Interview for Headsplit Magazine #4

.This is our first and only interview as of now.

Thanks to D. Hay of http://malign-paradigm.blogspot.com/  for this interview.

1. First tell these illiterate fucks about the beginning of the band? How did Witch Vomit start?

T.T Witch Vomit  started around the time Dr Loomis (the band me and V.V previously played in) came to an end. We started playing death metal, which felt a lot more natural to play than the grinding thrashing metal we were playing previously. We played a lot slower at first writing long songs which more along the lines of doom than death really. Then after a couple months we found the sound we have kept thus far, somewhere in between Swedish death metal and death/doom.

V.V.- Shortly after the break up of our thrash band Dr. Loomis, T.T. and I never quit playing music together, every weekend we would jam different styles and start writing music together. At first "Witch Vomit" was going to be the name of a Repulsion style band that we spent only a couple nights working on, one time we just jammed out something slow and both thought we wanted to start a "dead/doom" band, so we kept the name and put our focus on that. 

2. What are some of the important influences of Witch Vomit. Bands,specific albums, etc

T.T I take influence from a lot of bands, as I am constantly listening to music. Some bands that have really influenced Witch Vomit are Morbid Angel, Nihilist/Entombed, Autopsy, Dismember, Grave, Asphyx, Incantation, Bolt Thrower, Demigod, Darkthrone, Rotting Christ, Impetigo, Crematory, Bathory, Disgrace, Archgoat, and Gorguts.

V.V.-At first I'd say we were really into something along the lines of Asphyx, Autopsy, Incantation, Coffins, Bolt Thrower, Dismember, Grave, and "Soulside Journey" by Darkthrone. As far as drumming goes I pay a lot of attention to the drumming on Soulside Journey and Onward To Golgotha. After we wrote our first demo we lost a lot of doom influence due to getting drunk and listening to mostly Swedish death metal all night and day. After getting our new bass player, J.G.(Torture Rack) , he began to throw more doom ideas our way so we have been writing a lot more slow riffs lately, which has been going great!

3. You guys recently got a new bass player. How's that working out for you? Do you miss the two piece line up?

T.T It has been working really well. It was a long search to find the right bass player for Witch Vomit. I met Jason when I joined Torture Rack, and quickly realized how sick of a bass player he is. A talented musician and absolute maniac! No, I do not miss playing as a two piece, neither of us were ever happy playing shows that way. The only advantage was being able to tune to whatever and improvise riffs when too drunk to remember them haha.

V.V.- Our new bass player rips! Solid dude and very fun to work with, he joined right before the recording of "The Webs of Horror" so we were able to record with him. I don't miss the two piece band at all, it was nice for practices because T.T. and I have been playing music for so long together, but I never felt satisfied playing live shows, people still seemed to like us, but I hated it when people said "You guys are sick for a 2 piece!", fuck that! Im glad that is over.

4. How do you feel about the revival of old school death metal? Where does Witch Vomit fit in this? What makes Witch Vomit different from the rest with so many bands coming out these days trying to play old school death metal.

T.T I think it's great, there are a ton of good new bands playing with the old school spirit. Actually releasing tapes and records instead of just posting songs on the internet. And having been too young to experience death metal at it's prime it's cool to have somewhat of a death metal scene nowadays. There are also a lot of shitty trend hopping fukks who would recognize Seven Chalices before they would recognize Seven Churches. But whatever they will give it up within a year or two. Witch Vomit stands out because we care about playing death metal more than anything else, we spend a lot of time and energy working on this band. We don't just throw together bullshit riffs and write a song in five minutes.

V.V.- I definitely like that there are good death metal bands coming out now, its nice to see that the thrash metal revival died down a bit and more people are playing death metal and putting out killer demos and records. I feel like Witch Vomit is a very honest death metal band, we take a lot of time writing our new material and want it to be different, but still have a completely old school feel. Ever since we started the band we would skip class just to practice at our parents houses and record demos almost every week. I guess a difference is that we don't hype our band like a lot of other new bands do, we just practice and record and when people hear it they will like it or not. I could care less what your band does every week, but when your record comes out Ill fuckin buy it!

5. What are some new death metal bands you guys would recommend?

T.T Too many! Vastum, Ritual Necromancy, Sempiternal Dusk, Rude, Trepenation, Cemetery Lust(more death thrash, but totally sick) Bone Sickness, Cryptborn, Shroud of the Heretic, Innsmouth, Sacriphyx, Teitanblood, Dead Congregation, Vanhelgd, Krypts to name a few.

 

V.V.-There are a lot of killer new death metal bands and just killer new bands in general, some recent death metal I really enjoy is Disma, Torture Rack, Ritual Necromancy, Rude, Horrendous, Trepanation, Dead Congregation, Anhedonist, Bone Sickness, Weregoat, Cemetery Urn, Ignivomous

6. What the fuck is that artwork for the demo? What's the story behind that?

 

T.T Hahaha everyone who bought that tape says that exact same thing. Our former bass player drew that, it's supposed to be  a scene from Creepshow 2. I thought it fit pretty well with the shitty sounding rehearsal tape haha.

  

V.V.- We wanted something to look similar to the Nihilist demo art pieces, but according to many people who bought the tape it missed the cut. Tons of people couldn't tell what it was, I don't blame them, but oh well the new artwork is sick!

7. Who did the artwork for the webs of horror. Killer drawing!

T.T A good friend of ours Matt Stikker drew that for us. He did a fucking killer job, totally sick guy. Check out his band Contempt!

  V.V.- That would be our long time buddy Matt Stikker! Our old band used to play with his old band and when Witch Vomit started he started a new band called Contempt. We kept playing sows together and became good friends. We wanted the art to be by someone new who people wouldn't really recognize. The art he did was sick!

8. The webs of horror is a Lord of the Rings quote. Are you guys Lord of the Rings nerds or something?

T.T Yeah, that song name and most of the lyrics came straight out of the book. Jason also called me a "fukkin nerd" when he realized that. I wouldn't say I'm a nerd, but I do love Tolkien's writing. Death metal inspiration can come from anywhere haha. 

V.V. Yeah I am a fan of Tolkien...but Ill leave this one to T.T.

9. Your debut EP is due out soon on cassette, what about a vinyl release. Any plans to put that shit on wax?

T.T We are planning on putting it out on vinyl. It may not be soon, but we will make it happen.

V.V. Yes the cassette is out any time now, the vinyl version isnt set in stone yet but hopefully within the next year. 

10. What are the future plans for Witch Vomit? Any new filthy tracks in the works?

T.T For the passed couple of months we've been writing songs for a new recording. All of us have been writing riffs lately, so the songs are all over the place which is really sick. I'm hoping to have around ten tracks and make a full length record by the end of the year. This summer I want Witch Vomit to play shows as often as possible so come out and actually support bands instead of sitting at home crying into your shitty records ya fukks!

V.V. Yes, we are currently writing a full length and have finished writing our third song. It is a little more complex than the earlier Witch Vomit, so far its sounding killer. We have a show in Seattle with Undergang, Trepanation, Astraes Pestis and Cauterized for July 5th and on July 12th with Shroud of the Heretic in Portland, thats about it for now I think....

11. Any last words for these degenerate cunts to close this FANTASTIC interview?

T.T Get drunk listen to death metal and vomit! 

V.V. Support the underground metal and punk scene, go to shows, buy tapes, records, write reviews, whatever, find a way to support!!!