MORBID ANGEL Frontman Says He Is 'Trying To Broaden The Definition' Of Extreme Music

Brian Fischer-Giffin of Australia's Loud magazine recently conducted an interview with bassist/vocalist David Vincent of Florida-based extreme metal veterans MORBID ANGEL. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On MORBID ANGEL's new album, "Illud Divinum Insanus":

"It has been a long time between records. There's probably a million excuses why, but it's the right time and it's done and I'm really looking forward to the shows."

We've always pushed ourselves with everything we've done in the past. I think we've pushed ourselves even more this time. It was a very interesting experience. I wasn't used to working with Tim [Yeung, drums] or Thor ['Destructhor' Anders Myrhen, guitar]. But it really was a group effort. Everyone contributed a lot. I think the sound of this album is unique, and I'd like to think that's something we've always done. And the challenge for us is that we are challenging our audience as well.

On the band's split with drummer Pete Sandoval:

"Initially we were working with him, but he got to a point where he was in so much pain [after extensive back surgery to repair a prolapsed disc] he just couldn't play. He'd take a few days off and it just wasn't getting any better. And that's when he said, 'I'm just gonna have to go and have the surgery. You guys are gonna have to get someone to do the record.' And we did."

"Hopefully he will continue to follow the directions of his caregiver, and do the procedures and do the things they tell him to do and not to the things they tell him not to do. We're looking forward to him getting better and I'm sure he's looking forward to it, too."

On new MORBID ANGEL drummer Tim Yeung (HATE ETERNAL, DIVINE HERESY, DECREPIT BIRTH, NILE, VITAL REMAINS):

"I like Tim a lot. He's a great guy; he's a fantastic player. And I like him as person as well. That helps."

On the "Illud Divinum Insanus" artwork, which was created by Gustavo Sazes:

I love the color. That piece of art literally looks like [how] the record sounds to me. Everyone who's seen it says that it's fucking cool. The cool thing is, we had separate email chains going about this, and when Trey [Azagthoth, guitar] saw it, that's the first thing he said, too: 'I love this. We gotta have it.' He and I hadn't talked about it. We essentially agreed about it without even knowing. It's very interesting. It's religious, but it's beyond religion. We had to do a couple minor suggestions about it, but I just felt that the color and the atmosphere of what he came up with was really excellent.

On the first single from the new album, "Nevermore", which also features a version of "Destructos vs. the Earth/Attack", remixed by aggrotech exponents COMBICHRIST:

"To me, it doesn't sound like the album version why would it? The band that did the remix, they're a very bright burning candle in their own right. Obviously they're not a metal act, but I think it's really cool. Honestly, we were just trying to broaden the horizons of extreme music, and our ways of doing it. We're exploring at the same time; we always have. This is just one more step."

On trying to expand the boundaries of extreme music:

"I'm trying to broaden the definition. When we say death metal, that's a term that I would have used... we all like to put things in a box, we all would say this style of music is death metal, black metal, progressive metal, thrash... there's all these little determiner words that people use to describe stuff. I'm just at that point where I say we play extreme music. Because there's elements of all sorts of stuff in there and I hate to limit it to just one thing: death metal. I think there's an audience for extreme music, whether it's death metal or whatever it is being created. People are going to go off, and I'm part of that audience."

Read the entire interview from Loud magazine.

Photo credit: Alex Solca

"Illud Divinum Insanus" artwork:

"Nevermore" artwork: