INVERLOCH (Eng.)
– Hello, thanks for answering to our questions. What are you currently up to?
PM – We just returned from a mini Europe tour which kicked off with Roadburn. So we are just getting back into the swing of things with life at home, work and family. Hopefully start jamming in the next few weeks.
– INVERLOCH is a new band but with an interesting story behind it, as some of you played on DISEMBOWELMENT so, would you mind to share some history of the band?
PM – First of all I will say that this is NOT a continuation/extension/return of diSEMBOWELMENT. Whether it be d.USK or INVERLOCH. INVERLOCH came about with the realisation that we were starting to really gel as a band with the rest of the d.USK band (Ben, Mark and Tony). We were starting to find our feet and were writing some new tunes. Inverloch has been and will always be totally separate from diSEMBOWELMENT. INVERLOCH is its own identity.
– Inverloch is a seaside village in Victoria. Did the band’s name have something to do with this village? Why did you pick this name for the band?
PM – Yes it is a seaside town funny enough. But no, the band has no connection or history with this town. While Matt was in Trial of the Bow, he actually wrote a tune called ‘Inverloch’ then thought one day that he would like to use that name for a band. The opportunity came up here and he used it.
– As I said, some of you played in DISEMBOWELMENT, due to this I guess some people will check INVERLOCH out just due to this and not by the band’s own merits. How do you feel about this?
PM – I’m generally ok with this as I think it is a positive that they can at least be lead to checking Inverloch out. If it means that they have discovered a new band and realised it is NOT diSEMBOWELMENT than that’s even better. It can be a little frustrating too as I genuinely feel that this band came about due to the hard work and efforts of everyone not just Matt & I. Hopefully more people will check us out on our own merits with all members in mind.
– And aren’t you afraid about the fact some people may think INVERLOCH is just a second part of DISEMBOWELMENT?
PM – Not really. If that’s people’s perceptions, we can’t help that. We never indicated that Inverloch is the 2nd part. Like I said, this band came about due to the hard work and efforts of everyone in the band, so people should realise that this is a new identity called INVERLOCH.
– In fact it seems you have always been huge Doom Metal lovers. What has this genre that keeps you motivated after so many years?
PM – I think the fact that we all still go to shows and have a genuine interest in seeing from the big metal bands to the smaller bands that are just starting out keeps us motivated. I personally love how the music continues to evolve but at the same time there are some new bands (with young guys) that go back to old school roots/influences.
– You will soon release “Dusk… Subside”, your debut EP. Did you want with the title to remember the D.USK project or does it just fit your music and the title itself?
PM – Yes it does exactly that – remembering the d.USK project and it then faded out to become the new identity INVERLOCH.
– After seeing the result I think a short-length opus is just perfect for you, as you’ve managed to keep things interesting trying out different elements. What are your thoughts on this?
PM – I really appreciate you saying this as this was originally going to be released as a demo rather than an EP. But Relapse were really happy with what we recorded. We are really stoked how it all came together with the production – Joel Taylor did an amazing job with some big natural but organic sounds and Relapse packaged it up so well – Pip Soret was incredible at driving this one through. We can’t thank him enough here!!!
– And do you plan releasing more EPs or maybe a full-length album?
PM – Nothing at this stage. If anything, we might look at another EP.
– This being said, how could you describe “Dusk… Subside” in just 3 words?
PM – Heavy, Organic and atmospheric
– The EP has been released by Relapse, the same label that released “Transcendence into the Peripheral” almost 20 years ago. How did everything arise? Did they show interest for INVERLOCH?
PM – Like I said, we were recorded the EP originally as a demo. We gave Relapse a listen and they were really into it and wanted us to release it, so we did. Simple as that. Relapse have been great to us in the past, so we had no hesitation in going back to them.
– Nowadays “Transcendence into the Peripheral” is considered a cult album, and DISEMBOWELMENT a band that has influenced many newer bands into the style. How do you feel about it? And have you noticed, with the Internet and such tools, that album is now getting more recognition and new generations are aware of you because of this?
PM – I am very surprised about all this. Back when we created Transcendence, we were stoked to have the opportunity to create the LP. When it was released (1992) there were a few generous reviews here and there and some that basically didn’t think we were quite hitting the mark in any specific genre. Because of this I didn’t think anything further at all at the time. Then when Relapse wanted to re-issue the album with demos.etc I thought “I’m not sure if there is still interest, otherwise sure let’s do it”. It was well received by previous fans as well starting many new ones to my surprise. But when people were coming up with how we influenced certain bands whom are bigger than us, I was a little taken back and surprised. When they were talking about the whole CULT status thing, I thought that was a little over the top.
With the internet I did notice the recognition and some newer generations being in contact which is very cool.
– Finally, what are your near-future plans? I’ve seen you will be playing some shows and will perform a special show at Roadburn as well.
PM – So we came back from Europe where we played Roadburn & 4 other shows. Right now we are settling back in and will start drumming up some new ideas and see if they are something we want to pursue with or not. Matt has another project called PULGAR (old school death/grind/thrash style) where we recorded a demo but it needs vocals. So we might finish this off as well.
– That’s all from my side, thanks again for taking your time to answer our questions. If you now want to add some final words; feel free to do it.
PM – Thank-you Tania for your interest and support here. It means a lot to us. Stay Heavy and Brutal! \m/
