By Leo Tresd with Jason "Marty" Martin - Ablaze Magazine #33, August/September 2000.

When was Anatomy formed?
Anatomy was formed in mid - 1989 by myself, Jason "Marty" Martin and the now departed original guitarist, Machen in order to make Australian black/death metal.

Tell about the line - up from the very first beginning, what guys were with you at that time?
There is only myself left from the early days but that does not mean much over the course of time. We haven’t suffered from this, only improved.

Did you all play in other bands before? What kind of music did this ones play?
We all played in a cover band called Ritual, it was the very first band we played in, going Kreator, Helloween, Sodom, Sepultura, Nihilist and Merciless covers. Ritual only lasted about a year, we played a few parties. We all got to know each other from hanging out, drinking loads of alcohol in our local town. We were, of course, very young. I was fourteen years old, Machen was thirteen years old and M Doyle was fifteen years old. We also had a lead guitarist in that band, Andrew Whitehead, who later went on in the late nineties, played and composed on the debut album of Vanishing Point, which is on Angular Records (if I am right?). I guess we got it all together as we loved black and thrash metal so much! Then Anatomy was born for composing original pieces.

What things encouraged you to start Anatomy? Which musical/personal influences had a part on it?
Definitely musically it was most Noise Records label bands and Steamhammer Records label bands that made us start Anatomy. We died for Kreator, Voivod, Helloween, Sodom, Hobbs Angel of Death, Destruction, Venom, Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, Deathrow, Bathory, Evil Dead, Mortal Sin. Then we got inspired by the underground stuff like Nihilist (Entombed), Mayhem, Merciless, Darkthrone, Morbid Angel, Sadistik Exekution, because of the demos, they were raw and brutal. As soon as you put a demo tape on then, in the nineties, you would always find something refreshing and original. We were friends with bands like My Dying Bride, Sentenced, Decayed and Demigod, they all have, of course, become very well known. But the era we are from, I guess we are one of the bands that didn’t get picked up by a huge record label, however, we have always continued our activities, like our aim was from the start. For all of us, I can say that was the best period of thrash, death and black metal. These bands all inspired Anatomy to begin to make original tracks, as we wanted to make the band for participating and trading tapes in the underground scene back then. From a personal influence back then, it would have to be the underground. To be in the underground, it was like being in a cult, we lived for it and obeyed it!

What music did you play with Anatomy when you started?
It was very primitive black/death/thrash, in the vein of Kreator, Sepultura and Hellhammer.

I’m wondering about the band name, Anatomy, because it gives more an impression of being a kind of Death/Grind, but not this style of black metal you do nowadays. Please, explain why you decided to take Anatomy for the band and maybe the origin of the name from previous times of the band! Which connections to music and lyrics does the name Anatomy have nowadays? If there is none, why do you don’t change the name?
Well, when we began the band, it sounded great to us, little did we know what would become of it in this day and age. Yes, you are right, it seems more like a death/grind name, but surely our music and lyrics have never been this. Yes, I totally agree that the band name Anatomy is typical stereo-type for a death/grind band and we totally don’t give a fuck! We chose and kept the band name as it leaves us free to write about any lyrical topic we want, it is very universal in that regard. Yes, it is a concept name. It is not our fault that there was a grind movement in the past and we have never been associated with that. You can disregard our band if you like ‘cause of the band name, but that would be silly because you might enjoy the violent and brutal black/death metal we are making. It is very fashionable to change your band name to something else because of a major record label or just because you get categorized and it’s something we will never do. I’d rather let the band die than do that. Well it is established now enough for us and we don’t care to change it because people think this way. Perhaps one day when you say Anatomy, you will think of the black/death metal band from Australia and not death/grind crap! And if you don’t, well, you are better off not knowing our music ever!

- 1991 Demo “Dark Religion” -

What is to say about the line – up?
Well, we were very young when making this demo and I think it shows in the song writing, it’s very immature, we were thirteen to sixteen years at the time, so I can’t complain.

When were the songs composed/arranged?
Well, they would have to be in late 1989 and right through 1990. The demo was recorded and mixed on January 21st 1991, in one day. They were all composed by myself and Machen, both contributing compositions.

How many songs are on the tape?
There are five tracks on this debut demo; “Divine Comedy” (a four minute introduction that borders on insanity), “Mortal Graved”, “Yesteryear Restoration”, “Dark Religion” and “Reincarnate” with the famous Bathory lead break! He he.

When was it released? How many copies were sold?
It was released in January 1991 and sold and copied for the underground scene, over 3000 copied worldwide. A large majority was sold in Australia as there were two bands active in this underground genre at the time, Disembowelment and Acheron (now Abramelin), we stopped making it in 1995.

Describe the music?
It’s very primitive. It is basic death/thrash metal. It has your typical rock orientated arrangements and bridges. Influenced by Kreator, Bathory, Hellhammer, Sepultura, Mortal Sin, Evil Dead etc.

