1. Hello please introduce yourselves to the readers?
1.) Hi there, my name is Sean, I play guitar and compose the music for Bludgeoned!
2. When did you first discover brutal death metal and who were the first bands you listened to? Who are some of the current bands that have caught your attention?
2.) Well, when I first started playing guitar death metal was still fairly underground. I noticed a band called The Dillinger Escape Plan (whom I was quite fond of in my youth) had name-dropped a German band called Necrophagist in the latest issue of Guitar World I had picked up, and named their latest album Epitaph as the craziest, most technical music ever. So I think it was 2004 that I discovered death metal for the first time.
Once I was into Necrophagist, I found their older album with a drum machine that sounded even more primitive and brutal (Onset of Putrefaction) - after that, I went to seek out online forums and there met other metal fans who could direct me towards even more brutal, more extreme stuff. There I found guys a few years older than me that were already into bands like Deeds of Flesh, Disgorge, Defeated Sanity, Decrepit Birth, Suffocation, Nile, Gorgasm, Cinerary, Liturgy, Brodequin...I quickly realized that brutal death metal was my favourite of all the styles of metal out there. By age 18, I was into Wormed and Defeated Sanity's latest album "Psalms..." and totally fully devoted to the really brutal stuff, haha!
Current bands that have caught my attention: Pyrexia, To Violently Vomit, Anal Stabwound, Undeciphered, Disentomb, Agonal Breathing, Stabbing, Peelingflesh, NecroticGoreBeast, Vomit The Soul, Desecation, Vile Discectomy, Facelift Deformation, Excrescence, and so many more! The scene has never been more active and with so many sick bands out nowadays it is hard to narrow it down!! \m/
3. When did you first meet the other members of Bludgeoned and was it long before you started this band? What is the current line-up of the band?
3.) First time I ever saw Jon onstage, I was 17 years old and his first band I Declare War was playing at a tiny local venue in my hometown. I remember the music being melodic and metalcore-tinged, and even back then remarked at just how insanely brutal and loud the singer's voice was, and how it seemed like kind of a strange match-up musically and vocally, haha. I never thought that over a decade later I'd be getting a phone call from his then-drummer (a childhood friend I grew up with and went to school with), asking me if I wanted to "play in a death metal band with Jon Huber". I said 'yes' with no hesitation, of course! Basically we were all old friends that knew each other from the local heavy music circuit here in WA eons ago. I was known back then for having some music and guitar chops but never a band of my own, Bludgeoned is actually the first metal band I've ever had the pleasure of playing guitar for. Before that phone call you would have found me playing in jazz ensembles, gospel (I was the only white guy in that church, lol), R&B or soul, anything but metal, LOL.
We discovered Nikhil thanks to his Youtube channel when we parted ways with our original drummer and were in need of a bonafide brutal death specialist here in the States, someone with exceptional blasting and footwork abilities. When we saw his Defeated Sanity and Cattle Decapitation covers on YT, we instantly reached out and we've been jamming with him over the web ever since!! We're hoping to bring him out here next year for our live performance debut \m/. Our current lineup consists of me, Jon Huber, a hopefully soon-to-be-announced local bass player here in WA whom we've just started working with and Nikhil Talwalkar on drums.
4. Who would you say are Bludgeoned biggest influences? For the reader's unfamiliar with Bludgeoned's music how would you best describe it?
4.) Well, I would say that our biggest influences are almost certainly derived from here on the West Coast of the USA, mostly speaking for Jon and myself. Although Nikhil clearly does share our passion for a lot of our favourite bands, like Disgorge, Defeated Sanity, Disentomb, Devourment, etc., haha. Disgorge and Deeds of Flesh are two massive influences that cannot be understated. In the early 90's they had two of the biggest names in death metal, and a longevity that can really only be matched by a select few other brutal bands (like Cannibal Corpse, etc). Deeds and Disgorge were of course both West Coast bands and always seemed to be aimed at and directed towards fans who were looking for an even more extreme and even more underground experience than the popular stuff at the time (Morbid Angel, Cannibal etc). So music for the weirdest of the weird people, social outcasts and degenerates basically! The pure primal energy and violent aggression that both bands shared, as well as that raw sound and production... make us HUGE fans to this day. Although, we do have a more organized technical side to our sound as well that is more academically informed... to that end, Suffocation and Defeated Sanity are the two biggest influences as far as that goes! We try to have even measure of both brain and brawn in our sound... high IQ and low IQ caveman, all together \m/.
