DATE OF INTERVIEW:

THE ROTTED

4th July 2008

BEN McCROW

After over a decade playing under the guise of Gorerotted, the London based UK extreme death metallers announced in April this year they would assume a new name - The Rotted. With a bold statement on Gorerotted's MySpace page - "Gorerotted is finished, dead and buried, all done!" - the end of June 2008 saw the release of The Rotted's 'debut' album, a stunning masterpiece of contemporary metal, 'Get Dead Or Die Trying'. With a greater diversity in their songwriting (aided by the addition of ex-Cradle of Filth guitarist Gian Pyres to their lineup), and a shift in lyrical themes, the reasoning behind the band name change became explicable and seemed to be a logical step in their career. Playing a handful of UK dates at the start of July, all billed as album launch shows, I decided to check out this 'new' band The Rotted at Junktion7 in Nottingham. Scheduled to hook up with the band for an interview at 6pm, I arrive at the venue a few minutes early, and ring the contact I'd been given - guitarist Tim Carley, only to discover that they are still en route from Glasgow where they'd played the night before, and were 20 or so miles from Nottingham! Informing me he'd ring back when they arrive at Junktion7 and sort themselves out, sure enough he does at 7:30pm. Sitting outside enjoying the sun and a beer, frontman Ben McCrow joins me at the table, cracks open a can of cider, blames the band's lateness on bassist Wilson and a 'heavy night', before I begin quizzing him, initially about the new album...

METAL DISCOVERY: The new album is awesome - one of the best releases I’ve heard this year.

MD: Definitely. How do you rate it against your previous albums?

BM: Oh really? Cheers!

BM: It’s just come on leaps and bounds really. We’ve got a much more enthusiastic lineup now…a much more accomplished lineup….and we just gave it our everything so it just pisses over everything we’ve ever done really. We’re behind it one hundred per cent this album.

(Ben McCrow on the band's new found creative freedom post-Gorerotted)

"With Gorerotted we were limited what we could do, you know, we were stuck with that. It just feels really good now we can do what the fuck we want. "

Ben outside Junktion7, Nottingham, 4th July 2008

Photograph copyright © 2008 Mark Holmes - www.metal-discovery.com

Interview & Photography by Mark Holmes

MD: Your album’s been streaming in its entirety for free on Terrorizer’s website for a week - was that something you decided with Metal Blade or did Metal Blade decide that?

BM: Yeah, it’s all part of their promotion really, you know, they put it in certain places. I think they’re doing it on SMN News Forum in America, ‘cause it’s not out in America until the 8th August I think, the 8th July or something.

MD: All good promotion for you.

BM: Yeah, and this is a way for them to hear it without going to fucking download sites and shit, you know.

MD: Which leads me nicely onto my next question - what’s your take on the whole music download culture that we now live in, rather than people going out and actually buying CDs?

BM: Basically, I can’t understand why anyone would want their music collection to be a bunch of mp3 files. When I was a kid, it’s like you save up your money, go out and I bought a CD and be really happy to have this thing in my hand with the artwork, and you just play it to death. And now people can download ten albums at once and not really give it a second thought. It’s a way for people to hear it - I suppose if people want to download it to see what it’s like and then if they like it, go and buy it, then that’s fair enough - I haven’t got a problem with that. But it’s killing bands as well. It’s fucking us up - that’s why we don’t all do it…you know, people can’t do this full time anymore. Our second album came out just before downloads had started, and by the third album we really fucking noticed the difference. It was the same sort of sales figures, but it was out there a lot more, it was really odd.

MD: Do you all have day jobs as well then?

BM: Some of us have got stuff we do, like our guitarist Gian - it’s music full time for him. You know, you just gotta do what you gotta do really…unfortunately! But you fuck it off when you go on tour for a few months.

MD: Of course, yeah. I won’t ask about your reasons for the band name change because you’ve already said that on MySpace or whatever, but how have fan reactions been to the name change?

BM: Pretty mixed. Most of ‘em, the vast majority, have said that they can completely understand it…well, not necessarily, they didn’t understand at first, you know, they were worried out of respect, you’ve left what you were doing as that and then doing something else and they get it. But you do get a few people who are upset that you’ve lost four letters which is a bit weird! [laughs] The music is what’s important - that has changed quite a bit, and we’ve had a lot of positive reactions to it.

MD: How is your relationship with Metal Blade, and have they been totally cool about the name change?

