Symphonic Blackened Extreme Metal, hailing from Adelaide Australia, In The Burial combine epic orchestral arrangements, melodic and fierce fret work, fast and intense drumming, penetrating lyrics, stunning symphonies, and one women’s distinctively impressive vocal range, creating a colossal musical composition that is triumphant in its symphonic mastery. The band have released “Lamentations: Of Deceit & Redemption” and are about to appear at The New Dead X at the Lions Art Factory Theatre in Adelaide alongside Fleshgod Apocalypse, King Parrot, Rise of Avernus and more. We talk to guitarist Mark Hillary about it all.
Metal-Roos: In The Burial, producing crushing blackened death metal… where did your journey start? Was the plan to always be a band with a fusion of both black and death sub-genres? And why?
Mark: I have always wanted to be more than a single-dimensional sounding band. The sound has progressed and changed from our beginning to now. From band member changes to our technical abilities, songwriting goals… it all has or had a huge influence on what we have wanted to create as a band.
M-R: Black metal is often associated with themes of misanthropy and hatred, with Satanic lyrics and imagery and death metal is renowned for being corroded with themes of death, gore, and offensive horror. What were the imagery and lyrical vision for In The Burial? You have steered away from both of these sub-genre heredities, why?
Mel: Simply put, we don’t wish to pigeonhole ourselves. We have a very organic and authentic approach to our song-writing; therefore, we make a point of setting ourselves apart… We want to be innovative and we also want to avoid the exclusivity that is often associated with black metal.
What’s surprising, is that although we have steered away from doing what is stereotypical of the genre, still critics and fans have described it as being so ‘brutal’ and ‘evil’ that does intrigue and surprise me somewhat, as that wasn’t the intent.
In terms of the lyrical themes not being gore ridden or satanic, It would be mostly due to personally feeling very little separation between art and reality when it comes to our music, therefore I don’t have the ability to falsify a theology I don’t subscribe to nor could I remove myself from the responsibility I feel for the words I speak out into the aether, words are powerful! ….And I am no storyteller of fiction so to recycle overused ‘tough guy’ or ‘evil’ metal lyrics would feel to be a bit ridiculous and contrived, therefore I wanted our themes to be genuine and relatable and not restricted by the expectations of the genre.
Although Lamentations does indeed touch on subjects like ‘death’, ‘life thereafter’ ‘apocalyptic themes’, ‘misanthrope’ and ‘darkness’, it is from the point of view of exploring, purging and ‘overcoming’ darkness and illusion, not siding with it. Therefore, I wouldn’t consider those themes ‘evil’ per se….just a natural part of soul searching, truth-seeking and catharsis. I guess what isn’t considered ‘standard’ black metal or death metal, is our willingness to include the other side of the story, the brighter side…. personal progress, the miseries of consciousness, connectivity, god, overcoming fear, liberty, freedom, striving to be better. I think in this genre, that is more Risqué….and I like to stir things up and challenge the status quo.
M-R: Your 2019 full-length release Lamentations: Of Deceit & Redemption is an exceptionally heavy and epic listen, and very evident of the hard work In The Burial have put into this. Lyrically this is very smart, yet somewhat cryptic – forcing the listener to think into the meaning of each track. What is the story behind the themes of this album? Where does the inspiration come from to write such stories within your songs?
Mel: I always find this question difficult to answer because over the years, writing in this cryptic and multilayered meaning way has always been automatic. I guess it feels to me like it’s subconscious manifestations. I see the world as being multifaceted so the themes tend to come out in metaphors and parables.
I can say, however, that Lamentations: Of Deceit & Redemption is in essence, as the title suggests… An expression or collection of songs about ‘deceit’, lies and things hidden in shadows and ‘redemption’ to be delivered from the darkness of those illusions. Some of this is literal, political, worldly, etc some spiritual, mental… But for the most part, it is all the same, which is why it can be difficult to explain as most of the tracks have multidimensional meanings. I think it’s much better to feel the energy of these songs rather than dissect them. I dare say this hopefully without sounding inflammatory, that this album should resonate at soul level for those who take the time to listen to it and experience it in full.
M-R: Are there plans to do an Australian tour with Lamentations: Of Deceit & Redemption? And if so, when can fans expect this?
Mark: Yes, there are plans already in the works as we speak for international and national shows. Announcements will be coming on those when we get the approval.
M-R: Born Of Suffering, your first full-length release in 2013, feels more weighted on the technical death metal side, compared to the acutely blackened and symphonic sounds of Lamentations: Of Deceit & Redemption. What was the driver for this progression into a different sound, while maintaining In The Burials depth and brutality?
Mark: Born of Suffering was recorded by us and our previous vocalist, a lot of discovery was made during those sessions on what we can do or what we wanted it to sound like production-wise.
The majority of the recording for Lamentations: Of deceit & Redemption was done by myself in my home studio, which gave us as a band the freedom to take more of a focused effort on our individual parts, the direction of the song and album as a whole. We all knew what the effect we wanted to create was when you listen to it, we just needed the time to refine the process. As a band, we had a lot of fire in the belly, almost like a chip on shoulder mentality. We spent months away from playing live shows. We really believed in what we were doing as a group and wanted to surprise a lot of people with what we have been hiding away creating. We had the help of Jarred Nettle to co-produce and mix on this album, he was amazing to work with. He also had a large part in the overall sound of the album and spent a tireless number of hours with us. He instantly knew how to communicate with any member to get the best result possible, which is something essential.
M-R: Adelaide feels as if it is a black metal and extreme metal mecca in Australia at the moment. Has the metal community always been this strong within your area? And has the calibre of bands always been there? If so, why is it now that they are starting to come to the surface? Is extreme and underground metal becoming more popular within this country? And if so, why do you think this is?
