Interview with ELECTROCUTIONER

!!!KILLER THRASH METAL FROM NEW YORK!!!

We had a conversation with Mark Pursino. Enjoy!

Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.

Tell us a few things about ELECTROCUTIONER (Members, Starting Year etc).
Electrocutioner is a no-nonsense New York thrash metal band formed in 2021 made up myself, Mark Pursino on guitars and vocals, Rich Nieves on bass, and Tyler Bogliole on drums.

You are going to release your new album ''Harbinger''. Tell us a few things about this project.
“Harbinger” is by far the culmination of everything we’ve tried to do. The goal was to make an album that’s a modern classic for thrash metal. If in ten years people still bring up this record, we did our job. The album is darker and more vicious than our previous work and we were really thoughtful in the studio production-wise to make this a cohesive work rather than just a bunch of songs stapled together. The album is rooted in doomsday prophecies and the end of the world.

The cover artwork has a killer atmosphere! Tell us a few things about it.
Artist Yudo Baskoro did an excellent job with it! He also did the artwork for all the singles on the album (Heaven’s Gate, Frozen File, Lightning Sacrifice). We wanted it to look futuristic and retro at the same time. The concept is similar to False Idols where it’s supposed to be an individual being taken over by some otherworldly, powerful supernatural force. Tyler based the idea of the character off of these creatures called Harbingers in the video game Mass Effect. I don’t play video games but we all thought the concept was cool.

And what about the lyrics?
A lot of the lyrics revolve around doomsday and cults. I don’t write any lyrics about my life or about my feelings, just about what I’m inspired by so every song is told from the POV of someone else: a cult member, a demon, a missing child, etc. I would take bits of pieces from the Bible, the Quran, The Book of Enoch, and snippets of writings from cult leaders like David Koresh for the song “Seven Seals of Koresh” and Marshall Applewhite for “Heaven’s Gate.” After this album and the last, I feel pretty done with writing about religious and spiritual things, so I’m just waiting to be inspired by something new. 

How did your cooperation with CDN Records occur? What do you prefer, Label or DIY and why?
CDN has been awesome to work with. They reached out to us saying they thought the music was fuckin’ sick and it was easy as that, haha. I prefer the label over the DIY approach. We’ve always wanted to elevate Electrocutioner to be presented as more professional. Not having to take care of everything has allowed us to just focus on the music more. 

What are the differences between your debut album ''False Idols'' and your new album ''Harbinger''?
Everything is on the next level. False Idols had a lot of shit going against it, inner band conflict and recording it in a basement mostly on no budget. We also didn’t write any of the songs with Tyler. Tyler on drums took this band to another level as we were able to execute songs that we’ve always envisioned. The songs are meaner, the production is cleaner, my vocals are a bit more evil, and the synths incorporated more organically. We’re hoping it is considered one of the best thrash records of the year.

Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
We are basically three New York knuckleheads who love to party and crack jokes so we’re always having a blast and getting into trouble. Stagedivers always tend to cause chaos whether knocking over our gear, knocking out the power, or at a show in New Jersey this big giant of a kid landed on his neck and broke his collarbone which we caught on film and is in our ‘Asleep at the Wheel’ video. While in the studio, one night that stands out to me is we were drinking a lot and when we were done wanted to keep the party going. There are no bars anywhere near the studio so I vividly remember myself and Rich and our buddy Dani going to a Dave and Busters. It's kind of like an arcade and party spot for kids and families in the US, and just drank there until the place closed. It was just odd to see three long-haired metal heads drinking beers and arguing about Demolition Hammer at the bar while all these little kids and families were running around. Eventually we looked around and it was like 2AM and whole place was dark and everyone was gone haha.

Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
I’m a big record and cassette collector. I hate CDs. As a kid I never took care of my CDs they were always scratched up and cracked within a month. Most of the time Electrocutioner hangs out we just grab a stack of records or cassettes and listen to them all night long while hanging out.

The video clip you made ''Frozen File'' was really great! Congratulations! Could you tell us about that experience?
Thank you we are extremely happy with it. We are fortunate enough to have a few close friends who have access to professional camera equipment and don’t charge us what they should, otherwise we’d probably never have a music video. Tyler’s niece is the little girl in the video and she was an absolute champ. Her mother, who also plays her mom in the video was amazing too. Filming was a blast because it’s the first music video we didn’t have to do anything for, so from like 9AM to 9PM we knocked down a couple of bottles of whisky and tons of beers while everyone was focused on filming haha. Tyler’s nice was only five years old and she was focused for the entire 12 hours. I don’t know how she did that.

