PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Mark Gleed, vocalist from Amputated chats with Planetmosh to tell us about the band, what they have been up to, what you can expect from them when they take Damantion by storm on Saturday, 1st November at 1pm on the Terrorizer Stage, their future plans plus more!
Can you give the readers a quick introduction to the band please.
We are a long standing UK brutal death metal band based out of Bristol in the southwest.
What has changed since you first started out in 2002?
There has been a lot of change since the bands inception, apart from the general sound of the band evolving and becoming more extreme with each album, we have also been through quite a few members over the years (Gareth Arlett the drummer being the only remaining original member) , especially the last couple, with myself (Mark Gleed) joining as the new vocalist for the latest release “Dissect Molest Ingest” being the biggest alteration to affect the sound of the band, but as members have come and gone the outlook of the band has always been the same, we just want to play brutal and disgusting music and have a good time doing it.
How would you describe your sound.
We play an extremely heavy blend of modern death metal that is influenced by both the late 80’s/ early 90’s Florida and Swedish old school death metal sound and the more modern principles of frantic blasts and big slams and guttural vocals etc . It’s all about big punishing, heavy grooves and disgusting lyrical content, it’s nothing particularly groundbreaking, but it’s not meant to be, it’s good old fashioned death metal just taken up a notch to meet today’s standards of brutality. I consider what we do to be the musical equivalent of a particularly nasty horror movie.
What has been the bands biggest achievement so far?
There are quite a few that we as a band are proud of so it’s hard to choose, of course Bristol is not exactly known for its extreme metal scene, (even less so when the band was formed) so coming from this area and managing to break through into the international scene and sign with a highly respected American record death metal label (Sevared Records) is definitely an achievement we are proud of, but aside from that I can honestly say that playing this years Damnation fest is up near the top of the list, especially since we will be playing in the company of several bands who inspired us to play this music in the first place. It’s a massive honor for us.
How was the Berlin & Gothenburg Deathfest’s and your recent Euro gigs?
We had a great time on the recent euro tour, Both Berlin and Gothenburg deathfest’s were excellent, brilliant crowds and brilliant organisation, and the dates in Italy were a blast as well, there were a lot of fans who had been waiting a long time to see us and it was great to meet the fans every night as well as makes new ones, and of course there was a great deal of drinking and general good times with friends both old and new.
What can the audience expect from you at the festival.
We will be playing a good mix of stuff from the new album and old favorites, as we have a half hour slot we have trimmed our set down and switched out some songs with others so we will be playing a very high energy set full of the heaviest slabs of filth we have to offer, we fully intend to start off proceedings on the terrorizer stage with a bang.
What are you looking forward to most at Damnation?
We are obviously really excited about playing, but afterwards there are so many great bands we cant wait to watch, and we love the festival atmosphere that damnation always manages to create so will enjoy the experience of the fest in general and getting to interact with the metal fans who travel from all over to attend the fest is always awesome
What is your opinion of the Damnation line-up.
Personally I think it’s the strongest lineup they have ever pulled off, not only in terms of the quality of the bands playing but also the variety of sounds, metal sub-genres these days have a massive variety in sound and I think this years lineup has a great balance with something for everyone. It’s a perfect bill for the fests 10th anniversary and several of my all time favorite bands are in the same building on the same day and none of them are clashing so I’m more than happy, I would be making the effort to attend weather we were on the bill or not, the fact that we are just makes it that bit sweeter.
Can you sum up Damnation in one sentence!
Damnation Festival has become a treasured cornerstone of the UK festival calendar and is an essential event for extreme metal fans and I am sure it will remain so for a very long time
How would you describe the metal music scene today. What has changed over the last few years?
I think in many respects it’s the strongest it has ever been, sure there is not the money or fame etc you would find in the 80’s, but there are so many bands and fans out there passionate about the music that the scene is growing everyday and is more creative and vibrant than it has ever been, plus with the internet these days it has become more of a global scene, making it easier for fans around the world to connect with each other and for bands to reach people all over the world and spread their music like never before, metal is definitely not the overnight fad the critics thought it would be when it started out, it is very much here to stay
What is the worst and best bits about being in a band?
I could go on about the worst bits all day hahaha, but seriously, The worst parts are probably the sleep deprivation and general discomfort of travelling long distances, and the time you have to spend away from family and friends, and the strain that being a travelling musician or (just being in a band in general) can put on relationships both inside and outside of the band, as well as the odd occasions when things go wrong with promotion etc. The best parts are also the traveling, getting to visit new places and meet new people (we always take time out to see the sights wherever we go), getting to play the music you love to like minded people around the world makes any suffering more than worth it, it is a truly amazing experience that to me is the very heart and soul of metal, I also love discovering new and exciting bands we play with on tour that I might have never heard of otherwise.
You have a few UK dates already lined up in November, what are your plans for the rest of the year and next year?
Yeah we have a couple of weeks off after the run of dates this week then we will be heading out on another jaunt at the end of November around the UK for our last string of shows for the year, we might also be squeezing in another big show in December but that is still in talks at the moment so sadly I cant elaborate on that, then we will take some time to settle down and catch our breath, start making plans for some big tours next year and of course start thinking about writing the next album.
Any message you wish to pass on to the PM readers?
Would just like to say thanks for taking the time to read the interview and thanks to those of you who check us out on our page, to anyone who is attending Damnation festival we sincerely hope you come and check us out and help us start Damnation’s tenth birthday party with a bang. stay brutal, Mark Gleed \m/
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/amputated
http://amputated.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sevared-Records/19369142064548
Berlin Deathfest 2014 Photo Credit – Laura Vanselow www.lovepeaceandrocknroll.wordpress.com
