For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
GxSx is an extreme metal duo from southern Ontario Canada, going on our tenth or so year. We play primitive blackened/death metal that advocates for the abolition of (most of) the human race. Cro-Magnon pounding beats underneath heaps of distorted filth riffing using the absolute minimum number of notes. Bile-soaked hatred chants complete the aural rituals. FFO Beherit, Blasphemy, Abysmal Lord, Beherit, Archgoat, and Beherit.
Since 2022 you have released a good amount of material, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?
Musically, we’re always striving for a mix of primitive caveman riffs coupled with dark, oppressive atmosphere. It’s not enough to just be brutal and extreme – anyone can put blast beats to tape – we always want to challenge ourselves to write actual riffs and passages that are heavy, menacing, and memorable.
What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored on the releases and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?
As far as song writing goes, the riffs always come first - lyrics and vocals are almost an afterthought. However, most of the lyric topics and themes revolve around seeing the vast majority of humanity as a cancer that has to be eradicated. Everyone worships, but we choose to worship war, destruction, and chaos – things that will bring about the great cull that is long overdue at this point.
What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Goatscrote'?
There honestly wasn’t a lot of thought put into the band name as it is secondary to the music and the mission itself. Obviously, there’s a nod to the history of influential ‘goat’ bands, but overall, we just wanted a name as ugly and depraved as the music we create.
Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?
We had a third member, a drummer, we recruited briefly to play live – he appears on the ‘Humanity Must Be Destroyed’ tape, but overall, it wasn’t a good fit. We’re not opposed to bringing in others but they must be like-minded soldiers fighting for the same cause.
Has the band done any live shows or open to the idea?
We’ve performed live a handful of times thus far. Maybe we’ll do more in the future, but it’s not something we actively pursue right now.
Recently you were a part of a split with 'Pillagery', what are your thoughts on the other project that had participated on the recording?
Pillagery reached out to us initially, and normally we wouldn’t see a split as something worth doing unless the other band was offering something beyond the typical blown-out blast-fests you hear from 90% of ‘war metal’ bands. But these guys actually brought the riffs! They reminded me of some early Bathory but with the speed and chaos pumped up to the extreme. Also, in talking to them we realized that they were the kind of soldiers we could man the trenches with in the on-going war against humanity. It was a natural fit.
On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of war and bestial black/death metal?
We don’t pay too much attention to reactions or reviews. Ultimately this music is for us and our cause. If it resonates with others, great, but that’s not the point of this. With that said, we’ve been fortunate to recruit a few in the scene worldwide who’ve championed us.
When can we expect another full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We are always writing and recording. The next LP is essentially written. We will always strive to make the same mix of barbaric, oppressive, human-hating metal that makes a GxSx record what it is. We’ve recently tweaked the line-up, with me taking on guitars while Genital Masticator has moved to drums – this is the line-up on the new split and will likely be the configuration moving forward. Masticator’s drumming is more primitive and chaotic than mine, so if anything, the music will only devolve further. We also plan to continue incorporating synths and other sound textures.
What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Beherit is obviously a big inspiration, particularly the DDtM record. Beyond the other obvious classics in the genre by Blasphemy, Impurity, Sarcofago, Archgoat, etc.. we don’t listen to a huge amount of war/black metal. With that said, Abysmal Lord’s last record is a masterpiece, and definitely gets a lot of spins around here. Both Masticator and I have pretty eclectic record collections – if anything, the common thread among it all is intensity and purity of vision. We have very low tolerance for contrived bullshit. Speaking for myself, I’m currently going down an early industrial/neofolk rabbit hole, but I don’t see this seeping into future GxSx output.
Does Satanism or Occultism play any role in your music?
Only as a stand-in or representation of the dark side of man. Spiritualism, both positive and negative, is wish fulfilment. The universe is exactly as it appears – cold, dark, and indifferent. Man is another animal, and a pathetic one at that.
Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Our campaign against humanity will continue until we are mere ash and dust. Thanks for the interview and interest in the band.
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