To a reader unfamiliar with our music I would just describe it as the most shockingly brutal thing they've ever heard. (Hopefully!) It's the autobiographical true sound of pure anguish and despair. We calculated every second of the record to make the listener as uncomfortable as possible and to excrete as much adrenaline as possible. If you love violent, brutal music... there will be something for you in our sound. If you've ever felt downtrodden, disenfranchised, or all alone in this world... This latest EP is for you!
5. Summary Execution is the debut EP. that is being released through Vile Tapes when did the band first come in contact with this label?
5.) Vile Tapes reached out to us shortly after we released Genocidal Processes. Before that new single (which debuted our new lineup, introducing Nikhil to our listeners for the first time), people knew us as a deathcore/slamming beatdown/whatever band with only one previous track to our name. But as soon as Genocidal dropped, we started getting hit up by legit brutal death labels, who were both surprised and pleased that we had essentially done a complete 180 and changed every aspect of our sound. Pretty sure Constantine (Vile Tapes) was the first person to hit us up actually... and when we released the whole EP on Slam Worldwide, he was the first person in our inbox again. Glad we signed with him, because it has been nothing short of a pleasure working with him!! And he did an outstanding job on the physical release for us! \m/
6. How long did it take the band to write the music for the debut EP.?Does the whole band take part in the writing process or does one member usually write everything?
6.) It took about a year to write and record the 5 tracks that ended up on Summary Execution. We literally shelved over 20 songs written by the old lineup in the first couple years of the band before finally writing these 5 brand new ones that totally met Jon and I's standards.From the beginning Jon and I sort of clicked as far as having very similar tastes and desires of what we wanted out of our songs and out of heavy music in general, so from then and especially since this new era of the band, it's been him and I writing most of the stuff. Jon writes the majority of the lyrics and helps come up with the concepts for the songs, and even occasionally will have riffs in his mind he will actually sing out or vocalize to me, so I can transcribe them to the guitar and figure out what he's hearing in his head. We've come up with some pretty cool sections that way!
Most of the songs and riffs, though, I compose by myself at home with the aid of a drum machine, where I’ll either lay down a basic beat like a long blast section or a slam-type of beat with the snare landing on '3' every time, and I'll improvise riffs over the programmed beats. I've found that our subconscious mind is about 100x faster and more powerful when it comes to writing music and coming up with parts, than our conscious mind - so I always try to lean more on improvising with the guitar in my hand and letting my muscles do what comes naturally rather than trying to come up with crazy-sounding parts in Guitar Pro or something. Occasionally with more technical parts I'll write the guitars first and then write drums around them, where each hit corresponds to each note.
Once we have a pre-production skeleton of guitars, drum machine, and Jon has given his thumbs up to all of the riffs and they are to his liking, I'll then bring him in and track him laying down his vocals.
Then, once we have a good idea of all the riffs, rhythms, time sigs, and vocal patterns, I then lay down a midi bassline for the song and then send the whole thing over to Nikhil where he can add his live drum tracks. Nikhil does an absolutely masterful job of preserving whatever structure I came up with (e.g. my midi drum arrangements), while adding his own fills and flavour to the sections, many times throwing blasts and things in unexpected places that honestly take the song to the next level! Recording real drums with live mics truly was and continues to be a game changer for us. Literally my favourite part of the recording process is waiting to hear the drum parts Nikhil comes up with for these riffs \m/. Then I re-track guitars so they will match up with his drums perfectly.
That being said, as one can see, all three of us have pretty substantial input in what's heard in the final product! No hired guns or anyone phoning in their parts. You hear each of our individual personalities shine through, throughout the entire record.
