VOMITORY
// Falber Teles
SOURCEWEBZINE - Not all of our readers might know you, so maybe you could start off and tell us a bit about the background for VOMITORY?
TOBIAS GUSTAFSSON (D) -VOMITORY was formed in 1989 by original guitarist Urban Gustafsson for the reason to play brutal death metal. We released a couple of demo tapes and a 7" before we got signed to the small Dutch underground label Fadeless Records in 1995. We released two albums on that label ("Raped in Their Own Blood" 1996 and "Redemption" 1999) before we got signed to our present label, Metal Blade records. We have released four albums on Metal Blade - "Revelation Nausea" (2000), "Blood Rapture" (2002), "Primal Massacre" (2004) and our new album, "Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize", which has been out for a couple of months now.
We have done several tours in Europe together with bands like Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Vader, Nile and Amon Amarth. Our style is fast, intense and brutal with dark vocals and it has its roots in the old-school Swedish death metal with a splash of the American brutality and intensity. VOMITORY 2007 consists of: me, Tobias Gustafsson on drums, Urban Gustafsson on guitar (yes, he's my brother), Erik Rundqvist on bass and vocals and Peter Ostlund on lead guitar.
SOURCEWEBZINE - Who has done the artwork? And how important do you feel it is to have a great cover?
TOBIAS GUSTAFSSON - The artwork and layout are made by Chaos Media (www.chaosmedia.net). We are really satisfied with how it all turned out. It's an all photo-based artwork, it's very raw and realistic and it complements the music perfectly. Obviously, it is only the music that counts in the end, but having a great cover is very important too as it enhances the entire impression of an album and in a way it tells a little more about the band.
SOURCEWEBZINE - How would you describe the difference between this album and the previous ones? For me it sounds more intense.
TOBIAS GUSTAFSSON - I agree with you that it is more intense. But I think that the first thing you notice is the production. It is the most brutal and heavy production we've had on any album. That has to do a lot with us knowing better what we wanted this time, but most of all that we have worked with a new producer in a new studio - Rikard Lofgren and his Leon Music Studios. When it comes to the actual music and the songs, I definitely think this album has a lot more variation than on previous albums. We have incorporated more heavy and slower parts in the songs to make it more varied and interesting. Still, there is some stuff on the new album that is some of the fastest and most intense we've ever done. And as you said - the overall impression of the album is that it is fucking intense.
Another interesting thing is that this album is the first to feature our new lead guitarist, Peter Ostlund. Peter has already contributed with three songs on the album and his guitar solos adds some more new spice to our sound.
SOURCEWEBZINE - The internet is a very important source for many metal fans - how do you use the internet and how important is it for you and other bands?
TOBIAS GUSTAFSSON - I believe that internet is the most important channel for both bands and the fans today. The advantages are obvious for both parts. What I think sucks is the whole illegal downloading thing.
SOURCEWEBZINE - The internet has gotten a quite ill reputation with mp3-files available nearly everywhere. Do you see the opportunity of getting sound files of bands off the internet as a chance for bands or rather as a threat to their existence?
TOBIAS GUSTAFSSON - I am a bit divided here. I think it’s a great way to discover new bands and artists and it’s a great way for bands to reach out to the entire world with their music without all the fuzz with record labels, distributors etc. But in the long run I believe that will do more damage to the world of music than it will do good. The big record labels have a huge responsibility here too. They need to do something – well, they should have already done years ago – to make it more attractive to buy music instead of download it illegally from the internet. Unfortunately, most people don't understand that downloading music without paying for it will stab them in the back eventually. Less record sales results in less money for the bands to record new music, which makes the quality of the music go down the drain. And besides, the sound quality on mp3:s is crap so I really don't see how anyone can pick that before "the real deal" from a purchased CD. It is after all about the music and how it sounds.
SOURCEWEBZINE - What do you consider to be the biggest accomplishment for you and VOMITORY, not necessarily sales wise?
TOBIAS GUSTAFSSON - We have done a few festivals and tours in the past that felt really successful when we did them, like Wacken Open Air in Germany in 2002 and our first big European tour with CANNIBAL CORPSE and the No Mercy festivals directly after the CANNIBAL CORPSE tour in 2000. Musically I think that our new album “Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize” is our biggest accomplishment. I am so satisfied and proud of it.
SOURCEWEBZINE - What’s the situation for your type of music where you live right now?
TOBIAS GUSTAFSSON - The music scene is alive and well with a lot of bands playing – both metal and other styles – which I think is great. There are not so many death metal bands around here actually, but there sure still are death metal fans. The clubs are usually packed when we play in our home area.
SOURCEWEBZINE - Releasing a DVD is kind of a popular thing lately. Have you been thinking about it too?
TOBIAS GUSTAFSSON - No, not really. But we have started talking about it more and more. There’s a 20 year anniversary coming up for VOMITORY in 2009, so that would be a good occasion for a massive DVD release. We have quite a lot of unreleased filmed material, both old and new, that I’m sure the fans would appreciate if we released it on an official DVD. W e will see what happens. In the meantime you can enjoy the bonus DVD on the limited edition of “Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize”, which contains two live shows filmed in 2004 in Germany and France.
SOURCEWEBZINE - What are you doing besides VOMITORY, job wise as well as hobbies?
TOBIAS GUSTAFSSON - We all live pretty normal and average lives beside the band. Erik, Urban and me have normal day jobs while Peter is currently learning to become an electrician. Erik works in construction retail, Urban works at a laundry and I work at a sign factory. When we’re not busy with work, families and girlfriends, there isn’t so much time left and most of that time is dedicated to VOMITORY. Erik, Urban and I also enjoy riding our motorcycles in the summer time. Peter also plays guitar in his other band – the old school bay area thrash metal outfit – The Law. They kick serious ass, so you better check them out!
SOURCEWEBZINE - Any last words for the fans?
TOBIAS GUSTAFSSON - Check out our new album “Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize” for some serious sonic violence! Also, find more info about the band, song samples, merchandise etc at www.VOMITORY.net and www.myspace.com/VOMITORYswe.
Stay metal & stay drunk! Cheers!!!
Metal Blade Records
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