Disfigured pour l'album "Blistering Of The Mouth"

Hello Disfigured brothers! Thanks for accepting this interview! How things are going for you?

First off, thanks for taking the time out to interview us dude. Appreciate it. Things are going really good right now man. Just writing new songs and getting ready for some shows coming up. We got a busy year lined up for next year, so just prepping and writing right now.


Disfigured is not worldwide famous yet, especially in France, so could you please introduce your band with a short biography and discography?

Well we started this band quite a few years back here in TX. We were first doing covers from all sorts of metal bands and then gradually started working on our own style of original brutal TXDM. Toured across the western part of the U.S. a few times and released a few demos here and there. Our debut album “Blistering of the Mouth” has just been released worldwide on Comatose music. It represents what we've been doing these past few years musically.


Some people blame you for having the same band name as the so-called legendary act from NY. Why did you choose a misleading and, I must say, quite trite name?

Well we've been told that we stole their name and what not, but I wanna set the record straight right now and give ya the low-down about our name. When we first started this band in around 2000 or 2001, we had never heard of the band Disfigured before. To this day I still have yet to hear what they sound like. But at the time, we wanted to go with a name that would fit the style of music we wanted to play.. The name Disfigured was printed on the back of an old Cannibal Corpse shirt I wore a lot and we went with that. No disrespect at all to the other Disfigured, I hear really good things about them, but we've just been doing our thing for here in the scene for a while now, so were gonna stick with it!


How are the reactions to the album so far? I think I never read a bad review on the Internet! Mine will be very positive with a 8/10 rate, I fucking dig the CD!

The reaction we got to the CD has been fucking awesome. We didn't know what to expect, but seems that a lot of folks are really digging the tunes man. Which to us is a really cool fucking thing ya know. A lot of the songs that made it to this CD were written a ways back. So we're really glad that they finally got released properly. Thanks to anyone who's bought it and dug it!


Your music reminds me of Sinister (especially the vocals) mixed with some NYDM elements. Do you agree with this description?

We've been told we sound like Sinister(vocally) from a few people. After checking them out, I gotta agree! Those guys kill. We listen to a lot of Mortician, Incantation, Immolation and so on, so yeah I can see what your point is. These bands and many more are big influences in our tunes and you can definitely hear that in the music.


What bands have the most influence on your music?

Fuck there's a long list… Morbid Angel, Suffocation, Immolation, Cannibal Corpse, Death, Incantation, Deeds of Flesh, Napalm Death, Dying Fetus, Disgorge, Despondency, Sarcolytic, Images of Violence, Insidious Decrepancy, Origin, and tons more underground death metal bands!! And honestly there's other music besides death metal that have influence on us that you might not hear in the music. Bands like Rush and old ass Slayer.


What I like the most about your music is that you come from Texas but you don't play slam death haha! Aren't you influenced by Texan slam monsters such as Devourment?

We love our slam, especially Rene and I, we just wanna do our thing though. Devourment is one of my fav bands, and yes they do influence some riffs of ours, but we just don't wanna categorize ourselves in the “slam” world. Coming from the TXDM scene especially, you gotta do something different to really make a name for yourself. There are a ton of slam bands out there right now doing their thing, which is awesome, but we're just trying to bring a different feel to the TXDM world, ya know. Something new and fresh…


You play with two types of vocals, a bit like Deicide. The classic death metal growl and some crazy gargoyle vocals. Who does what?

I do the highs and Adam does the lows. My lows suck….Hahaha! Exhumed does this a lot too, so we're just trying to imitate what we like and listen to.


Your music has some cool old-school vibes. Do you make it a point of honor to play a music with old-school influences? You know, like fuck modern death metal or something?

Fuck yeah we do. We love the old school shit, so we wanna bring a sound like that back nowadays. We're definitely not saying “Fuck modern death metal.” There are so many great bands out there right now doing there thing. We in the band are big fans of bands like Despondency and Inherit Disease who seem to be bringing some sick new sounds and feel to the death metal world. Disfigured is just trying to do something different. Bringing the old school and modern day death metal and throw in your face..


I dig the sound a lot. It's not overproduced but yet powerful. Where did the recordings take place? How did the recording process go?

We recorded this CD at Amplitude Studios in Austin, TX w/ 2 dudes, Kris and Will. Glad you like the finished product dude. These guys have been producing and recording some quality death metal. I believe Sarcolytic recorded their latest demos there, as well as label mates Engaged in Mutilating. The recording process went really smooth. We recorded the album in 2 parts. The first half was recorded in Sept. of '07 with the other half being recorded in Jan. of this year. That was a mistake we won't do again, cause it was a bitch and half trying to match guitar tones. Besides that, it was rather smooth getting the songs tracked out and mastered. Once again man, glad you like the outcome. We are pleased with it too, but the next album will be wayyy sicker and better sounding than this album!


Who's the main writer in the band? How long did it take you to write this first CD?

There's really not a “main” song writer in this band. We all contribute ideas and riffs to the songs. Sometimes in the jam room, we'll write as we go and sometimes we bring riffs to the table we wrote on our own time…It took about 5 years to write this whole CD. In the beginning we had a different drummer and probably about 4 songs on the album were written with him. Once Rene joined the band, things just seemed to get faster and a little more technical with our tunes…we wrote around 4 to 5 songs pretty quickly with Rene.


