Interview with old school death metal legend from USA - NUNSLAUGHTER.
Answered Don of the Dead (bass, vocal), thank you!
Translated Duzl, thank you!
Questions prepared Jakub Asphyx.
Recenze/review - NUNSLAUGHTER - Red Is the Color of Ripping Death (2021):
Ave NUNSLAUGHTER! Greetings to the catacombs and thank you very much for your new album "Red Is the Color of Ripping Death". I'm really enjoying the record. As one of my friends says, this is old dusty metal, in which flames will always whip from your ass! It's a long-running album on your part after a long time. How did the record come about and how did you enjoy the recording? Have you changed your approach to the past?
This album came together quickly and easily. We have a very nice practice spot that is also a studio so making quick demos of riffs or songs is very easy. We had some old idea that I wanted to flesh out but most of the writing came from this current line up. Tormentor and I have been playing together for about 7 years and he has a very good sense of what NunSlaughter should sound like. He handled all of the recording, mixing and mastering himself so we didnt have to many people with differing ideas. That is the biggest difference from the older recordings.
It's been six years since drummer Jim Sadist has been among us. I really liked his drumming. In my opinion, he was one of the hallmarks of NUNSLAUGHTER. The newcomer Wrath is already signed under the novelty. How did you get together and why him? It must have been very difficult for him to follow Jim. But I think he took on his role very well. Have you been forced to change the upload method?
Wrath is a very good drummer. He was writing and performing with Tormentor in other projects for a few years before he was asked to join. He understood that there may be some backlash with filling Sadists shoes but he said he was up for the task. He has an exceptional attitude towards performing and can make adjustments quickly. He is not just the drummer he also entertains people and us for that matter. Good guy and great musician.
I really like the sound of the news. In general, NUNSLAUGTER are a guarantee of quality in this respect. Tormentor (Noah) is signed under it. Does this mean that in recent years the sound has been completely in the hands of the band? If I'm not mistaken, have you recorded elsewhere before?
Noah was working with NunSlaughter is different capacities over the last 10 or more years. Sometimes he just recorded and sometimes he mixed and or mastered for NunSlaughter.
For many years we would record with anyone or anyplace and the varying sound quality shows this all too well. We do not have label budget so all of the recordings are paid for by me. Depending on my job situation I have more or less to spend on making a recording happen.
Another hallmark of your band is the packaging. I like the motif for "Red Is the Color of Ripping Death" so much that I also had to order a T-shirt. Now he's on his way over the ocean. I'll be handsome once again! Who is the author of the cover and how does the theme relate to the theme of the album?
Guang Yang is the artist. I let him know we wanted horns, fire upside down crosses and blood. He decided to take an iconic image of Michelangelo and pair it with Satanic imagery. I think the art came out very well and fit NunSlaughter.
In the texts you deal with Satanism, anti-Christianity, death. You could say that these are classic metal themes. But you can present them in such a way that I enjoy listening to them. Who is the author of the lyrics and how are they created? Where do you get inspiration for them?
I wrote most of the lyrics but Tormentor penned Annihilate the Kingdom of God and Red is the Color of Ripping Death with only a few additions by me. He is a very good lyricist in him own right and very helpful when it comes to phrasing. I consult and lean on him quite a bit and this is what brings the songs to life.
I am still deep rooted in ancient lore, Satanism and Witchcraft. This is where I draw inspiration from and why, I think, the lyrics for NunSlaughter have not and will not change.
It has been bothering me for a very long time, why do you actually have so many splits? It seems to me that maybe at any moment you're releasing EP, split, compilation. I admit that I already have a bit of chaos in that. It must be very organizationally demanding. In addition, issuing physical media today is perhaps not even worthwhile. Or yes? What is your favourite carrier? Are they tapes? Vinyl? CD? Or do you have mp3 music on your phone?
Most collectors have a wild time with NunSlaughter. We offer all sorts of media to collect and it is always a passion for me to release something that people will enjoy. My personal favourite is/was 7"s especially split 7"s. It is a way for bands to be united and for people to hear 2 bands for the price of one. In recent years 7"s have become so expensive that the new way is the old way...tapes. We have release so many tapes and split tapes I've lost count.
I have diginal music on my phone and I listen to CD rips off my PC when working but nothing is as satisfying as sitting down to spin a record.
