After a blistering MCD in “Eve of the War” and awesome cover in Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds, Alchemist returned in 2000 to release one of the most incredible albums of the year; certainly in Australia and in terms of better distribution, the world too! Undoubtedly one of Australia’s favorite sons of metal mayhem, Alchemist are without a second thought one of my favorite bands and their new album, “Organasm”, is brilliant. I caught up with guitarist Roy and he had a few words to say on miscellaneous components of Alchemist life.

Jack ‘Odel’


First I’d like to say that “Organasm” is the best record I’ve ever had the pleasure of picking up from the Australian metal scene.

Thank you, kind words. It turned out cool, we worked pretty hard in the pre-production and recording. It’s got some big elements, you know? DW was unreal and it all came together pretty smoothly.

Why make metal, why not work as a white collar office worker?

Because making metal is fun and white-collar office work is not.

Do you ever get sick of Adam doing all the vocals and wish you get could up and do some of your own vox?

Not really, but I know Rodney has long had ambitions to sing a number, he sung on the 90 demo! We had a Hiawatha part in ‘Austral spectrum’ but it was pretty cheesy so we canned it.

Do you listen much to much of the metal scenes overseas? E.g. black metal from Norway or death metal from the states?

Death Metal got pretty dull for me after a few years I can still appreciate a good band but I don’t buy much. I like that real diabolical sound Emperor can get, to me that’s what Black Metal should be, I don’t like the crappy productions and copycat shit that seems to plague Black Metal. I don’t buy the politics either.

How was Metal for the Brain? Any weird shit go down?

Metal for the Brain was great we got about 1800 people and it all went as planned. We were busy as and didn’t get to see that much of the show. No real weird shit, lots of pissed headbangers afterward. It’s a pretty good vibe with all those people there. No dramas, no injuries, cool security, and awesome bands.

You’ve probably been asked this question countless times before, but why the name ‘Alchemist’?

Beause it’s metal! This question goes back to Adza’s high school days and predates the thrash era. Before my time. I think some guy into metal at his school gave it to him to use in the mid 80’s, I’ll find out! We have had a few other Alchemists pop up around the world but I think we have it covered now!

How is the reaction to Alchemist releases overseas? Are Europe and the States appreciative to the innovative metal you blokes churn out?

We get good responses where ever the CD’s manage to get out, that is the real problem for us, Displeased in Europe turned out to be pretty lame, hopefully Relapse will do better in the States. We don’t get much hate mail and a lot tell us how they have been affected by the music in some way. So that’s pretty cool.

Do you guys have a good fan base overseas? Where would most of the Alchemist fans come from (barring Australia of course)?

Well that’s hard to tell, we get some great feedback but they are scattered everywhere, US, Russia, UK, it really surprises me sometimes. They are so passionate in their comments; some have a funny story about how they obtained the music, others how they are affected by it. Most of our stuff in the past has filtered its way overseas in mysterious ways, we don’t ever receive deterred reports on what’s going on with exports in particular countries, etc. There’s a lot of trading going on as well.

In reference to the “psychedelic metal” tag... what made Alchemist want to compose such left-wing metal compositions? Why not straight out death or black metal?

I guess it was a combination of all the music tastes that existed in the band and an attitude to mix it up and be something different. Canberra in the early days of the band had a diverse music scene that crossed over a fair bit, it was pretty open minded here, there was always full on metal but also a lot of alternative aspects mixed in. People would go out and see anything. From a pretty early stage the band had that different sound. There are plenty of other bands to play the straight out stuff. It’s the weird shit that defines the Alchemist sound.

I have to ask what your stance on the Internet is in regards to metal? Are having samples of band’s work on the Internet good for publicity or just highway robbery? It seems to be a very fine line... your website (www.alchemist.com.au) is for example a great way for fans to get in contact with you and let you know if the latest record stunk or not, but on the other hand; downloading a whole album’s worth of Mp3s completely roots music (especially metal) to high Hell. Has the Internet helped your cause?

