Hi guys! You’ve been crushing it for 25 years now. How have you guys kept your sound so brutal and fresh over all these years?
Hello Stanley! I guess it’s all we can do when the 5 of us get in a room together, haha! We always stayed true to our original sound and although our sound did change and perhaps matured over the years we still want to sound as brutal as possible, it’s what fits best to the songs we write.
The new album dives deep into some heavy themes like murder and religious madness. What inspired you to explore these ideas, and how does it compare to the stuff you wrote about in your early days?
Well, these have been our lyrical themes since the beginning and we think it fits the brutal music best. Maybe there was some more anti-religious stuff in the early days but this is the fucked up stuff we come up with and feel comfortable writing about. For me it’s the first full-length I provided lyrics for and I can only speak for myself of course but everytime I try to write about something else it ends up being a brutal killing spree before I know it, haha.
How has Damiën changed the band’s vibe, both when you’re writing music and when you’re tearing it up live?
He brought in a big load of enthusiasm into the band and is very eager to create cool stuff. He’s 10 years younger than the rest of us and has the skills to play almost everything we could wish for so that really opened up possibilities during the writing process. And live he’s a machine also, we have to tell him that us old farts really need to tune or drink sometimes in between songs, otherwise he would be playing straight to the end of the set.
Coming back after a 12-year break is no small feat. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced getting back into the studio, and how did you push through them?
Well, it wasn’t really a 12 year break, more like 12 years of no new releases. After we released Slaughtered in 2010 we played a lot of shows and it was after our show at Maryland Deathfest in 2016 we decided it would be good to all step away from the band for a while. It lasted till 2017 when our original drummer Seth decided to leave the band and early 2018 we recruited Damien. And in 2019 we were playing shows again. We already started writing in 2010 but that didn’t work out. So that was a big challenge. When we continued with Damien on drums the writing went much easier and before we knew it we had enough songs for a full length. Damien has his own studio so that also made things easier. We just started recording.
You’ve been leading the charge in BDM for decades. How do you see the genre today, and what do you think Severe Torture’s place is in its ongoing evolution?
Well, to be honest I don’t see it that clearly. I know we made an impact, especially with our first 2 albums, but we never felt like we were leading the charge in BDM (to me personally – you were 😉 – ed.), we just play death metal, sometimes pretty brutal, but still I see us as a death metal band. I’m not a follower of the BDM genre in particular, some bands I like and others not so I can’t really say something about where the genre is today.
The Torture Compound Studios sound like a pretty epic place to record. What makes it the perfect spot for capturing the raw energy of Severe Torture?
It’s as epic as it gets, haha. No, it’s our drummers studio and we also rehearse there, so for us it’s the perfect place to record. Everything’s mic’ed up so also during rehearsals we can record ideas, which is really cool for pre-production as well. We feel comfortable there and we can take our time. That’s a good thing but also can be a bad thing.
Do you see Brutal Death Metal as a way to make a statement on society and politics, especially with the themes you explore in your new album?
No, it’s all just fiction for us. We’re not gonna make statements about politics, maybe a little bit on the total stupidity of society but we stay out of politics. I don’t wanna contribute to making the polarisation any bigger. And I don’t think brutal death metal is a good outlet for that anyway.
The ‘Fisting The Sockets’ EP marked your big comeback. What were you hoping to say to your fans and the wider metal scene with that release?
First of all that we were still around and capable of writing good songs! By 2021/2022 we had enough material for a full length but because it was since 2010 since we released something we thought it would be better to quickly record and release 3 songs instead of getting in that whole album recording and releasing circus which always takes a lot more time than just an EP. And it also was a nice way to check out recording oursleves in Damien’s studio and mixing by a new person. Looking back I think the EP is a fucking strong trio of great songs and at that moment for me the best we ever released.
Brutal Death Metal can be a tough genre for some people to get into. How would you explain what makes it so appealing to someone who’s never really listened to it before?
Indeed, to dive in straight it’s probably pretty hard but when you do it in little doses and small steps it shouldn’t be that tough. Once you feel the energy of that extreme music you will get pulled in and never want out again.
You’ve played all over the world. How do crowds in different countries react to your music, and what are some of the most memorable shows you’ve had?
I think the more south you go the crazier and wilder the fans are. I mean for instance in Norway there isn’t much movement in the audience but they really enjoy and appreciate the show and on the other hand in Colombia people tear down the place from the first note they hear. We sure had some memorable shows, I still remember Athens Greece 2009 as one of the best shows we ever did. Completely wild crowd and wild energy between band and crowd, really cool. But also a couple of months ago in Los Angeles we had one of the coolest shows ever.
How has being part of Dutch scene influenced your music and the way you see yourselves as a band?
We always had a good death metal scene in The Netherlands with bands as Gorefest, Pestilence, Sinister and Asphyx who were also successful abroad. Every weekend there were a lot of shows to attend so it didn’t take long for us youngsters to realize we wanted to do that to. We were very lucky that the first couple of shows we did were with Sinister & Dying Fetus so we had a good start. Our country was already on the map for extreme metal so we could easily join in. Musically the biggest Dutch influence for us were Sinister and Pestilence but we mixed that with the upcoming late 90’s bands such as Dying Fetus, Cryptopsy, Deeds of Flesh and so on.
How important is the visual side of Severe Torture’s music, and how did you work with Pär Olofsson to get the right look?
For us it’s really important and especially in these days when every week there are so many releases, you really want to stand out and have something special. For the EP we intentionally took a black&white drawing, to make it more basic and in your face, since it was sort of a comeback EP. For Torn from the Jaws of Death it was a longer search. We wanted something powerful and mysterious but not a all over the place brutal artwork, like we did in the past and a lot of bands still do. Our bassplayer run into a black&white sketch of that skull on Par Olofsson’s website and immediately loved it. He showed it to me and I totally agreed. We contacted Par and he was excited to and finished it in color which became our cover. In combination with the gold logo & title it really stands out and looks classy as well!
How has the way people see Severe Torture changed from when you started in the early 2000s to now, especially with a new generation of metal fans coming up?
In the early years a lot of people saw us as a Cannibal Corpse copy, that was hard to get away from. Of course we were big Cannibal fans and we even toured with them but in my opinion we sounded totally different. I think from the 3rd album in 2005 people started to see us as a unique band with our own sound and style. But since we are doing this for so long, we have different generations of fans. You have the old ones who still adore the demo and the first 2 albums and the newer ones who really dig Sworn Vengeance or Slaughtered. I don’t know if we attract a lot of new generation death metal fans, they seem to often go for the new old school bands if you know what I mean.
What do you think is next for Brutal Death Metal?
I don’t have a crystal ball and like I said I don’t really know where the scene is at the moment but I think it would be good if BDM bands pay more attention to songwriting and memorable riffs instead of focussing on speed, technicality, low tuning and being as brutal as possible. But that’s probably my old man shouts at clouds opinion, haha.
Looking back at everything you’ve done, what do you think Severe Torture’s biggest impact has been on Brutal Death Metal, and how do you hope people will remember you? Thank you for your time!
Thank you for your interest in the band! If we had an impact I think it’s keeping The Netherlands on the map for extreme metal music. I hope people remember us as a band that showed that with little line-up changes you can still make an impact on the metal scene with good quality albums for 30 years!
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