Cryptopsy
Wywiad przeprowadził Wouter Roemers
Cryptopsy is, along with Gorguts and Kataklysm, one of Canada’s original death metal combos. With a serviceable new record out globally and a tour soon to follow the stars aligned perfectly for Masterful Magazine to talk to the band’s driving force and main songwriter Flo Mournier (drums, backing vocals). Keeping the disgusted fan reaction to the preceding record "The Unspoken King" in mind and Cryptopsy’s lengthy tenure in the industry we wasted no time in picking Flo’s brain on a host of subjects, including the return of Jonathan Lavasseur (lead/rhythm guitar), the revolving vocal slot and how the band looks back on their time with Century Media and the very polarizing "The Unspoken King".Hello Flo! Thanks for doing this interview with us. Your new album is out for a little while now, and I must say, it is positively crushing! I guess you are knee-deep into promoting this new album in the metal press. Is Clawhammer PR setting you up with a lot of promotion work, interviews and such?
Yes, they are! They have been doing a great job and I am very proud of them.
To say that "The Unspoken King" was a polarizing record would be an understatement. In hindsight, are you happy that you released it under the Cryptopsy banner – instead of under a side-project, which arguably wouldn’t have caused the uproar it did in its current form?
We did what we did at the time and I have no problem with that. I think that it is a wonderful album, but that it does sound very different. That is due in part to the writing aspect which did not include Jon and I for the first time in Cryptopsy’s career.
Did you anticipate the massive uproar (and disgusted fan reception) of "The Unspoken King" when you were writing/recording it? I mean, it is not unlogical considering it was the follow-up to 2005’s "Once Was Not". That was a semi-conceptual, abstract almost theatrical piece of gritty death metal. Why and when was it decided to issue a press statement lashing back at your own fans, going as far as to call them "close-minded"?
No, obviously we did not anticipate the kind of very personally hurt reaction that was so widespread. The fact of it was that there was no backlash to the fans in general, but internet and some media tend to blur the lines of reality sometimes. That response was directed at a fan who wrote something that was a threat to the lives of the band members. When I responded he responded back saying he was very sorry that anger got the better of him, etc... Then he probably published my response to him as general statement which is totally intended for him. If you think that I’m not going to respond to ridiculous comments like that then look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if you wouldn’t.
The whole "it’s dinner time!" skit on your MySpace around the same period was a sign of poor judgment as well. I mean when an established band of a certain reputation and legacy feels to need to accuse its fans of being uncultured 15 year olds living in their parent’s basement, something is terribly and utterly wrong. Any regrets on decisions taken, looking back on them now?
I don’t think it’s bad judgment. I just think it’s funny. If you think that hate e-mails are cool then, that’s your problem. We love our fans and have for 20 years. Our true fans know that this was not aimed at them.
After "The Unspoken King" Century Media Records didn’t extend the band’s recording contract. What was the reason for that? Were the contractual obligations fulfilled and you chose to pursue other options or was "The Unspoken King" to blame for getting sacked from the label?
We decided to finish the recording contract with Century Media because it was a terrible business agreement that we signed when we were young and not so aware of how things worked. We gave them three new songs that were recorded in 2010 and they will be releasing them with a best of album soon.
Before returning to Cryptopsy, drummer Flo Mournier also partook in the "In the Flesh" project by Egyptian visual artist Nader Sadek, along with established metal musicians as Steve Tucker (ex-Morbid Angel), Rune Eriksen (ex-Mayhem) and Novy (ex-Behemoth, ex-Vader). This record was very well received. Did any inspiration of the project rub off on the new material, either directly or indirectly?
No, it didn’t really. They are two separate things and my playing stays my playing. I try to write my drum parts to fit the riffs. So different styles lend to different ideas.
Prior to the pre-production and recording of this album both Alex Auburn (guitars) and long-time bassist Eric Langlois left Cryptopsy. Langlois was replaced by Olivier Pinard (Neuraxis, Vengeful). Langlois was a long-time member and his bass playing was pretty substantial in past material. Was there ever any doubt that this new record would sound like vintage Cryptopsy?
When Jon and I started writing for this album the old chemistry instantly came back. Him and I wrote most of Cryptopsy’s material in the past, so it was going to be the same this time around.
