INTERVIEW:

Hi Dustin, your debut album is called Adapt or Burn. How have you adapted to the current Covid-19 pandemic? How is the situation in Alberta? What impact had the quarantine on each of the band members?
The situation in Edmonton is just like everywhere else. Panic, hysteria, con-artists, ignorance, conspiracy.. the herd is afraid, man. Two months into this and there's zero fucking integrity. Ironically though most people here seem to be more concerned about getting back to having their veil of bullshit crammed in there face instead of just accepting that things right now are fucked and that it's ok to be afraid just be cool for fuck sake. There's a lot of negative shit happening because of the pandemic but there's also positive and breakthrough advances happening in the medical fields, and the mental health of a large portion of people who don't have to work face to face with the assholes at the office because of the social distancing. As for myself I had been on a seasonal lay-off from my work so when the quarantine happened I was already zuggin. The other guys are pretty well chillin' too. We'll see how it goes when the pogi and side gigs dry up. Things may get...drastic, haha. I'll just disappear into the woods is all.

Although formed 5 years ago the band has the same line-up as when it started, am I right? How come you resisted without any line-up changes?
Correct. We are the same three. Most likely because we all get along really well for the most part and a three piece is much easier to maintain as far as scheduling goes.

The topics you talk about in your lyrics seem multiple and quite diverse, correct? How do you decide what to write about when working on a new track? Are lyrics still important in nowadays' World when noone has any more time for buying an actual CD, not even mentioning reading a booklet?
With the subject matter we generally apply a dark humor approach with a working title. "Knee Deep in Bitch Meat" for example is about shitty relationships. We're all fans of horror so songs like "Ver-man" and "Brown Blood Boots" are made up shit. I personally like real violence and real trials so a song about crocodiles is just as appealing as one about a street fight or doing drugs or figuring out who the fuck you even are. We have a lot of source material in the band from personal life experience so there's no lack of inspiration when it comes to fucked up shit. Our drummer, Cody, is a prime example of that. Makes you appreciate your problems with some of the stories him and I have discussed. When it comes down to it however I don't really care about lyrics and that specifically, more of an after thought. Riffs and drums reign supreme in my world. Besides, most lyrics in extreme music are fucking boring, man. I'm more interested in who did what on the album, so that's why I buy hard copy. That and I have the means to play the shit. A lot of people only rep a phone so Spotify is king.

You play Death Metal, plain and straight-forward, no compromise, no gimmicks, am I right? What made you decide you're going to take this road in the first place? Are you all Death Metal fanatics and wanted to create your own thing?
Death Metal and extreme music in general have always been really appealing to me and the guys. Especially since I've always been naturally aggressive, so this kind of music was the classic outlet for an angry youth, haha. It's also one of the more versatile forms of music. It kind of swallows everything it comes in contact with in a usually interesting way. We have songs being written right now that are nothing like the rest of our shit and that's how it should be. You'll always come back to the tried and true as a bit of masturbation (gallops, chug sludge parts, the Slayer-esque speedy shit) but the freedom to fuck off with an idea is always there. However the one rule is that no matter what the song has to be heavy in one way or another. Whether it's the subject or sonically.

Have you succeeded in creating your own thing? If so, what makes it your own thing, what sets it apart from similar music/material/bands?
I'm sure as this band ages we'll fall in and out of trend because honestly that's what sets bands apart. There was a Thrash revival in Edmonton like five years ago and it's like everyone forgot Thrash was a thing, haha. Just like Punk, and Hardcore is here right now. Death Metal, and Grind will fluctuate in popularity with each wave of teenager that comes through. I like to think what we're doing is different in that we're the ones doing this version of it. We've been associated with the nineties Death Metal sound and people seem to like it but I think it's because it hasn't made the rounds in Edmonton for a while. We're not reinventing anything, we're just playing what we want to hear and if that sets us apart then cool. If not then that's good too because that means there's actually Death Metal bands in the area. Remember this is Canada, where bands burn bright and die young of starvation.

You have recently announced a new EP, and eventually a new full-length album. Let's take the EP first, it is expected to feature two new tracks and three re-vamped ones. So that means the debut album wasn't actually at par with expectations from the production point of view?
Right now we're looking to cut the shit and go straight to the next full length. Nothing off of our debut will be redone, all the songs on the next album will be new to you guys, the "re-vamped" ones have versions that exist with different structures so the only change is that they fit more with the direction of the current album.

Please tell us about the upcoming album, have you decided whether to work DIY or to opt for a label? Will it be recorded inhouse, or at a studio? Any changes in style?
We'll most likely keep it DIY with my production label "202-Proof", and head back into the studio or at least have one of the local mobile guys help us out because we'll never get this thing finished in a reasonable amount of time if I'm engineering the shit. Much rather have a designated couple of people to ensure it doesn't come out sounding like Mortician, haha. Expect more intelligent song writing, nastier hooks, and an all around heavier production.

What has this quarantine period and whatever will follow it changed and will change for Repugnant Scum? Are you confident you'll have the will and resources to keep the band, and why not, your enthusiasm alive?
Repugnant Scum is my ugly, angry, brain child so as long as I'm still out here being a noisy cunt the band will persist. The only thing recent events have done is delay the inevitable.


May 2020