Chaosbreed: Hello Jason, can you start by giving us a brief history of Dying Fetus existence? How and when was the band formed?
Jason: I hate this question!!! (I fully understand you!!) We formed in 1991 as DeadFetus and changed the name cause there was another band by the same name. It was formed by Jason and John, who still are together as the remaining founding members. We had this other guy Nick who quit after the first demo. John played drums then but now he plays guitar and vocals. We still play the same style we started out with, just taken to another level of extremity. We have released 2 cds, 1 with both our demos on it called "Infatuation with Malevolence" and the 2nd was our first real full length called "Purification Through Violence". Now we area 5 piece and are preparing to record our third album called "Killing On Adrenaline"...
Chaosbreed: You said you've spent some time in Europe recently. Where have you been and what do you think of Europe in general? Did you go to any shows during your stay?
Jason: Yes David, I lived in Finland for three months and that was incredible, practicing some real sexual imperialism on the finnish ladies of course, as well as seeing bands like Cradle of Filth and Amorphis. Then I spent a week in Sweden and hung around Stockholm with Timo Ketola and the guys from a Mind Confused, cool people. Then I went to Berlin, Germany to live for 4 months. I hung around these cool guys in a band called Harmony Dies. While in Berlin I saw a million shows of everyone from Malevolent Creation, Vader, The Gathering, Dimmu Borgir, Kreator, Exciter, Orth, Vital remains, Therion all kind of stupid shit, very cool. All also went down to Italy for a week to stay with the amazing people at Headfucker magazine. I had the time of my life in Germany,amazing death scene with cool guys from Immured, Kadath, Dawn, and a million others... Now I am back with the band and we are ready to record and do some tours.
Chaosbreed: A new album is on the way and from certain "rumors" I heard, seems like this is going to be an extremely brutal release. Can you describe what the new material sounds like? When and on which label will it be released?
Jason: Well dave, it will surprise many people, I just want to say that people will like it. I know Im in the band and I do not want to praise Fetus too much, but all I want to say is it will be everything we have done before taken to another level of extremity. Its like our last album x 100, we have a new drummer and he is amazing and 20 times faster than our old guy. Right now we think we might go with Morbid records from Germany, but there is no final deal yet.
Chaosbreed: Dying Fetus has made a big impact on the underground with its two fabulous demo tapes that were later released on CD. However it seems that the 2nd CD "Purification through Violence" did not generate as much interest as the demos. What is your opinion about this?
Jason: Maybe not in Malta, but it certainly helped get our name out there a lot more. It was licensed to europe and the rest of the world through Diehard Music, and has sold twice as much as the previous cd. Also maybe it is just because the underground is not as big as it was when our demos came out in 93 and 94. Back then there was just more of everything...today people don't pass ads as much through the mail and there is more internet contact like this god damned e mail interview! Its cheap and fast though, but its killing the essence of the underground.
Chaosbreed: I noticed a big difference in the quality of the recording between Infatuation with Malevolence and Purification through Violence. The sound is much clearer on Purification… but in my opinion it has lost much of the power that is present in Infatuation. Is this kind of sound something Dying Fetus was hoping for?
Jason: Actually, I feel they sound quite similar except that "Purification" is a little more rawer. We used a lot more triggers on the drums for "Infatuation" so maybe it had an effect on the recording...the next album is something we are not sure of, we still do not know how we want it to sound. I like both though....I think they both are brutal as hell.
Chaosbreed: There is also a question I wish to ask regarding the Infatuation with Malevolence CD. On the demo versions there is a guitar oriented instrumental track. Why was it omitted from the CD version? (I am a guitarist and I really missed that track)
Jason: Because in retrospect
after we recorded the demo we thought the guitar part sounded cheesy and
represented something that was not Fetus. Fetus is not about the guitarist
showing off, playing solos like a rock star.
If John does do
a solo, its to complement the music in a song. We regretted doing that
and we did it just to have another track on our demo. John does not
like it any more either...sorry.
Chaosbreed: You informed me that Erik Sayenga is no longer in Dying Fetus. How did this change happen? Introduce us to the new fetus.
Jason: To make a long story short, we had a tour out West that Erik canceled on a the last minute. We had to find a replacement, and we did but we did not have time to practice and a lot of our shows were fucked up. BUT while we were on tour in Texas we met a drummer who was amazing and was willing to move to Maryland to play with us. That is how we got a new drummer and said good-bye to Erik. He is very very cool, and we did not want it to happen like that cause he had the best attitude and was perfect, but we are still on good terms. We were ready to break up. We also added another vocalist to make the vocals more sick and just to give us more live presence. Both will be featured on the next album.
