Interview Nefarious Macabre

LINEUP NEFARIOUS - BASS AND VOCALS DENNIS THE MENACE - DRUMS CORPORATE DEATH - LEAD VOCALS AND GUITAR

Windy City Invitational 10/16/05 Metro Interviewer: Sharita Lumpkin

"Everybody can’t be a black metal band; it only so many people out there that can look like Kiss."

Macabre has been around to see all the good and bad in black metal. That’s what Nefarious/Nefarious is referring to when talking about the metal scene. For the last twenty years, Macabre has built a following that spans the globe. Audiences everywhere have enjoyed their songs dedicated to some of the sickest individuals to ever walk the face of the earth. Many have tried to duplicate the sound and style but no one pulls it off like the legendary Macabre, who tours relentlessly and puts out music that can’t be pigeonholed into any genre.

Nefarious speaks about their latest release Murder Metal as well as the shows and Europe. He also has a message for you over zealous and almighty American metal fans. Read on to find out more.

Sharita: First of all, thanks for doing the interview.

Nefarious: You’re quite welcome.

Sharita: First off, how was the Windy City Invitational a couple of days ago?

Nefarious: Oh, not so good.

Sharita: Oh really? Why?

Nefarious: There were too many bands and the sound wasn’t too good.

Sharita: That’s too bad, how was the crowd response?

Nefarious: The crowd response was really good; there weren’t many people there. We were actually thrown on the bill at the last minute. I don’t think that many people knew that we were playing.

Sharita: Ok, well what do you think about festivals like that?

Nefarious: I think they’re pretty good but I think the problem with metal is that no one goes to those fests anymore, at least not in the US.

Sharita: Exactly, well how is the response over there in Europe as opposed to the US?

Nefarious: Oh, way better.

Sharita: Really? Is it that they’re more receptive to it?

Nefarious: Yeah, they know the words to the songs better and they’re just into it more. Here, they seem to be fair weather, they listen to you for a while then they move on to something else.

Sharita: Fair enough. Talk about the differences between the latest release, Murder Metal and your other albums?

Nefarious: Well, it’s actually the same as our old stuff; it’s about different killers of course. It’s kind of a new version of Sinister Slaughter, all different killers; unlike the last one which was only about [Jeffrey] Dahmer. That was just one guy.

Sharita: Ok and what made you decide to work with Neil Kernon?

Nefarious: He does good work. You can’t argue about how stuff sounds, every album he’s put out has been really good. He’s worked with [Judas] Priest and Queensryche so if he’s good enough for them then he’s good enough for us.

Sharita: Cool, now you guys went to Amsterdam about a month ago?

Nefarious: Yeah, we did a tour.

Sharita: Ok, how was that?

Nefarious: Oh, it was really good. We’ve been over there many times, like I said the crowds are better there.

Sharita: Great. So, talk about the sales for Murder Metal, have they been good?

Nefarious: Oh, well it’s been pretty good but it seems that the sales have been down, I guess because people have been downloading it or copying it. Just like everybody else, sales are down like twenty percent including us. It didn’t sell as many as we thought it would. It’s the same thing with Minstrels (Morbid Campfire Songs).

Sharita: Yeah, downloading has good and bad points. Now, correct me if I’m wrong did you guys just do a DVD over in Europe?

Nefarious: Yes, we did but it won’t be out till next year sometime.

Sharita: What’s it going to be called?

Nefarious: I don’t know yet. (Laughs) It was just edited a couple of weeks ago but there’s still some work to do on it before it gets released.

Sharita: Looking forward to and here’s a question; do have a serial killer that you think is particularly interesting?

Nefarious: Yeah it’s Albert Fish.

Sharita: Ok and what is your favorite Macabre album?

Nefarious:  My favorite one by Macabre? I’ll say Grim Reality.

Sharita: The first release, cool. Do you have any bands that you currently like or any albums that you personally appreciate?

Nefarious: I like the new System Of The Down, Motörhead, Primordial, Cruel Com. It’s not a lot out there now that I’m impressed by. Unfortunately, everything out there is a copy of everything else that’s already happened.

Sharita: Understood. Just a side question for you, do you think that death metal has changed a lot over the years since Macabre started?

Nefarious: Well, it really hasn’t, it’s the same, and it’s kind of a status quo. There really is nothing new out there. I’m sure that bands try to experiment but there’s so many of them it’s just like how can you hear them all?

Sharita: True. How about the difference between bands over in Europe as opposed to American bands, do you think metal is better over there?

Nefarious: Oh, hell yeah! It’s like when you take a black metal band from Sweden or Norway it’s authentic. You get a black metal band from the US it’s just fuckin’ stupid. It’s like, c’mon guys. Those guys over there are Nordic Vikings. Over here it doesn’t make any sense. Macabre is about as close as you can get to a black metal band over here in America. (Laughs)

Sharita: I have to agree with you. I’ve recently got into some of the black metal from the other side of the world like Behemoth and Satyricon.

Nefarious: Yeah, there are some good bands here but the problem is when they try to be black metal it just becomes silly. I mean, black metal has becoming silly anyway but, when Americans do it it’s even sillier. Everybody can’t be a black metal band; it only so many people out there that can look like Kiss.

Sharita: This is true. Now, I know you said that black metal has gotten silly, but do you see the scene getting better over the next few years with the influx of European bands?

Nefarious: Well, maybe from a band’s standpoint of them selling the records it could get better, get more people at the shows. I’ve seen some bands from Sweden like At The Gates or uh In Flames I mean, and The Haunted, doing pretty well they get a lot of good tours. Some of the Swedish bands are really getting out there, but I don’t know if American audiences are really ready for them, it takes a little too much thinking.

Sharita: Ok, you’re comments are actually right in line with Satyr from Satyricon’s comments about the superiority of bands from Europe. When we interview him he was quite candid about that subject.

Nefarious: Yep.

Sharita: So, talk about the tour plans, I know you guys are going to play here at the Clearwater Theatre in Illinois, are there any more plans to tour in the coming months?

Nefarious: Yeah, probably around Christmas time or something. We’re working on something for Europe, not sure. We have to record a new album, so it’s kind of a toss up between either going on tour or recording. I mean if we have an opportunity to record it would take precedence over the tour.  

Sharita: Ok and so this will be a one off show or are you guys doing a little mini tour?

Nefarious: No, just a one off.

Sharita: Should be interesting, I’ve been out to Clearwater a couple of times and it has a tendency to get really hot in there.

Nefarious: Yeah, we went about a year ago and I do remember it getting pretty hot in there. We recently played a show at a venue in Denmark and that was the hottest place we’ve ever played. They all get hot anyway once you pack it full of people. 

Sharita: True and are you guys going to still do the Christmas show like you do every year?

Nefarious: Yeah, we will. People always pick Halloween which would be perfect for Macabre but we said well why do we just do Christmas and it has been successful ever since, so we look forward to it again this year.

Sharita: Alright great. Well thank you so much Nefarious. I wish you good luck on the recording of your next album as well as the shows coming up. I look forward to seeing you guys soon.

Nefarious: Alright, thanks for the interview.

Thanks to Nefarious for a great interview and to Rodney for setting it up.

Click here for photos of Macabre at the WCI