Rot In Hell Interview

This was in issue #2 of Downsided. Issue #3 will be out soon. Just gotta lay the prick out. Interview's a little dated, having seen life in the zine six months ago. Go figure. Since this they've released the split with The Process and the discog LP. New LP on Deathwish, "As Pearls Before Swine" is next.

Chaotic holy terror metallic hardcore much like good Integrity, Rot In Hell hail from somewhere(?) in the United Kingdom. Recently signed to Deathwish Inc, the band have a a few records already released, a disco LP on the way, and a new full length too. Seriously, one of my best finds last year by far. Get into ‘em.

What's the basic round up with the band? Formation? Members etc?
RIH existed as an eldritch entity festering in the imaginations of it's founding members like a slumbering leviathan for almost 15 years. Geography constantly conspired against us until 2006 when the band eventually manifested in its present incarnation and quickly set about alienating and frustrating audiences across the north of England. And yes, we do have members.

After inspecting all the records so far, and scouring websites etc, I can't figure out where about in the UK you guys are from. Where the fuck are you guys from? Is there any kind of scene?
Rot in Hell have been erroneously associated with a particular city in England with which we have only the most tenuous and transient bonds. That said we are fiercely proud of our northern origins.

Like with any info on where you guys are from, I can't find anything anywhere listing your names? Are you guys trying to create a shroud of secrecy around the band? Is it intentional?
Such information is on the whole superfluous and obsolete, serving only to inflate egos.

You guys currently have a few records out. The first being the demo 7". Was this originally a demo tape or CD or anything? I'm curious as hell. I haven't seen anywhere of an original format existing?
There was a very limited press of the Behavioural Resistance demo on cassette and cd-r, keep searching.

You've also got a couple splits out. One with Hordes and the other with Braindead. Both great bands. Two different kind of bands too. What's the scene like over there? Is it a varied kind of thing? Lots of metallic stuff? Lots of PV etc?
You are correct in your appraisal of our friends and associates Hordes and Brain Dead. From my perspective the scene is utterly bleak, uninspiring and unappealing, however, that probably reflects more on my personal psychological outlook rather than on the scene itself. As a band we don't really feel part of things, not that we are too good for the scene or anything, although we probably are, rather, the social aspect is lost on us. As you speculated there is a rich breadth of musical approaches in the scene, however, I'm not really clued up scene wise as to what's going on outside of our stinking practice room.

Throughout all of your releases to date, and on your myspace page etc, you guys use a lot of darker imagery, and it comes across that you subscribe heavily to the Holy Terror ideals etc, with the use of certain logos. Do you guys pay heavy attention to the Holy Terror Church of Final Judgement? Was Dwid joking? Is it real? Inform me?
Our initiation forbids explicit explanation to outsiders, however, Mr. Abernathy assures us that all will be revealed in time, or not.

I heard in another interview once of Holy Terror affiliated bands making financial contributions to the church also. Is this so? Surely this doesn't really happen?
Please refer to the previous response.

Holy Terror imagery and the like really seems to be taking off as of late. In the last 12 months there has been a massive rise in the number of holy terror bands, with all different sounds and styles. Why do you think this is so? Is it my imagination?
Whilst Rot in Hell do not acknowledge or subscribe to a "rebirth" of Holy Terror as such, the parallels, pyramids and synchronicity of the current coagulation of apparently like-minded, higher order thinkers is undoubtedly an encouraging phenomenon. MMVIII.

I hear A389 Records is set to release a discography of all of the bands stuff to date? What's going on with the release? CD? Vinyl? Is it like a prelude of things to come concerning the Deathwish Inc. LP? I heard talk of a split with The Process too? Since that's before the Deathwish stuff, will it make the disco?
"Hallways of the Always" as you correctly assert will be released on vinyl by A389 and also on CD by Violent Change records. It will chronologically document the band's releases to date as well some unreleased surprises.

Any new tracks on the disco? Details? How many etc?
Yes. No. No.

How did the hook up with A389 come about? I know that the label has a history releasing good metallic bands (Gehenna, Integrity etc).
The honourable Mr Romeo of the A389 recording company out of Baltimore, Maryland secreted a coded message in a slowed down song which when decoded invited us to join forces with him.

With that, Rot In Hell certainly has that typical early 90's Cleveland metal sound going on. When the band first came about, did you guys know what sound you wanted? Because everything so far sounds really on point and good.
Kind words indeed. I trust you've seen Jurassic Park? Each note has been painstakingly extracted from seminal Clevo records using a similar process to that which Sir Richard Attenborough employed in the aforementioned documentary film.

The vocals particularly. Great delivery. Human Furnace represent. Are the vocals a direct tribute to HF? Or is it more of a coincidence?
Again, we appreciate the compliment. Though Ringworm's early works remain an inspiration, the vocal execution is certainly no mere tribute to their former glories. That said, we're no great believers in coincidence either. Pyramids.

Back to the split with The Process. What's the deal with this one? How many tracks? How did you guys get the idea for it?
A reverential tribute to Donatien Alphonse François de Sade comprising on our part a track, which at the time of recording was by far our most accomplished piece. Ideas seep into the consciousness by immersing oneself in the cultures on which we draw inspiration.

From the title "The Works of Fate split- a celebration of the Marquis De Sade with The Process", there certainly seems to be some kind of a theme going on. What's the go? I'm vaguely familiar with what the Marquis De Sade is, but help me out?
There are electronic sources available; however, I wholeheartedly recommend that you seek out unabridged published editions of de Sade's work at your nearest opportunity. Keats and Yeats are on your side, but the Marquis de Sade is on mine.

Onto Deathwish. How did the deal come about? Deathwish really seems to be signing a shitload of bands lately. I think you guys would have to be the first English band to sign to the label? Correct?
Deathwish stumbled upon our work and invited us to join them; I think you may well be correct with regard to being the first English band on the label.

From what I can gather Deathwish normally seems to sign bands who get the opportunity to play out a lot more? So far I haven't seen Rot In Hell playing a massive number of shows. Like long tours or anything. Is there much of an opportunity for a local band to tour anywhere in the UK? Plans to do any extended touring in the future? America? AUSTRALIA??
We exclusively schedule our live performances to coincide with dates of esoteric significance, thus long tours do not adequately serve our purposes.

So when is the Deathwish material out? What can we expect? A full length? Ep?
We begin recording for our first Deathwish release next month, it has a working title of "Pearls before Swine" and will culminate in a full length long player. Logistical information, such as a release date, is unclear at this stage.

I'll be honest in admitting that I only tacked onto you guys with the Deathwish signing announcement. Have you guys found that you've had any kind of popularity increase since the international hook ups?
It would be hard to quantify popularity, and this is certainly not a motivating factor for the band anyway.

So far, all the stuff has seen a vinyl release. Any collector nerds in the band? Any worthy additions to any collections lately? Any crown jewels?
The prevailing motivation is that the vinyl format lends itself better to our aesthetic preferences and ritualistic machinations than CD or digital does. Vinyl presents more opportunities for unique and elaborate artwork and packaging, hidden tracks, locked grooves and so on. The limited nature of the releases is intended to frustrate and delight in equal measure. Ultimately we don't want our music to be just another "product" of a neutered and redundant music scene to be consumed and forgotten by the kind of unimaginative human garbage that collectively inspired us in the first place. Wild hunts or goose chases, it's all the same to me.

So obviously you guys have a busy schedule over the next few months. New split, disco, new LP, touring etc. Any idea of extended plans after all that? Future plans for the band?
The veil will lifted at any moment, ready yourself.

Any thanks?
We humbly supplicate ourselves to Mr Abernathy.