Incantation [ Death metal | USA | Interview on July 24, 2002]

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Incantation [Date of interview: July 24, 2002]
Brutal Blasphemous death metal from New Jersey "Incantation", they just released brutal album named "Blasphymy" on June 2002. This is the confession of John McEntee, let's check it!

Incantation has been together since 1989; tell me about the early days of the band...
John | Incantation: I left my former band Revenant to start a band that was more true to how I feel and what I want to do musically, Revenant was a great band but I needed to play more aggressive and heavy. And when I started to jam with Paul Ledny in mid 1989 I knew that Brutal Blasphemous Death metal was my true calling. We just did what we wanted to do and not care about any of the trends. And that same concept is true today just as strong as it was in the early days.

I ever interviewed with Bob [Immolation], he talked about you. You and Bob just like a close friend and you always help Immolation when the band have gigs/live concert that you replace Tom for temporary, and now you still help Immolation when you have live concert? Bob told me he get Bill Taylor [ex-AngelCorpse] for guitarist position in the band...
John | Incantation: John - Well, I'm good friends with all the guys in Immolation, we were friends from back in the late 1980's. So when the opportunity can to help them . I was more then happy to. It was a great experience, besides being good friends with them, I'm a big Immolation fan. I haven't helped them for a few years now because I have been real busy with Incantation, so they got Bill Taylor to help them out. I would help them out again if the situation call for and I had some down time from Incantation.

Your first LP album 'Onward To Golgotha' in 1991, what kind of response did you get?
John | Incantation: We got an overwhelmingly good response. It was unexpected, because when I started the band with Paul Ledney, we wanted to make a band that people would hate because it was to sick brutal and blasphemous. We refused to follow the trends of the time. But it is always a complement when people like the music we do because we write the same kind of music we like to hear and only think about pleasing ourselves with what we write. Each Release that we ever did we just wanted to push the limits of Death Metal and we are very fortunate that so many warriors of Death Metal believe in what we do and feel that same torment and aggression. By the way OTG was released in 1992.

What's the current line-up in the band?
John | Incantation: John - Kyle Severn - Drums, Joe Lombard - Bass, Vincent Crowley - Vocals, and Me - Guitar.

In your opinion, please compare your vocalist between Paul Ledney, Craig Pillard and Mike Saez?
John | Incantation: Paul Lednay had a great voice like early Possessed and Celtic Frost but with more of a growl. Craig as a awesome low to mid death metal voice his voice sounds like the abyss, it's great one of my favorite vocalist of all time! Mike - kicks ass too, he has a great mid low type vocals he has great feeling in his voice and a lot of power! Incantation is very lucky to have worked with a lot of other really great vocalist too like Will Rahmer from Mortician, Tom Stevens from Nokturnal, Daniel from The Chasm.

Mike Saez ever played in 'Tribute to the Goat' your live album, when he change the position to sing in 'The Infernal Strom', Craig has some problem with the band?
John | Incantation: Craig was just a session member for "Tribute to the Goat" and Mike did session guitar for that release. Mike didn't really start doing vocals for Incantation until about 6 months before the recording of "The Infernal Storm" Craig wasn't a member of the band around that time Craig quit the band in the summer of 1994 and just helped out a few time after that.

Why 'Robert Yench' out of the band, he has some problem with the band?
John | Incantation: Rob left the band with no reason, he said nothing to us except "Good luck in the studio" just 3 days before recording Blasphemy. So we had to rewrite the few songs that he had riffs in and find a new bass player! It was the best thing that could have happened, rob leaving. It's great to have Joe Lombard in the band he is a great dedicated member and a killer bass player.

You know, I think your band always change members, every album; you think that's the problem with your band? And do you think the line-up in the present so stable now?
John | Incantation: I'll never say things are stable again just because every time I Say that some one leaves. Haha but the line up is as strong as it ever was, if not stronger! I don't think the line up changes have been a problem, because we have had so many great and talented people that have worked with us through out the years.

What happened with your relationship with Relapse Recs?
John | Incantation: We were not happy with the way Relapse was treating us, we were not A priority for them anymore, so we asked them to let us go. And they were cool enough to put us for sale, and Necropolis picked us up. We are a lot happier with Necropolis then with Relapse for sure, Necropolis is more of a metal label, and Relapse is more into experimental music.

