Viscera Infest Interview (Eizo Asakura)

Viscera Infest is one of those goregrind bands with a lot of Brutal Death Metal overtones that I have been waiting with great anticipation for their new production, and although this “Teratoma” has taken 9 years to be released, the truth is it doesn’t matter. It is a band that with two previous productions knew how to fit into the concept of many lovers of the style, and the band even positioned itself as one of the best proposals of the style and within the most extreme that Japan has to offer at a general level, without the need to be technical, progressive or whatever is happening in the world again. For this reason, Metallerium interviewed Eizo Asakura.

Para leer la entrevista en español: Entrevista con Viscera Infest

Metallerium: ¡Welcome to the Metallerium page! Thank you for taking the time to talk to us. How are you today? How is your band Viscera Infest going?

Viscera Infest: Nice to meet you. Thank you for reaching out to me. Viscera Infest has released their third album and is touring and having fun.

Metallerium: Let me ask you about this new album. Did you write songs for this new album? Are all the songs new or did you revive songs that were not included in the previous album?

Viscera Infest: For this third album, we rehearsed in the studio during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote the songs over time. We produced all the songs as new songs.

Metallerium: Many bands and musicians consider their albums to be like their own children and each one is special. It's a bit cliché to say that every new album is the band's best, but do you think this third album is their best so far? If so, why is it their best?

Viscera Infest: I think it's the best at the current level. I still have a lot of challenges and things I want to try, so I want to make the next 4th album even more radical.

Metallerium: I understand. Teratoma is the band's first album in 9 years. Can you tell me why you released a new album after 9 years? Because I saw that you were actively performing live in several countries.

Viscera Infest: I took my time to write the songs, but it took time to work on the details of the arrangements, etc. I'd like to release the next one a little sooner.

Metallerium: Focusing a bit more on the band's albums since "Sarcoidosis" (2007), what is very interesting to me about the three albums the band has released is the release period between each album. From 2007 to 2015 it was 8 years, and now it's 9 years. Why did the band take this long to release an album?

Viscera Infest: I would like to release the next one a little sooner.

Metallerium: One thing I've always wondered about Viscera Infest's albums is, that I have all three albums on CD, why doesn't the band include lyrics to the songs in the CD booklet? Also, if they have lyrics, are they in English or Japanese?

Viscera Infest: I don't include lyrics because I want the lyrics to be heard as part of the instrument, as a song. I mix English and Japanese. I sing about pathology, physiology, myology, osteology, neurology, surgical procedures, and incurable diseases.  

Metallerium: Now, let's talk a bit more about the band's sound since the first album. You always mentioned Disgorge, so I've always wanted to know what your influences were. At the same time, thanks to the noise movement of the 70s, Japanese bands were big in many death metal and grindcore bands at that time. Do you think that because of Japanese influence, death metal has presented a more chaotic sound? Because most of the Japanese extreme bands from the 90s to now have always been crazy.

Viscera Infest: Japanese bands have a high level of quality in every genre. There are a lot of great bands overseas and I think they influence each other.

Metallerium: On the topic of Japanese death metal bands in the 80s and 90s, I had a chance to talk with Yusuke Sumida of Defiled and Toshihide Hamasaki of Subconscious Terror a year ago, and I heard that Japanese society at that time was very closed to outside culture. So, do you think that's why the extreme scene didn't develop properly in Japan in the 90s? Also, how do you feel about the development of extreme music in Japan in recent years?

Viscera Infest:  I'm not interested in that subject. I don't know.

Metallerium: Correct me if I'm wrong. A small thing I've seen in the Japanese scene over the last decade or so is that Japanese metal bands are not very interested in appearing in the media in this region, in any style. On the other hand, the support in Japan is huge. For example, bands like Lovebites, Band-Maid, Baby Metal, etc. have 5-6 shows scheduled in Japan, all of which are sold out. So, how do you see the overall picture of the Japanese metal scene in front of the foreign media? Are you interested in appearing in the media in this region or in media that is governed at the European or American level?

Viscera Infest: Japan tends to have fewer listeners who listen to death metal and grind. Compared to bands overseas, it might be more difficult environmentally and business-wise. I'd love to appear in the media if I get the chance!

Metallerium: Speaking of this introductory theme, an interesting fact is that most of the musicians and fans of this style of music are always associated with this kind of underground film in the horror world, which is strange. What do you think about these details of bands and fans who have a penchant for the 70s and 80s world of horror movies? Do you think there's something wrong with our brains when we're into blood and guts and stuff? (laughs).

Viscera Infest: Goregrind and horror movie sound effects go very well together. Especially 80s horror movies match the music, and I love them myself.

Metallerium: I always think that rock and metal music is music for people who stay young at heart even as they get older. When you listen to the latest records of classic bands, there are many bands that still have energy even after decades. But let's be realistic, nothing lasts forever. What do you think will happen when most of the classic bands that can play stadiums retire? Do you think there are any young bands that can take over in that respect?

Viscera Infest: There are a lot of old bands that have energy and youth. I want young bands to take over the scene as successors, and I want to support them. Viscera Infest also wants to stay young and active for a long time.  

Metallerium: Going back to "Teratoma" and your promotion plans, what are your promotion plans for this album? Tours, concerts, videos, etc.

Viscera Infest: I'm hoping to do a lot of things from now on, like tours, concerts, videos, etc.

Metallerium: Well, guys, the sad moment of this interview has come. I hope you all enjoy this interview as much as I do. Thank you for your time. "Teratoma" is a great album by the band. Maybe you have something to say to Latin fans and followers of Metallerium.

Viscera Infest: Thank you for the interview offer this time. See you again. high-speed!