Interview with death metal band from Costa Rica.
Answered Alfonso Perez (bass, guitars, drums), The Master Butcher - vocals - thank you!
Recenze/review - INSEPULTO - Undead... but Not Alive (2023):
Ave INSEPULTO! Greetings to Costa Rica. I hope everything is fine with you. I was really looking forward to your new album „Undead... but Not Alive“, I have always had a lot of fun with previous records and I was happy to come back to them. How did the new piece come about and why did it actually take so long?
A.P. - Hails Jakub. And thank you for your support and this interview. It's great to hear that you like our music. Finishing this third album was both, an ordeal and an achievement. And there are way too many reasons behind the time we took to complete "Undead.... but not alive". For example, some of these songs were writen before our previous album, "The Necrodex" came out. So we were sitting on them for almost a decade. But I think it was a positive thing. It gave us the opportunity to really analyze what we wanted with the material and how it would be done. This just feels like the right time to release it.
The new album is your third long-played album so far. However you have been playing since 1993 so it is not that much. Why so? What was the problem – money, time…?
A.P. - The main problem back then was distance and transportation. We were a bunch of kids who lived far apart from each other and nobody owned a car or a motorbike. And public transportation didn't help either. So the band entered a period of inactivity until 2007 and we have 3 albums so far. It's been some time but we are hanging in there, so to speak.
The Master Butcher – Even when Insepulto’s foundation dates back to 1993, it wasn’t until 2007/2008 that the whole thing started more seriously. In practical terms that means, 3 albums in 15 years, 1 album each 5 years, which in my opinion to too much between one and the other…but it’s even more considering our previous album came out in 2015…8 years ago.
Clearly we can see a pattern here. Insepulto have always had difficulties to work – for whatever the reasons – the evidence is clear. That’s why at certain point during the process of making this album I said to Alfonso we should better change the original title we had chosen - “Sworn to Death” - for something more applicable to what this project has been…an entity that his not dead but at the same time is not alive.
I really wanted this album to come out because, based on the above evidence, it is probably the last I will participate considering that I don’t see myself recording another one in 6 or 7 years from now.
The lyrics in death metal are sometimes underestimated. You sing about darkness, death and Satanism. What are the new album´s lyrics about and who is the author? Do you want to share some message with your songs?
A.P. - The Master Butcher takes care of all the lyrics. He has a lot more expertise, knowledge and taste when it comes to concepts, ideas and specially, his amazing phrasing. I only contributed with lyrics to the song "Dawn of Human Remains", which was inspired by imagining the dawn after D-Day at Normandy.
The Master Butcher – Normally I take care of all the lyrics and the source of inspiration can come from various sources. For this album I took kind of a more “introspective” approach with some lyrics talking about myself like the “My Morbid Ways” which I sing in first person but the listener can also relate to him/her self. Other lyrics like “Abject Tyrant’ tend to have a more political message questioning despotic authoritarian regimes. In other songs, the message – if there’s such of thing – is more philosophical, “Where No Notion of Sin Exists” is an example of that because I mention concepts like innocence and sin, two elements that shape what human beings are. Finally, you can find the typical “gory” lyric like “Exhumed to Rot” where the whole thing is about that…exhuming a corpse and seeing it rot.
What fascinates me about "Undead... but Not Alive" is the connection between darkness and blasphemy. It's an album that's full of absolute blasphemy, occultism. No compromise. It's very much about believing in what you're playing. Where do you stand in your relationship with Christianity? How does religion affect life in Costa Rica?
The Master Butcher – In Costa Rica, the majority of people identify themselves as Roman Catholic, and although the constitution grants freedom of religion, Catholicism is the official religion of the country. Approximately 17 percent of the population identify themselves as evangelical Protestants.
How does INSEPULTO compose? How the whole process works when you compose new material? Who is the author of your music?
A.P.- It is pretty simple at first. I write all the music. Once I have demo tracks ready and they have passed my filter, we both get together and listen to them carefully. We exchange ideas about improvements, changes, etc. Then I get back to recording and editing. The process is repeated until we feel the songs are finished. And then The Master Butcher adds concepts, lyrics and phrasing.
I love the sound of this album. It is dark, cold and sharp at the same time. In what studio did you recorded your album? Did you talked about the final sound and mastering?