I think it’s great, the web site has helped our cause, it’s great for establishing the bands’ identity and introducing new fans. We hope to use it a bit more effectively in the future, but it’s only the beginning. MP3’s are great as far as I’m concerned. It may cost some sales but it is also a great way to get people keen and generate more sales. It’s not the same as a real CD. It does not bother me if the Internet is a threat to labels, they will have to adapt. As will the rest of us. I have not downloaded any full albums of MP3s and I use the Internet a fair bit. All the worry is about the potential, which is pretty daunting.

Do you reckon “Organasm” is the strongest Alchemist material to date?

Yes, I think it is the most coherent material to date, it has the strongest sound. We have had some great material in the past that sufferers from production problems, if given the same treatment as “Organasm” it may be a different story. I like to think it’s “Organasm”.

For the next Alchemist album are we going to see a return to the very organic, earthy feel that was in “Organasm” or another step in another direction?

New direction for sure we are well in to the writing but we plan to spend as much time as necessary. At this stage it’s weighty, textured, driving psychedelia.

Speaking of a future Alchemist album... do you have anything concrete laid down? Is there any possibility of long kick ass tracks like ‘Chinese Whispers’ with fucking neat-o sections in the middle?

We have lots of skeletons and working tracks. No long songs yet but lots of fucking neat-o bits. It is different material but it still sounds like us. We are writing in a garage with midi gear, V-drums and headphones; it’s pretty cool and sounds amazing when you’re doing it. We record it to Adza’s mini disc and move on to the next bit and so on. It’s been working out well.

Was there a video clip recorded for any track on “Organasm”?

No we wanted to go to Ularoo, Kakadu and Fraser Island to do a clip for ‘Astral Spectrum’ but when we realized we had to pay, we had to reconsider. It's pretty expensive stuff; at this point it would make more sense for us to concentrate on the next release.

Do any of you guys work outside of Alchemist?

Yes, it’s a long way to the top.

What is your favorite Alchemist track ever? Mine would have to be either ‘Tide In, Mind Out’ or ‘Chinese Whispers’.

I’m not sure, it’s weird when you go through the process of writing recording mixing then playing live, something you love can get pretty overplayed. The best stuff for me is the freshest.

Cheers for this interview mate, you guys are one of my favorite bands of all time. Stay Australian and keep recording good shit. Anything you’d like to add?

Thanks for the support Jack! Good on ya!

We will be back with a new record by next spring or summer, we will make it worth the wait. www.alchemist.com.au

Yattering is a band that many of you might not be too familiar with comparing to other Polish heavy hitters like Behemoth, Vader or Decapitated and that's a real shame cause those 4 guys have a lot to offer. Any metal fan that craves for uncompromised fury, utter brutality and tremendous dose of aggression should take a close look at those guys. Be warned that presented by them chaos is served on a 'wicked' plate where jazz like solution and broken rhythms create unforgettable listening experience but not well digested by casual listener. After years of trouble Yattering sings a new contract with British Candlelight and releases their new child "Genocide" proving their talent and dedication. Zabek (drums) answers all my questions about troubled times, new album and impact of Polish vodka on the album's final outcome.

Chris


Lets start by giving us some info on what was going on in Yattering's camp over the last two years or so. If not for your website not too much press or any kind of promotional activities would have been going out for the rest of the world. It almost felt like you guys were still behind the "iron curtain"...

Several things happened during the last two years. It's difficult to explain it all, but such a long silence wasn't really our fault. We did our stuff as usual: performed, composed new pieces, recorded them and so on. And we had gone through a hard battle... However, I'm of the opinion that such a long period of silence was to our advantage. Now we come back with a new album and it will be the best proof of our activity during that time. I am sure that our trust in what we are doing and sincerity of our message will remove this "iron curtain" soon.

Can you tell us why and how things got so bad between you and your management (Massive Management) and old label (Season of Mist) and would you handle it differently if you had a chance to do it all over again?