What are the lyrics dealing with?
Mostly simple anti-christian topics, Black Witchery, thoughts of after life.

Was the demo recorded in a studio?
It was recorded in Plantroom Studio, Melbourne, Australia on a sixteen track desk with the old analogue reel to reel. We also called this studio the Underground Abyss due to its swirling reverb that could be found right through all recordings we did there.

What do you think about it nowadays?
I don’t like the vocals very much, they are rushed and I was drinking all day. The music is great and I think for the time and age we were it’s a great debut and effort.

Can we find songs of that demo later on your records?
The tracks were never performed again. Some riffs re-surfaced on the “Where Angels Die” album. This demo was re-released on my own label, Bleed Records in early 1998, in the form of a 7” vinyl EP, limited version of two hundred copies. It is long sold out. This type of analogue recording is perfect for vinyl.

- April 1992 Promo EP “Arrogance Within Humanity” -

What was the line – up?
Myself, vocals and session bass, Machen guitars and M.Doyle drums. That was the last recording as a three piece.

When were the songs for it composed/arranged?
During 1991 we made these tracks, I feel they are in a different direction then the debut demo. It’s more a standard early nineties death metal. They were all composed by myself.

How many songs are on it?
There are three tracks; “Burial of Armenia”, “Nuclear Eclipse From Torn Abyss” and “Arrogance Within Humanity”.

Describe the music?
We tuned down very low for this one. It’s straight forward death metal. More like old Entombed, My Dying Bride…it still has touches of the thrash metal though you can still here a lot of thrash influenced riffing.

Was the promo EP recorded in a studio?
Yes, we returned to the Plantroom Studio again in April 1992 and recorded with the same equipment and engineers as the debut demo “Dark Religion”.

When was it released? How many copies were sold?
It was recorded for French label, Maggot Records, a side label of Virulence, it was never released by this label because they never kept good correspondence with us. We later put it as bonus tracks on our first MCD, “Twisting Depths of Horror”, which was released in 1994 on Dark Oceans Records a side label of the biggest independent here, Shock Records.

Can we find songs of that promo on your second demo or records?
Yes, you can also find these songs re-recorded on our second demo, “For Those Whose Eyes Are Black”, with no keyboards and a lot more lead breaks etc. We dropped the keyboards, synth because our music became much more brutal and too crowded for them. They later made a return due to both of our guitarists talent playing them and also the “Where Angels Die” album has an overall very big production full of atmosphere and much reverb.

- December 1992 Demo “For Those Whose Eyes Are Black” -

Was it still the same line-up?
No, this is when we were joined by Hippyslayer, guitars and JA, bass. We found Hippyslayer playing in a Slayer cover band, he was Kerry King of course, he was perfect to add to the empty rhythm space that we had where a guitar solo and harmonies were needed. He not only was a fantastic lead player but also was into all the music we were into. JA was a friend of guitarist Machen and they met in a music class at school. JA is a great player, he plays with his fingers like Steve Harris from Iron Maiden and never missed a note with the fast stuff. They both joined all very eager with the aim to make original black/death metal.

When were the songs for it composed/arranged?
They were all done during 1991and 1992 and they were all composed by myself except for the lead breaks.

How many songs were on tape?
There are six tracks on the tape; “Carrion of Jesus”, “Burial of Armenia”, “Nucleus Eclipse Torn Abyss”, “Arrogance Within Humanity”, “Fallen Inverted Destiny” and “Forgotten Realms”. The track “Nucleus Eclipse Torn Abyss” was featured on the German underground compilation CD, “Mortal Mutilation” by Tenebrous Productions in early 1993.

Describe the music?
It still retained the early nineties death metal feel but there is also a lot of black metal riffing as well. For sure it’s brutal black/death metal.

What are the lyrics dealing with?
Fantasy, anti-christian themes, thoughts of after death, space and science, one’s destiny etc.

Was the demo recorded in a studio?
It was recorded in a different studio this time. The jam tin studio in Chettenham, Victoria. It was recorded on a sixteen track studio desk. We recorded live and put it straight to DAT tape. This was the only time we recorded live everything except the lead breaks. It’s something we will never do again, there is too many forced errors on this tape, but it is very brutal and was well accepted.

When was it released? How many copies were sold?
We got big press here with this one in Australia and it sold, copied about 4500 copies. This demo was featured on the second page of the biggest publication here that is now defunct, Hot Metal. With the great review we got, we sold at least 2500 copies in Australia, the rest went through the usual underground tape trading scene copied from me or sold. Of course death metal was huge then in Australia.

What do you think about it nowadays?
I think it is very sloppy, it represents an era and an obvious backbone of what we were going to progress into. Bombastic and raw would be fitting.

Can we find songs of that demo on your records?
You can find the track “Forbidden Realms” on the “Where Angels Die” album. The track is re-arranged and has more riffs added to it as we were unhappy with the original ending.