7. Who usually handles writing the lyrics for the music? What are some subjects written about on the debut release?
7.) Jon writes most of the lyrics, though I did contribute one song to the EP lyrically (Pale Horse) and we always work together when mapping the actual vocal patterns to the music. Jon has an incredible ability to improvise and freestyle, just like how the best MC's do, but he is also great about taking direction and is very coachable.
As far as the lyrical themes... man, it's pretty much a blues album written about late-stage capitalism and how the working middle class has been crushed into dust as a result of pursuing what shreds are left of the "American dream". A tale of how the last human labourers will be overworked until they're prescribed opioids or turn to illegal drugs for relief. Before robots soon will drive all the trucks and be making all the deliveries. Corporations making trillions off of one of the worst global health crises our world has ever seen. A tale of how governments try to kill or incarcerate as many people as possible every year to maintain the illusion of economic equilibrium and of a smooth and steady supply chain. Jon and I have both had our asses kicked by life over the last 10 years and have both worked some seriously brutal and dangerous jobs to make ends meet. This whole EP is basically our ultimate expression of distaste at what modern life has become for all too many folks out there, toiling and struggling to break even in the so-called "Land Of Opportunity".
8. Besides the Summary Execution release does the band have any other merchandise currently available for the readers? If yes what is available and where can the readers purchase it?
8.) We often do special one-off merch releases that aren't always going to be specifically tied to a certain release - when this happens, you will be able to find it at our BigCartel (http://bludgeoned.bigcartel.com) \m/. We always announce these drops on our socials so be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram so you don't miss out!
9. What does Underground Metal mean to you?
9.) Underground metal has always been in our blood, and even when Jon and I both separately tried going away from it at one point in life, as Lille from Defeated once told me - "it always comes back, later in life even". Extreme underground metal defines who he and I are, whether I like it or not, haha! (Must be the Finnish in me).
I don't like crowds. I don't like parties or social gatherings even though I still make myself go. The only outings or times I've ever felt comfortable or felt like I belonged was, ultimately, at death metal shows in my youth. In the early 2000's it still wasn't really considered "cool" or trendy to be metal at all. No Chads or Stacys around to bully you or belittle you for the way you looked or dressed or acted. When you were in a sea of all black shirts, and brutal band logos, you just KNEW you were around kindred spirits who also appreciated the strange, guttural noises and typewriter drums going off like a machine gun blasting, people who were just like YOU! It was a safe place to vent and express those feelings of being disenfranchised, that feeling of not belonging where you're stuck. Of frustration and disappointment with the state of the world.
But outside of the social and anthropological aspect, like Nikhil often reminds me, Death Metal in particular is among the most varied and sophisticated music known to man when you break it down... widest dynamic and harmonic range, tonal possibilities... It is like the closest thing we have to 21st century classical music, played with rock instruments! One could spend days, weeks, years just transcribing and analyzing some of the masterful works that have been put out by bands like Guttural Secrete, Defeated Sanity... it is a music where pushing the boundaries of what is physically and aurally possible, is just business as usual! In terms of a pursuit of self-actualization of meeting one's own maximum potential, I can't think of a better music for this than death metal... especially the UNDERGROUND stuff ;) (try learning an entire Disgorge USA song on any instrument, and then get back to me!)
10. Besides working with Bludgeoned do any of the members currently work with any other bands or solo projects? If yes please tell the readers a little about them?
10.) Oh, man! Nikhil is quickly showing himself to be the most prolific artist out there in death metal right now. He's literally like the Juice Wrld of death metal, in terms of sheer rate of release and how many projects he's involved with at any given time. I think he put out 6 releases in 2021?! My favourite of which is definitely his own solo project, ANAL STABWOUND - where he plays every single instrument AND does vocals. I've seen a lot of one man bands in my days of following the underground metal scene, but honestly I don't think since Muhammed Suiçmez and discovering Necrophagist at 16 have I ever seen so impressed by a one-man band. In fact Muhammed didn't play drums so in that aspect Nikhil actually has him beat... the most exciting thing is that Nikhil's career started just a couple of years ago and he's already about to put out the 2nd AS full length. He is definitely one to watch!!! As for Jon and myself... we are Bludgeoned, all the way.
