INTERVIEW with FUNERAL WHORE

FUNERAL WHORE returns with the second full-length!  “Phantasm” is a brutal and dark old-school death metal album conceptually inspired by the 80s horror film with the same name.  Roy-guitars/vocals and Kellie-guitars answered some questions about Metal, horror movies, graveyards and more… The Funeral is about to begin, readers.   

Now that you’ve been through the period of writing, rehearsing, and recording “Phantasm”, how would you describe it in terms of how it sounds but also in terms of how it looks? Could you share with us few details of the recording process?

Roy: The writing of the songs itself took up a lot of time. Many people think, backed by the primitive nature of our style, that it would have been a piece of cake. But that is something that has been overestimated. To build strong solid songs, it takes strong riffs, solid percussion and especially the length of the riffs and songs have to be well balanced. Over and over we took a look at our 11 songs to keep checking of everything was still in good shape after rehearsing and listening. The recording on the other hand, was done pretty quick. We did not came across any major problem. The mean reason was because we knew what we wanted and also our producer Sven Post (Retaliation Audio) knew what we wanted. Phantasm sounds dark, evil and full of groove, just the way we had it in mind. The overall quality is not underproduced but certainly not polished. There’s a studio report clip on the net which guides you through the days of recording of Phantasm.

The samples you used on the whole album fits perfect with the music, helping to link the film and the music as a whole. You already used a sample as intro for the song that gives name to your debut album, the intro of “Step into damnation” says the quote...”you think that when you die you go to heaven? You come to us!” [which is a great quote and sounds perfect for that killer death metal song] When did you come up with the concept about Phantasm?

Roy: Back in 1999/2000 I was remembering seeing a horror movie on BBC back in the early 90ties together with my brother. We were both very young and it was the 1979 Phantasm movie that scared the shit out of us. Angus Scrimm had this very eerie look, that doesn’t need much make up to make your skin crawl. I started to search for that movie and ordered all parts on VHS tape at that time, later on DVD. It was still fascinating to see this horror icon at work in those movies. Already during the Step into Damnation period I already walked around with that concept in mind because of the sample. It was also at that time I saw special edition boxes of Phantasm and the possibility of a 5^th sequel. So, I had a small passion for this movie for a long time. The Phantasm album is a logic outcome of that.

What do you find appealing or fascinating about this movie [or the whole saga] to write a conceptual album about it? Could you talk about your favourite scene(s)?

Roy: The Tall Man, played by Angus Scrimm is a horror icon a part just like Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees. The difference with Angus Scrimm and the rest is the fact he’s scary without anything. His height, hairdress and cold look on his face makes him unique. He appears on cemeteries and mortuaries and lives already for decades. These are the perfect elements for us to write down this album. The movie play in all times on desolated wasted lands. A very dark and unhuman evil environment. True place for death metal.

One of the most awesome scene’s is the moment the Tall Man lifts Tommies coffin all by himself, placed it in the hearse and drove away. Another shot was from part 4 were they actually used unseen footage from the first Phantasm back from 1979. The Tall Man’s first death was made by Jody and Michael when they hung him on a gallows on a tree. That same night the Tall Man whispered with the wind to a half sleeping Michael. He went back to the place of death, founding a hanging Tall Man who suddenly came alive and ordering him to cut him down. That sample is now used on our track “When Live Turns to Ashes”.

There are lots of more very cool scenes but to many to mention.

Step into damnation was released four years ago, why did it take so long to release a new full-length?

Roy: That’s because we had a lot of lineup problems in the band. Funeral Whore is not just a “fun” thing to do, it’s hard working too. Some people found out it was not the right band for them so they had to leave. It is very important to have the right people in the band or else, sooner or later, the band will collapse. That is why we had these many changes at those years. Just when you think everything is fine, someone wants to quit. Fine by us but we go on till the end, whatever it takes.

What differences and similitudes do you find comparing “Phantasm” with “Step…?

