It’s been a long time coming, but Cemetery Filth finally released a full-length record, Dominion, out now via Unspeakable Axe Records. We caught up with vocalist and guitarist Matt Kilapatrick about the new album and what’s in store for 2020.
What are you most excited about with this new album, and how does it differ from the EPs and split?
I think that as a band, we’re most excited to have a full album’s worth of material finally getting released. This has been a goal since we started in 2014, hah! But the band has always been split up in different states, and we’ve encountered many other issues that end up limiting our time and productivity together.
The album as a whole has our best material to date, and I would think shows a more well-rounded and cohesive sound. I hear a lot of limited influence in our earlier songs—some would lean toward a certain band’s inspiration over another—but with the album, all the songs fluidly take from different teachings and offer a cumulative and unique offering.
What was the writing and recording process like for this record?
Writing was difficult. Ryan Guinn (the band’s other lead guitarist and main song writer) and myself live about five hours apart from each other and don’t get much time to riff around together. We will often record videos of things we write and send to each other, but to really get a song flowing, we often like to riff around together in the same room.
When we could, we would meet up and spend a day or more just sitting in the living room writing together. We don’t let just anything fly. We’re pretty meticulous, so a lot of riffs are thrown away or re-worked later on. Devin Kelley (bass / backup vocals) would sometimes drive up from Florida and help me arrange things Ryan and I wrote. For a few of the songs, he would add some midi drum beats under the riff recordings so that our drummer, Chris McDonald, could get a feel for the tempos we were wanted under riffs.
We tracked the record in the span of basically two to three days. It was pretty ambitious, and I think we all had a little bit of worry in the back of our heads, but we went in and cut everything almost in one take. It was definitely a trial by hell-fire.
What are the lyrical themes on the record?
The lyrical themes are pretty broad. There are some songs that are direct, some that tell a fictional tale of horror, and some that are metaphors with deeper meaning. “Festering Vacuity” is a direct approach stating our disdain for the world’s current mental decline, and that so many people, at least in our country, put pride in being ignorant and removed from the truth of the world around them.
“Churning of the Shallows” is a bit of a third installment in the tale of H.P. Lovecraft’s “Dagon.” One of our old songs on the first 4 Doors To Death split, “Dagonian Dialect… The Obelisk Unearthed,” was a sequel to Lovecraft’s tale, and “Churning” acts as a continuation of that story. The title track of the album is a somewhat metaphorical statement of disgust at the current state of death metal.
There’s plenty of great bands coming out these days, but as the genre has gotten more popular again, a bunch of individuals new to the music are flooding the internet with releases that lack the proper energy and hunger that death metal needs. “Dominion” is a statement that this music cannot be replicated without a pure, unbridled enthusiasm and obsession with the music. Any great music was made by individuals who worshiped what came before them over a long period of time and scrutiny. I would argue that death metal is a form of musical expression where this is especially true.
What’s the death metal scene like in Atlanta? With the resurgence of classic-style death metal, is Atlanta seeing a major back-to-the-roots movement?
The death metal scene is pretty solid, I’d say. Like any good scene, it ebbs and flows. I would say the metal scene in general in Atlanta is amazing. Even if it’s not your favorite type of metal, there’s always a cool show going on.
The scene is rich with great bands of diverse styles, but I would say that the fans and community as a whole are pretty stellar. A lot of scenes are filled with toxic attitudes and individuals, but Atlanta for the most part seems to care and look out for each other, and keep the focus on the music, not the trends or the bullshit.
The main death metal bands in town are bands like us and long-time purveyors Malformity. Other projects with their own unique identities like Metaphobic, Ecryptus, Obsolescence, Misanthropic Aggression, are really coming into their own lately.
Do you have anything else you want to announce like shows, tours, etc?
Unfortunately, with the current state of the world being threatened by the spread of the Covid-19 virus, most of our plans for the rest of the year are kind of up in the air. Traveling/touring is out of the question in the immediate future, and our long-awaited release show has been postponed due to the regulations put in place by the State government.
What are your plans for the more long-term future?
We do hope to tour and promote the album. And maybe by the time we can, there will be some more material on the way. With the addition of Chris on drums, we’re finally moving in a very productive manner and I hope to keep it going. We also hope to cut a 7″ before the second album.
We do hope to tour and promote the album. And maybe by the time we can, there will be some more material on the way. With the addition of Chris on drums, we’re finally moving in a very productive manner and I hope to keep it going. We also hope to cut a 7″ before the second album.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Just to say thanks to you and your readers for supporting real death metallers. We may not be doing any thing new with the genre, but we like to think we at least continue the teachings of our forefathers (and mothers). And to play on Chuck Schuldiner’s famous motto “Support music, not rumors” – Support bands based on their music, not based on their merch game, or hype levels. Stop glorifying weak death metal and stick to the artists that put their wretched souls into it.
Just to say thanks to you and your readers for supporting real death metallers. We may not be doing any thing new with the genre, but we like to think we at least continue the teachings of our forefathers (and mothers). And to play on Chuck Schuldiner’s famous motto “Support music, not rumors” – Support bands based on their music, not based on their merch game, or hype levels. Stop glorifying weak death metal and stick to the artists that put their wretched souls into it.
