BASTARDIZER (Eng.)
– First of all thank you so much for answering our interview. How is the band currently doing?
Hails! We’re doing great. We just got back from playing a two-day festival in Melbourne, currently gearing up for our next hometown show in Sydney supporting death metal legends Morbid Angel.
– Before digging into your newest album, would you mind to tell us how did the band get together?
Sure, Bill (guitarist) and I were knocking back a few beers in our friend’s backyard for NYE. It seemed like a great idea to get together and write songs as we were both fans of each other’s previous bands. I had a drummer in mind instantly, so we called Jackson five minutes later and Bastardizer was born.
– Last year you released a 3 track demo, how were those first steps like and how did you draw interest to manage to release this first «Enforcers of Evil»?
We wanted to go against the grain of most bands and decided to record a demo before we had even played a live show (or a full line-up) that would be available before our live debut. This move paid off as word started to spread quickly. Heavy Forces (Germany) heard the demos and wanted Bastardizer on board to release our debut LP.
– Already digging into this record, tell us how was the recording process.
An intense forty hours of blood sweat & a few beers. Results were amazing. The last step was shipping it off to Joel Grind (Toxic Holocaust) over in the US to finish mixing/mastering.
– About the cover artwork and lyrics, they perfectly represent your music, so I would like you to tell us what meaning do the cover, album’s title and lyrics hold personally to you.
We write songs about hellish themes and decadence. Bastards, Bullets, Bitches & Beer! Our songs’ subject matter varies to a degree but Enforcers of Evil (the track and title of the album) represents our opposition to the church and religion. Other songs cover sexual themes as well and the pleasures of women, and mixing in with our themes pertaining to ‘evilness’ this is represented well on the front cover which also shows our home town, Sydney, burning in Hell’s flames.
– I have had the chance to listening to the opus and it’s a blast. The musical basis is, without any doubt, Black Thrash, and I have also noticed a lot of influences I will go on further later on, but at first vocals reminded me to the album «Nightmare Theatre» released by EXORCIST during the early 80’s, and in certain moments to VENOM. Are these bands that have been an influence for you when it comes to create songs?
Cheers. I’m glad you enjoy it. We like to classify ourselves as Black Thrash & Roll as all three elements are clearly present on the release. We’ve never had that reference to ‘Exorcist’ but thanks heaps, I’m a huge fan of that album. Obviously we get the Venom reference all the time and I think that comes from mainly my vocal style as the other members of the band don’t listen to Venom as much as I do.
– I also notice the influence of bands such as BATHORY, specially on the song «Bathory & Lust», and there’s some CELTIC FROST flavour on «Eureka». Where these songs that just came out naturally or are they a tribute to these legendary acts?
Bathory & Lust and Eureka came about quickly in the early stages and seem to be quite the fan favourites both live and recorded. I wouldn’t necessarily say the music is a tribute but there’s a few lyrics and vocal styles in those two tracks that would definitely be a homage.
– And to a certain extent, there’s also room for traditional Heavy Metal and certain NWOBHM nuance, without leaving Thrash Metal aside. As on my previous questions, are these elements you consciously wanted to include or are parts that simply come out like this?
Definitely, that’s what separated this from the other black thrash releases. It can go from a Destroyer 666 to a Motörhead track in 5 seconds. You have our guitarist Bill to thank for that. He writes quite the riff change.
– You are hailing from Australia, a country where the Thrash scene was never really huge. Some bands like ADDICTIVE, ARMOURED ANGEL, HOBBS ANGEL OF DEATH or DESTROYER 666 hailed from there too but, how’s the Aussie scene like nowadays?
It’s nothing like the old days with the aforementioned bands but it’s still heavily underground and kicking. If you put a great line-up together you will be rewarded with a great turnout. Some of my personal favourites thrashers who are laying down their souls are Nocturnal Graves, Denouncement Pyre, Innsmouth, Cauldron Black Ram, Convent Guilt, Hellbringer, Destruktor, Demonreich & Maniaxe. All the readers should grab a beer, leave no cross unturned and bang your heads to the above bands.
– And on a view to the future, what are your touring plans? Is there anything on the works?
The rest of 2014 is touring this great country of ours and promoting our debut release. As mentioned earlier we are supporting Morbid Angel which will be killer followed by Origin in May and Toxic Holocaust towards the end of the year. Next year we have plans to visit as many countries as we can. Japan & Europe are high on that list.
– For a next album, do you already have songs wirrten? And how much will we have to wait until your next release?
We are currently two songs into the second release and they are quite tight and different especially now we have a permanent bass player, with Rayzor joining a few months back. If you loved ‘Enforcers’ these new tracks will blow your mind. Expect our second album to be released in 2015. We do get a lot of offers from labels/bands to release splits. So you may hear something sooner.
– And before wraping this interview up, I would like you to tell me the 5 albums that have influenced you the most, or the ones you think are essential in your life.
I’ll go with the five releases that have inspired Bastardizer as a band as my personal top five will shock even Satan himself…
Chapel – Satan’s Rock ‘n’ Roll
Destroyer 666 – Unchain The Wolves
Toxic Holocaust – Evil Never Dies
Gospel Of The Horns – A Call To Arms
Kiss – Music From ‘The Elder’
– That’s all from our side, it’s been a pleasure and our best wishes. Hope we could see you soon in Spain or through Europe. Lots of thanks.
Cheers for the support and taking the time to. See ya soon. Ugh!
Chris (Bastardizer)
