interview with Cultfinder (U.K.)

Cultfinder  (U.K.)

I was hoping that Cultfinder would be as good as the cover of their three-song recording “Black Thrashing Terror.”

Yup, that’s the artwork on this front page of this zine. A blasphemous, bulletbelt-clad horned skeleton that says this is a metal band that I will probably like a lot.  

Cultfinder really does have a sound for people that want metal that is ugly, un-studio, un-produced with inspiration from a particular tradition of nonmainstream metal. That is, there is a sound in black/death/thrash that goes for this energy. In the 80s, a demo sounded this way, often not on purpose, but due to lack of resources.

But the difference with Cultfinder is that this ugliness of raw, minimalistic metal is very much on purpose, and has a better sound (though still very raw). The listener can hear the instruments better and there is very little fill/fat on these songs. At about 4 minutes or less, each one gets to the headbanging, blasting frenzy quickly and then it’s time for the next one.

Some people like references. So, here is a basic genealogy. the first EPs/albums by Sodom, Destruction, Bathory, Sepultura, Sarcofago, Blasphemy, so on and so forth. That gives a pretty good idea of what to expect.

At the end of this interview is the information about the band. Guitarist and screamer Rob Belial answered the questions.

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How did you make it sound so perfect for black thrash?

The recording was ridiculously quick! We did the whole thing in a day or two, we don't muck about with guitar tones and boring technical stuff. The guitar was played through two tiny practice amps turned up to 11! I think we'd lose some of our energy and essence if we spent too long over things.

How did you arrive at this sound?

Originally I wanted to pay homage to the great Swedish metal overlords Nifelheim, but we've gradually taken on other influences like Blasphemy and Destroyer 666 and gone a bit more for a hellish wall of metal. We started in early 2011, but I had the idea for a year or so before.

You are based in Farnborough, in southern England. Is it a small town where you shock respectable members of society?

Farnborough is a dull concrete town famous for an airshow and not much more! I wouldn't have said we'd be shocking to anyone, but musically we're probably the most extreme local band. There is no metal scene, just a load of younger bands playing Pantera metal and Nirvana covers. The older bands have either given up or moved away!

How many guitar tracks do you need for Cultfinder? And do you have a position for or against guitar solos?

Yeh we just did two guitar tracks on the EP. I am fairly against solos as I am too shitty at guitar to manage even end-of-the-fretboard noise-widdling, so I don't bother.

The artwork, with the metalhead skeleton goat seems like it is from the 80s and 90s demos. Who made this drawing?

The cover drawing was done by the mighty Mark Riddick. All must cower before his pen!

You are obviously against Christianity. Will you at some point criticize Islam, too?

I am not in the business of anti-religious behaviour or commentary, I feel most things have been said before. Taking the piss out of Christianity in England is a pretty redundant activity these days. I would say that adopting Satanic imagery is something that takes a stance against all religions, without being overt about it.

Your 2011 "Demo," according to Metal Archives, has 4 songs. So, if you re-record those songs and record a few more songs you already have enough material for a full album?

Pretty much, although I want to ditch a couple of tracks before we do an album, I'd rather it was mostly new material, something I am working on today in fact!

Is the song "Black Thrashing Terror" your statement of intent. No one can say, "So what genre is this"!

All genres have been created. I very rarely hear anything genuinely new that's good.

Stick to what you know, if it ain't broke, etc.

OK, did you have to hospitalize Wilbeherit after the recording sessions? I mean, that is some fast, tight drumming?!!

No! Wilbeherit is the finest drummer in the land, hence his being in constant demand.

Cultfinder is like Sarcofago, but with better sound.

Thanks for the comparison! I don't think a band like Sarcofago could help their sound back then. I wanted to do the EP on four track tape originally, but it sounded fucking terrible, so we used some computers. All they did was record the sound of the band, with zero editing or manipulation apart from some reverb, delay and the intro track.

What should interested people do to get into the action?

We can be contacted through Facebook and the EP is available via our webstore at unholycultfinder.bigcartel.com or from eldritchlunarmiasma.com

Cheers! THE END.