Interview: Obeisance (2020)

The following interview was conducted with Chivo from US Black/Thrash band Obeisance.

Hails Chivo. To start things off, can you give us an update on the latest incarnation of the band, including some background on how the group formed?

ETERNAL HAILS TO YOU JIM!!! Fuckin' being in a band can be a pain in the buttocks!! I got a great guitarist in Hexcraft-,we wanna get an old live drummer back. A new drummer had asked me to wait, then I saw he was drumming for a local band that's been rehearsing for TWO YEARS & he put Obeisance on hold... What would you do? So he's out. Our good friends Duende helped us out with our newest CD "Abominations of Penetrations" !!!!

Tell us a bit about your latest album, "Nuclear Penetrator," and the time it took to write, record, and release the material? Are you happy with the result?

Oh, man. Well I read in Soldier of Fortune magazine (Rip) about the US bomber the B1 Lancer the fastest nuclear bomber in the world today, originally designed as a Nuclear Penetrator and Bam! A light went off in my head and I decided that it would be a great title for a song, for an album! Since about 2016, I had a CD of riffs that I made at the studio we did 7"s and “666War!!!” & “Appetite for Desecration.” The studio owner was going to have a son and he was gonna retire forever and ever for all eternity. He's back now, anyway, so I went to a friend who plays drums and great guitar & asked him, hey these are the tunes can you do drums n guitars for this? Are you up to the task? He said yeah! I'll bang em out THIS WEEKEND!! Well, months and months later he shows me four songs...fuck...so at this point I had recorded more songs with other friends and I decided to combine both line-ups and release it as " Musica del Diablo" and I hooked up with another friend, Ibex, who quickly did guitars, bass, and drums (programmed yes, but NOT to be industrial or any SHIT like that, I don't like Fear Factory or Godflesh, fuck off to that!! So the album was ready by 2017, but the bro I had agreed to release the CD turns out was not the label guy, I had to talk to someone else and nah, I was turned off by it and finally it was released by Wit Duiwel records on CD and our usual accomplice Warhemic Productions on Cassette!! BOTH are limited!!!

What inspires your lyrics? I take it Shakespeare is out of the question.

He is actually a very big influence. Jk fuck Shakespeare. Almost everything inspires me lyric wise. I told a friend who has his own satanic Temple that I write about ALL evil, not just the judeochristian concept of Evil. So on "Nuclear Penetrator" there's songs about genocide, nuclear weapons, fucking a 22 year old chick (true story), cannibalism, sleeping in my own vomit (true story), a couple of evil zombie songs (Slayer, Morbid Angel, Incantation, Death, and more have had songs about zombies (so if whoever doesn't like that, fuck off wanker), a war of darkness, and the last victory of the Aztecs over the Spaniards in Mexico City when it was an island. Stuff like that. Oh, I've written stuff about the Aztecs and American Indian tribes since the 90's so I didn't just all of a sudden decide to do so.

How would you describe your music to those who haven't heard it before? 

Fuckin' violent unholy, unwholesome fast Metal, meat 'n' potatoes, not for PC “social justice warrior" pussies. And I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize - FOR NOTHING! FUCK OFF IF YOU'RE OFFENDED WUSSES.

Is WIT DUIWEL RECORDS official? It's your own label, right? What inspired the name?

Yessir. a small, very small (that's what she said) label but we're trying damnit!! The name is inspired by a fb friend of mine who was gonna send me some crocodile biltong but never did, so I thought he lives in South Africa & people there consider him a White Devil and Bam! I asked him how do you say White Devil in  Afrikaans and a label was born. I had a label before, Sick records, I was gonna release Rotting Christ, Libation, Lord of Putrefaction, goood stuff like that back in the 1990's but RAN OUT OF MONEY. So I never released anything. Oh well, but stuff is cheaper to release now, so here's hoping for more releases!!! 6 6 6!!!!

What can you tell us about the scene in Denver? Are there any other bands from there worth mentioning?

The scene in Denver has some diehards like Drek, Philip, and more! But it seems to be infested by PC sjw Antifa pussies who throw a tissy fit & act like wussie mini tyrants and try to get stuff banned, like Obeisance. But we did end up playing when they thought they cancelled our fest show, but WE PLAYED! AND the crowd reaction was GREAT!! So hail to Drek n Philip and the Denver diehards worshippers of Bluecifer the demonic Denver bronco!! Nice city and most imposing Rocky mountains. We didn't eat Rocky mountain oysters though. Do you eat those in South Africa?? They're a delicacy in Denver for some reason

What are 10 metal albums which had a lasting impact on you?

Fuck! My Metal warbrother I always have a problem with these lists, as 10 is few but I will try!

Viking - Do or Die
Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath
Sacrifice -Torment in fire
Venom - Welcome to Hell/singles
Voivod - First four
Slayer - Show no up to Reign In Blood
Possessed - 7ch, Beyond The Gates, The Eyes of Horror
Sarcofago - I.N.R.I., Rotting, Hate
Sepultura - Morbid Visions
Darkthrone - Soulside Journey up to Transylvanian Hunger
Celtic Frost – Morbid Tales, Emperor's Return, To Mega Therion
Bathory- S/t, The Return, Under The Sign Of The Black Mark, Blood Fire Death
Sodom up to Tapping the Vein
Hellhammer!!

