Interview with Fred
www.inhumate.com

It is just recently that I discovered the world of this awesome French grind combo called Inhumate. They’ve just recently released an awesome interesting new DVD presenting the band from its best side, quite unusual step for a grind/death metal band even though they existed since far 1990. Fred (bassist) is one of the original members and founding fathers of Inhumate and I caught his attention with these few questions which Fred answered in a short period of time. Still some interesting reading… enjoy it.

MR: Hail guys, please be kind and introduce your band…
Fred: INHUMATE is a French grind / death act. We started in 1990 and are active in the underground since 1994. If many of you never heard about us it’s because we’re since the beginning a self produced band. We think its n advantage, and never searched for a label. Until now we did concerts in France, Germany, Czech Rep., Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Poland... with bands like SEPULTURA, CANNIBAL CORPSE for the most well known, but also with dozens of pure fucking underground activists (10000 times more interesting that the rock stars I gave the name before). We also released 2 demos Abstracts Suffering (1993) and Grind Your Soul (1995), 4 albums Internal Life (1996), Ex-Pulsion (1997), Growth (2000), Life (2004) and a DVD At war with INHUMATE (2007).

MR: Tell us now something about the very beginning of the band. How and when did it start and who came up with the idea to call a band INHUMATE?
Fred: Everything began in 1990 when I was leaving army. I stayed in the city where I was doing it (Strasbourg) and decided to put up a death metal band (inspired by PESTILENCE, OBITUARY...). I found a vocalist, then a guitar player and few weeks later a guy came behind the drums... From this line up I’m the only still playing. David (that 1st guitar player) left INHUMATE in 2006, after 16 fucking long years grinding with us... About the name of INHUMATE, it’s our fist vocalist that found it. We kept it because it has no particular meaning but were sounding cool for a death metal band. Later a guy told me that he was feeling the ”inhume your hate” in INHUMATE and we thought it was a perfect explanation!

MR: How would you describe your sound for our readers that are not familiar with your music?
Fred: A mix between old school death metal riffing and some grind core parts. If things are not clear, then just check our website www.inhumate.com and download some tracks from 1993 until 2004 to feel the evolution!

MR: …and what’s your discography so far?
Fred: Oh, oh... I already answered to it before ... But I can add dozens of compilation from all over the world and also some split tapes and EP with bands like VAGINAL INCEST, FUNERAL MARCH, DEPRAVED, ALIENATION MENTAL, and more... We think to release a split EP in the end of the year with Austrian grinders from MASTIC SCUM.

MR: You’ve released a DVD just recently. What can we find on this DVD, when and where was it shoot?
Fred: It has been shot in our hometown when we performed for INHUMATE 15th anniversary. For hat show were playing DERANGED, INGROWING, MUMAKIL and us. Sound has been recorded and mixed, images taken through 5 videos. I think the result is not bad, and it’s full of energy, like all INHUMATE gigs are! Now, to roder it the best way is to contact our drummer Yannick at gysc©free.fr, he deals with our merchandising through the Grind Your Soul Distro

MR: Do you think it is a good idea to release a DVD in order to give a band right promotion?
Fred: Yes I think it can be. For us metal is music, but also stage attitude! I can really appreciate a band only after having seen it on stage and this DVD is a way to show to people that will never have the opportunity to check us live what an INHUMATE concert looks like.

MR: What does your domestic French scene looks like nowadays?
Fred: It’s full of enthusiastic cool grinding bands! If you can, try to check the following acts: BLOCKHEADS, GORYPTIC, TREPAN’DEAD, DISASTER, DESECRATOR, SCD, HCF, RECUEIL MORBIDE, etc... They all deserve to be more known! But I think it’s the case for all country, we all have a cool domestic underground, and unfortunately bands don’t always make as much promotion as they should to be a bit more well known I think.

MR: What are your lyrics mainly about? Where do you find inspiration and who’s responsible for the content of the lyrics?
Fred: The lyrics are written by Christophe (vocalist) and they deal with all things that are possible in life... I know it can be kinda strange, but we are not dealing with death, gore, guts... Christophe write many texts dealing with sex, feelings, grindcore, music, society (without claiming the usual anarchist shit...), religion (without worshipping Satan or any stupidity in that style...), etc... So you see we have an original way to feel music and lyrics. Most important thing to remember is that INHUMATE is not a political or religious implicated band. Everybody is free to vote, think, and pray as they want, we’re not here to make lessons, and we’re just here to play headfucking music!

MR: You’re interested in politics? What do you think of current political events in the world? Here I think primary of American aggression in Iraq etc.?
Fred: Yes, I’m personally very interested in politics; I try to be informed about every thing that happens. But, I won’t answer your question here because I’m answering as INHUMATE bass player and my personal opinion has nothing to do with INHUMATE. INHUMATE has no political ideas as I explained it before.

MR: Are you active playing live? What’s your best gig ever so far and why?
Fred: We had a fucking bad year 2006 without any gig because of rehearsal room problems, line up problems, etc... But now things are OK again and we are ready to share the stage again! We try to play as much as we can, but it’s not much because an INHUMATE show is very intense and we prefer to play less but giving every time something we try to be as extreme as possible, than playing very often proposing a show you can see every week end in any underground pub... Until now our biggest show was Obscene Extreme Fest (www.obscene.cz) in 2003, and we will perform again there this summer! I’m sure it gonna hell!!!!!!

MR: What does your family think of your music? Are they supportive?
Fred: I’m father, so my children are still a bit young to understand what this music really means. And to be honest they don’t really like it at all ah, ah, ah!!!! Now my wife doesn’t like metal too, but she knows that metal is a way of life for me, so, no problem. Concerning my parents they thought I’ll stop listening to that when I’ll be 20 years old, now I’m 40... They don’t fucking understand but I don’t care! Blast is life!

MR: Do you know anything about our scene? Where did you hear about metal-revolution webzine?
Fred: To be honest I don’t know many things about the Danish underground scene... I know King Diamond, but that’s heavy. I think I heard about you through a review you did for our mates from TREPAN’DEAD !

MR: What do you think of our work?
Fred: That’s perfect, and like all underground supporter I can only support you and encourage you to go further supporting the underground and your domestic scene either if there are many ”commercial” bands promoted on your website!!!

MR: Your plans for the future? Soon going to studio recording new material again?
Fred: As we have a new guitar player for 3 months now we are concentrating on old tracks and will soon begin to write new material for our 5th full length album, but no date is fixed for the moment.

MR: Thanx for this intie and presentation of your band to our readers. Any last words or treats to the readers and fans in Denmark?
Fred: Thanx to the whole METAL REVOLUTION team! And to the readers, as I say it every time, feel free to visit our site www.inhumate.com or our myspace www.myspace.com/inhumate and check our music, our concept... And if any question, just write me inhumategrind©anadoo.fr all mail will have an answer! SICK & PROUD! SO ARE INHUMATE!