Sure, we have nothing to hide. The whole problem arose after I had participated in Vader's European tour, replacing their drummer. I haven't been paid for this. As I bluntly expressed my opinion on this matter, Mr. Kmiolek became very annoyed and he tried to persuade the band to get rid of me, or he would terminate the contract. He did it and now we are free. In addition, it turned out that he signed a bunch of bad agreements and we still bear consequences of our cooperation. The fact that he has been trying to slander us in every possible way isn't even worth mentioning. He is a wicked person with a kind of parochial complex.
Our struggle with SOM was quite similar. They sell our albums throughout the world and we don't receive any royalties. They were really unprofessional; for example, they modified all the graphics on "Human's Pain" and "Murder's Concept" without our agreement. Just take a look at the re-edition of "Human's Pain", thanks had been cut out and there are four of us on the picture, even though only three of us participated in the recording. And these fucking drops of blood on the discs... it was enough for us to refuse further cooperation. If everything had been all right, we wouldn't have changed the label! If we had had a chance to start again, we would for sure avoid both Massive Management and Season Of Mist. They destroy the music...

I've read the interview with Michael Berberian (Season of Mist's owner) and I was quite shocked and surprised at things he had to say about Yattering. Would you give us your perspective on things he mentioned?

Yeah, we were shocked as well. Although he threatened us that in case we didn't give him the album, he would ruin us and blacken our reputation, we didn't expect such lies and backbiting! Our personal point of view is as follows: Mr. Michael Berberian is ridiculous! We strongly discourage other bands from establishing any cooperation with his label. If they do, they may soon face problems similar to ours, and it was really a difficult situation to deal with. Everything happened because we dared to reveal the bitter truth about this music business. A band must be very careful to avoid dishonest producers. Luckily, we finally managed to find a reliable and professional label.

I understand that there's not much love between the band and Michael Berberian but can you set the record straight and tell me if 'Message to M.A.R.I.O' is dedicated to him or your other 'close friend' ex-manager Mariusz Kmiolek?

We dedicate 'Message to M.A.R.I.O.' to all the people who slandered us and preyed on us. It is a kind of protest, of demonstration, maybe a little bit funny but such effect was intentional, as it clearly reflects our attitude. Despite all the harm they did, they didn't manage to stop us. Yattering still performs and everything is fine. We love music and playing, and this is our priority, we don't want to deceive people by selling shitty albums. We believe in the music.

It's not up to me to judge the situation between the band and interested parties but I have to thank those two gentlemen for getting you motivated and inspired to release such brilliant piece of brutal death metal. How much this situation was a distraction or a motivation for harder work and did it influence your work at any level?

In spite of such an unpleasant atmosphere, our recording session went on smoothly and calmly. We know what we want when we enter the studio and we just carry it into effect. The whole situation was like a red rag to a bull, it made us even more determined to do everything as good as possible – and we achieved it! At last we managed to fulfill our plans. There is a strange coincidence: we managed to achieve our aims just after we got rid of all those tricksters...

Before we dive into the new release can you tell me how should I number "Genocide"? It's 4th full length you recorded but "III" has never seen the light so, do you treat it as your 3rd release and will "III" ever be released?

"Genocide" is our fourth album, but it's a logical continuation of the first and the second one. However, we would like to release "III" one day, because it's a really good album! Although it has nothing to do with the Yattering you know, it's a fine piece and it should be judged by our fans, not by some assholes.

Speaking of your unreleased album, I've heard that "III" was recorded in a metal and non-metal version and non-metal one was sent to Season of Mist to get you out of the contract. Is it true?

There is only one truth. We have recorded two albums: "III" and "Genocide". With the first one we wanted to end up our cooperation with SOM. I can't imagine giving "Genocide" to a company, which hasn't even fulfilled the earlier contracts so far. If we had done this, you wouldn't probably be listening to this album by now... For us, music and all the other things like graphics are equally important, and SOM took no notice of our expectations. Not the company, but members of the band create the group's image! And, assuming that SOM would be the producer of "Genocide", there would probably be another drop of blood on the disc... [laughs]... it's pathetic!

Enough of the past, you signed a contract with Candlelight, your new album "Genocide" is a piece of art, things look bright in Yattering camp again, don't you think?

Yes, everything seems to turn better. We hope that Candlelight places equal confidence in us as we place in them. We don't have any reasons to complain so far and we are very satisfied with their intentions and actions. I hope it will never change, well, we believe in the British accuracy. Candlelight was a good choice!

When you recorded "Genocide" were you still under the contract with Season of Mist or did you already know that it would be released under Candlelight? How did that situation reflect on the atmosphere in the studio?

