Severe Torture
Wywiad przeprowadził Tomasz Osuch
I suppose that this is a great example of the guys who almost from their band's beginning make our blood run a little bit faster! And it's my own opinion of course. Thanks to their absolutely killer music, both from the "Feasting On Blood" and the newest brutal opus named "Misanthropic Carnage", we can learn the meaning of brutal death metal. It means that when you listen to Severe Torture's music you can find everything that the highest quality brutal death metal contains. Would you like to listen to stuff that is more intense, more brutal and also totally faster? Just wait for their third album which is planning, and in your spare time just read this intie. Patrick, who is the bass player, told me something about recent band's tours and gigs, the new album and moreover about upcoming tour in September and of course about Severe Torture's plans for the future. Have a nice time!
Hello Patrick! Last year you were very busy with Severe Torture, which was a totally successful time for the band. Could you summarise the last year? First of all, tell me how has the response for "Misanthropic Carnage" been so far?
"Indeed, the last year has been very successful for us, in April 2002 we did an 5-week North American tour together with Deeds of Flesh, Disgorge(us) and Disavowed. Later that year we released MC and in Sept we did an full European tour with Cannibal Corpse, Dew-Scented and Viu Drakh. The response on MC sofar has been very good, so we are very pleased with that."
You've certainly had your hands full! You recorded new a full-length album and also a mini album, which were both released through Hammerheart Records, and you played at many shows. But I suppose that the European tour with Cannibal Corpse was the most important thing for Severe Torture. Am I right, Patrick? How was being on tour with your favourite death metal band?
"We had our hands pretty full indeed, but about that mcd, that contained stuff that was already recorded, so that didn't cost us any more time. About the tour with Cannibal Corpse, man that was great. They are by far the best live band I have ever seen. They always deliver, meaning that they always play a awesome show. I watched them play every night, so that is about 28 times in a row. It was a total honour to tour with them, they were already friends of us, but now even more. That tour was very important for us to win new fans. I think we managed to do that."
About Cannibal Corpse for a moment... Patrick, could you tell me what you feel when you read interviews with Alex Webster, for example, when he names Severe Torture as a one of the best brutal death metal bands around?
"Alex is one of the best bassplayer I know, he is one of my inspirations, so you can figure that when he is talking about us we really like that. Cannibal Corpse just totally supports us, they were the ones that said to Metallysee (the tour agency) that we had to be on the tour with them. I still can't believe that Alex really digs our music, that's just great!
Also, in the previous year, Severe Torture played on the Bloodletting North America part III Tour, and you played at the famous Ohio Deathfest. Did you enjoy it?
The tour and the Ohio deathfest were totally killer. It was the secind time that we played Ohio, and people really went crazy, so it was very cool. Also a lot of cool bands that you don't have an chance to see here in Europe play there."
OK. Severe Torture's EP "Butchery Of The Soul' features Cannibal Corpse's cover track, titled "Perverse Suffering". Originally, this song was planned as a tribute album for the Cannibals through Dwell Records. Was it finally released on this compilation?
"We didn't hear anything off Dwell records, and we wanted to release the song. So this was the best way to do it."
"Butchery Of The Soul" contains tracks from the "Lamb Of Gods" EP, the "Pray For Nothing" EP, cover song, the title track and video-clip. What was the reason you decided to do this EP? Was it Hammerheart's conception?
"Well Hammerheart came up with idea, and we thought it would be a cool way for the fans not to have to buy the rerelease of "Feasting On Blood". Also it contains versions of songs that weren't available anymore, so now people who were looking for it have a chance to get them."
I heard that you planned a video for the song "Impelled To Kill". In my opinion, it isn't good idea, because nowadays there aren't music stations which play metal music, especially brutal death metal....but they should promote metal on their stations!! What do you think about this?
"We wanted to make a video because we were very pleased with the video of "Butchery of the Soul". But we haven't made a video yet and we probably won't, because like you said there aren't many stations who play this kind of music."
By the way, what is Severe Torture's relationship with Hammerheart? I ask because recently Dutch death metal masters Sinister left this label and signed with Nuclear Blast again. They said that Hammerheart didn't do enough promotion for Sinister. Are you satisfied with Hammerheart's work for your band?
"We are still very satisfied with Hammerheart, they are supporting us a lot! And about Sinister, they were used to Nuclear Blast and HH is just a smaller label, so I can imagine why they went back to NB again."
After released "Feasting On Blood", you signed deal with Hammerheart for one more full length album and an option for two more. In this way, a third brutal attack of Severe Torture will be the last for them. Maybe you should try a new label in the future? Do you think about changing your label, maybe to a bigger one than Hammerheart?
"To be honest, if we can get a good deal with an label who has more "power", we would consider signing to it. But that is something for the future, now we are still working with Hammerheart and both of us are working vety hard!
OK, it's high time to talk about "Misanthropic Carnage". First of all, I have to congratulate you on a really great album! For me personally it's a solid brutal death metal album. Are you happy with the final result?
"We are very happy with "Misanthropic Carnage", it has come out the way we wanted it. We wanted to show that we were capable of writing a more brutal, mature, diverse and catchier album as "Feasting On Blood". Of course there are things that we will do different on the next album, but you will just have to wait and see for yourself."
But your newest album is different than your debut "Feasting On Blood". In my opinion, "Misanthropic Carnage" is faster, more technical than the previous one, contains feelings characteristic of Cannibal masters, and is less intense than "Feasting On Blood". How would you define the new album? Do you agree with my opinion?
