1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
-Comatose, we started as a 4 piece death metal band here in Cebu City, Philippines that was way back 2003. At first, we were a cover band, the beginning was really funny actually, we had rehearsals in a small room inside our house with no professional equipments. Most of the stuffs we played are from Hypocrisy, some Deicide and Morbid Angel etc. We also went through several line-up changes but the band will stay to its old school death metal influence. As of now there’s 4 of us with Bellz (Guitar) taking up the duties on vocals when our previous vocalist left the band. Milo (Guitar) is also one of the original members and still with the band. Surge (Bass) also joined the band and doing great on it, and Kyndall (drums) who had been playing with couple of band before and later decided to be a full time drummer for Comatose.
2.In 2015 you had released both a demo and a full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?
For me they were both great. How they differ? the ultimate revenge was more aggressive in terms of blast beats and the brutality of the vocals while our new stuff are still extreme, brutal and the presence of old school is always there, I can't really compare the two release right now until we finish polishing our demos. line up changes can also affect the musical sound but the soul is always there.
3.In between 2010 and 2015 there was no music being released, can you tell us a little bit more about the 5 year gap?
-Yeah! It was really a long time for the band.but to be honest the ultimate revenge should have been released in 2012 but due to some circumstances it was delayed. back in the day those were really hard times. Milo had to attend to his personal life for his work, at the same time I need to go back abroad to finish a Job contract. But our work did help us a lot. During the time that we are working, we keep some money so we can buy our own equipment for the band because we know someday we will return and we will be more ready to make our materials once again with full force hahah.
4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
-For our new music it focus on religion, death, darkness, and apocalypse. Lyrics are important for us, we can say that it is also one of the important element for this kind of music.
5.Originally the band was known as 'Churchburner', what was the cause of the new change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Comatose'?
church burner sounds to corny.i decided to name the band comatose coz at that span of time i kept on spinning kreator’s coma of soul and their I got the idea, and i think theres is no one else is using that name, there is some but maybe inactive or disband.
6.In the beginning the band started out playing 'Hypocrisy' covers, was this band meant to be a cover band at first before you started writing your own material?
-I think most of the bands started that way as well. Yes I admit Hypocrisy had a great impact on us and in a way we shaped our style specially on the first 3 albums (Penetralia, Osculum Obscenum, & The The Fourth Dimension). Then we noticed that we were improving and the whole situation to look better and better, we decided to make our own materials for our tracks and see if it will be good and turns out it did. Until now we still play cover songs but not that much, just 1 or 2 songs in a set of 8-10 songs every time we have a gig.
7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
I am very sure that was last year(August 2015) in Ilo-Ilo city, coz the sound system was awesome, the crowd was good the promoters was very accommodating, and our performance level was 666% evil!!! Lol... we really love to go back there hopefully if they will invite us again
8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
-Yeah we have a gig outside cebu, that will be on may 28 2016 in Cagayan de Oro. Tour abroad I still don’t know. It would involve a big amount of money, hopefully someday.
9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?
-Worldwide level??? I think it's still very very low coz’ nobody recognized us outside our country yet but So far there were 5 or 6 reviews I have read and most of the comments were positive, hopefully this will be our stepping stone to be recognized, but honestly I really don’t give a shit if they put negative feedbacks on our music coz its their own opinion, always remember " you can't please everyone ". but sometimes we will learn something from the negative feedbacks.
10.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
-Nope, coz every one is quite busy of their individual professions and family, sometimes rehearsal schedule is so damn difficult find.
11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
-I think we will stick as what we have started. Old school and extreme, but the song's tuning may vary we will be using 7 strings for some of the new stuff i guess.
12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
-Commonly we listen to 70's/80's rock heavy metal to mid 80's thrash/death, now a days I kept on listening this nursery rhymes all day long on youtube coz my kid is the one using my laptop lol. But honestly it depends on the mood sometimes heavy/rock, the next day sinister/death/morbid angel/hypocrisy and so on, I even listen to some Viking stuff like BATHORY.
13.How would you describe your views on Satanism and Occultism?
-For me this two words have different meanings Satanism, the worship of Satan as supreme will and sometimes modern people use this word as freedom or rebelling from a religious groups. While Occultism is a worship of one SELF as the supreme being.
14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
-In behalf of comatose I would like to thank you for the review of our album and spending time doing some questionnaire, To all labels, zines, producers, promoters and etc... try to dig some 3rd world aspiring metal bands, why not give them a chance? I assure you that there are some worth listening.
-LEE "Bellz" L.D.
