1. Hello. Please introduce yourself to the readers?
Hello, readers of Winter Torment and fellow metal maniacs. I’m Jay H. Gorania, singer and frontman of Trench Warfare.
2. When did you first discover death and black metal and what is it about these styles of music that drew you in over the years?
Like many kids who like to copy their older brothers, a nice way of saying that I was receptive to influence, I liked loitering in and around my brother’s bedroom when I was small. So, when I was in first grade, I was drawn to the bands he was into, early heavy metal. I’m talking about early Ozzy, Motley Crue, Iron Maiden, some of the obvious big players back then. I love all of that stuff to this day. Some of us into heavy music like to see where the art can go as far as being heavier and more extreme. Over time that led me to thrash, grindcore and death metal. Black metal came a little bit later for me, aside from Celtic Frost who I liked in my early teens. I’m also into other forms of extreme music like industrial and harsh electronic noise. I remain drawn to it because I’m far from being a “normie,” so to speak. I can dip my toes into that world as far as daily living, work necessities, et cetera. And I certainly enjoy it. But my proper home is off the beaten path, the essence of who I am. As far as death and black metal, these art forms certainly scratch my itch for those darker aspects of life, but, again, I’m into other forms of musical extremity that in their own ways satiate different cravings or interests. I’m not a one-dimensional caricature as some people in death and black metal are, most of whom in this undesirable camp aren’t even that exactly. What I mean is that they like to present themselves as being demons or whatever. I have no interest in fake BS. Life is complex, most people including myself are complex. The darker side of extreme metal is just something that offers me enduring appeal because the underlying topics connect with me. And regarding all forms of extreme music, it helps keep me sane. It’s a healthy outlet for me, both as a listener and as a singer.
3. Who were the first bands that you listened to? Who are some of the current bands that you have been listening to?
In addition to the bands I mentioned already, I loved Dokken, Ratt, Def Leppard and artists like that before I drifted toward thrash bands and more. In my early years, I was also a nut for bands like Duran Duran and Tears For Fears, the latter of whom came up in conversation during a call I had with Terry from Wargrinder recently. He brought up the Ramones as his main “guilty pleasure,” to which I said I don’t have guilty pleasures. But as soon as I mentioned Tears For Fears, he was laughing and utterly disgusted. It was amusing. But I digress…
I’m currently enjoying Nuclearhammer, Abominator, Atomic Aggressor, Atomicide and Triumph—the death/black metal band from Nevada featuring members of Ritual Genocide, not the Canadian band who I did like as a kid. Napalm Death is one of my all time favorites, so they’re always on rotation. I’ve really been enjoying Shane Embury’s solo album. I’ve also been enjoying some hard-hitting African hip hop lately which has been really exciting for me. Nigeria’s ODUMODUBLVCK is great. Kenya’s Wakadinali is another. As a music journalist, focused on heavy stuff, I’m always listening to music, which means I need a break from it from time-to-time. That’s partially why I listen to a lot of talk radio, news radio.
Ah, lest I forget, the new Neurosis is amazing, so is the new Butthole Surfers. Actually, the “new” Butthole Surfers’ album was shelved by their dumb label back in the late nineties. So it isn’t new per se, but it sure as hell sounds inventive and fresh all these years later.
4. Trench Warfare was started in 2015. What gave you all the idea to start this band? Are you satisfied with how things have gone over the years?
We emerged from the barren wasteland of West Texas—Midland, to be particular. The bassist who later performed on our demo, Kelly Bogues, invited me to a jam at Tony Goyang Jr.’s place for what was a project that crumbled before it started. A member of that ill-fated band later shot a part of someone's hand off in an act of self-defense, but that's neither here nor there. Bizarre anecdotes aside, upon finding out at that first meeting that Tony was also into bands like Blasphemy and Beherit, artists essentially unheard of in West Texas, I asked him if he wanted to start a band in that vein. Voilà. Trench Warfare was born.As with most adult bands who are not rock stars, real life challenges have gotten in the way: jobs, work schedules, familial deaths, et cetera. But with that said, we have created some great art that we are tremendously proud of. So while we may not have been the most prolific band out there up to this point, we really do focus upon quality over quantity. Now, with the current lineup and our personal circumstances, we are looking toward playing much more than we ever have before, in spite of my move out of state, interestingly enough
5. What is the current line up of the band? Who would you say are Trench Warfare's biggest influences and have they stayed the same over the years? For the readers who might be new to Trench Warfare, how would you best describe your music?
Trench Warfare is currently myself, longtime guitarist Dustin Putz and newcomer JP Campo on drums. We can and have operated as a three piece before, but we are actively looking to recruit a second guitarist and a bassist.
