In their 10th year since conception, Disentomb now stands as one of the most unique and commanding bands in modern death metal. The pursuit of unrelentingly brutal death metal has lead them down a dark and twisted path and into a unique sound completely unlike their beginnings, combining lacerating energy with a bleak dissonance that embodies a focused sonic malice like no other. Following on from 2010’s Sunken Chambers of Nephilim and 2014’s breakout Misery, the band’s long-awaited third album The Decaying Light features 13 tracks of doomed out brutality, undoubtedly their most accomplished and suffocating work to date.
With new material and literal years of global road training now behind them, the four-piece will take their high-energy and visceral performance across Australia in July to showcase a new era in a band that has cemented themselves as an explosion of metal muscle not to miss. Steve catches up with guitarist Jake Wilkes to find out more on the new songs.
RP: Hey Jake how things with you guys? Obviously it’s getting exciting with the new album coming out?
JW: Yeah it’s all been going well and pretty hectic leading up to the new album. It felt slow through the writing process but now we are almost at the end, it has sped up quite a bit.
RP: Sure so what was most hectic for you do you think besides putting your ideas together?
JW: Man honestly the whole thing I just can’t wait to hold the actual album, that’s all I’ve been able to focus on really. Just like getting it all done because there is so much that goes into it like little intricate bits organising the tours and merch and things like that, just getting the finished product with the music will be the winner.
RP: Yeah and I guess to the average punter they don’t see what really goes into creating something like this.
JW: Yeah exactly right and how much tinkering gets done with the songs once they get written, they keep getting hashed so many times until we get to the finished product that we are happy with.
RP: Yeah and like you said I guess you’re never really truly happy until you’ve got the physical copy in your hand.
JW: Exactly that’s when you know it’s done and it’s real.
RP: Cool so what would be your favorite track on the album so far? I did have the pleasure of listening to it in it’s entirety this afternoon and it’s a total monster!
JW: Oh cheers mate! my favorite would probably have to be the title track “The Decaying Light” just because it’s the most fun to play, the riffs in that song are just crackers.
RP: Sure if you don’t mind me saying I think this is your strongest body of work just in terms of intensity and groove factor. I’m not sure if that was a deliberate thing but that’s what really struck me was just the groove laden part and you just went balls out! (laughs)
JW: Yeah that’s what we were going for, more of a groovy catchy type thing with this album ’cause when we write songs we want stuff that will stick in people’s heads and makes them want to listen to the song again instead of just having three minutes of blasting like nothing in it that you can remember because your not going to want to listen to it again.
RP: Sure.
JW: So I guess we are just focusing on the actual song writing, it’s the contrast that makes the brutal shit brutal when it’s up against something slow.
RP: That’s right if it was just flat out brutality there would be nothing that sticks with people.
JW: We are trying to pepper a bit more groove throughout.
RP: Yep I also saw in the press release I received that you guys are ten years in so what do you believe has been the glue that has kept you together besides an obvious passion for what you do?
JW: Yeah I think because we all grew up together since we were kids so we are all good mates in that regard. So we are able to tolerate each others company quite a bit which can get [inaudible] in close quarters being on tour buses and vans for so long.
RP: Yeah I guess being in such close proximity you’ve either got to grow together or split.
JW: Yeah we all have the same direction for the music as well, there’s never any disagreements with what should or shouldn’t go into a song. Just the right amount of ingredients of everything to taste right you know what I mean?
RP: Yep you’ve got to get the mix right . I actually have a small bone to pick with you, I see that you guys will be on tour but no Perth show.
JW: Yeah we are taking the classic route of skipping Perth the funny thing is we want to play there we just want to piss people off (laughs).
RP: (Laughs) Maybe you’re just trying to build the intensity.
JW: That’s exactly what it is! So when we do play it will be like two thousand people turning out.
RP: You can just destroy the club (laughs).
JW: Exactly we are playing the long game with Perth.
RP: Alright I’ll let you have that one. I have seen the live show and it was mind boggling, what can the fans expect this time? I know it’s the old cliche brutality plus but are you bringing, I don’t know more, lights or just going to up the intensity?
JW: We are going to try and up everything, you know you can’t go backwards, we are going to try and make it more visually appealing because it’s supposed to be an overall performance. You can’t just stand there like stale bottles of piss, you need to be something to look at as well.
