In this interview, Barbarous vocalist Travis La Berge discusses the band's partnership with Creator-Destructor Records, the creation of their demo Coup De Grâce, their influences, and what fans can expect from their debut LP.
1.
Congratulations on signing with Creator-Destructor Records! Can you tell us how
this partnership came about and what it means for the band’s future?
We hit up
Ben and Creator-Destructor just before we dropped our demo. We sent him our two
tracks once they were mastered and he really dug the direction the band was
going and offered us a deal for our upcoming debut record. The future is
bright, having Ben’s support is absolutely huge. Hopefully this partnership is
long and successful.
2. Your
demo Coup De Grâce has been receiving praise for its monstrous tones and
precise attack. What inspired the creation of these tracks, and how do they
represent the band’s vision for “barbaric death metal”?
The
inspiration for the tracks we think was actually pretty simple. Just make some
old school death metal that can get people moving. Codie Jones, the writer of
the tracks on the demo took various inspirations and melded them together well.
The brand “Barbaric Death Metal” kind of was a tongue in cheek play on our band
name at first, but after time went on we adopted it as our slogan. We’re trying
to make some heavy-groove orientated music that can get a pit started with any
song we play. Our lyrical themes tie into the barbaric realm, with songs like
Injection Of The Exhumed invoking images of death, decay and the grave.
3. You’ve
cited influences like Cannibal Corpse, Skeletal Remains, and Gatecreeper. How
do these bands shape your sound, and what unique elements does BARBAROUS bring
to the genre?
Obviously Cannibal Corpse is one of the Godfathers of death metal, and every band can more than likely trace some influence back to them. But for us, it all comes down to the heaviness of the riffs, the pounding drums and brutal vocals. Skeletal Remains and Gatecreeper also brings those elements into play too, but havingmore of a faster paced feel from time to time, which we try to implement as well. We love the knuckle dragging, caveman style a lot and use that with our song structures but it’s also fun to pick up some speed and drive some fast riffs from time to time.
4. With
Coup De Grâce recorded across multiple studios, how did that process influence
the final sound? Can you share what it was like working with Greg Wilkinson at
Earhammer Studios?
Honestly
having tracked the songs at multiple studios allowed each perspective members
to hone in where they were comfortable tracking. Bass and drums were done “in
house,” Our drummer Travis has been tracking at Rapture Recordings since 2017
and actually engineers there from time to time so knowing how he wanted the
drums dialed in from the get go helped lock in the foundation of drums. Guitars
were tracked with Codie Jones in his spot down in San Jose, allowing the time
to refine and deliver the songs as perfect as possible. Our vocalist Travis,
tracked with Matt Kilner in Pleasant Hill. Those two go back a ways and have
played in a band together so again, not to be redundant, the comfortability of
having someone who knows you and can dial you in the way you want makes the
whole process that much quicker. Working with Greg was amazing though, we sent
him all our stems and told him to work his magic. And he truly did. Greg was
extremely thorough and gave us an amazing mix and master for the demo. Greg is
a great guy, he actually came out to our first show and it was awesome to be
able to meet in person and chat for a bit.
5. BARBAROUS hit the ground running earlier this year, and you’ve already shared the stage with some notable names in the Bay Area metal scene. What have been the most memorable live moments so far?
Definitely
the outpouring for our first show in San Francisco. We had promoted it pretty
heavy, so seeing that many people show up when we’re so new was sick. Also
playing DNA Lounge with Skeletal Remains recently was iconic.
6. Your
mission is to bring “barbaric death metal” to the masses. What does that term
mean to you, and how do you aim to deliver on this promise with your upcoming
debut LP?
It’s our
mission statement. It means everything to us. We will be bringing the same
ferocity to this upcoming LP as we did on the demo and then some. We’re going
to make sure every song on the record hits just as hard as the last.
7. The
Bay Area has a rich metal history. How does being part of this scene influence
BARBAROUS, and how do you aim to leave your mark on it?
The Bay
Area metal scene has shaped us all throughout our individual musical journeys.
We’ve been able to see the success stories from so many bands in this area, and
model some of their techniques to how we do things.
8. The
artwork for Coup De Grâce is stunning. Can you tell us about the collaboration
with Aesop Mongo and how the visuals complement your music?
Aesop is an
amazing artist. The cool thing was we had a general idea that we pitched to
her, and she ran with it headlong. We think the way the art is made with a raw
an old school approach ties well with how we’re trying to convey our music.
9. What
can fans expect from your upcoming debut LP? Are there themes, concepts, or
musical directions you’re exploring that you can share with us?
We don’t
want to give too much away, but what we can say is it’s going to be good. The
record is going to be heavy and filled with some brutal lyrical themes.
10. You’ve
got a big show coming up at the DNA Lounge with Skeletal Remains and Necrotic
Infibulation. How do you prepare for gigs like this, and what can fans expect
from a live BARBAROUS performance?
Our process
is rather simple when it comes to prepping for any show. Practice, practice,
practice. We rehearse as a band at least twice a week going into a show. Also
we all practice on our own to make sure we’re locked in. We treat every show as
if it’s a large show, because we always want to draw new fans. So no matter
where, or how big or small the show is, it’s always going to be a Barbarous
show. One that’s filled with aggression, heavy riffs and maybe a stage beer or
two.
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