Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.INFECTONATOR STARTED UP IN LATE 2012. THE THREE OF US KNEW EACH OTHER MOSTLY FROM RUNNING INTO EACH OTHER AT LOCAL METAL SHOWS AROUND THE LANSING/DETROIT, MICHIGAN AREA. VOCALS/BASS ARE HANDLED BY DOOMY G. BLACKTHRASH OF THE BAND SAURON, DRUMS BY JUSTIN HENRY OF THE BANDS MYSOPHILIA AND DARK PSYCHOSIS, AND MYSELF (MATT PRESTON, OF BORROWED TIME AND GHOST TOWER) ON GUITAR. SO WE ALL HAVE PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN RECORDING AND PLAYING SHOWS - THIS MADE IT EASY TO TRANSITION QUICKLY INTO PERFORMING LIVE IN A NEW BAND AND WASTING NO TIME IN COMPLETING OUR DEBUT RECORDING. (DOOMY AND JUSTIN HAVE NOW JOINED THE BAND BORROWED TIME AS WELL.)
How would you describe your style? Which bands influenced your music?
I WOULD DESCRIBE THE MUSIC AS OLD SCHOOL BLACKENED THRASH/SPEED METAL WITH TRACES OF DEATH AND PROGRESSIVE METAL. MY INFLUENCES COME FROM A LOT OF THE SPEED/THRASH METAL THAT I'VE LISTENED TO OVER THE YEARS - BANDS LIKE SADUS, CORONER, EARLY SLAYER, OBLIVEON, RECALCITRANCE, KREATOR, MERCENARY (BAY AREA), AS WELL AS A LOT OF GREAT TRADITIONAL METAL LIKE CLOVEN HOOF, OMEN, MERCYFUL FATE.. I AM ALSO INFLUENCED BY A LOT OF '70S PROG ROCK AND CERTAIN INDIVIDUAL GUITAR PLAYERS LIKE JAKE E. LEE AND FRANK ZAPPA. DOOMY AND JUSTIN ENJOY A LOT OF THIS STUFF AS WELL. IT WAS THEIR IDEA TO DO A COVER OF DARKTHRONE, SO THAT IS A MAJOR INFLUENCE FOR THEM, AS WELL AS DESTROYER 666 AND MANY OTHERS.
Why should a metalhead buy your demos/albums?
WHETHER THE RECORDING(S) ARE BOUGHT OR EVEN DOWNLOADED, WE DON'T MIND TOO MUCH : BUT I FEEL LIKE THERE IS AN INTERESTING BLEND OF INFLUENCE INVOLVED WITH THE BAND, TAKING SOME OF THE BEST ELEMENTS OF THRASH AND ORGANIC OLD SCHOOL METAL IN GENERAL, AND BRINGING IN SOME OF THE 'MINDFUCKERY' AND CRAZINESS OF PROGRESSIVE SOUNDS WHILE MAINTAINING AN EXTREME METAL SOUND THROUGHOUT. I THINK THAT THE VOCALS SOUND COMMANDING AND POWERFUL AND JUSTIN'S DRUMMING IS REALLY AWESOME. BASICALLY, WE ARE PLAYING MUSIC FOR WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE ALL OF THE RIGHT REASONS THAT A BAND SHOULD, AND WHILE MANY EXTREME METAL BANDS FEATURE IMPRESSIVE MUSICIANSHIP BUT A STERILE SOUND, I FEEL THAT INFECTONATOR IS A GREAT COMBINATION OF ENERGY, RAWNESS AND FINESSE.
What have you released so far and how were your releases received by the public/media?
OUR FIRST EP, ENTITLED 'BRAINFUCKERS' (ON THE ARCANE METAL ARTS LABEL), WAS COMPLETED IN EARLY MARCH AND WE JUST RECEIVED CD COPIES TO BEGIN DISTRIBUTING A LITTLE OVER A WEEK AGO - SO WE'VE REALLY JUST BEGUN SPREADING THE MUSIC AROUND TO THE UNDERGROUND. THE PEOPLE THAT I'VE HEARD BACK FROM ON IT SEEM TO ENJOY THE RECORDING.
Do you play live as well? How's your live activity so far?
WE HAVE PLAYED 4 LIVE SHOWS SO FAR: 3 IN THE DETROIT/LANSING AREA AND ONE IN MARBURG, GERMANY WHILE ALL OF INFECTONATOR'S MEMBERS WERE PRESENT THERE FOR A BORROWED TIME SHOW THAT WE WERE PLAYING.
What should labels/zines/promoters know about your band? Why should they be interested in it?
THAT WE PLAY BRAIN-FUCKING METAL WITH NO COMPROMISE. WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED DOESN'T CONCERN US MUCH, BUT FOR POINTS OF INTEREST THEY WOULD BE THE SAME REASONS LISTED IN THE ANSWER FOR WHY A METALHEAD SHOULD CHECK OUT OUR EP.
What plans do you have for the near future as a band?
WE WILL PROBABLY SET UP A LIVE SHOW IN CHICAGO BEFORE TOO LONG.. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER SHOW COMING UP IN DETROIT FAIRLY SOON THAT WE WILL PLAY A NEW COVER SONG AT. WE WILL PROBABLY RECORD AGAIN IN 2014.
Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
THE SONGS FROM THE 'BRAINFUCKERS' EP (BESIDES THE DARKTHRONE COVER) CAN BE STREAMED AT: http://infectonator.bandcamp.com/
THE CD IS AVAILABLE ON eBAY AND WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE AT WWW.INTERPUNK.COM IN THE US AND HELLION RECORDS DISTRO IN GERMANY. IT CAN ALSO BE PURCHASED FROM ME DIRECTLY (MPreston717@gmail.com).
THANK YOU FOR THE INTERVIEW.
June 2013