Interview with Tumulation

Hi! How did the members of Conjureth come together to form Tumulation, and what inspired the switch in musical focus towards the Death/Doom genre?
Frankie – Greetings and hello. Tumulation came to be out of having some downtime after the recording of Conjureth’s 2nd full length. We wanted to do something a little different before we began the rehearsals for what would be the 3rd album.

Wayne – Personally, doom/death is my favorite style of extreme metal and I missed playing it once Decrepitaph ended. So this is sort of a way to continue that general idea forward, while doing something different at the same time.

Your upcoming debut album, “Haunted Funeral Creations,” has been described as a nod to the swampy early 90’s Death/Doom sound. How did you go about capturing that sound in your writing and recording process?
Frankie – Being fans of the style and having things like that before in Conjureth and Ghoulgotha, we just focused more on doing that. Slow dark and murky.

Wayne – Tune Low, Play Slow mixed with a little bit of Keep It Simple, Stupid. Also, recording the old fashioned way. Cranked amps, no click tracks, very little overdubbing, and most little mistakes stay in. There’s a reason why those albums from 30 years ago sound great, and it wasn’t amp sims.

What themes and ideas are explored in the lyrics on “Haunted Funeral Creations,” and how do they complement the overall sound and feel of the album?
Ian – The lyrics cover a pretty wide range of topics. Some of the songs such as Rorschach and Bound to the Rakasha are based on books that enjoy (Blightsight by Peter Watts and The Lord of Light by Roger Zelesny respectively), whereas other songs like Sterilizing Winds, Astral Sickness and Shattered Under the Eclipse cover apocalyptic concepts. Then there’s Rites of Forgotten Misery which throws in some classic satanism for good measure. I guess you could say that the overall theme of these songs involve humanity being dominated by powers beyond our control.

You’ve mentioned that Tumulation’s sound is heavily influenced by classic Death and Doom Metal bands. How do you balance paying tribute to these influences while still creating something unique and fresh?
Frankie – Well, it really is a double edged sword in that regard. Paying tribute and being a clone can be a fine line. We just write and it comes out the way it does, in continuation of those classic bands but not doing what they’ve done or try to connect ourselves to them.

Ian – I personally never made any attempt at being unique with the songs I wrote. I just wrote stuff that I felt sounded cool without thinking too much about it.

What does the music of Tumulation and other death doom metal bands reveal about our relationship with death and the afterlife? Does the exploration of themes like mortality and despair in their lyrics and soundscapes provide a cathartic experience for listeners, or does it reinforce negative attitudes towards death and suffering?
Ian – Death is something that we will all have to confront someday, so we might as well associate it with badass riffs rather than existential dread.

Frankie – Well in the words: death metal, it already gives you an idea on what it’s about. And on the other side of that it can be said that one of the originators of the style, Chuck Schuldiner had some very uplifting and contemplative lyrics. Death metal can glorify death in life and life in death. Take from life and from death what you wish.

With members from several other prominent extreme metal bands, how does Tumulation stand out in terms of sound and style compared to your other projects?
Frankie – It’s just an expansion of something we’ve done before and really going all out with it and adding a few twists and turns along the way.

Ian – Compared to the fast and aggressive style of Conjureth, this band is slower, more laid back and simplistic. There are some fast parts but overall it’s meant to be the opposite of what we’re normally doing.

Wayne – I played drums almost exclusively in bands for 15 years, then I switched to almost exclusively playing guitar in bands, so I kind of missed having a band where I could drum again. That is why I suggested we do Tumulation as a side project. Also, Frankie likes playing guitar and Ian really wanted to be a vocalist, so it was a win-win-win all around.

What role does California play in shaping the sound and aesthetic of Tumulation’s music, and how do you draw inspiration from your surroundings?
Ian – Cant speak for the other guys but for me this sort of thing doesn’t really influence what I’m doing musically.

Frankie – I’ve been here practically my whole life, however I’ve always been more drawn to colder and gloomier things, could be because of the contrast to California. What inspires and gives me ideas are the places I travel to. Drives through the mountains, deserts, the small bits of forest we have, the beach, so I write thinking of those places.

Wayne – Zero. But it shows you why there are so many good bands from Norway and Sweden.

“Haunted Funeral Creations” was recorded at Trench Studios by John Haddad and mixed/mastered by Gabriele Gramaglia. What was it like working with these renowned producers, and how did they contribute to the final product?
Wayne – We’re buddies with John at this point, after recording with him exclusively for over 10 years now. Working with Gabriele was also great, and I think his input really brought out the nastiness in the production in the best possible way.

