Subserviency - Interview 2026

SUBSERVIENCY

Location: Little Rock, Arkansas 

Genre: Brutal Death

Members: 

Samoth Cook - Drums / Vocals 

Phoenix Davis - Guitar / Bass

Lance Schwab - Guitar 

"The midwestern states are not typically known as the bastion of brutal death metal, but Subserviency is definitely going to put Arkansas BDM on the map. Their NSE debut EP will be out later this year, mixed and mastered by Xander Bridge (Nuclear Remains, Obscured Existence)." 

Subserviency is a very young band that sounds and feels beyond their years!  Cannot wait for more!!!  Enjoy the interview!

Hello!  How are you?

Hello! I'm fine, thank you.

Who are you? what do you do in Subserviency?

I'm Samoth, I drum and do vocals. I also create a lot of the graphics/art for the band and handle booking and whatnot, I love making stuff.

Can you tell us all the members?  How old are you guys?

I'm 19. Lance plays guitar, he's 16 about to turn 17 this month. Phoenix plays bass and guitar, he turned 17 not too long ago.

                                                                                                                                                                        Can you tell the whole story about how the band started?

   

I used to have a solo project named Artistic Defilement back in 2024. My friend Sam, who plays in
a band from here called Render, reached out to me about needing another band to play for a show he was putting together. At the time, I didn't really have shit written. What ended up happening was I wrote 3 songs, all very odd BDM pieces inspired by a mix of Mortal Decay and Stargazer. I got Sam to learn them on bass and his friend Logan to learn them on guitar, and we ended up playing a few shows. There's probably some clips lying around on YouTube. Eventually, we split in early 2025 due to the distance between members and time issues. Not long after, we were offered a show with a pretty big band at the time that happened to be coming through, and I had nobody to play it with! So, in a nature similar to how Artistic began, I gathered a few friends to write some music and make this shit happen. I think we had about 2 months. I got my good friends Phoenix and Lance to join, who swapped between bass and guitar between songs. We had another guitarist at the time, who we've now since parted ways with. We wrote 3 songs and learned a cover of Losfer Words by Iron Maiden. It was very low effort slam-centric music made solely to get through the first couple shows, but people seemed to dig it since they could mosh to it. After we became a three-piece, we began writing new material in which we actually wanted to play. I wrote the the first couple songs on the EP, Lance and I wrote the last song, which was actually the first one we began to write (around November). Phoenix wrote all of the bass, which I suspect emerged from the babbling brook of consciousness which his brilliant thoughts flow. We finished writing in time for our first out of state show in late January, which we played in Jackson, Mississippi.

How did you name the band?

Lance came up with it, he got it from the Internal Bleeding song "God of Subservience". At the same time, I think it offers deeper meaning when you think about the "subservience" you often see in music scenes, following trends and gimmicks and regurgitating ideas between one another instead of creating something of your own volition.

How did working with New Standard Elite come about?

A good friend of mine, Sam Little (Submerged, Grafted, etc), mentioned our name to Ryan Baker a couple times. They ended up reaching out to us after Bridget Lynch of Stabbing saw us play in Houston, she sent him a clip of Butchery of the Witless and he was sold. We were super stoked since we were actually gonna reach out to the label once we recorded, but it gave us the kick in the ass to actually get everything recorded.

What bands inspire you?

This could be a long list but I'll try to condense it, haha. Number one is definitely Lykathea Aflame and their precursor band Appalling Spawn. Other than that, Gorguts, Defeated Sanity, Deeds of Flesh, Despondency, Stargazer, Morbid Angel, Cenotaph (MX), Atheist, Cynic, Immolation, Oppressor, Nile, Theurgy, Submerged, Contrastic, Origin, Internal Suffering, likely some others on the death metal front. We try to incorporate melodies inspired by ancient music of various cultures. We also take inspiration from some black metal and heavy metal acts, we like to mesh stuff from everything we like. Also Rush.

Damn, Lykathea Aflame!  Haven't heard that name in a long time!

Being that you are all so young, I just have to ask how you came to find this kind of music. Family? Siblings? Older friends?

Lance: I personally found this kind of music just from hanging out with Samoth and Phoenix, because before I became friends with them I had minimal interest in the genre and I was just more of a black metal guy anyway. (You can probably somewhat hear the influence in our music, being that us 3 all love black metal) None of my family is into extremely heavy music though, except for my dad who is a big thrash and heavy metal guy.

Samoth: My parents raised me on a lot of metal. They, along with my aunt, played in a black metal band called “Fallen Empire”. My uncle also plays in a death metal band called “Vore”.

I grew up listening to a lot of Iron Maiden, Savatage, Burzum, Einherjer and whatnot. Lots of heavy metal and black metal. I remember always looking at the CDs we had in our car on the way to school, I loved the art on Ragnarok by Tyr haha. I got into brutal death metal around 5th grade when I found Dying Fetus, I thought the name was funny but ended up getting addicted the more I listened. I’ve only grown to be more passionate about this music as my life goes on, I have almost everything to thank for it.

