MORTUARY ANCESTOR – Malaysia

Sabah, land below the winds, which is located at Borneo Island, has some cool & worth checking bands. I personally, to be frank, really dig into one of them which I undoubtedly consider as the best act from there, the East Malaysia. The band I’m talking about is called MORTUARY ANCESTOR, playing pure fuckin’ blistering death metal with unique and well-written lyrics based on Malay occultism. You should better check out “Dogma Orthodox” by yourself. This is their second demo & I must say this is godly rulesss!!!!! That’s why I think that an interview is always necessary for an excellent band from my country. Let’s hear what Dirs Johannazael (vocals) going to speak…

Interviewed by Sufian Mohamed Salleh (April 2001)

Hellfucking Hails MORTUARY ANCESTOR… what’s goin’ on in the camp lately? I heard that you guys preparing some new material for the next coming release, so how’s the progress look like?

Hello there Sufian! Yes, we are preparing for our 3rd demo & we’re practise hard to make it the best ever… If everythin’ okay, we’ll entered studio this March 2001 to record 2 or 3 new tracks! One cover version of Sil Khannaz already well recorded at The Maestro studio on last October 2000. 

Due to your musical style & performance, MORTUARY ANCESTOR was oftenly compared to Malaysia’s pioneer bands, SIL KHANNAZ and LANGSUYR… what do you think about this public consideration? Maybe there are something slightly different in your musical approaches, so what they are all about?

I don’t have any idea about it. Maybe it’s true or maybe it’s not!!! I think the public knows that Langsuyr & Sil Khannaz was our big influences, so they always compare us to those 2 bands. Actually, beside those Malaysian fucking great bands… we also influenced by Morbid Angel, Death, Brutality, Deicide, Slayer, etc. We try to create out own originality & musical style. 

The band has gone through some line-up changes since the beginning days of formation, and I guess this sometimes effect the smoothness in your activities (i.e. recording, gigging, etc). How do you personally see all these problems? How much it contributes to the maturity in the band, generally? What do you think about current members of the band?

That’s right! This line-up problems make me sick… I couldn’t do anything if some members want to stand down. They have their own right & choices! But honestly, this situation make us more strong `cause we believe the war never ending yet! I must kept Mortuary Ancestor alive & stronger than before. That’s why we choose a new members that only serious in our band activities such gigging, jamming, recording, etc. Man was the old members beside me, Rommie is our new guitarist & he had a lot of experience during with his former band Desperate Contracieve. And our new bassist Riff @ Reeve is talented & positive thinking!!! I believe this current line-up is the best formation ever of Mortuary Ancestor. 

Talking about musical writing, how do you proceed with the development/construction of each song? If it can be describe in words, how do you express your feelings & emotion in music? Please further explain about your musical direction ‘Orthodox Occult Death Metal’?

Well, firstly I created a simple basic melody that I think catchy, suitable & simple. Then I’ll compare it with my lyric that I already wrote. After that, our guitarist will make some touch up to make the melodies more specific & detail. For drums pattern, it’s totally 100% done by our drummer. Finally, together we’ll analyse the result of the song before we practise & record it! But for your information, the musical writings of our upcoming tracks will be composed by Rommie, Reeve & Man. I only responsible for lyrical writing & vocal pattern. And about our musical direction of ‘Orthodox Occult Death Metal’, actually the ‘Orthodox Occult’ is related to our main subject on Mortuary Ancestor’s & ‘Death Metal’ is our musical style…

In no particular order, please elaborate your personal opinions on the band’s releases:

(i) “The Dark Ages” rehearsal tape 1996

It’s totally sucks! The music, lyrics & sound recording are nothing more than garbage shit. Our songs doesn’t have a quality or originality. For me, the songs arrangement too poor… we all knew it. So, we decide not to spread this reh-tape widely!!! Sorry…

(ii) “Story Of Holy Incense” 1st demo 1997

Our first experience entered a studio for professional recording! The recording was doing on 4 multi-track recorder combining with 24 channel mixer. We got great experience for this recording session especially about sound systems, mixing process, recording technic of track-by-track, tempo’s, tuning, etc. Our 3 songs ‘Tales From Nowhere’, Laugh Of Deathness’ & ‘Emotional Mind By Khadam Sial’ is more into death thrash early days of Death, Kreator, Slayer, Morgoth, etc. Other 2 songs ‘Anasir Betara Konsul Raja Putih’ & ‘Berahi Revenge Of Si Puteri Bunian’ was eastern style with combining of open single string riffs from Morbid Angel “Altar Of Madness”. Honestly to tell, “Story Of Holy Incense” is not pure death metal!!! Grind Empire Production will re-issue this demo in professional & more quality stuff. 

(iii) “Confusion Reality” live tape 1998

Mortuary Ancestor believe in spirits of Underground, so we decided to release our 1st live. The quality of sound recording for this live-tape is still has weakness `cause the recording was doing by 2-channel tape recorder. It’s featuring only 4 songs including a cover song ‘South Of Heaven’ from Slayer. This “Confusion Reality” live-tape is only for limited 50 copies & now it’s already sold-out!

(iv) “Dogma Orthodox” 2nd demo 1999

“Dogma Orthodox” is a proof that death metal is still alive in Malaysia. I believe that we play death metal with a bit touch of thrash sound & heavy metal in this demo. We also have improved our songs arrangement & originality compare to “Story Of Holy Incense”. For “Dogma Orthodox” demo, we recorded all songs at a small studio namely Mices Studio with budget about RM 500 – RM 600. It’s recorded on 4 multi-track recorder combining with 8 channel mixer & 75% of the recording process was done by ourselves. Thanx to Mr. Ang as sound engineering `cause give us a chance to be independent in his studio. This demo consist 4 songs of growls vox, mayhemic riffs & blaster drumming! My fave songs is ‘The Arts Of Divination’ & ‘Taksub In Friday Nights’. Death metal fans should check this stuff! 