Collectively, we listen to a variety of music. Tony is obviously worth mentioning because I started the band with him. And on the new album, aside from “Dissenter” which Dustin wrote, Tony wrote the rest of the music. He’s into a lot of great, raw war metal as well as evil death metal and black metal, all of which bled into his writing. He and I are both fans of eighties and early nineties extreme metal and hardcore punk demos, clearly finding their way into our own music. I think Jarrett Pritchard did a great job in his mixing and mastering to properly capture the harsh bite of the music with clarity, and without losing the underlying rawness. The preliminary tracking of the songs took place in Austin at Come And Track It Studios by John Petri who did a stellar job. There was some madness and debauchery during those sessions, to say the least.
An influence upon Tony that’s probably going to surprise some people is neo soul artist Erykah Badu. He has said that her music affects the way that he phrases certain parts of songs. During some of our boozing sessions at his place many years ago, during which time we typically listened to chaotic war and death metal, he played her for me and I was hooked. Her music is great. I’m not sure that he would want me to have spilled those beans, but, you know…And I really do love hardcore, from the eighties through today, bands and scenes from America to Sweden, Finland, England and Japan. I think it’s pretty obvious that some of my vocal parts reflect a lot of that.
As far as specific, enduring influences, I can point to bands like Blasphemy, Beherit, Deiphago, Diocletian, Conqueror, Sadistik Exekution, Order From Chaos, Angelcorpse, Mayhem, Darkthrone, Napalm Death, Brutal Truth, Nyogthaeblisz, Genocide Shrines, Tetragrammacide, Wargrinder, Ritual Genocide, Obeisance and Satanik Goat Ritual.
But looking ahead with Dustin and JP, Dustin is very passionate about timeless death metal. Artists like Autopsy, Dismember and Pestilence come to mind. And JP’s strongly associated with brutal death metal. Going forward, a lot of that energy will affect our writing. But it’s important that we never lose our raw approach and foundation that is very much steeped in war metal.
I’d describe us as being a black/death metal band with roots in war metal. We want to take things to the next level of extremity but make sure that it’s memorable and catchy amidst all of the chaos.
6. “Achtung! Destroy The Weak" is the band’s second full length. How long did it take the band to complete this release? Does the whole band take part in the writing, or does one member usually write everything?
Things took too long! I want to focus on the future more than anything, but in short, there were discussions with several labels, familial deaths, job and career changes and even more than that which impacted the long wait between 2019’s “Hatred Prayer” and “Achtung! Destroy The Weak.” We can operate as a three-piece. Some of our best shows have been in that format, but we are most definitely on the hunt for a second guitarist and a bassist. But the lineup we have now is hungry and ready to take a bite out of the apple. There will not be such extensive waits between releases, and we will be much more active on the live front.
Regarding your second question here, as mentioned, Tony was the primary songwriter for everything up until now, aside from Dustin’s track on the album. As always, I was at the helm of the lyrical and conceptual direction. We would then all record our respective parts. Going forward, the songwriting will likely involve some jam sessions amongst the entire band, and Dustin will be taking the reins as far as musical creation with additional input from others.
7. Where does the band draw inspiration for the lyrics, and what are some subjects written about on the new release? Which usually comes first, the music or the lyrics?
To this point, the music has always come first, and then I’d listen to it, be inspired by the songs and I’d also just independently create ideas upon which I’d write the lyrics.
I love war metal, death metal and black metal. I despise try-hards who write fictional lyrics and prance around claiming they are so “cult and true.” Those people are just inauthentic, they lack self-awareness, and they literally look like clowns. It’s friggin’ vampire cosplay. Lame. It’s the epitome of being a poser, essentially. Love us or hate us, there’s no denying that we are real. Our message and meaning is pure, heartfelt and true. “Hatred Prayer” was nothing short of exactly that.
Now, with “Achtung! Destroy The Weak,” we are continuing to celebrate individualism and we are attacking this modern culture of victimhood that celebrates weakness. No matter what one’s background is, we all have choices and can either excel or fail in life. There are no promises that life will be fair. There is no such thing as equality. The impulse to find inner strength needs to be nurtured and celebrated. Be ambitious. Be a wolf. Be a lion. To quote some lyrics from the first album, “Smash the chessboard and claim the queen.”
There is more to the album than that, but that’s the underlying essence.
8. Besides the upcoming “Achtung! Destroy The Weak” release, are the band’s past releases still available for readers to purchase?Besides physical releases, does the band have any other merchandise currently available? If yes, what is available and where can readers purchase it?
We have very few copies of our self-released 2015 demo CD “Perversion Warfare,” but whether it’s that or any other merch item or inquiry, people can contact us through our Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/trenchwarfaretexas) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/trench_warfare_texas/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet) pages.
There are even fewer copies of the multi-band, double-disk split/comp that we were on that was released by Surrealistic Fatality Releases in 2016. That’s called “Houses of the Unholy / Of Vultures and Vermin,” and that, too, can be purchased through us.
Transcending Obscurity Records sold out of our debut album “Hatred Prayer,” but they still have shirts depicting that album’s artwork. (https://tometal.com/) We still have copies of that album, so, again, we can be contacted via Facebook and Instagram.