Phoenix:  When I was in the sixth grade, I downloaded bandcamp and began exploring all sorts of genres. Before this I hadn't much engaged with music. In my household, it was mainly pop and folk, and none of it interested me besides the occasional Sabbath my mom would put on. My big gateway band was Sleep, which sparked my ever-evolving obsession for discovering music through whatever methods. At first it was doom metal, then black metal, and eventually death metal. I started listening to BDM around the end of ninth grade, and since then I've been doing what I do.

Also, after a youtube deep-dive, I realized that you are all incredibly talented musicians! How long has everyone been at their instrument and how often do you guys practice?

Lance: I would estimate I've been playing music and instruments for probably 2 and a half years. I started out playing bass because my brother had a bass guitar and a bass amp in his room that just sat and collected dust and he didn't care for me playing it. I remember playing bass a lot for most of summer, and finally getting an electric guitar for my birthday in July. And ever since then, I've just been playing guitar everyday.

Samoth: I’ve been playing drums practically my entire life. I received a toy drum set when I was like 2 or so, ended up loving it so much that my parents got me a starter kit. I remember bass pedals being the most difficult thing to grasp, I’d supplement it by using the floor tom instead. I mostly played a lot of Black Sabbath, I love Bill Ward. Eventually I got decent enough by time I was in elementary school and so on. My skill really began to improve when I got into Zach Hill’s playing, 

I remember practicing everyday to sound like him. It ended up giving me a very erratic and loose style that ends up working to my favor. Then I learned how to blast and so on so forth… I’m still not as good as Lille Gruber but I’m always getting better!

Phoenix: I started playing guitar shortly after I began drumming roughly three years ago. Initially, I was just messing around with my grandpas acoustic and most of my attention was centered on drums. Gradually, though, my focus shifted more and more to guitar and now it's my main instrument. And as much as I'd love to say I practice a steady eight hours a day Joe Pass style, it usually ends up being around 1-3. I'll get to that 8+ schedule soon though hopefully maybe!

Thanks a lot for answering some questions!  We can't wait to Observe The Ancestral Twilight!!!   Any last words?

Keep an eye on the upcoming EP and the music video, it’s a lot of fun. Listen to Manilla Road and Lykathea Aflame! Thank you for taking the time to interview us!!!

SUPPORT SUBSERVIENCY HERE

and

HERE

Barbarism - Interview 2026

Barbarism is an international act; Indonesia/Ecuador Brutal Death Metal.  The band's debut album, Predetermined Extinction, is slated for an August 10th release via Grave Island Records.  Grave Island is a young label, owned and operated out of the country of Cyprus.  One to watch for sure, with a small but strong roster, great website, and great communication.  I'll be supporting for sure!

As far as Barbarism and the album, it is relentless BDM full of memorable riffs and punishing drums, topped off with Ardian's nasty thick wet gross gutturals!

I will include the advance-track below, but the album as a whole is really well written and addictive!

Enjoy the track and the interview below!

 Hello!  How are you?

First of all, thank you for having us. It's a pleasure to be part of this interview, and we really appreciate your support.

Hi, man! We're doing great over here. How about you?

Also doing great over here!

Who are you? what do you do in Barbarism?

I'm Ardian, the vocalist and lyricist of Barbarism. I also handle the band's layouts and visual/video production.

Can you tell us all the members?  What other projects are you all a part of?

Barbarism consists of Ardian (vocals/lyrics), Roby (guitar/bass), and Claudio (drums). Outside of Barbarism, I'm also active in Deserter and Devastrosity, where Roby also plays guitar in Devastrosity. Roby is also the drummer for Decaying Human, among other projects. Claudio is active in Huesa Cadaver, Infected Humans, and Nephropexy.

Can you talk a little bit about of the band started? 

Barbarism originally started as a duo between Roby and me. We wanted a separate outlet to write music outside of our main bands, so we began writing and recording the demo in late 2023. We like to keep each of our bands focused on its own identity, so every project has its own musical direction and vision. Later, Claudio offered to record the drums, and he immediately understood the material and brought it to life. We never expected that this project would eventually become an international band between Indonesia and Ecuador. Haha!

How did you name the band?

Actually, the band had two different names before we settled on Barbarism. We even had logos made for them, but none of them really felt right. While discussing our demo with Jesse Denton, I asked if he had any suggestions for a band name. He sent me a list of ideas, and "Barbarism" instantly stood out. It perfectly captured the chaotic, savage atmosphere of our early material, so the choice was obvious. Then I sketched the Barbarism logo and asked Guntur to revamp it into the version we use today.

What bands inspire you?

