Al Kikuras: I think the overall style on Usurper II: Skeletal Season is achieved through a hybrid of a number of extreme genres, from old-school to modern death metal and black metal. Many write the band off as a retro act, but I feel that there is much more going on than just a calling to the old days. What is the primary objective Usurper have in mind when conceiving and writing your music?

Necromancer: Since day one the objective of Usurper was to write heavy songs that we the band really enjoy. When Usurper was just forming in '92/'93 as a two piece side project consisting of only Sythe (Six String Axe Attack) and Diabolical Slaughter (Vokills), the whole metal scene was starting to stagnate. It wasn't like the good old days when you could walk into a record store, see an album that you've never heard of before, buy it and love it. Everything was starting to sound the same. It seemed like everyone was trying to sound like either Cannibal Corpse or Napalm Death. It was getting boring. The mentality was: if no one is going to write songs that we like, then let's just do it ourselves. It's a philosophy that we still have today. Our songs are songs that we like first and foremost. Our influences are mostly older bands, but we're not trying to be this retro act who rips off other's ideas and call it "new". We simply do what we do. Sure, our "old-school" influences come through - that's part of who we are, but we are not one of these tribute bands. We do have some more modern elements as well - especially with the newer material with different approaches to the guitar playing and vokill techniques. We've also been experimenting with bizzare song structures and sounds. Some people see it, others don't. Whatever. We usually only get the total die-hards for fans. The kind of people who have been into metal for years and years. The freaks. That's just how we like it.

A: Have you written any new material since the last album?

N: We have almost the whole next album written in various stages. We have seven songs now, and Sythe still has a few that he has to show us. We will probably record 12 the next time that we go in the studio. 10 will probably be on the album, and we'll save 2 for something else. The new stuff is a little different from Skeletal Season. It's more in the vein of the Threshold of the Usurper mcd. The songs are getting stranger and stranger in some instances, but not in a wimp out way at all. Everything is being picked up one or two notches. There are definitely going to be some weird songs on this album though! But not all of them. There are a few that just straight forward hard rockers. Heavy as fuck and impossible not to headbang to. Everything is just growing and progressing in a very extreme and heavy way, which is excellent. We all have a really good feeling about these new songs. Definitely music to rape to. Hopefully, if we don't go on tour again, we'll be in the studio in early 2000. The production on the next album will probably be a little less raw than on Skeletal Season, not because we don't like it, but that's the kind of production that bring out the feel of these newer songs. It's going to be an excellent album.

A: On the inside of the Threshold of the Usurper disc, Head Not Found Records was advertising copies of your first album, Diabolosis, for the very steep price of $22. I recently picked up the disc for $13 from Elegy Records. Any idea why it is available for so much less nowadays and why it was so damn expensive to begin with?

N: To be completely honest with you, I really have no idea. All of the Head Not Found releases go through Voices of Wonder, and we've always been in the dark about what goes on over there. They're just really hard to get in contact with. Even when we would call them about something we would always get the run around. At first I thought the price was so high back then because it was an import. Maybe they have some kind of better distribution or something. I don't know. Maybe they finally realized that $22 for a cd is fucking ridiculous.

"Dad! Bob broke your beer!"

A: Is HNF still pressing the album?

N: Well, that's a good question. We contacted them awhile ago because we hadn't gotten a statement for quite some time. They (VOW) assured us that the last pressing of Diabolosis... was sold out and that there weren't going to be any more made. We thought that sucked and started devising a plan with Necropolis to buy the rights for it from Voices... and release it through Necropolis instead-obviously at a more affordable price too. VOW didn't want to give up the rights. Later last year we were on tour with Enthroned and Hecate Enthroned in Europe. We played a show in Rotterdam, and the guy from Damnation Records was there selling cds. He asked us if we had seen the new pressings of Diabolosis... which were laid out the same, but some of the colors were a little different on the booklet when it was printed up. We didn't even know that this pressing existed! Naturally we called VOW when we returned and they had some crazy story about it to try to make it look like everything was cool. Apparently they were printing up more pressings last year. Whether or not they still are now is unknown to us. Like I said, we're pretty much in the dark about what's going on over there.

