A Feast: When All Become None

Coffinworm is coming. Hell, they’re already here, but this April will bear witness to their debut release When All Became None on Profound Lore Records. This beast of a record promises the deliverance of dereliction and filth via six soundly hewed slabs of blackened doom-death.

The band, vocalist Dave Britts (Black Arrows of Filth & Impurity, World Eater), guitarist Tony McGuire (Black Arrows of Filth & Impurity), bassist Todd Manning (Black Arrows of Filth & Impurity), drummer Carl Byers (Deadmen, The Dream is Dead), and guitarist Garrett O’Sha (Deadmen), formed in 2007 and immediately started to work on the songs that would eventually become The Great Bringer of Night demo. The quintet quickly established themselves in Indianapolis’ heavy music scene for their intense live shows backed by a solid three song demo recorded at Basement Rage Studio with Bob Fouts. Before the demo was even mixed, Fouts passed it along to Chris Bruni of Profound Lore Records. This handoff of still raw demo recordings led to Coffinworm’s inevitable signing with the label.

Coffinworm, now signed to Profound Lore, set out to complete the writing of When All Became None before heading north to Chicago in late 2009 for their session work with Sanford Parker. Known as master in the studio, Parker’s reputation precedes him when concerning bands he has recorded and the overall production value that he brings to every recording. And by the sounds of the one released track from the record, “Start Saving for your Funeral,” neither Parker nor the band disappoint.

As the release date approaches, Coffinworm have their sights set on series of shows at the long-standing SXSW music fest. As one of the most anticipated releases of 2010, When All Became None has Coffinworm poised to unleash their brand of ferocity on the world. The Cracked Skull caught up with Garrett O’sha upon returning to Indy after the Coffinworm recording sessions with Sanford Parker, and picked his brain about the overall recording experience.


What were the overall feelings within the band leading up to recording with Sanford Parker for your debut on Profound Lore Records? Were you all fully prepared headed into the studio or were there a few loose ends, musically, that needed to be tied up?
We were all very excited to work with Sanford. If you are reading this right now, then you should already be familiar with his reputation. While all of us have been playing and recording music for many years, none of us had ever worked with someone of his caliber. I mean, shit, the motherfucker was in Buried at Sea. So yea, we were a little intimidated as well. We’re not professional entertainers. We’re just some hicks from Indiana, you know? We also have the utmost respect and reverence for Profound Lore. Chris has just released so many mind blowing albums by some incredible bands. This whole thing is just a dream come true for us.

What was Sanford Parker’s preferred method of recording Coffinworm: digital, analog, a mix?
Everything was recorded digitally and ensorcelled with Pro Tools magic.

How long is the album? How many tracks, and what’s the name of the record?
The title of the record is When All Became None, and it’s a full length album. There are six tracks (the shortest of which clocks in at just under six minutes), and while two of the songs appeared on the Great Bringer of Night demo, you will feel like you’re hearing them for the first time. Believe that.

I’m assuming the majority of the record was tracked. How did the tracking of the songs go, and were there any snags during the recording process? Was there any one song that gave you fits? Did you do any live recording as a whole band?
Well, the first day of tracking got delayed a little due to a mysterious issue with Todd’s bass. Luckily, Charlie from Lord Mantis came through and let us borrow one. Actually, he dropped off two basses, but we only used one. Thanks again Charlie and many hails to the mighty Lord Mantis! Once we got started we found these new songs were a bit of bitch to record, since they have some of the fastest and slowest riffs we’ve written. I found myself getting frustrated and asking, “Why the fuck did I write this part?” a few times. But by the end of the week I was glad we decided to take shit to that other damn level.

Did you do any studio experimentation or is the material you recorded basically what you already had written prior to entering the studio?
The arrangements were complete before we got to the studio. We were only up there for eight days, so there wasn’t really time for too much experimentation.

Are there any strange instruments on the album? Did you any different amps compared to your live rigs, and if you did, what was their overall effect? I’m assuming you liked it.
Well, there are some 808 bass hits on there, and we also made use of some plate reverb thing. The end result sounds like someone finally dropped the nukes on your ass. For the guitars we used our usual amps and a Marshall JMP. We did some overdubs with an octave fuzz pedal and some real nice vintage shit like a Leslie rotary speaker unit, Roland Space Echo, and a Fender Twin reverb amp. We ran the bass through an Ampeg V4, Piercing Moose pedal, and a Sunn cab (same as the one Todd usually plays) for some serious balls. I don’t know. I’m the least gear oriented dude in the band, and I don’t usually pay attention to this kind of stuff. Ask one of the other guys and they could probably talk to you all day about this kind of shit.

Since Coffinworm is straight out the Nappy Dugout, how did recording in Chicago influence the overall vibe, mood, and tone of the recording sessions? Were there any studio hijinks that ensued? Any bootleg, kvlt, or hidden tracks recorded late at night?
Well, there are pretty much no windows in the studio. It was cold as fuck up there, so maybe a little extra grimness crept into the mix. Our late night activities were pretty tame. Down time usually involved a bottle of whiskey or vodka and a case of beer. Sometimes we’d watch a movie, but I’d usually pass out halfway through. Wild shit, I know.

How is everyone in the band feeling about the end product from the sessions? Is everyone on the same page and pleased with the outcome?
I think we came home with a very heavy record. We are all very happy about it. Or maybe just less angry…

Your next chance to catch Coffinworm in Indy is March 15 at the Tip Top Tavern with The Gates of Slumber and Pentagram. Then they are off to SXSW March 18-20 for three shows and back to Indy for their album release show on April 16 with Lair of the Minotaur, Lord Mantis, and Slam Dunk at the Melody Inn.

www.myspace.com/coffinworm

coffinworm.blogspot.com

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