Interview: Beneath The Massacre
Interviewer: Tim Finch
With a new album recently released it was time for The Razor's Edge to catch up with the Beneath The Massacre lads, we had a chat about the new album, future plans and how cornoavirus is affecting them. Note that the interview took place just before the lock down over in the states was announced and their touring situation has since changed.
The Razor's Edge: Your new album, Fearmonger, is about to get its release. A brutal assault on the senses. How do you think it will be received by the long standing fans?
Beneath The Massacre: We feel very confident about our new album. Everyone that worked on that record knew this was a crazy project. And so far the critics are very good, even the ones that were there in our early days of ‘Evidence of Inequity’ (2004).
The Razor's Edge: The first album in a long time. Was the bands hiatus planned?
Beneath The Massacre: Not really, we just got busier and busier with other aspects of life and slowly but surely stopped touring, then stopped rehearsing and writing and ended up just stopping. But every once in a while we would work on a few tracks here and there, leaving us an option to one day finalise the album and play live shows again.
The Razor's Edge: I guess the break was a chance to re-group as a unit. Did anything specifically trigger the return of the band?
Beneath The Massacre: We just suddenly realised that all the sessions on Chris’s computer were now totalling and amount of time that looked like a full-length record. A decision needed to be made; either we record and release it or we officially stop and close the door to any possibility of playing music together again.
It was a work and progress album. We never completely stopped working on it and always remained in touch through out the hiatus. Chris and Dennis are brothers and they were my neighbours when were kids so we know each other for over 30 years. Band or not. So no, nothing really drastically changed. It was the same as when we were young bucks.
The Razor's Edge: You’ve brought Christian Donaldson in to produce the album. How did he help shape the sound you’ve achieved on the album?
Beneath The Massacre: Christian has been producing our albums since 2010. He was so stoked when I first talked to him about us recording an album again. He is one of the few producer that can keep up with the craziness of our songs. There’s no way we work with someone else. He’s part of our team and we’re happy to have him and his patience with us.
The Razor's Edge: It must be helpful having a fellow, very technical, musician helping throughout the recording process?
Beneath The Massacre: Exactly. He is also a crazy music enthusiast.
The Razor's Edge: And this is your first release on Century Media. You nearly went the independent route, what swung your choice to land with CM?
Beneath The Massacre: We would have not be touring or any of that if we would have gone independent because we don’t enjoy the business aspect of being musicians. I know some band are good at it but it is just not us. We would probably simply have shared our music directly with the fan. Century Media came along at the right moment and their help in every commercial side of things allowed us to focus on music and encouraged us to be more active with our art instead of wasting our time trying to be business men.
The Razor's Edge: The bands previous few efforts we on Prosthetic Records, was there any reason not to return with them?
Beneath The Massacre: No, not anything in particular. We are still in very good terms with them. They even released a limited edition of ‘Mechanics of Dysfuntion’ album lately.
The Razor's Edge: So with a new home, a new album and the future looking bright. What is next for the band?
Beneath The Massacre: Right now, we will brave the coronavirus and tour the US and Canada with our friends in Origin. We don’t have anything concrete planned afterwards but a lot of things are in the work
