Premiere + Interview: Get Doused with a Stream of Witch Vomit’s new EP – Poisoned Blood
Get in here and jam the Portland trio’s latest!
Merely a year after A Scream from the Tomb Below, their full-length debut, Witch Vomit return with a brand new slab of grotesque death metal. Their new mini-LP, Poisoned Blood, is exactly the rifftacular follow up you would hope for and I could not be more thrilled to be bringing it to you today.
In addition to a fresh stream of Poisoned Blood I also got to ask drummer Filth (the Trampler of FUCKbrains himself) some hard hitting questions like “How is the art so rad?” and “What does a Witch’s vomit really look like?” In the words of Joe, it’s a good one folks! Sit down, strap in, and melt your face with some wicked death metal and a fun interview.
How did the current three piece lineup of Witch Vomit come to be?
Tempter had joined Torture Rack to play second guitar I think in 2014, so naturally JG was the most convenient, and he fuckin rips anyway. Before though, we were a two piece, the had a bass player, then back to a two piece before finding JG.
Your new album, Poisoned Blood, is a mini LP, a format that has seemed pretty under utilized until recently. Why do you think Mini LPs and EPs are getting so popular?
It’s possible that there are many more labels out there doing metal than there was back in the day, and a lot of these new labels put records out as a hobby and have relationships with bands, so there aren’t many bands signing contracts which means bands aren’t forced into doing multiple albums that they may not have wanted to do. Personally, as soon as our debut came out we had four songs ready to go and had been rehearsing extremely hard, so we thought that while everything was tight we would just record again within that same year so people had more to listen to faster. Had we been on a lame contract, this new release would not have happened.
Matt Stikker’s artwork for it is incredible. Did the band have a vision for it or did you give Matt free reign to do whatever came to him?
Each cover he has done for us has been our own visions and for the last two the process has been the same. For the debut full length the concept was mostly all Tempters idea , so we had Matt over at my place and drank beers while talking about the concept and all just went back and forth bullshitting. For Poisoned Blood that was mostly my idea, I thought for a shorter record we should have a more straight forward simple concept, so again, we got together with Matt and just told him what we wanted. The Poisoned Blood art has a connection to our Webs Of Horror art, and the back cover to Poisoned Blood has a connection to A Scream From The Tomb Below. Matt has been a friend of ours for almost a decade.
There’s a ton of great music coming out of the Pacific Northwest, but it seems to be coming from a handful of people. I know Witch Vomit alone shares members with Torture Rack and Triumvir Foul. Is the scene bigger than it appears or is it really just a small network of musicians?
A mix of both, there are a lot of bands that are pretty incestuous, people tend to practice and perform with a consistent group, but then play shows with other incestuous groups of other bands. So shows cross often but people tend to remain in their own group…but not always.
Dave at 20 Buck Spin is a Torture Rack fan. Did the Torture Rack/Witch Vomit crossover help in getting with 20 Buck Spin for Poisoned Blood?
When our debut was officially released and we had our recording session planned I just brought up to Tempter that he should contact 20BS and see what he says because it was a label close to home and friends had worked with Dave before. Pretty shortly after that request he agreed to do it, I’m not sure what was exactly said but so far we are very satisfied.
You guys draw some influence from horror films (the Re-Animator mention in the press release is delightful), have there been any recent horror movies that have really stuck with you?
As far as lyrical content and sampling we have had some horror influence (Suspiria, The Devils Rain, Lovecraft literature) as well other more subtle nods. Well, The VVitch was good, hehe. I really enjoyed the Stranger Things season, and I enjoyed I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore quite a bit. Green Inferno had an old school vibe, as well as The Green Room.
Witch Vomit is a GREAT name for a death metal band, even my non-metal head friends agree. If some monster had already taken it, what would you be called?
Maybe Were Witch Shit Bed, Funebratory Impalement , Habitual Ritual, or Gravesaid. Who knows who cares.
What color IS a witch’s vomit? Does it smell like children?
Probably looks absurd and smells filthy as fuck, which is kinda sexy.
Finally and most importantly: The only good sleeve is a long sleeve, agree or disagree?
Trick question, no sleeves.
Poisoned Blood drops on June 30th via 20 Buck Spin. Give the band a like on facebook, download Poisoned Blood or pick up the rad, possibly witch vomit colored, vinyl version here.
