Krüzin' Through Hell With the Ripper - Interview with BÜTCHER - Nachthymnen 2024

Krüzin' Through Hell with the Ripper - Interview with BÜTCHER - Nachthymnen 2024

The following is an interview conducted in late 2024 with KK Ripper of Bütcher for issue #2 of Nachthymnen Mag. As Nacht has laid the project to rest, both he and R Hellshrieker have given me permission to post the interview on Crypt's Burden. Many thanks to the band and KK for the great answers! - Rusty  

        1. [Nacht] AK Nosferatör and R Voidsmasher recently joined BÜTCHER on bass & drums. What is the reason for lineup change, why were AK and R chosen, and what makes them worthy to join BÜTCHER in battle?

    Well, the reason for the lineup change is because both Lorenzo and Max sadly had to leave us. Their respective shedules with Schizophrenia and Evil Invaders made for a quite difficult work/life/band-balance, so we decided to make the difficult decision while we're all still the best of friends. KV (Kevin) then moved from bass to guitar, as that was his preferred position in the band and he was BASSically a guitar player on bass anyways, whilst also being the absolute shred machine for Belgian thrash legends Cyclone at the time. 

    AK (Also Kevin) and R (Rob) stepped in to hold down the rhythm section, because of their massive talent. Kevin is a true-to-form bassist and therefore last of a dying breed, with an impressive resumé of different bands in different genres. His bands Myaelin (a psychedelic blackened jam band) and Travølta (a fastcore powerviolence band) are exemplary of his craft as a low end machine. 

    Rob is just a massively talented drummer, and he already stepped in before as a replacement drummer when Lorenzo was unable. So apart from already knowing he had the chops to keep up with us speedwise, he also plays in Neptunian Maximalism (drony jazz psychedelia) and was active with his own band Rrrags (70's-inspired heavy psychedelic rock with lots of improv), which sadly called it quits last year. I was a huge fan of the latter myself and it really shows Rob's musicality as a drummer ànd a vocalist, as he was the lead vocal for that project. So he's also helping me out with the more harmonious singing which became more prevalent since the new record. So there are a lot of new influences seeping into the music with this new blood coming in, which is something I deeply encourage!

        2. [Nacht] You wrote most of the music on "666 Goats Carry My Chariot”. Is this again the case for “On Fowl of Tyrant Wing”? What music influenced the psychedelic section on “A Gypsy's Tale (Of Sex and Seance)”?

    Because of the shifting personnel during the process, I'm once again solely responsible for composing the material; that's to say, writing the riffs and arranging them into songs. Lorenzo arranged his own drum parts, of course, and had input in arranging the songs as we were fleshing them out in duo. I could pat myself on the back for taking on pretty much everything myself, but honestly, by the end of the process I felt depleted.. I realised that my own control issues regarding the creative process was becoming detrimental to my own happiness within the band. The album's out for only a couple of months and we're already writing again, but this time, I'm very intent on making it as much of a team effort as possible, with everyone bringing in ideas. Everyone in the new line-up is very hungry, which is great!

    So regarding the 'psychedelic part'; I never set out to write this as a 'psychedelic' section, but more as an atmospheric introduction to the Middle-Eastern-inspired melodies of the song to come. This was the last song we finished before recording and I didn't have a specific part prepared before we started, with the intent of just experimenting in the studio to see what we'd end up with. And this is what came out. There's a lot of stuff going on here; a 'baby sitar', which is basically a regular electric guitar but with a bridge that emulates the sound of a sitar, played through a vintage phaser pedal, there's some fretless bass going on underneath, some analog keyboards which I brought,... I had all of this gear, since I'm somewhat of a collector of the weird and the unusual, and I just wanted to use it all and this is what came out! The electric sitar came from a friend, Erik, who plays in a multitude of psychedelic bands, e.g. Wheel of Smoke, so big thanks to you, man!

