WINDS OF GENOCIDE (Eng.)
– Hello and first of all, thanks for taking the time. How is everything going right now with WINDS OF GENOCIDE? How are you feeling close to the release date of your debut album?
Hi and thanks for the interest! Yeah, feeling very happy now that the album is all finished, everything is recorded/mixed/mastered which is a great feeling after writing this album and working hard on it over the past few years since we signed the deal with Pulverised Records.Can’t wait for people to hear the whole thing, the response to the first preview track that went online, the title track of the album has been very positive so far! It’s great that people can finally hear some of what we have been working on!
– First off, as you are about to unleash your first full-length album and I guess some people won’t know about you yet; what prompted you forming WINDS OF GENOCIDE?
Well myself and Glynn (guitars) would often sit at my place and listen to music and drink beer etc… and one day we were like «let’s form a band!» it took us a while to find some likeminded musicians to join us but eventually we found a drummer and bassist to help us make this band a reality and not just some drunk idea! We have always listened to a mix of metal and punk as individuals so we wanted to bring that mix into our sound and it worked out great so far!,
– As I said, earlier next year you will release your debut album, but you aren’t newcomers, you have already been around for some years now so, would you mind to explain a little bit what activity have you had during these last years?
Well in August 2010 we recorded our first studio recording «The Arrival Of Apokalyptic Armageddon» CD/EP which we self financed/released in late 2010, we managed to secure distribution for that in the USA and Japan via Profane Existence and MCR Company which was definetly a big deal for us at the time but a lot of European labels were not so interested in helping distribute it so we mostly sold it ourselves across mainland europe via mailorder. This recording was later released on pro cassette tape by Doombringer Records in Indonesia limited to 100 copies. In 2011 we agreed a deal with Witchhammer Productions (who released our «Apokalyptic Death Crust» live rehearsal demo) in summer 2010 on pro cassette tape) to released a split CD with Japanese blackthrash legends Abigail which was limited to 500 copies (and later released on pro cassette tape earlier this year by Inverted Inhumation in The Netherlands.). We recorded 6 tracks for this recording in late 2011 and it was released in mid 2012. In late 2011 we signed with Pulverised and in early 2012 started writing new material for the debut album but suffered from some setbacks such as line up changes etc…so it took us until this summer 2014 to finally start recording the album.
– Now starting to dig into your album, «Usurping the Throne of Disease». When did it start to get shaped? Are all these compositions new?
All the songs were written specifically for the album apart from one song «Into The Darkness Of Eternal Nuclear Winter» which we originally recorded for the split with Abigail but I think the new version is rawer, faster and more aggressive and theres less vocal layers, it’s more stripped down vocally. But the other 8 songs on the album are all new and never recorded before until recently. Like I mentioned before we started the writing process in early 2012 for this album but things didn’t really start to take shape until later that year. We have since refined songs/parts, dropped one whole song completely and dropped a few riffs/parts out here and there.
– I think this record sounds more Death Metal than anything you have done before. Was this a choosen direction or rather how things turn out?
Yes the black/death metal influence is definetly stronger than ever in the new material but without losing that raw crust/punk edge, we are still very much a crust/punk band that is heavily influenced by black/death metal not the other way around! But the old Swedish death metal and Bolt Thrower influence is more at the frorefront and much more obvious in the new material. It wasn’t really a conscious decision to have more black/death metal influences, I mean they have always been there but they just came out stronger this time around but there is still plenty of crust / käng punk parts throughout the album and some songs that are totally in that vein. I think we got a good balance between metal and punk!.
– Anyway the D-Beat and Crust influences are still there, even nuances from BATHORY or HELLHAMMER or Hardcore Punk. Due to this I guess your musical inspirations may be quite diverse but, what bands have been the most influential ones for the sound of WINDS OF GENOCIDE?
Crust/Punk bands like Wolfpack/Wolfbrigade, Skitsystem, Martyrdöd, Disfear, Anti-Cimex, Driller Killer, Extinction Of Mankind, Extreme Noise Terror, Disgust (UK), Amebix aswell as Masskontroll, Hellshock, Meanwhile, Framtid, Dischange, Uncurbed, World Burns To Death, Sanctum, Avskum, Bombanfall, Tragedy, Consume etc have definetly had a huge influence on us as have the old Stockholm death metal bands, some old black metal like early Mayhem, Early Bathory, Hellhammer, Impaled Nazarene, Early Venom, some old thrash like Early Kreator, Sodom etc.. aswell as Autopsy, Bolt Thrower, Benediction etc… grind such as 
Terrorizer…the list goes on but these bands have definetly had a significant influence on us collectively in different ways over the years.
