Interview Arnaud Cloutier

CB-Hey Arnaud, thank you so much for doing this interview with Canadian Brutality.

CB-The first question I would like to ask you is what is the name of the band you are currently in? Also, have you been in different bands previously other than this one?

AC- I am currently in 3 active bands, Vaginal Addiction, Exsanguinate and Barbaric Penetration.

I'm also collaborating in a couple project with some of my friends and i have a solo project. All of these are based in Montreal, Quebec.

CB-What is the major part in the band that you play? What do you mostly do or contribute to your band?

AC-I am the lead vocalist in all my bands and i play bass in some of my projects. The biggest contribution i give to my bands is my lifting strength...haha! I'm pretty good at putting stuff in the van and taking it upstairs to the venue. I don't consider myself as a musician but i do have some good ideas for riffs and beats sometimes.

CB-Can you give us a little bio about the band?

AC- I will start with Exsanguinate since it is the first band which i auditioned. 2 years ago the band broke-up and the lead guitarist Pietro Calandrino still wanted to continue the band. He found a drummer, Denis Lee (kids eat crayons) who has more of a jazz background but he is really into death,grind and brutal death. They begin to write some new songs together and 2-3 months later i asked Pietro if he was looking for a vocalist. It took only one jam and i was in the band. After that Pietro wanted to start another band, a gore-grind band. We began to jam together for what was going to become Barbaric Penetration. We have been looking for a drummer for 2 years and only 3 months ago we found him, Mike Morbo Lapointe (Holy Cost). With him on board things are moving really fast. Pietro had written almost 130 songs during those 2 years. Yeah i know that's a lot! The man is really prolific. We are currently recording for our first full length. Vaginal Addiction was created a year and a half ago. At the time there was Sean Connor (ex-Plasmarifle) on drums, Alan Capdepont (Voor) on guitars, Alan Jackson (carbonized 16 years old victim) on guitars and one of their old friend Pierre-Luc Zaccaria on vocals. Later on Jean-François Rochette (Rotten Wound) join the band as their bass player. A couple months after the creation of the band they had to let Pierre-Luc go due to lack of professionalism. That's when i auditioned for them. Again, after one jam they knew they wanted me in the band so, a week after i was officially their new vocalist. We have done many shows last year, some in Montreal and a couple outside the town, St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Rimouski and St-Eustache. We did our biggest gig last March when we opened for Malignancy in Montreal. After that show our drummer Sean had to leave to be with his new family. There was no hard feelings. Replacing him now is Jean-Simon Larocque who is a young (19 years old) talented and devoted musician, he learned our songs really fast. I'm writing this interview one week before our first show with him, I'm sure it's gonna be brutal as fuck!

CB-When did you guys form? How many albums, ep's, and/or demos have you released?

AC- This year we recorded Exsanguinate 2nd full lenght at Anal Vomit Studios, it should be out soon. You can listen to one of the songs on our facebook page. Barbaric penetration had release 2 demos last year and we are currently recording for our 1st full length. Last year Vaginal Addiction released it's first demo, also recorded at Anal Vomit Studios. We are still writing for the first full length and we are looking for a label to sign a contract or something.

CB-Is there a particular band that you think defines CBDM?

AC-For me the most obvious one is Cryptopsy, but only the early years. The energy that comes out of their riffs is just so powerful. It was also one of the first BDM bands i've listened to along with Kataklysm (also just the early years).

CB-Do you have any major Canadian musician influences?

AB-I would have to say Sylvain Houde, Kataklysm first singer. The sounds he was able to produce where simply inhuman, out of this world. I can remember the first time i heard the song ''Beckoning of the Xul'' , i was blown away right from the start. The song begins with that screeching howl that turns into a deep growl, just those 3 seconds were enough fo me to know that i wanted to be a lead singer.

CB-Can you tell me one of the funniest memories you have with the band?

