I have no doubt about it that Shed The Skin from Cleveland, Ohio is bringing you their most profound and variegated release under the moniker of "Thaumogenesis". To get more information on this superior death metal masterpiece I've contacted Ash Thomas (vocals/guitar). He explained not just how they work together, rehearse and prepare for the live shows, but mentioned good news regarding the upcoming Estuary album too. Enjoy our talk!!!
Hails Ash! The latest album by Shed The Skin is called "Thaumogenesis". To me, it's a well-balanced combination between the US and European kinds of old-school death metal. It has the somberness of the first camp and the catchy melodies of the second one. How do you see it? What are the reactions to it so far?
- It's a culmination of the extreme metal that has shaped us all personally & musically over the past 30-35+ years. Matt Sorg is the main songwriter for this band, but we collectively have a kind of unspoken motto "pay homage, but never steal or blatantly emulate". The goal is to write killer death metal songs. As a band we all feel this is our best record so far & the response from outside sources seems to be the same. I personally do not pay attention to reviews these days, but talking with people one on one, "this is the best one" is the consensus.
It's your fourth album in the row and as we get used to it was released by Hells Headbangers Records. Do they plan to issue "Thaumogenesis" on vinyl too? Tell us in short what kind of deal you've inked with them.
- HHR is a very easy label to work with & they've been onboard with releasing STS albums since day 1. We have a verbal agreement that has lasted 7-8 years. We & the HHR guys have all known each other for so long that a mutual trust is there. Yes, "Thaumogenesis" will have a vinyl release. It's in production, but as most people know, vinyl production is massively delayed & it's taking 12-18 months to turn a release currently. I'm estimating either a late 2022 release for the vinyl or even early 2023.
There was a Surgikill/Shed The Skin split 7" coming out on Blasphemous Art Records. Is "Sounds of the Anguished Dead" out already? If so, please share with us all the details about this cooperation.
- Yes, it is out now. It was an easy deal & Antonio at Blasphemous Art is a great dude. Billy Nocera from Surgikill/Razorback Records got things in motion with the deal just prior to Covid hitting & then things kind of went into a crawl due to the situation of the world. Despite the drawn out process, it came out killer in the end & was worth the wait. We in STS had been sitting on the re-recording of the Blood Of Christ (Cleveland, OH) tune "Shed the Skin" (the song for which we are named) since 2018. And, we in Surgikill had 1 leftover song that was always intended for a split 7" release. We ended up busting out a 2nd short tune after the deal was in motion just to make the most out of the time allotted for a 7" release. Cover art was done by Rok from Sadistik Exekution & it comes with a poster! It's a sick 7" release & is available now!
Shed The Skin is a band recurring with a new full-length album every two years. How do you manage this? I mean, all the members are involved in multiple bands/projects, but the four of you still find the spare time and ideas to release new stuff and continue further on.
- We are able to do this, because all the members are leaders & driving forces in our other projects. We know what needs to be done & what it takes to be productive & we don't fuck around. We have a formula that has been in place since we released the first self-titled 7". That's how we keep in consistent & in motion.
As I see you do not play live frequently. Why is it so? What is a Shed The Skin live show like? What the fans should expect on your live shows and do you plan to visit Europe in the near future?
- Playing live on a regular basis does not work well with our respective busy schedules. So, we choose to keep the gigs at a minimum. Usually, we'll do a few around the release of a new record & then a few more spattered throughout the year. This keeps it fun for us. When we do play live, we put on the best performance possible to pummel the audience with our death metal.
Visiting Europe would be great of course, but we haven't been offered a solid opportunity to do so as of yet.
Since 2020 you've been involved on drums in a heavy/power metal band – Apaugasma. Talk us a bit about this formation (line-up, releases, possible live shows and future plans).
- This was a 1 off project… at least for my part. I had tracked some drums years ago for my friend Brian Day who I played with in The Vladimirs. We're talking 10+ years ago if not more. He got around to completing the songs at his leisure & releasing them on CD in 2020. It's a handful of songs plus a Saxon cover. Definitely not an active band. I'm not sure what Brian's plans are for future stuff. The CD might be it.
There were also plans for the recording & release of the third Estuary album. I mean, you've been rehearsing the new songs for it, also recruited a full line-up for the live shows and even played a few gigs in 2021. So what news can you tell us from that camp?
- Yes, the slow-motion Estuary entity... hahaha. The music for the album is completed & tracked. I'm talking about leads & everything. Just waiting for Zdenka to track her vocals then it will mix & master. Artwork for the album is secured too... just waiting...
How often and how long do you rehearse with Shed The Skin and where your rehearsal place is located?
- We rarely rehearse. We typically get together the day before a gig or a lot of times the day of the gig. We all do our homework before meeting up & that's how we pull it off. We'll work out any kinks during 1 or 2 play throughs & that's pretty much it. Being prepared individually is the crucial factor. Most rehearsals take place in Columbus, OH at Kyle's house & sometimes we rehearse in Cleveland, OH if we have a show up there. Kyle's is usually the go to place, because his location is center ground between myself in Cincinnati, OH & Matt & Ed in Cleveland, OH.
Your first two albums included cover versions, like "Innermost Sanctuary" by Blood Of Christ and "Remonstrating the Preserver" by Hetsheads. Do you play these or other covers live as well? Which song(s)/band(s) would you cover next?
- "Innermost..." is a partial Blood Of Christ cover. Basically, the music was an unfinished BOC song that was almost a Decrepit song too, but the lyrics are new minus the title itself. We've played that song live a few times, but it hasn't been in the set since 2018. We've never played the Hetsheads song live, but it would be fun to do. Not many people are familiar with that tune, but Matt & I have always loved it. I thought it was really cool when Matt said he wanted to do it. As far as other covers go, we play 3 Venom tunes that we were going to play at a prefest back in June, but it didn't end up happening due to timing & some other planning falling through.
OK, that was it. Shed your last words to the readers.
- Our new album "Thaumogenesis" is available now through Hells Headbangers Records! Vinyl to follow. All our previous records are also available, including the split 7" with Surgikill. Go to www.hellsheadbangers.com for details.
Thank you Kornel for the interview & opportunity! It's always great to hear from you!!! DEATH FUCKING METAL HAILS!!!
