With a strong promotional push thanks to the guys over at Clawhammer PR, I was given the opportunity to conduct an e-mail interview with guitarist Wes Inferno of the Death Metal group Blaspherian. Below you’ll find the answers to questions about the album, the choice of signing with Deathgasm Records, and more.

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Blaspherian formed back in 2004. Why did it take the band about seven years to record Infernal Warriors of Death, your first full-length release?

Wes:
First and foremost, I write at a snails pace! Also the trials of our mundane existance, also changing band members, practice spaces, and live shows all play into it taking longer to write. But the good news is that now that we have Joe Necro back int he band, hopefully the songwriting process will pick up and we’d like to have another full-length out by 2012.

Was there a specific goal when writing the material, or even going into the studio?

Wes:
Yes. Bestial unholy Death Doom. We wanted a heavy, raw, but still listenable CD. I think we achieved our goal!

There’s a good deal of slam Death Metal influences in there. I picked up some Incantation in there, and a number of people on-line hear it too in your music in general. Did they or any other bands have a huge impact on the material you write, whether for this album or not?

Wes:
First, I think we have a differing opinion about [what] the definition of “Slam Death Metal” is. When I hear that, I immediately think of false Death Metal like Devourment, and those types of bands are not, and will never have an influence on Blaspherian. But, yes, we are influenced by the elder gods of Death Metal, for sure. Immolation, Incantation, old Morbid Angel, early Deicide, as well as the Scandinavian Death Metal scene, for sure. Also Bolt Thrower, Autopsy, Asphyx, and some new Death Metal as well. Grave Miasma for example.

Are you guys happy with the way the album turned out?

Wes:
Yes, I mean there could always be things that I think I could have done better, but there’s some things I left in the recording to keep an honest feel to the music. You can tell it was written by humans. It’s very organic in nature, staying away from the trend of modern Death Metal, or as we call it fake Death Metal. No slice production, no triggered drums, we did not use a click track, there was no effort to reale a “perfect” sounding record. That bores me. It’s important to uphold those traditions in our sound.

For the most part, the album is very heavy and ultimately just a brutal experience. But the last few tracks sees the band kind of shift gears slightly and brings in a slight groove to the Death Metal, stepping away slightly from the slam Death Metal style of the rest of the recording. Did you guys just subconsciously write that and not even realize there was that change, or was it on purpose and why?

Wes:
No, the tracks came out how they came out. And as an example, the first track “The Disgrace of God”, and the seventh track “Invoking Abomination” were written around the time. They were the last two songs written before we entered the studio. It just seemed that “The Disgrace of God” had the feel of an opening track, so that’s where it went on the record.

Do you think those songs happen to suit the album from how it starts off?

Wes:
Yes, I want all the songs to be crushingly heavy, but stand individually for sure. I think all the songs have their own feel, you can distinguish them from one another.

If you could go back and do anything differently on the record, would you, or would you not make the change and why?

Wes:
I would leave it as it is. It’s a record of how we sound at this moment. It’s our unholy statement and our contribution to the Death Metal underground. I like how it is for sure.

I know Deathgasm is a smaller label and not well known outside of niche metal fans in the US, but has there been any thought towards making a music video for any of the songs off the release?

Wes:
I just can’t see a video happening, but I think it would be a fun thing to do for sure.

What track would you like to see if you ever did make a video, and what would you like to see the video be?

Wes:
I’d like to do a video for “Lies of the Cross.” I think that would be sick. I think it would be a blasphemous glimpse into a complete Christian apocalypse. Maybe some day we can afford something like that!

How would you rather the fans listen to the album? Would you rather CD, digital download (legally from an on-line store of course) if it’s being offered that way, or is there another format you’d love to see the album come out on such as vinyl?

Wes:
Infernal Warriors of Death will be released on vinyl through Deathrune Records, formerly known as Die Todesrune Records, in Europe! So that’s how I wish all Blaspherian fans could listen to the records! Vinyl for sure.

Will Blaspherian be making an appearance at any summer festivals this year, or do you guys just plan to do some shows or general tours?

Wes:
At the moment, the only festival we have lined up is Rites of Darkness in San Antonio in December. The line-up for that show is truly sick! Just added to the fest is Behexan! Anyone reading this can add the Rites of Darkness Facebook page and keep an eye on who’s on the fest, and from what I understand there’s more killer bands to be added.

Why did you guys decide to sign with Deathgasm Records, and are you in a contract with them for more then just this one release?

Wes:
I’ve been friends with Evan at Deathgasm for many years. I know about the hard work he puts into his label, and also he has a lot of killer bands. Nominom, Infinitum Obscure, Quenta Essentia, Abominant, to mention a few. So, to me, it was natural to work with Deathgasm. Also, as I said before, on this release we’re working with Deathrune Records in Europe. They’ll be handling the European release of the CD and Vinyl.

Were there any other labels paying attention to you or offering you a deal for a record?

Wes:
Yes. There were some other labels interested. We felt Deathgas, and Deathrune could offer the best situation for us at the time, so we went with what we felt was best.

What is the band planning to release next? Will the be another full-length sometime in the near future? Or is Blaspherian going to go the route of EPs and Splits for a short while before putting any effort into a follow-up?

Wes:
At the moment there is only one upcoming project. We will be doing a split 7″ with Imprecation on Dark Descent Records. But, we do want to have another full-length out in 2012, and there will be more splits in the future as well. We will remain busy releasing as much bestial unholy Death Doom as we possibly can.

How has the fan reaction to the album been to you guys?

Wes:
So far it’s been tremendous to say the least. Beyond our expectations for sure, and that’s what means the most to us. It’s what the true Metal warriors think. I don’t really care about reviews, hell man one fan comin up to me and telling me they like Infernal Warriors, that it tore their head off, that means more then one thousand reviews in my opinion.

Now, that’s not to say reviews aren’t important. of course they are! It’s just more satisfying to hear it from a die hard maniac that spend his or her hard earned cash on our blasphemy, and were slayed by it.

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. Hope all goes well for Blaspherian and the members involved, and hopefully Infernal Warriors of Death succeeds your expectations.

Wes:
Support Deathgasm Records and Deathrune Records in Europe. Look for our split 7″ with Imprecation this year on Dark Descent Records. Thanks for the support! Infernal Warriors of Death is dedicated to the fuckin’ true warriors of the metal of death. Hail!

Interview conducted thanks to Deathgasm Records via Clawhammer PR.