Interview: Cartilage
We’re used to getting covered in blood, but we tried to take it to the next level with this one. It is fun to be in a band where we can not only get creative with the songs but also with the videos and our stage shows.
San Francisco blood soaked death metal maniacs Cartilage have just brought out their latest EP Tales From The Entrails: A Necrology and it’s a gore heavy slab of prime death metal that will satisfy even the hardest death and gore fiend. Gavin Brown caught up with Cartilage guitarist Mike Flory to talk all about the EP as well as death metal, grindcore, blood soaked live shows, horror films and more.
E&D: Your new EP Tales From The Entrails: A Necrology is out now. You must be excited to have it released?
Mike: Yes! We’ve been working on this material for some time and we’re stoked for people to finally hear it.
E&D: Was the creation of the EP a smooth process?
Mike: Yes, it was very smooth. All the string players in the band are prolific riff writers so it was a pretty simple process of getting into the rehearsal room and polishing and refining ideas. By the time we’re in the jam room we already have basic song structures we’re proud of. That being said, it sounds way sicker once our drummer Adam composes his killer beats and Mark our vocalist adds his vocals. They both really elevate the material and make the tunes much more dynamic and aggressive, at the point they really become the songs.
E&D: You have just put out a suitably gory video for the track ‘Globs Of Glimmering Gore’ from the EP. Was that a fun video to make?
Mike: A total blast. I storyboarded the finale where we all killed each other. We’re used to getting covered in blood, but we tried to take it to the next level with this one. It is fun to be in a band where we can not only get creative with the songs but also with the videos and our stage shows. It was a total group effort and we all were able to put our stamp on that video.
E&D: What are your favourite ever metal music videos?
Mike: That’s a tough one, I’ve always been a big fan of the Voivod ‘Ravenous Medicine’ video for how silly it is. We also love the Impaled ‘Operating Theater’ video for its gruesomeness.
E&D: Would you love to make your own horror movie or have Cartilage do the music for one?
Mike: That would be a lot of fun. These music videos have always been kind of an excuse for us to pay homage to our favorite horror flicks, so to do a full-length would be awesome. I also do MIDI orchestration of horror movie clips for fun, so it would definitely be a dream for us.
E&D: What are your favourite ever horror/slasher films?
Mike: We’re big fans of the splat-stick films like Reanimator and Dead Alive and have had many allusions to these films in our lyrics. We also love the Cronenberg body horror flicks like Videodrome and The Fly as well as the more gothic horror of Robert Eggers.
E&D: What are the goriest ever movies that you have ever seen?
Mike: Hard to say, I think the first that come to mind are Dead Alive and Society, but those both are very silly movies and have fun with the level of gore.
E&D: What is your favourite horror movie death scene?
Mike: I know it’s an obvious one, but I think I have to go with the chestburster scene from the original Alien. It’s a classic for a reason. I also love Captain Rhodes’ death in Day of the Dead.
E&D: Was the Tales From The Crypt inspired cover fun to put together?
Mike: Absolutely. The concept was to pay homage to George Romeo’s Creepshow and the old EC comics like Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror. Jason V. Roberts took the inspiration from those and ran with the idea. We’re very happy with the results.
E&D: Are you big Tales From The Crypt fans?
Mike: Yes! I grew up as a young teen reading some of the EC Comic omnibus collections.
E&D: Is Everlasting Spew Records the perfect label for the music of Cartilage?
Mike: Absolutely, Giorgio and Tito have been a total pleasure to work with. They’re catalogue is fantastic and we fit perfectly, stylistically speaking.
E&D: Have you got plans for a new full length album, the follow up to The Deader The Better?
Mike: Yes, hopefully it will be recorded at the end of the year or early next, keep your eyes peeled!
E&D: You’ve got a few live dates with Impaled coming up after Tales From The Entrails is released. Are you excited about that?
Mike: Totally. Those dudes are great guys and have been super supportive of us over the years. I’m just stoked to see them play!
E&D: Are you also looking forward to hitting the road after that on the Surgical Strangulation tour with Unidad Trauma in April?
Mike: Yes, that will be a lot of fun. We’ve been wanting to tour together for a long time and it’s awesome that it’s finally happening. We’ve known those dudes since the Thanatology days and have been big fans since. We honestly couldn’t think of a more like-minded band to tour with.
