Interview with death metal band from Netherlands - NECROTESQUE.
Answered Dave Blummel (bass), thank you!
Translated Duzl, thank you!
Questions prepared Jakub Asphyx.
https://www.deadlystormzine.com/2023/02/recenzereview-necrotesque-perpetuated.html
Ave NECROTESQUE! Greetings to the underground. I hope everything is fine with you. It should be because this year you have released a first long-play full-length album in your band's career. I have to admit it has literally blown my mind. It is dark, energic and as if it cuts by the sharp edge of the knife. I can hear from the record you did a really good job and you added a big portion of the talent, too. How do you perceive the new album in comparison to the previous work? Where did you want to move and in what are these two records different?
Hi Jacub! First of, thank you for the compliments!
Our first EP we released was a test, to see if people were interested in the music we have in our head. They seem to like it, so we jumped right in after the release of our first EP to start writing new material. We have so many ideas still which we want to make into cool songs, but we also know you shouldn’t overdo it. So we have to pace ourselves.
For this new album we have learned a lot regarding the sound we want to create and we think it is a step up from the EP.
„The Perpetuated Festering“ includes all attributes of good death metal. For me personally, it represents the record, which I really like to listen to. How did you produce it? How look the writing process of new material in the case of NECROTESQUE?
The first EP was created at home during the Corona/lockdown period. Arjan and I created the guitar parts at home, threw in some guides for drums and send it to the rest of the band to let them do their thing with it. That works for us. So we did it quite similary this time around. Thankfully we did have more time to play the songs together this time so we could also try some things together which i think really reflexts in the energy of this new record.
I have to confirm that I like the production of the album. It still makes me turn up the volume on the hi-fi tower. Who made you a sound that is cruel, raw and dark and animalistic at the same time. How did you find working with him and why him? What studio did you record in and how did it all work?
We (Arjan) did all the pre-production at home. Re-amping the guitars and bass and after that we’ve send it to our Mixer, Rick @ RaRecordings. Who also did our first EP. He also recorded the drums for the first EP and the new album. We are really happy with him because he has the same low bullshit level as we do. Just record the songs and don’t try to add too much bullshit to it. Keep it raw. No time-aligning drums etc. The vocals were recorded partialy at a studio which was just an aweful experience and the rest we did at our drummers at home (who also has a small studio setup at home)
The album has a dead cover. Who is the author? How did you choose the theme and how does it relate to the music on the record?
We contacted an artist through the internet who’s art we really liked. None of us have any drawing talent, so that seems like the best idea. His name on Facebook is Dedy Badic Art. He really captured the exact idea we conveyed to him. The theme is an extension to our first EP with the name „The necrotic grotesque“ where our band name derives from . One of the lines in the lyrics of the Necrotic Grotesque is „A festering blob of flesh without skin“ so it seemed only logical to continue with „The perpetuated festering“ .. just keep on rotting as it were!
I have been wandering the underground for over thirty years and I still go to Holland for music with certainty. I think we have a similar nature and taste when it comes to metal. I like your bands a lot and I monitor your scene carefully. Maybe I envy you a little, because we only have a few death metal bands that are worth it. How do you explain that death metal are doing so well in your country? How do you perceive your scene, fans, labels?
The Netherlands were at the centre of the development of the European Death Metal sound in the late 80's, together with Sweden of course. Gorefest, Pestilence and Asphyx are probably the holy trinity of the Dutch Oldschool. Imagine listening to those bands when you are a teenager or adolescent and experiencing that scene. It is not hard to understand that 30+ years later, when midlife-crisis strikes, people try to replicate that feeling of being part of a musical revolution. Therefore, bands like Necrotesque and Graceless (which is one of the more contemporary bands we look up to), who tap into that original sound and vibe, receive huge support.
You play death metal influenced by, among other things, the old school. Today, the band can't avoid comparisons, but I would like to know how the idea to start NECROTESQUE was born, who was and is your metal idol? Where do you want to move your band? Are you attracted to large foreign festivals, for example, are you willing to go on tour with a more famous band?
The idea of the band and it’s direction was a joined idea of me and Arjan. We just wanted to make a no-bullshit death metal band. No (or as few as possible) solos and weird cross-over adventures. Just old school death metal. Where we want to go? Everywhere! Large festivals, small venues, we like to play them all. As long as we have an audience, we want to play. We get quite some energy from performing. So yeah, a tour would be nice!
When I started my blog six years ago, I had a vision that I would try to support bands that are not so much popular, or they are lost in underground. To let the world knows about them. I think I'm doing quite well, at least according to the responses. How do you approach the promotion of your music? Do you rely upon the label or do you send the CDs for various reviews by yourself? For example, I buy albums that I really enjoy. What about you? Are you also fans who often support your colleagues? Do you go to concerts?
Yeah you’re doing quite well. We see quite some of your posts!
Our promotion we mostly do ourselves. We (me and Arjan particullary) are very impatient, so waiting for someone else to promote us is quite difficult, haha. We advertise, contact blogs,mags and vlogs. All kinds of way to make our music known to the world. And we visit other gigs as well. To just enjoy the bands, but also to network with venues and other bands. We have also organised some gigs and invited other bands to play with us.
On the one hand, today the new band has a lot of opportunities to make themselves more known, but on the other hand, there are a huge number of groups and the fans are getting lost in this big metal sea. A lot of people just download mp3s from the internet and instead of to visit the concert they prefer to spit poisonous saliva on Facebook. How do modern technologies affect you as NECROTESQUE? What do you think about downloading music, google metalists, streaming music, etc.?
We encourage people to share our music. We do not play a genre which will ever make us rich. We play it because we listen to it ourselves and have a lot of ideas for songs. We have merchandise and i hope when people see us play they like us and buy a shirt, cd, cap, patch, etc .. that way we have money for new recordings and new merch. The music people share is a way to the be able to sell this merch.
I like to ask the musicians what death metal means to them. How would they define it, whether it is more the philosophy and lifestyle thing for them or "just" relaxation? What does it mean for you? How do you perceive and experience it?
For me, it’s just what sounds good to me. It gives me energy and calmes me when i’m busy in the head.
Finally, a classic but important question. What is NECROTESQUE planning in the upcoming months? Where can we see you at the stage and when will you visit the Czech republic?
We have a couple of nice gigs planned and even a couple in the Czech republic!
Come and see us at „United in Brutality 2023“ in „Kemp U Ferdinanda“ (i hope i’m saying this correctly, haha) on the 8th of September and on the 9th of September in Mlada Boleslav at Club Orthodox
Thank you so much for the interview. I wish a lot of success to the new album and let the number of your fans expand as much as possible. I will look forward to seeing you somewhere live again. I wish you a lot of success both musically and personally. I'm going to push „The Perpetuated Festering“ into my head again!
Thank you very much!
Recenze/review - NECROTESQUE - The Perpetuated Festering (2023):
Recenze/review - NECROTESQUE - The Necrotic Grotesque (2021)
A few questions - interview with death metal band from Netherlands - NECROTESQUE.
Recenze/review - NECROTESQUE - The Necrotic Grotesque (2021)
A few questions - interview with death metal band from Netherlands - NECROTESQUE.
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