Interview with Unholy Redeemer

 

1.Hello please introduce yourselves to the readers? 

Steven - Hail Patrick and readers of Painful Reality! My name is Steven and I am the guitarist for the Death Metal entity known as Unholy Redeemer. 

Jens - Hello Patrick this is Jens , vocalist for the Unholy Redeemer.

2.When did you first discover death metal and what was it about this genre that drew you and has kept your interest over the years? 

Steven - As time goes by, my memory blurs slightly but I always recall my first interests into Death Metal involved Bolt Thrower’s ‘Warmaster’ album. It got 5 skulls or 10 skulls (whatever the rating system was) in Hot Metal Magazine, which was an accessible publication for heavy metal fans in Australia. Back then, some people were also classifying Slayer’s ‘Hell Awaits’ and Sepultura’s ‘Arise’ as early Death Metal, so I would count those too. Death and Thrash were blended for a short while before diverging more clearly. I was exploring heavy music as a youth, buying tapes like Motörhead, DOA, Lawnmower Deth, MOD, Iron Maiden, Exploited, Dead Kennedys, etc… as well as listening to late night local radio where they played Venom, Sodom, Kreator, etc. The show was after midnight and hosted by a weird old guy who owned a local record shop, so I used to set up a cassette to record it, then I’d listen later. This was happening to me across maybe 1990-92 so by the time it was 1993, I had become totally consumed by metal music and kept exploring more extreme sounds. Back then, if you listened to this music, people judged you quite harshly. If you wore a Slayer shirt, people thought you were the devil himself. Things were getting more extreme and boundaries were being pushed. Nowadays, there are no more boundaries left but back then it felt more subversive and there was a dark allure which captivated me. The thing that has kept my interest across the years has been the ability to go backwards… to explore earlier bands like Treblinka, Poison (Ger), Funebre, Bathym, Necrodeath, Carbonized, GoatLord, etc… You don’t have to listen to current or latest bands to continue your journey. Jens - I have always been interested in the darker side of life and that eventually led me to horror movies and metal music. I first got into heavy metal when I was around 10 or 11 and death metal a few years later I guess .. The sinister feeling of black/death metal is what lured me in and made me stay. At this point I cannot imagine my life without it..

3.Who were the first bands that you heard? Who are some of the current bands that you have been listening to?

 Jens - When it comes to death metal, I started off with dubbed tapes that I got from a friend who got it from a guy who formed the one and only local death metal band Crucifix around 92 -93 (I actually ended up joining that band for a while around the year 2000) . Some of the first albums I remember would be Morbid Angel : "Blessed are the Sick" (still my favourite dm album of all time), Death: "Leprosy", Obituary: "Cause of Death" and the S/T album of Rigor Mortis. From the current dm scene I enjoy Hexorcist, Dead Congregation, Abhorration, Azatoth, Phrenelith, Strychnos, Desecrecy, Undergang , Grave Miasma, Cruciamentum and tons more . Besides that I listen to a lot of black metal, synth music , movie scores,80es goth rock, heavy metal, some thrash, a bit of doom as well as classic rock. 

Steven - I’ve listed many of the first bands above, but to add a bit more which occurred in the years immediately following; Morbid Angel ‘Covenant’, Incantation ‘Mortal Throne of Nazarene’ Vital Remains ‘Into Cold Darkness’ and Deicide ‘Once Upon The Cross’ each impacted me tremendously. I was in a band called Encabulos, which started in 1995, so shortly after, I  became interested in demo tapes, fanzines and the whole underground scene. A few bands with recent releases I am listening to; Azatoth, Insineratehymn, Destruktor, Grotesque Bliss, Dominion, Necromaniac, Hexorcist, Nedgravd, Signs Of The Evil, Cruciamentum, Mortual, Cadaveric Incubator, Abhorration, Perditions Mire, Evil Damn, Embrace Of Thorns, Desecresy, Abhorration, Evoken, GoatS*men, Deadspeak, Eminent Shadow, Satanicristo and many more.

4.I believe Unholy Redeemer is a band with members from Australia, Finland and Denmark, how did you all decide to start this band? Are you satisfied with how things have gone so far with the band?

