No
Inherent Meaning
The only predictable thing about Morbid Angel founding guitarist TREY AZAGTHOTH
is his unpredictability. Try talking to him about things Morbid Angel and you
very well find yourself getting a discourse on Sumerian philosophy or a testimonial
on behalf of self-help huckster Tony Robbins (I, myself, have gotten both over
the years). On this late August afternoon, with the release of Morbid's
thunderous new album Gateways To
Annihilation imminent and the band having secured a month of American dates
opening arena shows for Pantera, Azagthoth is pinch hitting for bassist/singer
Steve Tucker. Tucker, who took over for David Vincent on Formulas Fatal To The Flesh and who has a greatly expanded presence
on Gateways..., had his interview
schedule interrupted by a family crisis.
As he calls in from Tampa, Florida., Azagthoth's distracted air and the
incessant tap-tapping of a computer keyboard in the background tells me that
this time, too, the conversation is headed for a 180-degree turn before it
really gets going. "I'm watching a little something on the computer,"
offers Azagthoth, by way of explanation. "I'm working on Quake 3, but I'm
just watching right now.” Watching as
opposed to playing? I inquire, not being terribly well-schooled in video/computer
games. "No, not right now," he says. "But, I have a Quake 3
Arena and I play it continuously, like for two days and nights straight without
sleep and then I sleep for a night or a day and then I play it again. Any cool
people who want to join the clan and want to be a part of it can play, it's
gonna be cool. We've got a lot of
players and a website, morbidangel.com/sailorscouts. That's Sailor Scouts as in "Sailor Moon" because I love
"Sailor Moon". I love
Japanese animation and things that are silly and fun, and we've got a clan like
that, it's silly and fun and we've got some great players. If people want to
hang out with me, that's the best way to do it, because that's where my head is
right now." Eventually, the
conversation does turn to the ominous, impressive Gateways..., an album that offers a stark contrast to the
flamethrowing brutality of Formulas...
It's a behemoth that recalls Blessed Are
The Sick in its purposefulness and classical beauty thanks to Tucker's
authoritative vocals, the music sinister focus and the guitar interplay of
Azagthoth and Erik Rutan. Gateways...
may well be the ultimate triumph for a veteran band with many shining moments -
including being the first death metal band to gain a major label deal - already
to its credit. And with the Pantera tour, many potential new fans will finally
face the monster that is Morbid Angel.
Obviously the Pantera tour is a big deal
for you guys?
We're looking forward to it, definitely. It's the biggest tour we've done. We've
played festivals that are bigger than this, but not arenas for 30 days in a row
or however many we will do on this tour. I don't care about the details, we're
going to play and it's gonna be cool and we're gonna play a lot of the new
songs and the old songs mixed in as well and play a lot of places, wherever we
can get it worked out.
Do you have a relationship with Pantera?
Phil [Anselmo, Pantera singer and death/black metal aficionado] likes the band.
Him and David knew each other back in those days and really the reason why
we're even doing it is because he asked us. We have wanted to do something like
this for a while now. We didn't really have many expectations, it was like
whatever happens we'll see, but it would be nice to play for a lot of people
here and we're finally going to be able to. We're very, very excited and very
appreciative of them for giving us this favor, that's for sure.
Are you much of a fan of theirs?
Not really the kind of stuff I listen to, no. I think they're really good at
what they do and I do really like that song "Walk". I think that is a
really cool song, that song has a really cool riff and beat. Right now, all I'm
listening to is Pink Floyd and The Gathering. I love The Gathering, they're a
great new band, they have so much passion and they take you places. I like
music that takes you places. I like
heavy stuff when I like it (I've always been like that) and it does not have to
be just Morbid Angel. It just so happens that Morbid Angel in a lot of ways
represents what kind of music I like and I don't think there are a lot of bands
out that are like Morbid Angel. We do our own thing and it's got a vibe and
it's got a flow.
How was the reception to Steve with the
last album?
Fine. It was good. His performance onstage and his attitude were something the
fans really liked.
Were there any rough spots along the
way?
There might have been, I didn't really notice any of that. Our fans are more
dedicated to the band and the music than any one person. They don't really care
who's playing it as long as it kicks ass. Maybe there were some factions that
were angry that Dave left, but if there were they kept pretty quiet.
How long did it take Steve to get
acclimated to the band? Was he on the same wavelength from the get-go or was
there a long break in period?
As we toured, and we did so much touring for that album, he definitely grew
more connected and confident. You just can't come in and be fucking connected,
no matter what, especially with a band like ours that doesn't have a
conventional mindset. It takes time, and you get settled in, and he got settled
in really good after time and repetition.
Did Steve have much input on the
songwriting on Formulas...?
On the last record, no, I wrote all the stuff, music and lyrics, for the most
part. Maybe at the end he contributed a little bit, but he was still really new
to the band at that time. But the new record, he and I worked together on a lot
of the stuff.
Were you of the same mindset when it
came to the material?
