Interview with NRS vocalist and guitarist of Trenchant done by Patrick
1.Hello how is life in Texas going this week?
Texas heat is in full effect now. If you can survive playing or going to shows in that then you can survive most places.
2. When did you first discover metal music and who were some of the first bands you listened to? Who are some of your current favorite bands?
I’d heard bands like AC/DC and Motorhead as far back as 11 years old, but it wasn’t until hearing Slayer at age 14 that everything fell into place. I’ve had the new Ritualization album on repeat ever since it came out last year.
3.NRS you handle the guitars for the band when did you first become interested in playing the guitars? Are you self-taught or did you take lessons when first starting out?
I became interested in guitar not long after I discovered music. I was fascinated with replaying the songs I was hearing which served as motivation when first starting out. I took lessons for a bit early on which helped to understand putting “feel” into what’s being played. It was something at the time I didn’t enjoy but now it makes more sense, especially in solos. As for playing metal that was all self-taught. You reach a point where no one’s able to teach you anything regarding what you want to play so you set out on your own to learn it.
4. Who would you say are some of your influences and favorite guitarists? Besides the guitars and vocals do you play any other instruments?
Jeff Hanneman is a constant influence. His playing is usually what I always go back to for inspiration. Other than that, Chuck Keller is always awesome to watch as he makes that style of playing look so easy.
5. Besides the guitars you handle the vocals when did you first become interested in growling and screaming? Do you do anything special to keep your voice and throat healthy? Who would you say are some of your favorite vocalists over the years?
I’d done backing vocals for several bands over the years but Trenchant is the first time I’m handling both guitar and fronting a band. I decided it was time to do both at the same time. I’d say Pete Helmkamp is the biggest influence on my vocal approach. Finding the right amount of clarity and aggression in vocals is important, otherwise the message gets muddied.
6. When did you first get the idea to start Trenchant and how did you choose Trenchant as the name of the band?
The idea had been floating around since 2015. It wasn’t until the middle of 2016 that the ideas started to become songs. I still didn’t have a name for the band until a conversation with TND where he stated a response I’d given was very trenchant. Trenchant means very incisive or sharp and it was perfect for what I was creating. It also goes one step further in looking like a portmanteau of the words Trench and Chant which is perfect for the bands style and lyrical concepts.
7. Who would you say are Trenchant's biggest influences?
Molested, Angelcorpse and Immortal are the main influences. I’ve heard other people’s interpretations or what they think it sounds like but those 3 are the ones I always go back to for inspiration.
8. Martial Chaos is the band’s debut EP. How long did it take the band to write the music for the debut? Does the whole band work on the music or does one member write everything?
Most of the material was written in late 2016 - early 2017. Most of it was written to a drum machine in the beginning. When we got GRA on board to do the drums the first practice I was afraid it was going to be too fast for him to play. He ended up playing the first song even faster than what was recorded! It was then we knew he was the perfect fit for what Trenchant is doing. Then it became a process of drilling the songs and ensuring all the parts were right. Nowadays I’ll write the skeleton of the song and we’ll all get together to work out some of the finer details in the structure.
9.NRS you handle the vocals so I assume you write the lyrics what are some topics you wrote about on the debut?
TND handles most of the lyrics while I usually supply the concepts. They mainly deal in war and the occult. Some a bit straightforward and some more subtle, it’s a good balance to have both.
10. Martial Chaos is a digital release. Are there any plans to release it on a physical format one day?
CDs will be out in the middle of June.
11. Does Trenchant play live very often or is this a studio only project? Are there any shows planned in the near future if yes where will the band be playing?
The debut show will be October 20th as part of the Texas Chainsaw fest. The Chasm is headlining with Acerus, Sacrocurse, Pious Levus and Remnants rounding out the bill.
12. Trenchant comes out of the Texas death metal scene. What are your thoughts on the death metal scene in Texas?
Houston is the main stronghold for death metal in Texas; they’ve got many of the old guard keeping the spirit alive in addition to newer bands reinforcing it. Dallas doesn’t have much in terms of death metal; they’re thrash and black metal. The same goes for San Antonio as well. Austin is a mixed bag with doom and sludge being what most people are into here. This results in a fair number of us going to Houston for shows.
13. Who are your all-time favorite bands coming out of Texas? Are there any new bands you feel the readers should check out soon?
There’s so many to choose from but for me it would have to be Absu, Imprecation and Necrovore. Each played a fundamental part in helping to shape metal for years to come and still play a big part in influencing bands today. I recommend listening to Oath of Cruelty as soon as possible as they’re Texas’s response to Angelcorpse. Maiestas from Dallas is also worth mentioning as they’ve been making a serious impact the last couple of years in addition to finishing up a full length sometime this year.
14. What does underground metal mean to you?
A rejection of a society that has lost its direction, an objection to the shackles of convention that would keep our internal flames guttering, if not extinguished. The underground is, at least traditionally, the final bastion of free will and thought.
15. Besides playing in Trenchant do you or any of the members currently play in any other bands if yes please tell the readers a little about them?
Were a band of veteran players who all play in two or more bands. TND is the bassist for Imprecation and GRA is the drummer for several bands such as Mortuary and Obeisance, his most notable band of late is Sacrocurse. I play guitar for Plutonian Shore from San Antonio and I’ll be doing live guitar for Trench Warfare this summer
16.Thank you for taking the time to fill this interview out. Do you have any final words for the readers?
Keep the flame alive.
Band Contact
https://commandoccult.bandcamp.com/releases