– I have always thought you draw a lot from the Swedish scene, from Death Metal to Crust. Is this just my perception?
Yes you are totally right we are fucking obsessed with Swedish death metal/black metal and crust/d beat/käng punk! We have another shortish käng punk rager on the album titled «Till Graven» (To The Grave in Swedish) which is like our tribute to the Swedish punk scene! HAIL TO SWEDEN!
– Anyway you are hailing from the UK, which has a lot of classic, almost cult bands into different subgenres, from AMEBIX to BOLT THROWER among many others, there are even coming out really interesting bands from there lately, like GRAVE MIASMA for example, even though they aren’t that new anymore. How is the British Metal scene right now?
The British metal scene overall seems very healthy right now all across the country there is cool bands making some killer music, too many to mention but some great new/underground local bands from this part of England (The North East) are Plague Rider, Cholera, Prolefeed, Fed To The Boars, Live Burial, Control, My Rules, Warbastard, Horrified, Rotting Bull, Uncoffined, Lucifer’s Chalice.
– In fact the album has been mixed by Fred Estby, a Swedish veteran. How did everything go? Are you pleased with the result obtained?
Fred did all of the vocal tracking too, I went over to Stockholm back in September for a week and spent 5 days in the Gutterview with Fred, first half of the studio time was spent vocal tracking then we started on the mixing over the last 2 days I was there but he still had 4 songs left to mix after I flew back to England. It was great working so closely with Fred as I have been a huge fan of Dismember and Carnage since I was a kid and I love a lot of recordings he has worked on/produced/mixed or helped mix/engineer such as Disfear «Everyday Slaughter» which is one of my fave Swedish punk albums ever, Fred did an awesome job, he is very easy to work with overall but is very thorough and VERY professional and taught me A LOT in the 5 days I was there working with him and I will take that experience to future recordings. VERY HAPPY with the end result and his work on the album he really helped us get a very powerful organic sounding recording/mix!! As soon as I heard his mixing on the Bastard Priest albums I loved it and when we got the opportunity to be able to afford his services he was first on my list!!. At first Pulverised suggested we go to Studio Fredman but I am glad we ended up with the Fred Estby/Jack Control mixing/mastering combo!
– It sounds really organic, thick and dirty, with a classic vibe, even a certain live vibe. Due to this I would like to know how did you record the album.
Glad to read you think so! We recorded the music live at a small studio in Nottingham, England called Stuck On A Name Studios with a guy called Ian Boult, the drums, bass and guitar were all done live in the same room with some bass/guitar overdubs and 2nd tracks done afterwards but it’s very much a LIVE recording musically. Like I said the vocal tracking and mixing was done at Gutterview Recorders in Stockholm with Fred Estby and the mastering was done by Jack Control from World Burns To Death/ Severed Head Of State at Enormous Door Mastering in Austin, TX USA (who has done mastering for Poison Idea, Trap Them, Darkthrone, Nails, Entrails etc..). All 3 guys did an excellent job with attaining a good organic thick and dirty sounding album! So cheers to them for lending their talents to this recording and helping to make it sound like it does!.
– I personally think lyrics fit really well with your angry music but, what are some of the lyrical themes you are covering here?
Global Destruction, Disease, Pestilence, Armageddon, Doomsday, The Apocalypse, The eventual downfall and extinction of Mankind, Chemical warfare, Warcrimes, Blood, Fire, Death! More of the same as before pretty much!. War’s No Fairytale!
– I would even dare say «Usurping the Throne of Disease» feels especially aggressive in all levels. Does each release reflect a certain moment in the life of the artists involved?
We definetly wanted to create an very aggressive album but we just write that way, it just comes out aggressive but I am glad you think it is so aggressive on all levels. That means we succeeded in our initial aim!
– On the other hand, the cover artwork was crafted by another veteran, Mark Riddick, and once more is one beast of an album cover. How did he work on it? I mean if you sent to him any kind of guide lines, or lyrics and music maybe.
I sent Mark a basic spec and he came up with that awesome graphic sick bizarre defaced creation you have seen on the album cover! He perfectly translated the album’s title in art form!! I would love to know what goes on in that guy’s head!! Hes a sick and twisted genius!!!. An honour to have his sickness adorn our album cover!
