Interview with Infernal Outcry

Interview with Female Fronted Australian Progressive Death Metal Band. Check it out.

Tell us about Infernal Outcry?

We’re a death metal band from sunny old Hobart, Tasmania. We like Piña Coladas and getting caught in the rain.

What are lyrical themes of Infernal Outcry?

The main themes concern the emotional conflict arising from the awareness of our mortality, particularly in relation to the unsustainable and artificial nature of our global civilisation and its negative impacts on the natural world. The lyrics are an expression of the darker emotions that are experienced by humanity and attempt to provide both the listener and creator with a form of catharsis by developing a deeper understanding of the world around us.

What are your influential metal albums?

Our tastes in metal vary a fair bit, which is great because it provides us a greater diversity of influences to draw from. Some of the bands we love include Opeth, Cattle Decapitation, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Revocation, Protest the Hero, Megadeth, and even Manowar. It’s hard to choose just a few favourite albums, but here some examples: Nihility by Decapitated, The Sound of Perseverance by Death, both of Necrophagist’s albums, Cowboys from Hell by Pantera, and Images and Words by Dream Theater.

How did you choose the cover artwork for Mass Extinction Requiem I?

The theme of the EP is the collapse of civilisation and extinction of humans. It is a warning about where our global society is headed. The first EP, especially the track “Collapse & Transformation: I. Collapse”, is about civilisation collapsing, so we wanted artwork to depict the carnage and devastation caused by mankind. We commissioned a talented and likeminded up and coming local artist, Erin Amor ( www.facebook.com/ErinAmorArtist/ ) to do the front cover. Another Tasmanian artist, Bill Dean ( www.facebook.com/billdean.art ), who has painted amazing artwork for Psycroptic and Mephistopheles, painted the back cover for us. Half of his painting is obscured on our first EP, and the second half of his painting will be revealed on the back of our second EP. Erin recently finished painting the front cover for Mass Extinction Requiem II. The second EP will feature the track “Collapse & Transformation: II. Transformation”, which is about nature’s recovery after the extinction of the human plague. You can find out more about these lyrical themes in our position statement regarding sustainability and overpopulation, which is available on our website: www.infernaloutcry.com.au/sustainability-and-overpopulation .

How were the songs written?

As far as the music is concerned, usually a member of the band will come to rehearsal with a near complete song. As the other band members learn the riffs, the song’s arrangement starts to take shape. Our vocalist, Liana, writes all the lyrics and vocal melodies and fits them to the music. That’s when we put the finishing touches on a song, like how long to repeat a riff, tidying up of transitions, etc.

How did the recording process go?

It was a pretty lengthy process and we learned a lot from it. We tracked the guitars, bass, and vocals individually at home. Then our producer, Joe Haley (Psycroptic), recorded the drums and re-amped the guitar tracks in his studio. This saved us a fair bit of money, but at the same time drew out the process quite a lot. We were all studying at university or working or both, and because we weren’t in the studio forking out cash by the hour, by necessity, the recording didn’t always take priority. If we had been solely focused on it, we would have finished recording a lot sooner, which would have made the grant acquittal deadlines less stressful. We got there eventually though, and we’re really happy with the sound we achieved; Joe did such a great job!

What are your future plans?

Touring! We think Tasmania is a great place, but we would love to play some more interstate shows.

Are there any countries you’re interested in touring or performing in? Why?

North Korea! Why not?

What bands would you like to play alongside?

Necrophagist (R.I.P.!), Meshuggah, Carcass, The Faceless, Opeth, and Mastodon. The Mastodon guys would be fun to party with!

Any last words?

Do drugs instead of going to school. And keep an eye out for the release of our second music video, which hopefully won’t be too far away!

Infernal Outcry: