Interview with Reaper of Crucified Mortals 2006

By Bradley Smith

 

Your mini-album Converted by Decapitation has been making regular rotations in my CD player as of late.  Can you tell us a little bit about it and about Crucified Mortals in general?

Crucified Mortals began as a solo project started by myself in the summer of 2001, I had done a very awful demo titled “Hung out to die” and numerous other bad recordings before the project turned into an actual band. I gone through a good amount of members until I found Sebastian Dzialuk and later Zack Rose.

Converted By Decapitation was the first ever studio recording to ever be released by Crucified Mortals. We self financed it and released it ourselves on what was then called “Stigmatized Records”, but later became “Reaper Metal Records.” The E.P. was 1,000 copies pressed originally as a jewel case version and the released date was Friday August 13th 2004. Just recently in July of 2006 “Converted…” was re-issued on Weird Truth Productions(Japan) as a limited to 1,000 Digipack CD, containing two demo bonus tracks and a CD-Rom video, it also contains a completely different layout including lyrics.

 

You guys have two split 7”s scheduled to come out this year.  One with Spawn of Satan and the other with the legendary Deceased.  What will these two releases feature?  Why split 7”s as opposed to other types of releases? 

Well actually, both of those releases will be coming out next year on Hell’s Headbangers. The Spawn of Satan will be on both CD and 12” vinyl and will contain 3 new studio songs from both bands. I am involved with Spawn as well, I will be playing bass on that recording. The Deceased split will be on 10” vinyl and will contain good quality demo material from both bands. To answer your last question in a different sense, I choose vinyl over CD release because I’m more excited to see our material on vinyl than to be on a CD and also because generally vinyl collectors are more die hard real metalists than people who buy CDs. I like our music to be in the hands of fans who will last and appreciate our music for the rest of their days.

 

I know you guys recently played Live with old school death metallers, Sadistic Intent.  Can you tell me how that went?  I am told by some pretty reliable sources that you guys are awesome live.

It went very well we played at a great venue in the great city of Chicago. We obviously shared the stage with an excellent band. I’m flattered to hear we are an enjoyable band to see live!

 

Of course your influences are old school thrash bands from the 80s.  What do you think is so magical about that era when metal music is concerned?  What makes thrash so powerful?

Magical thing about that era is that death, thrash, and speed metal were so fresh and bands were excited about making metal only because they loved it! The recording technology wasn’t as sophisticated as today, so the real energy and musicianship of the band would be captured on tape, where as now everyone wants to sound perfect, yet the way they go about doing it is with various overdubs, infinite punch ins, triggered drums and various methods of cheating to create what I like to call “Computer Metal.”

 

While we are on that topic what do you think about maintaining a sort of purity in the thrash style rather than incorporating outside influences?  What do you think of the Nu-metal genre that has risen in the recent past to try and claim some sort of fake legacy of “extremity?”

I think if you’re going to play any kind of metal you should stick to the sound and style that makes it what it is. I’m not against bands trying new things, however I do not see the point in it since realistically originality is slim to none these days, so why bother? I would much rather hear good quality metal than shit originality. I think “Nu-Metal” is like a religion, it’s crammed down so many people’s throats that they can’t think for themselves and realize there are really good bands out there than what the media throws at them. Many people have no clue what real metal is because they unfortunately never hear it, they’re deafened with this crap and they support/like what the media tells them to like without knowing there’s a whole other world of music out there, they just have to look and find it for themselves!

 

With you guys getting more and more exposure in the underground have you garnered any larger record label attention?  If you could sign with any label that you wanted which ones interest you the most?

Well I’m not sure, but I can say we’ve definitely gotten more attention from any labels than where we first started. I wouldn’t sign with any label at all, I feel that would keep us from our freedom. I’m happy with doing a release on many different labels! However I’m very glad to be working with Hells Headbangers.

 

I know you run Reaper Metal Records and have released the excellent demo compilation of Decimation.  How did you come across them and what future releases are you planning?  Have you found running your own label to be a struggle or has it been relatively easy?

Well I’m from Cleveland and that is where Decimation were from when they were around. I know former vocalist Jim Lippucci and I asked him about doing a CD compilation of those demos, he was grateful to the idea and the rest is history. I will be doing a re-issue CD from the Polish Speed metal band “Magnus.” It will be their first album containing six bonus tracks, I’m still negotiating with them in regards to re-issuing their two other albums. Out soon is Rabid- Annihilation CD, which is the first album from this young upstate New York thrash band. It’s been relatively easy and a lot of that has to do with me being a sibling to Hells Headbangers.

 

As a lover of old school thrash what do you think are some of the underrated gems from the 80s that people should go back and check out?  What are some of the best modern bands that you enjoy?

Well although they were Christian, I think the first album by Believer is an excellent record. Cyclone, Morbid Saint, Rigor Mortis, Devastation(Chicago), Prime Evil, Détente, Sabbat(Japan) and others. As far as modern bands, I can honestly say I only like modern day underground bands, no big names of today pleasure me…some I like are Flesh Made Sin, Fastkill, Toxic Holocaust, Hypnosia(still fresh enough to be modern) and there are others.

 

Converted by Decapitation is pretty critical of Xtianity.  What are your own personal views on religion in general?  Why do you think that metal as a genre is pretty anti-xtian as a whole?

Religion has done it’s good, I think a lot get really carried away with it, I think there has been a lot of unnecessary violence because of it, but I think without it there would be a lot more violence and less control. With good comes the bad unfortunately, I don’t need a religion to live my life and I am fine with the people that do need it, but not the ones who shove it down others’ throats or commit acts of violence to other beliefs.
Well every genre has it’s main message and I think with metal being an “extreme” form of music, why not speak an “extreme” or “negative”  message to make people hate it even more? A romance novel isn’t exactly a romance novel if the entire point of the novel were to be about killing people, an extreme form of music (Metal) isn’t exactly extreme if the entire message were to say praise Jesus and spread love...
  

What do you think of Vinyl as a means to spread music and what do you think of this medium in general?  Do you think it is essential to an old school band to have their album come out in vinyl format? 

I think vinyl is great, I like it more than any other format simply because there are so many great things you can do with it, shapes, picture discs, colors, clear, etc. Not to mention if you have great cover art you can appreciate it more with a big presentation of it. I think it’s essential for any band to have their music on vinyl, keep the format alive.

 

I have read that you are possibly going to be doing a cover.  When it comes to choosing songs to cover do you think a band should be adventurous and interpret a song that lies outside of their genre or stick to material that is similar in style to their own brand of music?

It was a mistake and not my idea for us to have done a cover song, it was awful and will never be released. I don’t like doing cover songs and that’s why no one will hear a cover from us. I’m here to create music not copy it. I think no band should do covers honestly, I’m not saying I hate the covers I’ve heard because some were really good, I just see no point. Your question brings another point, a lot of covers done outside of the genre are awful and even more pointless…..if I wanna hear Rock n Roll or whatever I will listen to rock n roll bands.

 

I know you guys are working on some more material for a new album and such.  Will there be any progression or can we expect basically a consistency of style and material? 

We’re working on material, will it be a split, E.P. or an album is another question. You can expect songs that are the style of Crucified Mortals.

 

Final Words before we are Sentenced to Extermination?

Thank you for supporting underground metal, thanks to all who gave a shit to read this interview. You can in touch and/or up to date with the following information:

Snail mail:
Crucified Mortals
P.O. Box 27571
Cleveland, OH 44127
USA
crucifiedmortals@hotmail.com
www.unitedheadbanger.com

Hammer the nails and thrash till your death!