It was really cool, he came up with some cool rhythms and he showed them to me
and I added to it and some stuff, like "He Who Sleeps" he wrote
himself, I worked a little bit with him maybe on the arrangements and that was
about it. And then I wrote some songs myself as well, so there's stuff we each
did alone and a lot [were] co-written, at least when it comes to the music. And
Erik wrote some music for "God Of The Forsaken" and the instrumental,
"Awakening". As far as lyrics, [Steve] wrote all of the lyrics except
for "Secured Limitations".
Are Steve's lyrics, concepts, ideas,
philosophies in sync with your’s or does he bring a different perspective?
We were definitely on cue, or he wouldn't have written lyrics.
Except he's not writing in Sumerian.
No, there was none of that on this album at all. That was all part of the theme
of the last album. We weren't going to do that again, I wouldn't think.
As if things weren't tough enough for
Steve replacing Dave, having to come in and sing in a different language while
also playing the fast, difficult music on Formulas...
must have posed quite a challenge?
Yeah, that was tough. It took a lot of work. But that's one of things I admire
about Steve, he's not afraid of a challenge. He got right in there and did it
and worked through the tough spots and got the job done. And he did a great
job.
Where does your interest in things
Sumerian come from?
The drive and the passion that got me to go after Sumerian stuff and spiritual
stuff did happen when I was a kid. I used my imagination, which was creative
visualization, and did stuff that would be considered like astral travel or
whatever without knowing what I was doing just because, I don't know, I guess
that's just the kind of guy I was. And later I was interested in like, what is
it? What kind of books are there about it? I spent a lot of time researching it
and whatnot, but my Sumerian is not proper Sumerian, it's slang (laughs).
How did Erik come back into the fold, I
figured with his other projects (Hate Eternal, Alas and his production work) he
was gone for good?
It made sense. He plays the songs so well and does a great job touring and his
soloing really compliments the band, so we figured it made sense and he agreed.
I don't know where he finds the time for everything, but he can do it and he's
a member of the band and he's going to do great things with us. And I'm sure
he'll do great things on his own, as well.
Since he's been doing production lately,
did Erik help out in the studio?
No. It was just me and Steve and Jim [Morris]. Steve and I are thinking the
same things when it comes to this band. And things went together great like
that. Steve and I are real tight like that with the band and writing songs and
him understanding my ideas and vice versa.
Did you ever have that kind of
relationship with Dave?
Yeah, it was really cool with Dave too, at the beginning (and actually for
quite a long time). Towards the end, his ideas and mine definitely were going
in different directions and that's when he ended up leaving. The band is democratic,
but it is my band. I don't need to say that, but if there's any question about
who's the founder of the band, who's the one guy who is more of the leader - I
don't think of myself as The Leader, and I don't think of the rest of the guys
as working for me, it has nothing to do that - but as far as who's vision is
the band, it's mine. Who created the band? I did. Who's responsible for its
style? I am. No one can change the fact that I thought of the name and wrote
the first stuff back in the early '80s. That's the truth, but it doesn't really
need to be said. I've said that before, and that's why Formulas... came out. That was me regaining control of Morbid Angel
after Dave left and resetting the course of the band because people were
talking shit about us for some of his lyrics and statements, which made us seem
like some really hateful band, which is not what we're about at all. And we
didn't have a major label deal anymore and I think a lot of people were
wondering how we'd respond to the changes and the adversity and whatnot. We
needed something to shake things up and clear the air. That's what Formulas... was all about.
Where does Steve come from lyrically?
His concepts come from the theme that we created, and the theme is the inner
workings of the universe and the silent spaces between thoughts and the belief
- at least for me - that there is no inherent meaning, that all meaning is
created in the mind and no meaning is any more true or false than any other. The
goal is to create meanings that make you feel great and allow the joy and the
perfection of spirit to flow through and not be all bogged down by a bunch of
crazy ideas and details.
How did you arrive at that theme?
My whole philosophy on life has really changed so much that it's really deleted
judgment and needing to give definitions to things. The album's not about that
at all. As far as the meaning of things, man, it's all about just having a
great time, that's what should drive all of us.
The music's so grim and ominous, how
does that mesh with that?
The concept here is just letting the energy flow without worrying about what it
means. So in that way it all goes together. It makes sense because it's not
supposed to make sense, you know what I mean?
Really, the album is something for people to listen to without
instruction and to go into openly and empty and put together their own meaning,
like a journey. It's not like that last album with all these concepts and
directions.
- Peter Atkinson
Discography:
Abominations of Desolation (1986)
Altars Of Madness (Earache, 1989)
Blessed Are The Sick (Earache, 1991)
Covenant (Giant/Warner Bros., 1993)
Domination (Giant/Warner Bros., 1995)
Entangled In Chaos (Earache, 1996)
Formulas Fatal To The Flesh (Earache,
1998)
Love of Lava (bonus CD included with Formulas... re-issue, Earache 1999)
Gateways To Annihilation (Earache,
2000)
Website:
www.morbidangel.com