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BACK
INCANTATION
- Cult of the Damned
By Mark "World Eater" Morton
The
21st Century is quickly becoming an interesting era for music, especially
in the extreme metal category. Death metal bands are beginning to
be considered classic, as the true stalwarts of the genre have endured
an entire decade or more of small victories and major pitfalls (I
don't think we'll ever forget the Columbia/Earache travesty, or
the mid to late '90s 'Dark Age' of the genre, when it was so deep
underground that only the diehard fans kept hope alive). Now, the
genre is thriving full-blast in the year 2002 with more talent and
variety than you can poke a pitchfork at.
Among
the elite, and perhaps unlikely, influential bands celebrating 10
years of label-released CD material is Incantation. This is a band
that is worthy of more merit than the world offers them credit for,
as they have survived a literal shit-storm of setbacks, growing
stronger, more focused and volatile as the years progress. Incantation
has just released its debut Blasphemy for the upstart label Necropolis
(after having spent the past decade in lockdown with Relapse), and
the band is just as ambitious and invigorated as ever. In fact,
bandleader (guitarist/primary songwriter) John McEntee utilized
this opportunity as a fresh start for the band. He explains the
makeover, "it wasn't exactly a conscious effort, it just kinda
worked out that way. For the cover, we did want Miram Kim to do
it [who had done a vast majority of the band's artwork since the
debut Onward To Golgotha], we just couldn't get in touch with him
in time, and so we had Paul Ledney do it, which was great, because
he was Incantation's original drummer. As for the name, we came
up with a bunch of more sophisticated titles with some $5 words,
but the more we thought about it, we felt that the album was an
all-out ballsy kinda thing, so we were looking to see if there was
one word that could describe the band in general as well as the
sound of the album, and Kyle came up with Blasphemy, which was a
real no-brainer. I initially thought it was too obvious to work,
but it was a really good idea. I wanted to try for a different vibe
for a fresh start to let people know that it is a new Incantation
album on a new label. When Relapse did the packaging, it was basically
cookie-cutter, and we got tired of it."
Ah,
the Relapse controversy, forever a double-edged factor in Incantation's
legacy, scarring the band's face like Lemmy Kilmister's warts-yes,
they gave them personality and initial notoriety but not something
you want to show off. "Our relationship with Relapse was really
wacky, we had a lot of ups and downs, and we were pretty stubborn,
too," John clarifies. "Even when they said they weren't
going to help us out as much, we still went ahead and did stuff
on our own; we wanted to pretty much be the masters of our own destiny.
I know Relapse usually pats itself on the back whenever something
goes well for us, but those successes are largely due to the hard
work done by everyone in the band, than the record company."
Regardless
of John's animosity towards the label, it was Relapse that helped
pave the way for Incantation to spread their dark gospel by noticing
that there was something 'different' and 'fresh' to the band's now
trademark sound-that gritty, dark, underground DIY feel. Incantation
made waves as soon as Onward To Golgotha was released, because
it came out at a time when kids were starting to look for something
a little more brutal.
McEntee
elaborates on the idea, "It was a mixture of people wanting
something more brutal and people wanting something more blasphemous,
I think. When that album came out, it was really early in the dawn
of the black metal scene, and people with more of those black metal
tendencies liked us, too, because although it was really raw and
brutal, it was also very dark. It was almost rebellious for people
who wanted to get away from the 'more commercial-ish sounding DM'.
It's crazy, because we were very lucky to get 14 dates with Entombed
back in '92, right after the album came out. It was a good break
because I'd say 95% of the people who showed up [had] never heard
of us before, and they were pretty much blown away. What sucked,
however, was that 2 years later, when the black metal scene really
took off, we lost a lot of fans, because a lot of new trends were
set, and low vocals were no longer cool or something. The bottom
line is that Incantation has had a really interesting ride over
the years, and I'm as proud of our successes, as I am of our failures,
because it all helped us grow as a band. This new album is a culmination
of all we have learned, and I think we've pretty much gotten the
perfect production value for our style of music. Blasphemy isn't
trying to mimic anything we've done in the past, but it does have
an old school vibe. It wasn't intentional, as we always try to push
our music to a further extreme…whatever we do, we'll always
try to do it more dramatic and push our limits. It's all basically
trial and error."
The
tribulations definitely paid off, as Blasphemy is an extraordinarily
motivated effort, on par with anything Morbid Angel could record.
The comparison actually recalls a fond influential memory for John.
