1.Hello how are things going with you this week?Please introduce yourself to the readers?
Cheers Patrick, things are going as well as they can be, thanks. I hope you and your readers are staying as healthy and safe as possible.
I'm Matt Kilpatrick, band-leader, vocalist, and one of the lead guitarists for the Cemetery Filth.
2.At what age did you first discover death metal and who were the first bands you heard?Who are some of the current bands that have caught your attention?
I probably first heard death metal in 2003 or early 2004 when I was 14 years old. I was lucky though, I had a high school teacher who was into the metal scene in the late 80's and early 90's. so he would loan me CD's from his own collection during school-days. The first death metal album he lent me was Death's "Human" - and I'm not going to lie, it was far beyond what my young ears could comprehend at first haha. Over time I kept borrowing it and "unlocking" its secrets, and soon came to love it. Cynic (a favorite of his), Morbid Angel, Atheist, Immolation, Suffocation, and others soon followed.
Some of my favorite current bands are Church of Disgust from FL/TX - they just released an amazing 3-track EP. I'm also a big fan of Molder from the Chicago area. Our long-time brothers, Ectovoid, are a big favorite. And we are lucky to share a label with bands like Nucleus and Shards of Humanity who both crush. Ectoplasma from Greece rules, as does the mighty Obliteration from Norway. I recently heard a track from a new band called Leprophiliac which was really cool! Excited to hear more from them.
3.Cemetery Filth was started back in 2014 when did you all get the idea to start this band?How did you choose Cemetery Filth as the name of the band?
I had been dreaming of doing a band like this since not long after getting into Death and the other bands that first introduced me to the musical stylings of death metal. I met our old bassist online through a mutual friend in Atlanta, and he introduced me to our old drummer, and to other band-leader / lead-guitarist, Ryan Guinn. We all knew we wanted to make death metal that showed a new interpretation of the releases we all worshiped for years. Our old bassist had come up with the name and suggested using it for the project - it was too fitting to not get used.
4.What is the current line-up of the band?Who would you say are the bands biggest influences?
The current line-up in addition to me is co-founder Ryan Guinn on lead guitar, Devin Kelley on bass and backing vocals, and Chris McDonald on drums. Our biggest influences are bands like Death, Morbid Angel, Autopsy, Obituary, Pestilence, Cannibal Corpse, Immolation, Suffocation, Benediction, Sinister, Malevolent Creation, Monstrosity, Carcass.... you get the picture.
5.Dominion is the bands debut full-length how long did it take the band to write the music for the debut?Does the whole band take part in the writing process or does one member usually write everything?
It took us about a year or so to get most of the songs together for the album. We are spread out between four different states so our time together is very small. I think we got to practice maybe 6-8 times total with Chris on drums before we cut the album - and most of those practices were spent piecing together songs. "Devoured By Dread" was written way back in 2015 and a couple of other songs were being worked on in 2017. But most of the album was written in the past year. Ryan and myself, the two guitarists, write most of the music. Devin contributed a few cool riffs to the album as well, and Chris typically comes up with drum patterns and fills based on the music we show him, but he suggested some really cool ideas as well that really brought the album together.
6.Who usually handles writing the lyrics and what are some topics you wrote about on the debut release?Which usually comes first the lyrics or the music?
I write all of the lyrics for the band. It's not really by choice, but out of necessity, as I find that I remember my own lyrics best, and it's easier for me to write my own vocal patterns and lyrics to the music. The music almost always comes first, but there are some times when the "ideas" behind the lyrics, or a song title can shape the song's music as it is being written. Lyrically, this album is a mixed bag. We have some songs that deal with the reality around us, some that tell tales of fictional and mental horror, and others that speak in metaphors.
7.Does Cemetery Filth get to play live very often?What have been some of the bands most memorable shows over the years?
We definitely do not get to play as live as we would like. As we've gotten older, our responsibilities have increased, and that reduces our ability to get together even more than our separate locations already create. We are thankful to have such an awesome "home town" scene in Atlanta though, and we are able to play shows as often as we can there. Our most memorable shows were opening for Monstrosity and Hellwitch in 2016, playing with Deicide that same year, our two back-to-back shows with Exhumed were pretty maniacal as well. Out of the Fests that we have played, I would definitely say Blood Of The Wolf III in 2017 was the wildest we've played.
8.Are their any shows or tours planned in support of the debut Dominion?If yes where will the band be playing and who are some bands you will share the stage with?
We had a release show booked with Sadistic Ritual, Malformity, and Shards Of Humanity, but it has been postponed due to the Covid-19 virus scare. Unfortunately that has also hurt the chances of us getting to tour this summer and Fall. We're still hoping we can do something, but with how uncertain things are right now, it's hard to know what will befall us.
9.Besides the debut release coming out are the bands previous EP and splits still available for the readers to purchase?Besides physical releases does the band have any other merchandise currently available if yes what is available and where can the readers buy it?
I believe our label, Unspeakable Axe Records, has copies of the first 4 Doors To Death split still available! He may still have copies of our 7" split with Sewercide available as well. We have a few copies left as well that we would gladly sell to somebody. We've got some t-shirt designs available as well, and hopefully more soon once the Covid-19 scare dies off and shows start happening again. You can e-mail us at cemeteryfilth-AT-gmail-DOT-com for any merch inquiries and we will get back to you with what we've got available!
10.What does Underground Metal mean to you?
Underground metal means the world to me. Sometimes I get sick of the underground and all of the pretentious drama that invokes the "scene". But I wouldn't be who I am today... hell, I may not even be here today, without the metal underground. It's what gave us the bands that evolved into death metal - it's where death metal returned to after the initial semi-commercial breakthrough of the genre in the early 90's. It is truly the home for death metal and death metal maniacs alike. We thrive here. We created it. We feed it. We nurture it. And in spite of how toxic some individuals can be for it, it persists, and grows. The metal underground is a "home" to me and underground metal is necessary, even if it sucks. Feeding it in any capacity, with good or bad music, keeps it going.
11.When you need you need to take a break from working on new music or band business what do you like to do in your free time?
I'm big into hiking, or when I can't get out of the city, I go on long walks around my neighborhood. I also like to listen to records, watch sitcoms or movies with my lady, and generally enjoy hanging out, grilling, having some drinks with friends. Just chilling. I'm a pretty low-key person and often describe myself as a hermit. Going out to shows though is definitely fun, and something I feel fortunate to have in my city.
12.Besides working in Cemetery Filth do you or any of the members currently work with any other bands or solo projects?If yes please tell the readers a little about them?
As of right now, Devin our bassist, and Chris our drummer, have the most going on on the sidelines. Devin is the band leader of blackened death/thrash band, Dire Hatred, and also fronts a thrash band. Chris is a very busy dude and is a main songwriter in almost all of his other projects - Ectovoid, Seraphic Entombment, Hegemony, and an especially sick new project, Exaugurate. Ryan hopes to start a traditional metal project sometime soon, and I've been writing some traditional Maryland-style doom metal in my spare time for a future side project.
13.Thank you for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for the readers?
Thank you for taking the time to interview us! We're very happy to be part of this, and to contribute. Thanks to all of the readers and metal maniacs that keep the underground alive! Let's keep giving praise to the bands that really riff and push death metal forward - stop glorifying the fakers.
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