Join Your Idols: Colin Marston
Gorguts
This is an interview series highlighting musicians who go from being a band’s biggest fan to being in THAT band. The title is taken from the hardcore band Kill Your Idols.
Colin Marston runs The Thousand Caves of Menegroth studio in Queens. He plays/writes for Dysrhythmia, Behold The Arctopus, Indricothere, Krallice, Byla and Gorguts. He also REALLY REALLY REALLY loves ellipsis.
At what point in your life did you discover Gorguts?
Colin Marston: I was 18. My friend Alex Nagle sent me the songs "Inverted" and "Behave Through Mythos" right after 'From Wisdom to Hate' came out in spring of 2001. I was instantly intrigued since that album featured Dan from Martyr on guitar, who'd I'd just become a huge fan of, but the Gorguts material was way uglier, brutal and horrific, which is always something that's been attractive to me. I grew up with prog and classical, not metal so much, so I'd already found Univers Zero, Bartok, Penderecki, and the most fucked up parts of the King Crimson discography, but I didn't know much about what extreme metal had to offer in the dissonant asymmetrical department. So meeting Nagle (and Kevin Hufnagel a few years earlier) gave me access to two vast encyclopedias of unique and strange metal bands. A couple months later, Kevin played me 'Obscura' and with that I was fully aboard the guts train. Thanksnagles.
What was the album that drew you in and how did it affect you?
CM: I got deep into Wisdom and Obscura at the same time. Obscura was great because of the Hurdle influence and I liked the way it was recorded and mixed a lot better, but Wisdom was a little less repetitive and more mysterious, so both records hooked me. A year or two later I got the first two albums and grew to appreciate those immensely as well, but the latter two directly influenced the way I thought about harmony, tempo relationships, and even musical intention (especially after watching the Lemay/Cloutier guitar.com lesson--seeing how passionate Luc was about this super fucked music was beyond inspiring).
After years of touring with Behold the Arctopus and Dysrhythmia, how did you meet Luc?
CM: I met Luc at the first Negativa show. In 2006 Mike Lerner and I found out that the best weekend of music ever was taking place over a weekend in Montreal. Friday night was the Martyr album release show for their first new album in 6 years, and Saturday night was the debut of Luc and Steeve's "new" band Negativa. There was no other option but to go get in the pit. Previously I was in touch with Steeve Hurdle through email, but that trip was when I actually met him along with Luc, Miguel and Etienne. Luc and I didn't hang much at that show, but Steeve and I kept in touch. He was really the reason both Kevin and I ended up in Gorguts two years later.
How did he go about getting you in the band?
CM: He sent Kevin a myspace message saying he had Longstreth on board for a new lineup of Gorguts and asked both of us to join. I guess social networking has done some good things for us. We immediately said "yes" and that was that.
After being in Gorguts for a few years and touring halfway around the world, what would you tell your teenage self about Gorguts? What about death metal and music?
31-year-old Colin: "Hey buddy, you're going to be the new bassist and mixing/mastering engineer for the next Gorguts record!"
18-year-old Colin: "Fuck off dude; I can't even find a guitarist and drummer to be in my dumb Warr guitar band I'm trying to start."
31-year-old Colin: "Don't tell me to fuck off! It's true!"
18-year-old Colin: "Ok sorry, but bass? Why can't I play guitar in the band?"
31-year-old Colin: "Seriously? You get to be in your favorite band, asshole. Plus Kevin makes more sense as a lead guitarist for Gorguts. Your solos are garbage."
18-year-old Colin: "Fair enough. Better keep staying away from girls and writing nerdy unlistenable music."I didn't really answer your question.
Let’s say I’m 17, love death metal and want to start a band. What’s your advice for me?
CM: Music works better when kept at least a bit tasteless. Don't go making it too respectable. Oh yeah, and only make demos if you want Germans and Australians to like your death metal. The second you make your first record, you've ruined a perfectly good band logo.
How do I join Gorguts?
CM: Aren't you the high vocalist for MNDLSBLSTNG? How have you not been asked already? I'll see what I can do.
Hire Colin: http://thethousandcaves.com/
Buy Colin's Music: http://indricothere.bandcamp.com/
Buy Gorguts: http://gorguts.bandcamp.com/
Horrorscension: http://www.beholdthearctopus.com/
Kevin's tunings: http://dysrhythmiaexplainsitall.blogspot.com/