Evisorax: Deathgrind destroyers return from hiatus

Evisorax are on the brink of bouncing back from some downtime after their critically acclaimed EP, Enclave and a lineup shift. I caught up with founding member and guitarist, Dan Lynch, about overcoming label trouble, their new album and the band's future plans. 

What changes has the band undergone since Enclave was released back in 2008?

Massive changes, it’s much faster, nastier and violent than it was previously. Both you and Keith jumped ship after various internal friction. I think you found Jesus or something (It was Eckhart Tolle – ed) and Keith wanted to do hair modelling or something like that. Things have been incredibly strenuous for the last 18 months, having to find new members, rehearse, jam and write the new material. There were some really depressing parts where it came close to hang up the axe and calling it a day but I manned the fuck up. In place of Keith I now have Simon Brotherton formerly of the late Narcosis and currently also in The Ergon Carousel and in your place we’ve got Christopher Grenfell who was in Carmen and currently vocalist of The Ergon Carousel.

Can you give a brief summary of what happened with Anticulture Records?

Brief summary? Erm, signed, elated and thought the world was the proverbial oyster, tour, smash, grind and intoxicants. Shortly leading to communication silence between us and them, resulting in no progression - end. It's the past, which is where it will stay.

Did you consider giving up or starting a new band from scratch?

As mentioned previously, I seriously considered giving up at several points, the fact being is that Evisorax is not my first try at music and after so many years of being kicked in the teeth you kinda become down trodden and disheartened. But after a few whiskeys and cigarettes you realise that you don’t become more down trodden but more of the under dog and rabid beast that you convey throughout your musical direction.

Narcosis were a major influence on your playing style, what's it been like incorporating some of its members into Evis?

Shit fucking scary dude, seriously. I would always attempt to incorporate Narcosis’ ethics into my writing. So to be working with the drummer of that band at first was like 'fuck I hope he likes this' and on the flipside 'shit I hope he doesn’t think that I’ve ripped a Narc riff here. But Brod is all about the music, a demon behind the kit and a solid dude who I couldn’t ask anymore from and if anything has only helped push Evisorax to the next level and beyond.

Has your approach to songwriting changed much over the years?

I wouldn't say that it has changed but it has developed in the sense that the goal has always been to play as fast as inhumanly possible. However these days I can push it further than I used to and my mind has developed more in aspects where I can fully body out songs and structures I hear in my head and obviously my playing has improved so the concept of playing crust/grind of an old school era thrown in with modern sounds and technical blasts such as sweeps have become easier to plan and write.

Can you explain how you went about writing the album?

I would get drunk, think how much I despised you and Keith for leaving me and shred it out on the guitar! Basically I hear the sounds in my head, and I try to find where those sounds are located in on the fret board. No theory, just practical. Then throw in elements of musical composition at the time I’m not capable of and make myself capable, add a hell of a lot of venom and violence with incredible drumming and disgusting vocals and that’s the formula.

What are some of the things you wanted to musically achieve on the album?

To do some vocals - definitely. For years with you I would always scream whilst onstage without a mic and you always encouraged me so whilst in the studio I wanted to test it out. I'll await the answer. Other than that the goal was simple, to create a complete and utter mind fuck of rabid album! I obviously wanted to step it up a notch, i.e. sweeps and speed as well as the drums and have louder vocals this time in the mix!

What was the recording process like?

Incredible mate, a young chap called Gavin Collett did it. Best guy I have worked with, hands down - totally switched on, knew his shit and we would work from 10 am to 5/6 am at times. You couldn’t ask more from him. Dobber Beverly of Insect Warfare also helped set up and had some input on the first day also, great guy.

How will the album compare to Enclave?

I don’t think it will as it's more of a progression. I believe the last two tracks of Enclave were the prequel to this however I believe the new tracks surpass both of them. As yet there is no title, working titles have been, P.W and K.M, Rest In Pieces.......jokes.

Who are some of the bands you're currently listening to?

