Voyage Into Sickness - Violence Redefined
Brothers and sisters, I’m truly sorry I’ve kept you waiting for such a long time on a new article. Between work and school, I got a bit distracted but that’s over now. However, your wait will have been worth it…that I can assure you. In this edition of the Voyage, I’m going to be profiling a band that is so vile, so heinous, and so absolutely sickening that mere words can’t even begin to do them justice. That band hails from the bowels of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania and they go by a name that is hard for some to pronounce…yet, memorable in it’s own right.
That band is Inhuman Dissiliency. Rather than sticking with the tried and true formula of brutal death metal, Inhuman Dissiliency has created a sound that is both crushing and violently menacing at the same time. This isn’t your daddy’s brutal death…this is a completely different animal. However, as guitarist Shawn Werner is quick to point out, being more violent than their peers was not the ultimate goal of Inhuman Dissiliency when the band first started in 2001.
“We actually started off as a band called Perpetual Dismemberment back in late 2001/early 2002.” Werner recalls. “This band consisted of all three members of Inhuman Dissiliency and a drummer, but due to his lack of commitment and such, band practices where very few and far between. We were very much interested in getting this project moving as fast as possible, so we basically decided it would be best to move on without a drummer. The decision to change the band name was brought into question due to the drastic change in sound. In fact, the main reason for even bringing Perpetual Dismemberment up is just to give credit to where our roots are. Without that project we would have never been able to get this band moving.”
Following this, the band recorded their first track as a unit…even though Werner’s experience with the drum machine left a bit to be desired. ” ‘Necro-Cannibalistic Incest’ was the song that gave birth to the band. It was the first song I ever did the drums for, and I’m sure it’s evident! This song was kind of a test to see if the drum machine was even going to work for us. None of us were very interested at all in using a drum machine, but we wanted to play. So we moved on using it.”
The band’s grisly sound, made even more intense by the damaging beats of the drum machine, was being noticed very shortly upon completion of their first demo. Many called Inhuman Dissiliency one of the most violent and abrasive bands of all time (myself included) upon first listen of their manic songs. However, again, this was never the band’s original intent.
“Honestly, we never thought we would get noticed by anyone, man. It’s amazing how many people have given us a chance all over the world. We never set out to make the most vile and abrasive form of anything really. We actually started playing, believe it or not, just to see if we could get some other death metal bands to come through our area! We just wanted to open the area up to this form of music.”
And the death metal DID come through. Inhuman Dissiliency’s reputation only continued to grow in the underground, which also led to their recent split cd with New Jersey’s own masters of slamming death metal, Digested Flesh. The split, Accumulation of Eviscerated Remnants is one of the most ungodly works of death metal carnage you are likely to ever heard. Released on Macabre Mementos records, it brings forth the most barbaric material in Inhuman Dissiliency’s history as a band.
“Digested Flesh have been good friends of ours for a while now. Don approached us with the idea a few months ago, and it was an offer we couldn’t refuse. Even though we were in the middle of putting together 2 other splits, one with Vomitous and one with Artery Eruption and Cephalic Mortification, it all worked out for the best. There are 3 original tracks from each band on this split, and we couldn’t be happier with it’s turnout. Being that we are all big fans of Digested Flesh, this was a great honor for us to be sharing a split with them.”
But while the band continues to release splits with numerous bands, it begs the question of whether or not the band will finally bite the bullet and issue their own full length.
“We hope to eventually put out a full length but its not really a priority to us. Splits give us a chance to help spread other bands around and this is much more up our alley. Considering the fact that we didn’t put this band together to “make it”, any glory we achieve can be spread as much as possible. Splits are basically the best way of doing this. This being said, we don’t have any real need to put out a full length, but we would like to do so before the end of our time as a band.”
Another question of note is the one surrounding the band’s drumming situation…a question that certainly follows them wherever they go.
“We’d like to have a real drummer. It’s never been in our minds to use a drum machine, and it’s not that we hav problems with them! Honestly though, it’s going to be real hard to get a drummer in the band right now. We have around 20 original songs that we play pretty often, so there is alot for a drummer to pick up. We have tried out many drummers over the years, yet we never found one that fit our sound. We’re still looking though.”
With Werner’s talk of never making it, one often wonders what the band does for a living outside of Inhuman Dissiliency…and if they even MAKE any money off of the band!
“Brian works for the state. That dude that pisses you off with the flag, while construction is happening on the road…that’s Brian. Todd is a tattoo artist, and I work with printing. When I say printing, I don’t mean cool printing…I mean teen magazines and shit like that. It’s boring work but I probably know more about pop culture than anyone reading this! As for the money we make in the band, there really is none. This is basically a hobby to us, so we don’t ask for money. The day it becomes a business, we need to stop doing it. Now mind you, we have been paid here and there for playing shows. Its just not something we set out for. It does help out from time to time to get gas money because none of us are rich. In fact, one might call us broke sons of bitches, but it doesn’t bother us. As long as we get to be around friends and play some sick music with them, that’s all that really matters when you lay your head down at night, right?”
Werner and his band have a method to their madness, and have a work ethic many bands only dream of having. However, when it comes down to the future of his band, his goal shouldn’t surprise you.
“Play more shows! Playing is so much fun to do. The people you meet on the road…nothing compares to it. Nothing! Other than that, I hope we can keep this shit together long enough to put out even more tunes. This takes up so much time that I have no personal life anymore. What would I do with all of that time? Haha!”
After conducting this interview, one thing is apparent…Inhuman Dissiliency are one of the most, if not THE most devoted bands in the genre today. They care not only about their fans but about the music they’re playing for the fans as well.
“I love to play death metal, and the people that are involved with this genre are the greatest people in the world! My hope for the future is that it never stops! This shit is like family…And you don’t fuck with family.”
I’d like to thank Shawn and Inhuman Dissiliency for the amazing interview and for allowing me to do this article on their band. If you’d like to find out more, visit the band on the web at
www.myspace.com/inhumandissiliency
Until next time…keep it sick.
Josh | 11/06/2006