    Concerning the melody, I wish I could be all cool and mysterious and quote some obscure Middle-Eastern oud players or Indian sitar players... But I can't, and the Middle-Eastern influence comes from the stuff I found in metal, like the Egyptian scales used in particular Mercyful Fate songs from the 90's or bands like Melechesh, or to a smaller extent, Absu, who use this type of tonality in their metal craft. A lot of doom metal, like e.g. Solitude Aeternus, uses this too and that was also a big influence on this particular song. But back to Mercyful Fate, I guess it's obvious I 'borrow' a lot of ideas from them. I'm heavily into their 90's stuff too and the Middle-Eastern-inspired songs, like 'Egypt' and the 'Mad Arab'-saga, are to me the songs that stand out the most from those albums. I'm also really nerdy about scales and I try to find as many exotic sounding scales as I can, trying to internalise the mood to purposefully write parts using them. I must admit, this is but a mere caricature of actual Middle-Eastern music and it's never my intention to ridicule it or be disrespectful towards it. I look at it more from the 'heavy metal fantasy escapist'-POV, trying to invoke moods of Robert E. Howard's Stygia rather than referring to actual Middle-Eastern history. Think of it as writing a metal version of a Runescape soundtrack.


        3. [Nacht] No two tracks on any BÜTCHER album sound the same, whereas your average non-BÜTCHER metal album will probably sound more or less the same throughout. Why do you value variation over uniformity? Do you share my distaste for monotony and lack of dynamics in metal?

    I don't necessarily dislike bands who operate according to a formula, but it was very obvious very early on that, for me, that wasn't going to work. I'm just too much into music as a whole and I don't necessarily identify as 'just a metalhead'. And since there's no output without input, I guess it's logical that, if the input's very diverse, so will the output be. So, in that sense, it's not a deliberate thing of 'trying to be diverse'. I think it's a mental block for a lot of people, to not allow themselves to get influences from music outside of their comfort zone. I'm really glad I don't have that issue.

    Within the different subcategorizations in metal, there's either a lot of autism-fueled gatekeeping or the opposite, more free flowing creativity. As much as I like the sound and style of black thrashing oldskool speed metal madness, there's a lot of mental rigidity within this specific style, also because it deliberately harkens back to a specific time in metal, turning a blind eye to a lot of the modern developments of the genre. And that's simultaneously what I both love ànd hate about it. 

    I feel that, as metal evolved through the ages, a lot of the atmosphere and the mercurial feeling of the old Mercyful Fate / Slayer / Darkthrone records that we worship, has been foregone for the sake of being 'the heaviest possible', which is how you end up with something as redundant as 'djent'. And while it's cool that the underground oldskool scene tries to restore that mercurial feeling (insider-tip: it's mainly just a lot of reverb!), it's lame that it seems to come with a set of unwritten rules about how to do this, leaving very little room for intrinsic creativity. But on the other side of the spectrum, with the more 'artsy' black metal, I feel it quickly becomes too self-centred and void of the raw passion of the oldskool scene.

    I guess I'm really glad I was exposed to a lot of different types of heavy, guitar-oriented, alternative music early on, and I've always tried to keep an open mind so the diversity will always come naturally to me. If at some point I fall off the tightrope and we're ostracized from the scene for crimes against Metal with a capital letter: so be it. But until then I'm happy to see how far the metalhead's mind is willing to bend for Bütcher!


        4. [Nacht] Most of “On Fowl of Tyrant Wing” has more traditional heavy metal feel, compared to previous releases. Overall the album has much less thrash and 2nd wave elements. What is the reason for this change in sound? Will BÜTCHER ever return to the MAD THRASHING MANIA of “Bestial Fükkin' Warmachine”?

    Again, as I mentioned above, this comes naturally to me. It's just what I was binging at the time of the creative process. Also, while I wrote pretty much exclusively up until now (apart from lyrics ofc), I have always been influenced by the input of the other members, both by their musical taste and personal philosophy regarding the genre. 