We weren't under any contract with SOM anymore, because we had already offered "III" to them. We had no idea under which label would "Genocide" be released. We would rather split up than waste another album by giving it to SOM! The atmosphere in the studio was, as I have already said before, really calm.

While "Murder's Concept" was a very good album from the material standpoint, production side was not really up to today's standards. "Genocide" seems to take this side of the record to another level. Are you satisfied with the work of Piotr Lukaszewski and how "Genocide" turned out?

I am aware of the fact that "Murder's Concept" was poorly produced. It was our former manager who had chosen the sound engineer (B.Q.). We were really disappointed when, after all the mixing, we could listen to the recording for the first time. How could he screw it all up to such extent? That guy was a total amateur! We wanted to repeat the mixing, but Mr. Kmiolek didn't agree and he released the album without any correction. The music itself is relatively good, but spoiled by poor production – but we are not to blame.
Fortunately, "Genocide" was recorded in completely different conditions. We had a very good and professional sound engineer, Piotr Lukaszewski. He is familiar with all this business, he knows how it all works. He was very helpful and everything went so smoothly thanks to him. It was a great recording session, really.
He knew our expectations and he managed to fulfill them perfectly. We would like to record our next album with his help as well, provided he is willing to participate [laughs] I think he will agree, as he likes doing original things.

You really surprised me with "Genocide"; compared to you previous record this is a much easier listening experience. I'm not saying that it's easy-listening but at least it doesn't cost a trauma after few spins. What would you say are the biggest differences between "Genocide" and your previous work?

As I said before, the greatest difference resulted from working in a good studio with a professional sound engineer. It was our key to success. The studio was like our second home, especially since it was located in the city we live in. The drum parts were recorded in our rehearsal room, which is a fantastic place.
"Human's Pain" was quite a mess, the second album was screwed up by a hopeless sound engineer and both "III" and "Genocide" are well produced. We haven't changed our approach to recording, we do it with great engagement and dedication, but we must have a good partner. On the other hand I'm sure that our music evolves, we intend to go further and further while many bands pay no attention to the importance of progress. We just love playing, music gives us incredible pleasure.

How do you compose such 'disturbing' pieces of music? Is it a work of one man or does each member have its input on the final outcome?

I composed my drum parts for "Genocide" first, then guitar parts were added step by step, and all the vocals came at the end. We worked on it together, and even before we entered the studio, we had twelve complete songs, which we could play on stage. In fact, some of our fans could listen to them long before "Genocide" was released. And I can reveal a secret: while waiting for "Genocide" to be released, we have already composed some new songs... If someone cannot bear "Genocide", he would better step down and not follow us any longer.

Rather than asking for your musical influences, can you tell me what has greater impact on your music, beer or good-old-pure Polish vodka?

Huh, I don't drink vodka anymore, it has already damaged my mind, [laughs], but Hudy and Trufel never refuse. We all love beer, I think it is our favorite beverage... and I must point out that beer in Poland is really great. Every time we come back to Poland after some tour, we are happy to drink real beer, instead of that foreign piss (ermm, there are some brands I can exclude from that group, e.g. Heineken, which is one of my favorites). ...As for "Genocide", we used some other stuff to broaden our minds [laughs].

Is there anything else that has an impact on the outcome of your music?

Nagual – everything, with the exception of things that we are able to control.

What are the chances of seeing Yattering live on this side of the ocean? What are your touring plans at the moment?

Man, we would love to, but nobody has come forward with such proposal yet. Actually, our former manager and producer were shiftless and incompetent and we couldn't even dream about such tours. They made empty promises and we kept on waiting... in vain. Now the time of "Genocide" has come and we hope we will be able to visit the United States and perform there. We are really looking forward to it!
As far as I know, we will play in Poland in May, in Western Europe throughout July, and in October we shall give some concerts in Europe as well, together with Nostromo (a great band!).

I think that would be all I have at the moment. Once again, congratulations on outstanding "Genocide" album. Please fell free to comment on whatever subject you want...

We greet all our fans overseas! Follow the sounds of "Genocide", find power in it and hate everyone who destroys your dreams!