Interview: THÆTAS
I love how this record sounds in that it’s clear and smooth and actually has a lot of ambiance in it, but it does that without losing any of the grit, violence and griminess that comes with a good death metal record.
New York death metal unit THÆTAS have just unleashed their latest album The Irredeemable Age and it sees the band deliver a lesson in death metal while also adding an eclectic, avant garde edge to proceedings as well, and the results are devastatingly heavy. Gavin Brown caught up with THÆTAS vocalist/bassist Cory Peterson and guitarist Pat Hawkins to get the lowdown on The Irredeemable Age as well as discussing their New York hometown, the members’ other bands and all manner of death metal topics.
E&D: Your new album The Irredeemable Age has just been released. How happy have you been with the reception to it so far?
Pat: It’s been great! It’s rewarding to see that a lot of the sections that were the biggest risks seem to have paid off and people appreciate those “weird” parts.
Cory: My mind’s blown.
E&D: What were the biggest influences musically and thematically on The Irredeemable Age?
Pat: Musically we kept the same baseline influences that we’ve had in the past, namely Gorguts, Defeated Sanity, Suffocation, Wormed, etc. There’s more leads on this one so there’s a little more Yngwie/T-Mac/Loomis, Necrophagist, older Obscura, and even a touch of Holdsworth influence on those sections. At certain points I had Virus/Ved Buens Ende, Candiria, Imperial Triumphant, stuff like that in mind too.
E&D: How was the experience of working with Colin Marston on the album and what did he bring to its sound?
Pat: Colin’s great, he understands this type of music so we were on the same wavelength. I love how this record sounds in that it’s clear and smooth and actually has a lot of ambiance in it, but it does that without losing any of the grit, violence and griminess that comes with a good death metal record.
Cory: He just gets this particular style of metal. We loved his master of the first record, working with him again was a no brainer.
E&D: Did you want get more avant-garde and technical with your music on this record?
Pat: Yes, but I think it happened naturally as we continued to develop as a band. All of us listen to a lot of music that’s not just death metal and those little touches of external influence cumulatively made a big difference even if it was kind of subconscious at the time.
E&D: This is the follow up to your debut album Shrines To Absurdity, did you feel any pressure in following that up?
Pat: A little bit yeah, that record was received really well so we wanted to keep or exceed that standard. At the same time we ended up just making the music that we wanted to make and kept our fingers crossed that it’d be well received, we didn’t want to over-think it and sacrifice authenticity to try to write to accommodate some fictitious idealized listener.
Cory: It being the first album written with this lineup, there was always a little bit of wondering how it will be received.
E&D: It’s been 6 years since that debut, how have THÆTAS evolved as a band in that period?
Cory: We became a 4-piece, for one thing.
E&D: Are you looking forward to playing at The Broadway in Brooklyn, NY for your record release show with Vomit Fist, Aphelion Entity and Bludgeoner?
Cory: Yes, it’s kind of an all fam night. I’m particularly looking forward to playing with Vomit Fist again. We haven’t played with Vomit Fist since January 2020. That was the only show we got to play that year, of course.
E&D: What other shows have you got coming up for the rest of this year?
Pat: We’ve got a spot on a Gigan show in New Jersey in August and a few to-be-announced dates where we’re finalizing the details in New England.
E&D: What THÆTAS live shows have been your favourite that you’ve played so far?
Pat: The Brodequin/Encenethrakh/Miasmatic Necrosis show had a legendary lineup, Churchburn was awesome to play with Dave Suzuki and meet the guys in Shabti, a great band from Maine. A personal favorite was this gig we did with Sentient Horror, Torturous Inception and Sarmat (ft. some of the members now in Conglaciation by the way) at OWL.
Cory: Brodequin show was insane. The Sentient Horror and Torturous gig was the first show back after lockdown and that was a particularly great memory. Also, Dipygus at Vitus and Noisear at Shakers. Oh, and the Party Cannon show was wild.
E&D: What are your favourite NY venues to play?
Pat: We’ve been at the Broadway a lot lately which is a cool spot. Gold Sounds and TV Eye are great venues, and of course we all miss Vitus and are looking forward to checking out the new location.
E&D: What New York metal bands are doing it for you at the moment?
Pat: Afterbirth and Imperial Triumphant.
Cory: Pyrrhon, Fermented Mess, Afterbirth, Chepang.
E&D: What are your all time favourite New York death metal albums?
Pat: Effigy of the Forgotten, Breeding the Spawn, Pierced from Within.
Cory: Here in After, Upon the Throne of Apocalypse (yes I prefer that version).
E&D: What are your favourite things about New York?
Pat: The attitude, the art and music, and well it’s the only place in the world the pizza is any good.
Cory: Never being the only black guy at a show is pretty great.
E&D: What are the quintessential albums that sum up New York for you?
Pat: Effigy of the Forgotten, Breeding the Spawn, Pierced from Within.
Cory: To go a little more recent, The Sum of All Fossils.
E&D: What other death metal albums have been influential for you?
Pat: Choronzon, Obscura, Chapters of Repugnance, Onset of Putrefaction, Elvenefris, Black Seeds of Vengeance, Outre, Dechristianize, Psy Slam Damage, Close to a World Below, The Wretched Spawn, Winds of Creation, Focus, Human….OK I could go on but that’s more than enough!
Cory: I’d add Circulating Contradiction.
E&D: What have the members’ other bands got planned for the rest of 2026?
Pat: Cory and I just released a black metal EP called Blood Constellation with the project Kyrios. That’s out on Caligari Records and is a follow up to Saturnal Chambers from 2020. Terrell and I are wrapping up the production on a new project, Solastalgia which I’m really hyped for and has some of my favorite music I’ve been involved with.
Cory: I’m pretty psyched for the Kyrios record to finally be out. I haven’t done black metal in a long time. -tetsvxshiima- and 0decathexis0 both have things coming eventually also, and I’m remastering the last .springofdrownedpanda. release.
E&D: What are your favourite albums of the year so far?
Pat: So far I’ve been into Lago’s Vigil, Ancient Death’s Ego Dissolution and Ordh’s Blind in Abyssal Realms. It’s not out as of right now but I’m looking forward to what Sallow Moth have come up with. Funebrarum’s sounding great too.
Cory: My album of the year so far is Fake Dust’s album, and right behind that Fossilization’s new one. Looking forward to Chat Pile’s new one also.
E&D: You have done a promo pic standing next to a Mobb Deep Infamous mural. Is hip hop an influence on you and your music?
Pat: Probably mores o the other guys than myself, but yeah, you know there’s definitely a link between hip hop beats and slams.
E&D: What rappers would you love to feature on a THÆTAS track?
Pat: Big Will.
Cory: billy woods…and ELUCID.
E&D: Would you love to play a show with hip hop artist and who would you say would work best with you?
Cory: maybe Lil Ugly Mane.