E&D: Will you be playing a lot of new material from Tales From The Entrails at these live shows?
Mike: Yes, we’re planning on playing the whole thing, should be easy considering it a quick ripping 12 mins haha!
E&D: What have been some of the most memorable live shows that Cartilage have played to date?
Mike: I think hands down Obscene Extreme was the best experience for us. That fest is one of the funnest experiences we’ve had as a band. It wasn’t just the set either, the whole fest has this awesome welcoming vibe that I’ve never experienced before or since. I strongly recommend anyone who has the means to go to check it out, you will not regret it.
E&D: Are your live shows as bloodsoaked as your music and your videos?
Mike: Yes! probably to some venues dismay. I’d give you the gory details but I think it’s better to come and experience it first hand.
E&D: What was the first death metal show that you ever went to?
Mike: This is tough to remember. First death metal band I saw was Belphegor when they opened for Kreator and Exodus in my early teens, but my first full on proper death metal show was probably Suffocation, Necrophagist, and Dying Fetus in 2009.
E&D: What have you even the best death metal shows you have ever seen?
Mike: The first one that comes to mind is seeing Gorguts in what I think was 2014? My mind was blown.
E&D: What newer death metal bands are killing it for you at the moment?
Mike: I might be biased, but I definitely want to shout out our buddies in Laceration and Vile Rites. Laceration has been around for a long time but I think they’re finally getting on people’s radar in a big way. Molder also is a killer band that feels like is cut from the same cloth as us. We also have played with some sick young brutal bands like Impalement from San Luis Obispo/San Diego and Iron Front from the Bay Area. We all grew up in our younger teen years playing brutal death metal so it is cool seeing a younger generation doing it and much better than we ever did. Also my wife/other guitar player is in a killer brutal death metal band named Emasculator. Their style reminds me of the golden era of Unique Leader which is some of my favorite death metal.
E&D: How did you first get into death metal in the first place?
Mike: For me personally, it was getting into thrash in my preteens which led me in my teens directly into the Floridian Death Metal era of the late 80’s early 90’s. I know for Mark and RIa, their first death metal obsessions were Black Dahlia Murder and Gorerotted.
E&D: What death metal albums do you never tired of?
Mine: For me, Deicide’s Legion is just a perfect death metal record, the intensity on the record is unmatched and I always try to consider that album when I’m writing. Not even necessarily the riffs themselves, just how that whole record is structured. I think that record is a masterclass in how to pace a death metal record. It’s an unrelenting thrill ride of blistering death metal, all under 30 minutes.
E&D: What do you feel are the most underrated death metal bands and albums?
Mike: The two that come to mind are Gorgasm and Gorerotted, both master riffers and songwriters. It’s a shame they aren’t spoken of more often.
E&D: What are your favourite ever death metal album covers?
Mike: Cannibal Corpse’s Vile is one of the best gore covers for me, it’s so simple but effective. I also love the cover of Dawn of Possession by Immolation and None So Vile by Cryptopsy.
E&D: What death metal musicians do you take the most inspiration from as a musician?
Mine. I think for Ria, it’s Dallas from Narcotic Wasteland and formerly of the Nile. Personally, I love Bill Steer and Paul Masvidal. I’m also a huge fan of the 80’s metal guys like Vivian Campbell and Marty Friedman.
E&D: Is grindcore still a big influence on the sound of Cartilage as well?
Mike: Of course. We take as much influence from Napalm Death as much as Carcass.
E&D: What are your favourite grindcore bands and albums?
Mike: Wormrot’s Abuse, Assuck’s Misery Index, Rotten Sound’s Murderworks and Drain, Nasum’s Human 2.0, Misery Index’s Discordia and Magrudergrind self-titled.
E&D: With members of Cartilage also playing in bands such as Terrorizer LA, Emasculator and Logistic Slaughter to name a few, do you all love to keep busy with playing music?
Mike: Nothings better, even if it’s a lot of work. We love what we do.
E&D: What is the worst injury you have ever had?
Mike: Look at the cover of our demo It’s Necrotic, that’s your answer!
Photo by Kei Mowry