- 1994 MCD “Twisting Depths of Horror” -

Was it the same line-up?
No, this is when M.Doyle left the band and Wazarah joined on drums. Basically because we got too fast and technical for M.Doyle. M.Doyle had a seizure before we did the second demo, “For Those Whose Eyes Are Black”. Due to all the LSD we had taken. Hence the demo cover cat scan which is his skull. When we did this demo he was unable to do press rolls well and his double kick deteriorated slowly. After the demo he left us as a group to go forward, progress and not slow us down with his disabilities. M.Doyle never played music again. Wazarah was a friend of Hippyslayer’s, they lived very close to each other and Hippyslayer basically worked him like a dog playing death metal covers like Darkthrone’s “Soulside Journey” and Morbid Angel’s “Altars of Madness”. He could play complete albums and that was a very positive sign for us. When he got too good to just be left alone he was asked to join. He was a huge Anatomy fan so he was very excited of course.

When were the songs for it composed/arranged?
In 1992 and 1993. A lot of thought went into these tracks, they were produced very well.

How many songs were on it?
There are three new tracks; the introduction, acoustic piece, “For A Darkened Soul”, “Twisting Depths of Horror”, “A Stream of Seven”, the rest of the MCD was filled up with the un-released promo EP from 1992, “Arrogance Within Humanity”.

When and where was the album recorded?
It was recorded in Toybox Studio in August and November 1993. Engineered by Doug Saunders, famous for Hobbs Angel of Death, Disembowelment and Blood Duster.

Is the music different to your former material? Describe the music more detailed?
Yes, I’d say this is when we found our Anatomy way we are known for on all our albums. We became the black/death machine we are known to by all who knows us. The music has the blast beats of Canadian Blasphemy. A lot of double bass also. The music was compared a lot to old Morbid Angel. We had a lot of reviews that mentioned this. I don’t think it’ the same as “Altars of Madness” but it is intense and has a lot of doom ridden passages. It’s quite original really.

What kind of music/bands were your influences at the time?
We were into a lot of death metal and black metal. We liked early Morbid Angels, Sadistik Exekution’s first LP “The Magus”, early Mayhem with Dead. I also listened to a lot of new age music then, not actual artists but just noises, atmospheres created by samples and synth, at the time we were all completely out of our minds on drugs and alcohol. I think we got influenced by a lot of things going on around the band at that stage. It was just do underground things, trade tapes, do drugs and alcohol. We were pretty inspired in our minds in a lot of ways.

What are the lyrics dealing with?
Fanatsy mostly and astral planes, different states of mind and psychology, the lyrics are very fucked up from fucking jesus, Armageddon to Anton LaVey’s under water “Carcosa” theme where you are initiated into a black magician. Who knows what I was thinking back then.

What responses did you get to this record?
It was huge in Australia. It was in the metal/alternative charts for a long time. It was only successful here, selling 5000 copies. Only a small amount went overseas due to our independent label we were on that didn’t know much about the overseas market for this sort of music. It is a style and era a lot of people here wished we were still playing.

Are you still satisfied with it, or what’s your opinion about it?
Yes, of course I like a lot, I still listen to it sometimes. I don’t however like the added EP being on the same disc, they are totally different recordings and era’s. It doesn’t flow together very well like an Isengard album, that’s for sure. There is nothing to be ashamed of, a very powerful recording that stinks with being pissed off with the world still!

- 1995 Promo “Under the Wings” -

What about the line – up?
It’s the same line up as the “Twisting Depths of Horror” recording.

Why didn’t you release that promo?
The recording of this track is very rushed and the mix is not so good. We wanted to see what the Plantroom Studio was progressing like these days. We thought it would be great to go back there and record again with analogue reels and get a very dirty atmospheric sound.

Tell about the music, is it different to your previous stuff?
Yes, it’s only one track “Under the Wings” later re-recorded on the “Where Angels Die” album, it’s different to the MCD and more black metal I think. It has the main riff from “Yesteryear Restoration” in it. We were just playing around with some ideas we had then. This track was recorded for Modern Invasion Music to show him where we wanted to record our debut album “Where Angels Die”, and what direction the band was going in.

Can we find this track on the following album, “Where Angels Die”?
Yes, it is there, it is a different studio recording again and also re-worked.

- 1996 CD “Where Angels Die” -

What about the line – up?
Same line – up; myself, vocals, Machen, guitars, Hippyslayer, guitars, JA, bass, Wazarah, drums. All synths and keyboards were played, composed and arranged by Machen. I produced with samples, techniques etc.

When were the songs for it composed/arranged?
They were made right through 1993 and 1994.

Tell us about the song writing at that time?
All the music here was contributed by the whole band. Everyone submitted riffs and ideas so we could try a lot of originality and make something different to our last effort. We rehearsed them constantly through the two years right up to the recording date.

