Masterful Magazine - Death Metal and Black Metal Magazine

Defiled

Wywiad przeprowadził - Tomasz Osuch

It's high time we introduced this Japanese brutal machine in our magazine! Defiled, a classic in Japanese death metal scene, is always recording really very good music and touring with many great bands from all over the world. Check their latest album entitled "Divination" and you will know that without any doubt they recorded really powerful, agressive, brutal, twisted and technical album! I talked to Hideki, the vocalist of Defiled.

Hello Hideki! I would like to congratulate on the new album. I have to admit that I was nicely surprised with it. What was the atmosphere during the 'birth' of "Divination"? Did it all go easily or was it pain in the ass full of problems?

"Hello Tomash, thanks for your praise! Yes, we're very much proud of "Divination", it's apparently the best effort for us ever and hope everyone will get surprised with it like you! Well, all the recording process went pretty smooth and we enjoyed that works. This is fourth effort for Defiled and finally we got to know how to get the things go fine in the studio!"

"Divination" is 14 tracks of quite sophisticated, twisted brutal death metal but to be frank these are just 12 tracks plus two which are a little bit 'experimental'. Where did you take this idea for a track with just a bass guitar solo and the other with your vocal abilities? These two are completely different from the others...

"Frankly, we put these two tracks just because to gain the insufficiency of the time... to make the total time over 35min supecifically. But it's cool to know you think they are something different! Norihisa and I did these tracks impromptu in the studio. It took only 30 minutes or so to get through with these tracks actually!"

I like the picture on this album but I wonder if there is any connection between it and the message that "Divination" conveys?

"The artwork was done by Wes Benscoter, who has done many great cover artworks for the bands like Slayer, Vader, Sinister etc., moreover also did our previous two "Ugliness Revealed" and "Erupted Wrath" albums. This time, his artwork displays the dark side of humanity and of course it's deeply related to the concept of "Divination". Please listen to the album watching its cover artwork! Wes once had lived in Tokyo and a good friend of ours. We really love him and his artwork. He's undoubtedly the most prominent artist in the scene now!"

There were two years between "Ugliness Revealed" and the newest "Divination". What were you doing for all that time? Did anything significant happen during that time...

"We changed the drummers after "Ugliness Revealed" album and had played many shows then. We went to the states twice, toured Europe and Asia, and of course had many shows in Japan too. Yuichi the new drummer brought freshness and energy to Defiled and the possibility of the band came far widen by his joining for sure."

Till this time every Defiled album was released by different label - Nightfall/Terrorizer Records, Baphomet Records/Necropolis. This time it is Season of Mist...Why do you change labels so often? How does it happen? How did it happen that you signed with Season Of Mist?

"We just don't like to put fetters on our foot. Every time we're looking for the best way and this time, who did give us the best offer was Season of Mist. Yes, they promised us their best promotion. Nothing special happened with Necropolis or Nightfall."

What is the situation of record labels in Japan? You have never been visible enough in this business. Though you have Toy's Factory Records and some smaller ones like Eclipse Records which released polish Perverse...

"I don't know well about domestic labels but it's cool if some of them would be interested in licensing business of our album near future."

We can see Jim or Tom Morris and Morris Studio names on your CDs. Haven't you thought about trying something different? New place, new people, new possibilities ...

"First, we really love Tom and Jim, the Morris brothers. They are great engineers moreover nice guys and it's always great for us to work with them. You must know some good producers are sometimes so arrogant and hard to associate with. But Morris brothers are never. And the studio environment is also very comfortable for us. When doing the intricate works in a narrow space it's important if we can relax and Morrisound is perfect on this aspect. Well, I don't feel the necessity of changing the place to get some difference so much. To make the album better, the most important thing is not changing the studio but to write the songs different and unique, I think. All that we ask to the studio is the dexterity and professionalism, basically."

