FILIPINOMETAL.COM - Sledgehammer Autopsy

I have to hand it to you. The name 'Sledgehammer Autopsy' has this ring to it. When did such a cool name dawn on you guys?

Matt: It's a pretty long story how we got our band name. We were first called Flesh Devourment, but we decided to change our name because we felt it was overly bland and generic. I mean, how many bands have you seen with ‘Flesh' or ‘Devourment' in their name? So Andrew and I were sitting around listening to music, and a sick song by The Dead (from Battleground, Washington) popped up on the player, and it happened to be called ‘Sledgehammer Autopsy.' After some thought, we decided to make the name change, and so far it's doing very well for us. We've got a new logo for the name, and it looks great.

There are just two guys in the band. Who's doing the murky growls and how long have the two of you been together?

A: I do all the vocals without any effects and on ‘Mortician's Apprentice' I also did guitar and drum programming. We've been making music for about three years now but this is the only project that actually went anywhere.

You learned to play music all by yourselves? Has there ever been any guidance?

M: I've pretty much taught myself all I know about the bass guitar. I've been playing for a while now. I think I purchased my first bass in 2006. I enjoy playing it, it's pretty cool once you begin to get better and learn more technical material.
A: I have a guitar teacher but everything else I know about music is self-taught. As far as writing music, there aren't really any guidelines or people we try to sound like.

M: There are always misunderstandings inside a band. Whenever we have disagreements, we try to compromise and get things done effectively. We try to incorporate both of our ideas so no one feels less important, and we usually have some good ideas so things turn out well. I assure you, we don't kiss! Hahahaha!

Alright, so this new release of yours, the ingeniously titled ‘Mortician's Apprentice,' is it a concept album or what? Spill the details please.

M: No, it's not a concept album. The lyrics don't make a nice little story or anything, and even if they did, no one would probably be able to tell what the story was about. Since Andrew does a lot of gutturals and death grunts, the concept would be lost or misunderstood. Basically the album sums up our brutal side and contains mostly gore and war related themes. A lot of our personal feelings have also gone into the music, especially hatred towards certain people and things. The track ‘Gates to Hell' is specifically about that. Music is probably the best way to tell the world how you feel.

How many copies are available and what price needs to be paid for the masses to get a copy? Or is it going to be an internet-only release?

M: We're currently out of the ‘Mortician's Apprentice' demo. We'll probably re-print some copies in a more professional manner if we feel the need to do so. Our material will be distributed by Karnstein Records, which is an up and coming music distro/label that carries all sorts of things. Be sure to check our Myspace page for updates about any releases. We'll have paypal links for our releases sometime soon.

A: 'Bluuuh!' is probably the only song with a story behind it. We were watching Futurama and there was a part where a vampire jumped out of a coffin, said ‘bluh!' and exploded. It was about 4:30 in the morning when we saw this so we were both laughing hysterically. Eventually we found the episode online so we decided to use it as a clip.
M: The creation of the song entitled ‘Dutch Oven Incineration' is also pretty funny. I was lying in bed one night and though about how bad it would suck to be roasted to death by a Dutch Oven. For those of you who do not know, a Dutch Oven is when you have a partner in bed and you pretend to cough up a lugee, and when they put their head under the covers you fart. So, all in all, that song is one of our less serious efforts, but comes with a funny background. Also, we used a Lewis Black clip as an intro so you have to check it out.

How would you describe the band's work ethic in the studio? Do you guys go without sleep for days? Or is it all natural and laid back?

A: We usually have the songs complete before we decide to record them unless an idea hits us while we're recording. In this case we try to fit it in. We try to make their songs sound the best for the recording and if someone makes a mistake we re-record it instead of editing it
M: Yeah, I think a band is pretty lazy if they don't even want to take the time to fix errors and re-record when needed. We're pretty efficient in the 'studio.'