 Steven - I had ceased playing guitar from around 2006-2020, focusing on other areas of life. I also had a debilitating wrist injury, which basically forced me to stop. However, I decided to play again and began writing material around 2021. I shared some of my ideas with Jarro (drums) and he suggested we record together. We toyed with the idea that we would reform Crucifire, which ended in 2006 but decided against it. At first it wasn’t clear who would complete the lineup, but eventually Jens joined on vocals for the demo, which was released in 2023. Our bass player, Tommi, joined after this. I have always admired his writing style in Slugathor and Desecresy, so it’s a huge honour that he is with us. As far as being satisfied or not… I guess I’m feeling alright with the current situation, but to feel totally satisfied would invite complacency and stagnation. Instead, I still hunger for more blasphemy and desolate conquest. 

Jens - I was in Australia on vacation back in 2023 when the demo was taking form .. I was staying with Jarro (drums) who is a friend for 20+ years .. He asked me to record some test vocals for one of the demo songs ("Revere the Slaughter" ) So we wrote and arranged some lyrics and recorded a quick vocal demo on the spot. Steve listened to the track and I was asked to join. The rest is as they say history. I am satisfied so far but I do believe that the upcoming full length shall see us unfold our full potential.. The MLP was just a forewarning of whats to come. I work very well with Steve and Tommi and I look forward to meeting them in person in the future .

5.Journey Beyond Death is the brand new EP. that will be released later this month how long did it take to write the music for this EP?

 Steven - Much of the music was initially written side by side with the demo material but took final shape around mid/late 2024. The last material to be written was the instrumental ‘Blades Of Inversion’ and the song ‘Ever Drifting… They Wait’. Ever Drifting… was written by Tommi and it’s a very doom laden track with a few twists and turns. To my ears, it’s reminiscent of early Darkthrone crossed with a funeral march. Keyboards were added to the end, to make it sound even more sinister.

6.Do you all work on the music together or does one member usually write everything? How long would you say it usually takes to complete one song? 

Steven - For the demo and the new MLP, I wrote the songs other than the track Tommi wrote of course. But since then, the writing process is more collaborative. Tommi and I share half complete ideas, which we build upon into final versions. Finally, everyone in the band is given opportunity to provide feedback before we consider the song complete. Thankfully we all have the same goal, and that is to make intensely heavy, dark and evil Death Metal. We aren’t interested in playing slam sounds. We don’t like playing things that are overly technical. We don’t mix social commentary or politics into the band - we leave that for the legions of cry-babies on social media. We just play Death Fukking Metal.

7.Where do you draw inspiration for the lyrics and what are some subjects written about on the new EP? Which usually comes first the music or the lyrics? 

Jens - We all contribute lyrics to the band and then I arrange them and cut a crude demo at home just so that we are all on the same page. I try to paint a picture with the lyrics and vocals which in some shape or form always revolve around darkness and death, I like for the lyrics to be in the eye of the beholder actually, sometimes there is more than what meets the eye and sometimes its just straight up. Music usually comes first and becomes an inspiration and a guideline for the words. The most important thing is that everything fits together. The lyrics are in many ways the channelling of inner demons. Darkness it shall be.

8.Besides the upcoming Journey Beyond Death EP, does the band have any other releases or merchandise available for the readers to purchase? If yes what is available and where can the readers purchase it? 

Steven - If the release does well enough and the demand is there, then shirts will be printed… So if you’re reading this and you want to see merchandise made, then tell Extremely Rotten Prod and Dark Descent Records to print some! Personally, I don’t want to see the market flooded with UR merchandise that nobody wants, so let’s see if the new recording does well. At the moment we have some logo patches and a few CD copies of the demo in stock. I also believe Sphere of Apparition Rec (Aus) has copies of the demo on CD in stock too. Fukkin’ get yourself a copy!

9.I believe the three members all live in different countries Australia, Finland and Denmark. What is your opinion of the scene in your respected country over the years and today? 

Steven – The Australian scene appears fairly strong right now, with more bands than I can keep track of (or can be bothered with). Some bands are unable to play live without being harassed by phone calls to the venue, leading to some shows being organized with the venue announced on the day instead not prior. I’m not even talking about NSBM bands either, which would be an expected reaction, but it happens for the most basic reasons, such as one band member saying something insensitive or controversial online in an obscure social media post years ago. It’s madness, really. When you go to any show, you see all manner of diverse people there, even at the shows that people claim are exclusionary, so the problems are almost entirely imaginary. At the moment there’s three good fanzines active in Australia; Conscious Rot, Pages in Blood and of course Devoured Death Zine.