Without a doubt, Almighty Disgorge is our biggest influence. Their music had a massive impact on us and helped shape the way we approach brutal death metal. That said, we didn't want to simply recreate the past. Predetermined Extinction is our tribute to the era of brutal death metal that shaped us while forging our own identity, rooted in structured violence, anti-creation, and the inevitable collapse of existence.

Now, you said "We like to keep each of our bands focused on its own identity, so every project has its own musical direction and vision."  

Then you said;  "Predetermined Extinction is our tribute to the era of brutal death metal that shaped us while forging our own identity, rooted in structured violence, anti-creation, and the inevitable collapse of existence."  Can you give any advice for bands that are also paying tribute to the more old school bdm sound, but are struggling in the 'forging their own identity' department?  I think you guys do this pretty well, with Devastrosity also, but I can't really explain it.  Can you?

Honestly, it's difficult to explain because developing a band's personality and identity is probably one of the hardest parts of making brutal death metal. It's such a dense genre, and sometimes your riffs or song structures will naturally resemble your influences or even other bands. That's completely normal, and it shouldn't become something that discourages you.  The important thing is to keep pushing until your own musical character begins to emerge. You don't have to reinvent the genre or force yourself to sound completely unique just for the sake of being different. What matters is creating the best version of your own style and developing it with conviction and consistency.

Our advice is simple: don't hold back. If you're going to do something, do it with passion and give it everything you've got. Your identity will develop naturally over time.

What sort of direction, if any, did you give to Andik to end up with the crazy cover art?

The instructions were actually quite simple, but translating the ideas into artwork was definitely the challenging part! Haha.

I wanted the artwork to combine angelic and demonic elements with fractal-like entities, following the concept of "chaos on the surface, but built with technique and precise patterns.  It reflects our philosophy of "chaos in order" or "structured violence."  Andik did an incredible job translating those ideas into the final artwork, and I really appreciate his ability to understand the vision.

Conceptually, the artwork portrays the collapse of creation as a carefully orchestrated process rather than a random catastrophe. It represents a universe moving toward a predetermined extinction, where demonic entities serve as instruments of a greater force. What appears to be complete chaos is actually part of a calculated design. Every creature, every ruined structure, and every act of violence exists for a reason, reflecting Barbarism's central philosophy that beneath apparent chaos lies hidden order.

How did working with Grave Island start?  How is that going?

Our collaboration with Grave Island Records actually began when the band was still called Fraktal. As the project evolved, we mutually agreed that changing the name would better represent the band's concept and artistic direction.

So far, it's been an excellent experience. Pavel is a visionary who truly understands what we're trying to achieve. He immediately connected with our vision.  

We're very proud to be part of the Grave Island Records roster.

Well, I am absolutely loving the album, and I am sure fans of this sort of brutality will have no complaints!  A wonderful slab of brutal death!!!  Ardy thanks again for answering some questions!  Your vocals rule!  Anything you'd like to say to the worldwide brutal fans?

Thank you so much! We really appreciate your kind words and your support.  We'll continue learning, experimenting, and pushing ourselves to create music that we're proud of and that brutal death metal fans can truly enjoy.

To everyone around the world who supports Barbarism and underground extreme music, thank you for keeping this scene alive. Your support means everything to bands like us.

Stay brutal... and don't stop the madness!

GRAVE ISLAND RECORDS

Repterra - Interview 2026

 Yo!  Hope all is going well!  Who are we talking to?

Hey what's up man, appreciate you having us on thanks for the support. We really dig the bands you got up on your page so it's an honor to be a part of it. This is Evan and Carter, the guitarists and vocalists.

Can you tell us the story of how Repterra started?

Evan: the story is actually pretty lengthy but i'll try and sum it up for ya.

me and the rhythm guitarist Carter started playing guitar at the same time around 7 years ago, since then we've evolved styles and genres many times but the vision was always the same, it needed to get heavier, from grunge to thrash to BDM, it took 3-4 years of grinding, lots of demos and networking with locals to make this possible. The main issue was finding a suitable drummer who could keep up and had a similar vision, our area was very limited in heavy music and no one wanted to or seemingly could play the songs we wrote. Until one day I (Evan) met Ezra (our Drummer) at a guitar center around February 2025, I heard him playing some skank beats and got his number. When we first ran him through some material he could hardly play a blast beat but he had an insane talent and drive to play heavy music, I believe he had only been playing for a little over a year. After 3 long months of grinding out our songs with him he was finally ready and now his skills were 10x. Now we have some good shows under our belt, lots of awesome fans, an EP and this is only just the start. We feel so humbled and blown away by the support people have given us after finally having the resources to thrive as a band. It still feels surreal because for a very long time it was just me and Carter trying to get a real committed band together to no avail. As far as the name, it was one I had saved from a long time ago that we eventually decided upon with some small changes and the rest is history.

