The idea and the text of this interview were originally born last May, but for various reasons of timing, poor organization or simply because both me and Alement are fucking drunken punx condemned in a spiral of nihilism and depression, it sees the light only today. Between references to sounds and imagery dear to the primordial stench-crust of the British old school and the idea that punk acts to unveil the world around us for what it really is, Kev’s answers tell us about Alement’s personal vision and approach to crust punk. The axegrinding winds of chaos continue to blow through the ruins of these dystopian times and howl through the rubble of a drunken hopeless future!
Would you like to introduce your band to the unwary punx-readers of Disastro Sonoro? Especially why did you decide to form Alement and how the choice of the name come about?
Well the band is Kev (me, guitar and vocals), James (bass and vocals), Dan (drums). Dan is my cousin and I’ve known James since we were young in school, which is probably why were still a band haha. We all got into punk around the same time and me and Dan started jammin and trying to learn our instruments as young teenagers. Eventually we formed a raw punk style band called Ballistik, James was in it for a time too. After Ballistik fizzled out around 2009, us three wanted to ultimately form a band in the early crust stenchcore style. The name is just ailment but altering the first half of the word with “ale” haha. I guess we all thought it was fitting of the style. Personally I think its kind of a dumb name, but at the same time I kinda like dumb names especially for heavier bands (think 3 Way Cum, G-Anx (pregnant ducks), Shitlickers etc.)
From the first day I came across you and your music, I was fascinated by the label you give yourselves: ‘Axegrinding drunks‘. Would you like to explain what you mean and what it means to you?
Haha, well i think it was kind of a tongue in cheek descriptor we filled in on social media. Obviously taking influence from Axegrinder, that dark age imagery, and combining it with a lifestyle of excesive drinking and nihilistic outlook. Not sure it means too much beyond that though.
You have existed since 2010, but as yet you have not released a proper LP. Is it a precise choice to prefer split albums or EPs? When will we finally hear an Alement LP?
The failure to produce an LP yet in over a decade as a band is not because we haven’t tried. We have our first self recorded demo, then against the Howling Winds in 2014 or so. This was released as a cassette and put on bandcamp. Then we recorded another set of songs at the same studio that ultimately ended up on a split with IDNS as a part of a joint month long (at times grueling) US/Canada tour. Next we recorded the Hunter ep and were fortunately able to release it properly as a 7 inch ep with the help of Philly’s own Ryvvolte Records (check them out!). After that We wrote a handful of songs andtook another stab at self recording. We planned on releasing them as an LP, however the limits of our own abilities left the end result maybe not meeting the standard we would have liked for a proper release. This ended up as another primitively released European tour tape. That set of songs hasnt been put online or distributed really ( maybe ill put them up online haha). Then we wrote another set of songs and took yet another stab at self recording. This time the results were much better although the process wasnt the smoothest. Ultimately we only stuck with 3 of the recordings that became the Onward 12” EP. This would have been another shitty self tape release if Desolate Records hadent picked up the effort to realease it as a 12” EP. I think the Hunter and Onward are our most solid releases. Before the pandemic we entered the studio to properly record yet another batch of newly written material, but we frusteratingly havent been able to practice, or finish the recordings in over a year. We are hoping to get it back together and finish these recordings this summer for our first LP finally! God damn haha
My very first approach to your music was coming across “Against the Howling Winds of Chaos”, which I still consider one of the best stench-crust ep’s I’ve heard in the last 10 years. Has anything changed in Alement’s stylistic, musical and content approach from that 2014 ep to today? Which is the track of “Howling…” you are most attached to and why?
Appreciate the compliment, glad you dig it! I think since that recording, and every time we’ve written a new set of songs, we’ve refined our sound, upped our techniques, and had more consideration as to what and how our influences shape the song writing. Personally the title track to me seems to strike closest to our take of the style and showcases our influences the best, however To No End has the tight, heavy, gruff and punchy feel to it that we all still dig.
Musically you emerge from a long and storied tradition rooted in that primordial soup known as stenchcore. What does it mean for you to still be playing this particular hybrid of punk and metal in 2021? How did you begin to develop your love for certain sounds and for dark and desolate apocalyptic imagery?
I can’t think of a better style to be playing in these increasingly dystopic times.
The style has always been so versatile, and each band has their own unique taste. You can hear bands in the style combining various aspects of punk, thrash, heavy metal, death metal, post punk, and whatever else in order to acheive that dark, raw, bleak, and stripped down soundscape. Its been an exciting creative process to forge our own version of that sound. Besides drawing from the classics, we can bring in influence from Black Sabbath, to Killing Joke, to Chaos Uk, or whatever we want. Like, how can this heavy metal riffing be paired with a dark rythmic melody and all with the driving force of punk at its core. Tying the sounds together with the imagery is crucial, and is one aspect that certainly drew me to the style. To me its got some kind of mystical, occult like, or dark tribal feel to it. The silhouetted figures wielding chains and medieval weapons, or bands of wastelanders roaming the landscape of the impending neo feudal dark ages. Often times theres a fantasy or even sci fi feel to the imagery that can really open up the imagination.
Your latest studio effort, the short but intense ‘Onward’, is only two years old. What did you concentrate on most when writing the three tracks on the EP, the musical side or the mainly lyrical side?
