photo credit : Abbey Bamford Photography
4th August, 2024
Cerebral Carnage’s 1st EP just dropped, and it is a stunningly brutal slab of Aussie death metal!
What inspired you to take on the task of writing, producing, recording, and mixing it yourself?
I’ve always loved death metal, and it was a goal I set years ago to start a project like this. I knew that it was going to be a monstrous task, so timing everything was essential to get the results that I had envisioned. One thing I really wanted to experience was the whole process from start to end.
Whilst I dabbled in the mixing/production side over the years, I felt that what I could learn from doing a project like this would be invaluable, and open doors to more opportunities in the future.
Take us through the whole detailed process…
The Violent Suffering EP took around 18 months to complete from start to finish. I mapped out the process at the beginning so that I essentially had a roadmap to follow. I started with the pre-production process, which basically took around 3-4 months. This is where I spent a lot of time experimenting to find the “sound” for Cerebral Carnage.
This was one of my favourite moments during the process, as it gave me the opportunity to pick apart the songs/arrangements, and look at them in detail without the fear of a deadline. My rule at the start was that there were no time restrictions on this project to ensure that it was going to be a good experience for myself.
The goal was to make the EP as brutal as possible, while staying true to the genre, and keeping everything as organic as possible without over producing anything too much, I’ve always believed that impact came within song writing and arrangement.
As I was working 10 hours a day, six days a week, I had to manage my time wisely to not only enjoy the project, but to keep the project running smoothly as a whole.
After the pre-production phase, I retracked all the guitars for a final take and went over all the instrumentals to have everything ready for the mixing stage. The mixing stage was a real challenge for me due to full hearing loss in my left ear, so I was mixing in mono most of the time. As mentioned I had played around with mixing in the past but never really focused on it. With the advice from some good friends in the know-how and some perseverance, I got the project to a point where I was happy, and then was ready to track the vocals. After this, I sat on the tracks for about a month to assess any changes I would make, then at the end of the process everything was printed/bounced and ready for digital distribution.
You are mates with a lot of very big names in the scene. How did you meet them?
When I was young(er), myself and my mate, Sean McCullagh’s old band that we started together, This City Ignites, used to rehearse weekly at 454 studios (Dan Field) in Brisbane where we were all living at the time. I met Andy Marsh (Thy Art Is Murder) during the tracking of one of our albums where we became very good friends, and not long after I was offered the opportunity to tour with Thy Art as their merchandise slinger. I went on to join them on multiple tours, including the US, in which I befriended big names like William Putney, and Patrick Sheridan(Fit For an Autopsy), and also became friends with a lot of good people across the US/AUS metal
scene.
How would you personally describe your two band’s sounds? How would you label them?
I hate labelling! but I would label Cerebral Carnage as a death metal/brutal death metal project, whilst Dthroned has a modern hardcore sound.
I would say Cerebral Carnage really leans towards the 90s/early 2000s death metal sound but with a modernised touch, and Dthroned taps into the old school and modern hardcore sound, with a blend of bands such as Hatebreed and END.
Any chance either of these bands will perform live at some point? I’m pretty sure you know some talented muso’s that could fill in the vacant roles…
I get this question a lot, and whilst I would love nothing more than to jump back on stage- unfortunately, as mentioned, I suffered the complete loss of all my hearing in my left ear a few years back due to a middle ear infection which makes it extremely difficult to translate very loud sounds. It’s quite unfortunate, and has led to some very frustrating situations, but I have come to terms with knowing my limitations and making the most of what I have in front of me.
Who were/ are your music heroes? Who inspired you to want to play metal?
My biggest inspiration is Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, Cannibal Corpse). I’ve always admired his hard work and determination. You only have to look at what he has achieved over the years within the metal world to understand what one man is capable of.
Was there a defining moment that made you decide to play an instrument?
Hatebreed – Perseverance, and Suffocation – Pierced from Within. Enough said…
How did you learn to play guitar?
Long story short, I started on bass when I was about 13 years old. I remember downloading music tabs but always ended up playing the guitar parts on the bass with a BOSS Metal Zone distortion pedal, and realised it was time to move onto the guitar! I vividly remember walking up and down the hallway with a really long guitar lead playing this really basic chug-riff over and over after watching the Slipknot: Disasterpieces soundcheck on DVD with angry face on, whilst my good mate, Kevin Butler (Thy Art Is Murder, ex-Aversions Crown), would sit there laughing for hours, as he used to come over all the time when we were kids.
I’ve never had a lesson, was completely self-taught, I always maintained that it was about feel more than anything. Whilst understanding music theory and technique is undeniably important, I always liked learning and discovering in my own way.
What guitarists/ musicians inspire you these days?
Terrance Hobbs (Suffocation), Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, Cannibal Corpse), Vogg (Decapitated), Karl Sanders (Nile), and Sean Martin (Hatebreed) have always been my guitar heroes!
Performing metal vocals is an art form in itself. How did you learn to scream/ yell/ growl?
To be honest, when it came time to do the vocal tracking stages on the “Violent Suffering’ EP , I had 2 choices, one was to find someone to do the vocals for it, and the other was to do it myself….
I had never tracked any vocals of any kind in my life, so I gave it a shot!
After about 3 weeks of mucking around and finding a sound, I tracked the whole EP in about a week. I felt that the vocals actually sat quite nicely within the style I was going for musically, so I took the chance and went with it!
How are your songs conceived? What is your writing process?
Firstly, I find a guitar tone. I personally feel the guitar tone sets the foundation for the song/album. The more brutal the guitar tone, the more brutal the outcome. Then I like to find somewhat of a reference, a song or material I really like that inspires me to tap into the writing process.
What artists, old or new, are you listening to currently?
My playlist doesn’t change to much to be honest, so it’s usually Hate Eternal, Decapitated, Nile, Suffocation, and Hatebreed!
What is your ‘day job’?
I’m a chemical formulator, and a Joiner by trade.
Is there any chance of The Rizza Podcast making a comeback?
Haha, although the Rizza Podcast was a good time, I couldn’t find the time these days to commit to all the projects I currently have. They say “let sleeping dogs lie”, but you never know….
Specifically, what gear do you play?
My current guitar is an ESP E-II M-II NT (black natural fade), an absolutely brutal slab of wood. I’ve always played Peavey amps, mainly the 5150 (nothing more to say). As far as pedals are concerned, I’m not big on effects, so an overdrive such as the TS808 or TS9, and a noise suppressor into a MESA cab really is sufficient for the sound I’m going for. Pickup- wise, I’m currently using Bare Knuckle Aftermaths. As far as picks are concerned, I just go for the lucky dip.
Cats – lovable family members or Satan’s spawn?
Definitely a blend of both! I’m a cat lover, and have only recently just lost my little guy, Tony (RIP), but I’m all for the little gremlins.
What does the rest of 2024 have in store for Cerebral Carnage, Dthroned, and Ryan Sporer?
I’m always writing new music, and will continue to do so. I’ve also been asked recently to drop some vocals on an upcoming album from a US slam band which I will update everyone on soon!
This year I also plan on putting out some new singles for both bands and look towards starting new albums for both. Stay tuned!
