Interviews    Crematorium
by Chris Barnes

Los Angeles' Crematorium have been slamming eardrums in the Death Metal scene for a good ten years. After a well-deserved two year hiatus, the band had recently returned much more focused and has refined it's sound, blending their trademark brutal Death sound with hardcore and black metal influences. After releasing a three song EP "A World Where Only Nightmares Prevail", a blasting recent opening for Mayhem in LA, an opening spot on the Catastrophic tour and upcoming Dragonlord show, Crematorium are ready to make a comeback. Hellride Music talks to vocalist Daniel Dismal.



Hellride Music: Hey Dan, thanks for the interview. For starters, can you give us the creation and subsequent evolution of Crematorium...the band has been around since 1990 but took some time off recently, correct? Also, whose in the band, what do they play, etc.

Daniel Dismal: Crematorium was originally formed by our drummer Frank and his brother Marvin around 1990 as you stated, but, in the beginning they were a cover band of sorts. Playing Metallica songs and writing some originals. At this point they were not known as Crematorium though, I think the original name that they had was Purgatoria, but, when Marvin left and Alex joined on bass, the name Crematorium came into play. It was around 1992 at this point and the original line-up was Frank Escalon (drums), Adam Perez (vocals), Moshe Alvarez (guitars) and Alex Villalobos (bass). In 1993 this lineup recorded this now classic Dark Manifestations demo and were playing shows all throughout the LA underground. I myself saw the original Crematorium lineup a few times and I remember always thinking that they were a little different from the other bands because they had a distinct musical flare. I think they were one of the first bands in LA to use acoustic guitars, groove rhythms and vocals that seemed a little clearer than the rest of the old school Los Angeles Death Metal scene. The last thing this lineup recorded was the Unholy Massacre EP, but, it was never released until 1996 when the new lineup re-released the Dark Manifestations demo for a Midwest tour with Coffin Texts, Infamy and Wicked Innocence. In 1996, Moshe Alvarez and Adam Perez had subsequently left the band and Mark Uehlien (guitar) and myself (vocals) were recruited for the line-up. There was also another guitarist, Frank Perez playing with the band at this time, but he had to quit the band for personal reasons.

In 1997, the new lineup recorded the Epicediums Of The Damned CD and that's when the band took a direction towards the more political stance in metal. This lineup played around LA and abroad doing shows with such bands as Deicide, Suffocation, Obituary, Grave, Pissing Razors, Sepsism, Infamy, Coffin Texts, Sadistic Intent, Purgatoria (no relation), Impaled Nazarene, Cannibal Corpse and Angel Corpse. Unfortunately, in 1998 Frank Escalon quit the band for personal reasons and subsequently threw the band in a downward spiral making the band inactive until the year 2000. On November 11th 2000 the band reformed with Mark Uehlien (guitars), Frank Escalon (drums), Alex Villalobos (bass) and myself (vocals) to play the November To Dismember fest. Since then, we have landed gigs with Mayhem at the Whiskey, Cradle Of Filth, Nile and God Forbid at the Palace, Catastrophic and Diecast at the Whiskey and Candiria, Shadows Fall and Eighteen Visions at the Key Club.


Hellride Music: "Crematorium plays a unique brand of death metal. It's brutal as hell, ultra technical, but you explore other aspects of the darker side of life than the normal "goresatanruleslifeisfuckedchokeonyourguts" stuff usually associated with the genre....you take a more intellectual route and focus on sociopolitical issues lyrically. Why did you decide to take this route and what are some of the topics you have focused on in Crematorium's music?"

Dan: Well, I come from a punk back ground and though I have always been into Death Metal and Grind Core I have never felt comfortable writing about things I don't personally do. Don't get me wrong, I think bands like Cannibal Corpse rule, but, come on, they are just a novelty act and it's been done a million times. I guess the thing is, I want to get some sort of message across with my lyrics. I have always been a big fan of bands like Dead Kennedys, Napalm Death and Brutal Truth and I like the messages they get across. I myself am not as politically orientated, but, I do like to deal with social issues. I guess I tend to write about what I see and what I have and still deal with. Some of the issues that I attack in my lyrics are organized religion and how it's used to create racism and fear within our cultures, ignorance, self preservation, greed and the basis of what people call society. Each song itself deals with a different view I have about a certain issue. Another interesting thing that a lot of people don't know is that Epicediums Of The Damned was a concept album. It dealt with what we are doing to the earth and ourselves and how we are destroying everything on this planet. The next album, For All Our Sins, is the follow up to this album and it deals with the punishments and consequences of our actions. I guess it all boils down to the fact that I want to write something that someone can relate to. I want to touch a nerve, I want someone to feel like the lyrics directly reflect their life and maybe they can see where I am coming from and from that, we'll get a connection with our audience.


Hellride Music: If there is a Satan, you think he really digs this all this attention, or is he yawning right about now?