-Comatose, we started as a 4 piece death metal band here in Cebu City, Philippines that was way back 2003. At first, we were a cover band, the beginning was really funny actually, we had rehearsals in a small room inside our house with no professional equipments. Most of the stuffs we played are from Hypocrisy, some Deicide and Morbid Angel etc. We also went through several line-up changes but the band will stay to its old school death metal influence. As of now there’s 4 of us with Bellz (Guitar) taking up the duties on vocals when our previous vocalist left the band. Milo (Guitar) is also one of the original members and still with the band. Surge (Bass) also joined the band and doing great on it, and Kyndall (drums) who had been playing with couple of band before and later decided to be a full time drummer for Comatose.
2.In 2015 you had released both a demo and a full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?
For me they were both great. How they differ? the ultimate revenge was more aggressive in terms of blast beats and the brutality of the vocals while our new stuff are still extreme, brutal and the presence of old school is always there, I can't really compare the two release right now until we finish polishing our demos. line up changes can also affect the musical sound but the soul is always there.
3.In between 2010 and 2015 there was no music being released, can you tell us a little bit more about the 5 year gap?
-Yeah! It was really a long time for the band.but to be honest the ultimate revenge should have been released in 2012 but due to some circumstances it was delayed. back in the day those were really hard times. Milo had to attend to his personal life for his work, at the same time I need to go back abroad to finish a Job contract. But our work did help us a lot. During the time that we are working, we keep some money so we can buy our own equipment for the band because we know someday we will return and we will be more ready to make our materials once again with full force hahah.
4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
-For our new music it focus on religion, death, darkness, and apocalypse. Lyrics are important for us, we can say that it is also one of the important element for this kind of music.
5.Originally the band was known as 'Churchburner', what was the cause of the new change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Comatose'?
church burner sounds to corny.i decided to name the band comatose coz at that span of time i kept on spinning kreator’s coma of soul and their I got the idea, and i think theres is no one else is using that name, there is some but maybe inactive or disband.
6.In the beginning the band started out playing 'Hypocrisy' covers, was this band meant to be a cover band at first before you started writing your own material?
-I think most of the bands started that way as well. Yes I admit Hypocrisy had a great impact on us and in a way we shaped our style specially on the first 3 albums (Penetralia, Osculum Obscenum, & The The Fourth Dimension). Then we noticed that we were improving and the whole situation to look better and better, we decided to make our own materials for our tracks and see if it will be good and turns out it did. Until now we still play cover songs but not that much, just 1 or 2 songs in a set of 8-10 songs every time we have a gig.
7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
I am very sure that was last year(August 2015) in Ilo-Ilo city, coz the sound system was awesome, the crowd was good the promoters was very accommodating, and our performance level was 666% evil!!! Lol... we really love to go back there hopefully if they will invite us again
8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
-Yeah we have a gig outside cebu, that will be on may 28 2016 in Cagayan de Oro. Tour abroad I still don’t know. It would involve a big amount of money, hopefully someday.
9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?
-Worldwide level??? I think it's still very very low coz’ nobody recognized us outside our country yet but So far there were 5 or 6 reviews I have read and most of the comments were positive, hopefully this will be our stepping stone to be recognized, but honestly I really don’t give a shit if they put negative feedbacks on our music coz its their own opinion, always remember " you can't please everyone ". but sometimes we will learn something from the negative feedbacks.
10.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
-Nope, coz every one is quite busy of their individual professions and family, sometimes rehearsal schedule is so damn difficult find.
11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
-I think we will stick as what we have started. Old school and extreme, but the song's tuning may vary we will be using 7 strings for some of the new stuff i guess.
12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
-Commonly we listen to 70's/80's rock heavy metal to mid 80's thrash/death, now a days I kept on listening this nursery rhymes all day long on youtube coz my kid is the one using my laptop lol. But honestly it depends on the mood sometimes heavy/rock, the next day sinister/death/morbid angel/hypocrisy and so on, I even listen to some Viking stuff like BATHORY.
13.How would you describe your views on Satanism and Occultism?
-For me this two words have different meanings Satanism, the worship of Satan as supreme will and sometimes modern people use this word as freedom or rebelling from a religious groups. While Occultism is a worship of one SELF as the supreme being.
14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
-In behalf of comatose I would like to thank you for the review of our album and spending time doing some questionnaire, To all labels, zines, producers, promoters and etc... try to dig some 3rd world aspiring metal bands, why not give them a chance? I assure you that there are some worth listening.
-LEE "Bellz" L.D.
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