Over the last five years, Baltimore’s Noisem earned a reputation for their speed-rush blend of thrash infused death metal. The band signed with the now defunct A389 Recordings, and released their debut album Agony Defined. In 2017 the band’s future was looking bright, they had just signed a record deal with Relapse Records and we’re preparing to release their third album. Suddenly, three of the band’s five members left and the band went radio silent. Until now. I sat down with the band just prior to their performance in Montclair, New Jersey to see how things are going in the Noisem camp.

Without further ado:

You guys have been a pretty up and coming band for a while now, but some things transpired over the last year. What exactly happened? 

Noisem: We’d just been having some trouble with the old members. The bands always been my brother (Harley Phillips) and I (Sebastian Phillips), and our friends that joined the band and quit the band. Its always been an evolving cast. So we figured, why put up with the bullshit? Let’s just do this shit as a trio. We got our original vocalist (Ben Anft) back. I think we’re tighter than ever and we get along better.

Is it a challenge going down to a three piece? 

I mean the only thing I really noticed, I get a little more nervous before the set nowadays. Before, it was just like I’ve done this a million times. Once it was a trio it was almost like, now all eyes are on just the three of us. Its interesting to see how we can make it sound full, just the three of us, while its takes a little bit of manipulation of the old songs to play them the way we play them now. Its pretty much just a process of trimming the fat, strengthening some parts.

You guys were signed to a record deal, I assume that went south with the lineup changes?

Noisem: Yea, they dropped us right after. Its really no big deal. We’ve been getting lots of offers lately that I can’t talk about, but they’re pretty cool.

Last year you guys we’re talking about a new album, I’m assuming that’s been put on hold?

We’re all super busy. Mixing took forever, mastering didn’t take as long but everything takes a little bit of time. It all just stacked up and we weren’t even thinking about getting on top of it sooner. Its in its final stages right now.

I’m assuming this was recorded when you guys were a three piece? 

Yea, absolutely.

What’s this new album going to be called? 

Right now, its going to be called Cease to Exist.

How would describe the band’s sound? What is the essence of Noisem?

Death metal, thrash metal and grindcore. Its just some dark outlet for us. We always wanted to just write the stuff we wanted to hear other bands doing that they either weren’t doing or we wanted to hear more of. So we took the little bits we liked and started trying to write songs in that style.

Your former record label of A389 Recordings is sadly no more. What’s it like thinking of the music scene without that great label? 

Its a damn shame. I wish we could still be on the label. It was such a great working experience.

Its amazing to think how many great bands they’ve signed over the years.

And how many bands jumped from there to bigger labels. Like Iron Reagan, they’re one of them, Nothing, they’re another band that jumped ship.

Right now we’ve in the midst of a great thrash and death metal revival, why do you guys thinks about it?

I think its beautiful. Its the way it should be. As long as the bands are sick that’s all that matters. Its got to come from a genuine place or its just not the same. I feel there are a great deal of people that are doing it for the general interest or themselves and not just doing it to be part of a trend or whatever.

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Stay up to date with Noisem over at Facebook and listen to their jams over at Bandcamp.