MALEVOLENT THOUGHTS OF A HASTENED EXTINCTION WITH ROB WHARTON
Art: Pedro Sena, Lordigan Art
I just describe us as death metal anymore, I’ve given up on trying to classify us as any of the sub-genres as there are so many, and we fit into so many. I’ve just settled for calling us death metal at this point. Our music is my outlet, and it means Everything to me and the rest of the guys. I can’t imagine not having this outlet and being able to travel and meet so many awesome people.
Our last record, ‘Malevolent Thoughts of a Hastened Extinction’, was written remotely during the pandemic. We had written about four songs before, and then the pandemic hit, so we wrote it remotely, which was new to us, and I think we benefitted from it because more time was spent honing things in. I think the last record and the writing process will make the next one even better and more refined now that it’s not new to us.
There was no specific theme, as there are many subjects covered on it, from a song about the flood from Halo (The Maw), addiction (Arterial Red), Legacy of Kain (To Feed the Worms), and our vocalist’s fear of car crashes (Malevolent Thoughts).
A lot of the lyrics come from everyday experiences and life, but sometimes since we are video game nerds, sometimes a game captures us and just resonates and becomes a cool subject to write about. The music itself is just a reflection I think of normal human emotions, anger and sadness.
I think collectively; we are all just here on earth for a very small window of time. We all just try to be the best versions of ourselves while enjoying our little time here, so I don’t think we have any particular philosophy except to be excellent to each other.
I grew up going to my soccer games, and my mom always had the radio on, and I was obsessed with Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, and Candle Box. The whole grunge thing was and is still super important to me. Eventually, nu-metal came onto the radio, and that was the next step until I discovered God Forbid – Determination, Dillinger Escape Plan – Calculating Infinity, and Dying Fetus – Destroy the Opposition. They were game changers and started my journey into the death metal world, which I love so much!!!
Music is easily a spiritual experience by a landslide. Music can move you to tears, can be a conversation piece for hours on end, and can unite anyone regardless of any language barrier. I think it’s something very special, and I’m thankful to be a part of it and such a great community.
https://cognitivenewjersey.bandcamp.com
