Exclusive Interview: Asylum talk “Tyrannicide”!

The six year long prison sentence was finally over as Brisbane Australian Thrash Metal act Asylum delivered their debut full length album “Tyrannicide” at the beginning of September after a couple of exceptional EPs. Mixed and Mastered by Daniel Waldmann at Silent Underground Studios (Des Sherwood, Chasing The Goat, Gutter Tactic), the album is a riff fest of the finest order and not only an obvious choice for a review but an interview as well. So we spoke to drummer Levi Damiris about the goings on in the bands post Apocalyptic World…

We’ve described “Tyrannicide” as “A riff orientated album by design with an unflinching desire to go hard or go home at an adrenaline fuelled pace“; what’s been your favourite description of the album so far? How have you found the reaction to it after living with it during the writing and recording phases for so long? “Thank you, that’s pretty much exactly what we were going for. My favourite description of the album so far has been the comparison of Tyrannicide and a Cheese Burger standing 1 foot tall, that’s definitely been the most left of field. The reaction has been really good so far. Concealed Death has even been getting some love too, Better late than never. I think it was worth the wait but we won’t keep you waiting so long next time”

For us, “Sadistic Intent” has to be the album’s finest moment. When you were writing the album at which point did you think “these evil plans are coming together nicely!” “Ever since getting back from True Thrash Fest in Japan and writing the first two songs Victim Complex and Eternal violence, I knew we were onto something special. We have had a few ups and downs over the last few years but by the time the album was complete we knew we had something to be proud of and a record that hopefully our fans keep digging too”

The sackhead slasher feels like a mascot for Asylum with the appearance of the character on the cover art of both “Tyrannicide” and 2016’s “Concealed Death“; what’s the story behind your choice of the evildoer for the artwork? “Our Mascot man came around as a bit of an afterthought. We had the artwork for the Concealed death EP and originally his face wasn’t hidden. We decided to add the bag to tie into the title of the EP. It was an obvious choice to keep the them and on Tyrannicide we see our Mascot in an a not so distant apocalyptic waste land standing above his latest victims, in search of justice, vengeance and death to all those responsible for the world he lives in”

We’ve picked out Exodus and Metallica style moments in the album but if we are the product of our genes and influences, what’s in your Jeans and who would you consider your influences? “I have very specific tastes in Thrash, bands like early Slayer, Dark Angel, Vector and Suicidal Angels influenced the kind of Thrash I want to make. I think it’s just as much our differing influences as the influences we share that create our brand of Thrash. On Drums, Dave Lombardo is a big one I really like Gene Hoglan and Alex Rudinger too and I love Stewart Copland’s work with the Police. Ethos wise you can’t go past Motorhead, Greatest band to ever do it”

If you had the opportunity to work with a guest the next time around, who would you like to bring into the studio to work on a cut with you and why? “If I could collaborate with anyone on the next album, I’d love to team up with someone like Andy Sneap, Kurt Ballou, or Will Putney to produce our next record. We have come this far as a self-produced and recorded band, I’d love to see what we could achieve working with some people of that calibre. I’d also like to get some more mates involved in the gang vocals and get a guest solo from our mate Ryan Butler (formerly of Harlott and Mason). But I think I’m just being greedy now”

What’s next for Asylum? “Fans can expect a few more things to come with Tyrannicide in the form of Merch, Videos and hopefully a release on Vinyl. We’re super keen to get back onstage in-front of an audience to play these songs and some old favourites, spreading our breed of thrash to as many people as we can both here in Australia and Overseas”

“Tyrannicide” by Asylum is out now and available over at bandcamp.