Interview with death metal band from United States - ABYSSAL RIFT.
Answered Matt Auxier (Guitars, Bass, Vocals, Keyboards), thank you!
ABYSSAL RIFT - Extirpation Dirge (2023):
Ave ABYSSAL RIFT! Hello to the underground. I hope everything's okay with you. It should be, you have the first long-playing great album of your career this year. I have to admit, it literally put me up against the wall. It's dark, it's energetic, it cuts with a knife edge. It's very telling that you've done a great job and a great deal of talent too. How do you feel about the new record? How did the idea to start ABYSSAL RIFT!
Thank you! I feel quite good about it as it has been well recieved so far which is always flattering, the idea for the project came out of an abundance of time during the pandemic and a long love for death metal. Starting writing some songs and liked the direction so I wrote a bunch and picked the best ones!! I always like to write more songs than intended so as to not have any parts or riffs that are lacking.
„Extirpation Dirge“ includes all attributes of good death and doom 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 ABYSSAL RIFT?
It was self produced in my home studio, besides David recording the drums on his own, I did the rest. Its really nice to be able to do that as you can really dial in the sounds and mix to your liking. As far as the new stuff goes, we‘ve been writing that more as a band, while I still write the riffs and songs, Its very helpful to have input form others to help shape it. Plus the people playing live are old and dear friends that are incredible playres as well so it should continue to be a forward moving project.
Listening to the new album „Extirpation Dirge“, I feel like I'm sinking into a deep bloody swamp. The excellent cool and dark sound contributes a lot. How and where did you record? Who produced and, mixed album?
Yeah it was done by me as I mentined but mixed and mastered by Will Killingsworth at dead air studios, he does a fantastic job and was wonderful to work with. Will was able to take my rough mixes and make them more clear and present which Definitely contribute to the sound. Its good that you mention that about sinking into a deep bloody swamp as the whole goal of this project was to portray the bleakness and futility of humanity and I think we did that well!!
An important part and a kind of extra bonus for fans today is the physical CD. You released the new album at CD in label Sentient Ruin Laboratories, and it has a corpsy cover art. Who is the author? How did you choose the motif and how does it relate to the music at the record?
Jessi Nihil provided the absolutely stunning art, and If I remember correctly, it was a painting owned by M. From Sentient Ruin and we both thought it fit perfeclty. There were a copuple peieces from Jessi and we decided to go with that one cause it was just a perfect fit, the dead eyes, the color scheme, all of it was perfect for the sound and lyrics and the overall concept.
I have been wandering the underground for over thirty years and I still go to Ohio and Virginia 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?
Thats a good question, I think non american death metal is just as compelling but yes obviosuly tons of good shit here. I think Metal still stands as a counterculture movement, which may seem obvious but it makes me proud that death metal is still going stronger than ever after all these years of trying to play faster or more brutal, many bands today are pushing the boundries too which keeps it fresh in my opinion. I love modern Death Metal bands love of synths and was absolutely inspiring to me, Art and music are meant to be pushed to their limits and I would say that is one reason why metal has such staying power. Plus the undeniable energy in the music is still there as well.
You play doom 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 ABYSSAL RIFT 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?
It was started before and during the pandemic as early as 2019. I kinda wanted to do a death metal project and the pandemic allowed me plenty of time. I wanted to take all my heavy influences and not just from metal, and incoporate them into AR, while making sure it stays death at its core. I love 60s and 70s prog and psych ( King Crimson, Goblin, 13th floor elevators etc) as well as some of the heavy shoegazse sounds from the 80s and 90s, but making sure to keep it coherent and not just a bunch of experiemtnal jams. But I‘ll leave the people who listen to decide if I pulled that off! I wouldn‘t say I have one metal idol although as a young lad, Death and chuck, Immolation and incantation were always my favs, but way to many to mention. One of the first death metal shows I ever saw was NILE and Immolation and I just thought this is the most evil fucking thing I have ever seen I have to do this!! And yes we are vey interested in touring and doing some foreign fests, the fests in Europe absolutely do not dissapoint.
When I started my blog five 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?
We mostly rely on labels, social media and in the future our live show. Obviously building friendships and connections in the underground is helpful as well as are places like bandcamp and youtube where you can share your music without label assistance. I grew up in the DIY scene too playing hardcore and metal so very very happy to have the social media part of it. Makes it so much easier for indy bands like us. And yes love going to shows and showing support, the beauty of metal is the word of mouth thing, where I find a sick band and have to tell the homies and they tell theirs and so on, some other scenes its not about the music and its more of a fashion show. And I am ALWAYS on the lookout for new bands and old bands alike.
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 ABYSSAL RIFT? What do you think about downloading music, google metalists, streaming music, etc.?
Yeah there is definitely a giant sea of metal bands today so it is very hard to break thorugh but My attitude has always been make the best art I could possibly make and put as much energy behind it as possible and the rest is out of my hands. However, blogs and zines like yours are fantastic for small bands like us so you are essential!!!
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?
Death Metal is a dessenting voice against the giant blob of power we as humanity face, it is a lifesyle, and to be quite honest with you, metal and music saved me many times over, even if it was just something to look forward to that day. Sometimes its All I had. It also stands as a voice for me to express freely the issues of today as we try to sing about reality and fantasy metaphorically all kind of rolled into one. Death metal can be what ever you want it to be and thats why its always refreshing and doesn‘t grow stale to me.
Finally, a classic but important question. What is ABYSSAL RIFT planning in the upcoming months? Where can we see you at the stage?
We have some shows coming, only one announced on Feb 13th with Necrot and Mutilatred in our hometown of Columbus Ohio, then some more stuff planned as well not yet announced. We are also playing Total death over Mexico fest in June so that should be fun as fuck.
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 „Extirpation Dirge“ into my head again!
Thank you so much for the opportunity and keep on doing what youre doing! Cheers!!!
ABYSSAL RIFT - Extirpation Dirge (2023):
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