In 2011 original guitarist Jon Levasseur rejoined the band. He was instrumental in the creation of the band’s early material/albums. How is it having Jon back in the band are a few years of absence? Did he write a lot of songs in his years away from Cryptopsy? Is he in it for the long haul again – I remember him having a dislike for extensive touring?
It’s great having him back and especially just jamming with him! During his absence he almost quit playing guitar, which would have been a shame, but then got back to it around the time I called him. Things just work out like that sometimes. We will see what the future holds, but this is definitely the best line-up Cryptopsy has ever had.
Cryptopsy has always had a problem with maintaining frontmen/singers. Lord Worm (Dan Greening) and Mike DiSalvo are arguably the most popular, despite their dividing nature. Before hiring your current vocalist, you worked with Martin Lacroix for the 2003 live record "None So Live". It was recorded at The Medley in Montréal in 2002. He was sacked because his English wasn’t up to the required standard. You ever considered working with the great Sylvain Houde (ex-Kataklysm)? I’m sure he would be loved by Worm fans and disenfranchised Kataklysm fanatics alike, plus his lyrics are on the same level of abstract symbolism and weirdness as Worm’s.
No, never really considered it.
My digital promo didn’t come with any lyric sheet. With titles such as ‘Damned Draft Dodgers’, ‘Two-Pound Torch’ or ‘Shag Harbour’s Visitors’ sounding at least a bit strange. It all sounds quite different from the socio-political subjects of the Mike DiSalvo era and Lord Worm’s earlier gore/blasphemy lyrics. Tell us something about the lyrical concepts and subjects you are talking about on this record.
It speaks of actual happenings that took place in Canada. Unsolved mysteries, phenomenas, sitting, murders, etc.. Based on true events and left for peoples different interpretations.
The artwork for this new record is quite understated. The cover artwork looks like a tattoo composition. I didn’t find any information on who created it. Was regular artist François Quévillon unavailable around the creation of this new record?
The artwork was done by Mircea Eftemie. Chris knew him and had worked with him before. I contacted him and gave him some guidelines and he came up with exactly what we wanted to see and more.
Structurally, the album is very similar in form to "Whisper Supremacy" and "...And Then You’ll Beg". Was this done intentionally to give the listener a feeling of comfort and familiarity?
There was some parts that Jon had classified as sounding like this or that. Our approach was to really focus on the song structure more than in the past. To write parts that fit and make sense as opposed to just part after part after part.
This new self-titled record is being released and distributed independently by the band. After being on a major label for so many years, are there any liberties (artistic or otherwise) that you only have as an independent band compared to being under a label contract? Which do you prefer, being under a label or being entirely self-managed?
There is a lot more control of our own material, of course. It’s more work and a big initial investment. We our working for ourselves and our fans directly, so it’s great! We also have the help of Revolution Harmony Records, Candlelight Records, Plastic Head Distro and, of course, Clawhammer Promotion. So far we are quite happy doing it this way.
For the marketing and promotion of this record you are working with US-based PR firm Clawhammer. Does that work smoothly? How is working with them different than working with the marketing department of your previous label contractors?
They are wonderful and hardworking, we couldn’t ask for more. We didn’t really see what went on promotion wise back on Century Media, so it’s hard to talk about accurately.
I find it hard to believe that no label was interested in the new record. You’d imagine that labels like Metal Blade, Nuclear Blast or Willowtip Records would want to sign a band of your caliber. "Cryptopsy" is the closest thing we’ll get to another "Whisper Supremacy" or "...And Then You’ll Beg". Now that the record is in pre-sale – has there been any interest from labels at this point?
There were interested labels, but we wanted off the labels. Why give your hard work to a middle man that takes all your rights? I would love it if people understood how this kind of thing works, you would be shocked!
Any concrete plans on how you will promote the release of this new album outside of Canada? How is the touring cycle for this album shaping up so far? Which market is the most important for Cryptopsy right now: Europe or the US/Canada?
They are all very important and will all be covered promotionally and touring-wise. We will do extensive touring in 2013 if the right offers are there.
Well, I’m running out of questions, so feel free to end this interview in any way you like. If there’s anything of importance we might have forgotten to mention or anything you’d like to add, just go ahead. Thanks a lot for your time and all the best to all of you!
Thank you very much for your support and provocative questions. Really, we do appreciate it. See you on tour soon!!!
Info/booking: cryptopsy.ca/