– This album is being released by Pulverised Records, whom signed you not too long ago. Considering the other bands on their roster it seems like the perfect haven for a band like WINDS OF GENOCIDE, isn’t it? How are things working with them thus far?
Well we actually signed with Pulverised in late 2011 so they (Roy and Calvin) have been waiting a while for some new recorded material from us!! It is a label I have followed and respected for a long time and it is an honour to be part of such a great roster both past and present! I am a big fan of a lot of bands on the label or who have been a part of the Pulverised roster throuhout the years. The guys who run the label Roy and Calvin are great to work with, VERY helpful and they gave us a great budget to work with which we have never had the luxury of having before!!
– All this about «Usurping the Throne of Disease» being said; how could you describe it in just 3 words (and you can’t say «Apokalyptic Death Crust»)?
Hahaha! Ok..well since you banned me from using those three words how about CRUST DEATH APOKALYPSE!!!
– From Queens of Steel, we haven’t really brought special support to women into the Metal scene, but we have rather tried to make people see in this century doesn’t make sense anymore to make a difference between male and female artists, specially when we started a decade ago. Do you think the audience still makes a difference?
I guess there will always be people who make a big deal out of the fact it is a female doing such vocals instead of a man but I think it shouldn’t make a difference who is behind the microphone, male, female, whoever as long as the vocals are done by someone with passion then that is all that matters, with vocals in such an aggressive manner as this you can’t really tell what gender the person is doing the vocals anyway, that’s what I love about such a style, it’s very Asexual and not gender specific! And it avoids the usual gender stereotypes of how a male and a female «should» sound like when singing/doing vocals!. As Fenriz would say BREAK THE CHAINS!! As I would say BREAK DOWN THE BARRIERS OF WHAT PEOPLE PERCIEVE AS «NORMAL»!!! What is normal anyway!?! I would love someone to tell me the defintion on normal and how a male or a female should behave and sound in a band!
– We have somehow tried to «normalize» rather than make a difference so to speak, but discrimination still exists, that’s a fact unfortunately. I won’t say I admire the band just by the fact you are transgender, because I admire musicians for what they do and not because of their race, sexuality, physic, etc. Do you think not hiding things as legit as this can make more people put prejudices aside?
Well I have always been very open about the fact I am a transwoman but it is something I also don’t bring up in interviews unless prompted, such as now and I am always happy to talk about this subject as I think being so open about it is a good thing as it can help raise awareness and maybes even help some other people come to terms with their own inner feelings and maybes give them more courage to come out and be more active in the scene if they see other transgendered people such as myself (and I must mention Marissa from Cretin here too) being accepted generally by people worldwide who are more interested in the music I/we are creating than the fact I happen to be trans. It might help educate people, it could help to put their initial predjudices aside, I don’t really know…but there is always going to be bigots in the scene, there is bigots from all walks of life and backgrounds the extreme music scene is no different but I am here doing what I love and raising a big middle finger to the bigots in the scene, they can say whatever they want about the fact I am trans but the fact is I am releasing music/albums and doing something positive with my life whereas they just talk shit on the internet and are very inscure individuals…I KNOW WHO I AM, DO THEY KNOW WHO THEY REALLY ARE?!!
– And now as the end of the year is drawing nearer, could you please tell us what have been your 3 favourite albums of 2014 and your less favourite one?
Oh fucking hell, this is a HARD QUESTION!!!!
OK off the top of my head:
VALLENFYRE – SPLINTERS
BLOODBATH -GRAND MORBID FUNERAL
AUTOPSY – TOURNIQUETS, HACKSAWS AND GRAVES
Least favourite…..too many too mention (diplomatic answer!).
– Finally, what are your near-future plans? You have done two split albums in the past, «The Arrival of Apokalyptic Armageddon» and with ABIGAIL. Are there plans of doing more? This works quite fine for your style I think.
«The Arrival….» is entirely just our own recording but yes there has been talk already about doing another split before we jump into writing for another full length album….let this album spread like a disease and then fester in peoples minds for a while!!
– That’s all, thank you once more for answering our questions. If you want to add some final words; feel free to do it.
Many thanks for the great interview and the support, a total pleasure to answer! Check out our album out on 26th January via Pulverised Records!
A NEW STORM OF APOKALYPTIC AURAL ARMAGEDDON HAS ARRIVED!!!!
