Contempt for a Failed Dimension with Faithxtractor
Art: Nayla Darkart
Faithxtractor was spawned in 2005 with the sole intention of playing savage Death Metal as an assault on the pathetic meat puppet human race. Throughout its seventeen years, the band has released four full-length albums and various EPs and demos, holding to its original goal. Faithxtractor has also made its name known on stage over the passing years as a brutal, no-frills live act. The band’s newest release, ‘Contempt for a Failed Dimension’, was released by Redefining Darkness Records in January of 2023 and has further cemented Faithxtractor’s lasting power and presence in the worldwide underground metal scene.
Faithxtractor’s music is best described as Death Metal Darkness. We get thrown into the OSDM category constantly, but this is not some Death Metal ‘paint by numbers’ experience. There are a lot of aspects to our sound if the listener takes the time to listen. The music means everything to me. I’ve been writing songs for 30+ years, and it’s my main outlet of expression.
Our new record is entitled ‘Contempt for a Failed Dimension’ and is now on Redefining Darkness Records. The songs for this release came together in late 2019 and 2020. Generally, I demo the songs first, which is also essential to the writing process. It helps with arranging the songs, especially with the fragmented lineup during the songwriting process. I’m handling the drums and guitars, so there wasn’t a jam-it-out opportunity for these songs. Still, I take time to refine the music and arrangements, so this process is open. Once I have the tunes arranged, I move on to lyric placement. I write lyrics regularly, but they are usually just loose lines I compile once the music is cemented.
The lyrics are my interpretation of this human experience and life philosophy regarding this existence. Often nihilistic and real-life horror based, the first two records were very conspiracy theory-based. The later releases look further inward, but nihilism is at the forefront for all the releases.
Lyrically the inspiration comes from just living, experiencing, and observing what’s around me. I also derive ideas from dreams and nightmares that I have had. Musically, the inspiration is a feeling. I write what I want to hear and what gets my heart and mind moving. I’ve been into music for as long as I can remember, so it’s a part of my being.
I’m just trying to make the most of this human experience without being a piece of shit. I do like to live in a comfortable state, and I have worked hard to achieve that. I don’t enjoy struggling and living constantly in a state of worry. Of course, there’s always that aspect in life, but the goal is to overcome and move on. The music and lyrics are cathartic in that regard, as I can channel negativity into the songs instead of shedding it in other, less healthy ways.
I’ve been into hard rock/heavy metal since the mid-80s. I was really into Twisted Sister and Motley Crue as an adolescent. Then it moved on to Iron Maiden, Metallica, Slayer, and King Diamond, leading to Kreator and Sodom, Death and Morbid Angel, and then led headlong into the underground. That all happened by age 14, and ever since, it’s continued to be my passion. Man, there have been so many life-changing albums. The first 4 Metallica albums were a big influence. Same with Slayer. Then there are gem moments like hearing Rigor Mortis’s ‘self-titled’ record for the first time. Num Skull ‘Ritually Abused’. Slaughter ‘Strappado’. The first three King Diamonds. Deicide is ‘self-titled’. Morbid Angel ‘Altars of Madness’. This list could go on forever.
For me, music, it’s spiritual. It’s the main thing that ‘moves’ me going through life. It’s the universal language. Sound can be interpreted in so many ways and can often have a more significant impact than words themselves.
https://Faithxtractor.bandcamp.com
