Interview with Destruktor

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions and let’s get started:

Infernal Masquerade: What was the main reason behind the formation of Destruktor?

DESTRUKTOR was formed back in the mid-nineties by myself and Jarro. We both had an instrumental background, and were both into the darkest, most violent music of the time and shared a passion to write our own stuff. It all came from there. I think the same remains true now. I am a fan of violent extreme death/black metal, and enjoy the challenge of coming up with great extreme metal even now. I can not think of a better reason to play, enjoyment. Another factor would be the release it gives me, you can’t be 100% happy with life if you play this shit, and it is my spiteful attack on the world around me. I do my best to work within society, because the alternative has less attractive consequences, and DESTRUKTOR helps expel a bit of hate to leave me a more sane person in everyday life.

I.M: Destruktor has very old-school sound and similar to several Australian band’s I’ve been reviewing recently. Why did you guys go for this sound?

We didn’t go for any sound. I grew up in the early-mid nineties, listening to great shit like Mayhem, Morbid Angel, Dark Throne, Immolation, Dismember etc, and to this day, this shit appeals to me. The intensity and heaviness of Death Metal, with the cold/evil feel of Black Metal. I have always loved a headbang/thrash, so I keep some of that catchy thrashing element within the band. It all comes naturally to me this way. I can see an aussie flavor to our sound, but I think we have a bit more dark/black metal feeling than the thrashier or death bands for example-Vomitor, Gospel of the Horns, Cemetary Urn, Grenade, Destroyer 666. You are the judge though, but that is how I see it.

I.M: “Nailed” is the band’s first full length. Can you tell us more about the concept or ideas behind the album? Also about the writing and recording process?

Nailed is the culmination of many years refining our craft and clearing many hurdles. There is no “concept” throughout the album, but the title and the cover art coincide. Jahred and I had been working on the songs over a four year period, and after a period with bass player problems, we decided to record it as a two-piece, it was the only way, it had become too much of a 2 man process that it was the only way really.. We now have a bass player, Brad, who is fitting in very well indeed…..

We recorded in Melbourne with Sam Johnson. He had done a couple of other things such as Funerary Pit and Cemetary Urn. We recorded it over a couple of sessions, and mixed and mastered it over a couple of other sessions. We took our time with the whole thing, it had been a long time coming, so I had no problem in taking my time to get it as good as possible with the  music and presentation. I’m sure there is scope for improvement on our next album, but I’m very satisfied with the final result.

I.M: What are you guys planning to achieve with Destruktor?

Over the years, we have had few goals, but certainly doing a full length was one of them, and touring overseas is another goal. Hopefully we can achieve this in 2010/11. It has been spoken of, but I’ll wait and see how Nailed goes before going for it. Hopefully a decent offer comes about in the next couple of years. If that doesn’t happen, I would expect a second full length to be recorded, with a split 7” or something like that released in between. I think we have been around for a long time, but still the name is spreading slowly like a disease, and I expect to continue spreading a more lethal disease with our future efforts. We have never wimped out, and NAILED shows that we continue to desecrate with brutality!!

I.M: Have you guys started thinking about the new album?

The next album is still some time away, but I expect by the end of 2011 it will be on the horizon. We have about 5 songs/half songs that we are working on, with only one title so far being “Faith of the Lobotomized”. The shit is still flat out heavy/catchy stuff and black/death/thrash throughout the entirety of the songs. I think we will continue in the path of NAILED, with each song stylistically similar to the past, but with a few more ideas thrown in. Not in an experimental way, just a bit heavier and intense I would say.

I.M: Being from Australia, how is the scene over there? We get a few Aussie bands but I image there are plenty more.

From a Melbourne perspective, I would say it is going reasonably strong. Mostly reasonable turnouts, and reasonable support. They are not maniacs like 10 years ago, but still, many good nights to be had. Cemetary Urn and Ignivomous are a couple of local standouts, and you also have Urgrund and Nocturnal Graves flying the flag with might!! A couple of unknown bands from around these traps is Stormbane and Wreak. There are plenty of other bands flying around, but that is it. The zine scene is almost dead. It is on it’s last legs, distro wise there are a few OK ones I guess, and gigs are pretty regular. Other Aussie bands to go for are Portal, Cauldron Black Ram, Vomitor, The Nihilistic Front among others. There are plenty of other decent bands, but these bands cover a wide variety of Underground Aussie Metal.

I.M: Since the band formed the Internet and technology has evolved enough to make music more accessible, easier to record and as the downside piracy has flourished, what is your opinion on this? Do you think these things had a positive impact on the scene, or do you think it has tainted the scene?

There are obvious pros and cons on the evolution of the internet. It’s a great resource for sending information via email, and is also a great source for information. But on the other hand, it is full of absolute shit and it devalues good music. A large majority of home computer studio recordings are not really high quality stuff. It take years to build up good equipment, and good acoustics for a realistic metal sound, and then the use of drum machines further devalues the time and effort it takes to put together a band that is capable of playing live, and can justify paying for studio time to get a better presentation of the band. If you have a poor production, that is fine, but launching it as your debut ep/cd is shit! Call it a demo and stop bullshitting yourselves!! I don’t have a huge problem with piracy, but I don’t support ripping off bands. If it is promoting the band, and not for personal gain, I do not see it as a problem, the bands should be thankful of the support. But people making money off the band, when the bands make bugger all themselves, and not giving the band anything is not right in my eyes. It will kill the CD/LP industry at this rate. It affects the labels and distros aswell as the bands.

I.M: If you guys had unlimited money for a live performance, what props and stage set up would you use?

Man, I would have lots of big burning upside down crosses, a blood shower, drum riser, crazy fog, blue green and red lights with scatterings of strobe through the fog bombs going off,, fucking evil backing tape in between songs, bullets, studs, spikes, meathooks with carcasses hanging from them in the background, man, whatever I can think of!!! It would be fucking killlleeeerrrrr!!!!

I.M: Anything else you want to add for your fans and our readers?

Cheers to all the metal warriors supporting DESTRUKTOR over the years, get the fucking album and burn in hell!!!!!

Thanks for answering the questions and good luck with the new album promotion.