NEW INTERVIEW: Our first interview with GORE INFAMOUS (Bandung Death Metal, Indonesia)

My interview with GORE INFAMOUS (Bandung Death Metal)

Interpretation by: Teguh Prasetyo (bassist INTERFECTORMENT band)

Date: 12 July 2016 @ SERAK store, Jalan Cihampelas, Bandung

GORE INFAMOUS is: Redra (vocals), Egi Devoid (guitar), Fredy (bass), and Wawan (drums).

Teguh Prasetyo (bassist Interfectorment band): Please tell us about the new formation.

Egi Devoid (guitarist Gore Infamous): There have been two changes to the line-up since 2012 as follows: Firstly, the drummer (Asep) left. Wawan became the new drummer. Secondly, in 2013, Budi came in to fill the bass. After Budi left Fredy came in during 2016 so Fredy is still a new member.

Teguh: The band is about to release the new single. Please tell me about the new single.

Egi: We released the single called: “Bacterium Cerebrum Infectus”. It was released at the end of 2015 by Hadeath Records. For this single it is a little bit different to the old concept. There is more variation in the musical style and there is a more powerful style of guttural.

Kieran James (Busuk Chronicles): What is the next plan for the band?

Egi: We will have a launching party for the new video-clip. It is the same single but we make a video-clip for it. The launch will be to promote the new video, the new line-up, and the new musical style of Gore Infamous. We shot the video at an abandoned hospital which has been abandoned for 20 years. The video shooting is finished. Also in the new musical concept of Gore Infamous we will be wearing masks. First we just made the masks for fun. Then the reaction from the fans was good and so we decided to keep wearing masks. The masks are similar to The Berzerker from Australia. We wear the masks along with costumes (laboratory / medical concept).

Cadaver in Methodical Overture (NSE) (2012)

KJ: Is there any plan for a full-length album?

Egi: After the launching party for the video we will start to focus more on the new album. Now we are playing gigs and doing other things so we cannot focus on the new album now. We hope it will be completed by the end of the year 2016.

Teguh: Which record label will release the full-length album?

Egi: It will still be released by New Standard Elite (NSE).

KJ: What about the musical style for the new album?

Egi: The style will still be the same brutal death style. However, there will be more musical variation (more riffs and less repetition). We can find the blueprint for the next album in the new single. We do not want to rush for the new album because we want everything to be perfect.

KJ: What are the good and bad things about the Bandung DM community?

Egi: The good thing is that every band supports all the other bands. The bad thing is that nowadays we have a lot of bands but it is expensive to make a gig. This is because of the hire charges for the venues.

GORE INFAMOUS: Redra (v), Wawan (d), Egi (g).

KJ: Favourite new bands in Bandung?

Egi: Interfectorment; and we still want to mention Bleeding Corpse because we like Bleeding Corpse. We also want to mention Guttural Disease.

Teguh: Why do you prefer your EP (Cadaver in Methodical Overture from 2012) and your new album to be released by a foreign label?

Redra (vocalist Gore Infamous): We were not planning to join the NSE roster at the first time. However, NSE was the first label to contact us. They were the first label which was interested to record and release our EP Cadaver in Methodical Overture. If the first label to contact us had been Indonesian we would have gone with them. This happened for the first EP. We wanted to release the music quickly. Now we have a contract with NSE.

Egi: NSE is in the process of reissuing the EP Cadaver in Methodical Overture.

Redra: At the first time Putra from Lumpur contacted us. He said Daniel [Osborn] from NSE was asking about Gore Infamous. At that time we only had two songs. We made a realistic goal of just making an EP instead of a full album. We were very shocked too because we were contacted by a USA label.

Teguh: The EP was released by NSE and is now out of stock and this is why Daniel is reissuing it. I think Daniel is a very strong supporter of Gore Infamous. For me the Gore Infamous single has taken brutal DM to the next [highest] level in Indonesia. I was very surprised that the music pattern was so complex. I don’t mean complex as in progressive things but complex within the context of brutal DM.

Bacterium Cerebrum Infectus (Hadeath) (2015)

Redra: Brutal DM for me means really paying attention to the detail and sweating. [Note: This word “sweating” was used on purpose because KJ was really sweating on this hot day in Bandung.] It takes a lot of strength to play this type of music. At least we get sweat not from exercise but from gigs and practising our music.

Teguh: They are quite funny guys. They made rehearsal videos using buckets and helmets on their heads. We don’t have to be too serious in the real-life like you said [Kieran] when you talked to me about Venom.

KJ: Your favourite drummer – do you choose Abaz or Papap?

Wawan (drummer Gore Infamous): Papap; he is a legend and very inspiring.

Egi: Another reason we use masks is that we want people not only to hear the music but to see the visual aspects of performance. We still keep our gory ways and so we use scary masks.

KJ: Who are your favourite guitar players in Bandung Death Metal?

Egi: Dedra Digging and Yayas (from Sedusa band).

Teguh: Favourite vocalists in Bandung Death Metal?

Redra: Andre Gila.

KJ: Why?

Egi Devoid and special friend Cindy Asmodeus

Redra: Very guttural and he has a trademark vocal sound. I also like Deddy from Interfectorment (ex-Asphyxiate / Cadavoracity).

KJ: Do you choose the old or new vocalist from Bleeding Corpse?

[All laugh because Ari Bejo of Bleeding Corpse was there that day with us at Serak Store.]

Redra: I prefer both [all laugh].

KJ: What is your message for the fans?

Redra: Keep doing positive things and stay away from drugs.

Wawan: Keep supporting your underground scene.

Egi: Keep doing something good and creative.

Cadaver full EP (2012): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfGtgqq7yQ8

New Single 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0kNuLB4VBs

Live Show Jember Rotten Ground:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfcMO7YJZNQ

Left to Right: Kieran James, Wawan Gore Infamous (vocal), Redra Gore Infamous (drums), Egi Devoid (guitar), and Teguh Prasetyo (Interfectorment band) @ Bandung, 12 July 2016.