"Morbid
Angel is a massive influence for me. They let my old band Revenant
open up a couple of shows [for them] back in '88. Pete ["Commando"
Sandoval] and I were good friends, and when we saw them play then,
Pete had just joined the band, and there was such aggression in
their performance; they were out for blood. I'd seen probably 100
shows before seeing Morbid, but when I saw that show, they had so
much conviction, it totally blew me away, and some of that aggressive
energy stuck with me forever. I thought I was aggressive in Revenant,
but I had a lesson in violence that night. I learned that I needed
to be somewhere on the other side of the tracks. Bands like Voivod,
Celtic Frost, Sacrifice, Wehrmacht, and early Napalm Death had influenced
us, but Revenant turned more into a technical thing, which is the
reason why I left. After seeing bands like Terrorizer, Morbid Angel
& Necrovore, I just couldn't pull back anymore."
And
thus, the inspired wheels were set in motion and Incantation was
born, albeit a very risky investment for John.
"I
really enjoy creating music (it's a pain in the ass recording it),
and I like expressing myself by performing it live, and if I didn't
do that, I don't think I'd be being true to myself," he says.
"It was a big step for me (a step down, actually) starting
Incantation, because Revenant was really close to getting signed
to Nuclear Blast. I decided to quit, because I wasn't happy with
the musical direction they were going. It was a tough decision,
because I had to choose whether I wanted to do this to release a
CD and make money or do it because it's really what I feel and want
to do. If I start a new band, what are my goals going to be, will
I play what I want to play, do it for shits and giggles, or for
money or whatever? Playing what I wanted to play became what I felt
I should do, and I'm still doing it today, because I still have
as much enthusiasm in it, because the music is true to myself. I
think if people start doing things for money, and they then stop
making money, there's no reason to continue doing it. But if making
music is a true form of expression for yourself, and it is a true
part of you, then you should actively pursue it, I think."
This
became a major concern for all who attempted to enter the death
metal ring in the last decade of the 20th Century. A bulk of the
DM community went so far underground in the mid 90s, because bands
got discouraged too quickly. They'd release one really ambitious
disc, it didn't sell or get any attention, and the bands dissolved
into obscurity, despite the creative output.
McEntee
agrees with the thought. "A lot of bands lose their ambition,
and that's really unfortunate. For me, there's always something
to conquer, something new to express or some kind of new musical
goal to create something. Isn't that annoying when a band puts out
one really kick-ass album, and then the next one either sucks or
is totally lame, in that they changed their style because the previous
one wasn't successful? A lot of bands have done that, making drastic
changes album to album to get a bit more commercial, I guess. I
think a lot more bands would be more successful and happy if they'd
just put their hearts into what they were doing, rather than worrying
about making a hit single or something radio-friendly for little
girls…especially if you're doing it with death metal influences.
I'll never understand a band like Amorphis, who were a really great
death metal band, but are now a folk band? If I was going to write
an album that is in a completely different style, I'd start a new
band name; it's like trying to scam your DM fans into buying your
albums, and that's just lame. I want our supporters to know the
Incantation brand. If an album has the Incantation name on it, they
might hate it, but it will be brutal for sure! They know they're
going to get a brutal, dark album; they're not going to get something
like Funk/Grind moshcore with salsa parts. When I do stuff, I don't
try to make it sound like Incantation, it just works out that way.
I think younger bands obviously copy bands that they are fans from,
and I think it's probably a good learning point as far as technique,
but there has to be a point where you have to put what's inside
of yourself into the music. You can't strictly get formulaic with
the blast beat and the mosh part. You have to be able to express
yourself…but I guess it's difficult for people to do that,
I don't know. I think that uniqueness and originality come from
within."
But
Incantation wasn't alone in constructing moving, ominous death metal
in the New Jersey area in the 90s. There was quite a vital scene,
due to its closeness to NYC. It honestly was a viable hotbed of
death metal talent; metal fans were pretty much guaranteed something
good at every show. It was quite odd that less than a handful of
bands were capable of migrating out of the spawning pool. Incantation
was in league then with bands that are just now beginning to make
some headway, like Deteriorot and Mortal Decay.
John
reminisces, "there were tons of great bands back then, and
it's sad that it took like 10 years for some of them to get a CD
out, but I'm sure it was no fault of anyone in particular. I mean,
you're talking to somebody who's had shitloads of ups and downs.
