When it comes to brutal Death Metal brimming with pure devilish rage, then DIABOLIZER from Kadıköy is a band you need to hear. Here is a conversation with vocalist, Ali Abomination. (Also formerly of Malefic Order and Godslaying Hellblast.)
Prophet beheading hails! For the kunts out there not yet familiar with DIABOLIZER, can you give us a little idea of your sound and influences?
Angel lacerating hails from Kadıköy! Diabolizer was formed By Mustafa (Guitars), Aberrant (Drums), Malik (Bass) and me (vox) in 2012. Some of the earliest riffs have been around since the early 2000's though. We wanted to achieve a style that was different from all our other bands. We just had the vision of creating a really violent, aggressive and destructive Death Metal. As for influences there may have been many many influences from the past two decades, so instead of making a list I could easily summarize it: Metal. Evil to the fucking bone Metal.
There's something utterly menacing about Turkish bands that makes them sound more brutal compared to some European scenes. Do you agree and why do you think that is? Are there environmental, religious, political factors involved?
I wouldn't necessarily say that bands emerging from our circles are more brutal or anything in comparison to another scene. But I do agree that there's an easily sensible feeling of utmost madness and rage flowing through our songs. Living in one of the most chaotic cities in the world under pretty fucked up social circumstances surely would be adding to that feeling. The daily dose of sickness and decadence we are constantly being subjected to is way too fucking high when compared to Europe.
Can you talk a bit about the recording of your debut album, "Khalkedonian Death," and the inspiration behind the title? Are you happy with the overall outcome?
Along with most Turkish bands you know, we come from Kadıköy, right at the southwestern edge of the Anatolian part of nowadays' Istanbul. Kadıköy's historical name was Khalkedon, it is what this place was called when this area was under the reign of the Byzantine Empire. Kadıköy has a lot of meaning for all of us, we all grew up, learned about Metal and met each other in the streets of Kadıköy. So with this title, we wanted to pay our tribute to the streets where everything we're all about has emerged throughout the years.
As for the recording process, the guitars were recorded by Mustafa at home, the drums were recorded at the Deadhouse Studio in Ankara (another very important city in Turkey's underground.), the bass were recorded somewhere in Copenhagen since the bassist has been living in there since 2014) and the vocals were recorded at Mezar Studios. The mixing and mastering were handled by Ozan Yıldırım, at the Deadhouse Studio again. I can surely say that we are all satisfied with the final output. It took a painfully long time to get everything complete, but at least it's worth the wait.
Let's discuss one of your biggest influences, DEICIDE. Do you agree that their last excellent album was Serpents of the Light? I tried getting into their later material several times, but to no avail.
I totally agree. Stench... has some interesting moments, I'll admit that, but it hardly ever sounds like Deicide.
Would you describe your journey into metal and how you got to where you are now? Who are some of your favorite bands?
It dates back to my elementary school years, where a kid had put on this magical sounding tape. I'm talking about 3 decades ago now, haha. My journey has mostly been chaotic, through many highs and lows throughout the year, but somehow I have managed to not conform to society's norms and I will remain a permanent part of this until the day I die. Some faves would be (old) MayheM, Urgehal, Morbid Angel, Immolation, Funeral Winds, Azarath, Infernal War, Angelcorpse, Sodom, (old) Deicide, Bathory, Necroholocaust, etc just to name few which immediately got spilled out.
In your opinion, does playing in a band and being into this kind of music entail a certain extreme lifestyle?
Well, I gotta be honest, you can not make a living through Metal in a country like Turkey, so I do have a white collar job. That doesn't mean we don't take shit to EXTREMES at every opportunity, but you gotta be able to finance that first.
What's some killer Turkish bands you can recommend to all the maniacs reading this?
Engulfed, Thrashfire, Nihil Kaos, Hellsodomy, Burial Invocation, Decaying Purity, Cenotaph, Decimation, Deggial, Death Ritual, Hyperdontia (half-turkish).
There is a legion of idiots on social media giving extra support to bands from "non-white" countries, mostly due to having some vain, savior complex. What do you think of these retards and what kind of fans would you prefer?
Now this sounds like a double-edged sword. On one hand, as a 3rd world cunt, I find it good that bands outside Europe/USA receive more recognition and appreciation, because these parts of the world generally get ignored by the metal crowd. Countless times I have come across comments like "Turkish band? Nah, I'll pass". It can be frustrating at times, you know. One important person who needs to be nominated would be Shaxul (Manzer, ex-DSO). for many years he has released tons of killer material via his label, "Legion of Death Records". He has always supported and promoted bands from obscure countries. It is a shame that the label went broke, but his contribution to many bands was unmatchable.
On the other hand, there are these trendy bandwagon jumpers who keep praising bands from obscure countries, for the sole reason that those bands are hailing from "there be dragons" countries. I mean, it doesn't really matter to me where a band is from, as long as they play good and sincere stuff. But seeing some really shitty bands getting endless praises just because they are from somewhereistan is fucking annoying too.
What can you tell us about your shows? I've seen some videos and they seem pretty out there. You guys are definitely purveyors of true extreme metal.
Thanks a lot mate! Some respect ought to be handed down to the fans too. Not too many concerts happen in Turkey and this causes the crowd to be a lot more bloodthirsty. When their bloodthirst and our bursting evil energy crashes, all hell breaks loose.
Every decade has its jewels. What are some of your favorite albums from 2010 onwards?
Would you mind if I'd rather not list anything? The list can and will be changed any other day, and I really don't feel like making lists like this. There's a huge abundance of worthy new stuff, with the numbers growing every year.
Well, that's that. All hail Hell and Metal Any closing remarks before we put this interrogation to rest?
Thank you very much for your sincere support throughout the years and huge respect for Death by Hammer! Keep following us, we intend to spit out our devilish khalkedonian venom across Europe next year. Satanic hailz!