Do you need long time for composing songs or not?
We need a lot of time to compose songs, we like to make hundreds of riffs and later choose the best ones. And we simply don’t make riffs when we have to. We make them when we feel the time is right for the individual who is at home and feels in the mood for such composing. We do not makes riffs and ideas at rehearsal places, that a stupid thing to do for us. The arrangement then comes from a basic structure. Which once rehearsed is constantly changed until we are totally sick of the track and feel it cannot be arranged anymore. This is like a very long pre-production that goes on for a long time, generally right up to the date the studio is booked.

Tell more about the work, division of labour, between the members!
Well, we all composed riffs so the work rate is divided equally. The basic first arrangement is made generally by the main contributor of that particular track, when we rehearse we all give criticism towards the arrangement which totally effects the final outcome, it can either hurt one’s ego or improve and enlighten your perspective of the work. The whole progression is usually given a go ahead by a majority of the members. Then I attack the track at the end of completion with post production sample, ideas etc. I change a lot of my lyrics and add new ones also. Then we argue til death in the studio and usually punch up the engineer!

When and where was the album recorded?
It was recorded back in the Plantroom Studio in mid 1995. We spent one month there recording, mixing etc. Due to the refurnishing of the studio on our arrival, we recorded with digital adat on a twenty four track studio desk, something we are still not satisfied with. It ruined our analogue desires, I’m sure the album would have sounded a lot different if it was back on the reels!

The records was released in 1996. Why did it take more than one year to release it?
The release of this album was delayed in a lot of areas mostly because of the artwork we originally chose for the album was not acceptable along with our photos we had chosen, when it was all finalised we had to wait for the end of the European holidays (known to all distributors) and for all final propaganda and promotional materials made towards distributors. It, of course, was very frustrating.

The music seems to be influenced by old school black metal of Norwegian style, I think. Well, what bands were important for you at that time and why? Where do you see musical inspiration?
We were into mostly Mayhem with Dead, Possessed and underground death metal for us! They have qualities that are very important to us. Mayhem and Possessed are both innovators and real artists, Mayhem had a philosophy that we totally agree with and still do from that early nineties period. Dead was the most morbid being in the scene, there is much to know about his personality and ways that I found influential. Mayhem in general made a totally new kind of style of black metal that later was taken on by all Norwegian bands, I think. Possessed are gods in guitar attack harmonies and lead, the vocals of Jeff Beccera was my childhood idol and his accent on words he has sung makes it so original and influential. If you don’t like these two elements of black and death metal, you are surely not worthy of playing this kind of music if you ask me. What I miss in the black metal today are new ideas and originality coming from your soul, not fucking Donald duck black metal with hardcore riffs played with fast picking. The underground death metal I prefer is Carnage, Entombed, My Dying Bride, Necrodeath, Sex Trash, Mutilated, there is so much, I could go on forever.

Which bands did you also listen to back then when you were composing songs of “Where Angels Die” and why?
As I said, we listened mostly Mayhem and you can tell, I think. We even played the “Freezing Moon” track live for two years at our shows. Machen also got very influenced by Burzum and his riff techniques, but that was never put into effect as we had finished composing the main tracks, synth stuff was very influenced by Burzum  and Jean Micheal Jarre that is the only Burzum influence there. The synth tracks and overdubs were added in later after we had finished all our main instruments.

What are the lyrics dealing with? Please, give more details?
Armageddon, apocalypse, malkuth, depression, suicidal passions, fucking whores etc. These subjects I have always written about, they are subjects I find close to me and I could easily imagine situations about them or to do with them combined. It was always a fantasy of mine to be in hell, fucking sluts after an armageddon apocalypse, this is where the inspiration came for Rok of Sadistik Exekution to paint the front cover of the album. The depression is rather personal and where there is depression there is suicidal passions, it’s a nice mood to write lyrics and stories in. Malkuth is magick and the word is called Kaos! All trackson the “Where Angels Die” album are about all these topics, tracks like “Last Pleasures For Those of the Apocalypse of Hate”, “Under the Wings”, “Armagedoom”, “The Call For Doom”, “Where Angels Die”.

Which aspects were influences for doing the lyrics?
Alcohol, LSD, depression, darkness and lust! Mind altering drugs were used making these lyrics and it was a time I felt my imagination was unbound with fantasy, so what better time to write lyrics? No, I don’t need to use LSD to write lyrics, but it is, for sure, something that was unusual and interesting. Alcohol was always for the aggression and for live, it is the best! Violence and hatred flows with alcohol. Darkness is a perfect mood to write lyrics also. And lust, who doesn’t think of fucking everybody once! The composing and arranging of the lyrics was transformed in the following arrangement; murmured word, scream and shouting at a rehearsal place with the full band playing, put to tape, then counted in bars, accented, performed on the right notes and varied notes, then a situation had to be involved like the above alterations of surroundings to make a concept of the song. I think it’s a very original way of doing lyrics and I have always written lyrics in this way.