AC-The first time that Vaginal Addiction played in Québec city we rented a motel room. The show finished around 1-2:00 in the morning, we arrived at our motel room in a pretty drunken mood. We had still a lot of beer in the room and we were not ready to go to sleep, so party we did! At one point we took out the scenery from our drummer stuff and a guitar and we started to record a noise session, drunk as fuck, in a motel room at 3:00am.... haha Our bassist woke up from all the noise and said, in french ''On est dans un motel tabarnack, ya du monde qui dorment!!!''. That part was recorded and the next day when we listen to what we made we laughed so hard!! We deleted everything except that part cause it was so spontaneous and the rest was just garbage.

CB-What would you say is the essential Canadian Brutal Death Metal album?

AC- Cryptopsy – None so vile, Kataklysm – Temple of knowledge and Orchidectomy- A prelate's to attrition.

CB-Are the any newer Canadian Brutal Death Metal bands you like or enjoy listening to? njd

AC- I would have to say Ectopia Cordis which is a band coming from Montreal also. The intensity of their songs is just amazing, something like Putridity.

CB-Can you tell me the name of one CBDM band you have seen live who blew you away?

AC-I would say Conquer The Rotted From Rimouski in Québec. I saw and played with them 3 times and they always bring their best, their sound is really fucking brutal and fast, just as their energy. Keep an eye out for them, they have a bright future ahead
of them.

CB-Would you like to share any advice for upcoming acts or anyone who would just like to start playing music in general? 

AC-Just go for it, work hard and keep at it. I'm still young and new but i love what i do and i'm passionate about it. It's really the best feeling in the world being live on a stage.

CB-Do you like poutine?

AC- Ahaha!! Of course i like poutine i'm from Quebec! The best poutine in Montreal is at The Banquise on Rachel street, especially since they are open 24h.  All good shows end with a trip at the Banquise.

Canadian brutality would like to thank Arnaud for taking his time doing this interview with us make sure you check out and support his bands

EXSANGUINATE

BARBARIC PENETRATION

VAGINAL ADDICTION

This Thursday we interview Arnaud Cloutier of Exsanguinate, Barbaric Penetration and Vaginal Addiction

Interview with Geoff Geoffries

CB-Hey Geoff, thank you so much for doing this interview with Canadian Brutality.

GG-Thanks Bob, I'm stoked you gave me the chance to share!

CB-The first question I would like to ask you is what is the name of the band you are currently in? Also, have you been in different bands previously other than this one?

GG-I'm currently in four bands. I play guitar in the slam band Gravitational Distortion, do vocals in an old school goregrind band Human Compost, drums in the funny deathgrind band Vesication and drums again in Brain Spasm... Hey, aren't you also in Brain Spasm? As you can see I'm kind of a slut who likes to be too busy with music. I live for this shit so it's hard to resist joining bands, especially when it's with my friends. I used to play in Envenomation on guitar. It's a shame Enveno never got further than the EP and the two gigs, we had a great thing going on. I also played in a band called Creep Colony, that was my first metal band and frankly looking back I cringe at all the things we did wrong. But that's how it works; it's a learning experience.

CB-What is the major part in the band that you play? What do you mostly do or contribute to your band?

GG-See above. I also contribute to the song writing in Gravitational and Vesication, and the lyrics/vocal patterns in Human Compost. I have zero creative role in Brain Spasm whatsoever, which I like. It's good to have different levels of input if you are in several bands, keeps it interesting. Oh and I also tend to handle audio production duties when it comes to recording these bands.

CB-Can you give us a little bio about yourself?

GG-Sure. I started playing music in my teens, back in the days of nu-metal. I started a band with my high school friends and we played a few covers by bands like Incubus, Finger Eleven, Tool. That's a little lame I guess but it's also the truth. Nu-metal is really simple to play though, and I needed something more technical to listen to and play. One day I saw the video for The Philosopher by Death on Much Loud (remember that shit? When Much actually cared about broadcasting music) and from there I got hooked on real metal. I started experimenting at that time with learning drums and audio as well. After high school I got in touch with my first metal band, I think I found them on Craigslist? We played a couple of those ripoff ticket selling gigs before we stumbled into our natural environment - the Toronto metal scene. I never really got into the lameness of 'adulting', I just played music for ten years and developed myself. It's good to have supportive parents. But now I'm all grown up and I've cut my dreadlocks off and am working a real job and having a marriage on the way... while being busier than ever with music! 

