On July 9th, the Australian death metal band released their second EP, Remote Death, available in digital format. To celebrate this occasion, I had the opportunity to interview two members of the band: bassist Jared Roberts and vocalist Clint Williams. Together, we delved into the creation of this intense mini-album and what the future holds for the band.
Serial Metalbums: What were the main themes and inspirations behind "Remote Death"? How did you approach writing this EP compared to your first one Black Wind?
Jared Roberts and Clint Williams: Each track has its own theme, ranging from drone warfare to parallel universes and being confined in a world trying to escape.
A lot of the writing process starts with Dave and Marcus. They are both prolific riff writers and take a lot of time with melodic parts and harmony, so it generally starts there until drums are added, with bass and vocals coming last. We did more “demos” this time around compared to the Black Wind EP, where the songs were written early in the band’s existence and were largely jammed in the rehearsal room.
Serial Metalbums: Can you tell us about the recording process for "Remote Death"? Were there any particular memorable moments in the studio?
Jared Roberts and Clint Williams: The songs have been around for a while, and we had already played most of them live for some time, so they’d been road-tested and were obviously well rehearsed. We were fully ready to lay the tracks down and capture the songs much as we play them live. We recorded the songs at Danger Tone Studios in Melbourne, and it was a fairly straightforward process. Danger Tone is like a kids' toy shop for musicians; there is so much to choose from, from instruments to production gear. The most difficult part was choosing which vocal takes to use, as we laid down a lot of them!
Serial Metalbums: How would you describe the evolution of your sound since your first EP?
Jared Roberts and Clint Williams: The songwriting has definitely sharpened up a bit, and we’ve got a better idea of each other’s styles, inspirations, and musical tastes. It’s pretty hard to qualify an evolution of sound in death metal without sounding a little trite, but Munitions has certainly found its place, and we’ve had a lot of great feedback on the new EP, with a particular theme that it’s a pleasant “step up” from the first one.
Serial Metalbums: What has been the reaction from fans and critics so far for "Remote Death"? Have there been any particular pieces of feedback that stood out to you?
Jared Roberts and Clint Williams: As mentioned above, we’ve received a great amount of feedback that this EP has been a great continuation of our music and a strong follow-up to Black Wind. It’s always interesting to hear reviews and feedback that compare you to other bands and what listeners take from it. Some people have found very interesting combinations of Death, Armoured Saint, and Killswitch Engage in our music, which is always amusing for us to hear.
Serial Metalbums: What are your plans for the future after the release of this EP? Are you considering touring, releasing a full album, or collaborating with other artists?
Jared Roberts and Clint Williams: The next step will be a full-length album. We still like the idea of a full-length release (we’re old school!) and we already have a number of songs that we’re working on. We’ll continue to play shows this year and into next year, supporting Remote Death, continuing to play live, and collecting more supporters as we go.
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