Were and are you satisfied with this album? What responses did you get from abroad?
We don’t like the production very much these days, it was recorded on adat and it’s very reverb hall like in that area. To me, there is too much going on within the mix and the engineer we used is mostly a rock producer. I think it was all too much for him to handle. The album, with the amount of thought that went into it, probably deserved a better studio but we wanted always to do the debut album there, as all the earlier material was recorded there as well. It was very comfortable for us to work at Plantroom Studio. When we did it, we thought it was a killer album and the tracks I still enjoy. We never read many reviews of this album at all. The promotion was small and that’s what we wanted, the only opinions we got were from record labels and distributors who all liked the album. If I am not lying, it sold 4000 copies now worldwide.

- 1998 “Dark Religion” 7”EP vinyl -

Why did you re – release your first demo tape on EP?
There was a huge demand for this demo to be put to vinyl and I always wanted to do it myself. So I started Bleed Records, this was the very first release. It’s an analogue recording and it sounds right for vinyl because of this.

Why didn’t you put it as a bonus on one of your records?
It is a totally different band then to any album we will ever do. It is only for the underground. It will always just stay as this vinyl cult! Never any intentions of making it available on compact disc to the larger masses!

- 1998 Promo “Suncrusher” -

“Suncrusher” was written in early 1996, “The Witches of Dathomir” in late 1997, this recording was made at the Music Lab Studio, Melbourne Australia in September 1998 on sixteen track adat.

Was it still the same line – up like “Where Angels Die”?
No, the line – up is myself, vocals, Hippyslayer, guitars, JA, bass and the new members Masochist (ex- Earth), guitars and Hellcunt (ex- Bestial Warlust now in Gospel of the Horns), drums. I met Masochist at our last live show in 1995 with Sadistik Exekution, he was fifteen years old, JA, our bass player, kicked a pigs head into his friends head. That guy went to hospital with infection later that night. Masochist said “I want to play guitar for you” and we laughed and said “sure”! Ha. Later on in early 1998, we saw his band playing, called Earth, they were playing Swedish sounding death metal like Dismember and thought, he can play lead guitar very well and is now old enough to drink with us. After the show, we asked him, “do you still want to play for us” and he said “fuck yeah!” Hellcunt and I have known each other since we did the debut demo, we grew up in the same town, Gladstone Park. He was still between us and Bestial Warlust in 1998, eventually Bestial Warlust split altogether. Wazarah was kicked out in January 1996 due to his lack of interest in playing fast metal, he then began to play for Destroyer 666, touring with them for the “Unchain the Wolves” album, when Bestial Warlust couldn’t handle his attitude, he was booted from there as well. These days he studies music at a university. In between Hellcunt and Wazarah, we have used every drummer in the south of Australia without any outcome. Machen was kicked out sometime in 1997 because he became too addicted to too many drugs. He is now permanently brain damaged and lives with his family in the mountains.

Why didn’t you release that promo?
Back then it was used as a promotional tape for labels. In the future one track will be available on “The Return of Darkness and Hate” compilation CD released by Drakkar Productions in France. Both tracks will now also be due out on a spilt 7” EP vinyl with Australian band Hellspawn. It will be a limited edition of only 200 copies and again on my label, Bleed Records.

Tell us about the music, is it different to your previous stuff?
Well it is a lot different to the “Where Angels Die” album, it’s a hell of a lot more brutal and aggressive. There isn’t so much atmospheric stuff on these tracks, it’s very extreme and very fast right through.

Can we find songs from this promo on the following CD, “The Witches of Dathomir”?
Yes, you can find the tracks “Suncrusher” and “The Witches of Dathomir” on this promo but they are different studio recordings. The difference is in the production, offcourse, they are much more brutal and raw. Harmonisers were used on guitars and vocals. The experimentations on the studios is important for us as is to try different ideas on promos and demos. Something many bands that release CD’s these days don’t do.

- 1999 CD “The Witches of Dathomir” -

Your first record was released by Modern Invasion Music, but the new one is released by your own label, why?
Modern Invasion Music was not interested to release this album due to our band name, previous sales and he didn’t like the artwork we had submitted. He liked the music very much but that didn’t help, we were free in terms of our contract to do whatever we wanted with the album. Since I had started my own label, we all thought it was best to release this one straight away without delay and have it distributed by Modern Invasion Music as well. The only difference is that we cannot do so much promotion for it as in regards to bigger magazines with huge prices on adverts. So we have the same deal really with the distribution, as any other band on Modern Invasion Music.

When were the songs for it composed/arranged?
”Ambrosia Death”, the acoustic introduction made in 1996, “Suncrusher” was made in 1996, “The Witches of Dathomir” was made in 1997, “Just One More Nail” was made in 1997 and finished in early1999. “Blood Will Follow Thee” was made in1996 and finished in 1998, “Far From the World ofBlue” was made in early 1995 but never made the “Where Angels Die” album, “Cauldron Nebular” was made in 1997 and finished in 1999.