 Jens - Denmark has good current bands like Gam, Strychnos, Ligfaerd, Phrenelith, Undergang, Taphos, Sulphurous, Horned Almighty (mainly the last few albums), Ascendency, Chaotian and a few more. When it comes to the actual scene part (outside of the music), I have no clue really as I mainly keep to myself and my old mates these days (although I occasionally do meet some cool new people) I think everything is a bit too safe and inclusive these days (to put it mildly) but I am nearly 50 years old, so cannot say it keeps me awake at night or anything.. I just stick to what I know and what matters to me.

10.Who would you say are your favorite bands from each country? And are there any new bands you could tell the readers a little about?

 Jens - I would say that the early Mercyful Fate / King Diamond releases are the best from Denmark without a doubt, I mean an album like "Don’t Break the Oath" is nearly unbeatable. When it comes to current bands I could recommend Gam , a great black metal act , younger guys doing things just right. Raw , furious yet still atmospheric . They have a demo tape and 2 MCDs out all killer! The bands I mentioned in question 9 are all highly recommended from me. 

Steven – Destruktor, Bestial Warlust/Corpse Molestation, Gospel of the Horns, Hobbs, Misery, Slaughter Lord, old D666, Acheron/early Abramelin, early Martire, early Anatomy, Vomitor, Nocturnal Graves, Armoured Angel, SadEx, Backyard Mortuary, Denouncement Pyre, Nocturnes Mist, Abominator. Some more obscure personal favourites are Inverted Prophet, Random Violence and J.A.P. On the less extreme side of things, I grew up on old Rose Tattoo, AC/DC (Bon Scott) and The Angels. These are mandatory if you want to call yourself a real farkin’ Aussie k*nt! Some recent bands people may want to check out are Grotesque Bliss, Vilifier, Blasfemancia, Contaminated, Cemetery Urn, Beyond Mortal Dreams, Starfallen, Reekmind, Altars, Lustration, Carcinoid, Bletsian, Cryptivore, Graveir, Karyorrhexis, Toxik Volcano, Puncture Wounds, Thrall. There’s probably more I’m forgetting, but there’s plenty of variety to check out.

11. I know the Underground has changed over the last 25-30 years but what is your opinion of the scene over the years? 

Steven – International postage rates are insane now. You can’t trade with people overseas like the old days, unless you want to commit yourself to a sizable financial burden. Social media is a cancer but without it, you face significant challenges in promoting your band. I didn’t use social media before needing to create accounts for the band, and I can’t wait until I can shut these down and go back to my peaceful life. The Underground has gotten simultaneously better and worse in equal amounts. Better in that you can listen to literally anything and everything online in an instant… and worse in that you can listen to literally anything and everything online in an instant... There are a million bands and you only really need 30-40. All of the classics have already been written and the rest of us are just walking in the footsteps of others, with only a few honest enough to admit it. There will never be another Altars of Madness. People are also less likely to buy physical media now too. You have a generation of fans who are growing up without the need for physical media, so to make the decision to buy items and start collecting, can seem like a financially stupid one when the economy is so fukked around the world.

 Jens - It is what it is ..I am like Clint Eastwood in Gran Tarino when it comes to all the safe space ultra left wing political bullshit in the scene these days ..Weak sauce indeed. Leave politics to the punks. I am glad that I came in with letters, demo trading etc (albeit at the tail end) but I would not have the energy for that today haha.. Steve is 100% right , a lot of great stuff still coming out but nothing beats the classics.

12.Back in the 80's and 90's tape trading was huge did you guys ever do much tape trading? What are/were some of your most favorite demo's and bands you traded for?

 Jens - I did a lot of demo trading when I was in Victimizer and church Bizarre with people from all over the world ..I believe I even did a trade with Steve back then. Other bands I remember  trading with would be Kaamos , Nocturnal Graves, Dead Congregation, Necrovation, Gospel of the Horns, Urn, Nunslaughter, Goat M**estör, Terrorama, Betrayed, Levifer, Kill, Bestial Mockery, Funeral (Swe) and more. 

