Interview mit Brian Rush von Skeletal Remains

Can you share the inspiration behind your new record “Fragments Of The Ageless”? What themes or concepts influenced the album?
It’s the natural continuation for Skeletal. Lyrical concepts included torture and cannibalism with a sci-fi twist. This is the 5th album, so we wanted to try a few new ideas when it came to the music, whether that meant some of the riffs being more dense or more open, but it more or less is everything you want from a Skeletal Remains record. Musically, the band started off as a continuation of the 90’s death metal sound, and it remains of that strain. There are times when this sound gains some traction in trendiness and popularity depending how far down the trenches of metal you are immersed in. The band simply continues in the direction set forth on the Anthropophagy demo.

How did the songwriting process for “Fragments Of The Ageless” differ from your previous records? Were there any specific challenges or breakthroughs during the creative phase?
A few of the songs were written or at least started during Covid, before I joined the band. The touring was so heavy once the world opened back up. In the US alone Skeletal has done five full tours within 2 years! So we hardly had any time to focus on writing during that period. We all had a few ideas cooking before we were able to flesh them out together. After the Morbid Angel tour, all four of us were able to finally get together and finish drafting the songs in the rehearsal studio. Chris’s meticulous approach to arrangement made us crazy at times, but in the end, it’s why the Skeletal albums stand the test of time.

What was the recording experience like for this album? Did you experiment with any new techniques or approaches in the studio?
> It was similar to the previous albums. Drums were tracked at Trench Studios, guitars and bass at rehearsal studios, and vocals and reamping at Birdcage Studios. I wrote a lot of the bass licks during recording, which is just something I’ve always done, but this may have been a new approach for Skeletal.

Since your last record, have you noticed any significant developments in your sound or musical direction? How has Skeletal Remains evolved over time?
The songs themselves have become more diversified. You can go through the SR discography chronologically and hear that each album contains songs with more and more unique identities and flavors. Fragments is the next step in that direction. IMO, you can play 3 seconds of any song on this album and it’s immediately distinguishable. I think this is similar to a rule George Lucas used for designing ships, so I’m happy it shares that quality.

Could you delve into the artwork and lyrical content of “Fragments of the Ageless”? Are there any recurring themes or narratives throughout the album?
Like the previous albums, torture, anguish, and anthropophagy are central themes, but on this album, there’s a slight nod to sci-fi. Mike was really instrumental in coming up with the majority of the lyrics for “Fragments.” After we had a couple songs written, that was enough to give Seagrave a general idea for the artwork. Dan created this hellish world where DNA was being siphoned from a giant creature that was being held down and torn apart. We used this world to guide the rest of the songs. I was specifically inspired by that DNA extraction notion, so riffed on that to guide the lyrics for “Cybernetic Harvest,” which ended up being finished off by Mike and Chris. The album actually plays/reads like a sci-fi horror anthology, and this concept also inspired the music for the interlude, “Ceremony of Impiety”. As far as the overall visuals, we wanted something colorful and bright, something we haven’t seen much of in death metal, so yeah this was a pretty big leap on our part. MC’s “The Ten Commandments” was one of our starting references. Dan’s color choices really grew on me; they highlight the in-your-face production and sonic diversity of songs on this album. For the liner art, we hired Juanjo Castellano, with the guidelines to explore Dan’s world through his own interpretation.

Do you have a favorite track from the album? If so, what makes it stand out for you?
Personally, „Conquer the Devout“. It’s so much fun to play. The tempo changes are perfect and the evil melodic riff at the end is so catchy and victorious feeling.

Do you have any touring activities planned in support of “Fragments Of The Ageless”? Any specific cities or festivals you’re excited about?
We’ll be hitting the US hard this year. Hometown shows are hard to beat simply because of all the homies, but Milwaukee Metalfest is a new one we’re looking extremely forward to. Houston and San Antonio have been killer for us recently, so I’m looking forward to returning there. We’ll also be playing a few fests in Europe: Alcatraz, Brutal Assault, Dortmund Deathfest, and Wacken.

Skeletal Remains is known for its intense live shows. How do you translate the energy and aggression from the studio recordings to the stage?
> The music does the work for you. The time spent on arrangement and songwriting pays off by being more intuitive and, therefore, easier to play even when the riffage is dense.

Were there any gear changes or modifications you made specifically for recording “Fragments Of The Ageless”? How important is gear selection in achieving your desired sound?
> The guitar gear was the same as “Entombment,” but the kit Pierce used was a Tama Superstar Classic, and I used a Musicman bass. The gear selection is extremely important, but even more important this time around was the mixing process. We went through almost 30 mixes. If I was Swano, I would’ve wanted to ring our necks! But it paid off in the end. “Fragments” is something you can really sink your teeth into.

How have fans or press responded to the new album so far? Any memorable fan interactions related to “Fragments Of The Ageless”?
The response has been about as expected so far. The singles we’ve released showcase the sound fans rely on Skeletal for, with of course a few changes here and there, so that either perks up a few extra ears or causes some dissent. Overall, it’s death metal in the style of 90’s bands, so we’re happy it achieves that basic foundation of sound. We get all kinds of whack comments! A few of my personal favorites:
“It’s like Pantera only different” “What a great song to have satanic sex with Lucifer!!!!!!”

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Publiziert am 3. Juli 2024 von Christoph Emmrich