Avulsed returns stronger than ever with Phoenix Cryptobiosis, a milestone in their three-decade legacy. Legendary vocalist and founder Dave Rotten shares insights into the album's rebirth, lineup changes, and future vision.
1. “Phoenix
Cryptobiosis” marks a significant milestone for Avulsed with new members and a
revitalized sound. How has the chemistry within the band evolved with Alejandro
Lobo, Alex Nihil, and Victor Dws joining the fold?
So far, the
chemistry is simply perfect!! We had a guitarist in between whose technical
skills were really bad and his personality was also really bad, so there wasn’t
any chemistry, but the new members are being adapted perfectly to the band, I’d
say that better than ever before!! New members respect Avulsed a lot and know
the band’s the potential, so they’re not going to sit back and see if works on
its own. They really want to incorporate new ideas and help the band the reach
goals that have never achieved before.
2. The
title “Phoenix Cryptobiosis” suggests themes of rebirth and resilience. Can you
share the story behind the album's name and its central concept?
Well, I
decided on the idea of using the word “cryptobiosis” about 10 years ago, it
was something that I was very clear about, but it was going to be together with
another word. Then, when we had this big lineup change within the band and
regenerated it in record time, I decided to use the word “Phoenix”, which
matches the original idea perfectly and the artwork also captures the essence
of this album, which is a rebirth of the band, emerging like a phoenix from the
ashes, stronger than ever!!
3. What
can fans expect from “Phoenix Cryptobiosis” in terms of musical evolution
compared to your previous albums? Are there any surprises in store?
I can say
that after the line-up change happened, it was a very positive thing, because
with the old members there really wouldn't have been any musical evolution,
because they were written in haste and without the participation of the whole
band, so let's say that It was going to be the same as always, no surprises,
but with the new line-up, although the old members left 8 songs more or less
written (guitar riffs only), we decided to use only some of these. songs and we
completed 60% of the album with new songs written with the new lineup. The new
songs follow the same style that Avulsed has always played, but with renewed
ideas that make them fresher and less predictable, while still sounding like
Avulsed.
4. The
album was mastered by Davide Billia and features artwork by Daemorph Art. How
did these collaborations shape the overall experience and presentation of the
album?
I was very
clear that Daemorph Art would do the art, because they already did a splendid
job for the two previous Avulsed works and also for my other side projects. As
for David Billia, he already worked on the mastering of the last two Holycide
albums and we were totally satisfied with him, so instead of working with Dan
Swanö, we thought that Davide Billia could give a different approach to our new
material, so as he certainly did!!
5. With
tracks like “Limbs Regeneration” and “Guts of the Gore Gods”, the
song titles evoke visceral imagery. Can you delve into the lyrical themes
explored in this album?
With this
new album, I also wanted to put a twist on the lyrical theme, just to evolve
from what I've been doing before. I still stick with gore, brutal and horrific
themes, but with a less comedic approach and turning it into a darker and more
mystical approach, but like I said, still bloody, gore and macabre themes.
6. The
line-up changes bring new dynamics to the band. How did Alejandro, Alex, and
Victor contribute to the writing and recording process of “Phoenix Cryptobiosis”?
Yes, they
definitely did as well as Santi GoG, because this is the first album he
recorded for Avulsed, so his style of playing is also a plus on the new songs.
The few songs we use from the old members have been completely renewed in
structures and playing, and we have also added new melodies to them. There's
also a song I wrote about 10 years ago that was always ignored by the old
members (I still don't know why), but the new members liked it and therefore we
decided to use it. Then the rest of the new songs have been written by
Alejandro Lobo along with my supervision to make sure they fit the style of
Avulsed. Alejandro is a phenomenal musician, so he easily got into the band's
philosophy of sound and style. Víctor, since he joined at the last moment, was
only able to record two songs and of course all the drums and arrangements were
done by Santi GoG, who greatly enriched the compositions. Also, I must say
that, for the first time, I am happy with the bass lines, the sound and the way
the songs fit together!! Until now, the bass was always recorded as a third
guitar, just in the background, but without doing anything special to enrich
the songs.