Assuck, Siege, Pig destroyer, Napalm death, Kill the client, Wormrot, Circle of dead children, Agorophobic nosebleed, Insect warfare, Brutal truth, The Ergon Carousel, Magrudergrind, Lock up, The Atrocity Exhibit, Discordance axis, Maruta, See You Next Tuesday, Diskreet, Army of Flying Robots, Johnny Truant, Raging Speedhorn, Iron Monkey, The Red Chord, Converge, Noisear.

You're a big fan of sweeps and have always sought to incorporate them into your music, can you go into detail about why you're such a fan of them?

Because sweeps bring a cleanliness, a sterile wipe of the dirge perhaps before the open wound pulsates and gushes blood out again! Plus, it’s a way to show control over the craft, to play stupidly fast parts and then execute a clean sweep thrown in randomly before launching back into it shows discipline and control as well as contracts within the composition.
I’m not a fan of sweeps for the sake of them, nor over kill, more when they’re thrown in for a millisecond or a couple of seconds to throw you off balance. Plus they sound shit hot and I never used to be able to do them properly so it became an obsession haha.


You're one of the fastest axemen I've seen, how do you achieve such speeds?

Haha, dude I seriously doubt I’m anywhere near the fastest axemen but I appreciate the comment all the same. And as for how I get up to and maintain speed...... I never grew out my adolescent years... you know what I'm saying?

You're touring with Wormrot, this is a great combination of bands - what are some of your goals for the tour?

To shred the stage, get smashed and be a dick! I really want to show the audience that the wait was worth it for our return, there’s not a month goes by where I still receive gig offers, merchandise orders or someone checking in on our progress so really I want to give everything back. Really prove why Evisorax are a force to be noted!

What are your plans for the rest of the year?

To continue writing, making everything tight as possible, destroy the UK with Wormrot and see what happens if the world hasn’t exploded by that point.

http://www.myspace.com/evisorax

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Evisorax/208518175353

LON stories: Recording Enclave

I used to sing in Evisorax, here’s the story of when we recorded the Enclave EP back in 2008…

When we arrived at the studio, it was nothing like it had been described to me. Nothing at all. Dan, Evisorax's guitarist, had told me to expect a quality studio with plenty of room, beds and even a PlayStation. In reality, it was a couple of grotty rooms stuck on the end of a farm, a few miles past the middle of nowhere - in Swindon. There was also a smashed up car outside. This was the fabled Studio 6, run by the respected producer Stu McKay. The four hour journey in the back of the transit van wasn’t too bad, but I did have to hold a piss in for an entire hour at one point. As our breath showed up in the cold air, Stu gave us a warm welcome, helped us load in and then left us there, and not one fuck was given. At this point we should've mentioned that we were ill-prepared for a night in this place as we didn't have sleeping bags or water (just beer and weed), but we were somewhat stunned by our new surroundings, and were idiots. I remember Dan comically looking at me and just saying: 'I brought a towel!'

However, we were there to record a death-grind EP, so king-sized beds and silk bog-roll would have to wait. At one point that night, as we surveyed the large recording room, we found a full cool-box and assumed Stu had left it for us, but it just contained a green, foam-like spore-emitting substance that we later ascertained was once bread. We drank a few cans and had a smoke whilst Dan entertained us with his quick-wit and revolting quips: ‘I need to go to a strip club so I can spaff my tears away.’ After enduring Keith (Evisorax’s then drummer) practice blasts about three feet away from my head for two hours, I wrapped myself in an ancient rug and tried to sleep. Despite being 6'7, Dan is terrified of spiders, so once the lights were out I took great pleasure in telling him how many would crawl over his face during the night.  

The next day, we set up and began recording. Keith’s drums were laid down for most of this time. Stu was also a drummer and he insisted Keith use the in-house kit rather than his own, which we had rented the van to transport. Stu arrived later than promised and also took a really long lunch break. We should have asked him to be more punctual but we didn't want to create any bad-blood, as he was responsible for how good, or bad, the EP would eventually sound and we had high hopes for it. We also didn't have a car and were four hours' drive from home. That evening, we went into Swindon to watch The Red Chord play and they absolutely killed it, totally sonically levelled the venue – it was an inspiration.  At the show, Stu said he'd sort us some sleeping bags but did he? Did he shit-bollocks. We made it back to the farm on public transport, a hike through the perilous roadside long-grass and then up the pitch-black dirt-track back to the cold confines of the studio. Consumption of booze and the filming of piss-head behaviour followed. 

