| Interview by Burt Wolf with drummer & vocalist, Alice Bludgeon of TORMENTULA. Interview done on Febuary 4th, 2002 |
| TAKE US BACK TO WHEN TORMENTULA WAS BORN, HOW YOU GOT TOGETHER, ETC...? We got together in 1997 as friends jamming, with nothing specific in mind (stylistically). After a few dismal months of attempting a couple of terrible covers, we discovered our calling. Our first song in the style of TORMENTULA was "Corn Cob"...based on an enraging experience I had as a cleaning lady. WHY WAS THE NAME TORMENTULA CHOSEN FOR THE BAND? I had written the lyrics & rhythm for "Caligula" in my head. I was sort of milling over them & started trying to rhyme words with "Caligula" for some unexplained reason & one of these words was "TORMENTULA". WHO OR WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR MAJOR INFLUENCES IN CREATING YOUR MUSIC? We don't strive for a sound made by other bands, but since we all listen to music I suppose it is unavoidable. I find music inspirational, but never consciously try to emulate it: EMPEROR, SLAYER, BATHORY, DESTRUCTION, SCORPIONS, ABBA, Nina Hagen, LED ZEPPLIN, SIGH, JUDAS PRIEST, MAYHEM, MOTORHEAD, CELTIC FROST, MERCYFUL FATE, IRON MAIDEN, VENOM, CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & much more of course. It's hard to sum up a wide range of tastes. WERE ANY OF YOU IN PREVIOUS BANDS BEFORE TORMENTULA? IF SO, WHICH BANDS? I was in a psychedelic band called PENTAPUS in the early 90's, then played drums in a band called SNAKES BETSY, where we only sang songs about Latvia in Latvian. That was a blast. The guitarist, Manerva Scurvy was in a two piece band called TRACTOR MAN & the bassist, Mortica Mangle was in DRIVE BY WENDY. SINCE TORMENTULA IS A 3 PIECE ALL FEMALE BLACK/DEATH METAL BAND, DO YOU FIND IT EASIER OR HARDER TO BE ACCEPTED BY OTHER BANDS? (For the record, I don't think we're Black Metal.) We have an acceptance rate of about 40%. Our music isn't tight enough for purists of any genre, so they can't handle it. We can usually impress touring bands...but as far as in town, they just view it as the same old, same old. HOW DID YOU GET HOOKED UP WITH SPEAKEASY RECORDS? The guy who started the label, Carl Johns, had monitored our progress for a year or so, then approached us with an offer to put out our first album. There were only two bands on the label at the time, us & his Country band called NOAH JOHN. I think he was very optimistic about having a record label, but after time, money ran out & reality hit, so he dropped the whole thing. YOUR CD "SUBMIT YOUR UNWORTHY SOUL" WAS RELEASED IN 1999. HOW WELL DID THAT ALBUM DO FOR YOU? I think it did well for us in the sense of getting our name out there. It's pretty amazing how many people heard of it before actually hearing it. So, that's really cool. Also, I think that that recording was really raw & very exciting. WHAT IS SOME OF THE LYRICAL CONTENT & HOW WOULD YOU BEST DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE & SOUND? The songs that I write & sing are usually about insanity & fear. They have a certain degree of humor as well as emotional sincerity. Our style comes very naturally to us, so it's really a mesh of our personallities that are ever changing. Our sound is abrasive, dreadful & sometimes confusing. THE "LURE OF THE GRIME" 7" IS YOUR LATEST RELEASE WHICH CAME OUT IN 2000. HOW WELL WAS THAT RECIEVED & IS THERE A NEW ALBUM IN THE WORKS? People liked it. The red vinyl is awesome & you have the option to play it on 45 rpm, which is super fun. We recorded 7 songs a couple of months ago & are in the process of mixing them. It's the best thing we've done thus far. WHO POSED FOR THE NICE BUTT SHOT ON THE COVER OF THE 7"? I did, but that's not really what my butt looks like. It's an illusion. Those pants are exactly half my size, so it's more like a jello mold. |
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