Leo: G'day dude. Thanks for the interview. Actually throughout 2012 when I began making Meatal Ulcer demos I spent much more time than I ever had looking into space. I saw a comet for the first time, a strange aircraft with different lights compared to others I normally see. This was more like the high beams of a car flying around. I saw something else for the first time I think might have been a weather balloon. I Was probably more likely having a cigarette at the time but if I do have a local brew of choice it's Carlton Draught.
Jack: Greetings comrade. I’m good. Welcome to space. Ive been up here for a while now and i don’t plan on on landing. I like the scenario you described, preferably it would involve the presence of a female. i drink local brewed alcohol on occasions but i would much rather indulge in other mind expanding substances.
As far as I know, Meatal Ulcer is a studio project. Have you ever thought about Meatal Ulcer as a full-time band with tours and gigs?
Leo: Yes that's correct, just a studio project so far. At the moment I'm thinking this will stay a studio project for a few more years. But live is something I'm definitely thinking about. If it all goes to plan I am aiming to build a solid discography first and then picking the best tracks to make an awesome setlist and lineup that's ready to tour practically anywhere. I'm really looking forward to play with other extreme bands in their countries. That is a big dream for me.
Jack: It’s on the cards and i’d love to do it. I want to make sure we can replicate the sound we have made on the recordings in a live scenario first.
Would it be right to say that MU is a follow-up to Die Pigeon Die? And what happened with the last?
Leo: I don't think Meatal Ulcer is a follow up to Die Pigeon Die. If that's what people know us from I'm stoked with that but I always wanted Die Pigeon Die to be the best band possible. Most of the time in Meatal Ulcer I'm not thinking about being the best band possible, I'm just programming drums, making riffs and doing vocals sort of on autopilot mode.
Jack: Each its own beast. Meatal Ulcer is actually Leo’s beast. He writes the drum programming and i just change up some arrangements and write some riffs and vokills. I’m in a completely different zone in each band. Both bands mentioned have different writing/recording processes and intentions. DPD is still working on 2 split 7”s and a follow up full length. Most of it has been written but I have no idea when we record it. We want it to sound better than the first release. My car is fucked at the moment and we don’t have a jam space right now. DPD has just been making the occasional live appearance every now and then.
Leo: Yeah, this was the first time releasing a vinyl on Rampant Thrush. WWID was also my first vinyl appearance with one of my own bands. and I’m stoked with how it came out. I’ve had some spare time to work on something like a label which I’ve always wanted to do. I’m happy how everything has come out so far. I’ve made some great contacts and i like seeing where my records and tapes are ending up around the globe. In the future i would like to release some other genres including hardcore or noisecore and i would like to not be strictly limited to goregrind or gorenoise.
Upcoming releases planned for Rampant Thrush are;
Rectal Nectar - Gangster Gorenoise 2014 demo cassette
Entrenched Ingurgitation / Meatal Ulcer pro-cassette
S.M.E.S. / Meatal Ulcer split 7"
More limited edition t-shirts of underground bands.
Jack: I’m just a Janitor at Rampant Thrush. Sometimes i help with the assembly line, design & packaging, dispatch / delivery etc. Ive been getting into trades which has been awesome. I’m really happy with how the LP version of ‘Why Wont it Die’ came out. It’s probably the sickest release i have been involved in to date. Sick like a cancer patient.
Do you like to eat well done stakes or with blood in it?)
Leo: Definitely medium. I like to season all the steaks i cook with some McCORMICK Season-All spice and Italian Herbs
Jack: Depends on what cut of steak we are talking about or what animal I’m eating. But generally medium - well done.
What about Bach, Mozart, Lady Gaga, or you only listen to brutal music?)
Leo: Bach and Mozart I can enjoy. Timeless stuff which can be used again and again in music and films.
Jack: Piano was the first instrument i started to learn so i have an appreciation for this music. Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Mussorgsky i’d say are worth a mention. i can’t remember what Lady Gaga sounds like. I’ve just heard the same old rumours that she’s a Herm…? I listen to a lot of music i think people wouldn’t consider brutal.
Leo: In my life I’m use to experiencing things like fear, trauma, pain, death, defeat, hatred, violence, madness and sleaze. Meatal Ulcer is a good outlet on those things for me.
Jack: I’m inspired by drugs, sex, corruption, near-death experiences, outer-body experiences, hospitals, hallucinations, time and space, different perceptions and the thin line between reality and illusion. Ive had some crazy shit happen in my time so most of my inspiration comes from personal life. When recording with Meatal Ulcer I’ve always been in an ‘Altered state of Consciousness’ so its hard tell you where the creativity comes from because you weren’t in that place… at that time.
