Albums of Purgatory interview Putrilage

Firstly, what's the band up to right now?

Actually right now we are currently recording 3 songs for a split CD with Leukorrhea. Also in a major turn of events for us, our original drummer, Chris "Goreblaster" Salazar has returned to the line-up, so we are also going over all the older tunes to get him back in the groove. As soon as the recording is done, we will be writing new material for our second full length CD.

How would you describe the Putrilage sound?

The best description for the PUTRILAGE sound is saying that we have a combination of old school Death Metal and new brutal style Death Metal all mixed up in one package. Band comparison would be a mix of old GORGUTS with GORGASM.

How did you get involved with the band?

Since like 1995 I was without a band, and I had local ads running looking to create a new band or to join an already established band. One day in January 1999, I got a call from Llamar (guitar), and all I remember was that I was at a party, and I was drunk off my ass! hahaha. He asked me to fuckin growl over the phone, so I did. We came up with a good weekend to meet, and when I met them all and heard what they were all capable of playing...I was blown away! It was the perfect shit I was looking for. We've been jamming ever since!

Can you remember your first gig (how did it go)?

Hell yeah I can remember it! It was booked with my good friends DEITY, CONDEMNED, and MALEFICENT (my old band). It was at Wacky's Deli (damn I miss this place!). Nobody knew what to expect because none of us had really shown our music to anyone. Once we began to play, you can tell the crowd was diggin it. It was a very fuckin great first show for us. I wouldn't change a thing about it.

Are you involved in any other projects and if so how do they compare to Putrilage?

As of now there are no other projects any of us are involved in. Maybe one day, but right now our 110% is focused on PUTRILAGE.

What are your favorite Putrilage tracks?

I really love all of our songs. When we play live though I really enjoy playing the songs "Until She's Dead", and "Defleshed & Decapitated". The crowd always seems to go fuckin nuts during these tunes.

What are your favorite all time songs?

Damn...let's see, I would have to say "I Cum Blood" (CANNIBAL CORPSE), "Suffer the Children" (NAPALM DEATH), "Freebird" (LYNARD SKYNARD), "Don't Fear the Reaper" (BLUE OYSTER CULT), "........" (CARCASS). Those songs came to my mind as I was writing this, but I enjoy all kinds of music from old rock to modern Death/Grind/Black.

What the first record you ever bought?

Shit I can't remember that far back. I can only tell you the first real death metal cds I bought were from Cannibal Corpse, Cancer, Demolition Hammer, Sepultura, Death, Bolt Thrower, & Cadaver.

Which album was it that got you into metal and can you explain why?

As said before I have always been into rock music since I was a little kid, and I knew that would never change. As I grew older though, I started getting into really heavy shit. So I guess my metal days began as a child with old 70s/80s bands like Black Sabbath, Styx, Lynard Skynard, Triumph, Motley Crue, Motorhead, Anthrax, etc...

What's the last album you purchased and what did you think of it?

I just bought 2 CDs. It was CANNIBAL CORPSE (Worm Infested EP), and SKINLESS (From Sacrifice to Survival"). The C.C. Ep was really good. I like they way they do the cover tunes on there. The cover of "Confessions" by POSSESSED was fuckin great! The SKINLESS CD was ok. I'm not sure what they're trying to do on this CD. I miss the old SKINLESS style. There are even clean vocals on this CD. I swear once Relapse Records gets a hold of a band, they try to experiment way too much.

What would be your dream band line-up?

Chris Barnes (Tomb of the Mutilated era) on Vocals
Chuck Schuldiner on guitar/Vocals
James Murphey on guitar
Alex Webster on bass
Derrick Roddy on drums

If you could do a cover for a tribute album to any band, which song of which band would you pick and why?

I would pick ANTHRAX. I haven't heard a death metal band do an ANTHRAX cover before. I think I would pick the song "Antisocial" or "Belly of the Beast". I've been a real big fan of ANTHRAX for a long time, and I know a lot of people out there like them as well.

What do you think of the position of metal and music in general today?

I think the state of the underground is pretty good right now. I do have a few complaints but I won't get into them right now. Music as a whole though is kind of going to shit. There are way too many rap-rock bands flooding our airwaves, and mostly all of them suck. it's too bad that all these kids out there are being brainwashed by this shit. They are growing up with these bands, and they are all trying to act like them. It's pathetic. Everywhere I go in town I see about 1,000 Avril Levigne look-a-likes. I went to a show the other day to see my friends play, and there was this little 15 year old kid who, I swear, looked exactly like Chester from Linkin Park. it was the most horrifying thing I've ever seen. This scene is flooded by a bunch of momma's boys who are all playing music for the wrong reasons.

Which other bands stand out for you at the moment?

Let's see...I've been listening to a lot of the new CDs by NAGLFAR, LIVIDITY, DYING FETUS, IMMOLATION, HYPOCRISY, AMON AMARTH among others. These bands are getting my attention at the moment.

Do you have any funny stories about the band you can share with us?

Sorry I really don't...we're actually quite a boring band. hahaha. All we do pretty much is drink a lot of beer and make fun of each other with a lot of gay jokes. That's usually about it. hahaha.

and finally, what do you see in the future for Putrilage?

I can see the release of our long awaited 2nd full length CD in early 2004, and hopefully another US tour that will last longer than the last one. Maybe a tour in Europe if not, then at least a couple of killer fest over there!!! We'll see. You'll never know what might happen. Thanks for this interview, and always remember to drink more pussy, and eat more beer! LATER...Aaron M.