You guys are all fairly young right?  Can you list members/roles/ages?

Carter: We're all pretty young ya, our drummer Ezra is 16. Evan & I are 19 and we do Lead Guitar & Rhythm Guitar respectively. And the oldest member of our band is Kenny on bass who is 40. Evan & I also do shared vocals, He’ll handle most of the lows, and I get most of the highs, but occasionally (mostly live) we’ll flip.

What is the writing process like for the band?

Evan & Carter: Oftentimes we’ll just make a demo with our drummer Ezra, we all get together and pump out some tunes, or sometimes just one of us will write some brutal shit with Ezra and vice versa. Then collectively we morph, shape, & sculpt the songs as a unit. Everyone has ideas and something to offer to each song and that's priceless, it separates us from bands that just write riffs as songs. That is what's key to a finished product that people can resonate with.

Who or what inspires you guys

We are inspired by a wide array of genres, bands, concepts, and people that drive us to make our music. 

Bands that inspire us include, Suffocation, Dying Fetus, Defeated Sanity, Deeds of Flesh, Mortal Decay, Disavowed, Inveracity, Morbid Angel, Deicide, Sepultura, Megadeth, Gojira (Godzilla-Terra Incognita era), Pantera, Metallica (Early),

People we are inspired by

Evan: Dimebag Darrel, Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman, Randy Rhoads, EVH, Terrance Hobbs 

Carter: James Hetfield, Doug Cerrito, Diego Sanchez, Tom Leski, Wolfgang Teske (RIP)

Ezra: Mike Smith, Gene Hoglan, Kevin Talley, Matt Cameron, Akira Jimbo

Kenny: Muhammed Suicmez, EVH, Ryan Knight, Dean Lamb, Simon Porolfsson

The old-school influence on decay is undeniable!  Can you put us on to some other newer bands that are doing the old school proud? 

Yeah for sure there are tons of great old school death metal/OSBD bands that inspire us, Laceration (Our Homeboys), Repudilation, SICK, Nuclear Remains. Saw SICK live the other day open up for Regurgitation & Brodequin. Insanely good shit, Definitely check em out, along with Laceration from Santa Rosa.

How have live shows been going?  Any tours planned? 

The live shows we have played have been sick, great fan support and energy. We’ve had quite a few unfortunate cancellations of shows due to members being sick or other issues, but we’re excited to get back into playing gigs with the ones we have lined up here. 

-May 30th Santa Rosa, Arlene Francis Center

-Jun 13th Atascadero (hometown), The Printery

-Jun 28th Sacramento, Cafe Colonial

We don’t have any tour plans yet. That’s definitely something we’ve been thinking about and want to work towards.

What are your family lives like?  Are the families supportive of the band? 

We are really fortunate that all of our families are super supportive and excited to hear our music. The best part of playing hometown gigs is being able to see our family members there with us.

Well we cannot wait for more, and we will keep supporting!  Any last words??

We just wanna say we love each and every one of the fans that have made it possible for us to do this, and we’re just really grateful for all the support…keep it fucking BRUTAL.

SUPPORT REPTERRA

Seminal Depravation - Interview 2026

 

Yoyoyo!  How is it going?

Hey bro, everything is going well, as it should be. We are Working on new stuff , new EP  is coming and ready to hit the road on Some México cities on next october. 

How did Seminal Depravation get started?

Started just as a collaboration throughout the pandemic situation, bro. You know, Everybody locked in their homes and there was nothing more to do so we just were talking and one thing led to another. Just one song ended up with an EP, a full-length album, and playing live shows.

Can you list all the members of the band, what they do, and their ages?

We are 3 members ever since the beginning.

Damian Rodriguez (guitars and bass) is 41 years old ,mexican tattoo artist, 

Manu Acevedo(drums) is from chile, he owns a recording studio. he is around 46, i guess. 

On vocals we have a new member but we cannot say who he is until we release a new single. 

**

THIS HAS SINCE BEEN ANNOUNCED:

🚨 Brutal Announcement 🚨

We’re proud to welcome Sonny Trujillo to the Seminal Depravation family!

An active force with a crushing track record in Mexico’s national scene and experience across Latin America.

Without a doubt, the missing piece we’ve been looking for.

A new chapter, same brutal essence.

New single coming soon…

Where are you guys from?

Damian from México 

Manu from Chile 

Sonny is from México too. 

The last release was through Lord Of The Sick.  This new album is released on Rotten Music.  How did the switch happen and how has it been working with them?

Well, being honest. We had bad communication with LOTSR, took so long to wait for their answers. We will just say that there was a lack of interest so we decided to look forward. NO BAD FEELINGS, THERE WERE ALSO GOOD THINGS, WE APPRECIATE THE WORK WE DID WITH THEM.  WE ARE GRATEFUL!