Tell me about finally getting signed to Necropolis Recs.?
John | Incantation: Basically we were sold to Necropolis from Relapse. But we are way more enthusiastic working with Necropolis then Relapse Records. Necropolis supports more Darker and Blasphemous Bands, Relapse was more into Experimental Grind and other kinds of metal but not pure Blasphemous Death Metal!.

O.K. Talk about your new album. How would you describe the musical progression between 'The Infernal Strom' and your new album 'Blasphemy'?
John | Incantation: well, each album is a continuation of the previous album Incantation is like one long blasphemous death metal saga. There are similarities between all of our albums I feel that Blasphemy has more musically in common with "Onward to Golgotha" and "Diabolical Conquest" then Infernal Storm but at the same time is a another step forward for the band and our conquest to push Blasphemous Death Metal to the extreme. The bottom line is we just play music that is natural to what we feel inside and that is one of the things that makes Incantation sound like Incantation and pure death metal.

What's the meaning behind 'Blasphemy' ?
John | Incantation: Just total fucking sacrilegious hate. Total aggression, brutality, heaviness and dark twisted Blasphemy! It out sincerity in expressing out true essence and our hatred for religion and all of its hypocrisies.

I download your new songs in your website, that's so awesome!! Sick brutal!! ,..I think maybe you wanna back to death metal root in early 90's, what do you think about it?
John | Incantation: Thanks for the compliment, but I think we never left our early 90's roots. We just play what we like and don't care what year it is. But we are really happy with the way the new album came out we took all we learned over the years to get the production that best fits our style. One thing is for sure is that Incantation will always be brutal Death fucking Metal!

'Blasphemy' released on June2002, How's the response that you get from your fans?
John | Incantation: The response has been great! A lot of people think is some of our best stuff in years. Its cool to see people like it a lot because this album is 100% true to us.

Who's produced in your new album? Bill Korecky again?
John | Incantation: Yes it was Bill Korecky with Kyle, Joe and I producing it. Bill is great! We like working with him because he really believes in the band and pushes us to our limits. We will work with him for our next album for sure!

What do you think about Bill Korecky?
John | Incantation: Bill Rules! The best engineer and Producer I have ever worked with!

And about the artwork, who's draw the cover? I really like art by Miran Kim so much, and Joe Petagno that's o.k. What do you think about them?
John | Incantation: The "Blasphemy" art work was done by Paul Ledney our original Drummer/ Vocalist and co-founder. So when the opportunity came up to have his input on this album we jumped at it! Most of our album covers were done by Miram Kim and but we couldn't get in touch with her this time because she moved and gave us no forwarding information, but now we have contact with her and we wont here to do the next album for sure! We are extremely happy with the blasphemy cover and think Paul did a great job. As for Joe Petagno, I like his stuff too, but it's to over used now.

Your original line-up in your first Lp, 'Craig Pillard', 'Jim Roe' and 'Ronny Deo' have new band called 'Disciples Of Mockery' and returned to the scene in 1999. Have you ever listened of this band? What do you think about songs of DOM? That's the root old style from Incantation?
John | Incantation: DOM is kick ass! Great stuff there style is kind of like old Incantation with more doom parts. It's real raw and sick! I'm a big fan Of DOM. Its great to hear that my old school brothers of Blasphemy doing some great music!

Do you think any plans to tour in Asia? wanna play live concert in Thailand?
John | Incantation: Hell yes, we would like to tour Asia, It would be great to play Thailand along with any other Asian or Pacific Island country. If anyone Can help us tours Asia please contact us. We would like so spread out Blasphemy to the Far East!

Well, that's all of the interview and wanna say something to MetalThai Readers..go ahead...
John - Hail the goat. Thanks for the support and the interview! Hail to All the Incantation supporters in Thailand! For more info on Incantation you can visit: www.incantation.com Look out for another band I play with called Funerus, We will have a release coming out soon!

The new Incantation album "Blasphemy" will be released in Europe on June 17th on Candlelight Records, in North America on June 18th on Necropolis Records, and on July 10th in Brazil on Moria Records. Incantation will be working on a banner exchange page for the Incantation website. So feel fee to send us your banner in trade for putting an Incantation banner on your website.
www.incantation.com
Incantation
P.O. Box 5321
Johnstown, PA 15904