When and where was the album recorded?
We recorded the album at St Andrews Studio on a twenty four track analogue studio from February until June 1999. We were in the studio in all different stages so that we didn’t rush the album. This studio produced albums like Pegazus and Abominator etc. We recorded in St Andrews studio because our live engineer, Greg Long, worked there as an assistant, he did the drum recordings and the main engineer, Mark McCormack finished the rest of the recording, mixed and mastered it. It is produced by Anatomy. We had to move on from the Plantroom Studio to a better studio and a more experienced engineer, making real metal albums extreme and heavy.

Why did it take three years to release a new record?
We had the line – up problem with Machen, when Masochist was found that was solved. Hellcunt joined in early 1997 but then left to play with Bestial Warlust, who started to rehearse new material again, during this time we tried every drummer in the southern part of Australia. No one could play this fast as we have done on the “The Witches of Dathomir” album. Then we rehearsed the tracks again and adjusted more parts, we toured around Australia and played many gigs. Then when we were confident enough to go into the studio.

How would you name Anatomy’s kind of music (for me it is black/thrash with a touch of old school feeling)? Maybe which bands had influenced you while doing the song-writing?
Thrash? No, it’s too varied for that, I’d say it is black, aggressive, melodic, death, thrash, doom, epical, atmospheric metal. No band influenced us with this one! It’s from the heart! We listened to a lot of stuff from Beyond Dawn, Amorphis, Arch Enemy, Ved Buens Ende to Marduk, Emperor, Satyricon, Enslaved but none have influenced this song-writing. The delay of this new album and the huge time period of which was made over the course of four years and it cannot be influenced. It is a huge time frame and cannot be dominated by any influence in reality. We do not dislike any form of metal except Christian lyrics. We listen to rock, thrash, alternative, gothic, industrial, new age etc, we are not close-minded.

I think the new song are characterised by more aggression, hate, speed and guitar leads. Is it the reason that a new guitar player and Hellcunt on drums came into the band? Or are the musical changes caused by these two new guys?
We had all the songs written before they joined the band, having Masochist on guitars only provided us with more lead breaks and a different style of lead, therefore we got the overall effect of King vs Hammenham or K.K.Downing vs Tipton, ha ha, surely playing a lot live with this line – up has added much confidence and aggression as finishing touches. When the album was recorded, it showed through in our playing, I agree.

Tell us about the process of song-writing!
Well, those tracks are written in all different stages, so the new album we are writing will be a lot different now, since Masochist is to contribute, but the same formula will be there with everyone submitting riffs and ideas, then we will produce it and then produce it again with some well known producer this time. We have an idea of one person only who could be great for us but we cannot confirm him until he has accepted our offer and we don’t want anyone else stealing our idea either. It will be a famous artist of the metal genre who does absolutely no bands producing and is not known for this either. The reason why we will change direction to something totally bizarre is that we feel the need to make something new, inspiring and inventive. It will always be harsh and black and true to our roots!

Where do you see improvement compared with “Where Angels Die”?
Well, they’re two totally different albums. Improvement? You cannot say that just progressed. The situations here with making the two albums are so much different. The time frame in between composing the two is huge. “The Witches of Dathomir” is a lot better for the reason we have found a new sense of aggression with the new line – up. This line – up that has done this last effort was a fucking total force. We are more harder hitting, intelligent and the riffs we have made at these vaiable tempos are very enjoyable, I think it’s a lot more interesting for the listener and more brutal than “Where Angels Die”, to me, that is very atmospheric, heavy, doom ridden, more black metal album. Being older and more wiser about decisions also helps a lot.

Are you satisfied with the result of “The Witches of Dathomir”?
Yes, we wouldn’t want to change anything of it! It is totally raw and aggressive and that is something we wanted!

Why did you do a cover of Possesed’s “The Exorcist”?
We have been playing it live and in rehearsal for a long time. It was a crowd pleaser and we thought we did it enough justice to record it and play it in the Anatomy way. As you know, we worship Possessed and it is a major influence on our music.

What are the lyrics dealing with?
They’re more to do with a totally different place called Dathomir. Here is where I have written events about this fantasy solar system. It’s a place of total war, death, love and hate. Here lives the witch of Ocheron and she is the slut. In a way she is Satan or you could also call her my Queen of sins. I founded this because I got tired of making the same lyrical subject and I wanted to write something totally different from “Where Angels Die”. Well, I see it all as a very twisted love story but that’s up to you to decide? I find these fantasy topics interesting and that is all that really matters.