(v) “Mortuary Ancestor/Kilatus” split live tape 1999

Kilatus play dark black metal from same area with us! They’re really talented & we supported each other. This live tape recorded at Pandu Puteri Hall, Sandakan during Back To Attack gig. It’s consisting of 8 songs & we presented only 4 live track such ‘Mortal Abyss Holy-Zuqq’, ‘Empty Words’ (Death), ‘Day Of Suffering’ (Morbid Angel) & ‘When Satan Rules…’ (Deicide). To get this live tape just send your blank tape or RM 4 cash!!! We also have new split live with Mantak, a dark thrash metal from Labuan. The price is same… RM 4 or send blank tape.

Regarding your brand new songs, please interpret what room of improvement do you guys explore in order to maintain, even to enhance the band’s qualities – creativity, ability, tightness, etc? Tell us a clue about your next release – title, tracks, productionwise, etc?

Well, for our new tracks… the music is more to brutal & technical but the lyrics still about Malay occultism. We’ll include a classical intro/outro & recorded at good studio to get better sound qualities! If everythin’ okay, the title of our next release will be “Ancestry Awoke Me”, consist only 2 songs ‘Creator Of Darkness’ & ‘Incarnation – His Creations Of Foresight’ with a cover ‘Conception Of Madness’ from Sil Khannaz. Expect this May-June 2001.

Your lyrical writings are obviously unique & sounds personal… how did you come up with those interesting texts? Do you refer to any literature or special environment to write a lyric that fits right to the whole concept bring forth by the band?

Thanx coz appreciate! Yer know there is too many Malaysia bands used a ‘Malay Occult’ as their main subject on lyrical writings such Langsuyr, Tasyim, Larrong, Nagileum, Dark Breed, etc. So they’re some people say that we’re just another copy/clone band, but we don’t give a damn about those shit-head perceptions! We came up with our own idea & we believe it’s suitable with Mortuary Ancestor’s. We don’t need any ideology such anti-God, anti-religion or satanic that unsuitable with our mind & life style! We are what we are… Yes sometimes I do refer to a great literature, books, and environment to write an interesting lyric & sometimes the idea just came across to my mind. I believe the lyric is same important with the music!!! Don’ cha?

DARK ZONE UNITY PRODUCTIONS… what was the background of the label – objectives, products, targets, etc? How do you see the contribution of this independent label to your band and the whole extreme metal scene in your area, Sabah, generally?

Actually Dark Zone Unity Production already R.I.P! So, there is nothing to tell about…

As we might know, MORTUARY ANCESTOR took part in so many live shows, especially in Sabah… so, what does live performance mean to an extreme band like you? Could you please elaborate the way your shows look like? What were songs usually presented in your set-list, and your favourite cover-songs?

Besides doing demos, live shows are very important for us. The only satisfaction we could get is on our live shows! Live performance gave a lot contribution to our band maturity especially about our showmanship, sound adjustment, arrangement, quality, ability, fitness, etc. Our shows are same just like other death metal bands – played extreme music, heavy sound, bang our head together with music & make all crowds cheer up! We like presented our own songs such ‘Tales From Nowhere’, ‘The Arts Of Divination’, ‘Mortal Abyss Holy-Zuqq’ & ‘Creator Of Darkness’ with some covers from Death, Morbid Angel, slayer, Sarcofago, Brutality, Deicide, Obituary, Megadeth, also Sil Khannaz & Langsuyr. My favourite cover songs are ‘Cryptorium’ from Brutality and ‘Abomination’ from Morbid Angel. 

Well, I think that’s all for now. Anything else you want to add here?

Once again, thanx brother Sufian for this great opportunity. Also we thanx to all bands, labels, zines & individuals who have supporting us from the beginning. “The fourth eternal element, Therefore… My lord is great, His heaven is great, Our earth is great, And we’ll be the greatest one.”

* For outside Malaysia who interested to get our “Dogma Orthodox” demo `99, please contact those address & send USD 3…

Owl Records, c/o Jason Vizmanos, 2555 W Catalpa Ave Apt. 212, Chicago Il 60625-2247, USA.

Eternal Fire Zine/Distro, c/o Hugues Vallot, 16, rue de la sente fleurie, 28600 Luisant, France.

Brutality Distro, c/o Manuel Atencio B., Prolog Faustino Sanchez Carrion, 101-103 El Retablo, Lima 7 - Peru.

* For Asian, just send RM 7 / USD 3 to our official address.

Airmail:

Mahatir Mutalip,

P.O.Box 976,

90710 Sandakan,

Sabah - Malaysia.

Email:

mortuaryancestor@hotmail.com

Latest news: MORTUARY ANCESTOR seems to postpone the releasing of their 3rd demo “Ancestry Awoke Me”, just as they mentioned in the interview as above. I’ve been told that the band members have had inconvenience to get together practise & record the stuff because one of them staying miles away far furthering his study meanwhile the other commit to their jobs. However, within those limited times, they’ve made full use the opportunity once they met. This resulted the unleashing of Promo Tape 2001 back in the late of November 2001. Strangely, besides the Sil Khannaz cover ‘Conception Of Madness’ they mentioned previously, the band came up with a new song with another title ‘Stormcrusher’. Whatever it is, I still and as always believe that Mortuary Ancestor will mercilessly blow your fucking heads off!!! This 2-song promo is available now (from band’s airmail address as above) only for RM 5 / USD 3 or trade.