interview
If you need to get a new dose of classic Death Metal into your veins and do not want to seek in the old collection, it's a good choice to try luck in California, there's an interesting RUDE band. Their history is known mainly because they had a different name in the past and played different style, but finally they found themselves in old school Death Metal, which is not so far from their Skeletal Remains colleagues. This year they recorded the second "Remnants" album with a cover from such a master as Dan Seagrave. From this it must be clear to everyone what to expect from these barbarians. The reason to do interview was also fact, that unlike many other bands exhuming old craft, they do not forget to add the necessary dose of a morbid atmosphere into their work. The questions were answered by two members, Yusef (vox, guit) and Jason (bass, keys).
Originally started out as a Thrash metal band called FORSAKER you have released a demo of the same name, it was in 2011. How do you remember this period? Was Thrash Metal the genre you wanted to hear and play then? Which bands influenced you the most at that time?
Yusef - I’ll speak on this because I was the only one in the band back then. The band started as Rude in 2008. Forsaker started in 2011 because the original members of Rude just couldn’t play anymore. I changed the name of the band to Forsaker cause we had different members but I carried some songs over from the Rude times. I just remember this time as living in a shithole warehouse in East Oakland. Shooting crackheads with shotguns and dealing with stolen cars and wild dogs and lots of chicks and booze. If you listen to the music its not really strait forward weak thrash bullshit. It’s a bit heavier. It was just tuned to E standard so it has that sound I guess. I liked Dark Angel a bunch back then.
Then in 2008 came the renaming to the current RUDE. Who or what was the impulse you decided to add more brutality and Death Metal elements?
Yusef -The band went back to Rude in 2011. I didn’t “add” anything. I just play the guitar and whatever comes out is what I’ll play. I tuned down half a step to E flat. That is barely going full blown death metal.
If I understand it correctly, later in 2010 you renamed back to FORSAKER. Did you return to Thrash Metal again, or it was just a name change? Wasn't it unprofitable to renaming and losing a credit from your band name? In 2011 you have changed back to RUDE until today. Hope you no longer want to be renamed back to FORSAKER?
Yusef - I didn’t have any credit to begin with. I think you might have the wrong impression of how the bay area is for music and bands. Nobody gives a shit who you are really unless you’re in a big band or some trendy band that was on some website or something. I don’t really care who likes it now or who liked it then. I just play and do what I want and that is how it is gonna be until the band is over. Old Rude is dead. Forsaker is dead.
"Soul Recall" was released in 2014 as a debut at the F.D.A. Records. The cover artwork was done perfectly and your music is definitely interesting for many fans. Personally I feel you are most influenced by the early "Mallevs Meleficarum" from Pestilence. What reactions have you received from critics? Did they tend to compare you to this legend?
Jason - Putting that album together felt fucking great! We're very influenced by Pestilence and even featured a solo by Patrick Mameli on our "Haunted" demo. Critics definitely took note of the similarities and compared us. It's great to see people understanding our music so well, and kind of surreal, since that's the kind of stuff we grew up listening to.
Your music represents an old approach to the classic Thrash / Death Metal with a more technical direction. Complex structures and scary atmosphere of brutal riffs are characteristic for you. I even think you have progressed ahead opposite your debut and learned to get even better to compose and play. Are you a kind of band wanting still to evolve or you think your style is set in certain coats and you just want to make better songs?
Jason - We've all been progressing as musicians and incorporating that into the band, particularly Yusef who started Rude around the time he started playing guitar. We're always sharing little tricks and bits of theory, or listening to other bands and different types of music to absorb ideas from. So I think we'll continue to evolve our sound in the direction we're already headed. That being said, we're an old school death metal band and don't plan on changing that.
The atmosphere in Death Metal is quite important, at least for many ones, though often not as distinctive as most Black Metal bands, but in your case for sure. The squealing guitar solos are macabre and also riffs themselves show dark and gloomy tendencies. Let's take The Remnants title song as an example. What significance do you impose on the feelings and atmosphere at writing process?
Jason - You make a great point. The feeling and atmosphere of our music might be the most important part of the writing process, at least for me. Rude has this distinct attitude and personality of it's own, and the music needs to reflect that. It's something we think about constantly, but we don't let it get in the way of our creativity. For example, I might write ten riffs that I think sound cool, but only one of them will actually sound like it belongs in a Rude song. From there it becomes a more practical approach where we piece different sections together based on how they flow. The song "Remnants" is a perfect example of this.
Between the later bands there are not many ones playing a style similar to you, maybe your Skeletal Remains colleagues have more contact points. Do you think they could have some impact on you? Would you like to tour with them if there was a chance?
Jason - Hell yeah. Every time I see them I'm seriously impressed by their performance. In fact I did a live recording of them in Japan, and it blew my mind how perfect the tracks sounded. They set a high standard for themselves and I think that's inspired us a lot. They're awesome guys and I could definitely see us touring together if we get the chance.
The current US scene is typical by a great deal of slam or highly technical brutal DM bands. Haven't you ever been wanting to go in the same direction? Why did you choose the classic style as if from 80/90 years? In addition your cover arts evoke the same feeling as well.