Dan's mother, Terry, arrived the next morning bearing a virtual banquet of bacon rolls and other snacks that raised our floundering spirits and cholesterols immediately. We hadn't eaten properly since we'd arrived and I can still clearly remember the taste of that most required of breakfasts. Stu ate Dan's bacon roll but Dan unintentionally got him back by showing him footage from the night before, where he made fun of him on camera. I remember Dan sitting him down with the camera and getting a bad feeling but I couldn't quite remember what had happened. When the offending phrase was uttered (something like 'he's a jibber’) the whole vibe dropped to a legitimate low. We should have addressed the situation then and there but we didn't and had to bask in the ensuing discomfort like a man wearing a polo-neck crammed full of peanut butter and insects. 

Needless to say, Stu approached the rest of the recording with a worsened attitude and the day progressed slowly. The studio only had outdoor toilets but there were often various rough-looking gypsy types hanging around with gargantuan canines in tow, which looked like they would’ve killed and fucked me, in that order. I should have just pissed in the corner. Dan laid his guitar tracks down and Stu spent a lot of time digitally perfecting the tracks, something I wasn't happy with but they did sound extremely heavy. That evening, Dan's mum took pity on us and let us stay at her house which was about twenty miles away. The first thing she said when we got in the car was: 'you lads stink!'

That night was great. We all showered, were given a massive burger and chips meal and spent the night getting drunk on countless bottles of wine with Terry whilst shooting pool. Watching Dan and his mum interact was hilarious, she kept insisting Keith was in the closet and I don't know which one of them said the most disgustingly funny things. A highlight was them discussing his cock over dinner. After a rejuvenating night's sleep, we headed back to the Studio whilst listening to Doug Stanhope (who allowed us to sample him on the EP!) for the final day of recording. 

I had to record my vocals and, by now, my throat had become sufficiently gruff due to all the beer and smoking I'd indulged in. I did some warm up screams whilst Stu filmed me without my knowledge or consent. Stu had promised to work with us for three full days but he only worked for about six hours a day, even before we dented his ego. By around five on Sunday, we'd recorded everything but there was still the mastering left to finish. Stu had arranged for another band to come in and practice that evening so we had to leave before we were done. Dan's dad, Bernard, arrived to take us back up North and we had to settle the payment, which Stu basically made up on the spot, he even charged us for sleeping in the studio! It's at this point we really should have protested, but we still only had a rough copy of the EP, and with mastering still to come – he held all the cards.  

Dan had a wonderful argument with his dad about paying for the van's petrol which resulted in him shouting 'why don't you just fuck me with a strap-on?!' this was side-splitting, until I found out I was the only one who was going back in the van with Bernard. As I got in the van, Bernard, an intimidating, no-nonsense type, asked me which route to take, I said I didn't know and he gave me a look that still haunts me. Dan’s comment about strap-on fucking certainly hadn’t helped the eight hour round trip he was currently enduring. We sat in complete silence for the next two hours before he put on some Bob Dylan and we began talking. When I finally arrived home, some four hours later, I took out the rough EP to listen to, looking forward to finally hearing the results of the experience. The fucking case was empty.  

We ended up getting signed off the EP, Enclave, first to Thirty Days of Night and then to Anticulture, but that's another shit-storm entirely...

Limbic Riot - Grey Beach Video

Some sludge from the beautiful year of 2007:

Load of Noise arise!

Load of Noise was originally a B&W fanzine written and published in Manchester, UK. The genres it covered were mainly Sludge, Doom, Metal, Post-Rock and Grind. The zine started in 2004 and ran for seven issues until 2009. I  was honoured to be able to use cover designs by artists who'd contributed to the underground heavy music scene such as Tom Denney, Eric C. Harrison and Scott Stearns. I put on four shows to promote LON and I also occasionally worked with the awesome Future Noise Promotions. If you ever bought a zine, contributed, attended one of the gigs or helped in any way then you will always have my gratitude, it was a cool time...

It's now 2011 and I've decided to resurrect LON as a music blog. So, here goes nothing...