Dan: I am sure that he would get a kick out of it but I don't think it makes his day. As a matter of fact, I think he would find it comical in some way. Though I am against religion and I despise the church and all forms of organized and pressured religion, I have read certain parts of the bible because I feel to totally be against something you must first come to understand and appreciate it. Anyways, in the beginning, Lucifer was against God creating man and that's the reason there was a war in heaven and that's why Lucifer was cast to earth and was renamed Satan. Satan himself despises man and there is nothing he would love more than to watch God's creation die and become extinct. So, to me, he probably looks at us as a bunch of morons and doesn't give two shit's about the support we give him.


Hellride Music: How about Crematorium musically? I detect a bit of a hardcore influence as well... how did the band come about to combine the two? Or was it a natural progression from the bands roots?"

Dan: Well, from the original lineup came a sort of groove oriented brand of music and it sort of morphed into what we do now. We are aware that there is a hardcore influence in the music and I personally have been active in the hardcore scene since the days of Insted and Judge but I wouldn't attribute that to anything musically. I think it all stems from the fact that every member comes from a different background of music and we just throw it all in a pot and we see what comes out.


Hellride Music: You guys have played some pretty high profile gigs as of late...you opened for Mayhem in LA not long ago, as well as opening for Shadows Fall and Candria. You are also going to play with Dragonlord in December. How'd it feel to play with a pioneering band like Mayhem, especially after a two year break? How was the crowds reaction? Word on the street is that Crematorium live is something to be seen...and heard!

Dan: It was great playing with Mayhem and though our music is on the different side of the spectrum from Mayhem, I feel the crowd really enjoyed us. In fact, because of the show with Mayhem, we landed the opening spot for Cradle Of Filth, Nile and God Forbid at the Palace. The Mayhem show was our first "big" show in Los Angeles since our last show in Los Angeles, which was with Impaled Nazarene in 1998. Now we landed the spot with Dragonlord which has members of Testament, Control Denied, Death and Sadus, all of which are bands in which we all admire and aspire to be like, so, we are very honored to get the spots we have been getting. I guess the one thing about our music is that because we are so musically diverse, we can play with bands like Candiria and turn around and play with Mayhem or Dragonlord and that's what we want to do, we want to be so diverse that there is no realm of extreme music we have not explored. About us live, the thing that we try to portray live is emotion. I think the reason we have always been a good live band is because we try and connect with the audience and show them the same appreciation that they show us. The thing is, and a lot of people know this, we are fans of this music and we don't separate ourselves from other fans. We just happen to be in a band, but, we would rather be in the crowd watching a band then backstage. I guess we are pretty down to earth and that's the way we want to keep it.


Hellride Music: Let's focus on the "A World Where Only Nightmares Prevail" EP for a second. First, it rocks. Second, you got this ultra-percussive opening to "Cast the Stone" with some kinda bell. I know to the reader that might sound weird, but it works here....what kind of bell was that anyway? Whose idea was it to use that in the song?

Dan: The bell used in that song was called an Ice Bell. Our drummer Frank uses a variety of bells, cymbals, drums and snares with his kit and personally I feel he is one of the best drummers in the scene when it comes to originality with drumming. Anyways, the idea was his. The thing about us, we all use our own ideas for songs and I think from that all the songs get a different flavor from each member.


Hellride Music: Secondly, you guys cover Metallica's "Whiplash" and have succeeded in out-brutalizing the original. During the opening, you guys play an audio of Lars and the boys talking about the "sell out" issue....which side do you stand on the Metallica controversy?

Dan: The thing was, when we were working on that song, Mark and then 2nd guitarist, Frank Perez, sat down and watched "Cliff Em All" and came across the sample. They thought is was a good sample to use because it makes them look like such hypocrites and we intended our version to be more of a tribute to the early Metallica when Cliff Burton was still alive. I don't think we personally take sides with on the whole Metallica thing because it's hard to judge someone or something unless you are in their situation. I will say that I personally don't agree with the treatment of Jason and I wish that they wouldn't have wandered so far away from the original idea behind Metallica. Maybe if they really go back to the Garage Days, they will remember what it's all about and they'll have some sort of reunion with themselves.


Hellride Music: Where do you guys go from here? Are you guys writing any new material? Any other recording/touring plans?

Dan: The future is looking pretty good for us right now. We are completing the material for the next album, For All Our Sins, which will be released on Prosthetic Records and we are hoping to have it released in the early parts of March 2002. We have plans to play the New England Metal And Hardcore Fest as well as Milwaukee Metal Fest and we hope to do an East Coast tour and a full US tour all within 2002. I think we are willing to take an opportunity that comes our way and we have always had a strong work ethic and we see nothing but advancement for ourselves in the near future.


Hellride Music: Thanks for the time. Any last words?

If anyone is interested in obtaining the "A World Where Only Nightmares Prevail" EP, please visit www.daggas.net/crematorium or write crematorium@hotmail.com. The EP itself is free and we released it as a homage to our fans before we release our next album. This EP is dedicated to all our friends who have supported us since the beginning and all our new friends who we will take to the next level of the Crematorium evolution. See you at the shows and support the scene!


Check out the Hellride Music review of Crematorium's A World Where Only Nightmares Prevail.

Copyright 2002 HellrideMusic.com
Interview by Chris Barnes