Rotten Music was so good since the beginning, easy going and they were what we needed right at that time. 

What is the bands writing process like?

For the international distance, the only way is that Damian write and record some random ideas on guitar and then send to others . With that part we start to give this ideas or riffs a birth form to our little monstrosity haha 

So the new album just recently dropped, and now you've announced your new vocalist!  When can we expect new music?

Well, we just recorded the guitars for a new EP but we want to focus on the next tour. That is the first goal right now so we don’t know the exact time for that EP release date. Hope to be this year too!

Who are some major influences/ favorite bands?

Suffo, the early abominable putridity material, cerebral effusion, malevolent creation and all that Indonesian brutal slam 🔨🔨

Thank you so much, and sorry for the delays!  Any last words for your fans??

We appreciate every and single one of you who support slam scene, every  follower, listener and thanks for the interview, bro. 

SEMINAL DEPRAVATION

LORD OF THE SICK

ROTTEN MUSIC

Biocystic - Interview 2026

 Who are we talking to and what do you do in Biocystic?

Hello brother, I am Domingo and I play guitar in Biocystic and I also do the vocals. 

Can you tell us the whole story of the band, from the very beginning?

My cousin Victor had relocated to Lima from Bogota and we reconnected over our love of brutal music. As kids we listened to lots of American brutal death such as disgorge. When we started jamming again he had shown me lots of brutal colombian bands and that is where we take our blasting fucking inspiration from. After our time in the military we decided to take our music more serious and made our first released demo. 

What are the members names and their ages?

 I (Domingo) am 29 and Victor is 31. 

Have you guys always been into this type of music?

When we were small children we were both exposed to metal classics and soon after death metal legends like Cannibal Corpse and Morbid Angel. Victor came over one day and let me borrow Consume The Forsaken, and not long after we were trying to make our own brutal death metal. 

I hear a lot of California bdm influence in the demo, Who are some bands that you guys are influenced by?

Our California brothers make some of the most brutal music in the states. We grew up on Disgorge, Condemned, Cephalotripsy… and we love the current scene with bands like Regurgitated Entrails, Submerged, Intestinal Sodomy, Divulsive…

How did you come up with the name Biocystic?

Biocystic is a name we came up with long ago, the original name being Biocystic Expulsion. We ended up scrapping our initial demo under this name after we were enlisted and had years to sit on the demo. 

I lived in Peru for awhile, but in Cuzco.  I do not remember much of a brutal death scene.  How is the music scene in Lima?

 Fucking right on brother, Peru respect. Unfortunately we have no scene. While we don’t get to play shows, we are perfectly happy in our basement writing brutal slamming music. 

How did you guys start working with DeadEndMerch?

We were approached by the Dead End Merch to have shirts created for our demo. We were very happy to work with them as they represent many bands we consider very brutal. 

When can we expect more music from Biocystic?

Very soon we have single dropping from our upcoming debut album “Sanctum Of Accursed Mausoleums” 

Does the band have any specific dreams or goals?

We only want to stay brutal and stay a part of an inspiring community of talented brutal death metal artists. 

Thank you so much!  Any last words??

We want to say thank you Ant for approaching to interview us, Thank you Zakk from Eminent Sounds for picking us up and helping us release our music and thank you to our fans who support slamming blasting brutality. 

Eminent Sounds

DeadEndMerch

Biocystic

Sanguinary Verdict - Interview 2026

Colombia's mighty blasting brutal death metal four-piece, Sanguinary Verdict, has their full length album recorded, mixed, ( Iron Hand Audio ) and ready to release via New Standard Elite soon.                                              It will be called "Brute Force Supremacy".  

We caught up with the band a little bit below:

Hello!  Who are you?  Who are all of the members of Sanguinary Verdict?

Hello, thank you again for your incredible work and support, I am Sebastian, the vocalist.  Sanguinary Verdict has maintained all of the original members!

Alberto M

Sebastian G

Nadher T

Josheph L

Are all of you in Colombia?

Currently we are all located in the United States

I kind of feel like SV has gone under the radar for a lot of people for some reason.  Can you tell us the whole story of the band?  From the very beginning, to where we are today, with a new full-length coming out soon!

Well, the band was really born when Beto and Sebastián met in Colombia then we recorded what was our first album Mastery of The Killing Craft without thinking about any shows since the band was divided into two countries each one had and still has other projects.

After years Sebastian and Beto decided to settle in the United States.

Our full album is done, and in a few days will have a preview song released,  also what we never thought could happen will begin to take shape with different shows in the state of New York being planned!

So far, with Mastery of The Killing Craft (2023), how would you describe Sanguinary Verdict's sound?

We describe our sound as fast and dirty and some technique

Would you say that sound has changed much on the upcoming album?

