SLUGATHOR (Interview 2004)
If you have already checked the reviews sections, you know what I think about Slugathor... Essential (and I insist on this word) for "true" death metal fans. This interview dates back from 2004, after the release of the first album "Unleashing the slugathron". Immu (drums), well-known for his devotion in the underground scene, answered my questions.
| Hail Immu ! How are you today ? I’m fine! I’ve been very busy today as I’ve got so many things to do : Mails, records stuff, radio-program, arraging gigs/tours so you can see I keep active. But I’ve been listening to some good Metal music and soon going to sleep… Could you present us SLUGATHOR (history, members)! It all started in the year 1999 with me and Tommi (+ Nebiros and Tatte) when we wanted to form a Death Metal band in the middle to this fucking wimpy scene (it was at least back then). We didn’t knew any Death Metal bands of the moment in Finland except DEEPRED who still are our good friends. Of course we later heard about DEVILRY and others too. Our first demo came in the beginning of 2000 and was entitled “Delicacies of the Cadaver” after our very first and “hit” song. Soon German label Perverted Taste showed interest and released the demo as 7”EP. We did also another demo that year which Perverted Taste also released as 7”. This one is called “Fabric of the Multiverse”. Next year after that there was a line-up problem and we kicked our old vocalist, Nebiros and bass player Tatte from the band in the middle of studio sessions. We found new vocalist, Axu with whom we did a split 7”EP recording with DEEPRED. Soon also Antti from DEEPRED and Tuoppi (“silence” now noise!) joined and we had 5-piece line-up that has lasted since now! We played quite many gigs and in 2002 also a new promo CD was done. Last year Polish label Time before time released our live tape “Crush skulls & bones” and another Polish label Agonia did our very debut CD “Unleashing the Slugathron”. Also MC version for the album was done by Finnish Northern sound and Agonia should also release the album on LP. I think you can read the rest from this interview or find out from some else place. Since your beginning, your stuff was released through different labels (“delicacies of the cadaver” 7ep and “fabric of the multiverse” 7ep on perverted taste, “crush skulls and bones” on time before time records, spleet with Deepred on snuff records and finally your full-lenght album “unleashing the slugathron” on agonia records)! So, have you finally found the good deal? NO! Still not! Well.. there are always good and bad sides with all record labels. We are ok with all our past releases except with the album release and our “deal” with Agonia. It’s only for this one album and definitely after they’ve released the album on LP our co-operation with this label has been done. Besides forgetting my address Agonia also misspelled one title “Decilacies of the Cadaver”..aargh! Fortunately we didn’t make any real deal with Agonia. It’s only for this one record and we are free again. Agonia records has great bands like the Fuckin’ ATOMIZER, IMPIETY, WITCHMASTER, ARMAGEDDA! Are you proud to be on the same label than those bands? I don’t really care. Some of those bands are really good but I wish Agonia would just release our LP that’s already so much late and that he would not put so many new releases out all the time! Some other bands he’s been/going to release : Nunslaughter, Possessed and Conqueror, so cool but fuck. “Unleashing the slugathron” was released few months ago. This album is a real steamroller, the intensity is present all the time! It reminds me old INCANTATION, old SUFFOCATION, old BOLT THROWER! Is it your goal to keep the old spirit of death metal alive? I can’t say if it’s our “goal” to keep the old spirit alive but I certainly wish that we can keep it and keep brutal. The bands you mentioned are great inspirations and DEICIDE CC MORTICIAN AUTOPSY GRAVE MORBID ANGEL, etc. too! Why the song “seeds of torment” doesn’t appear on the album? I mean, this song originally appeared on the split with DEEPRED, and after also on the live tape. So, I thought it was an important song for you! Well it’s good that this track is a “hidden one”, hard to get.. Isn’t it? No, we just thought that this track wouldn’t suit for our album so we left it. I don’t know if we are going to record it again but I don’t think so at least not for our next release… Last week-end, you shared the stage with DEATHCHAIN, DELIRIUM’S ORDER, FLAME..... during a 2 days fest in Kuopio! How was the gig, the audience and of course.........the party (Juha from DLO told me it was amazing!)? Oh yeah! It was great Metal feast! The audience was much better than usually. There was besides diehards and older people, also younger folks who still seemed to be into our music. I can’t complain. I think all the most Metal people there was drunk, some even too drunk like me and our guitarist,Tuoppi haha! But I think all in all the gig went well even with a bit of drunkness. I think the feeling is much more important than to play exactly right. FLAME was my fave band of the festivals. They did even a cover of Master’s Hammer!! Real Metalheads!! oh and the Flame guys (at least their guitarist/vocalist) was even more drunk than us when they played! I know you’re a big fan of vinyls! Do you have the intention to release “unleashing the slugathron” on LP? Yes there should be an LP-version and that was the main reason for Choosing Agonia to release our album. But where is it…? I only got crappy CD and tape. I want vinyl! Hopefully this year! Immu, you are a real undergroung crazy maniac! So, I know that a lot of die-hard fans would like to know your top 10 albums! My top Ten! What a damn hard question!! It might even change every day. But I try to make it as various as possible! 1. IRON MAIDEN : “Killers” (I don’t have an ultimate Maiden fave but I had to put one here!) Heavy Metal, with punk and early NWOBHM roots! 2. SLAYER : “Reign in blood” Thrash Metal! 3. MORBID ANGEL : “Altars of madness” Death Metal! 4. SARCOFAGO : “I.N.R.I.” Brazilian Death Black Metal! 5. SARCOFAGUS : “Envoy of death” Obscure old Metal from Finland! 6. KAT : “666” Speed/Heavy Metal with Polish language! 7. MANILLA ROAD : “Crystal logic” Epic Heavy Metal 8. VENOM : “Black Metal” Black Metal 9.ANGEL WITCH “Angel witch” NWOBHM 10. the last would be MASTER’S HAMMER : “Filemnice occultist” or ROOT’s “Hell Symphony” but I can’t decide. Don’t take this list too serious. I think there are some bands that would deserve to be on this list (my favourite bands) but I can’t think of any certain album of them like VOIVOD, DEATH SS, MOTÖRHEAD SABBAT and BLACK SABBATH.! You already shared the stage with great bands like GOSPEL OF THE HORNS, REPUGNANT, FLAME and soon WATAIN. But if there would be only one band you would like to tour with, which would be? And why? It would be alcoholic mosh to tour again with FLAME and EVIL ANGEL for sure! Perhaps outside Finland this time? Foreign bands that I’d like we to play with Throneum (Pol) or Goat Semen (Peru) and one and only would be.. shit. I can’t tell you. Throneum in Europe but Evil Angel from Finland too. I think that trilogy I also mentioned in the beginning of my answer would be the best! FLAME, EVIL ANGEL and SLUGA! We never played with REPUGNANT by the way! Now it’s too late… Now I can’t wait to play with Watain and KAAMOS! Will it be possible to see you soon in France? I’m arraging a tour for Peruvian band, GOAT SEMEN for this Autum(2004). But unfortunately Slugathor can’t come. Goat Semen will come to France, Marseille in September. So you can see me, heh! Perhaps next time also my band. Ok Immu, that’s all for this time. I let you conclude this interview and “Slugathor will crush you in pieces!” (I hope I don’t stole your conclusion......hehe!). Slugathor will bring you death! and crush you. Simply fuck you … and fuck off!!! SLUGATHOR c/o ILMARI JALAS NYGRANNAKSENTIE 13 A 02750 ESPOO FINLAND slugathor@yahoo.com Mikael |
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