CB-How many albums, ep's, and/or demos have you released? 

GG-Envenomation - Pyogenic Harvest EP
Vesication - Hungry Hungry Herpes EP, Prepare Uranus full length, EP for my Bunghole EP
Human Compost - Degradation of a Virgin Corpse EP, The Cold Flesh EP, Reduced to Human Sludge EP, From the Grave They Crawl full length
Gravitational Distortion - The Void Between Worlds full length
Brain Spasm - Toxic Monstrosities EP on its way...

CB-Do you think the BDM in canada has changed over the years?

GG-I dunno, it's hard to say when it never really held one cohesive identity? It's always been diverse, it never had a defining sound like say California BDM.

CB-Is there a particular band that you think defines CBDM?

GG-Cryptopsy is the obvious choice. I don't even like them that much, but it is what it is.

CB-Do you have any major Canadian musician influences?

GG-This is kind of a twist on how to answer your question but I do: those influences are my fellow musicians who I play with. For instance Conner Bond in Envenomation demonstrated to me how much sicker gutturals can be, showing me things like nasal sounds and such. Y'know, when the mic goes on your nose instead of your mouth. Carlos, who played drums with me in Enveno and for a while Gravitational, got me into slam. Eddie in Vesication/Human Compost often shows me cool grind and powerviolence bands. My bandmates who are way more skilled than me keep me humble. Etc. 

CB-Can you tell me the name of one CBDM band you have seen live who blew you away?

GG-When I was in my first metal band we played a show with the early incarnation (Arrived in Pieces era) of Corprophemia. We were like 'who are these guys?' and they totally fucking destroyed. Also Orchidectomy, every single time they played. Back in those days my attitude was a bit different, I was more competitive, so I basically couldn't handle how good these bands were compared to us. Looking back all I can say is those were some good fucking times, and some brutal fucking sets.

CB-What would you say is the essential Canadian Brutal Death Metal album?

GG-Cryptopsy - None So Vile

CB-Are there any newer Canadian Brutal Death Metal bands you like or enjoy listening to? 

GG-Corprophemia are sick. Deformatory blew my mind with their technical tightness at last year's Ontario Death Fest. Blastomycosis play some solid ass death metal. Serene Molestation are pretty sweet and funny too. I hope I'm not forgetting any, there are probably a few more who stand out in my mind. I just found out about Mors Verum - very talented guitar and vocals, those boys need a rhythm section so they can start conquering! And while we're at it let's get Latrodectus a drummer as well!

CB-Can you tell me one of the funniest memories you have with the band?

GG-One time Human Compost was staying in a hotel in Oshawa and Eddie farted some thick stench. We went to get dinner and came back an hour later and the room was still uninhabitable. And later that night for some reason we were dying of laughter over some of Confucius' ancient chinese wisdom: 'Man with hole in pocket feel cocky all day.' It really is the little things that make being in a band hilarious.

CB-Would you like to share any advice for upcoming acts or anyone who would just like to start playing music in general?

CG-The scene is your friend. Be respectful to it and the people and bands within it, and you will be supported. Pimp your fellow bands on social media. At shows, share gear and be quick about getting your shit off the stage. It's not a competition, it's a collective. If you're a jackass with a rockstar attitude it will come back to bite you in the ass. 

CB-What is the best poutine you have ever eaten and where did you get it?

GG-Our (Vesication) buddy Max from Montreal brought us to a diner called The Green Spot and my fuck, that poutine is good!

We would like to thank Geoff for taking time out of his busy band schedule and doing this interview with us make sure you go check out all his bands and like and support.

 www.facebook.com/gravitationaldistortion
 www.facebook.com/humancompostcanada
 www.facebook.com/vesication
 www.facebook.com/brainspasmgore

This Thursday we interview Geoff Geoffries from the many bands hes in Gravitational Distortion Human Compost Vesication Brain Spasm and EX- Envenomation