A: Do you prefer the straightforward, Morbid Tales era of Frost or the more experimental stuff on Into The Pandemonium?

N: That's a tough one. As much as I love Into The Pandemonium for everything that it is, I can't help but choose Morbid Tales. Even though I've heard it a thousand times, it's still heavier than fuck every time I listen to it. Everything from the riffage, to the guitar sound, to the way the bass and drums make the perfect rhythm section for that kind of music... it's killer.

A: How much of your living is made from Usurper?

N: All the money that we make from Usurper we have Necropolis reinvest in putting us on the road. We would rather play live as much as possible throughout the year and tour as many places as possible than make any money to put in our pockets. That's just how we are. Touring is a vital element for us, and we love more than anything else. It's also a great way to get out there and play some of our better songs to people who might not have heard us before.

A: What else do you do to pay the bills?

N: We all have other ways of making money outside of the band. We take on add jobs, move drugs, etc.

A: What was the best show you have played to date?

N: We just did a small US tour with Cradle of Filth not too long ago, and all of those shows were the best that we've ever played. We're really developing as a live band, and all the years of playing live are starting to really pay off. The best show from that tour was probably in Worcester Massachusetts. It was one of those shows. The venue was huge and packed, and the crowd was completely insane. People were screaming along with the songs and just basically feeding us with this incredibly violent atmosphere. The harder we went off the harder the crowd went off. That show was almost like an orgasm. I'd love to see a video of it.

A: There was a lot of talk in the underground some time ago of a feud existing between Usurper and Oppressor. I heard a lot about it, but never actually heard the real story of what went on. In 5 sentences or less, what the fuck happened? Is there still animosity between the two bands?

N: A long time ago they were talking shit about us through the underground. We confronted them and they ran like girls. We saw them again and started shit with them, and about 10 or 15 of them tried to fight 3 of us, but they didn't even draw blood before the cops got there. Since Oppressor, posers that they are, broke up to concentrate on an alternative band they were selling out with, there is no band to be in a feud with anymore. There are still some people though that are on "thrash on sight" status.

A: What do you feel is the definitive Usurper song and why?

N: It changes all the time for me. For awhile it was the song "Dead of Winter" off the Threshold... album because of the mood that it created. Right now it has to be "Dismal Wings of Terror" from the Skeletal Season album. The song is simply chaos. It has several elements of Usurper that make it the band that I love to play in. Its fast and unnaturally chaotic at parts. It breaks into a heavy-as-fuck mid-paced part that reminds me of Autopsy, it has a classic breakdown at the end, and the lyrics are fucking killer. It's the most fun song to play live, and at practice. Right now its at the top of my list, but it may change by the end of the week.

A: What are your 5 all-time favorite metal albums?

N: Autopsy - Mental Funeral, Necrophagia - Holocausto de la Morte, Nuclear Assault - Handle With Care, Macabre - Gloom, Mercyful Fate - Nuns Have No Fun.

A: Are there any new bands that you have been into recently?

N: Well, they're not a new band by any means, but the new Necrophagia album is one of the best things I've heard in a really long time. Krisiun is fucking killer. Absu destroys, but they're not new either... I guess there really aren't too many new bands that I get into a lot. I'm having trouble even thinking of one!

A: Do you listen to any music besides metal?

N: You're kidding right?

A: While Usurper certainly calls back to the days of Celtic Frost, you bring a distinctive sound to the equation as well. What is your opinon of bands that completely emulate the old masters, such as Inferno and, more recently, Warhammer?