Your music style is Thrash Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
Our main influences are Whiplash, Exorcist, and the first albums of Slayer and Megadeth. We try to make our style and never imitate, but in the riffs and song construction you’ll hear a lot of those bands. Short and sweet, but evil sounding. 

Which things do you think a band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future for your band?
You’re going to need to sacrifice money and time. We’ve sacrificed a lot of that. Other than that, bands probably shouldn’t sacrifice their sound or style or kiss ass to succeed. Although it’s counter to our goal, we are totally prepared for our music to be unrecognized by anyone and be forgotten by time. We’d rather put out something undeniable that’s heard by no one than be all gimmicky.

Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
Our ideal live show is a stacked bill with crazy bands and a crazy crowd. Absolute chaos and madness. We have definitely experienced it, but we want to start experiencing it at a bigger level with bigger crowds. 

What do you think about the rise of AI in music production?
I don’t know why anyone is interested in it honestly. I want to see what other humans are capable of so I can be inspired by their talent or achievement. I’m not interested in what a computer can do.

What attributes do you think that a new Thrash Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
I think a new thrash metal band should have clear influences, but their own sound. When you hear them you should be able to tell what style they’re playing, but appreciate their spin on it. The attributes we particularly reject are the modern ones in thrash: the breakdowns, drop tunings, etc. There’s tons of great bands like that, but it’s not our style.

Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Thrash Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a band to promote its work?
I’d say the only one that ‘helps’ you is probably Bandcamp. Maybe Instagram because it is a streamlined way to present your image and your information and can connect you with people who’d most likely be into your music. As for promoting your work, I’m not sure. I’m a strong believer in if you put out music that is UNDENIABLE, it will do the work for you.

From your experience in the music industry, what would you tell to a new Heavy Metal band to avoid or what to do?
I think they need to go to shows and be involved in their local scene. It’s important to contribute. Also, they should have friends who tell them the truth and so if they need advice, they’ll get a good perspective from someone who knows the landscape of their music. As far as what to avoid, everything that makes a band seem inorganic or fake should be avoided. 

Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in New York (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
The thrash and speed scene here in New York isn’t as strong as what they’ve got going on in death metal and hardcore, but when there’s a thrash or speed show in town, there’s a usually a dedicated horde of maniacs who show up and represent. New York is very competitive with shows so you have to be aggressive to get respect. We’re based out of Queens and Long Island and unfortunately Long Island is mostly cover bands. I take pride in booking thrash and speed oriented shows and try to bring bands from the east coast to Brooklyn to spread this form of metal we love so much. There’s not too many old school thrash bands in New York but the local bands that we are pretty friendly with are Finix, Extinction AD, Tortured Existence, and Neck Surgery. We are mostly playing clubs in Brooklyn and Queens like Lucky 13 Saloon, the Wood Shop, the Meadows, and the Wild Goose Saloon.

What does Metal means to you? And give us 10 metal albums that run in your veins.
Metal is inseparable for our lives. It is involved in everything we do. Without reflecting on it too much and just doing it off the top of my head, the ten albums that run through my veins are:
Whiplash - Power and Pain
Exorcist - Nightmare Theatre
Megadeth - Killing is my Business… and Business is good
Slayer - Show No Mercy
Trouble - Run to the Light
Black Sabbath - Sabotage
Rigor Mortis - Rigor Mortis
Overkill - Feel the Fire
Virgin Steele - Invictus
Hobbs Angel of Death - Hobbs Angel of Death
Demolition Hammer - Epidemic of Violence

Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
I pretty much listen to thrash, speed, and traditional metal only but I love some Greek bands like old school Rotting Christ and more obscure bands like Thanatos Inc. and Flames. I dig some modern Greek thrash stuff like Riffobia, Suicidal Angels, and there was a progressive band called Venus I thought was interesting.

What are your future plans?
As a band, we are banking on this album gaining us some more recognition in the international metal scene. We’re trying to play bigger shows. Either way, I think our plan is to lay low for a month or two and then start writing for the next album or an EP.

Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Thrash metal forever! Check out our new album coming out and our music videos if you dig what you hear!

By Steve the Filthy Dog.

ELECTROCUTIONER CONTACT:

https://www.facebook.com/Electrocutioner/

https://www.instagram.com/electrocutioner.thrash/

https://electrocutionerthrash.bandcamp.com/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0awjkJC5IEHm2KA4bJOgCl