After releasing numerous splits and an EP over the past few years, the Australian death metal band Sewercide emerge with their full-length debut album Immortalized In Suffering. Vocalist/bassist Tobi Zama introduces us to Sewercide for this week’s Meet The Band.
Chad Bowar: Give us a brief history of Sewercide.
Tobi Zama: The band started with a high school friend and I in late 2010. We had really no clue what we wanted to do, regardless we recruited Tom (guitar) not long after. The band was barely a band at that point with no clear grasp of our instruments nor any idea of what we wanted to play. As 2011 rolled through, my friend left to live overseas and that was really the kick in the butt we needed, because by that point Tom and I had been jamming and honing in on what we wanted the band to sound like. We recruited some members off the same classifieds website where I met Tom.
Fast forwarding through the last four years, we released a demo, a handful of splits with buddies all over the world, an EP on which we were able to achieve the dream of getting the illustrator from the “Goosebumps” book series to paint a cover, and most recently our first full-length album. Throughout the years we have worked hard on our music and on showcasing it to anyone that wants to hear it, playing heaps of shows all over Australia and in the last two years internationally. There have been hardships with heaps of lineup changes and other problems. Unfortunately for everyone, there is nothing short of death that will stop this band.
Describe the songwriting and recording process of Immortalized In Suffering.
The writing of the record took place upon our return from our southeast Asia tour. It was approximately an eight month period with its share of ups and downs. There were car crashes, breakups, debts and personal differences. Overcoming the stress of “real life” pressures as well as having to collectively strive to combine the individual musical thoughts of four cunts into stone-cold bangers. I am so proud of the album we put together, it is a cool physical and mental milestone and another childhood dream achieved.
All those hours drawing Slayer and Morbid Angel logos on high school books, waiting for school to be over so you could crank a new record or go and listen to some tunes at a mate’s house and jam. And now to actually have a label wanting to put out our record, and for people we don’t even know to actually be getting psyched about hearing it, is kinda surreal. We are just four bums from Melbourne who love smoking weed and playing death metal, it’s a trip for sure.
Recording the album was a different kettle of fish. We booked two weeks of studio time with our friend Chris Brownbill, and as the deadline approached we quickly realized we would be pressed for time, even having to finish writing songs as we were tracking them. The stress and success of all our time in the studio was compounded, but the fact that we mostly decided to stay on the premises and with no internet and mates coming and hanging out, it kept the entire recording period in a way just as focused as it was tense.
There were blow-ups, last minute changes, modified segments of songs, disagreements and ripping tones. I think the whole experience of recording the album really shines through the record itself. Frustrations both inside and outside of the band and the common striving to produce something that would be both representative of how many hours of rehearsals and hard work was poured out of the heart to make this thing reality, and the process of making concrete what had collectively been constructed of sounds bouncing around the inside of our skulls.
How would you characterize the album’s style/sound?
I wouldn’t. To us its just death metal. It seems pointless to compare yourself to anyone else’s music in any degree of seriousness. We all experience music differently, so why would you strive to limit your creative output by slapping endless adjectives on it? Just do what you do, be whatever you want to be, and as long as your heart’s in it, that’s all that matters.
You’re in the midst of your first U.S. tour. What have been some of the highlights for you?
I am writing to you just after we have replaced a broken tire halfway from Dallas to Austin. Last night was awesome, seeing the dudes in Steel Bearing Hand tear shit up was sick. Those guys shred hard! It’s hard to say really, we have only really just started, but all we are looking for is to hang with some mad dogs, play some metal and bang our heads to some Judas Priest afterwards with some chillers!
Who are your all-time top 5 Australian metal bands?
Necrotomy, Crypt (QLD), Hobb’s Angel Of Death, Misery and Abramelin.
Anything else you’d like to mention/plug/promote?
Listen to Steel Bearing Hand! You can listen to our album at Bandcamp.
(interview published July 16, 2016)
