Interview with SICKRECY
!!!SWEDISH GRINDCORE!!!
We had a conversation with Martin Eriksson. Enjoy!
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Tell us a few things about SICKRECY (Members, Starting Year etc).
It all started in 2020 but back then it was just supposed to be a side project to me and Marcus other band called World in Ruins (crust punk/death metal) Things weren’t moving as fast as i wanted in that band so i got my mind together and made a bunch of songs that eventually became the First world anxiety Ep. I met Adde through a mutual friend and after hearing my demos he was in. We got some really good feedback on that ep and things just escalated. We got an opportunity to play the Malmö massacre fest in 2023 together with Carcass, Rotten sound, Entrails massacre and a whole bunch of other cool bands so we decided to complete the line up with a bass player and a second guitarist early 2023. The band is as follows: Adde Mitroulis from General Surgery and Birdflesh on vocals, Marcus Dahl from Damned to Downfall on guitar, Tobbe Ander from Jigsore Terror on guitar, Isac Nordgren Jonasson on bass and me, Martin Eriksson on drums.
You have recently released your split EP with DISTASTE ''Man's The Leech / Oppressor: Salvatio''. What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
I’ve heard nothing but positive feedback. People seem to like it a lot and i must say that the Distaste tracks are some killer stuff. The few reviews that i’ve seen has been overwhelmingly positive. It’s funny how a simple hello at the Obscene Extreme festival can end up in friendship and a coalition. Those guys are really great people and we had such a good time at OEF.
The cover artwork has a killer atmosphere! Tell us a few things about it.
It’s made by The rotted artist (therottedorg on insta) I bought that art almost a year ago and when we couldn’t use the intended cover i came to think about this one which is also a merch design for warlord clothings and warlord europe.
And what about the lyrics?
They are some sweet fairytales of love and happiness…or not. The lyrics for Last in line was the first one i ever wrote for Sickrecy and it’s the only one without the usual punk stuff in it. Man’s the leech is more obvious, Businesses and corporations create a demand for things that we don’t need and thereby exploits resources and people. In the end we all participate in the destruction of this planet.
What do you prefer, Label or DIY and why?
Everything that we’ve done so far has been DIY. It’s the nerve of the underground but some day i would like to experience how it is to actually get paid for all the expenses associated with a release, layout, artwork, studio, mixing, mastering, you name it. That’s impossible in the underground but at the same time that’s also (strangely enough) the beauty of the underground.
Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
That shit happens all the time but i can’t remember anything specific at the moment.
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
I prefer all physical formats over digital but i do think that it’s a great thing to be able to have almost all music available all the time. The problem is that it’s designed to generate profits only for the already big corporations which already owns half of the stocks in the big streaming platforms. From the outside it looks like fair play with many actors in the game but all the actors are owned by the same companies so it is really a monopoly.
Your music style is Grindcore. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
There’s no denying that bands like Napalm Death, Terrorizer and such are a big influence but it’s more the whole late 80’s early 90’s extreme music scene that inspires us. Favourite bands change every week for me, hahahaha… but… Axis of Despair is a really good band and especially the two splits they did with Meth Leppard and Brainwasher. Massive Charge is a great grind band whom we are doing a split 7 inch with later this year. The new split lp from Barren is the best they’ve done so far in my opinion, totally massive chainsaw grind. Distaste (of course) i’m waiting for their new album to drop. Kill Division, just excellent Terrorizer type of grind. There is loads of great bands around but i can’t remember them all, sorry.
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?
I wouldn’t call it sacrifice but time and money… but it makes me happy and i get to speak and work with a lot of people. Most importantly it’s fun.
Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
A small crowded venue with some friends, beer and a couple of other great bands, that’s the ideal show. We’ve been there and done that and we would love to do it again.
What do you think about the rise of AI in music production?
To be honest i haven’t given it a lot of thought. I suppose that studios can be helped by AI for editing stuff but that’s about as long as i have thought about it.
What attributes do you think that a new Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
Same as always, do what feels right for you. Does it feel right for you to wear corpsepaint then do it, if not just don’t. Does it feel right to sing about flowers then do that otherwise don’t. It’s as simple as that.
Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a band to promote its work?
It can be a good help but nothing beats word to mouth when it comes to underground sounds and that goes for all genres in the underground. Jungle, hip hop, punk, grind, death metal, you name it, it’s all the same.
From your experience in the music industry, what would you tell to a new Metal band to avoid or what to do?
Don’t pay to play. Try to reach out and talk to people. Networking is never bad.
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Sweden (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
I’m definitely not the best to answer this but it seems like there’s a lot going on these days. Mostly festivals or festival types of shows with 6 bands on the bill. We’ve got Malmö Massacre in the south, Stockholm extreme sounds, House of metal in the northern parts. Bulgasal metal fest, Öland Rots, Club Dissonans are setting up good shows in Jönköping, Bunker Bar in Motala, Munument and Abyss in Gothenburg. I know that i’m forgetting a lot now but it’s a lot happening. The only zine that i can think of at the moment is Flykstsoda zine but i know that there’s a lot more. There are tons of great death metal, thrash metal, punk, crust, hardcore and grind bands around. Crawl, Hatchened, Slan, Brainwasher, Järnbörd, Bloodcrown, Alarm to name a few.
What does Grindcore (or Metal) means to you? And give us 10 albums that run in your veins.
It means joy. 10 albums that shows how exactly how old i am, hahaha.
The Clash - London Calling
Group Home - Living proof.
Frontline Assembly - Tactical neutral implant.
Napalm Death - Mentally murdered.
Dismember - Like an everflowing stream.
Agnostic Front - One voice.
The Exploited - Troops of tomorrow.
Wolfbrigade - Run with the haunted.
The Haunted - Songs of last resort.
Death - Leprosy.
Dead Kennedys - Plastic surgery disaster
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
I’m sorry to say that i don’t know that much other than that you have a lot of great bands.
What are your future plans?
We are releasing two more split 7inch vinyls this year with Brainwasher and Massive Charge. Apart from that we are writing new songs for our next album.
Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Thank you and thank’s a lot for this interview. If anyone wish to get hold of us, here’s our mail: sickrecyband@gmail.com
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
PS. Many thanks to my necro-brother Danihell Slaughter from MURDER RECORDS.