You have existed for 13 years but the break thru for you was the "Defeat of Sanity" MCD which was released in 1994. After that you had more attention and it is then that you played with bands as Cannibal Corpse, Incantation, Testament, Morbid Angel ...Am I right?

"Yes, you're right. We opened for the bands like Cannibal Corpse, Testament, Morbid Angel, Arch Enemy, Vader, Dismember, Defleshed and so on in Japan and toured the states three weeks with Incantation in '98. And in 2000, we toured in Europe with Slovakia's Dementor."

After releasing the debut album "Erupted Wrath" you took part at the two most known metal festivals - Milwaukee Metalfest and Metal Meltdown. How do you look back on those two events?

"Don Decker, who's running Nightfall Records and released our "Erupted Wrath" album, hooked us up for these festivals and we really enjoyed the days. We could see and hang out with many legendary bands there and it was so exciting."

In May and June this year you played a few concerts in Japan. What was the reaction to your new stuff when you played it on stage?

"Of course it was great. We played 13 shows in Japan this time and it was named 'Divination Tour In Japan 2003'. The underground death metal scene in Japan is not so big now but hopefully it will be magnified soon. We got the clue of that this time, I felt."

All the bands which played in Japan always speak very well about Japanese maniacs. It is said that they always greet bands with open arms and like no one else can make a real hell during concerts. Do you notice such differences between fans in different countries?

"Well, I don't know well about the differences. For me the fans are always same everywhere. We're proud of and love our fans, they always support the band strongly everywhere. All we have to do is doing our best anytime, anywhere and actually we don't care the differences of the fans' characters..."

You come from a country with long, great history. Everyone who comes back from there says that this is a place with wonderful culture. You live in Japan. Do you feel that you are in such a special country? Would you be albe to live anywhere else?

"Yes, I'm proud of being Japanese, living in Japan and knowing Japanese culture, literature, life, thought, philosophies and so on very much. We can reflect these things much on our music and lyrics. And we actually did. For example a song from "Erupted Wrath" album called "Addicted to Occult Oath" is based on a Japanese old ghost story and no bands from other country can do like this, I suppose. Yes, my lyrics have some Japanese taste so please check them out. I'm influenced from the brutality of Eastern philosophy practically and you can find some significance or Japanese originality here. Well, if I must live somewhere else, I need determined purpose of course. If not I'll get homesick within a few months maybe."

Some bands which played in Tokyo decided to record live albums there. This is what Vader and Children of Bodom did and turned out as a success. Where would you like to records Defiled live album? You have lots of material so choosing tracks would not be a major problem ...

"Someday we want to record a live album too but it's not the time, I personally think. As you find, the recording session of "Divination" was just like live, we didn't overdub so much this time to leave the sound very rare, and it came to have our live feeling. We're really satisfied with the result of this album and think it will convey the live feeling of this band to you all. Anyway, yes, Vader's live album was so great. Do you know the fact that Defiled opened for them at that night??"

Yes, I know! I heard that you are planning to tour in States and Europe. Do you have any details about that? Maybe you will visit Poland this time?

"Now Season of Mist and Defiled are planning to tour some countries but nothing's decided yet. Hope we can announce good news soon! We really hope we can go there to your country this time. Get ready for the attack!!"

Thanks for the interview! Good luck with promoting the "Divination" album and do not let us wait too long for the next album!

"We've already started to write new staffs for the next album so no need to worry! Thank you Tomash for giving us the chance to introduce Defiled to Polish maniacs! Readers, please check "Divination" album out! You will never be dissapointed! Well, one personal nitification here. Someone who have the split LP of Wilczy Pajak and Dragon, please gimme an email! It's released in '87 and the title is "Metal Mania '87". Produced by Tomasz Dziubinski. I'm looking for this shit for a long time and can't find at all yet!! I really wanna have this one and please let me know if you have a stock of it!! Okay, thanks and Stay Brutalized Sick!! See you on the road!!!"

defiled666@hotmail.com
listen.to/defiled

Tomasz Osuch

Defiled

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