7. Your
first single from the album will drop on December 18th. What can you tell us
about this track and why you chose it as the lead single?
This song
was written by one of the former members and we must say that it was the first
one we finished and we liked how it turned out, with good melodies and
memorable choruses. After finishing the album, we thought that we could have
chosen any other of the new songs, because we like them better, but since we
had to choose one in advance for the recording of the video clip, “Lacerate to
Dominate” was the one chosen. Also, since it was written by an old member, it's
a good way to present it first as a kind of link between the old and new
material, so that no one feels surprised by any possible changes. In fact, the
new songs don't represent a change in Avulsed's style at all, but they have
some new and fresher elements that will definitely make a (good) impact. The
next singles will be songs written with the new line-up and then people will
appreciate what I mean.
8. Avulsed
has been a staple of the death metal scene for over three decades. What drives
the band to continue pushing boundaries and delivering crushing music?
I would say
it's really me who was always there to keep the band going. The former members
seemed to lose interest in writing new songs over the last 12 years, so in a
way that caused the breakup and I can understand it because not everyone can
maintain the same level of interest in certain things in life for 30 years.
I created
Avulsed from day one in August 1991 and have been the only member to have
played live at all of the band's shows and participated in all of the band's recordings,
and I was not ready to see the band die because to oblivion and disinterest.
The best thing that could have happened was to see these three members leave by
their own decision and let the rest of the members keep the flame for many more
years.
Avulsed is
not just a group of friends who want to play Death Metal from time to time and
drink beers, but it also needs to be a group of musicians who still want to
create new music, play live, practice together in a rehearsal room, enjoy of
music and always looking for new experiences without settling for what has
already been experienced, always playing the same songs live over and over
again.
9. With
the album being released in multiple formats (CD, LP, cassette, and digital),
what are your thoughts on the resurgence of physical media in the digital age?
No, there’s
no resurgence of physical media… we must be realistic. Sales in physical
formats is decreasing irremediably since early 2000’s until its almost total
extinction, because new generations don’t appreciate it. They just want to
listen to it and want to listen to it for free, because they think it’s their
natural birth right. But here we are a few crazy bastards that still believe
that putting out music in physical form is still worth and although sales will
be low, we’ll still be happy with it.
10. Looking
at the album’s track list, do you have any personal favorites or songs you’re
especially excited for fans to hear? Why?
I think my
favorite songs are “Blood Monolith”, “Devotion For Putrefaction” and “Urotted”
and maybe also “Phoenix Cryptobiosis”, this one because it's the one I wrote
haha, and I'm curious to know what people think, but these three firsts that I
mentioned, of which two of them are advance singles, are really great. Also the
first single “Lacerate to Dominate” is a very good song. Overall I like the
whole album, of course, but well... I think the next album, which will be 100%
written by the new line-up, will be even better than this one, haha!! One should always aspire to improve
oneself, right? 😉
11. Avulsed
is known for its intense live performances. How do you plan to bring “Phoenix
Cryptobiosis” to life on stage, and are there plans for a tour to support the
album?
Yes, it has
always been like this and always will be. The new members are perfectly in line
with this philosophy of creating a real whirlwind on stage, but I would say
that the new members are even more committed to this than ever before. I don't
know if we'll do a European or American tour for the album as such, because
it's kind of difficult, but of course it could happen if the circumstances are
right. We will surely have a lot of extra shows here and there over the next
two years, so even if it won't be an intensive tour, we will definitely be able
to play almost everywhere..
12. Lastly,
with a legacy as rich as Avulsed’s, what do you hope “Phoenix Cryptobiosis”
will mean to your fans and the death metal community as a whole?
“Phoenix Cryptobiosis” was the change the band needed to revitalize the spirit and enthusiasm to continue offering new music with fresh and interesting ideas. With the dynamic that we had had for 20 years, and especially since the last 10, the band was in a decline that was inevitably going to lead it to burn out and fall into oblivion, especially for the new generations of young kids, something that It's not going to happen anymore, and the future now seems brighter than ever!!
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