    After finishing Bestial and while conceiving Goats, we were all getting balls deep into the oldskool heavy metal scene in Europe, with it's hundreds of metal festivals every summer. By the time Goats was finished and COVID hit, I was just so obsessed with this oldskool heavy metal sound that those riffs just started coming out. Lorenzo also had his own set of influences drumwise, and we were both heavily into the more melodic US-speed metal of the 80's, with Agent Steel, Savage Grace and Omen being the main influences. 

    I think the cool thing about the term 'speed metal' is the fact that it's so vague compared to the more defined features of thrash, death, black, etc... It describes a feeling rather than a specific set musical style, which is why we can bend that term to fit both the style of the more spicy 'Bestial Fükkin' Warmachine' as well as the perhaps somewhat milder 'On Fowl of Tyrant Wing', with '666 Goats' in the middle, as a perfectly seasoned dish. It's only with hindsight you start to look more objectively at your own achievements, and I think this is becoming my objective assessment at the moment. I feel that naturally the pendulum will settle again in the middle, so somewhat of a return of darkness and evil is inevitable at this point. 

    Within the new line-up I feel there's a lot of appreciation for the more foul and extreme side of the metal universe and judging by the first new material we're constructing I'd say we're definitely going back to a blackened terror dimension. However, it might be too early in the process to assess that correctly, so I guess what will be will be, and you'll have to do with that for now, I'm afraid.


        5. [Nacht] “On Fowl of Tyrant Wing” released two days ahead of schedule. Why? What does the title mean?

    That's on Osmose, I have no idea what happened there, to be honest. Like I mentioned before, the process of getting this album out left me somewhat depleted, so instead of flying into a fit of rage (what I would usually do), I felt lethargic about it. At this point, I just wanted it to be out there. And by the time we actually did the release shows and we were finally playing these songs with a full band, my motivation was renewed. I never bothered to ask why it leaked two days early and at this point, I honestly don't care anymore.

    The title was taken from a Spakespeare rhyme "The Phoenix and The Turtle". Ruben brought on the title, with the sidenote that while he was unsure what it actually meant, he was inspired by the tangible mysticism of the poem. So we all just went with it. And sometimes, things that sound cool don't actually have to mean something. In the light of all those metalheads who are deeply initiated in the 'occult' and who are also so far up their own ass they can see their own teeth from the inside, I have no issues admitting I have no fucking clue as to what it means and that I don't really care about that. It's like I said before, for me personally this genre is a lot about escapism, so we are unabashedly hyperbolic in our aesthetic!


        6. [Nacht] Do you pronounce the ü correctly in “Bütcher” and “Bestial Fükkin' Warmachine” (Bootcher, Fookin)?

    Well, that depends: do you consistently say 'MotOOrhead', or 'Blue OOystercult'? Btw, an umlaut has different sound shifts in different languages so we've literally heard it a million ways already. Say it how you like, I can't be arsed, tbh. I do get annoyed when people forget it when writing the name, as I feel it's integral to the name.


        7. [Nacht] The term “Retro band” has historically been used as an insult. What do you think about the term, and does BÜTCHER qualify? Are you a fan of any other “retro bands”?

    We are not a retro band nor would I like to be described as such, but I have no control about what people say about my band. If you want to call it like that I feel you are very ill-informed, because of all of the stuff I pointed out here on previous questions. I will likely not respect your band if you chose to self-apply a term like 'retro band'; that means you're actively cosplaying as a metalhead rather than just being one and making the music you want to make. And if the music you'd like to make happens to be a style that was more popular in the past than it is now, so be it, but that doesn't make you a retro act, in my opinion. So no, I'm not a fan.


        8. [Nacht] Favorite Mad Max movie & why?

    Beyond Thunderdome for obvious reasons. But results may vary who you ask in the band; a subject more suited for alcohol-fueled discussions at the bar of some festival, so I encourage all of you to buy us a drink and discuss this type of stuff. I haven't seen the movies in ages though, still have all of them on VHS and I don't have a functioning player at the moment. You might have just inspired me to watch them again.