N: Personally, I have trouble listening to a band that is trying to be exactly like another band. If I want to here a something that sounds like Kreator, I'll just put on Endless Pain! The original is always better, every time. That's why that whole "retro" movement fizzled out so quickly. There was a time when all the "old-school" bands were extremely popular in the 80's. But then there was also a time when newer bands were coming out that people thought were better, so the old bands became less popular. Everyone heard them and love them for who they were, but after awhile they couldn't capture that special magic anymore on some of their newer albums, so people went elsewhere. Take a band like Kreator. If they couldn't even recapture what they had, how could some group of kids in 1998 from New Jersey or something capture it? I'll take the real deal every time.

A: Another band that I think manages to harness the classic Celtic Frost sound and temper it with more modern and original elements is Pentacle. Are you familiar with their music?

N: We're very familiar with Pentacle. We first heard them on a compilation that Necropolis put out a few years ago, and we liked it. We actually had a chance to pound some beers with some of those guys when we played in Rotterdam. It was excellent!

A: Would you rather eat out a really fat woman with cheese in her rolls and a stank pussy or fuck a goat? No one has to know about the goat. It'll just be between you and him.

N: I don't care. I'd have to eat out the rotten pussy. I love pussy. I love shoving my face in it, my fingers in it, my dick in it, you name it.

A: Are you a fan of pornography?

N: Absolutely.

A: Any favorite movies or stars?

N: I'm a big fan of the older stars. Christy Canyon, Seka, Traci Lords, Barbara Dare, Nina Hartley, etc. My favorite stars though are the Lynns - Ginger, Amber and Porsche. I recently saw Porsche in a domination mag though, and she didn't look all that great. Her ass looked like a garbage bag half full of Corn Flakes. Recently we played in San Francisco and had a day off. Ginger Lynn was dancing at the Crazy Horse, so I got up early to see the 11:00 AM show. She actually looks better now than before! I was blown away! I saw that gay Metallica video and thought she would be a dog, but man was I wrong. She said she's making movies again. I should check out your site and see if you've reviewed her first one yet. I don't know whatever happened to Amber though. She had the finest ass in porn at one time.

A: Do you prefer porn such as the stuff Max Hardcore puts out where he manhandles the girls and calls them "fuckholes" and so forth or nicer scripted stuff, where it is more-or-less a movie with an intricate plot and lots of fucking going on?

N: I've never seen the Max Hardcore shit, but I will definitely check it out now. That's great when women are being yelled at while they're getting fucked in the ass. Its funny. Most of my collection though is the older, more traditional type. Those were better than the newer ones of that style I think. They were actually sort of funny sometimes, and the chicks seemed a lot sleezier. Some of the new ones are sort of boring. I have been getting into the Ed Powers series a little bit lately though.

A: What is your opinion of Manowar?

N: Personally, I never really got into Manowar. They're a little too manly for me. I kind of got a gay vibe from them... even more than Judas Priest, who I think are gods! Go figure. Besides, they're not violent enough.

A: How has your relationshop with Necropolis been thus far?

N: So far everything has been great with Necropolis. We've never had any kind of problem with them. They are as committed to metal as we are. We call them up all the time and work over future plans for the band, or just shoot the shit about metal. They're always trying to make the label grow, and its working. There's no bullshit with them, like there is with so many other labels.

A: Do you have a multi-album deal with them?

N: Originally we signed a two album contract with them for Threshold... and Skeletal Season. Now we're about to resign to do the next full length and we'll probably rerelease the Visions from the Gods demo that's been out of print for 5 years. It will have the original demo, plus different versions of songs that we've done over the years, and possibly some live material, maybe a King Diamond cover ("Charon"), and maybe some tracks from a live radio performance.

A: Where do you see Usurper going from here? Faster? Heavier?

N: We will continue growing and destroying. Of course faster! Of course heavier!

A: Would you ever incorporate any non-traditional metal elements into the music?

N: We always experiment a little with each release, but we will never add keyboards, or female vocals, or any other wimpy elements. We are a metal band - we're not in some gay glee club.

A: Last words?

N: Thanks, Al, for the interesting questions from your excellent zine. Stay metal! Stay horny!

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