It has and it will be notorious, it is already something much more elaborate by the whole band, it will be something more technical and fast, be prepared, it is something totally brutal !!!

Are you still with New Standard Elite?

Yes absolutely !!!

Lyrically, the songs on killing craft were all about murder, killing, violence.  Does the new album stick with those themes?

Taken from Grand Arsenal of Gore:

drilling through the sockets of what once were eyes
body parts to random pieces by the axe
many lacerations made with sharpened chainsaw
you will not survive much longer
screams are heard but well ignored
your life is held with no regard
every tool is utilized

your intestines shoveled out
genitals are set aflame
pain will be your last sensation

i kept this place a slaughterhouse
for those who dare to trespass
each and every one become
experiments for testing
none have survived my trials of death
the pain far too great
for humans to fathom
after the carnage is fully complete
i learn what to do with the next one in line

Yes we continue with this type of theme but we add something even darker!!!

The artwork for Mastery was done by Mottla, and was amazing!  Who is doing the art for the new album?  Can you tell us anything about it?

Mottla's work has always been incredible!  The new album will have something more specific in terms of art, designed by Arda Lepha who has been working with various bands around the world.  He has done an incredible job.

The Colombian scene is known to produce some of the nastiest, filthiest brutal blasty BDM, What are some bands from Colombia that we should be keeping our ears perked up for?

Of course! Colombia has had strong exponents in brutal death and now there are incredible new and experienced bands such as Morgues, Ripping Flesh, Basatan, Suppuration, Decarabion, Exhaurity, Imperial Execration etc... many that I am not naming just because they have had a fairly extensive career.

Thank Sebastian and SV for your time!!  We can hardly wait for the new release!!!

Support the band !!

SANGUINARY VERDICT

NEW STANDARD ELITE

Hypertrichosis - Interview 2026

From the underground depths of Belarus emerges Hypertrichosis, a band rooted firmly in the traditions of slamming brutal death metal. Delivering pummeling riffs, guttural vocals, and an atmosphere steeped in hatred and apathy, their sound doesn’t aim to reinvent the genre—but rather to embody it in its purest, most punishing form. Drawing from the genre’s established blueprint, Hypertrichosis leans into raw aggression and heaviness without compromise. We caught up with the band to talk about their formation, influences, and their place within the scene.  Enjoy!

Yo!  Who are we talking to and what do you do in Hypertrichosis?

Hey man! My name is Alexey, I’m the vocalist and founder of Hypertrichosis.

Can you tell us all the member and their ages?

At the moment we have 3 members: Dmitry plays guitar, he’s 20; Pavel plays drums, he’s 18; and I’m Alexey, the vocalist, I’m 23.

What is the story of the band?  How did Hypertrichosis get started?

A long time ago, back in 2014, I got into heavy music and wanted to start a band, but nothing really worked out. I put Hypertrichosis together a little over half a year ago, but I couldn’t decide on a genre at first. Originally, I wanted to play deathcore, but it just didn’t feel right—I wasn’t enjoying it.

I have a good friend from the band Venom Symbiote who introduced me to slamming brutal death metal around 2020. At first, I didn’t like it at all—I didn’t get the point. It just sounded like random gutturals and one or two riffs per track… basically, I didn’t like it whatsoever.

But about five years later, I came back to the genre and decided this is exactly what I wanted to do. As usual, I put a band together, but it fell apart in a pretty funny way. I invited a second guitarist, and the first guitarist suddenly decided he wasn’t needed and just left without explanation. Then, about three days later, the bassist left too—he couldn’t keep up with the level and didn’t like the speed.  That left just two of us, and then guitarist Dmitry brought in his friend Pavel on drums, and that’s when we really started working on the album.

Hypertrichosis is a rare condition characterized by excessive hair growth anywhere on the body.  How did the band members choose this name?

That’s a really good question. I (Alexey) came up with the name. I wanted something that was both kind of funny but also serious at the same time. I spent a long time thinking about it—I didn’t want a typical name like “torn anus” or something like that so I chose something more unique, connected to a medical condition.

Are any of the band member in other bands or projects?

At the moment, only Dmitry and Pavel are involved in another project together—they play death metal as a duo. You can find them on Spotify; the band is called Octogenisis.

Who created your logo?

The logo was created by Alexander Infection.

Kirill Decay Art has done your album art.  How did you get to work with him?  How was that experience?

We’ve known Kirill for a long time, and I highly recommend him as an artist. Everything came together pretty quickly—I told him I wanted torture, maniacs, and lots of blood, and within a week, the artwork was done.

What is the Russian scene like these days?

We’re guys from Belarus. As for our local scene, there are quite a lot of bands that could achieve great results in the future. Some of the more well-known Belarusian bands are Extermination Dismemberment, Venom Symbiote, and Porphyria.

There are also many up-and-coming bands like Dendrobium, Makauri Pie, and our genre brothers ManGore, and many more.

