Interview with Mutilated By Zombies done by Patrick
1.Hello please introduce yourself to the readers? How are things going in Iowa these days?
We are a 3 piece death metal band from Dubuque. Things are going great in Iowa, lots of awesome music coming out of the state and we're happy to be a part of the scene.
2.When did you first start listening to metal music and who were the first bands you listened to?Who are some of your current favorite bands?
Josh: Around age 9 or 10 my father had a compilation cd that featured the band Helmet. I was drawn to the distorted guitars and heavy hitting drums. I'd say that was what started me down the left hand path. Jason: My mom got me listening to stuff like Skid Row super young but I never got into the more extreme side of metal until I was in highschool. Greg: I was roughly 15 when I started to listen to metal music, on a regular basis, the likes of Slipknot, Lamb Of God, Pantera/Damageplan and The Black Dahia Murder. Current favorites include Aeon, Soreption, Soilwork, Dying Fetus and Alterbeast.
3.When did you first meet the other members of the band and was it long before you all started Mutilated By Zombies?
Josh: Jason and I met freshman year in highschool and jammed frequently over the years for fun but it wasn't until after highschool that MBZ was concieved. We met Greg almost a year later and have been playing together for about 10 years.
4.What is the current line up of the band and for the readers who have never heard Mutilated By Zombies how would you best describe the bands music?
Josh DeMuth: Guitar/Vocals. Jason Guler: Bass. Greg Mueller: Drums. Our music could be described as traditional American death metal although we try to keep things fresh and blend more modern elements. This might appeal to fans of Deicide, Cannibal Corpse and Dying Fetus
5.Scripts Of Anguish is the bands third full length release which will be released through Redefining Darkness Rec. when did you and the band first come in contact with this label?
We came into contact with RDR just this year. Our friend Steve Joh had been helping us since the beginning of this album, he shopped it around once it was finished and we were lucky enough to catch the interest of Thomas at Redefining Darkness Records.
6.Does the whole band take part in the writing process or does one member write everything?How long does it usually take to complete one song?
Generally we all have input during the writing process. Sometimes one member will bring a full song to the table, usually Greg haha, other times we collectively build the song together feeding off of each others ideas. It could take days or it could take weeks to complete a song.
7.Besides the upcoming Scripts Of Anguish release are the bands previous releases still availible for the readers to purchase?Besides physical releases does the band have any other merchandise availible for the readers if yes what is availible and where can the readers buy it?
Unfortunately our first full length "Better Off A Corpse" has sold out of the small amount we had pressed and it is very unlikely that we will ever get more. Our second full length "Cymatics Of Death" and our 2015 EP " Decimation Sentence" can both be found on our bandcamp at https://mutilatedbyzombies2.bandcamp.com/. We will have new T-shirts and physical copies of "Scripts Of Anguish" in October that will be available at our shows, of course the album can be pre-ordered at https://redefiningdarknessrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mutilated-by-zombies-scripts-of-anguish. For readers who are interested in shirts or cds can also email us at mutilatedbyzombies@gmail.com.
8.Has the band gotten to play live very often over the years or do you prefer to work in the studio? What have been some of the bands most memorable shows over the years?
We have played countless shows over the years and have shared the stage with so many talented artists, death metal or otherwise. As much as we love being in the studio, our favorite is playing live shows and connecting with people through music. Some of our most memorable shows have been with Macabre in Minnesota, with Jungle Rot at a smaller venue in Illinois, and of course some wild hometown gigs right here in Dubuque!
9.Are their any upcoming shows or tours planned in support of the new release? If yes where will the band be playing and who are some bands you will be sharing the stage with?
9. Yes, we are hitting the road in October with Begat The Nephilim (NH) and Abolishment Of Flesh (TX) for the Blasphemy Of Mutilated Flesh North American Tour. Catch us on these dates at a venue near you!
10/10 Westland, MI @ The Token Lounge
10/11 Chicago, IL @ The Cobra Lounge
10/12 Sioux Falls, SD @ Biggs Bar
10/14 Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall
10/15 Bend, OR @ 3rd St. Pub
10/16 Oakland, CA @ The Stork Club
10/17 Anaheim, CA @ Doll Hut
10/19 San Diego, CA @ Space Bar
10/20 Tucson, AZ @ House of Bards
10/21 El Paso, TX @ Rock House Pub
10/24 Laredo, TX @ The Cold Brer
10/26 St. Louis, MO @ Fubar
10.Mutilated By Zombies comes out of Iowa's death metal scene what is your opinion of the scene in Iowa?
The death metal scene in Iowa isn't exactly the biggest but the support that comes with it is massive. There are great death metal bands in the state and the fans are amazing. I think we are the only death metal band in Dubuque but we have a very loyal following that come to each show we play here and for that we are very thankful.
11.Who are some of your all-time favorite bands coming out of Iowa and are their any new bands you could recomend to the readers?
Aside from the obvious Slipknot, who did influence us from early ages, there are some excellent bands from Iowa that are killing it. Our hometown friends Telekinetic Yeti are making waves in the stoner doom scene, having toured with bands like Weedeater and Truckfighters as well as opening a few dates with Black Label Society. Green Death out of Des Moines are another great band who have an album coming out on Combat Records. Other favorites from Iowa include The Rising Plague, Cranial Decay, Closet Witch, Dredge, Aseethe, Dryad and Hexuss.
12.What does underground metal mean to you?
To us, underground means music that would never get proper radio play, bands that you won't see playing the bigger venues or casinos in fear that it would drive the "regular" people away. Music that goes against the mainstream that most people are fed on a daily basis. This is the underground, the extreme.
13.Considering the band name i would guess the members of the band are big zombie and horror movie fans.What are some of your all-time favorite horror,zombie movies? And what do you feel makes a good horror movie?
Although the band name suggest otherwise, we aren't huge fans of zombie culture. Of course we love some of the classics like Night Of The Living Dead and even horror comedies like The Return Of The Living Dead installments but these haven't been a big drive for the band. The name was merely an outlandish pick that we knew no one else had and would stick out like a sore thumb. Collectively we do love horror in general, some favorite movies/series include Creepshow, Fright Night, Hellraiser, Nightbreed, Lord Of Illusions and Tales From The Crypt. To us, what makes a good horror movie is gore, good story line and an unsuspecting twist. Speaking of horror movies, be on the look out for a film featuring yours turely called "Death To Metal" by Tim Connery, who directed our music video for "Instructions For Death" which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcQTiMutaaU
14.Who are some of your all-time favorite actresses and actors? Are their any directors you enjoy watching?
Tough question! No particular actors or actresses come to mind but as far as directors, we like James Wan a lot, The Conjuring and Insidious installments were great. Eli Roth and of course legends like George A. Romero, John Carpenter and Wes Craven. We also really enjoy Stephen King and Clive Barker film adaptions.
15.Besides horror,suspense do you watch any other movie genres if yes what is your favorite genre and movies?
Comedy and Action are always fun! Non horror favorites include Ghostbusters 1 & 2, Terminator 1 & 2, Total Recall, Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, Airheads, Wayne's World and Forrest Gump.
16.Thank you for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for the readers?
16. Thank you for having us! To conclude this interview we would like to remind you all that our album "Scripts Of Anguish" will be out on October 5th via Redefining Darkness Records, pre-order the album
Band Contacts
https://www.facebook.com/MutilatedByZombies
https://twitter.com/__mbz
https://www.instagram.com/mutilatedbyzombies/
Label Contacts
http://www.redefiningdarkness.com/
https://redefiningdarknessrecords.bandcamp.com/
