A few months ago, Cryptopsy unleashed their latest supersonic technical death/grind brutality on humanity, causing visible confusion among the faint of heart, but certainly not among the band's devoted followers. That's why I asked Matt McGachy, the howling death machine, about everything related to their new album and, of course, their future plans.
Hi Matt! Your 8th studio album, "As Gomorrah Burns", was released worldwide on September 8, 2023. Are you satisfied with the reactions you have received so far from both the press and the fans?
- Yes, absolutely, we are all simply blown away by the support that we have received regarding the new album. We spent many years writing and recording it, so it feels quite rewarding to have people enjoy it as much as we do.
You made your debut on Nuclear Blast Records with this album. How did fate bring you together? Are you only signed for one record or do you have some sort of long-term deal with them?
- I was recording a Vox&Hops episode with Charles Elliott (Abysmal Dawn & Nuclear Blast) back in the spring of 2019 and he mentioned after a few beers that he would be interested in working with Cryptopsy. I was very into the idea, but did not think much of it since it was late at night. I awoke the next morning with a message from Charles saying that he was serious about our conversation. It took some time, but we worked out a deal that would become "As Gomorrah Burns". I am looking forward to continue our relationship with Nuclear Blast.
Musically, it combines the classic elements of the band's past, as well as the constantly updated modern parts. How do you see this? Was it achieved on purpose or did it just come naturally?
- It was a very conscious decision to meld the old with the new. Back in 2017, we toured "None So Vile" in its entirety and I feel like it gave us a masterclass in what works for Cryptopsy from the 1st era. We saw and felt which elements worked for each crowd and decided to play with them while writing new material. Sprinkling in a bit of the grooves and melodic passages from the early eras with a mix of the chaotic "Whisper Supremacy" era and wrapping things up with a new ingredient from our current era. This new ingredient is a sense of malaise, an uncomfortable experience which can best be heard during the outro of "Praise the Filth".
Could you please elaborate on the lyrics of "As Gomorrah Burns"? What things motivated or inspired you this time?
- I approached the album's concept as a whole. The concept for "As Gomorrah Burns" came to me in early 2020.
I wanted to explore the concept of what happened in Sodom and Gomorrah and make a connection to the birth of the internet. At first Sodom & Gomorrah were a haven of wealth, abundance and knowledge. But that wealth, abundance and knowledge was misused and the inhabitants were punished.
The same is true with the internet. There is an endless amount of knowledge and positive aspects that have arisen from the birth of the internet. But there are many instances where the opposite is true. Some people have misused the powers of the internet. It's these true stories that I dug into to write the lyrics which became "As Gomorrah Burns".
Stories about online stalkers, cults, misinformation, isolation and intimidation. I took these true stories and embellished them to expose the harsh realities that the internet has gifted us.
The cover painting turned out really cool. Paolo Girardi did a fantastic job. Whose idea was it to include the "Whisper Supremacy" parallel here? How does this relate to the lyrical content?
- The cover art was painted by Paolo Girardi. He is an Italian artist whose work we really loved.
As soon as I had the concept for the album, I did some research into Renaissance Art pieces that covered the subject matter of Sodom and Gomorrah. I stumbled upon a series of paintings which really depicted the idea I had well in my mind. I sent these paintings to Paolo and he literally just painted the cover in a few days. He is a machine. We were all beyond amazed with what he created. It fits the album perfectly.
The dates for your upcoming "Ashes Shall Reign" Asia tour have been announced. What setlist are you preparing for these shows? Will you invade Europe in 2024?
- We are super stoked to be returning to Asia, we had such a killer time when we toured there in 2019. We are crafting a setlist that showcases the new era of Cryptopsy while including a bunch of classics as well. We are getting ready for a massive 2024 that will include a bunch of tours in areas that we have not toured in a while.
How did the idea of creating the Vox&Hops Metal Podcast come about? Which interview are you most proud of and is there a "dream" interview in your trunk that hasn't come true yet?
- The podcast was born in 2018, from a melding of my two loves Craft Beer and in depth conversations. Since then over the past 5 years, I have released over 430 episodes where I sit down with fellow metal musicians to talk about their lives and music while sharing craft beers. I have also released over 80 beer collabs across the globe. There are a few "white whale" guests that I have not had the chance to talk to yet such as Mike Patton, Maynard James Keenan and Corey Taylor to name a few.
What do we need to know about The Monster Factory/La fabrique de monstres?
- The Monster Factory is a very unique company that uses the talents of extreme vocalists as voice over actors. Most voice actors can only perform harsh vocals for a very limited period of time, the Monster Factory supplies voice actors that have very little limitations. I am extremely proud to be a part of The Monster Factory. I have had the pleasure of being a part of the Guardians of the Galaxy game a few years ago.
Were there any records in the field of extreme metal this year that really stuck with you musically? What kind of music do you like to listen to at home? Name your 10 favorite metal albums of all time?
- This is a hard question... My top albums of 2023 are: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard "PetroDragonic Apocalypse", Spotlights "Alchemy for The Dead", Herod "Iconoclast", Monika Roscher Bigband "Witchy Activities and the Maple Death", TesseracT "War of Being".
All time... Too difficult to choose, but there would be some Tool, Faith No More, Primus, Mr. Bungle on it...
Finally, share Cryptopsy's plans for the coming year. The last undivine words are yours.
- We have a big year planned for 2024. The pandemic added a lot of time into our album break/writing cycle, so we are eager to tour a lot. Just want to thank all the fans for their patience and support. We greatly appreciate you all!