11. Bludgeoned comes out of Washington's death metal scene what is your opinion of the scene in Washington over the years?
11. WA really doesn't have a strong brutal death metal scene yet... I think there's us on Vile Tapes and then there is Excrescence on New Standard Elite, and that is it.
We have A TON of other kinds of metal... sludge metal, doom metal, black metal, grindcore, deathcore, even OSDM and maggot stomp-style DM... but NO brutal death metal ala Suffocation or anything like that.
I honestly have got to blame Nirvana for this. Cobain talked shit about death metal a lot, and painted us as all a bunch of Chads and elitists which honestly couldn't have been further from the truth. Projecting, if you ask me.
Even though he's been dead for quite some time, for whatever reason brutal death metal has been the eternal black sheep of music genres here in WA. Even guys with chops are afraid to play it because of social pressures or are too depressed to want to put in the work to be able to play at 290+ bpms like some of our songs require. We have the highest suicide rate around here.
Go figure that most of the best death metal comes from places that get the most sunshine, like California and Florida. New York is just a beast in its own way and the sheer amount of negativity and violence combined with an intelligent population and plenty of work ethic there have definitely spawned some of the best bands ever. Nikhil lives in Connecticut, which may not have a ton of bands but that region produced an individual like himself so it's got that going for it! Haha.
WA really needs to step up its brutal game if we ever want to be included in that list along with Texas as the key brutal death metal states. We honestly had some really sick death metal bands here in the early 2000's but most of them ended up burning out and switching to other styles or breaking up, sadly. Meralgia and Sand were two that I remember from my hometown back in the day.
12. Who are your all-time favourite bands coming out of Washington? And are there any new bands you feel the readers should check out?
12. Honestly the best bands to ever come out of WA were Alice in Chains and Soundgarden. Bar none. Best vocalists, best riffs, most heavy. As far as up-and-coming WA death metal bands though, Excrescence is sick as hell and we're planning on attending their show here next month. Can't wait! \m/
13.When you need to take a break from working on new music or band business what do you enjoy doing in your free time?
13. Jon and I love going fishing, that's definitely our favourite activity outside of band stuff. We usually hunt for steelhead in river systems here in the PNW. Right now it's the winter run but spring is just around the corner! We are gonna be pursuing some monster native fish in the Hoh rainforest here pretty soon for my birthday float. Gonna be a blast!! Honestly, at home I love watching HBO, Hulu, Amazon, whatever with my fiancé. Lately we've been watching Silicon Valley on HBO and it's freakin' hilarious! Mr. Robot is a really dope show, too. I like that show because everything you see on the computer screens in the show is real hacking done by real cyber-security professionals.
I've been getting back into computers a lot more lately due to a career change I'm in the middle of, so you'll often find my nose buried in books relating to information security, pen testing, networking, cloud computing, or other nerdy stuff like that.
I also love gardening, especially growing cannabis, but gotta wait for the laws to change or get my medical card before I can legally do that again ;)
14.Thank you for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for the readers?
14. I just want to thank you, the reader, for your support!! Even though death metal has become a lot more popular than it once was, it's still considered extremely underground compared to the popular styles of today. That feeling of camaraderie and community in the scene is as strong as ever for those of us that are still invested, and even taking the time to read this, like, comment and share it with your friends - helps our scene a TON! Even if only one person shows up to our show, and digs it, then they go on and tell one other person... and so on... and so forth... that's how this style has survived for over 30 years. That's how brutal death metal is still here when so many trends have fallen by the wayside. It lives on in the hearts and minds of our listeners, and without listeners like you, we are NOTHING!
Thanks again for having me, Patrick! It was a pleasure doing this interview for you and your readership. Hopefully we'll see you all at a venue near you soon!
Best regards,
-Sean
Bludgeoned https://bludgeoned.bigcartel.com/ https://bludgeonedofficial.bandcamp.com/releases https://www.facebook.com/bludgeonedofficial https://www.instagram.com/bludgeonedofficial/ Vile Tapes Rec. https://www.viletapes.com/ https://viletapesrecords.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/viletapesrecords