Jason - We just don't like the newer styles of metal so much. It doesn't resonate with us the way the classic stuff does. It's hard to say exactly why. What we know for sure is that we love old school death metal, so we express that with everything from our music and album covers to VHS footage and sick high tops. The cover artwork by Dan Seagrave is particularly important, as it looks fucking awesome, represents our concepts accurately, and it helps us fit right in with the classic albums that have inspired us.
You have also recorded one acoustic Reboot instrumental track for the new CD. Who put it down and what was the main reason for it? Didn't you ever think to play it at live?
Jason - David wrote that bit and we included it because we liked the atmosphere that it added to the album. It's got this dismal, lonely feeling to it, but also a lurking horror. It's meant to kind of follow the concept of the album title and artwork. We have these remnants of an alien ship, of this advanced culture who no longer has a presence here, and the instrumental track represents the ship's reawakening and communication with a new entity. We've definitely thought about playing it live, but we like to keep our sets pretty simple and straightforward.
Morrisound studios in Florida was involved in the formation of the sound of the classic Death Metal. Today, all the big bands that once used to record there, are recording in Audio Hammer Studios. Would you prove to imagine you would be recording in Morrisound? Do you think it's better if the band is changing studios or to stay faithful only to one?
Jason - Oh yeah! If we were around back then, we'd be hitting up Scott Burns at Morrisound, no questions asked. That's the sound we strive for, and which I personally work towards as the producer of the band. I think that's one of the details about us that resonate with our fans- it sounds familiar not just in the riffs and style of music but in the production as well. It's a very specific sound that we're happy with that works well for our style. Plus it's cheap!! We don't have the money to spend at some fancy studio anyway.
Once there were fewer bands on the scene, but most ones were original. Today is the situation opposite, the excessive number of bands, so it is logical there are no such differences between them and they resemble each other. What do you think the band needs in order to not sound as every other band? What elements does the song need to be interesting?
Jason - I think there will always be boring cookie-cutter bands as well as more creative and interesting acts. What's interesting for me is when a band has a good sense of flow and song structure. You can play the same low chugging riffs as everyone else, but when you introduce it effectively, it can take on a new life where you listen to it in a different way. However, in a genre like old school death metal, as the words "old school" are literally in the name, we are emulating the past. There isn't much room for originality here, and I think that being innovative is a lot less important than bringing the feeling and atmosphere that the genre is known for.
Ok, that would be all from me, you have the last words for fans. You can still write your most favorite albums you listen to recently. Thanks for the interview and have a good time.
Jason - Thanks for the interview!! We appreciate all the awesome feedback we get, we want to tour the fucking world and play for everyone we can. Special thanks to the people who help make that happen!
Yusef - Thanks for the interview mannnnn. We will hit the road soon enough and play for you fine people.
https://rudedeathmetal.bandcamp.com/
Yusef, Jason 8. 12. 2017 Mortuary, Storm
Originally started out as a Thrash metal band called FORSAKER you have released a demo of the same name, it was in 2011. How do you remember this period? Was Thrash Metal the genre you wanted to hear and play then? Which bands influenced you the most at that time?
Yusef - I’ll speak on this because I was the only one in the band back then. The band started as Rude in 2008. Forsaker started in 2011 because the original members of Rude just couldn’t play anymore. I changed the name of the band to Forsaker cause we had different members but I carried some songs over from the Rude times. I just remember this time as living in a shithole warehouse in East Oakland. Shooting crackheads with shotguns and dealing with stolen cars and wild dogs and lots of chicks and booze. If you listen to the music its not really strait forward weak thrash bullshit. It’s a bit heavier. It was just tuned to E standard so it has that sound I guess. I liked Dark Angel a bunch back then.
Then in 2008 came the renaming to the current RUDE. Who or what was the impulse you decided to add more brutality and Death Metal elements?
Yusef -The band went back to Rude in 2011. I didn’t “add” anything. I just play the guitar and whatever comes out is what I’ll play. I tuned down half a step to E flat. That is barely going full blown death metal.
If I understand it correctly, later in 2010 you renamed back to FORSAKER. Did you return to Thrash Metal again, or it was just a name change? Wasn't it unprofitable to renaming and losing a credit from your band name? In 2011 you have changed back to RUDE until today. Hope you no longer want to be renamed back to FORSAKER?
Yusef - I didn’t have any credit to begin with. I think you might have the wrong impression of how the bay area is for music and bands. Nobody gives a shit who you are really unless you’re in a big band or some trendy band that was on some website or something. I don’t really care who likes it now or who liked it then. I just play and do what I want and that is how it is gonna be until the band is over. Old Rude is dead. Forsaker is dead.
"Soul Recall" was released in 2014 as a debut at the F.D.A. Records. The cover artwork was done perfectly and your music is definitely interesting for many fans. Personally I feel you are most influenced by the early "Mallevs Meleficarum" from Pestilence. What reactions have you received from critics? Did they tend to compare you to this legend?
Jason - Putting that album together felt fucking great! We're very influenced by Pestilence and even featured a solo by Patrick Mameli on our "Haunted" demo. Critics definitely took note of the similarities and compared us. It's great to see people understanding our music so well, and kind of surreal, since that's the kind of stuff we grew up listening to.