I read about the most dangerous creatures in Australia. Is there really such wide variety of killers, from insects to Carcharodon carcharias (white shark)?
Leo: Yeah there are some pretty nasty animals here. I've encountered some stingrays in the wild. Heaps of snakes in the bush. Although i mostly just see spiders and insects in suburbia. I found a tiny scorpion on my toilet floor once and i tested its stinger with a piece of paper
Jack: Your readings are correct, except you forgot to mention the most dangerous animal we have out here. The ‘Drop Bear’. Its a vicious fucker that will just drop out of a tree from nowhere and savagely fuck you up. You really don’t want to be attacked by one of these motherfuckers . The majority of Australians from an early age eat this stuff called ‘Vegimite’ which has been scientifically proven to increase the size of your balls. So most Australians are just straight up super brutal sick and tough motherfuckers who can handle this kind of danger without any fear.
Generic question: what MU plans for 2014?
Leo: Make every release heavier, crazier and noisier than the previous one.
Jack: Make Meatal Ulcer more trippy.
I am really fond of pitched vocal. What effects do you use to make such infernal sound?
Leo: We use a Digitech vocal 300. Mostly using just straight 1 and 2 octave shifted effects. Sometimes delays and maybe on one song a flanger effect. I have to thank our mate Nik who I asked to program some custom goregrind presets into the pedal for us, he helped us fine tune the mentioned pedal as he is a fine gore/noise connoisseur. We recorded that on a really shitty amateur home studio as well which helped keep a nice rough sound. Just from pedal to 3.5MM line in...no interface. Thanks to Ioannis and Geoff aswell for mixing Meatal Ulcer to make it sound so brutal.
Jack: Digitech Vocal 300 and Syrup. For me the more fucked up and demented they sound before running the effects is the way to achieve such an infernal sound.
Jack: LDOH and RGTE are pretty religious to me. I like some Dead Infection from I what i have heard and own, but I’m not really in any position to comment on Impetigo as I’m not familiar with there stuffs. Gut, Neuro-Visceral Exhumation, Bodies Lay Broken and Lymphatic Phlegm are equally on my list of titans.
Leo: Same, I also like to live dangerously.
Do you like to read brand-new grindcore fanzine, smell the scent of paper and all that stuff? Tell us about if there’re fanzines in Australia.
Leo: I'm not a big reader of fanzines. I got Metempsychosis issue 1 a few months ago which was filled with plenty of bands I am interested in.
Jack: I only own 2 Australian zines. Vomitose issues 1 & 2 which were from 05/06. Both have cool reviews and interviews. I think theres a new photo zine out here right now called Bad Teeth. I like to smell the sweet scent of Marijuana.
We would like to know the name of the artist that created your album cover. It’s simply a masterpiece! Who is this person, come on, tell us!)
Leo: The artwork was done by our friend Xavier. You might know him from bands like Roskopp, Fuck I'm Dead and The Day Everything Became Nothing. He's art is insane. I hope we get a chance to get another album cover done by him in the future.
Jack: aka ‘The Loaf’. Xavier is one of the most awesome dudes i know. He hand painted the artwork and i 100% agree that it is a masterpiece. He also plays in these bands right now - Birdcage, Trade and his solo project Skyscraper.
Well, I guess there’s no need to ask if you like gore movies. Could you name your favorites? What movie would be great to have MU music as a soundtrack?
Leo: Yeah i like watching movies. Some of my favourites are The Exorcist 1 & 3. The Fly 1 & 2, Silence of the Lambs, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Blue Velvet and No Country for Old Men. I think Meatal Ulcer would be a great soundtrack to American Psycho because I would like to finish this band in a psychotic episode, having trouble distinguishing what really happened and whether the band actually ever existed in real life or was just a figment of my imagination.
Jack: Hard to pick favourites. i like zombie movies, post-apocalyptic movies, futuristic shit, psychological horrors/thrillers and extreme foreign films. I like movies from these directors; Clive Barker, David Lynch, Harmony Korine and Gasper Noe. Movies to have Meatal Ulcer as a soundtrack for me would be; The ABC’s of Death, Hobo with a Shotgun, Enter the Void, Martyrs. Maybe some cartoons like Superjail, Ren & Stimpy or Adventure Time.
PSHHHHH…. Houston, we’re landing, pshhhhh…. Thank you so much for this interview, any last words?)
Leo : Penis
Jack: Smoke Weed Erryday
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