Flaying, for those who may not know, is just one person, correct? Can you tell us about yourself; How you got into this kind of music, how Flaying came to fruition, and anything else you'd like to share?
Yes! It is just me, J.M. I’m 20 years old from Las Vegas, Nevada. I’ve always been wanting to make music and the last year or so I’ve finally had the ability to do so and being able to make a project like this, it has made me super proud and I’m super thankful for everyone who has supported me so far.
I’ve always had a sweet tooth for anything death metal related, and I really got a hold onto brutal death metal as time went on and it’s been a huge inspiration since artistically. I would listen to some brutal death metal here and there, some Skinless, some Devourment, but I remember listening to Tales of Necrophilia, Fetish For The Sick, and Brutalizing Creations and it made me want to discover more of what specifically brutal death metal had to offer. I mainly always love bands like Grave, Lucifixion, Excruciate, Gorguts, Crematory, etc but brutal death metal has this more exuberant sound and more extreme lyrical content that it made me latch onto it so fast when I discovered it, as compared to a lot more old school death metal that fixates on this dark brooding sound that kicks so much ass as well, if that makes sense!!
Flaying came to fruition though mainly from a thought I had, I just had saved up enough money to get my first guitar and wanted to learn brutal death metal, death metal, thrash, all kinds of stuff. But I’ve been always obsessed with a band that themed itself around like degloving, decomposition, and all those nice things. Just some super brutal concepts that I feel like I was good at writing and describing and that’s when I decided I wanted to name this band Flaying. I was already writing some stuff for the first demo before this decision but when I thought of flaying it all like clicked to me. I remember when I was working this shitty job, I drew a really rough logo on a piece of paper then went home and started seriously trying to write.
How would you describe your sound?
For what is released right now, I would describe as super fast groovy brutal death metal heavily inspired by Cerebral Hemorrhage, Disfigured, Dehumanized, Disciples of Berkowitz with maybe splices of bands like Gaffed, Mortal Decay, Limb From Limb, and Damonacy.
Just very heavy early New York / New Jersey brutal death metal influence. On my first demo, “Unrecognizable Waste” there’s a bit more of that Texas sound vocally I feel like that I tried to do trying to be like Devourment, Sintury, Infernal Dominion. Just so many bands help me piece together my own sort of sound and influence as I feel like it is with a lot of bands. I like to think of the music I make at times as being like a fusion of the influences with my own sort of songwriting, etc.
What are some pros and cons that you have found doing the one man band thing?
OK THE HUGESTTT CON, has to be the fact live shows are pretty hard for me to figure out. I honestly don’t like how drum machines or just drum backing tracks are in a live setting. Huge power to one man bands like Syphilic, Insidious Decrepancy, and more that do this. They’re amazing, but I don’t think I can pull it off as well as they do. I’ve rehearsed my songs but it is pretty hard to get the vocals to match up perfectly in time sometimes. Especially with new stuff I’m working on, I have huge trouble keeping the vocals in time haha. But the HUGEST PRO, is the fact everything within the band is basically my idea. My lyrics, my riff ideas, my own imagery and themes. Everything I can basically keep and don’t have to worry about someone telling me to change it. I’ve never been in a band with other people myself, but from those who I know that are they have told me that it has been creatively a bit restricting and frankly, I would really hate to have that be the case. I like to just have any idea I have be able to be incorporated into what I make. But I hope in time, I really REALLYY can get a live lineup set up at least and be able to cooperate with other people in another way that isn’t the songwriting and creative aspect of it. Overall it is a very double edged sword with some smaller cons and smaller pros but overall I’m super thankful that it seems to be doing well so far.
2 Demos, 6 songs in. Everything seems well received. I heard a full-length may be on the way? Please tell us more!
Yes, a full length is currently being recorded and I can’t be more excited. This feels like a rebirth for the band since the sound is very drastically different I feel like, but it still has those songwriting elements and riffs that make you think of those old demos. It is very different lyrically too and it mainly discusses death itself. People dying of course!! But more so the concept of the death and how the mind perceives the acknowledgment of it. The whole thing I feel like is very dark, gloomy, and I hope it truly swallows the listener in the ambience of it and incites those feelings of mourning, brooding darkness, and hopelessness. I’m really looking for a super early 2026 release, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
I'd like to ask about the art. Who did your logo? and the two demos, different artists correct?
My logo was done by this awesome artist “Eko Fitriyanto” also known by eckorandy on his online profiles. And yes, two different artist did the demos and I feel like they are super representative of the feeling of both and I’m forever happy how both came out.
The great “PilewormArt” did Arousals. Both demos I feel like had this different theme attached to them. Unrecognizable I was going for this more worn, dull decaying sort of sound and theme. Arousal is a more grisly and intensive sound and theme that fixates on perversion. I'm forever thankful for those artist and their art will forever live with me.
What are 3 albums you can't live without, can be any genre.
This is a SUPERRR HARD ONE!! But if I were to really pinpoint to 3 albums I absolutely need (in no particular order) I would say the first one I would name would be honestly be a general mix of albums I guess you could say. Mostly when sonic games went 3D, any of their soundtracks really I just absolutely love and adore but to choose only one selection of music from sonic, I’d have to choose:
Crush 40 - Super Sonic Songs
This album, these songs have literally made me get into music as a whole in general growing up. I have loved crush 40 for so long and all their songs are what made me love the sonic franchise even more as a whole. It’s been the reason why sonic has always been able to stomp out Mario soundtrack wise. (But I mean the paper mario games osts are absolutely beautiful)
Prophecy - “Foretold…Foreseen”
This album is what I want to hear with death metal. It is one of my biggest inspirations for Flaying. Prophecy’s entire discography is super great, but this album right here… it’s just perfect. It screams these deep feelings of hopelessness and sorrow through the clean parts and brutally bludgeons with its scooped slams and thrashy riffs. The drumming is precise and sharp. It’s just perfect.
Dying Fetus - Killing On Adrenaline
This album is what I think groovy brutal death metal sounds like perfected. The technical playing on this always just sparks my mind with ideas and the drumming is straight lunacy. That part like 2 and a half / 3 minutes into the song is one of the best things ever. The end of we are your enemy is one of the best things ever. The entirety of procreate the malformed is one of the best things ever. Fuck it, this whole album is one of the best things ever. The lyrics continue to stay relevant, which most of their political lyrics do. The playing and songwriting has influenced me and many others. Just amazing.
Thanks for your time J.M.
Thank you!!! I’m gonna first say I’m super thankful for you guys reaching out to me to speak to me, I’m truly thankful to have the opportunity to share some words with anybody about Flaying. Ive done smaller projects within the realms of game development and what not that haven’t done so well, and seeing people pay attention to flaying even the smallest bit means the absolute world to me. I’m super hopeful for the future and I’m super hopeful for the best future for you guys as well! , but I would like to also add thank you guys so much for your consideration of interviewing me. I’m super happy!! We only have to see what is to come. Thank you Cerebral Reviewment!!
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