Your music represents an old approach to the classic Thrash / Death Metal with a more technical direction. Complex structures and scary atmosphere of brutal riffs are characteristic for you. I even think you have progressed ahead opposite your debut and learned to get even better to compose and play. Are you a kind of band wanting still to evolve or you think your style is set in certain coats and you just want to make better songs?
Jason - We've all been progressing as musicians and incorporating that into the band, particularly Yusef who started Rude around the time he started playing guitar. We're always sharing little tricks and bits of theory, or listening to other bands and different types of music to absorb ideas from. So I think we'll continue to evolve our sound in the direction we're already headed. That being said, we're an old school death metal band and don't plan on changing that.
The atmosphere in Death Metal is quite important, at least for many ones, though often not as distinctive as most Black Metal bands, but in your case for sure. The squealing guitar solos are macabre and also riffs themselves show dark and gloomy tendencies. Let's take The Remnants title song as an example. What significance do you impose on the feelings and atmosphere at writing process?
Jason - You make a great point. The feeling and atmosphere of our music might be the most important part of the writing process, at least for me. Rude has this distinct attitude and personality of it's own, and the music needs to reflect that. It's something we think about constantly, but we don't let it get in the way of our creativity. For example, I might write ten riffs that I think sound cool, but only one of them will actually sound like it belongs in a Rude song. From there it becomes a more practical approach where we piece different sections together based on how they flow. The song "Remnants" is a perfect example of this.
Between the later bands there are not many ones playing a style similar to you, maybe your Skeletal Remains colleagues have more contact points. Do you think they could have some impact on you? Would you like to tour with them if there was a chance?
Jason - Hell yeah. Every time I see them I'm seriously impressed by their performance. In fact I did a live recording of them in Japan, and it blew my mind how perfect the tracks sounded. They set a high standard for themselves and I think that's inspired us a lot. They're awesome guys and I could definitely see us touring together if we get the chance.
The current US scene is typical by a great deal of slam or highly technical brutal DM bands. Haven't you ever been wanting to go in the same direction? Why did you choose the classic style as if from 80/90 years? In addition your cover arts evoke the same feeling as well.
Jason - We just don't like the newer styles of metal so much. It doesn't resonate with us the way the classic stuff does. It's hard to say exactly why. What we know for sure is that we love old school death metal, so we express that with everything from our music and album covers to VHS footage and sick high tops. The cover artwork by Dan Seagrave is particularly important, as it looks fucking awesome, represents our concepts accurately, and it helps us fit right in with the classic albums that have inspired us.
You have also recorded one acoustic Reboot instrumental track for the new CD. Who put it down and what was the main reason for it? Didn't you ever think to play it at live?
Jason - David wrote that bit and we included it because we liked the atmosphere that it added to the album. It's got this dismal, lonely feeling to it, but also a lurking horror. It's meant to kind of follow the concept of the album title and artwork. We have these remnants of an alien ship, of this advanced culture who no longer has a presence here, and the instrumental track represents the ship's reawakening and communication with a new entity. We've definitely thought about playing it live, but we like to keep our sets pretty simple and straightforward.
Morrisound studios in Florida was involved in the formation of the sound of the classic Death Metal. Today, all the big bands that once used to record there, are recording in Audio Hammer Studios. Would you prove to imagine you would be recording in Morrisound? Do you think it's better if the band is changing studios or to stay faithful only to one?
Jason - Oh yeah! If we were around back then, we'd be hitting up Scott Burns at Morrisound, no questions asked. That's the sound we strive for, and which I personally work towards as the producer of the band. I think that's one of the details about us that resonate with our fans- it sounds familiar not just in the riffs and style of music but in the production as well. It's a very specific sound that we're happy with that works well for our style. Plus it's cheap!! We don't have the money to spend at some fancy studio anyway.
Once there were fewer bands on the scene, but most ones were original. Today is the situation opposite, the excessive number of bands, so it is logical there are no such differences between them and they resemble each other. What do you think the band needs in order to not sound as every other band? What elements does the song need to be interesting?
Jason - I think there will always be boring cookie-cutter bands as well as more creative and interesting acts. What's interesting for me is when a band has a good sense of flow and song structure. You can play the same low chugging riffs as everyone else, but when you introduce it effectively, it can take on a new life where you listen to it in a different way. However, in a genre like old school death metal, as the words "old school" are literally in the name, we are emulating the past. There isn't much room for originality here, and I think that being innovative is a lot less important than bringing the feeling and atmosphere that the genre is known for.
Ok, that would be all from me, you have the last words for fans. You can still write your most favorite albums you listen to recently. Thanks for the interview and have a good time.
Jason - Thanks for the interview!! We appreciate all the awesome feedback we get, we want to tour the fucking world and play for everyone we can. Special thanks to the people who help make that happen!
Yusef - Thanks for the interview mannnnn. We will hit the road soon enough and play for you fine people.
https://rudedeathmetal.bandcamp.com/
Yusef, Jason 8. 12. 2017 Mortuary, Storm
Torrent to the Past