You're only three in Disfigured. Do you plan to add a second guitarist?

Yeah we sure do. A few months back, we did a couple of nights in a row, with death metal gods Immolation. By night 2, we knew if we wanted to make our sound heavier, we were going to need another guitarist. We are now in the process of getting one lined up!! Look forward to seeing what the future sound has to offer for the band.


Why did you change your logo? I think Zig made the new one, right?

Well, the logo was changed due to quite a few folks, telling us that our previous logo really didn't fit our style of music. We had used that old logo on sooo many flyers and shirts too, so it just kinda seemed right to get a new done. Yeah our great friend Jon Zig did the new one and it came out fucking great. It looks like a cockroach haha. Zig is the man!


Speaking of Jon Zig, he also did the cover art. How was it to work with such a legendary artist? Are you satisfied with the outcome?

We've known the dude for a few years now. Played many shows with his bands, so working with him just felt right! He's a really easy going fella and has some of the sickest artworks EVER! He's done many logos and album covers for some of the biggest names around. I'm sure we'll be working with him for a long time to come. The final product I gotta say is fucking KILLER! Not too graphic, but yet catching! The color scheme is really sick too. He for sure did a good job getting the idea of what we wanted done the right way!


In the first place, Disfigured had signed with French label Crematorium Records for the release of the first album. You eventually joined the Comatose army. What happened?

Mike: Well we had worked out a good deal with Crematorium, but after a few months, we got word that the label was not in a good financial ground and had to be let go. At first we were bummed cause we had finally landed a record deal, but that gave us the chance to go with a label well more established and for sure reliable. Wanna thanks Steve and the Comatose crew for giving us the opportunity to put out the CD the right way and distributing it worldwide. You rule man! Comatose has put out some of the sickest albums around and we are VERY glad to be apart of the family.


As a result, it seems your fan base is getting bigger and bigger and that you're really making a name for yourself...

Yeah it seems to be happening like that. We never once thought it'd be like this, but now that it has, we just gonna keep this machine rolling along. More touring and new music to come!


Is a European tour planned to promote "Blistering Of The Mouth"? Maybe one French date next year?

We're hoping so. A really good friend of ours, Shawn Whitaker (Insidious Decrepancy, Viral Load) says that the European scene fucking slays. We are for sure hoping to cross overseas and jam for you all here soon. Japan and other countries would be great too. And fuck yeah we'll hit a French date just for you dude!


Do you know a few French metal bands by the way?

Not off the top of my head.. but bands from over seas we dig alot anyways are Inveracity, Despondency, Infernal Revulsion, Decaying Purity, Beheaded and Disavowed. These bands fucking rule.


How is the Texan death metal scene nowadays? Better than ever?

The TXDM scene is doing pretty damn good at the moment. There are a lot of great bands in the scene and the freaks and fans always seem to come out and support. I wouldn't say better than ever, but for sure keeping it underground! Bands like Sarcolytic, Self Induced Pain, Insidious Decrepancy, Devourment, us and many more keep this shit alive here in TX!


Do you have something to say about Wayne Knupp, the first Devourment singer, who passed away few months ago? Did you know him?

Wayne(R.I.P.) was a one of kind. I never once got to him personally, none of us did, but I know he did so much for that original guttural slam sound, and brought that shit to the masses. I had chatted with him online a few times at the deathmetal.us website, which he ran along side his friend David Myers. Wayne told me he was a fan of the band and that he had ideas lined up that were to be super awesome and sick. It's already been almost a year now since his passing, but feels like it was just yesterday! I'm sure he's doing it right and moshing it up out there with the rest of sickest.


What are you listening to these days, being metal or non-metal bands?

I've been jamming lot of old school blues lately. I dig Stevie Ray Vaughn a lot. Also been jamming some Hank III, old Napalm Death and some old Black Sabbath cassettes my pops gave me. Our Drummer Rene has been getting into the Beatles, which is really cool too, and also Human Filleted.


How is it to live in Texas?

Living here in TX rules, I don't care people say about TX, it rules! The weather here can get pretty hot and humid from time to time, but all the big bands always seem to come thru this way. Weed is always around, which we smoke a lot of haha, so that's cool too, but overall, TX has cheap rent, lots of great Mexican food and tons of killer bands!


Obama or McCain?

Vince Mcmahon lol!


What are Disfigured's plans for the future? Are you already working on your sophomore album?

Hell yeah we are. We are 7 songs deep into the next CD already. Plans to tour the U.S. are also in the works. We want to get that 2nd guitarist added, so we can take our music to the next level of brutality! Hopefully we can get overseas soon too and play for you all who've been asking for us. That'll be sick.


Mike, I saw on recent pics you're growing a mustache. Is it because you want Anal Cunt to do a song about you haha?

I cut that shit off a few days ago haha. I looked a lot older than I really am. Could'a done a good porn movie though with a stash like that.


Ok thanks a lot for your answers but I'm afraid the interview is over. Do you have something to add as a conclusion to this awesome interview for this awesome Thrashocore webzine?

Just wanna say thanks to you again man for giving us the chance to spread our tunes man. Also was say what's up to all our friends worldwide! Smoke weed and eat Bar B Que!!