Mark: Adelaide has always had a high quality of talented bands that have been successful within their genres such as Virgin Black, I Killed The Prom Queen, Mournful Congregation. The community can go through waves, but I’d have to agree that it’s definitely on the incline at the moment, there is a lot of support for each other, which in return helps create exposure for everyone else. Bands/artists are also smarter in terms of creating exposure with as much social media or online presence as they can, which is why it is starting to surface in other areas of the country. Extreme metal will never be the go-to for most people as it can be a bit harsh for some, but it has become more acceptable to people who aren’t as familiar with it. Trickle by trickle it has had an effect of gathering more momentum and quietly becoming more popular.
M-R: One thing I noticed, when I was lucky enough to see you guys play at Heavy S.A in April 2019, was the exceptional metal community you do have there in Adelaide and the support the bands seemed to give each other was also evident. How important is it to you as a band to support other bands within your sub-genre, or metal in general and vice versa? Do bands need to do more of this, or you think it’s working as is?
Mark: Thank you so much for coming to Adelaide for HEAVY SA in April. Adelaide is a small city compared to most, so we feel it is very important to support one another of any genre. Adelaide has become exceptional at doing this too, it also sets an example for any new bands up and coming to as the bands that haven’t supported one or another have usually fallen to the wayside by natural default.
M-R: Let’s talk The New Dead X, a huge gig being held at the Lions Art Factory Theatre, 2nd November 2019. Fleshgod Apocalypse, King Parrot, Rise of Avernus, some huge names both internationally and within Australia, including In The Burial, of course, will be soiling the stages there. What is it like to be a part of a massive line up such as this one? And what do you look forward to the most when playing festivals such as this one?
Mark: New Dead X is packed with so many great and versatile bands. Jason North has gone above and beyond to make this show happen. These types of day festivals have always been a lot of fun to be a part of, as you get the chance to catch up with so many friends across the country in the one show. The crowds in the past have always been amazing and packed from start to finish.
M-R: What are your thoughts on Politically Correctness (PC) within the metal industry lately and how it is affecting extreme sub-genres of metal such as black & death Metal? Do you think this will settle? Or worsen? Does PC ever seem to affect In The Burial at all? And if so how?
Mel: Well, I’m sure that the majority of metal listeners wouldn’t really care too much of political correctness and those who do probably wouldn’t listen to metal anyway so why should it matter?
Traditionally metal bands are all about challenging political correctness and social constructs, anarchy, rebellion, etc, I think that’s something that draws a lot of people to it.
If we’re referring to bands that seem very extreme in their imagery, live shows and views i.e. (gore, Satanism, etc) I think that will most likely stay exactly as these bands intend it to be… underground. I think that’s entirely the point for these bands, so acceptance wouldn’t be the goal I’d say. Some people take it seriously, some people think it’s just a bit of tongue in cheek silliness, some people just think it’s a form of art, like the thrill of watching a horror movie.
However, if you look, there’s so much variation nowadays in metal that you can seriously find just about anything that inspires and can be identified with. I guess that’s why In The Burial has decided to pave our way and are not limited by our image. Although I wouldn’t say we’re always ‘politically correct’ we do want to be accessible to a wider audience. We don’t censor ourselves but we also believe extreme metal doesn’t have to be exclusive or underground.
M-R: Where would you say your biggest fan base is? Are you reaching more international fans with your latest release? What are the plans for In The Burial to break the international scene? How do you plan to do this?
Mark: With designed artist apps for Spotify, Bandcamp, ITunes, etc. They give you detailed reports on a lot of areas, so you can track your fan base and type of demographic for further market targeting. In the Burial’s Fan support has been just as strong in Australia has it has been worldwide. But we have been getting an increase in Japan, Europe, and the US. Which has surprised us, as we didn’t know how it would be perceived and without any label support on this album.
M-R: Is black metal becoming fashionable? Some fans would say they would rather see bands stay underground and exclusive. What are your thoughts on this, from a band’s perspective?
Mark: Fashion, music, movies go through trends that come and go just as quickly. There has been an increase in the last 2-5 years through some clever marketing techniques, bands or musician personalities using their influence to promote black metal. I can understand why some people would want to keep their favourite artist to an underground status but for me personally, I would like bands or culture as a whole to be accepted in many different developments.
M-R: When In The Burial aren’t being all fierce and brutal on stage or in the studio, what is your go-to music to chill out to? Are there other genres of music you guys love to get your creative edge on to? And if so, what are they?
Mark: We are all pretty diverse in what we listen too outside of what we produce, which in return those influences also help us experiment more in what we write.
M-R: Live, you all put in 110%, it’s an impressive, intimidating and extremely heavy experience. As a band, what processes do you go through to retain that exhausting energy the entire set?
Mark: Warm-up, Warm-up, Warm-up!!! Mel will spend time going through her vocal warm-up exercises, due to the demands it can have vocally for a set. Fox will spend 30mins-1hr warming up feet and hands-on practice pads. Phil and myself will run through some guitar warm-up exercises and certain muscle memory parts of the set.
M-R: In The Burial has had changes to its line up since Born Of Suffering album, how has this impacted the band’s success and path moving forward?
Mark: With line-up changes, it can both have a positive and negative effect.
The positive effect: new members can bring new ideas and personalities which can make a stale environment seem fresh again, it can help you attain areas musically which you might not have thought possible before, it also makes yourself appreciate the process of starting again.
The negative effect: It can stunt the progression and growth of the band, which is something we suffered. It had set us back years, but during that time it helped focus on what we wanted within the band and the personalities involved.
M-R: Mel and Mark, thank you so much for doing this interview with me.
Interview Date: 2019-09-14
Interviewer: Kelly Tee