Roy: The big difference between the 2 albums is the production. Step was recorded, mixed and mastered in 3 days! Now we had oceans of time because our friend Sven Post (Retaliation Audio) recorded us without a deadline. The sound of Phantasm is much more dense, filthy and rough. We had left the noise guitar riff edges still in the songs. The style is still in the same direction. Some songs from Step  would fit easily on Phantasm.

I like the variety of tempos along the whole album, with slow parts, dark melodies, mid-paced tempo and fast death metal riffs, a good example is “ When Life Turn To ashes”, [one of my faves] Do you have a favourite song on the album?

Roy: I really like our own songs and I get really aggressive from our own stuff. That indicates for me personally  that album is doing his job. Therefor I cannot say that I have some favorite tracks because I really like them all. The perform LIVE will be Down the Abyss.

What was the reason for the changes in the line up? Was it easy to find suitable musicians who quickly adapt themselves to the style funeral whore?
Kellie; We only want fanatic people who wants to work hard and want to put Funeral Whore as 1 of their top priorities. We had different line-up changes and it’s never easy to find the right people, but…. Now we’re complete and 2016 will be a good year! So be ready for more and more Funeral Whore!!!

Before the release of step you released the split “Two Morbid Ways To die” with Profanal, with two re-recording of the songs “Erase the Lunatics” and “Seal the Crow” that were originally recorded on your “Morbid Intentions”  EP and then in your demo “Dead Upon The Cross”. Why did you choose to re-record those songs?

Roy: They were never re-record. Those 2 tracks came straight from the Morbid Intension EP. So there must have been some misunderstanding here.

The, before releasing Phantasm you released another split with Obscure Infinity, “Summon the Undead” feature two new songs. Did you record those songs as a way of “warm up” before recording the album? Where written at the same time you wrote the songs for “Phantasm”?

Roy: Those songs were written and recorded just before we started with Phantasm. We did a split with our sisterband Profanal as a statement of brotherhood. We did the same with Obscure Infinity which is also a strong brotherhood band. It was the idea to record 2 songs on that split but it was only possible to place 1 due the size of the vinyl and length of 2 songs. Traces of Death is now on that Obscure Infinity split and the other song will be used for a split in the near future. 
You describe your style as Old School Death Metal, which bands and musicians influenced you and inspired you to form the band? the ones you feel have helped influence Funeral Whore´s music and sound most over the years?
Roy: Some people say we sound like Grave. I say we sound like Into the Grave. That is completely something different. The first 2 albums from Grave had that typical build up of sounds and primitive guitar riffs. They simply stopped with that ragging style and turned into nothing spectacular anymore. Their  10 following albums are far from those early 2 albums. So were they stopped, we picked it up. As simple as that.

How did you end up choosing FUNERAL WHORE for your band's name? Was it inspired by a horror b-movie?

Kellie; haha no, there is no particular reason for it… at the moment Roy came up with this band name it was just for fun because I never had a guitar in my hands before. So I started to play guitar and we searched for other band members, that was the beginning of what Funeral Whore is at this moment!!! 

Besides horror movies what other themes inspire your lyrics?  Song titles like “El Salvador Death Squad” or “Threesome” are quite descriptive but please dig a little deeper into it…

Roy: I saw the brutality video images from the El Salvador Death Squad on the Traces of Death DVD series and I came up with the idea to work something out from this. I am crazy about beautiful women and when I go to sleep, most of the times I dream about the most sexy ladies on earth. That’s a bit why and how I came up to write down Threesome. Unholy and obscene, the way it is seen. 

How did you get linked to the Mexican label chaos records for the release of Step into Damnation?

Roy: We met the label on the net when we were in search for something. Victor, the label owner, contacted us and made us a great offer at that time. Things turned out very well and especially with the PA after the release. Step into Damnation became a pretty success in the small underground scene.

