Interview with Patrick vocalist of Mortuary done by Patrick
1.Hello Patrick how are things in France this week?Please introduce yourself to the readers?
Hi I am Pat the Mortuary's singer. We play a violent death thrash metal for 30 years. Everything's fine thanks ; our new album " The autophagous Reign" has just released on Xenocorp records this Friday the 8th of november and the first critics are very enthousiastic!
2.When did you first start listening to metal and rock?Who were the first bands you listened to?Who are some current bands that have caught your attention?
Oh It was from an other times ! The Jurassic era, maybe ; Seriously, I was 11 and the firts bands I listen to was the Saxon's Denim and leather I think because a friend of my parents gave me the album. Then I listened to the very first Iron maidens, AC/DC of course and the german bands like Accept and Scorpions. But the best memory is the first listening of Warning a french heavy band. The singer was so amazing, I loved his vocal style and then that's why I loved this music
3.Mortuary was formed in 1989 when did you and the other members get the idea to start this band?
A very long story ! Jno (bass) and me met each other at a gig where our first bands played together and after many beers and sharing passions about music, we decided to join us to create a band in a thrash metal style. Both of us wanted to play something faster and more agressive.
4.What is the current line up of the band?How do you feel Mortuary's musicial style has changed over the years?Who would you say are the bands biggest influences and have they remained the same over the years?
The current line up is : Pat vocals, Jo drums, Jno bass and Alex and Bastien on guitars. I don't think our musical style did change over these last years. When we record « Agony in Red » in 2003, this album was more in death metal style but with thrash roots. Since this album we go on to play a mix with typical death parts but always with thrash influences. That's the sound and the music with which we were born. Influences are legions of course when you spent the most of your time to listen this music. Well, Slayer, Death, Vader, The Crown and all the german thrash bands like Kreator, Darkness, Sodom, if I can list only some of them. the list is so long but we know who they are!!
5.The Autophagous Reign is the bands newest full length release how long did it take the band to write the music for the new release?How long does it usually take to complete one song?
For the writing of this new album, it took us about one and an half year, almost 2. In the meantime, Bastien our new guitarist joined the band so we have work the old songs with him for the shows and at the same time and we gone on to write the new songs. In general, write a new song could be very quick if we have very interesting riffs. Sometimes, we work on a song and we found a riff but this one end another song ! Two months before going to the hertz Studio, We wrote almost 5 news songs cos we were continually in writing process. We were like riffing machines!! Our minds were boiling !! For sure, We already have tons of riffs for the next one !!
6.Who usually handles writing the lyrics for the music and what are some topics written about on the new release?Which usually comes first the music or the lyrics?
I usually handles writing the lyrics for mortuary. I start to write tons of words, texts, ideas on paper and little by little, it turns into a text for an upcoming song. The main topics on this new album is about societal and ecological suicide. Humanity reached a critical point . The autophagous reign is a journey from the anthopocene to the sixth mass extinction ; the our !! Music comes in first, musicians bring some riffs or ideas and I try to imagine my words on this music. After, i can listen to this music more than a hundred times sometimes before finding the good vocals line. It's the moment I prefer in the song's creation process. Very tiring but so exciting!
7.Besides the upcoming The Autophagous Reign release are the bands past releases still available to buy?Besides physical releases does the band have any other merchandise currently available for the readers to purchase?
Yes we got new merchandising including too our physical release at our website shop on www.mortuary-fr.com and you can find too, more merchandise to purchase on Xenocorp our record label at www.xenokorp.com
8.What have been some of Mortuary's most memorable shows and tours over the years?Who have been some of your favorite bands that you have had the chance to share the stage with?
One of the most memorable shows was to play at the Hellfest festival in Clisson, France ; It was a great memory, unforgottable !! And also when we toured in Europe with Vader and Entombe AD, two death metal legends. They are all of them really good guys and the tech crew were so kind and professional with us. A so rich human experience !
9.Are their any tours or shows planned in support the new release if yes where will the band be playing?Who are some bands you will share the stage with and what are some countries the band will be playing?
In January 2020, we start our french tour with some french bands and friends of us ; we are so exciting to begin this tour cos we gonna meet lot of people that we only know thanks to the social network, then certainly in fall of the next year, we will join a new european tour. You know, whatever the countries where we'll play, we will so happy to meet people sharing our passion
10.Patrick you and the band have been involved in the underground since the mid 80's how do you feel the underground metal scene has changed over the decade's?
The underground is more viewed and mediatically exposed due to the many new way to communicate. Thanks also to a most efficient tools, the musicians now can work and write their music at home like professionals, I think. The Technical level is higher. More technical, faster, album sound quality is at its best level, etc... New metal styles born and it's a good thing. Metal it's like a candies assortment. There are a lot of different flavors for all the taste. that's why it's so addictive like the sugar
11.As mentioned you have been a part of the underground since the mid 80's so I was curious did you read a lot of fanzines back in the 80's amd 90's?What were some of your favorite fanzines that you read?
I was born with the tape-trading and papers zines. I am nostalgic of this period. We were in touch with many zines, radios around the world by example from Chile, Poland, Sweden, Puerto Rico, Canada... I don't remember their names but we were reviewed sometimes with futur big ones like Immolation, Vader, Dark tranquility, Carnage, etc....
12.Are their fanzines that you read these days?Do you read any of the current web-zines that are on-line these days?
I mostly read webzines but I prefer to listen the band before and looking after from where they are from and who they are, so I search for infos on the web.
13.Besides fanzines I know tape-trading was huge back in the 80's and 90's did you ever do a lot of tape-trading in the early years?What were some of the first demo's you got and do you still have them?
As I said it before, it was the tape trading period. If you wanted to be known out of your town, you had to trade with other bands around the world. I have yet many demos of them like the first Immolation, Vader, Massacra, Angel Corpse,etc... and of course many french bands.
14.Mortuary comes out of the French underground what is your opinion of France's underground metal scene over the years?
Our metal scene is bigger than in the past for sure. There are many bands with their own style, really good musicians too. The french scene is rich. The bands member are younger but already so talentuous ! We have really some great ones, world recognition like Gojira, Benighted and really promising ones like Ad Patres, Mithridatic, Disowning, Pitbulls in the nursery...
15.Who are your all-time favorite bands coming out of France and are their any current bands you feel the readers should check out soon?
Warning and Massacra are my all time favorites bands coming out of France, the first for the reason I explained at the beginning of the interview and the second cos they were the musical violence incarnated. For all the readers, check out to a band called Ad patres. It's my favorite now !
16.Thank you Patrick for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for the readers? > Thank you so much for this very interesting interview and putting interest in our music ; A big salute to all of your readers ; Check out our new album called « The autophagous reign » and support your local scene !! see you soon on the road!!
Band Contacts
https://mortuarynancy.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/mortuarynancy/
https://twitter.com/mortuarybands
Label Contacts
https://www.xenokorp.com/
https://xenokorp.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/xenokorp
https://twitter.com/xenokorp
