Interview with

Interview with Mark Adams of Relapse Records recording artist DECEASED. 8/16/01-by 'Skullcrusher' Angela

• SKULLCRUSHER: Please introduce yourself...
• MARK ADAMS/DECEASED: OK. This is Mark Adams and I'm one of the guitarists for DECEASED.
• SKULLCRUSHER: Being one of the most well established and talented underground musicians in the scene, over your 15 years of existence what is the one thing you've learned never changes in the underground?
• MARK/DECEASED: Probably that there's always going to be about 10 bands out there that really lead the scene as far as influences go, and that a lot of the other bands out there are pretty much knock-offs of those 10 bands. When we first started out, everyone, including us, wanted to be just like SLYER. If not them, then CELTIC FROST or EXODUS or one of those bands. Nowadays, you have bands that sound just like MORBID ANGEL or IN FLAMES. You can tell those bands are their influences. They totally wear it on their sleeve. Fanzine buzz about new bands is another staple of the underground. It always seems like the fanzines have this ability to generate this hype about a particular band. Next thing you know, they're huge. I remember that being the case for bands like SEPULTURA, SACRIFICE and VOIVOD, just to name a few.
• SKULLCRUSHER: Have you shot the video for 'Elly's Dementia' yet? if so tell us about it.
• MARK/DECEASED: Yeah, and it's included on the CD for *Behind The Mourner's Veil*. We were approached by a girl who works in the video department of the University of Maryland who wanted to get into making music videos. She didn't really have a lot of experience, but had the equipment and the desire, so she contacted us. We were totally into the idea and we both came up with the idea for 'Elly's Dementia'. Luckily, we lived kind of close to the actual house that's featured at the end of the movie. However, it's in an area where the neighbors are pretty hostile towards curious fans. So, one winter night, me and a friend snuck in there with a camcorder and started shooting footage. It was pretty scary because it was deathly quiet and dark and the wind was blowing which made the branches of the trees rub together making these screeching sounds that sounded like doors opening and chains being dragged on the ground. I'm glad we got it though. The end result was great and we're glad it got included on the CD. We'll start shooting our next video for 'It's Alive', off the new one, probably later this summer.
• SKULLCRUSHER: DECEASED's upcoming E.P. is *Behind the Mourner's Veil*. How would you compare the riffs on DECEASED's new tunes to the tunes from *Supernatural Addication*?
• MARK/DECEASED: The riffs are more simple and thrashy. We didn't really go for the technical stuff on this one, because it's an E.P. W'll save the other stuff for the next full length one. Besides, we just wanted to thrash out on this one, y'know?
• SKULLCRUSHER: Tell us about *Victims Of The Masterplan*
• MARK/DECEASED: It's a 5-part song about the West Memphis 3 murder case, that was featured in the movie *Paradise Lost*. It's about 3 teenagers in Arkansas who were swiftly convicted of the gruesome murder of three young boys. There wasn't any physical evidence linking them to the crime and it appears that their only crime was that they were outcasts in this small redneck town that were into heavy metal and wore black all the time. It's a really moving story and unfortunately, one of the kids is now on death row because of it.
• SKULLCRUSHER: How did you decide to cover TANKARD's 'Zombie Attack'?
• MARK/DECEASED: We had a bunch of tunes that we were thinking about covering from bands that really made an impact on us when we were growing up. Originally, we were going to do a RIGOR MORTIS tune, then a HALLOWS EVE tune. We were so blown away by 'Zombie Attack' when it first came out, it only seemed fitting to include it as one of the covers.
• SKULLCRUSHER: Favorite old style death bands?
• MARK/DECEASED: There's lots. I like a lot of the more thrashy stuff as opposed to death stuff. I like RAZOR, WHIPLASH, ARTILLERY, REPULSION, ENTOMBED, CARNIVORE, SODOM, MASSACRE, KREATOR. Some of those are death bands. Most are thrash. Back then though, almost all of it was considered death. KREATOR would have been considered Death Metal, as would DESTRUCTION, so there you have it.
• SKULLCRUSHER: What do you think of the new death metal bands like: KRISIUN, REBAELLIUN, and SOULREAPER?
• MARK/DECEASED: I don't really know. I haven't heard those bands before. I don't really keep up with a lot of the newer bands. I'm happy with the stuff I grew up on. Some of the newer bands that I do like that I'm into are RITUAL CARNAGE, DEFLESHED, YELLOW MACHINEGUN, THE HAUNTED, THE CROWN...that type of stuff. Those bands in particular get that fast, tight picking thrash sound that just kicks my ass!!! You know, the old SLAYERr sound. I'm not much into the sloppy stuff, unless it';s done in a VENOM, CRYPTIC SLAUGHTER type of fashion.

• SKULLCRUSHER: What's been the best part of being a member of the infamous DECEASED?
• MARK/DECEASED: We're infamous??? How funny. Well, King [Fowley, DECEASED drummer and vocalist] is funny as shit and does some crazy stuff that always makes us laugh a lot, so that's one thing I like about being in the band. I think the best thing is hearing people still tell us how much respect they have for us for sticking it out all these years and continuing to play our style of metal no matter whether it's popular or not. That's the real reward for us after all is said and done.
• SKULLCRUSHER: DECEASED have done quite a few cover tracks for Dwell records. Would you ever cover 'Dimension Hatross'--VOIVOD for a VOIVOD tribute? And which VOIVOD L.P. is you all time pick?
• MARK/DECEASED: If somebody asked us to, sure. That's some pretty insane guitar stuff. I'm sure figuring it out would be a bitch. We recorded the song 'Voi Vod' on the *13 Frightened Souls* E.P. about 10 years ago and we play that one live pretty regularly as well. As far as my personal fave? Definitely *Rrroooaaarrr*. I remember when it first came out and the thrash thing was at it's peak.VOIVOD definitely took the *War and Pain* sound, got a better production, sped it up and made it even rawer. I like all the different eras of VOIVOD, but that one in particular is my favorite.
• SKULLCRUSHER: Update us on DECEASED's touring plans for *Behind the Mourner's Veil*...
• MARK/DECEASED: Hard to say. We've been doing a lot of festivals. We just played Wacken in Germany and the Milwaukee Metalfest. I'm sure we'll go out with a few Relapse bands on a few gigs here and there.
• SKULLCRUSHER: What would you like on your tombstone(this is a bad attempt at a joke)?
• MARK/DECEASED: The sweet blood of a virgin! Ha Ha. I don't know man. I guess just make sure my name and stuff is spelled correctly. It's no fun decomposing underneath a tombstone that has your name misspelled now is it?

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• Contact: DECEASED-http://members.xoom.com/deceasedpage, Relapse Records-http://www.relapse.com