Can you describe the volume of musical ideas boiling in your head? Or does it all come in a flash of inspiration?
A: I'll get some good ideas but they're not pouring out of my ears or anything.
M: It's both for me. Sometimes something comes out of nowhere and ends up sounding sick. Other times it takes me a while to come up with something suitable for use.

Will there be any new members joining the lineup soon? What winning qualifications are you looking for among Sledgehammer Autopsy aspirants?
A: The thing we look for most in a potential member of the band is dedication. We don't want somebody who says they want to be in the band and then never does anything (it's happened to us way too much). We also want someone who is good at their instrument, but they don't have to be a Yngwie Malmsteen.
M: We're auditioning a guitarist as well as a drummer. No news has been announced yet but we're very optimistic about what will happen. We can only hope for the best!

Since the band is pretty slim manpower-wise, I'm guessing shows are scarce. Even then, how often do the dudes from Sledgehammer Autopsy catch shows around your area?

A: We haven't played any shows yet but we are trying to get a solid lineup so we can. Whenever a good band comes through town we're there, it's never a good thing to miss a show cause you'll never know when that band is coming back. We go to lots of local shows too but not to the point where we're seeing the same bands every week.
M: We're always up for going to shows. Seeing a sick metal band is a great past time, hahahaha! We hope to play some shows around Denver to spread our music and name around! We're hoping we can start playing shows by 2009-2010.

What are the bands like? How many are usually playing and how would you rate the venues?
A: For local shows there are usually about four or five death metal bands playing, most of the smaller to medium sized venues are good.

Whether you were performing that night or just watching, what are some of your wildest experiences during a show? Is getting pissed drunk or going home without your shirt one of them?
A: Hahaha! Unfortunately not. But I've been kicked in the head by a stage diver during a Municipal Waste show and head butted in the nose at Summer Slaughter 2007.
M: I was kicked in the head at the same Municipal Waste show as Andrew. I've also come close to losing shoes because of the circle pit.

Is your lifestyle up all night and sleep all day, or do you have day jobs to pay the rent?
A: I wish it was up all night, sleep all day but unfortunately I have shit to do during the day.
M: Same with me. I can't stay up all night either because of shit I got to do during the day.

Damn it, I haven't eaten yet so my stomach is grumbling. What's your favorite food? Does Sledghammer Autopsy patronize KFC?
A: My favorite food? Brains!!!
M: Anything that's tasty and doesn't require much effort on my part to get or make.

Are you digging the new Slipknot album or is there no redemption for the masked nine?

M: Nothing will redeem Slipknot because they are an abomination to music. If you want to know what it feels like for someone to put their dick in your ear, go listen to Slipknot. The only Slipknot worth listening to is the one from the 80's. The Slipknot no one has heard of. Hail crossover!

Judging by your wholesome appearance, do you guys like listening to Stratovarious and Dreamtheatre or is melodic metal taboo for the band?
A: I'll listen to anything from Boris to Guttural Secrete. All types of metal are good.
Matt: I mostly listed to death and thrash metal. Listening to other musical genres isn't a taboo. I'd recommend you listen to other good genres, because you miss out on good bands if you don't.

Are your present musical endeavors the fulfillment of a dream?
A: Not really. It's more about having passion for the music. If someone has a passion for something they will get involved with it, which is basically what I did.
M: Well, every musician's dream is to write good music, play gigs, and make money. I can't say we've fulfilled everything a musician dreams of doing, but what we have done is amazing in my opinion. My dreams are not fufilled yet. There's more work to be done!

Thank you for this interview Sledgehammer Autopsy. What plans are slowly becoming a reality for the band? And what's more important, to build your reputation with a lot of albums or just release an EP and let your cult grow from there?

A: We will more likely release a steady flow of material since I would like to use the ideas I get.
M: We're releasing more material and showing way more signs of life than many other underground bands. I think it's important to have a steady flow of material but to also have some time in between so the material can circulate. It also helps give us time to keep writing interesting music!