Interview: Kontusion
The world is a fucked up place, and we are not fucking around.
Kontusion make death metal that is dark, primitive and formidable and this is evident beyond doubt on their brutal debut album Insatiable Lust For Death. To celebrate the release of the record, Gavin Brown caught up with Kontusion vocalist/guitarist Mark Bronzino to hear all about it as well as discussing a wide range of death metal related topics.
E&D: Your debut album Insatiable Lust For Death has just been released. How excited are you to have this album out?
Mark: So much energy was put into making this album, in many ways it feels extremely relieving to have it completed and in hand as a vinyl record. We’re really proud of how it turned out, everyone involved really added something special to the album, from the production to the art, to getting the final product together over at Profound Lore.
E&D: Did the making of the album go smoothly?
Mark: If the making of an album goes smoothly, you might not be making an album that means anything. Haha! But seriously, if you put your all into something it will always have its trials, but in the end it is very worth it. I have found that to be especially true with this album.
E&D: What are the biggest influences on the sound of Insatiable Lust For Death?
Mark: Some bands – Napalm Death, Terrorizer, Carcass, Immolation, Cianide, Convulse, Discharge, Disclose, Extreme Noise Terror. Concepts – Death, destruction, power, torment, poverty, war, pain, passion.
E&D: Did you want to retain the same raw vibe that you did with your demo from 2022 but sound bigger with the album?
Mark: We wanted to keep our identity, and also continue doing what we want to do, what we think is cool or want to hear. But we didn’t want to make the same album again, and never do.
E&D: As Insatiable Lust For Death is your first album, did you want to make it a statement of intent from Kontusion?
Mark: The world is a fucked up place, and we are not fucking around.
E&D: What are the origins of Kontusion starting as band?
Mark: Longstanding friendship and mutual appreciation of death metal and other so called extreme music forms between myself and Chris.
E&D: What was your first exposure of death metal?
Mark: Hearing Ripping Corpse for the first time from a tape on an older kid’s car stereo in high school. Or borrowing World Downfall on CD from an older musician in the scene around 16 when borrowing CDs was still a thing.
E&D: What are the most influential death metal albums of all time for you?
Mark: The stuff I heard first – Scream Bloody Gore, Scum, World Downfall, Cause of Death, Dreaming with the Dead, On the 7th Day God Created Master, and honestly probably Onward to Golgotha.
E&D: What are the most underrated death metal albums ever in your opinion?
Mark: On the Seventh Day God Created… Master would be a good contender for me personally, but maybe because i heard it so early in my musical development, it had an impact on me. I can see it not having the same appeal to others. And Dreaming with the Dead, Ripping Corpse does not get their due. And the whole career of Cianide, they have yet to really get their flowers. Or maybe they have, I don’t know.
E&D: What have been some of the greatest live death metal shows that you have ever seen?
Mark: Recently I saw Undergang at Obscene Extreme Fest, it was super cool seeing them at full force. Rotten Death metal on the Jumbo-Tron in the woods, real extreme metal moments.
E&D: Are there plans for Kontusion to play live dates?
Mark: Gigs at home regionally to celebrate the new album, and more international dates! Keep an eye out, planet earth.
E&D: What were the highlights of your time playing with Iron Reagan?
Mark: Probably all the Reagan’s Ironed.
E&D: How was the experience of playing with Mammoth Grinder?
Mark: We definitely Mammothed those Grinders.
E&D: What other music/bands are you working that you can tell us about?
Mark: Sworn to secrecy in an exclusive contract with Satan, sorry.
E&D: Is playing in multiple bands ever a problem for either of you or do you always seem to work it out?
Mark: What isn’t a problem these days? You don’t play music, so you don’t have problems, you do it because you’re compelled to do it.