RP: Correct! So for you what is the best and worst part about touring?
JW: The best part is just every band and fan on tour, the worst part is airports, fucking hate them! Dealing with security and no smoking areas.
RP: Yep and customs getting your guitars through.
JW: Yep!
RP: So when you guys went into the studio this time did you go in with a particular theme or did you hit record and whatever happens, happens?
JW: Yeah basically we don’t go in wanting to produce it in a certain way, it will come out sounding too polished. I think what we try and aim for is a more acute representation of what we sound like live because that’s what we want it to be like. When we play live people are experiencing what they hear on the album, there are so many bands that come out with this perfect polished album then you see them live and they don’t sound anything like it. I just don’t see the reason behind doing that, I’d rather sound on the album like we sound live.
RP: Yeah fair enough you want people to go home and listen to the album and think yep that’s exactly what I heard last night or whatever the case may be.
JW: Yep that just it!
RP: So have you worked with everyone you’ve ever wanted to or is there still a bucket list?
JW: Well I have been lucky enough to tick off most of my bucket list but there are still a few bands that I really want to play shows with. Internal Suffering and Brodequin, they were from my teenage years and I loved them. I still have to play shows with those guys and they are both still going so there is always that possibility, you know.
RP: Great so for lack of a better analogy do you still get starstruck when you go on tour or is that just part and parcel?
JW: Shit yeah! I mean I do, you see people as people but then if it’s someone that wrote a riff I love it’s like, fuck there’s that dude!
RP: There he is in the catering tent! (laughs)
JW: Yeah! Nobody has too big of an ego in death metal, no one thinks they’re top shit you know what I mean? No one has never not been down to have a chat.
RP: That’s right.
JW: Mind you I’d like to meet Yngwie Malmsteen and just be a total rude piece of shit, that would complete the fantasy (laughs).
RP: Good one! So if you could be remembered for one song and one song only what do you think it would be?
JW: Wow that’s a tough bloody question isn’t it.
RP: It is isn’t it.
JW: Hmm “Decaying Light” just because I like the riffs.
RP: Yep and it’s fresh in your mind?
JW: Yeah I just like to play it.
RP: Fair call. So are you the kind of artist who steers away from music particularly while creating your own or do you engross yourself?
JW: No I like to mix it up. Admittedly not a lot of death metal, pretty much everything else just to get composition ideas or any type of weird idea I can to put into a song. It’s like I listen to a lot of rap and feel good 90’s techno, anything really.
RP: So your not strictly a “death head”?
JW: Absolutely not, on the contrary. Some people we do tour with live and breath it. You’re at a show and you listen to death metal for five hours straight then for seven hours of driving they will listen to more death metal and more death metal at the show, they love it.
RP: I guess when you’re surrounded by it all day everyday it’s nice to step back.
JW: There is too much of a good thing, I like water but if I drink 15 litres it’s not a good thing.
RP: It can get a bit dangerous.
JW: Exactly, same thing with too much death metal. In saying that the most recent Hate Eternal tickled me in the right spots, it was pretty decent. I can’t think of anymore at the moment but I’m sure I’ll think of some after we stop talking.
RP: Fair enough well it’s been great speaking with you tonight, thanks so much for your time, really appreciate it. Good luck with the tour, hopefully next time you can hit the west coast, I’ll certainly ramp up the hype for you guys.
JW: You start getting in everyone’s ear, start putting up flyers saying Disentomb is coming 2023!
RP: I will, I’ll be the instigator! Cheers Jake!
TOUR DATES
July 12th – Melbourne / Northcote Social Club
July 13th – Brisbane / The Tivoli (Dead Of Winter Festival)
July 20th – Sydney / Crowbar
July 26th – Adelaide / Enigma Bar
July 27th – Hobart / The Brisbane Hotel
August 15th – Wellington / Valhalla
August 16th – Christchurch / Club Tavern
August 17th – Auckland / Neck Of The Woods
TICKETS ON SALE NOW at:
MELBOURNE – https://northcotesocialclub.com / www.eventbrite.com.au
BRISBANE, SYDNEY, HOBART – www.oztix.com.au
ADELAIDE – www.moshtix.com.au
NEW ZEALAND – Check local guides