A.P. - Thank you. I tracked guitars, bass and drums in my personal home studio. Vocals were recorded by our friend Mauro at his Onirica Estudios and the mix and master was done at Signaturetone Recording by Adam Tucker. We think this album sounds exactly how we wanted it to sound. Adam is an absolute master in his craft and an awesome guy to work with. I do think his input was a very important part of the sound on this album.
You released your album by Mexician Iron, Blood and Death Corporation. Why did you choose this label and how are you satisfied with their work?
A.P. - All I will say it that we are eternally thankful to Antonio and his label IBDC. He wanted to release our third album since the start and he waited patiently until we were ready. We could not be happier and prouder to be working with IBDC.
The history of the band dates back to 1993. How did the idea to play death metal come about? Who was your role model? Please reminisce for us! What was it like to play death metal in Costa Rica in the 90s?
A.P. - INSEPULTO was to be a combination of members from 3 different local bands. Some kind of "super group" so to speak. But we never went past the concept and some riffs long lost forgotten. We knew we wanted to play Death Metal because that's what we liked. Back in the 90's, the scene was slowly developing. There were only a few bands, one pretty different from the other, with their own identity and sound. We also spread the word around and tried to play as much as we could because not all venues had interest in extreme metal gigs. It was really exciting and interesting. Then came an event that brought the underground onto the public eye and that cause a total stop and huge stagnation in the scene. That is a story for another time though.
And what about the underground scene in your country in general? Is it alive in Costa Rica? Are you from San Jose, do you meet somewhere for death metal? If I visited the city, where should I go to a show? What about the fans? Do they support the bands?
A.P. - Luckily, the Underground is alive and well. There has been a proliferation of bands starting around 2008. Nowadays you can find bands playing every genre and subgenre there is and then some. Yes, we do live in San Jose (the capital) and there are 3 or 4 music stores we gather from time to time. There are also 2-3 "Metal" bars where band members and fans hang out, drink and listen to some good old metal. People are supporting the bands by buying their stuff, merch and attending gigs. If you caem down here, I would recommend those same stores and bars.
Do you have any dreams with the band? In the underground you have a good name, but you want to move somewhere higher? I mean, are you attracted to a tour with a big name, to play at a big festival, to release another record at a well-known label? What dreams and vision do INSEPULTO have?
A.P. - Since we started, we had a pretty clear goal: to pay homage to the music and the artists we liked the most. In this case, the most traditional, devout and orthodox Death metal. We never had anything else in sight. We have been extremely lucky since we found excellent labels (so far Wydawnictwo Muzyczne Psycho from Poland, Memento Mori from Spain and IBDC from Mexico) that believed in us and released our music. We will be eternally thankful to them. So, we are truly satisfied with the places this path has taken us and that our music has had echo in so many people. If the future brings more music from us and we can get a "big" label to be interested in it, so be it. But it is not our goal, never has been. As of now, we are centered and foscused in promoting "Undead... But Not Alive".
What does death metal mean to you? Why did you choose this style? How did you get to it and what kind of musicians were your role models when you started? Do you perceive death metal "only" as music or is it also a lifestyle for you? You can look at this page philosophically.
A.P. - Death Metal, for me, is the embodiment of feral and untamed aggression. It is a brute, crushing and devastating aural experience. It can be primitive, basic, groovy, dark, melancholic, technical and/or futuristic. But it will always remain true to it's origins and roots. I've never had any role models per se, but I have the utmost respect for people such as Paul Speckmann, Esa Linden, Barry Thomson, Stevo (Dobbins), Oscar Garcia, David Vincent, John McEntee, Antti Boman, Mick Harris, Mika Luttinen, Jesse Pintado, King Fowley, Luc Lemay, Jeff Becerra, Scott Carlson and Lee Dorrian, just to name a few. They all have had some influence on me as a person, as a musician and as a metal fan. I think Death Metal is not a lifestyle. I think it is music created to make you feel something. And that feeling or feelings can be translated into a vast array of actions and thoughts. Your choice.
Thank you so much for the interview. I'm going to play the new „Undead... but Not Alive“ again. It's great! Good luck and I hope that we will meet somewhere at the concert and have a beer together!
A.P. - Again, I am really glad that you liked the album. It took some time, but we are really excited and proud of how it came about. Thank you very much for your support and I sincerely hope we can meet sometime for that beer! Follow us on Facebook and Bandcamp and check in everyday, since we may have a surprise or two coming up for 2024. Hails!
The Master Butcher – Thanks so much my brutal friend, really appreciate your honest support.
Recenze/review - INSEPULTO - Undead... but Not Alive (2023):
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