Well as I mentioned before we originally self recorded a handful of tracks and these three ultimately survived to become the Onward EP. Musically we kept it at a driving mid pace, save for a couple fast parts. We really tried to blend our influences here in a concise way. Taking abvious Amebix influence, and heavy metal influeced riffs and leads, a touch thrashy, a touch of dark melodic parts and a pinch of atmospheric synth. “Seas of Consequence” is about climate change and human dependence on fossil fuels that will drive the earth to fossilize us! “Dwell” is centered around depression, nihilism, and self medicating with alcohol. “Onward” is an allegory for the barbaric, and warlike spirit of human kind driving forward down a blood soaked path of destruction.
What do you usually focus on when writing your texts? More on personal experiences or on political issues or social anger?
Much of our lyrics tend to be about mental illness, mankinds severed ties to nature, the mundane reality of life and work, or the role of technology in our lives. We tend not write lyrics too specific or blunt about any one topic, but rather to use allegories or symbolism to relate whatever we’re choosing to write about.
On your Instagram profile last June, at a time of fundamental and righteous uprisings and protests against the institutional racism of US society and police abuse, you invited your listeners not to spend money on your music, but to financially support movements like BLM. What do evergreen slogans like “Make punk a threat again” or “punk is not just music” mean to you?
During the uprisings and protests what felt like the right thing to do for many (bands, artists, etc.) was to use whatever platform you had to advocate and support the mass movement that was taking place. In honestly no one really bought anything on our bandcamp haha, so we ended up just donating what bit we had in our “band fund” to a few organizations locally.
I think punk acts to unveil the world around us for what it really is, and that is expressed in demanding a better world we know is just out of reach, or as a kind of celebratory hopeless nihilism in the face of systematic failings and impending catastrophes. There is much to be said about the positive, negative, and hypocritical aspects of the punk community but, it is no doubt capable of meaningful organization and action. Even despite the self destructive aspects. Although ultimately the forces that dicatate our current reality ingest all movements, actions, and expressions into itself, maybe punk rides the line between pessimism and optimism enough to remain. I don’t know!
Another aspect that has always fascinated me about you is the graphic side and the various artworks that accompany your works. Who takes care of the artwork and graphics that appear on your records?
The first demo, the hunter ep, and some shirt designs i did myself, the split with IDNS was done by Ryan Haley based here in Philly, Against the Howling Winds was illustrated by Daniel Kaos based out of Finland, and the Onward EP was done by Zeljiko (Coffin Slave Art)!
You are from Philadelphia, how is the situation of the DIY punk/hardcore scene there? Are there any collectives, squats to play in and active bands keeping the scene alive? What do you think are the best bands that have emerged from Philadelphia over the years in both punk and metal?
Early into my forays in the Philly punk scene, the underground diy shows existed in basements mostly in West Philadelphia, that has seemed to completely dissappear over the years. Two of us in the band ran a show spot with a group of our friends in a part of a warehouse (that is also currently our practice spot still)., but issues with the building management and the pandemic ended that, but it was pretty sick while it lasted. These days there are generator gigs at skateparks or other outdoor locations, or bars, or more established venues. As far as bands therese been so many over the years. Nightfall has been around a bit longer than us and theyre the best of the noisey d beat style. Plauge Dogs are great for that motorcharged sound. Zorn and Devil Master play a similar unique infusion of metal and punk. The Ire are a current great post punk act here. Theres always great project popping up accross the spectrum of punk sounds here.
Talking about concerts, that at least here in Italy because of Covid 19 are extremely missed, what is the memory you are most attached to of one of your concerts? What was your best concert and what was your worst? And with which bands did you find it best to share a stage?
Our worst show absolutely was in 2014 or something in Harrisonburg, VA and I personally don’t remeber playing, and Im pretty sure we were playing different songs at times hahaha. As for the best? I can’t say honestly, off the top of my head I remeber a set at Skull Fest in Pittsburgh where we ended with an Icons of Filth cover, that was fun! Playing a few shows with Visions of War and Swordwielder in Europe was really sick. The last tour we did for only five days on the east coast with Zygome from Canada was also such a good time, and feels all the more special considering the passing of Rosie, who played bass in Zygome.
Any plans for the immediate future of Alement? What’s the situation with tours and concerts in the US because of Covid-19?
Well as I mentioned before, we began finally properly recording a 7 song LP before the pandemic. I think its our best material and im hoping we can get it finished by the end of the summer. We have only jammed three times since March 2020, and are now trying to figure out when we can get back on track. We didnt play any shows in 2021, and through the pandemic I realised I dont care much to be playing a lot of shows, but rather recording and playing select shows or doing smaller sporadic tours. So we’ll see!
Dear Alement, we have come to the end of this interview, I leave this space completely to you without my boring questions. Please feel free to write and/or tell us what you want. Thanks again for taking the time to answer these questions!
We’re sorry it took us forever to finish the interview, thanks for being patient…In a lot of ways we are not very organized, somtimes sloppy, and maybe we have been a band for too long anyway. But we still like making our brand of crust, so cheers to everyone who digs it, and thanks for taking the time to create this extensive interview!!! Maybe we’ll finish a fucking LP!!!