Nuclear War Now Productions! re-issued our demo on cassette, but I no longer see it on their online store. I’m assuming they’re sold out, but we still have some copies.
And this brings us up to “Achtung! Destroy The Weak.” Conjuring Records has the CD available for purchase via Bandcamp: https://darkunitedmedia.bandcamp.com/album/achtung-destroy-the-weak-2.
9. Has Trench Warfare had the opportunity to play very many live shows over the years? If yes, what have been some of the band’s most memorable shows? Who have been some of the bands you have shared the stage with?
Yes, we have played a bunch of shows around the state and fests in New Jersey, Denver and Chicago. I’d like to think that our star shines brightest in the live arena. Our shows can be pretty wild and intense. We have shared the stage with numerous bands who we are both friends with and who have influenced us. Some that come to mind are Deiphago, Absu, Heresiarch, Imprecation, Obeisance, Satanik Goat Ritual, Engorge, Disma, Crucifier, Manticore, Antisma, Morbosidad, Bestial Whore, Antichrist Siege Machine, Caveman Cult, Abysmal Lord, Mortem, Grand Belial’s Key, Nexul, Perversion and House of Atreus.
10. Are there any shows or tours planned in support of the new release? Where will the band be performing?
We played a show in Austin opening up for our friends in Imprecation right before I moved from Texas to a cabin in the Oregonian woods. So once I soon get properly settled, we can hit the ground running on the live front. That may seem odd since I’m now on the other side of the country, but with our lineup now, we have never been as hungry and able to play out and about. So we will be doing shows, fests and brief tours. We will now essentially be operating out of both Austin and Portland, since I’ll be back in Texas often, and my new home is just outside of Portland.
11. Trench Warfare comes out of the Texas black and death metal scene. What is your opinion of the scene in Texas over the years?
Texas’ black and death metal scenes are fantastic! It’s been great historically and it continues to kick ass. We can look back at a band like Necrovore. They’ve influenced the likes of Morbid Angel and Incantation, for Pete’s sake. Absu is definitely one of the best black metal bands of all time. And while King Diamond isn’t exactly death nor black metal, his music as a solo artist and with Mercyful Fate has been a profound influence that helped define what would become dark extreme metal. The reason I’m bringing him up is because while it’s well known that he’s from Denmark, a lot of folks don’t realize that nearly half his life has been spent living in the Lone Star State. You’re damn right there are bragging rights with that!
Anyway, I mentioned many solid bands like Imprecation, Morbosidad, Obeisance, Antisma, Satanik Goat Ritual, and there are others like Pious Levus, Hexella and Serpentian. I’d be remiss if I failed to mention those from the mysterious collective Ordo Satanae Imperium—Nyogthaeblisz and Nexul, to be particular. The bassist for the latter two exceptionally intense and evil bands has filled in for us on numerous occasions. Rob is a true maniac. There is a great deal of friendship and brotherhood amongst Texan extreme metal bands.
Outside of bands of this ilk, Texas boasts some of the best brutal death metal bands out there like Devourment, Flesh Hoarder and Stabbing.
And I’m a huge grindcore fan. There have been greats like Kill The Client and Insect Warfare. PLF is of course still running strong. And there’s a newer band made up of seasoned dudes called ETD. Looking at other forms of heavy metal, Texas boasts prog legends Watchtower and the epic doom band Solitude Aeturnus.
12. Who are your all-time favorite bands coming out of Texas? Are there any new bands you could recommend to the readers?
I’m an absolute nut for Pantera. ZZ Top is great, too. The bands I mentioned in the previous question are all badass. There’s a new band led by Joe who used to be in Morbosidad. They’re called Necro Blade, and they are definitely worth checking out.
13. When 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 am a gym rat. I love exercising, pushing myself and making myself as strong as possible. I mean that here in terms of physical fitness, of course, but beyond that, I also mean that I do my best daily to sharpen my tools to be strong spiritually and mentally. I love to read and learn. I’m very close with my family and my dogs. So time spent with them really means more than anything to me. And whenever we can, me and my better half love to travel.
14. Besides working in Trench Warfare do you or any of the members currently work with any other bands or solo projects? If yes, please tell our readers a little about them.
Dustin is also in a punk band called D.O.S. JP is in several bands like VX, Extremely Rotten and Sadistic Force, the latter of whom were our rehearsal spot roommates, actually. We have all been in numerous bands over the years. I’m doing Trench exclusively at the moment, but when the time is right, I’d like to do more. I definitely want to do darker hardcore, grindcore and something melodic and heavy at some point. To be clear, I want those all to be distinct bands, not one and same.
15. Thank you for taking the time for this interview. Do you have any final comments?
You’re welcome, Patrick. Thank you for taking the time to conduct the interview and for your longtime support.Final comments for your readers? Purchase a copy of “Achtung! Destroy The Weak” and come to our shows, or FOAD. Trench Warfare https://trenchwarfaretx.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/trenchwarfaretexas?fref=ts https://www.instagram.com/trenchwarfaretexas/