New Noise Magazine Issue #50

BLACK CHRIS TMAS WE’VE COLLECTED SOME OF THE BLACKEST, DARKEST, GLOOMIEST BITS OF CHRISTMAS COAL FOR YOUR UNHOLY FESTIVITIES.

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INTERVIEW WITH BASSIST/ VOCALIST CHARLIE FELL AND GUITARIST/ VOCALIST ANDREW MARKUSZEWSKI

BY THOMAS PIZZOLA ince releasing their first “I love the look of NYC at that time EP over ten years ago, and the whole realness of it,� Fell Chicago's Lord Mantis the seeds were planted for a new The new album features all the noisy, says. “Just an unflinching look at have released three album. Bassist and vocalist Char- ugly, punishing sludge the band is the life of swine in urban colors albums of some of the darkest, lie Fell, who had left the band in known for, but this time there is a and decay.� slight hint of industrial and some most depraved, blackened 2014, came back into the fold. melody buried in between. Once They may have gone through hell to sludge metal the underground has ever heard. It's a churning, “After Bill went, the anger I held onto again, the band keep it real in the make Universal Death Church, but the results are compelling. From the malevolent sound, rooted in real just went away,� Fell says. “I kind of lyrics as only they know how. music to the lyrics, the artwork and psychosis and catharsis. It shuns just called Andrew [Markuszewski,  the cartoon darkness of many guitar and vocals] on a whim think- “Charlie and I have our own in- the samples, the album paints a extreme metal bands and deals ing, ‘well this is gonna be stupid.’ To dividual ways of writing, but dark picture of its creators’ psyches. in the horrors of reality. It's quite my surprise, we were both in the I’ve always enjoyed the outcome Unlike other bands, Lord Mantis arsame spot. I was pretty ecstatic how whenever our lyrics cross paths,� en't doing it for show, they’re doing the head trip. it went down.�

Markuszewski says. “We’ve all it because they have to. It might be been plagued by similar de- grim, but it's real, and that realness In the course of their run as a band,  they have seen it all: break-ups, “I paid a visit to Charlie in Denver for mons in this band, so it was easy is at the core of the band. drug abuse, and even death. But a weekend back in 2018,â€? Marku- to reach into the mental states as their new album, Universal szewski says. “We started writing the needed to show you what that “It’s the essence of the band,â€? Markuszewski says. “We couldn’t be what Death Church, out now on Pro- record then and there. During the means.â€? we are or make records that sound found Lore, can attest, the band following months we exchanged riff ideas. [Then] we all met up together Lord Mantis have an interesting the way they do without it.â€? is far from finished. in Chicago – me, Charlie, Ken [Sor- ritual that is part of their creative Lord Mantis was dealt its big- ceron, guitars], and new drummer process every time they make a Fell sums it up perfectly. “You are gest blow when drummer Bill Bryce Butler - with literally only a record. They watch a movie for in- the sections you make, and you are Bumgardner committed suicide few days of working together be- spiration. In this case, they chose how you live. If you sing your own in 2016. But something good fore going in to make the record Bad Lieutenant, a classic slice of song, it will be a perfect reflection early ’90s transgressive cinema. of the people who made it." đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł came out of that tragedy, and with [producer] Sanford Parker.â€?

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