There haven’t been many shows lately—mostly only Belarusian bands are playing. There’s a lot of black metal, hardcore, and other genres, but not many bands break out internationally; most stay within the country. Still, we play just as well as bands from other countries.

How would you describe Hypertrichosis's music?

I’d describe our music as dark, full of hatred and despair.  Since childhood, I’ve always been drawn to horror movies, books about decomposition and surgery—our lyrics speak for themselves: it’s all about death and apathy.

I’d say we’re still searching for an even better sound. The album we’re releasing is kind of like a test—we want to see how people react so we can improve and avoid mistakes in the future. There are definitely some strong tracks, but we’re aiming for a more professional-level sound overall.

What or who inspires you guys?  Other bands?  Other works of art?

We’re inspired by a lot of bands. Some of our favorites are Devourment, Abominable Putridity, Defeated Sanity, Epicardiectomy, Cephalotripsy, and Cerebral Incubation. If you listen to our upcoming album, you might hear some similarities to these bands.

When can we expect the full-length?

The album is set to release on August 15, 2026. 

I think in some ways it fits the genre, and in others it doesn’t. I hope people will like at least some of the tracks—maybe even the whole album.  It was recorded pretty quickly, so there are some flaws—like guitar tone issues, mic noise, and other imperfections. We’re planning to start working on the second album later this year. We’ve also proposed some collaborations, including with bigger bands like Cephalotripsy, which should be interesting.

Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions!!!   Anything you would like to say to your fans?

We don’t have a big fanbase yet, but I want to say we appreciate every single person who listens to and supports us. Support is really important for new bands right now.

Thanks for inviting us, and thanks to everyone who read this all the way through.

Hypertrichosis 

Kirill Decay

Exhaurity - Interview 2026

Yoyoyo!!!  hope you are doing well!!! Whoo is this?

Hey! Thanks for the interest! I am Daniel Lara, founder of Exhaurity.

Can you tell us the history of Exhaurity?

Sure. Exhaurity started as a One Man Band by myself. It was born from a creative necessity. I also play in Decarabion but I think I do something different in that band. Exhaurity was born with the purpose of doing something more raw, less technical, more impulsive and even flirting with improvisation. I did some releases as a one man band and then I decided to add a drummer to the  band. We then started playing some shows and we recorded what will be our next EP. 

3 releases in 2024, 3 releases in 2025, what are the plans for 2026?

Well, in this 2026 we will be releasing our first EP recorded with real drums. It will be released by New Standard Elite. I think we will also record a full album. It may be ready by the end of the year or starting the next one.

Did everything before Sarkothenta feel like it was just building up to that full length?  Or is everything a very separate work of art?

Yeah. The demos and the EP I made before releasing Sarkothenta were parts of an experimentation that somehow culminated in the full album. All those releases (first demos, first EP, split and full album) were made the same way: as an experimentation from a one man band format.

I am always interested in the artwork chosen for albums or demos or whatever, can you talk a little about how you go about choosing artwork and artists?

Sure! I have worked with Ropiggore, Ardha Lepa and Jon Zig. I like to give freedom to the artist to express their own vision. I just try to communicate what I would like the artwork to manifest. In all those cases I was searching for a representation of carnality, embodiment and the idea of reality as pure carnal unfolding. 

How would you describe Exhaurity to someone who has never heard it?

It's an experimentation. It's the attempt to empty extreme music from the saturation of extreme technicality, of sophisticated production techniques and other additions that end up erasing what extreme music is about: intensity, impulses, carnality and more. Improvisation comes to have a roll in this process as a mark of carnality, of spontaneous material existence in the now and here. 

How do you come up with the wonderful song titles?

I know song titles are a bit odd. I have an undergrad and a masters in philosophy (I also work as a professor in a Colombian University). So everything about Exhaurity is heavily influenced by philosophical texts and insights. The song titles could be titles of philosophical essays. In fact, every song and every release is something like a philosophical essay. And even the band as a whole is a philosophical essay. If you or anyone is interested in the concepts I address in Exhaurity you can check out the texts of Gilles Deleuze, Jacques Derrida, Jean Luc Nancy, Julia Kristeva and obviously Friedrich Nietzsche.

How did you come up with the name Exhaurity?

The name Exhaurity comes from the latin "exhaurire" which means to empty, to drain, to consume, to draw out the resources, elements or energies of something. In the end it relates to the method of "exhaurition", of draining, emptying out the extreme brutal genre and leaving only the most primitive, pristine or basic elements: the mere instruments and their friction. To make it a true corpse, a carcass, and reveal the abjection in musicality.

9 - What does Sarkothenta mean?

