Listening to Abysmal Hymns of Disgust, the debut full-length album from German death/grinders Terrorazor (after no less than 10 years of demos and other releases, mind you), and staring at the cover art while doing so, all we could really think is what fucking year is this? 1990? So, fine: we revved up the Decibel Time Machine and went back to an alternate universe where it actually is 1990 and Terrorazor just released their debut album. Bassist/guitarist/mainman Avenger was kind enough to humour us.
Congrats on the album! It sounds like hardly anything we’ve heard before here in 1990. Where do you guys get your inspiration from?
Great that you enjoy what we do. As for inspiration, I own a Brazilian bootleg split LP of Sodom and Destruction. It contains their two infamous EPs, In the Sign of Evil and Sentence of Death, crammed on one 12″ LP. Well, unlike the original EP releases, this LP runs at 33 rpm and not 45 rpm. So what happened? I put on the Sodom side on 45 rpm and got blasted away by filthy rampage guitars and slaying and pounding nuclear warfare drums! So, this is how I wanted my band to sound, just the Donald Duck vocals needed to be replaced by something filthier. I always imagined this is how Sarcófago found their sound for I.N.R.I. Sarcófago are, among some other bands like Judas Priest, a huge influence for Terrorazor as well. The Destruction side of that LP inspired me to form another band called Nocturnal, but that´s another story.
Repulsion’s Horrified came out last year. Have you heard this album? What are your thoughts on it?
Officially released last year, yeah! The tape of Horrified has been circulating the underground tape trading scene since 1986, though. This is the definitely the thing which started everything for this kind of music. I can totally imagine them playing a show at a German festival called Hell’s Pleasure in, like, let’s say, 2014, and getting my wallet stolen from some asshole during a violent pit in the audience. Yeah, that could totally happen in about 24 years from now, I’d guess.
Terrorizer’s World Downfall also came out last year. Give us the Terrorazor review of Terrorizer.
Love their album; the sound, the songs, the drumming, in particular. “Fear of Napalm” may be my favorite tune. We should totally hit that Morrisound studio for our next album, too.
Wait a second, your band names are very similar. Please explain.
Looks like they ripped off our name, us having released over 10 demos through the last 10 years they probably heard some of that. You’d have to ask them, though. I don’t feel like going on with a lawsuit. I appreciate their way of showing us respect, though.
Napalm Death have released two full-lengths now and are working on their third. Presumably, this band is a big influence on you. Tell us what you think about their Scum and From Enslavement to Obliteration albums.
Mick Harris is the man! At least as a drummer. I can totally imagine me deleting him as a Facebook friend again after getting bored by his countless stupid rants about just about everything though in, let’s say, 20 to 25 years from now. But those two albums rule my world for sure. I still like Scum a bit more, though. They also inspired us to have this kind of collage-like cover artwork, which, in fact, Terrorizer seemed to have ripped off from our album cover as well, apparently…
Speaking of your name, have you heard the band Razor? They’re from Canada and have put out a bunch of great albums. Which one is your favourite?
Razor are one of my faves, and, yes, they are partly responsible for our band name. My fave album is Violent Restitution… and you know why? Because Dave Carlo got fed up by the “They are not heavy anymore and are getting soft” comments on their previous albums and wanted to teach these cocksuckers a lesson in violence. This album is just that, and the lyrics are brilliant. Taste the floor!
In closing, do you have any predictions for the future of your band and for the future of metal? Thanks for your time!
As for Terrorazor, at the moment we have no clue. At one point we sure will do another album, or another release, and maybe hit the stage, too. As for the future of metal, I really don’t see what else should come there anymore. I mean, everything is already done to death; Sodom, Bathory, Tormentor, Sarcófago, and, just recently, Beherit explored the limits of extreme music. It can’t get heavier anymore.
Purchase Abysmal Hymns of Digust here.
