Today, we continue our foray into the extreme metal scene of the Chicago area as Fleshgrind’s Steve Murray provides us with some insight regarding the band’s history, and their development into the highly-respected death-grind juggernaut they are today. Personnel changes, shifting lyrical concepts, and the decision to obtain a grittier sound for their latest effort (»The Seeds of Abysmal Torment») were just a few of the topics which Steve agreed to discuss, making this interview a pleasure to conduct. And if you need any more convincing in regards to the brutality, speed, and technical flair of Fleshgrind’s music, consider that Cephalic Carnage deemed them worthy of mention in the lyrics to the song «Eradicate Authority» from the latter’s «Exploiting Dysfunction» CD. Without further ado, here are the goods:

- (CA) The first thing I noticed about «The Seeds of Abysmal Torment» was the production, which is rawer and more abrasive than on «Destined For Defilement». This surprised me, as Brian Griffin produced both albums. Would you attribute the change to a difference in studios, or were other factors at work?

- (SM) Well, it’s the same studio, but we wanted a more raw sound and a not so polished and clean sound. Certain things could’ve been beefed up more, but we like the rawness of it, and you can hear everything so its not a shit raw sound. We like it.

- (CA) Your rhythm section endured a bit of a shake-up between albums. Can you describe the circumstances surrounding the departure of Dave Barbolla (drums) and Ray Vasquez (bass)?

- (SM) Well, when it came down to it, they both didn’t want to tour, which we understood, it’s hard to tour and make NO money. So, Ray quit, and Dave was just not gonna tour and we found a fill in. Well, the fill in was our current drummer Alan, he worked out great and was worlds better at drumming than Dave, and he was willing to tour so we went with the obvious choice, Alan. And Jimmy, our bass player who replaced Ray, he was a fill in at first as well. But again he worked out great so we just stuck with that line up.

- (CA) How did you hook up with your new drummer (Alan Collado) and bassist (James Genenz)?

- (SM) Well, Alan was in a band called Euphoric Evisceration who were from around here, so we were friends with him and knew he could do the job quite well. And Jimmy, we knew him for years, he used to play bass in a death metal band from here called Dysphoria. After that band split up, he was playing guitar in Avernus, he still does as a matter of a fact. So we just asked him to do the tour but he ended up staying aboard.

- (CA) The lyrics on «Seeds…» are more mature and contemplative than on the debut. Was this the result of Alan’s input, or was there a conscious effort on everyone’s part to get away from the gore themes?

- (SM) Well, yeah, on our last album there were some gory lyrics, that were written by Ray, and we didn’t really want gory things, but he wrote them so we used them. The lyrics that I wrote on «Destined…» were more violent than gore. But on the new album we didn’t want anything gory and take a more pyschological approach and we think it worked out well. So they come off as more mature. This time, Alan and I wrote almost all of the lyrics together. I write the rough draft and he polishes them up. Jimmy wrote the lyrics for «Hogtied and hatefucked» which came out great I think. [I haven't heard this song, but the title looks pretty palatable... :) —AK]

- (CA) Lenzig of Cephalic Carnage contributed vocals to three tracks on the new album. How did this come about?

- (SM) Well, we were mixing our album on a Saturday, and Cephalic Carnage was playing in Chicago the night before, so we asked Lenzig to do some tracks. So he slept at Rich’s and then came by the studio in the morning. It worked out cool, he is a good bud of ours and his voice is killer, as is Cephalic Carnage!

- (CA) What are your favorite tracks, and why?

- (SM) «Destroying Your Will», because it’s so damn brutal, flows very well, and has everything we wanted in it. It varies. «Monarch Of Misery», because its a bit different for us, and «Deviating Ceremonies», because again it’s different for us, and it’s quite ugly, if I were to paint a picture with music, that would be the song.

- (CA) What was going on during the three years between «Destined…» and «Seeds…»?

- (SM) Line-up changes, label changes, touring, lots of shows, writing.

- (CA) Tell us a little about what’s going on with the death/grind scene in the Chicago area. Which bands impress you the most?

- (SM) Not as much is goin’ on as there once was, but some great bands are: Jungle Rot, Sarcophagus, Disinter, Reprobation, Corpsevomit, Avernus, Usurper, The Chasm, Broken Hope, Macabre, EnForsaken and Rellick.

- (CA) What have you been listening to lately? Anything outside the metal genre?

- (SM) As I write this, Suffocation «Pierced From Within», and lately: new Napalm Death (their best and only great album since «Utopia…»!), Severe Torture, Deepred, Petrified, Immolation, Bolt Thrower, Emperor, Sacrilege (Sweden), Dismember, Rain Fell Within, Nevermore, Asphyx (»The Rack»!), Gorgasm, Deeds of Flesh, Skinless, Krisiun, Gorguts. As far as non-metal shit goes… Kiss, old Motley Crue, Al DiMeola, Yngwie Malmstreen.

- (CA) What do you think of the decision to put Timothy McVeigh’s execution on hold?

- (SM) Well, I think it’s a waste of fucking tax dollars, he was found guilty and he pretty much admits it, so what’s the hold up?

- (CA) What meaning do you put into the word «Fleshgrind»?

- (SM) Well, it’s just a brutal word, and we wanted a name that fits the music, and that could have a few meanings!

- (CA) Any closing thoughts?

- (SM) Support Extreme Music!!! And thanks a lot for the interview!

- (CA) Thank you guys for everything you are and for every song you play, we at Deluge wish you the best! We would also like to render our huge «thank you!» to Jim Forst, publicist for Olympic Recordings, for his invaluable help with this interview.

Visit official Fleshgrind site @ www.fleshgrind.com

Visit Olympic Recordings site @ www.olympicrecordings.com

Visit Season Of Mist site @ www.season-of-mist.com

E-mail Fleshgrind @ Flshgrind[AT]aol.com

Snail-mail Fleshgrind @ P.O. Box 7142 Grayslake, IL 60030 USA

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