        9. [Nacht] In 2020 METAL CRYPT interview you state “we wanted to bring some enjoyment back in the early 2000s. You know, all gigs were just Black and Death Metal, and everything was about "sounding extreme". So it was rather a jape, just to have an '80s-sounding riff on a Saturday night out”. While your lineup and goalposts have since changed, is this idea still a large part of the band? Is this attitude as relevant in today’s metal scene compared to the early 2000s? What differences between the 2000s and modern metal scene stick out most to you?

    Ruben said this referring to the band's inception in 2002; I'll quickly add that at that time I was twelve and was probably trying to illegally download St. Anger through Limewire wearing those ridiculously wide skate jeans. I was oblivious to what was going on at that time and while this idea might have sparked the first incarnation of this band, it wasn't until 2014 when Ruben and I discovered we might be one hell of a tandem in conceiving spiked and leathür-klad slabs of pierce-your-ears-oldskool fükkin' metal. 

    We had both dabbled a lot in the metal scene beforehand but were often disillusioned by the lack of ambition of others. So when we realised that our joined enthusiasm could maybe get us a bit further than just playing the same hometown bar five times every year, we started to get some real ambitions, and there's still a lot we'd like to get out of this band, while at the same time I'm also already counting my blessings a bit. 

    For a small town country boy like me I'm still in awe of some of the stuff we've done already and I hope I can keep being this starry-eyed for the remainder of my career in the band. Because the fun-aspect is still a big part of it, and it has to be this way for me. I just grateful that heavy metal is taking me all over the world and that I can use it as a vessel for living an adventurous life. I never want to rely on music to provide my income, because that will inadvertantly taint the experience for me.

    The difference I can see at my humble age between then and now is that now there is pretty much a scene for everything. Whereas Ruben was rightfully lamenting the stern direction of the metal scene in the early 2000's, today's something-for-everyone pick-and-choose metal scene also has it's pitfalls. There's a lot less unity, and whilst that shouldn't necessarily be an issue, that makes it that the underground metal scene doesn't always feel represented on the huge European festivals, in favour of newer trends within the larger metal scene. 

    It's cultivating this feeling of 'us against them'; 'us' being whichever small alternative scene you are a part of and 'them' being a fill-in-the-blank with whichever trend you despise that's selling out shows. This gets to the point where you don't even want to be included anymore in these types of festivals, or at least that's the sentiment I can see with myself. It's becoming so far removed from the music that I personally like, I don't really want to be associated with it anymore. Which in turns forces us to operate mainly in the undercurrent, where you are only preaching to the choir. A difficult balance in my opinion, so we are very deliberate with our excursions into the more music-industry-related metal festivals…


        10. [Nacht] Favorite track off of “Cold Lake”?

    Being someone who listens to a lot of different kinds of music, I'd rather not spend my time excavating the worst albums of each band I'm into. I may have listened to this record once in my life, for the sake of thoroughness, and I remember the experience to be extremely unmemorable.


        11. [Nacht] Despite containing a track called “45 RPM Metal”, “666 Goats Carry My Chariot” has only ever been pressed at 33⅓ RPM. Are you ashamed of yourself? Have you ever played that track back at the correct speed?

    I'm not ashamed of not having a 45RPM-version of the full length, but I am however disappointed in myself for not thinking of it when we did a 7"-single for the 'Speed Metal Samurai'... The song '45 RPM Metal' is about those oldskool heavy metal 7" singles from labels like e.g. Neat Records. So when we did a single, it should've been a 45RMP one, and for that, I humbly apologise. I did however listen to the song on 45 RPM though and it was 'faster than a laser bullet', hahah!


        [Nacht] Any final words?

    At this point I feel bad for you if you've sat through all of my ramblings. So here's the antidote: make yourself a mixed drink of your choice, have a couple of those and once you feel the blood racing through your vains, put on some Bütcher on whichever format you prefer, for the ultimate intended experience! And if you're reading this mag, you are probably making decent decisions in life, so for the love of all you hold dear, never fükkin' weaken, my friend!

    Well, if you're reading this blog, chances are you've made terrible decisions!!! No worries about the rambling, though, we always love a great in-depth read. Hail Bütcher!    - Rusty