1.Hello Andrew please introduce yourself to the readers?
Greetings, I’m glad to get the opportunity to answer some questions. I’m the sole member of Invultation and have been involved in various metal projects/bands for several decades now.
2.When did you first discover black and death metal and who were the first bands that you discovered?Who are spme of the current bands that have caught your attention?
The first black and death metal bands I discovered were probably the usual suspects like Darkthrone, Bathory, Incantation and stuff like Vader, Dying Fetus and various other types of death metal bands. The first actual black/death band I got into was Black Witchery. I had never heard anything like them at the time. Nowadays there are so many bands out there that it’s hard to single out just a few, but I think Gravesend, Prehistoric War Cult and Slaughtbbath are some bands I’ve been really listening to a lot and deserve more attention.
3.When did you first become interested in writing and performing music? What were the first instruments that you learned to play?
I’ve been writing music since about the age of 13-14. The first instrument I learned to play was the viola when I was about 9-10 and then I picked up the guitar at age 12. Then I learned the bass, which I consider to be my main instrument now, shortly after that.
4.Are you self-taught or did you take lessons when first starting out? Are their any instruments that you would like to learn to play someday soon?
I took lessons for guitar for two years before moving on to just playing in bands and teaching myself things that I wasn’t taught by the instructor. I would like to learn piano at some point and to get much better at drums.
5.Andrew you started Invultation back in 2015 what gave you the idea to start this band? When did you choose Invultation as the name of the project and does it have a special meaning?
I started Invultation because I wanted to write much more aggressive music that didn’t have the need to be overly complicated or “artsy” and the material that I ended up writing certainly didn’t fit under The Wakedead Gathering name, so Invultation was born. The name is a term that was used hundreds of years ago to refer to the act of causing physical pain to a person by inserting needles into or causing other damage to a likeness of that person. It was considered a form of witchcraft and the name is fitting because the music comes from a place of hatred being released into aural form. The lyrics, while often relating to the theme of lycanthropy, also focus on the practice of Luciferian magic.
6.When you started this band did you plan to work as a solo project or would you like to find some new musicians to make a full line up?
Everything I do starts out as a solo project because it’s easier for me to flesh out my ideas by myself. As for whether or not it becomes a full lineup is dependent on the availability and willingness of others to commit to the band for whatever our goal may be. At the moment things are moving that way but we will see what the future holds.
7.What do you feel is the easiest and hardest part about the sole member of the band?
The easiest part is working on my own schedule and having total creative control over the entire process. The hardest part is having to do everything myself because I’m writing the parts for 3 to 4 members just myself. Since I also handle the mixing and production aspect of it as well, it’s a lot of work for one person. However, it does make it easier not having to compromise or argue over aspects of the music with other individuals.
8.Who would you say are the bands biggest influences and have they remained the same over the years?For the readers unfamilar with your music how would you best describe Invultation's sound and style?
The biggest influence on my style has always been Incantation and still is, even though that may not appear to be the case in most of the Invultation material. Bands like Archgoat and Revenge have also made a major impact on my decisions musically. To describe Invultation… well, I don’t like to make the comparisons myself, but if I have to describe it I’d say imagine Archgoat but with a thrash influence and bits of old school death metal.
9.Unconquerable Death is the second full length release that was released through Born For Burning Prod. when did you first come in contact with this label?
Born For Burning actually contacted me shortly after the digital and cassette releases for the album. He was great to work with and the turnaround time for the CD version was very quick. Much respect and support for Born For Burning!
10.How long did it take to write the music for the new release?How long does it usually take to complete one song?
The new album took about 2-3 months to write the music and then another several weeks to write the lyrics. I typically don’t write one song at a time, but rather have multiple songs in process at once. I will get ideas or come up with riffs that may not fit the song I’m focusing on at the moment so they get put on another track or start an entirely new song altogether. This is how I’ve always worked on music, regardless of the project/band.
11.Where did you draw inspiration for the lyrics and what are some topics written about on the new release?
The inspiration came from a personal loss in my life that happened right around the time the music was finished and before I started on the lyrics. The theme for the album is that no creature or person can escape death, no matter what they do. And a lot of the lyrics are about death decimating any and all in its path and dragging the dead along to spread the destruction to the rest of the living.
12.Besides the Unconquerable Death release does the band have any other releases or merchandise currently availible?If yes what is availible and where can the readers purchase it?
Yes, there are currently CD copies of the Wolfstrap EP available, along with a few pieces of merch at the Bandcamp store, which can be found here: https://invultation.bandcamp.com/
There will be more new items available soon as well as an LP version of Unconquerable Death out via Sentient Ruin Laboratories later this year.
There are also some shirts with the Unconquerable Death cover art available from Vault of Dried Bones. This design has been sold out from me for a while. They can be found here: https://www.vaultofdriedbones.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=3414
13.Andrew you live in the great state of Ohio what is your opinion of the metal scene in Ohio over the years?
Ohio catches a lot of shit for being kind of a boring Midwestern state, but I think the metal scene here is great. Cleveland and Cincinnati have really come a long way since I was much younger and, of course, my city of Columbus has its fair share of better known bands and usually gets the only Ohio date for a lot of tours that pass through the state. Granted, I see a lot of the same faces at the more underground shows, but I think that just shows how dedicated the group of people who drive the scene are to keeping it alive.
14.Who are your all-time favorite bands coming out of Ohio and are their any new new ones you feel the readers should check out soon?
Nunslaughter, Midnight, Prosanctus Inferi and Estuary/FaithXtractor are my favorites from over the years and I think that Ascended Master, Shed The Skin and Valdrin deserve some praise as newer bands.
15.What does Underground Metal mean to you?
Underground metal means no bullshit and no compromises. There’s a smaller following for bands that adhere to these principles but it makes for a dedicated group of people keeping a scene free from leeches and people or bands making a mockery of the genre.
16.Besides working in Invultation do you currently work with any other solo projects or bands? If yes please tell the readers a little about them?
Currently active bands aside from Invultation are The Wakedead Gathering, Echushkya and Longbarrow. Most fans of Invultation are probably aware of The Wakedead Gathering, which is old school death metal and will have a new album out this year. Echushkya is my atmospheric black metal project, which is getting set to release the LP version of the latest release titled, “The Lanterne.” And finally, Longbarrow is my funeral doom/death band that just released the 2017 demo on cassette. I have some other collaborative bands/projects on the horizon but I can’t say anything about them yet. Expect more material from Invultation in early 2022.
17.Thank you Andrew for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for the readers?
Thanks for the interview and for supporting Invultation! I’d also like to thank everyone who has supported the band at any point and to reviewers for the kind words about the new album. Keep an eye out for new blasphemies coming your way soon… Hail Death! Band Contacts https://invultation.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/invultation Label Contacts https://bornforburning.bigcartel.com/ https://www.facebook.com/bloodfiredeath666/ T-Shirt's availible here https://www.vaultofdriedbones.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=3414