Sarkothenta means "made flesh" or "incarnate". It comes from that biblical idea of Jesus being made flesh, or the idea of angels gaining physical and material existence. It's written as an extremely painful process and it's also related to the beginning of suffering, the beginning of evil in the existence. And it is, in the end, the only existence we truly have: this material, fleshy, painful and horrid existence. You can relate this to some satanic or even esoteric traditions which merge in some way the sacred and the profane, the spiritual and the material. I try to play with the contradiction and hierarchy that we have constructed between the spiritual and the material. 

What would you like to say to your fans?

I would like to thank to everyone interested in this project. I hope you can enjoy what will be our first release with NSE. There will be more to come! 

EXHAURITY

NEW STANDARD ELITE

Morgues - Interview 2026

Morgues, one of the heaviest BDM trios out of Colombia, had one of my favorite albums of the last few years with 2023's "Dismembering Corpses".  They took a brief break but are now back to rehearsing, writing, and playing shows.  Get to know this band!!!

Thanks so much for taking some questions! Who are we chatting with and how is it going?

Hi, thanks for having us. This is Eder Thomas, guitarist of Morgues. I also handle the band’s production since we’re fully independent. I take care of recording, mixing, mastering, and managing our social media and everything related to the band’s movement.

Everything’s going well. We’re in a good moment right now, working hard and pushing the band forward.

Who are all the members in Morgues?

Morgues is made up of three members: Álvaro Sarmiento on drums, Grayson Pereira on vocals, and myself, Eder Thomas, on guitar.

We don’t have a bassist, so we work as a three-piece. That has been a challenge when it comes to recording and mixing because we have to make the guitars fill all the space that a bass would normally cover. But in the end, we’re really happy with how the album turned out. Even without bass, the sound is heavy, full, and powerful.

How and when did the band start?

The band started around mid-2008. Back then, we were just four friends who loved playing music and listening to extreme metal — death metal, thrash, black metal, everything.

The original lineup was Álvaro Sarmiento, Fabián López, Jan Montalvo, and myself. At first, the band was called Cerberus. Like most bands, it started just for fun — jamming, hanging out, and enjoying the music together — but we quickly realized we actually sounded pretty good.

We didn’t have much gear, so we used to rent drums and sound equipment and rehearse in my bedroom while writing our first songs. Back then, our sound was more old-school death metal.

Around 2010–2011, we changed the name to Morgues and moved toward a more extreme, heavier, and more modern sound, while still keeping that old-school spirit. Later, Fabián and Jan left the band, and since then we’ve continued as a trio.

Can you tell us what it was like recording "Dismembering Corpses"? Things that went smoothly? Things that didn’t?

Recording Dismembering Corpses was honestly a unique experience for us. We learned a lot about recording, mixing, and dealing with all the problems that come with doing everything yourself. It was a long road full of trial and error and constant learning.

The best part is that the album sounds exactly how we wanted. The kicks, guitars, drums, and vocals hit hard and feel just the way we imagined. That’s the main reason we recorded everything ourselves — to have full control and keep the sound 100% Morgues.

What didn’t go perfectly was mostly because it was a home recording. Some drum and guitar takes aren’t 100% perfect. But considering the DIY process, we’re very proud of the result. It sounds raw, aggressive, and honest — exactly how Morgues should sound.

Who are some of the band's biggest influences?

In the beginning, our biggest influences came from old-school death metal. Here in Colombia, Massacre was one of our main inspirations — we honestly consider them one of the greatest metal bands in the country’s history. Bands like Sepultura, Death, and Obituary also shaped our early sound.  Later, we moved toward a more brutal and modern style, influenced by bands like Lividity, Cannibal Corpse, and Suffocation, which pushed us to be heavier, faster, and more technical.    

On the Colombian side, bands like Carnivore Diprosopus, Purulent, Goretrade, and Sadistic Mutilation had a huge impact on our modern sound. They really helped shape the brutality and darkness that defines Morgues today.

Well, we absolutely love "Dismembering Corpses" and a lot of people do!  Where you guys at all surprised by the reaction the that album?

Yes, we were definitely surprised, and it honestly made us very happy. We received a lot of great comments from people on the YouTube video that was uploaded on the Brutal Music channel. Seeing the reaction from listeners and the support from the community was amazing. We are very happy with the reception the album had and how well it connected with the brutal death metal community.

Is there new music being worked on?  Please say yes!  What can you tell us about it?

Unfortunately, the new music has been a bit delayed because our drummer had some health issues. Nothing too serious, but it did slow things down in terms of rehearsals, keeping the band practice schedule, and playing shows. However, we are back to working again and pushing forward. Hopefully, we will have a new album or an EP ready as soon as possible.

We will patiently wait for your next release!  Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions!  Anything you'd like to say to your fans?!

What we would like to say to the fans is that Morgues is a band that will always try to create the most brutal music possible without losing the old-school spirit that defines brutal death metal. A big salute to everyone who supports the band.

MORGUES