Controlled Chaos

Pseudogod

Wed., May 28, Red 7

For an inaugural desecration of American soil, Russia's Pseudogod woke the demons from its debut long-player, 2012's Death­womb Catechesis, a hellish wrath of graveyard growls, firing squad blastbeats, and riffing both brutal and atmospheric. Before boarding a long flight to the U.S., guitarist D. Nekros fielded questions via email about the satanic forces and Stateside bands that inspire Pseudogod.

Austin Chronicle: From the cover art to the lyrics on Deathwomb Catechesis, we experience the apocalypse.

D. Nekros: The front illustration represents the triumph of the mighty dragon over Saint George. See it as allegory of the domination of chaos over order, a triumph of darkness over light. Each track reflects it in different aspects and manifestations. I'm not here to explain the lyrics, just try to discover it by yourself, and, if your vision is like ours, you will find the key to understand the meaning of the album.

AC: How much is Pseudogod's music informed by spirituality compared to social and political ideas?

DN: I would say that spiritual beliefs are the main driving force of the band. The band is the reflection of our faith. Our music is about higher concepts than politics or social problems, but inspiration can be found in many different things around you depending on how you see it.

AC: What American acts have influenced Pseudogod?

DN: To name just a few of the most important for us, old Von for brutal, monotonous sound, Necrovore for unparalleled atmosphere, Black Witchery for barbaric violence, and Goatlord for their dark and dirty tone.

AC: What's life like for a metal band in Russia?

DN: The underground metal scene isn't very strong and, frankly, I do not like most of the bands out here. Russia definitely isn't the best place to play this kind of music, but it's the place where we live. The bands here face many problems, but if you're really dedicated you can solve them.

AC: Deathwomb Catechesis includes the Spanish language song "Encarnación del Mal." Is your band trilingual?

DN: Lyrics for that track were written by our friend and brother Tomas Stench from Morbosidad. It was great experience for us to work with him. This is our tribute to the old South American scene, which influenced us in many ways.

AC: For people who haven't heard of Pseudo­god, what can they expect out of your live show?

DN: Be ready for pure vehement decimation!