Steven - When being in my first band, Encabulos, we traded demos with bands, labels and distro’s. I also bought plenty of tapes too. We did a big trade with Wild Rags where we got demos from bands like Order From Chaos, Necrophobic, Altar, Brutal Insanity, Misery, Mindrot, Brutality and many others. One personal favourite from this trade was the Maleficarum (Italy) demo. It was titled ‘Unblessed’. Absolutely incredible recording which became quite influential for me. Another personal favourite demo from the past is Embalmed Souls ‘become vengeance, become wrath’. To me, it is a 10/10 recording and remains a regularly listened to demo. Michael (bass player for Encabulos) and I bought the Angelcorpse demo from Gene along with the Wolflust and demo cover t-shirts. Other demos from the past as they came out; Destruktor, Saram, GoatVomit, Kaamos, Necrovation, Vomitor, Goat M**estor, Tietanblood, Inverted Prophet, Cranial Torment, Excoriate, Mental Horror, GoatS*men, Church Bizarre, J.A.P., Random Violence, Abhorrence (Bra), Nocturnal Graves, Lord of the Command, Crypt, Excarnated, Atomicide, Terrorama, Levifer, Proclamation, Nuclear Winter (Gre), Unholy Archangel, Nocturnal Vomit, Backyard Mortuary, Victimizer and many others.

13.Fanzines were also huge did you all read and collect fanzines? What do you feel made a good fanzine? 

Steven - A good fanzine should be honest, ugly, perhaps even slightly controversial at times, interesting to read, sometimes funny, and above all else it should remain Underground - not for virgin eyes. Pre-internet, I used to spend countless hours reading fanzines. I’ve got well over 200 fanzines but I sold maybe 50 around 16 years ago as I needed money for a car haha... I don’t count stuff like SOD, Terrorizer, Metal Forces etc as being a fanzine. A fanzine is something done without all that fluff and bullshit you expect to see in a commercial venture. No good fanzine makes a profit! 

Jens - I used to devour fanzines and get my hands on as many as I could, big fan of Hellish Massacre, Tales of the Macabre , Slayer Mag, Tornado Mag, Voices from the Darkside etc. I like pages that burns with devotion , offer some deep insight and also a bit of crude and dark humour sprinkled here and there. I have some boxes in the basement that I go through from time to time ..But the only zines I keep up with now is Bardo methodology and Stevens excellent Devoured Death zine that he is usually kind enough to send my way.

14.What were some of your favorite fanzines over the years? Are there any current fanzines or web-zines that you all enjoy reading?

Steven - There were heaps of fanzines from the US that I came across that were newsprint; Metal Core, Intellectual Spew, Death-Core, Satan’s Candy Basket, Grimoire of Exalted Deeds, Pernicious, Brutalized, etc. And others that weren’t newsprint such as Painful Reality and Cult Zine. Across other parts of the world were fanzines like Unholy Terror, Necromaniac, Forgotten Chapel, Black Blood, Ocean Morphique, Repulsive Echo, Crypts of Eternity, Necroscope Metalzine, Pitchfork, Necrozine, Master of Brutality, Panzerfaust, Tornado mag, Blood of the Ancients, From Beyond, Depth Charge, Cthulha Zine, Cyrograf, Unholy Metal Disaster and many more. But when creating a fanzine in 2006 (Devoured Death Zine) the ones which were most influential to me were Canadian Assault, Desecration of Virgin, Eternal Darkness, Season Decay and Alliance of the Heretic / Heresy Mag. Current fanzines I can recommend are; Conscious Rot, Necroscope Metalzine (Adam will never quit!), Emanations From Below, Metal Horde,Pages in Blood, Throatgrind, Legion of Torture, Demoniac, Bells of Acheron, Necrodynamo, Echoes of Death, Bestial Desecration, Noxious Ruin, Night Terrors, Wolfkult, SWR, Roar of War, etc… and of course Devoured Death Zine (Nick and I are working on #8 now). For webzines, I only look at a small few; Canadian Assault, Painful Reality, VM-Underground and Voices from the Darkside.

15.Thank you all for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for the readers?

 Steven - Thank you for the great support for well over 20 years, Patrick. If anyone was able to read this far, then you may as well go listen to the new Unholy Redeemer recording. If you don’t like what you hear, then go to the nearest hospital and get your fukking head checked… HAIL DEATH! 

Jens - Nothing to add, thanx for the support. VERMIN TO SCAVENGE!