Hi! The new EP – what are you stabbing at this time around? Is it an evolution, a regression into something uglier, or just another excuse to tear shit up?
Abbas – Hey Stanley, thanks for having us. The new EP is an evolution into something a lot more aggressive and angrier. There has been a slight focus on adding some more mid tempo elements in the music as well. All our music anyway is just another excuse to tear shit up.
Extreme metal is crowded with showboaters and genre tourists. Godless has always felt like you’re in it for blood, not applause. Where do you draw the line between brutality and bullshit?
A – People are smart enough to look through bull and music that’s not honest. We’re in this as fans of metal and write music that comes naturally and isn’t forced. We don’t try to fit into a certain mould and I guess that’s what keeps the music honest.
You call yourselves Godless, but it’s not just about rejecting religion – it sounds like you’re rejecting everything. What kinds of themes are festering under the skin of this new release?
A – The new record has a lot of socio-political themes and focused on issues we face within our country.
When you write lyrics, is it a purge? A warning? A middle finger? Or all three wrapped in a scream?
A – Its pretty much all three things wrapped up in a fasty and violent song usually.
Do you see yourselves as chroniclers of collapse, or just participants reveling in the fire?
A – A bit of both maybe.
Back in the saddle with Hertz Studio again – clearly a match made in audio hell. What is it about those guys that keeps pulling you back? What kind of sickness did they help extract from this record?
A – This time around we actually went with a different studio. We worked with Hertz for 2 records and it was great, but it was time for an evolution in sound. We’ve worked with Rorysoun Studio based in Sweden. We worked with Lawrence for one single in 2024 and it was a great experience. We felt confident that he’d be able to capture the sound we’d want and he absolutely smashed it out of the park with this. He managed to capture this gnarly sound that blends a raw old school tone with some clarity and punch.
Do you ever catch yourselves cleaning things up too much in the studio and have to dial the filth back in? What’s your threshold for ‘too clean’?
A – We definitely don’t want to have an overproduced and overly polished sound. We focus on practicing and polishing up our performance to try and make sure there’s next to no editing/cleaning up in the studio. We in fact leave some mistakes on the final product which is pretty noticeable in a few places. It just gives the record a human touch.
Tell us something absurdly specific about Genesis of Decay – some small studio detail that most wouldn’t notice but you’d go to war to protect.
A – The record process of this record was actually extremely weird and unconventional. We initially had the demos done. Since we had a tight deadline and the musicians are scattered all across the country, some even over 2000km away from each other, we had to work with each other’s schedules. We first recorded vocals, followed by drums, followed by rhythm guitars and then bass and finally tracked the solos. This gave the drummer a bit of a feel of the vocal structure for him to lock into. It of course wasn’t intentional but it helped in a way.
Hyderabad isn’t exactly Stockholm or Tampa. Has being based there shaped your sound in a way you think a Western band could never fake?
A – I’m sure it does to an extent. We aren’t exposed to too much live music so what we write comes purely from a place of our influences and our roots in music.
Is your music written in cold blood or white-hot rage? Do you plot it out, or does it just come out like a violent reflex?
A – Has to be a bit of both. We don’t really plot it out while writing though. It just flows naturally.
How do you stay pissed off? Four releases in, a Wacken slot under your belt, and international tours… what keeps the blade from dulling?
A – If you live in a country as big and populated as ours, there’s always enough reasons to be pissed off. We’ve been at it for 10 years and it feels like we’re just getting started. We’ve got a long way to do and a lot to do so focus on just pushing hard and forward.
That first European tour – what cracked open for you there? Did you find camaraderie, or were you still outsiders pounding on locked doors?
A – Our first international gig was Wacken Open Air. Playing in Europe felt more like home than it does here. People were extremely supportive and it felt very comfortable being there. Felt like we are amongst our people.
Indian metal still fights for scraps. Do you feel like torchbearers for your scene, or are you already too far down the warpath to look back?
A – We don’t really look at ourselves as torchbearers. We have a goal in mind and just push hard to achieve that. If in the process we can help the scene here and guide someone based on what we’ve learnt, we make sure we do that.
How much of your sound is shaped in front of a crowd versus in a jam room? Does touring warp your music, or reinforce it?
A- Our music actually is completely shaped in the jamroom. Playing live is what we live for but we try and write music that sounds good first. How it reflects live comes after. After 4 records, we can pick and choose songs that play well live from the catalogue.
While the world melts genres into digital soup, you’re still throwing bones to the old gods. What does ‘pure death metal’ mean to you in this era of algorithmic decay?
A – Honestly, we leave the labels and tags to the listeners. We might not be the purest death metal band out there or a band that’s trying to reinvent the wheel. We are influenced by bands from the 80s and early 90s and that might end up sounding like bands from the 2000’s who have the same influences. We grew up listening to thrash and death metal and this probably shows in the kind of music we write.
What’s the most off-base thing people say about Godless? What assumptions do you wish would die off already?
A – Honestly, we don’t really hear too much of shit talk. If people do, we’d love to hear it.
You’ve called this EP a stepping stone. So what’s on the other side – another level, another weapon, another war?
A – This is our first release after a major lineup change. We’ve got a new vocalist and drummer and we’re super happy with their contributions on this EP. We’ll work on a new album soon and are looking forward to pushing ourselves to write the best record we’ve worked on till date.
Kill one metal trend right now – dead, buried, never to rise again. Go.
A – Just wipe out anything trendy. Also deathcore.
If you really would like to support Antichrist, you can just Share our article.
You can also support Antichrist by sending a couple bucks to cover some webhosting expenses. =>> PayPal
