Just twenty days ago, Funeral Chant released their self-titled demo. 100 independently released cassette tapes comprised of 5 original songs, 1 Repugnant cover. The tapes sold out in just over a fortnight. And no wonder they moved so quickly. Funeral Chant is at once novel and completely fulfilling. A sound unlike anything you’ve heard before, and yet the band seems to somehow capitalize on all of your pre-existing tastes. Like meeting a stranger and feeling like you’ve been best friends your whole life, except the stranger is actually omniscient and evil, and that's how they know you so well, and you're doomed. So, to gain a better understanding of the macabre spell they’ve cast on the world, we reached out to Funeral Chant.
With whom from Funeral Chant have we made contact?
Cruel Force.
What was lacking in the current landscape of extreme metal that you sought to bring into being with Funeral Chant?
This band does not exist to fill any void in the current landscape of extreme metal, we create these songs for our own sake.
What brought on the end of Dead Man, and the beginning of Funeral Chant?
Though Funeral Chant began shortly after the demise of Dead Man, it was never intended to be a continuation of Dead Man. It began in the beginning of 2014 as a collaboration between myself and Doom of Old with † Voidbringer joining later on. After spending a long time searching for the proper bass player, it became clear that Vomitor was the right choice.
Were there things you all did in Dead Man that you intentionally wanted to avoid doing in Funeral Chant? Flipping it: were there things you wanted to rollover from Dead Man?
We do not make a conscious decision to include or exclude specific aspects of Dead Man. Since we are the same people writing these songs, there are bound to be some similarities. The largest difference is the lack of Kyle, the vocalist of Dead Man. He contributed a significant force that cannot be recreated by anyone else.
Would you describe for us where Funeral Chant practices/rehearses?
Nah.
† Voidbringer executed the artwork on Dead Man's The All Too Well Known. Did they also do the artwork for the Funeral Chant tape?
He is responsible for the artwork for this demo, and will likely create the artwork for our future releases as well. We all trust that he will continue to accurately represent our music in visual form.
Who does the bulk of the songwriting for FC? Is it a collaborative effort?
It varies from song to song, but it’s ultimately a collaborative process.
How did you decide on the Repugnant cover?
I was listening to Repugnant nearly every day when we first started the band. In the end I don’t think we sound much like them, but they have been an undeniable influence. It seemed fitting to me to pay tribute to them and everyone else agreed.
Can you tell me about where Funeral Chant recorded their demo? Did the band record live, and then layer guitars and vocals, or was it even more necro than that?
The demo was recorded at Secret Bathroom Recording Studio here in Oakland. We recorded the songs live with additional guitars and vocals tracked separately.
Alright, let's talk about the five original songs themselves. Was there ever a question that "Spiral Into Madness" was the opening track?
We considered opening with a couple of the other songs, but as soon as we wrote the introduction of Spiral it became clear that it belonged first.
Which is your personal favorite track on the demo?
Morbid Ways
How long did the band work on these five Funeral Chant songs? Are any of them reworked Dead Man songs?
These songs are between two and three years old. Although the bulk of the material was written shortly after Dead Man, none of it was ever meant for that band.
Was "Funeral Chant" the first song you wrote as Funeral Chant?
No, that arrived later.
There are several other Funeral Chants out there. What made you guys say "fuck it," and name yourself that anyway? (NB: I have no problem with there being several Funeral Chants, or multiple Pentagrams, or a veritable buttload of Carnages, for that matter. I'm just now presented with the unique opportunity to ask a band [of compatriots] why they went with a name that's been taken several times over, a perennially hot button issue in the underground, and I'm loath to pass it up.)
We chose it because it felt like the proper title for what we create. There are other bands that share the name in various states of activity, but none are in the US and it has not become an issue so far.
You've provided us with some live videos. Could you tell us about the shows from which they were captured?
The first two videos were captured by Sam Caparros who documents many shows in the bay area and the third was recorded by James who runs Transylvanian Tapes. We appreciate their work and their effort broadcasting what is happening in the bay area to the rest of the world.
What's your outlook on live shows? Are they an important part of your existence as a band, or are they something you only engage in but rarely?
Live music is a unique experience and plays an important role for us. The frequency of shows is not a concern though. We intend to continue playing live when appropriate opportunities arise.
Let's talk a little bit about your guitar tone. For the gearheads out there, what kind of amps and cabs are you guys using?
We utilize the tools we have to create the sounds we seek. Our equipment has changed over time and is not a direct influence on the writing of our music, therefore it is not important which brands or models are being used. In our opinion the quest for tone is an unnecessary distraction. Usually you will find us using electric guitars with distortion and time based effects pedals through loud, high gain amplifiers plugged into speaker cabinets loaded with four 12” speakers.
What's your favorite band in the Bay Area currently?
Autopsy… There are quite a few good metal bands in the bay area encompassing a very wide variety of styles. Listing them all would be difficult, but many of them have released music through Transylvanian Tapes and Sentient Ruin Laboratories.
Okay, so I'm an asshole wearing a Disturbed shirt, and I ask you what kind of music your band plays. What do you tell me?
Death Metal.
Okay, so I'm an elite mother fucker wearing an o.g. Pestilence Consuming Impulse shirt, and I ask you what kind of music your band plays. What do you tell me?
Death Metal.
When can the world expect some Funeral Chant merch?
This year.
What's next for Funeral Chant? Will you ever repress the tapes for the hoarders out there that missed out on the inital hundo?
We may repress the cassette in the future. For now there are still a handful of copies available locally, from Caligari Records, and from Duplicate Records.
Can you tell us about the recent development with Duplicate Records?
Duplicate Records offered to press a vinyl of our opus, to which we were obliged to accept. More details will follow.