You've been a veteran of the US black/death/thrash scene for years, how have things changed over the years when you compare the current state of the scene to how it

was around 15-20 years ago?

The left ruins everything!! They've come to the scene and wanna change it. They think they're so important and wise, they're fuckin' stupid useful idiots as Stalin called 'em. A buncha fuckin' bandwagon jumpers messing with the scene. But it should survive, but more underground. I love the scene but not these wuss left wing hipster ridiculous Interlopers that just don't fuckin' belong. Like someone said about the bullfighting scene- it is moribund, but will never die. Says I. But what the fuck do I know?

What do you think of people in the extreme metal community that use their social media presence as a means to spout their myopic political views? Should metal be apolitical?

They're ridiculous and stupid and ONLY radicalize people to the opposite of what they want to indoctrinate you to. Metal should be almost whatever you want. But when it starts getting left wing, preachy and that you HAVE TO ACCEPT all these ludicrous stupid degenerate things? Fuck off! I DON'T HAVE TO ACCEPT ANY-FUCKING-THING!! I don't Have to accept what you believe in or support what you believe in. So I can be called whatever, felicidades. I take opinions from who they come from, and if it's some left wing idiot that has no clue doesn't like me or Obeisance, GOOD.

Going back in time, how did Daniel Corchado end up playing on 2002's Lucifer Master? Were you friends? Also, what do you think of The Chasm/Cenotaph?

I don't like to brag but yeah he's my Brother. We've been bros since the 1990 when Cenotaph came to play in Juarez Mexico. I called him when I started Obeisance and spoke with him when he left Cenotaph and started The Chasm. I love both bands but Cenotaph's early unmelodic stuff and The Chasm's stuff with vocals. I don't listen to The Chasm much any more because I don't wanna unconsciously rip off some riffs, like this other dude's band whose made a CAREER out of stealing The Chasm's riffs and arrangements. Daniel & Antonio of the Chasm have helped me by being Obeisance since 1994 up to Lucifer Master which Daniel recorded, produced, played rhythm & lead guitar (along with Julio Viterbo of Shub-Niggurath) on. Obeisance was just me in 1994, Daniel helped me with demo 94 then Antonio joined and we recorded "Hellbent on Slaughter" also in 94. Then “Inferno Eterno” in 1996 and “Lucifer Master” in 2002.

What albums have you been blasting lately? Are there any highlights for you in recent years or do you prefer sticking to the classic(k)s?

Wargasm- Why play around?
Hegemony - debut full length
Diabolic - new one Rips!
Van Halen - misc. Not Van Hagar
Obeisance - 666WAR!!!
Necrophagia LA - The figure 4
Necroseizure - new
But yeah, I stick to the classicks

Can you share with us any crazy stories or anecdotes about past gigs?

Fuck, ok. An old drummer had a couple, we were in San Antonio Texas at the great Sacrifice of the Nazarene Child fest and he was happy! Our set went down well, he fucked this chick with big tits and a big ass and he got drunk. Well, it was held at Sam's burger joint that has big, tasty burger. My old guitarist got a burger, but he wasn't that hungry so our drummer came up and scarfed it down!! The next day we're coming back to El Paso, he felt like vomiting and he puked up a SOFTBALL SIZE vomit, probably the whole burger!! In Queretaro Mexico (on tour with Thornspawn, Morbosidad & Manticore) a kid thought I was the legendary Antimo Buonanno who played that night with Hacavitz. We went to get burgers at 3am & We were refused service at a hotel coz well we're horrible black death metallers and when we finally were lying in bed, we couldn't fall asleep coz we were joking and carrying on with Lou from Manticore and Dobber of Insect Warfare, Braced for Nails & Infernal Dominion who was drumming for Manticore on that tour in Brooklyn NY (on tour with Masacre!). I had to run to the stage, borrow a strap and cable for the borrowed bass I had and the lights went off! and I didn't have a pick for the bass!!! So I assumed I had one in my pocket, NO! It was a coin, but we had to start playing!!! So I played with the coin and it was a great set!! In Mexico City (on tour with Terrorist) when we were taken to our hotel, the promoter warned us if we saw a chick that was really pretty, it was probably a she-male. So after the show we went back to the hotel and a member wanted drugs!! So another friend called somebody and told our member- wait in the street in front of the hotel (in one of the most dangerous cities in the WORLD) the drugs were delivered & as he was going back in to the hotel he saw a pretty blonde and decided to pick HER up. So he went up and said, "Hi! What's your name?" And "she" said " Michelle" in a deep super masculine voice and our member said "ah, ok!" and RAN BACK to the hotel!!

What's the last album you bought?

Necrophagia - The shape of four
Raped God 666 - The Executioner
Hegemony - Enthroned by persecution
Necroseizure - Death of ballturret Gunner

Lastly, what does the future hold in store for Obeisance and Wit Duiwel Records? Long Live The Chivo!!!

THANK YOU for this interview, Great questions!! RESIST THE ANC!!! New Obeisance CD "Nuclear Penetrator" out now!!! Limited edition!! On Cassette thru Warhemic Productions! CD on Wit Duiwel records! Next Obeisance CD "Abominations of Penetrations" coming soon!! With Wit Duiwel records we hope to release CD's by Pyre, Wrath (Germany), Wargrinder, Morbid Macabre-Damn goat re-release, and More! HAILS to you Jim and you, faithful reader.