The Lost Tapes: Thy Carnifex Is Fit For An Autopsy
It was a golden age. Beer flowed like water in pubs. Queues snaked around the block outside venues pre-gigs. And the reassuring sound of riffs rattled the eardrums of excitable gig attendees across the land. Remember? Yeah, we’re struggling at this point too. Distorted Sound – like all you heavy music fans out there – continues to mourn the loss of live music in the devastating wake of the Coronavirus.
Its impact has been felt by everyone – from punters to venues and the artists themselves; many of which have lost eye-watering amounts of money since the endless string of show and tour cancellations started to hit back in March. We have been working hard to bring you the best content to fill the proverbial void and hope this offering will boost your spirits – and maybe raise those horns. Once upon a time, we gathered a cross-section of some of metal’s heaviest bands for a good old chinwag. The results of which have been under wraps for a while – too bloody long we reckon – so we’re going to give it to you. Here’s what happened when we sat down with CJ McMahon and Andy Marsh (vocalist / guitarist – THY ART IS MURDER), Scott Ian Lewis and Cory Arford (vocalist / guitarist – CARNIFEX) and Joe Badolato and Patrick Sheridan (vocalist / guitarist – FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY). In all its uncensored and NSFW glory. Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the Lost Tapes – THY CARNIFEX IS FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY.
Distorted Sound have escaped the bone-stripping winds outside and exchanged the arctic blasts for an increasingly stiflingly warm backstage room at Birmingham’s O2 Institute. With just over half an hour allotted to plough through a fair whack of (hopefully) thought-provoking questions, nerves are jangling as the clock ticks by with no sign of our invited guests. Just as a coronary looks certain, we allow ourselves a hearty exhale as five of the six finally come through the door. Judging by the secretive in-joke giggling during smartphone exchanges across the table, and the incessant pleas for caffeine, these Nuclear Blast labelmates have had a long night. Although according to an immediately affable Patrick [Sheridan, FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY] who is considering a range of protein bars laid out before him (rock and roll ain’t dead folks), tour life is more venti lattes than Vengabus partying; with he and his assembled cohorts all being “family men that are too old now for all that shit”.
He cracks some jokes and also advises us of the need to crack the journalistic whip as we’re still missing CARNIFEX frontman Scott. Decked out in black leather, scrolling away on his phone and lounging nonchalantly back in his chair, THY ART IS MURDER’s CJ is probably the closest here to the so-called “rockstar” aesthetic. He is also the most loquacious of the bunch in the fact that he won’t shut up about his much-needed coffee fix. Our friendly enquiry of whether they’re able to just send someone out on a Starbucks run is met with laughs and a quip from a deadpan McMahon of “yeah we can’t really do that we’re not PARKWAY DRIVE”. Shade or reverence? We’ll let you decide. Coffee in hand, the previously MIA Scott finally pulls out an empty chair next to bandmate Cory. Judging by the way he’s clutching at his cup – plus the fact that its contents resemble actual tar – it’s clearly required. We allow him a few gulps then its on – as per Sheridan’s earlier sage wisdom that “you can’t be fucking about here” – because we’ve got questions that require some all-important answers.
“Wow! Straight in there with the heavy stuff on the first. You’re not messing about are you?!” Andy Marsh exclaims as the subject of longevity versus diversity is broached – and whether it’s important for bands at the more extreme end of the spectrum to have and incorporate influences from across all manner of sub-genres when it comes to making music. The ensuing nods of quiet approval trigger a fleeting frisson of excitement and a gut feeling that – thankfully – we’re not in for one-word answers here. And as the ever-enthusiastic Pat leans forward and takes a breath, this is confirmed.
[Side note: a good ten minutes pass and DS have had to step in a bit as quite frankly, the conversation has gone so far off-piste that we’re practically strolling through the Alps. Pat has gone off on an intelligent yet entirely irrelevant to the subject at hand tangent whilst CJ is sharing some (questionable) ideas on how to halt the spread of the still emerging at this point Coronavirus. Followed up with some personal – some would deem hilariously inappropriate – musings on its origins. Fearing hate mail and / or possible libel, we make the swift decision to claim plausible deniability here citing a combo of dry Aussie humour-slash-colloquial ahem, mispronouncing of certain nations]
With order restored and feeling a bit like that shouty bloke in the Commons with the gavel, we capitalise on our triumph and forge ahead. “I think the reasons all these bands are here is due to what we’ve done,” Cory Arford reasons. “You can incorporate whatever you want as long as it’s still your music – people that have been listening to our band for 10 years wanna hear you not some new band.” “Some bands are built on incorporating other genres anyway,” CJ interjects. “I mean I’m pretty sure we’ve ripped off a Beyoncé song at some point?” Andy’s response that he’s heard people commenting on how the bands present around this table is met with instantaneous (and not entirely unexpected) eye rolling and the kind of mock indignation that bands of this particular genre – and indeed this collective career span – are now accustomed to.
The trick, according to Sheridan, is to focus on the fans of the music rather than fixating on the inclusion of sub-genres. “I don’t want us to be the biggest band in deathcore or death metal or whatever else. I just wanna be part of a band that people like,” he states emphatically. “I think there’s certain things people can tie themselves to – like pizza. Everyone likes it but no one wants the same one every single day. It is the same with records and shows. There needs to be some variety within the package!” Andy’s passing remark that they’re all actually going to the same show everyday right now is the cue for everyone to share a self-deprecating giggle. Could you argue that it is this very diversity that’s continues to push heavier bands like you guys forward? “I think it’s down to a few things, timing for a start” proposes Scott. “But it is also about where you put yourself and the music you play. And I think there’s a lot of things that influence that.” At this stage in your respective careers and in this day and age, is it becoming more important to look internally, to focus on writing the kind of stuff you the bands want to hear and, as opposed to letting bands or the scene influence your vision?