BM: At first they thought it was a bit of a risk…we sent some demos and they said yeah, ok, go for it, ‘cause they just knew it had come on so much further, you know. A lot of albums are just cases of songs; this is an actual flowing album with diversity which is lacking in a lot of death metal albums I think…They’ve got a UK office now as well.

MD: Yeah, Andy Turner, he’s a nice guy.

BM: Yeah, so they’re able to do more for us really.

MD: You’re playing in London tomorrow aren’t you?

BM: Yeah, that’s right.

MD: You’ll see Andy tomorrow down at the gig?

BM: Yeah, I think so….ah, but Iron Maiden are playing the same night, so…

MD: Of course, yeah, I totally forgot. Can I test your band name change knowledge? Can you name 3 other signed metal bands that have changed their names?

BM: Manhole changed to Tura Satana.

MD: It’s still shit!

BM: Yeah, I don’t think it’s my sort of thing really, nah I’m not really into that. Erm….and…I’m sure there’s someone else I can think of….nah, can’t think of anyone - what you got?

MD: Okay.

BM: Rhapsody became Rhapsody of Fire.

MD: That’s one I had written down here.

BM: Is it? I don’t know what they sound like, I just know they changed it.

MD: Covenant change their name to The Kovenant…

MD: …And Oceans changed their name to Havoc Unit.

BM: Yeah, of course.

BM: To what?

MD: Havoc Unit. Do you remember …And Oceans, the Finnish black metal band?

BM: Vaguely, vaguely, yeah.

MD: Do you feel rejuvenated as a band with the name change, new members, and new directions with the material?

BM: Yeah, a hundred per cent. I mean, we’re not a bunch of guys who just listen to death metal constantly - that’s a really small part of what we do. I mean it’s heavy; it’s extreme; it’s brutal, and yeah, I’ve got a shouty, growl type thing going on but I wouldn’t really call this album death metal. With Gorerotted we were limited what we could do, you know, we were stuck with that. It just feels really good now we can do what the fuck we want. That’s why you’ve got a really trippy, mellow track on the album with very subtle vocals, and we covered an instrumental piece of music from a film. We can do what we want, it’s great, you know. It’s like a fresh start - we are starting again pretty much, but we’ve got ten years worth of knowledge behind us!

MD: And ten years ahead of you hopefully!

BM: Hopefully, yeah, we’ll see, we’ll see!

MD: What has he brought to the band apart from some very fine guitar playing of course?!

BM: He puts some things on that we would’ve never put on before. I mean, that’s the only way I can put it really. Our old guitarist Matt was a great rhythm guitarist, but he was a rhythm guitarist so we had just two rhythm guys, whereas now we’ve got a lead and a rhythm, and it gives us a lot more scope for making it interesting.

MD: Gian Pyres has been in the band for just over a year now?

BM: He didn’t play last year’s summer festivals - he only started playing with us at the end of last year, so it’s not a year yet.

MD: Has he contributed much to the songwriting?

MD: Were you a fan of Cradle of Filth when he was in the band?

BM: Yeah, yeah, we completely rewrote everything we had. We spent about two months rewriting everything. I mean, that’s why the album’s quite intense and hard hitting because it literally is everything just…all the ideas flow out at once really. Yeah, he just expanded us totally, you know.

BM: This sounds funny actually, but the only Cradle stuff I like is the stuff he was on, and that’s nothing to do with…that was before I even knew him. I think ‘Dusk and Her Embrace’ and ‘Cruelty and the Beast’ are fucking wicked albums, and they’re the only two I really listen to. I’m not really arsed about the other stuff - even the old, old shit, the demo stuff, I was never into any of that at the time.

MD: When I interviewed Paul Allender last year, the only album he doesn’t like of Cradle of Filth was the one he didn’t play on - ‘Cruelty and the Beast’. He slated it!

BM: It’s a great album.

MD: It’s quite progressive for Cradle of Filth too.

BM: Yeah, it’s cool.

MD: Do you play Gorerotted songs in your set?

BM: We’re doing three. We’re doing one off the second album, and two off the third, but they’re covers as far as we’re concerned. I mean, you can really feel the difference when we’re playing them. We’re doing them just for the people who’ve come out. It doesn’t really feel like us playing our songs anymore.

MD: Do you want people to regard The Rotted as a ‘new’ band or as a new chapter in the history of Gorerotted….or do you not give a fuck?

BM: A new band really. You know, it is a new band. It was a name change, but the more we moved along with all this, the more we just realised this is a new fucking band. You know, everything’s different.