When you toured Europe in 2014 (with a stop at OBSCENE EXTREME), I was just sick. I was terribly annoyed when my friends told you how they liked your performance. Aren't you planning a new tour in support of the new "Red Is the Color of Ripping Death"? How are you doing with the concerts now and how did the covid pandemic affect you?
We do have a European tour planned for 2022 but with the pandemic still real we are never sure it will happen. If countries close their boarders there is nothing we can do. Covid helped us finish the album but it is hindering us from supporting it with proper shows and tours.
Covid took from me personally friends and family. It did give me a greater sense of urgency to do things in life that I want to happen. Lets hope this does not last many more years.
You are already witnesses, the history of NUNSLAUGHTER dates back to the late eighties. How do you think the underground scene has changed? How have modern technology influenced you as a musician? What about the fans? Did you have to change your approach somehow? Sometimes I feel that a lot of people are more concerned with taking a picture with a tape and putting it on a fuckbook than actually listening to it.
The underground is not as underground as it once was but that is just life. Things change not always for better but they change. It is not as personal any more but it is easier to write and correspond with people all over the world.
Technology has helped NunSlaughter and many bands get a proper recording for a lot less money than the 80's could provide. I have not tried to change our approach but I am sure in many ways it has changed. Jim Sadist would always say "Too many bands and not enough fans". I was / am a fan of metal music before I consider myself a musician.
Speaking of social networks. For example, it happens to me regularly that our site blocks us. Maybe for two months, because of the drawn nipple on the cover of a black metal band. What is your experience with censorship in NUNSLAUGHTER? There are not exactly pink bunnies on your records either). I experienced socialism during my childhood and censorship is perhaps even worse today.
The most notable is when I tried to Copy write NunSlaughter. It was denied by the US government on the basis of "Violence towards religious figures". That has since been resolved.
Our Hells Unholy Fire was pulled from stores in Germany due to the rape scene on the back of the original pressing.
Our name has also been changed in print and on marquees. They have read Sun Slaughter, NoneSlaughter and a few others. Stupid censorship in the US.
I'm an old dog and I always really enjoy this question. How did you actually get into music? Who was your role model? What was your first concert? How did NUNSLAUGHTER once come together? Please remember for us.
It was at an early age I heard Kiss. I liked the imagery and gimmicks and that started my fascination with music. My first ever LP purchase was Double Platinum. I didnt know that is was a compilation but I liked the foil cover and 2 LPs were $8.88 which was a lot of money for me. I purchased it at the mall at a store called Zares.
My first concert that I paid for was Ozzy/ Motley Crue and Waysted. It ran me $13 and I could not believe how great of a show it was. That was 1983 or 1984 Bark at the Moon tour.
By 1985 I met a guy at school that told me about underground music and he gave me some tapes and told me the record store I needed to go to. It was Eides in Pittsburgh PA and that is when this odyssey really began.
After that I saw flyers for punk and metal shows in the area and started going with some friends. I met Ted Williams from Dream Death and he invited me to hang out with the older crowd that were all in bands. Eventually me a my freinds decided that we wanted to make Death Metal since there were no bands in the Pittsburgh area doing this kind of music. I told Ted and he was cool enough to give me his bass so I could be the bass player in our new band. That band was NunSlaughter.
Even after all these years of listening to metal, I think it's always terrible to recognize them if the band plays it with their heart. I still have that feeling from NUNSLAUGHTER. What does music mean to you? Is it for relaxation, a lifestyle? How would you define your relationship to music?
For me music is both an artistic release and cathartic. It has educated me on history and the workings of the world. Mans in humanity to man and our stupidity with religion. It is like breathing. I rarely think of it because music is pervasive in my life and without it I would die. I dont only listen to metal music but many forms of music. It helps me become a well rounded person and musician.
Thank you so much for the interview. I respect her. And you know what? I'm going to play "Red Is the Color of Ripping Death" again. And really loud. I'm looking forward to "flames whipping out of my ass" again! I wish you all the best and may you prosper in private. NUNSLAUGHTER rules!
Thank you my friend. METAL IS DEATH DEATH IS METAL NUNSLAUGHTER DEATH METAL.
Recenze/review - NUNSLAUGHTER - Red Is the Color of Ripping Death (2021):
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