We were extremely fortunate to get signed to Relapse when we did,
because back in '91, there was a death metal explosion in the area…but
nobody wanted to sign us but Relapse. Roadracer was signing every
death metal band they felt would sell well, and Metal Blade wouldn't
touch us with a ten-foot pole! It was really bizarre, because there
were a whole bunch of bands from the New Jersey area that had a
very dark and evil-sounding vibe that I thought would end up getting
huge. Crucifier was that way, as were Immolation, Deteriorot, and
us. It was one of those things that there weren't a lot of labels
that really understood what they were doing nor were they willing
to work with them. Any one of those bands could have been extremely
successful if people were interested in what they were doing. When
we put out our first album, we never expected people to like it
as much as they did. We were really playing some extremely brutal
and dark death metal for the time."
So
does it astonish him that many people in the community look back
on Onward To Golgotha as a classic?
"It
was really surprising that there were so many people into the band.
Bands like us usually get the short end of the stick; because critics
don't appreciate it, since they're usually look for clean production
and everything sounding nice & tight. They're not interested
in looking at a band that has a really aggressive and demonic aura.
We didn't get massive exposure, but we did have a lot of supporters
that helped us get press more out of sheer demand than anything.
It's pretty crazy. At the time, Metal Maniacs and most of the fanzines
looked at us like 'Who are you assholes???' I think we just happened
[to be] in the right place at the right time. We had a really good
lineup on that album, and I look back on it fondly & proudly.
It was definitely a good album. Everything I've done, I'm pretty
proud of. I don't understand bands that put out an album, then a
year later; they say they absolutely hate it. I think a lot of people
don't look at us as superstars, as they do respect us for being
able to stick to our guns, and not let inner-band turmoil or label
politics break our spirit. I think that is our long-standing achievement."
Sure
enough, Incantation has found that the key to successful longevity
is consistency, even when it comes to lyrics. The band has remained
steadfast in their thematic elements, despite the numerous opportunities
to express something more personal, what with all the turmoil the
band has endured. Through McEntee's discussion, Incantation lyrics
articulate a personal philosophy, as a reaction to personal experience.
"The
downfall of Christianity was always an important theme for us, but
looking deeper, our lyrics have a lot to do with human instincts
and the fact that we are animals and don't come from a so-called
creator. It's not just "Kill Christ, Hail Satan;" it's
all about making yourself psychologically free from any religious
concepts that may be holding you back from achieving your dreams
and desires. After all the events and tribulations in our life,
this is the one constant that helps us push on. It seems like everything
in life, when you break it down, it stems back to some kind of religious
concept that people thrive on and cling to for motivation to continue
in their lives. I think that religion was initially created as a
set of guidelines rather than laws to help people get by in the
old days, but times have changed."
And
John isn't just blindly ranting about disgust; he's seen this problem
right in his own backyard.
"It's
really weird living here in Central PA, because there are a lot
of religious people here. They're basically cool people, but it
just strikes me as odd that they're always thankful to God; not
for the things they can do, but for the things they have. I think
people would be just fine if they believed in themselves and what
they were capable of doing, not because their reverend told them
to do it, or whatever. It just really seems fucked, also when you
have people being an asshole all week, and then repent their sins
come Sunday, and everything's fine? That's just stupid. There's
just so much to talk about with that topic…I just don't see
the problems really ending, because there's so many perceptions
on it. Nobody really has any defined evidence that anybody's religion
is right. I'm not really trying to single out Christianity, because
I feel that any religion is a form of mind-control. With any kind
of religion, you can try to research back to figure out why they
do or believe certain things, and the result is always the same-because
that's the way it is. Unfortunately (or fortunately) for me, that
wasn't good enough. I want to know why these things exist; I want
hardcore proof that this stuff is fact. Otherwise, The Bible is
just a wacky book. It's sad that people are just so brain-washable
and don't know any better (or want to know any better). Maybe they
are afraid of the prospect that when you die, you might just die.
"The
more I look at the amount of brainwashing that exists in society
today, it's actually really frightening that there is so much of
it going on. There's no one out there saying that it's okay to be
yourself and not be a puppet. People try to say that following a
trend is their way of finding an identity, but it shouldn't matter
what 'weird' is or whatever. If someone likes something, they just
like something, and that should be that. But no, now all programming
is literally that, programming society. It's out of control!"
Incantation is a band designed to unlearn the bitter (and usually
ignorant) teachings of society to find one's true self. The band
creates potent extreme music not to encourage apathy, but to defend
against it. Blasphemy is a testament to the Incantation's strength
of will and carries with it a message for the future."
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