How did you get the opportunity to tour in Mexico with Mystifier? How would you describe the experience?  If there is any weird or funny story please share it with us…

Kellie; our Mexican friend Mauricio asked us for this tour with Mystifier, and of course we said YES and it was AMAZING!!! I met Mauricio on the net when he was asking me for help with shows in The Netherlands for his band…

Of course I helped him out and we met here in the Netherlands, after this great time we get this amazing opportunity!!! We also recorded 4 songs there that will be released later this year, it will be a split CD with our Mexican friends Bloodkiller.  The Mexican people are very kind, fanatic and enthusiastic!! We really hope to go back some day for a second tour!     

Roy: There were so many cool and weird things up there. The climb the Aztec pyramids was for me very very special. As a kid I had read a lot about this piece of history on school and it deeply fascinated me. Also, Van Dune our bass player was my school mate (1994-1998) who also had read about it in history lessons and now, together we could climb and stand on top of the place of beheading,  thousands of years ago. We took some nice, unforgettable band pictures up there that will be used for future plans.

How did you get along with the guys of Mystifier? What do you think about their music? Do you like old school black metal bands?

Roy: We did well with those guys but none of us did look up against them like “Woow these are the masters, woow we bow to the big famous names” Funeral Whore is not that type of band. We see other bands just like us, equal. I’m saying this because I know that a lot of bands look up or are “fan” of other bands who made name in the scene or something.  Mystifier is a good underground band with absolutely a strong act on stage but musically  totally not my style.

The communication between us and Mystifier was a bit difficult because of the language but with all it was a great experience and we had a great time up there!

You already played quite some gigs in Europe, were there any special one for you?

Roy: Last year in Turin Italy was very cool because we did not knew what to expect. Valerio Leynir from the black metal band  Enisum  had took care for us in a unforgettable way. The first gig at the Deavacian cellar was really,  really cool.  We also did a small tour around Eastern back in 2014, that was also killer together with Deathronation and Toderlebend. Awesome gigs and a super moment of time.

Kellie; wow that’s a difficult question, we had many shows that were special for us! I’ll name a couple; In Flammen Open Air, Berlin shows, Paris, AJZ Bahndamm, Italy etc…

How do you describe your shows? I have seen cool pics of the band on stage with crosses and headstones, staging a graveyard...How do you think it would be a perfect show for a band like Funeral Whore?

Roy: Always stay loyal to your supporters, never ever give them up. They are there because they like your music. For that small group of true underground Metal heads we go over the limits. 300% attitude. No shitty static performance but really slamin’ the stage with all aggression from the bottom of the soul. The fans will usually  go insane and you’ll absorb that extreme energy now strength, which you just launched on stage. And that goes on the whole gig, from the first song to the very last note. When that happens, the show will be a success.  Size doesn’t matter in this situation. If you play for 50 people or 500 people, you need that evil spiral energy burst  that starts at yourself.

Do you like and enjoy visiting cemeteries in your country or when you travel?

Roy: I like to check them out when I’m in the area or when we need some new video shots for a promo but we are not idiots. We do not carry a sleeping back to sleep up there or performing some rituals at night up on some old tombstones. We have more important and cooler things to do.

What´s your view and opinion about the current scene in your country?

Roy: Nothing special to say about this. There’s no scene for us. Metalcore, slamdeath, grind or extreme brutal death metal is not the music I like to listen but is highly adored in the Netherlands. So, you understand that this trendy “scene” is a complete different world in which I do not want to be in.

What is the strangest place and the most shocking one that you´ve been?

Kellie; Shocking??? No shocking places until now, we aren’t difficult people haha.

Roy: I agree with that aldo the skydive I did this year was pretty unusual and strange for me but very very cool.

What are your current future plans?

Roy: There’s a very special and very limited tape edition from the Phantasm album coming up later this year so keep an eye on our facebook or bandcamp page.

Kellie; We want to spread our music all over the world, release nice albums and do cool splits! Do many shows in and out of Europe and do some tours and ofcourse ENJOY everything, meet new people etc.

Thanks for your time, Is there anything else you would like to add?

Kellie; I want to thank you for this cool interview! And if anyone wants to contact us, please email us funeral_whore@hotmail.com or send us a message on  facebook! Or contact us in person [Kellie Chopper, Roy Grimreaper, Van Dune Macabre, Nick de Vet].

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