Chaosbreed: The name of the band and lyrics strongly suggest that you guys are heavily into gory movies and books. Am I right? If yes mention some great vids or books you are proud to have read or seen.
Jason: I DO NOT KNOW WHY everyone says my lyrics are "gory". I have not written any gore lyrics for years. Our first demo was Gore for sure, and Gore is good, but our last album was not a gore album. The lyrics are angry and pissed off.
Chaosbreed: Do you use Internet a lot? What do you think of the idea of having fanzines on the net?
Jason: Like I said earlier,
for death metal it tears of the fundamental heart of the underground. For
one thing, its great that I can e mail people instantly and its free, but
on the other hand many people do not have access to the internet in a lot
of countries. Its great that somebody can set up a zine on the web but
nothing beats a real magazine in your hands with cool pictures and interviews
you can take anywhere, I do not like staring at a computer screen for hours
trying to read interviews while scrolling up and down looking for shit.
PLUS, it kills the mail correspondence, no ads get passed through letters
and bands lose their chance at getting a voice and getting there name
out. So I believe there are pros and cons, but I would rather have a real
magazine than a
cathode ray image
of something.
Chaosbreed: You said you are a student. What are you studying? What about the other members of Dying Fetus?
Jason: I study international relations and foreign policy here in Washington DC. Its the only thing I am really interested in other than death metal so I like it. I finish her next year than I am going to graduate school for two more years. The rest of the guys in Fetus do different shit. Chris, our new vocalist does construction, Brain our guitarist installs security equipment, John, our guitarist and vocalist works for the US government as a laborer for the US senate, and our new drummer Kevin is a waiter.
Chaosbreed: Which is the first metal album you ever listened to? When was that? What are your current and all-time favorite albums?
Jason: The first band I ever liked was Twisted Sister. I had all their old albums, then I got into stuff like Motley Crue, Iron Maiden and Metallica (1985), then I got into heavier stuff like Anthrax, Slayer, Exodus, Helloween, Sepultura, Kreator, Sacrifice, Possessed, Dark Angel, Metal Church, Sodom, Fates Warning etc... (1986-87) which led to stuff like Obituary and Death, Carcass, Coroner (1988-89). All time favorites are stuff like "Retribution" from Malevolent Creation, and "Effigy of the Forgotten" by Suffo, as well as stuff like "Powerslave" from Iron Maiden and even newer stuff like the new Gamma ray album is great (I still love metal!), and "De Profundis" from Vader is Godly.
Chaosbreed: Back to Dying Fetus. How often do you rehearse, and who writes the music and lyrics? Where do your musical influences come from? Any particular musicians you guys worship?
Jason: John Gallagher writes 90% of the music, he just tries to write memorable riffs and keep it as brutal as possible while trying to maintain a somewhat original sound by using ALL styles of death and extreme music. Influences came from old metal, then we just got heavier as the technology became available in the late 80s to get the music more brutal and drummers got better as there came more ideas. The metal scene as a whole influenced us and still does, there is no particular band we draw upon for influence...its a little bit of everything.
Chaosbreed: Have you got any plans to play some shows in Europe? If you had to setup some shows in Europe, which countries would you like to play and with who?
Jason: We will play Europe we hope in the summer, and we will play anywhere with any metal bands that want to do it! But we must play Germany cause metal reigns supreme there in mighty Deutschland! And a stop in Amsterdam would be nice for obvious reasons, as well as Italy so I can find a nice little Italian girl to marry!! YEAH RIGHT
Chaosbreed: What's in store for Dying Fetus for the coming months? List all available merchandise and how to order.
Jason: We plan to record in April and and tour the USA and Canada in July, then we go to Europe for a tour in August we hope...as far as merchandise send a letter to:
Brian Latta
Blue Ridge Drive
Annapolis, Maryland, 21401
USA
for a merchandise order form...also check out our web site...
Choabreed: Well Jason I think that is all. Mega brutal thanx for your time. The following space is all yours..
Jason: Thanks to Beheaded and all sick bands for keeping the brutal in brutality and all metal bands worldwide for staying true to the metal sound and not playing gay alternative shit. Thanks to all fans out there that support the underground and buy demos and go to shows you are all the best!!!
Interview done by David Bugeja
E-mail Jason here.