i think.
I have a „Sanctum of Demoniac Deviance“ in my MP3 player and I have to say that this album literally engulfed me. These are not just great ideas but also sound is simply devastating. I'm sitting in the tram, and suddenly I find myself shaking my legs. I have a feeling to start moshing. If I weren’t so old, I would probably start to. Where did you record and who is signed under mastering?
The recording process was at our hometown Ankara at Deadhouse studios ,the studio owner and engineer Ozan Yıldırım is responsible for this killer dark sound on album, he really knows well what kind of sound we were looking for ,we tested several amps and gears for the guitars and bass also for the drum sound ,we are extremely satisfied with the final production and sound ,its dark ,devastating and brutal.
Who is the author of lyrics on „Sanctum of Demoniac Deviance“? What are they talking about? Where do you get inspiration for themes?
I m writing the all lyrics ,all lyrics about unholy evil ancient myth gods ,satan ,blasphemy ,hell ,and unholy rituals ,black magic ,unholy perversity.
Who is signed under the cover of „Sanctum of Demoniac Deviance“? I like his work very much. How did you choose the motif for cover?
The artwork is done by Jinglot Hitam Art ,i really like his ideas and artworks a lot ,we like our artwork also much ,its %100 parallel with the lyrics and our concept in Grotesque Ceremonium
When we look back at the beginning ... What was the first impulse to found the band? And why the death metal? It's not the typical style which can would give you great "glory".
I m into death metal since long time and old school 90s death metal also my passion ,thats why i created Grotesque Ceremonium ,to show the respect to origins and roots
You come from Turkey and you play extreme death metal. Our readers would certainly wonder how the death metal scene works in Turkey. To tell you the truth, so lately I hear only the great bands from there. Does this mean that the scene there is so strong at the moment? What about concerts, how many people coming to them?
Yeah, we have growing scene here, mostly in main big cities, we have a some cool bands into old school death metal, check Burial Invocation from Ankara and Engulfed from Istanbul ,great bands they are on Dark Descend records.Concerts normally between 150 to 300 people in Turkey.
I have to ask. You live in Turkey, which is considered a strongly Islam country. You play death metal. Do you have any problems with it? Do you get space in TV or in newspapers? How is life in your country affected by Islam?
We really dont care about our culture and religion in Turkey ,most of the young generation here are not beleiving anything ,we dont beleive such dogmas or books which written thousands years before, in my opinion all religions in this world are just cancer of the society.
From your music is possible to feel that you are influenced by American death metal school and as well by the old European bands. How do you feel about it as a fan? Do you prefer the original death metal of the 1990s or do you get inspiration as well from the new albums? If yes so I am wondering which bands had the greatest impact on GROTESQUE CEREMONIUM.
Yeah sure we like 90s unholy and old school death metal a lot ,bands like Winter ,Autopsy ,Disembowelment ,Incantation ,Demilich ,Funebrarum and many more ,from the new wave old school bands i like to listen Spectral Voice ,Corpsessed ,Grave Miasma ,Mortiferium
What about you and concerts in general? Are you a band that goes for concerts anytime you can or you are picky about where you will play? Do you have a dream, maybe a group you would like to go with for a tour or festival, a city where you would like to perform?
Yeah we try to play at good organizations and gigs, we really want to make european tour with Grotesque Ceremonium after this Covid shit, if any serious offers we get from festivals or bands we would love to play.
I'm going to listen again your new album „Sanctum of Demoniac Deviance“. I have to say that for me personally, this is basically a perfect death metal work. Totally inferno. I wish big success to your record and to get this album to as many people as is possible. This album deserves it. I wish you all the best in your personal life. Whatever you do and the last words are yours. If you want to tell something to fans, labels, promoters, you have space here..... Thank you for the interview and I am looking forward to seeing you live!
Thanks a lot Jakub for the cool words and i m really glad you liked the new album ,you can listen new album at any digital platform ,if you would like to buy cd or lp or merch check out those pages ,hope to see you guys at the live shows soon take care Cheers
about GROTESQUE CEREMONIUM on DEADLY STORM ZINE:
Recenze/review - GROTESQUE CEREMONIUM - Sanctum of Demoniac Deviance (2020)Recenze/review - GROTESQUE CEREMONIUM - Demonic Inquisition (2016)
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