MD: When your CD turned up for review recently, I’d forgotten about the whole name change thing, so I was holding a CD by The Rotted and thought from the name, the logo, and the cover, it was some kind of punk band, because of the artwork mainly. Why did you go with such a punk aesthetic?

BM: We wanted to base the artwork on the lyrics to the song ‘Get Dead or Die Trying’, and we just got this guy weak and fucking naked on the street, hunched up, all fucked up. It was a really gritty background, and it just didn’t really leap out, so I don’t know, we just thought - right, we’ve got a British sound, we’re heavily influenced by British metal and 80s punk from Britain, it was recorded in the Midlands near where Sabbath and all that started out, so we thought yeah, let’s get our fucking flag on there. All these other countries sing about their Viking heritage or how shit their government is and stuff, and we’re singing about life in London, you know. That’s what that’s all about. And yeah, I think we’ve got quite a punk element running through us, so that’s perfect really.

MD: And Mick Kenney did the artwork?

BM: Yeah.

MD: He lives in California now I understand.

BM: I know his missus was living out there, well I guess he’s gone over there has he?

MD: I think he has, yeah. He’s after a vocalist to front his new band and seems to be based in California.

BM: Yeah, yeah, his girl’s out there I think.

MD: Among many other styles, there’s a fair bit of thrash riffing on the album with a few nods towards the genre greats with ‘Angel of Meth’ and the scream of ‘Fucking Howling’ at the end of ‘The Howling’ a bit reminiscent of a particular Pantera song.

BM: You’re the first person to mention that! It was a little homage, you know.

MD: I was going to ask if those are deliberate references, or have I just read too much into it?!

BM: No, it was a little bit of homage, you know. That’s why I put the breath in there as well, ‘cause I thought yeah, let’s fuck it up. I will tell you, it’s not like it’s hidden information or anything, but originally that was the end, it was - drrr drrr drrr fucking drrr drrr drrr…but then we looked at it and thought nah, we’ve gotta leave that! That‘s a little bit too obvious! [laughs]

MD: Do you have any non-metal musical influences?

BM: Well, when we’re writing, it’s a lot of old school stuff.

MD: Do you listen to any other stuff that you wouldn’t classify as metal or punk?

BM: Yeah loads. I listen to a lot of Jamaican style music ‘cause it just sticks a fucking grin on my face ’cause it’s the happiest music in the world, you know. Also 60s/70s stuff; I listen to a bit of drum n bass, and a bit of….fuck, what’s that shit called?….really weird, experimental stuff like Throbbing Gristle and all that. One of the songs is about them actually, on the new album.

MD: What song’s that?

BM: ‘Kissing You With My Fists’. It’s about when I’m on the tube listening to them and I look at everyone and wanna kill ’em, ‘cause their music is the most fucked up stuff I’ve ever heard in my life!

MD: How the fuck did you end up with a song on the Topshop/Topman in-store play list?

BM: I don’t know, I mean promos go out to people and obviously someone who picks their music…whether they knew us or liked that track, I don’t know, but someone heard it obviously and they put it on there. So we got a shout saying it’s in Topshop and that…

MD: You never had any say in that at all?

BM: Nah…it’s in the shop and I get publishing every time it’s played, so that’s fine by me! [laughs] It’s just promotion, you know, someone will hear it, you know, and check it out, go and buy the album and find out it’s metal, you know, really brutal metal with like a sort of punk thing going on and…yeah, no refund!

MD: Will you now be tempted if you’re passing through the high street to pop into a Topshop just for the surreal experience of hearing your music in there?!

BM: I don’t think so! They’ll never let people like me into Topshop to be honest!

MD: Not even if you hear your music coming from the door?!

BM: They’re fucking everywhere man, I’m no doubt gonna pass one at some point.

MD: Do you think it will encourage anyone to buy the album who isn’t into extreme metal because they‘ve heard a cool, mellow track in Topshop? The parallel I draw is like the people who got into ‘Lord of the Rings’, then go and buy Peter Jackson’s early films like ‘Bad Taste’ and ‘Meet the Feebles’.

BM: Yeah, and ‘Braindead’. It would be interesting, I don’t know how likely it is. It’s more likely someone who works there is gonna keep hearing it, and “what the fuck is this?”, and look on their list and see us, and go “ah right”. I don’t know, there are a lot of people who go to gigs these days seem to look like they’re dressing from Topshop I think, so you know, maybe some of those guys would’ve heard it as well, I don’t know. It’s all just, you know, it’s just another…Metal Hammer were a bit confused by it all, they wanted a few words on it.