Give more details, also with examples by the lyrics of “Suncrusher”, “The Witches of Dathomir” and “Far From the World of Blue”?
”Suncrusher” is about losing yourtrue love and soul, it’s about being in the darkness, hearing everything in your mind, hating everything outside in the light, this is a very spiritual song, I think, for those with a bottle of whiskey and a passion for death and loneliness, and it’s also about wanting the sun to be destroyed and eternal darkness to be on Earth, then everything will die including your lost soul, simply, in the end, to be united with the stars. “The Witches of Dathomir” is about Ocheron, a witch…she is my Satan, she is the Queen of a tribe of bloodthirsty sluts and her intention is to take your life, spawn more packs, evolve, multiply and kill more. She is war and she is the lust of any ordinary man in this world. “Far From the World of Blue” is where the battle is to be fought under four moons shining bright, where good and evil collide, where Ocheron takes her stand, where humanity is put to death, it’s an outer space apocalypse. A different kind of Armageddon.

What means/is Dathomir?
Dathomir is a planet created by author, Kevin J Anderson, where millions of sluts live thirsty for blood, where a Queen named Ocheron rules, she is the harvester of souls and lust. Who knows if I will write about this place again but for this album I have found it to be interesting and it’s a little different to the previous lyrics I have made.

Which aspects are influences fordoing the lyrics?
I like to read occult books, Norse mythology and science fiction. Those have played a major role in creating my lyric content over the years, I feel they are a definite influence. Combining the three also makes a unique story situation. Norse mythology, the stories are inspiring and also have some life values. They are influences, yes, you could say that, as all reading is into the subconscious, it’s something that influences your writings and personality. The association with final battles in both Norse mythology and the bible has inspired me to write about Armageddon, the end of the world. It has always been an aspect of the Anatomy lyrics. I hate life, humans and joy.

How important are the lyrics for you?
Well, they are important to me because I hate to sing about crap that means nothing to me, you have to be passionate about your lyrics and find them interesting yourself. I would hate to have to sing the same songs, year in year out if, I, myself didn’t find the interesting. It’s also important to be able to throw out these vocal lines live with meaning and hate towards the audience and listener, which becomes your victim in a certain way. “TOO LOUD FOR THE CROWD” quote – Cronos!

What do you want to express by the lyrics?
Something listeners can read and be interested in, to make a visualisation towards what I am trying to portray, to them something different to the usual metal stereo-type. We hope people can find the lyrics interesting and understand them rather than reading some shit which don’t mean anything at all. There are all stories of my fantasies, some are personal and some are totally twisted and insane.

What philosophy, ideology, way of life…is beyond/connected with Anatomy/your lyrics?
Yes, we are anti-christian, we preach death, war, pride in ourselves, we are selfish, greedy and suicidal. For us that is our way! We also preach metal! Drink hard, fuck hard, die hard, is the best was to sum up our philosophy. To exterminate you an also ourselves!

You are presented with songs on different compilation CD’s of European, Australian and Asian labels. And your three records were releases by different labels. Is it not important for you to be on the same label?
Well, the compilations are like our marketing representations in each region of the world. Compilations are a great way to be introduced to an area you have not been represented in before. We like to promote our band in as many ways as possible to new listeners. The label situation for our albums has been something that has troubled us. We always chose to work with an Australian label as we could work together with them more easily. I suppose we were paranoid that a small underground label from overseas would never do the job right for us and we could have no input. Unless we sign to someone who is really 100% behind their work we would rather stay with an Australian label. There is too many labels now that could fold very easy and we don’t want our hard work to be put in a deleted list because of someone’s misfortune or fatal business objectives.

Do the guys of Anatomy play in other bands/projects too?
Yes, Hellcunt is a fulltime member of Gospel of the Horns, he also is still very passionate of getting Bestial Warlust back functioning…Masochist did an album with his previous band Earth, which is still not released. Both Masochist and JA play in the band called Hellspawn which is very technical black/death metal with synth in the vein of Satyricon, Arch Enemy, Dismember, Emperor. They have an album ready for release which they have just recorded in Toybox Studios. It also features members of Damaged, Abramelin, Blood Duster and the Australian Order of Chaos.

And what interests do you have besides music?
I like mostly to watch the only true Australian sport which is AUSTRALIAN rules football. That is my only other interest which is dominant in the winter here, I also enjoy a lot of porn XXX movies and old cult horror movies like “Hellraiser”, “Nightbreed”, and “The Exorcist”.

You have your own label, Bleed Records, why did you start with that? Are there also other bands on that label?
Yes, I have started Bleed Records in early 1998. The purpose of it was to release vinyl. I wanted to put Australian bands that were very innovative onto vinyl. There was always a lot of interest from overseas people that wanted to know about old bands that either split up or never participated in the underground scene. When the opportunity arose that Anatomy was to find a new label it was very simple for us to do it ourselves with Bleed Records. This is where the label and it’s philosophy changed towards releasing compact discs, now we are open to new products and recently formed Australian bands. We have released the following bands: Anatomy, Nomenclature Diablerie (with Sadistik Exekution members), Urgrund, Hellspawn, Sithlord. There are many other releases to be finalised, seems we will be around for a lot longer than I expected it to.

Where do you (all members of the band) see your musical roots?
I think everyone here was brought up listening to old AC/DC, apart from that, I see bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, W.A.S.P, Ozzy Osbourne, Venom, Slayer, Dismember, Nihilist (Sweden), Bathory, Rose Tattoo, Possessed, Testament, Deathrow, D.R.I.