Frankie – Having recorded with John numerous times before makes it very easy and quick. We’re very simple. We record everything naturally, drums, guitars, bass and vocals and in a few days it’s done. All the work is done in rehearsals, the studio is where it all pays off.

Ian – It was a very smooth and fun process on both accounts (recording and mixing). We weren’t too picky with the sound so we just sort of had fun with it. We’ve recorded with John many times but this was our first time having Gabriele work on the mix. He was very skilled and receptive to feedback so we’ll probably work with him in the future.

What has been the biggest challenge in bringing Tumulation’s sound to life, both in the studio and in a live setting?
Ian – This biggest challenge during the recording was probably getting everything set up. We had multiple amps and pedal boards all hooked up together and it took some trial and error to get it all working properly.

Frankie – I can’t say it’s been difficult, we don’t play Tumulation live very much but its nothing that can’t be replicated. It’s only 3 of us, it still sounds like us no matter the location. If we wrote it, we can play it, no studio trickery, same with Conjureth. We play what we recorded and you’ll hear that.

How important is the visual aspect of Tumulation’s music, such as album artwork and stage presence, in conveying the band’s overall aesthetic?
Frankie – Artwork is important, as it’s always the first thing someone will see. I however am more drawn to the music and what I get off it. However it can set the tone for an album. Some album covers are works of art that can stand on their own.

How do you balance the darker, more aggressive elements of Tumulation’s music with the technical and musical aspects of your songwriting?
Wayne – I don’t think anything we’re doing in Tumulation would be called technical. We leave the semi-technical stuff to Conjureth. This was meant to be something we could easily do without taking tons of time to write complex songs or super involved riffs. Most of this style is simple for a reason.

Ian – Its not something we spend a lot of time thinking about. We just put the riffs together in ways that seem to make sense at the time. Whether it’s properly balanced is up to the listener to decide.

The Death/Doom genre is known for its slower, more atmospheric approach. How do you keep the energy and intensity levels high while still staying true to the genre’s roots?
Wayne – We all contribute full songs to the mix, so we’re covering a lot of bases. Ian is writing more from a traditional DM perspective, I’m writing more from a doomy death perspective, and Frankie tends to lean towards atonal tendencies that wouldn’t sound out of place on the first Cathedral album. Mix all that together, and you have all speeds and atmospheres covered.

What do you hope listeners take away from “Haunted Funeral Creations,” and how do you think it represents Tumulation as a band?
Wayne – We hope people dig what we are doing and will be interested to hear more. This was never meant to be the next big thing, but if it catches on, that’s cool with us. If not, no big deal. We’re going to continue to release music one way or another.

In what ways do you think the Death/Doom genre has evolved since its inception, and where do you see it heading in the future?
Wayne – There’s certainly more bands, but it’s also very saturated. I rarely hear anything new in this style that blows me away. I’m also old and jaded at this point, so that is probably most of it. I don’t really know where it heads in the future. Hopefully some bands can find a way to make the riffs stand out in a unique way, like most of the early 90’s bands did.

What role does experimentation and pushing boundaries play in Tumulation’s music, and how do you incorporate new ideas into your sound?
Frankie – We’re not trying to reinvent the death doom wheel but we’re also not trying to be a boring band that gets lost in the metal band shuffle. For us when we become bored of it we will stop because we also have Conjureth to focus on.

Ian – Experimentation plays absolutely no role in our songwriting for Tumulation. It’s just not the focus of the band.

How do you balance the creative aspects of being in a band with the business and promotional side of things, such as touring and social media?
Ian – Well considering that the release of our first demo what in part a promotional stunt for the second Conjureth album, I’d say the two sides go hand in hand.

Wayne – I handle most of it, and now Hammerheart is helping quite a bit. We don’t have much social media presence yet, but maybe after this album is officially out, we’ll get some more to put out there.

Finally, what can fans expect from Tumulation in the future, both in terms of music and live performances? Thank you!
Frankie – Not that we want to limit ourselves stylistically, but if you like what we’re doing, there’s more of it coming, and we hope to keep it interesting because we’re not going to release music for the sake of releasing music. We do it because we enjoy it, and if other people like it as well, perfect.

Ian – Just some more evil sounding Death Metal. Nothing more, nothing less.