"I pretty much agree with you, about the technical part, we have grown as musicians of course. But it is important to keep the technicality in usage of the music, meaning that you shouldn't over do it. Also we tried to vary more between brutal and slower parts, so it is only just intense as on "Feasting on Blood". 
And about the comparisments with Cannibal Corpse, everybody hears what they wanna hear, but if you you hear Cannibal Corpse, I take it as a compliment."
Both "Feasting On Blood" and "Misanthropic Carnage" were recorded at Franky's Kitchen with Berthus as the producer. Which of the sessions was more successful? How was the "Misanthropic Carnage" session? Is Franky's Kitchen the best place for recording Severe Torture's music?
"Misanthropic Carnage" was more successful, both we and the people at the studio knew better what to do. Also we were more relaxed this time, because we were used to the studio. I think for the next album we will try something different, but I don't know what."
The cover art on both albums was done by Joe Maloney. I suppose you can't deny it when somebody says that Severe Torture covers are reminiscent of the Cannibals. I think there is some connection between the covers...
"Like I said, everybody has his own opinion. To be honest I don't care if they compare it to something, I know that is what people do. I don't believe that the covers ar simular to Cannibal Corpse, although ours are very brutal too, haha."
Are you satisfied with ‘extreme & perverse result', which was censored and resulted in a cancelled gig in Switzerland? Patrick, could you describe this situation?
"We were not happy with the cancellation of the gig, because we really wanted to play there. But the club and the local goverment prohibited us to play there, because the believed that our cover artwork 
was disgusting and showed total lack of respect for other human beings. I think that is just bullshit, but they just didnt want us to play there. We did get some good publicity of of it so that is good."
Well, for me "Feasting On Blood" is one of the best brutal death metal albums in Europe. It's a masterpiece! Did you expect that your debut album would break death metal chart records, and it would be a total success for you, since you weren't so popular at the time? Do you think that "Misanthropic Carnage" can be as successful as the debut album?
"Well the success of "Feasting On Blood" totally surprised us, it did very well!! We didn't expect that people would like it so much, but it did put us on the death metal map. I don't know what "Misanthropic Carnage" will do, it is not new anymore, our debut was new for a lot of people. Now people know us and they know what we sound like, so I don't know how they will react on "Misanthropic Carnage". But I do believe that "Misanthropic Carnage" is a better allbum!"
OK, in June you were in Poland at the Smash Fest Open Air. I was there and I remember it. You didn't play because the second day was cancelled...I suppose you don't look back at Smash fondly....
"I still have unfinished business with the organizer of that festival! So you can imagine how I feel about that festival. We were totally pissed of the fact that we couldn't play for our Polish fans. But we will return!"
But I hope that there is a real opportunity to see Severe Torture in Poland soon?
"We will be in Poland in September because we wiil be on tour with Hate Eternal, Dying Fetus and Deeds of Flesh. And I believe that we will in Warszawa. The tour will be killer and we can't wait to play in Poland!"
I would like to talk about Severe Torture's past. Almost five years ago, in your camp there was Erik the vocalist who joined Sinister after the released demo "Baptized...". Do you know what he's doing now?
"He's doing nothing now, he had great opportunities. He sang in Sinister, he even has played drums in Destroyer666 for almost a year after that. But he keeps fucking it up, he is a difficult person."
And also in the beginning you played as a quintet, with Jelle - the second guitar player. I read in your bio that he left the band after the concert with Immolation, and it was this gig that caused his departure (?!). What does this mean? Was it the main reason that you parted ways?
"In the bio it looks really stoopid, but what happened was that we were at an Immolation show and the support act didn't show up. So Immolation asked us to open for them, but Jelle wasn't there. But we played that show anyhow, when he found out he got really pissed and then all our frustrations came out too and then we decided that it was best for him to leave the band."
You and Seth (the drummer) were in the Centurian camp. What was their reason to break up? I remember that they had some problems with the line-up...
"After we left they found 2 new members, but after a while they got in some arguments too so the band broke up. Also the guitar player of Centurian was just pissed of about a lot of things that happened in that band. Now me and Seth and Rob have joined forces again and started a new band with a new drummer, so it will be like the old Centurian stuff but better and darker.
Seth has also been asked to join a project named Shrunken Head, with Rob Barret and Tony from Monstrosity in the line-up. Are they still playing together? Could you describe this band?
"Nothing happened with that, that was a weird situation. I know that Seth rehearsed once with Tony and Alex (the drummer for that band). But nothing happende, so actually it was a lot of bullshit, hehe."
And finally, tell me what we can expect from Severe Torture in 2003? Are you planning a third album this year?
"We are working on some new stuff and we hope to enter the studio at the end of this year. Also we have that European tour in September with Hate Eternal, Dying Fetus and Deeds of Flesh. Also we are working on another US tour later this year."
If it is possible, could I ask who you'd like to torture? What is your favourite kind of torture, Patrick?! :-)
"There are lots, but one that is pretty brutal is the one where you put someone with his asshole on a pointie block. So he slides down slowly by his own weight and rips himself open. That would be a nice torture."
Thanks Patrick for the interview! Take care & I hope to see you in Poland soon. Close this interview as you wish...
"Ok Tomasz, thanx for the interview and the support. See you and all the crazy Polish fans in September.
Tomasz Osuch