And if you look back at Anatomy’s history and development, which positive or negative aspects could you figure out?
I am quite satisfied with how we have progressed over the ten years, to start at a very young age and to keep going this long is very positive for us, we have become better song writers and we have raised a lot of hell over the years. We have been righteous and damn underground for so long it’s pleased me fully. The only thing left for us to do is get more fucked up and original. It was always a goal to get totally insane and make devastating and original. I think we have found our sound, and I think we are individual, it’s time to take more steps further to the unknown. We have never cared for negatives, it’s not in our nature, to us, negative stuff is positive stuff, it’s a stupid underground attitude but that’s the way we are. There has nothing ever been in the back of my mind that has troubled me because our intention has always been the same.

What do you want to achieve with the band in anyway?
We want to be seen as original and innovative as possible by the time we are too old to keep going. We want to be accessible to as many people as possible who are interested in listening to Anatomy. We would also like to tour overseas to give people a lethal dose of furious Australian black/death metal, it would be great to go there after a few albums and have people knowing out stuff.

Do you have any ideas for a further record?
We are currently working hard on material for the next album. We don’t have any titles or ideas as this comes after the main core of our tracks are completed. We will carry on with the futuristic, fantasy, Armageddon lyric topics though. The music will be more progressed without losing any brutality. We will record in the Toybox Studio again where we have done the “Twisting Depths of Horror” recording in 1994. We are very pleased with the sound that has been coming out of there lately like the Hellspawn album, Damaged album etc.

Are there some things you would like to put into action?
Yes, I would really be grateful for listeners to give us a go and not overlook our band because of our band name. That is something that is frustrating. There is a compilation track of the title of our album here on Ablaze called “The Witches of Dathomir”, have a listen for yourselves. Also I would like people to change their minds out there seeing Australian bands as playing typical uncreative war chaos stuff. Of course we all love this sort of stuff but it is a very narrow-minded view concerning Australian bands and we are much more creative than to put us all in this genre.

What can we expect from the new songs?
They will be very different to the last effort we have made. It still retains most elements of the “The Witches of Dathomir” album but we will go into a lot more different tempos and the music is even more brutal without losing any clarity. This new one will be like a cut to the throat!

What can you tell us about your live activities with Anatomy?
For us, this is the most important, we put a lot into our live shows, we are twice as aggressive live! To play in front of our enemies, friends, posers, trendies, groupies is such a release of energy and hate, we project hate against everything before us. We are the loudest, noisiest band to hit Australia next to Bestial Warlust. We are fuelled by alcohol and possessed by hate. It is good to put all your critics to shame with a powerful performance, it’s the only way to show your full force and to spit in their face. At an Anatomy show you could expect only total hate and power and an assault on your senses. We don’t use no stage props these days, we just play our stuff with conviction. On stage there is only drinking, spiting, headbanging, smashing, thrashing anything in sight. We have played with Impaled Nazarene in July 1999, that was a great show with Nazxul. A night of War metal seeming Impaled Nazarene played a lot “…norz,norz, norz” stuff. We have played with Sadistik Exekution, Armoured Angel, Bestial Warlust, Abramelin, Abominator, The Wolves, too many bands to mention.

How often do you play gigs and where?
We have played live for ten years all around Australia, we play sometimes every two months, then not for one year, it depends on what is happening in the group at the time. We always try to keep active on the live scene here even if we are not composing at all.

Have you ever played gigs outside of Australia?
No, we have not played outside of Australia. It is one of our goals to play through Europe in 2001. We will have to save a lot of money to do this unless there is some promoter there who is interested in taking us on. We recently got offered an Asian tour with Japan also in the schedule, we are finalising this at the moment. Seems like a start anyway and an opportunity to play to foreign audiences.

The next thing you do is support Impaled Nazarene in Australia?
Yes, there were many bands here going for this tour. The promoter was interested mostly in us as we had been playing for a long time and said we had earned the right. It was a big show for us in Melbourne, Victoria, our hometown state. There was 600 payers there and we hadn’t played a show like this since 1995 with Sadistik Exekution. It is great to play in front of these sort of crowds. We had the best sound as we done the sound-check and Impaled Nazarene and Nazxul used our equipment so we sounded huge, we didn’t receive any smaller volume than the other bands and we had all positive comments from all there on the night. It was a crazy night and we hope to play with the Finnish cunts again in the future.

Where can we find your town, Victoria?
Our main capital here is Melbourne, you can find it at the very lowest point of south east Australia. There is a very different climate here compared to all other places in Australia, and it’s also known as the wet doom and gloom capital of Australia. I suppose it has a very dark sky most of the time all year round. Most people move north to avoid this, but all bands here are among the darkest and most brutal bands of Australia. It is quite easily the most productive and biggest metal scene in Australia.

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