Pathology's guitarist Kevin Schwartz gives me the rundown of the band's most recent album "Awaken To The Suffering" relased via Victory Records. Not only have these guys released an all new record but have been hitting the road various times this past year. Find out what they have been up since the album's drop day.
1. "Awaken To The Suffering" who would want to awaken to such a misfortune?
Kevin: People who want to open their mind to true death metal and the bleak outlook of this society and the human race. It's all about breaking the mold of the mainstream and creating something that is raw, powerful, and unique. Time to open your fucking eyes!
2. What about the concept, what is the story behind this release and where does the title come into the picture?
Kevin: The lyrics that Jon wrote are very misanthropic. The human race is raping the Earth and the government is controlling our minds. We are cowering beneath the system just as the man is on the cover of the album.
3. So apparently you have a lot to say about this release, go at it.
Kevin: This is the best Pathology album to date. We recorded to a metronome so everything is tight. Our producer, Daniel Castleman, new from the beginning that we were looking to make the most brutal and crushing album of the year and he exceeded our expectations with his production. I had the oppurtunity to write solos for this album and proceeded to create leads that were not only fast and technical, but also contained feeling and emotion.
4. Tell me about the new music video you shot, what is the tale behind that creation?
Kevin: Victory Records took charge and created a video that is different than most videos of the same genre. We didn't have any roles in the video, it was up to the video producers at Victory to make the video and make our album art come to life so to speak.
5. Would you say that this album traits back to the first releases, as far as sound and lyrical context goes?
Kevin: Definitely. The lyrics are very cynical towards the human race and the guitars and drums are just as crushing as they always have been.
6. How would you describe the overall sound of the new album? How does it compare to Legacy Of The Ancients?
Kevin: "Awaken To The Suffering" blows "Legacy of The Ancients" away. The riffs are more technical and recorded much cleaner. The guitar and drum tones are heavier than ever. And the vocals are more raw and guttural than most bands out there.
7. Looking back at your previous work, it looks like your a summer/fall band whenever you release a new album, it always pops up in either the summer or fall, ever take notice of that?Kevin: Yes, we want to keep the band active and keep people interested by releasing an album every year.
8. Did the band have any definitive goals they were shooting for before the recording process began for this album?
Kevin: We wanted to keep pushing the limits of Pathology. Every album had gotten better and better each time with the recording, riff writing, and production, so we want to keep that going.
9. Are you using any new instrumentation you've never used in the recording process before?
Kevin: All guitar, bass and, drums are the same as previous albums. Solos are the new addition to Pathology, which I am extremely happy about. There aren't many leads in brutal death bands and I have no idea why...
10. When did you start writing for this album? How was the songwriting process different/similar to previous Pathology albums?
Kevin: Tim and I began writing the album while we were in Europe with Obituary and Grave for the Metal Chainsaw Massacre Tour. The process was similar to the other Pathology albums, material was written at our respective houses and then we got together with Dave to write our songs. Until now there had only been Tim on guitar and we didn't collaborate on any songs on this album, so the writing process stayed the same.
11. Legacy Of The Ancients was a sizable critical success. Did you feel any pressure to follow it up?
Kevin: I knew I had some shoes to fill when I first joined Pathology. Legacy of The Ancients is a solid album, but I felt like I could bring a more technical edge to the band while also sticking to the groovy and grindy element that had always been there.
12. Can you go into one or two tracks on the new album? If so, can you give us the track title and brief description of how the track sounds and how it came about?
Kevin: "Ingestion of Creation", is a song that I wrote for the album. It combines the slam and groove elements that Pathology is known for, but also ties in a little more technicality and scale use. I used many chromatic notes to stay with the feel of Pathology but use dimished scales on certain parts to give it more feeling. I was listening to a lot of Suffocation at the time and I believe that is where the guitar break in the middle of the song came from. When Dave was writing drums to this song he actually reffered to that part as the "Suffo break".
13. How was the vibe in the studio?
Kevin: Let me start by saying Daniel Castleman is the shit! He was a big help with the process of the recording and made sure everything went smoothly during the entire process. I was expecting it to be very nerve-racking in the studio but Daniel created an easy-going environment that allowed us to perform at our very best.
14. Stepping aside from the new record, you just got done hitting the road with Grave and Blood Red Throne, what's running through your mind?
Kevin: We just completed the tour with Grave, Blood Red Throne, and Gigan. One of the most fun tours I have ever been on! We already knew our Swedish brothers when we toured with them in Europe so it was killer to catch up with them. Gigan and Blood Red Throne are very cool and down to earth types of people, so we mesh very well with both of them. One of the sickest things about the tour was that Trevor Peres and Terry Butler of Obituary were hanging out the entire time! Trevor was the tour manager and Terry was driving Grave all around the U.S. in the RV they rented. And I can't leave out my man Ralph Santolla, who met up with us in Seattle until the end of the tour and proceeded to drink all of our beer.15. Is that all of the touring as far as the remainder of this year or do you plan to tour rounding off the year and then jump starting again in the New Year?
Kevin: You can catch us on the East coast with Vital Remains toward the end of October. Next year we will continue our grueling tour schedule as we try to promote the new album and keep brutal music alive.
16. What does Pathology mean to you?
Kevin: Pathology is an outlet for me to express my musical ability and show my disgust for the mainstream music that is plaguing the ears of humanity. It is my oppurtunity to create music that is completely unique and not based on trends. Fuck the mainstream.
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