PUSHING the boundaries of what is achievable between four musicians, Necrophagist is waiting to release their most well put-together album yet. The band, most well known for their technical compositions, has been lying low for the past four years.

The last we heard from Necrophagist was their previous album Epitaph which was released in 2004.

Since then the band has enlisted in the skills of new drummer Romain Goulon who is said to be much faster and with a greater technical ability than his predecessor.

However the music on the new album will not be any more technical than we are used to, with the band instead focusing on perfect composition of their music. On The Barrier caught up with vocalist Muhammed Suicnez to discuss details of the new album in the pipeline.

OTB:So I guess what everyone wants to know is how is the new album coming along?

MS:Um pretty well. We're in the advanced stages of production now so the songs are completely done and arranged and tabbed out meticulously and sent to the (production) guys. It's a conceptual album so it's not only the music but also the lyrical content that needs a lot of attention. The lyrical content is going to have a great influence on the album. It's a metaphoric story I came up with that is kind of reflecting on this situation that happened for real. I've found it to be a really different way of working on album, to really have a conceptual vision of the whole thing which I hope will bleed into the music in positive way.

OTB:What stage are you at with it?

MS:Well I finished a song today and I think I really took it to the next level. I'm really excited to get into the studio and record it.

OTB:Have you settled on an album title yet?

MS:We've narrowed it down to two but I don't want to say what they are yet. We might just adjust the website when we decide on the title. In the coming couple of months there should be more details (on the website) of the release date.

OTB:How does this album rate for you out of our back catalogue?

MS:It's difficult (to answer) because everyone always says their new album is the best. But it's been quite some time between albums and I believe those four years have done me well when comes to ear and composition of skills. I'm a much better musician now than I was four years ago. I really believe we took (this album) to the next level. As far as technical skill level goes I think this is my favourite album.

OTB:You said you were going to use 7 string guitars on the album, hows that going?

MS:Very good, it's turning out better than I thought it would. Everything has just worked out exactly the way I planned it to, really adding to the whole vibe. It's changed the whole arrangement between bass and guitar. You'll hear it when you listen to it it's a really different approach. It's more diverse while still staying true to Necrophagist. It's going to be very extreme and very energetic.

OTB:Will you be sending out a single soon?

MS:Maybe before summer. We've been thinking about it, like at least put it up on the website. It will probably be the one I finished today. I do (really like it) I took it to the next level with myself and did things I've never done before. It's not overly technical because we never try to be too technical or too confusing. Sometimes technical metal can be too far out there and too complicated for the listeners so what we're trying to do is make it a perfect song where the interaction between instruments is really good.

OTB:Are you finding the recording to be very different with romain drumming?

MS:I think so, yeah. Romain is a very accomplished drummer. It's going to have a major impact on the album. We don't need to build on skills anymore we just play music and concentrate on writing now. Now we've got so many more super fast and super precise tools we can make some really spectacular music now.

OTB:You've been through quite a few band members in the past, do you think the band will stay like this for a while to come?

MS:Yeah definitely. Most of the time it's some discrepancies about what everyone's goal is for the band, Sometime it takes some professional thinking to figure out if we all want to do the same thing. But we've got some good chemistry in the band now we respect each other on a personal level and on a musical level. All we want to do is tour so there is not going to be any conflict of interest there.

OTB:So you're still with relapse. You've said you're not happy about it, what's the plan there? Are you going to change labels?

MS:We still have a legal obligation to release another two albums with Relapse so that's what going to do. It was ok when the band was just starting out and it's been really helpful in getting us gigs. But we settled our differences. We're going to deliver two more albums and I'm hoping this time around everyone involved will be more into it.

OTB:Have you been to Australia before?

MS:No we've never been there. This is the first time as a band and the first time for most people in the band. We're really looking forward to it on a professional level but also looking forward to experiencing it on a personal level.

OTB:What is next for you guys?

MS:We'll wrap up the writing of album fairly soon and record a demo then probably share it with the people before summer. Then we've got Summer Slaughter in the US. Hopefully we'll have our first big chunk of studio time to wrap up the new album before the touring cycle begins.

OTB:Anything you'd like to add?

MS:We're looking forward to meeting all of our Australian fans!

Necorphagist will be heading to Australia in March for Summer Slaughter 2009 with tour dates currently scheduled for The Manning Bar, Sydney on March 13, The Red Room, Brisbane on March 14, Fowler's Live, Adelaide on March 15, Club Capitol, Perth on March 16 and The Corner Hotel, Melbourne on March 17. Their untitled album is scheduled for release in the summer of 2009.

 

 

interview/author: Nikkita Dixon