“I don’t think we’re influenced by anyone, but I do think every record gets more stressful – for both the guys writing the lyrics and the music,” CJ explains. “You don’t want to be writing about the same things even though you wanna be politically, anti-religion or mankind driven. Every year we’re talking about something in the media or in politics – it’s the same evil just with a different face. We delved into more personal things on this one – which worked out kind of great for us. But I’m sure when it comes to the next album, whenever that may be, it’ll be even more difficult again!”
“Plus, you’re always gonna get that internet crowd of folks going “well I liked this record better than this one” and we’re all like UHHH FUCK!” Pat exclaims, the obvious infuriation creeping in. “And respectfully speaking, every band at this table has taken a risk at one point or another on their records… “They’ve put makeup on at a death metal show – let’s play risk!” Scott interrupts to huge laughs. “We’ve all taken those risks willingly – ‘coz it’s what we wanna do,” Pat continues. “And it’s the ones that are who seem to be making it.” For vocalist Joe Badolato, it’s to do with the individual journey than the destination. “I think everyone is just kinda on their own. Our touring goals are probably really different from [motions to the table] yours? And I think that’s the point. If your intention is internally driven, then even if there’s parallels between different artists, it’s just that. You know it’s not a derivative – just that you have similar influences,” he insists. “We’re all of similar age, we probably listened to the same shit at the same time. It’s less about looking externally for parallels and more about the intention of each artist. And I think they’re all unique to each of us.”
What is omnipresent for all three bands is that unbridled aggression and raw power that courses through the music they create. That same aggressive nature provides a crucial ingredient for balance, particularly for someone like CJ who describes music as “a huge part of my therapy”. “We’re all very emotional people here – there’s a few fathers at this table too so we have a lot of love to give, not just anger and aggression. I’ve had that short spell in my life where I stepped away from music and cleaned up from drugs and everything but there was still a massive hole in me. And when I came back it was filled again,” he admits quietly. “I’ll do this until I die, or our band fucks up and does a real bad record. I need this. And it’s not for money or fame or clout or followers or any BS like that. I need this to make me whole. And nothing outside of that matters.”
“I also think that music is what emotionally ties you. Like if you’re at a wedding, you listen to music about celebration. If your partner leaves you, you wanna lock yourself in a dark room and put sad stuff on,” Pat counters. “There’s a place for anger and frustration and I think it’s nice for people to have that link – to put it on and be like ‘oh wow this person feels the way I feel’. If you can find that connection it helps.” “I think what sells it to people ultimately is that option to take off society’s jacket and just go wild but there’s also that unspoken communication through the lyrics,” Scott agrees. “It’s more than just what’s going on in your ear – it’s the people you’re with and the moments you get to be a part of. For the artist and the fan!”
It is often said that broken people can produce the most beautiful forms of art. And whilst it can be challenging (maybe even uncomfortable) at times to feel and harness that emotion for the end result we should all still try to. “It’s one of those things I’m always trying to teach my son,” Pat divulges. “I think anybody should be able to cry. I don’t even think it’s a male or female issue – I think it’s just a human thing.” “I just think a lot of men are afraid to let those emotions show at times – like we’re put in a position sometimes socially that we’re not supposed to be like that?” Joe argues. “If you leave all that pent-up emotion for too long it can actually really damage you, you know? Maybe sometimes when you’re writing that’s the best thing – ‘coz you’re writing for people that can and are feeling that same emotion.” “I like hiding truth in my lyrics and seeing if people can find them – it’s actually a catharsis in a way!” Scott confides. “The songs are pretty confessional and some people get it. We’ve seen both sides with people making fun of our emotional lyrics. Both our first two albums are break up ones and we took a lot of shit for it. But I also know kids that know every single word to them! And they still come back. So there’s a lot to say to getting rid of judgement.”
As arguably three of the biggest bands in this area of extreme music, it was also hardly a revelation to see each of their most recent albums securing spots in countless AOTY lists last year. But as the guys reiterate to Distorted Sound, success can be a fickle mistress. And she can leave you as fast as she welcomes you into her open arms. Simply put, it’s all down to remaining humble – because if you don’t have that, ultimately you don’t have anything. “I was actually thinking about this the other night as we had a sold-out show in Manchester, and the promoter was like ‘oh well if this other show wasn’t next door you’d have sold it out a whole lot earlier’. And I was like, well I don’t really care so much about that. What’s important to me is the band that was headlining – and that was WHILE SHE SLEEPS,” Andy says. “Nearly a year ago, they were opening a tour for us in another territory. So no one can even have an ego in this day and age. That band absolutely dominates us over here. What’s the point in trying to flex on another band in this case? Everything goes round and comes round, every band helps one another, at least in our sub-genre. Next year we could be opening for a million other bands. You just don’t know how it’s gonna go! And yes – people do remember when you’re unkind!”
“We’ve also been bands for so long that it’s like maybe you can have an ego about your work ethic, but we all know the ass kicking it takes to get from point A to B,” Pat concludes. “It’s easier to get that ego if you have that overnight success and all of a sudden it’s like BOOM! You’re on a bus touring and you’re the best and all that. But when you’re living in a van with six smelly dudes for 15 years and suddenly people are like ‘oh wow that record is pretty good!’ – it’s just like OMG thank you! And you’re just so grateful. ‘Coz the work is real. And if you’ve got an ego at that point? You need to check it at the fucking door.”
