Begrime Exemious Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

BEGRIME EXEMIOUS is gearing up to go on our Western Canada tour to promote our new album "Visions of the Scourge". We have recently acquired a new guitarist, F. Thibaudeau, and already have some new songs in the works.

2.How would you describe the musical sound of the newer album and how it differs from the older releases?

"Visions of the Scourge" is probably our most savage offering to date. With the addition of T. McClellund, the writing sessions for the record proved to flow out a lot more naturally, and the riffs certainly did flow. This album is less melodic compared to "Impending Funeral of Man", but in place is a more eerie sound due to things like experimenting with various guitar effects. It's definitely what we've all wanted to accomplish.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release?

Perversions, horror, poisons... just things that make us feel the same way that our music does. We aim to write music that will repulse the average person, and we want that same sort of repulsion to exist within our lyrics.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

The origins of our name lay within the breakdown of the two words. "Begrime" means to darken or make filthy, and "exemious" is a Latin term for light. We are here to cast filth upon the light. Whatever that "light" is to someone... their religion, their hopes, whatever false pretexts have been said to shine on them, we are here to desecrate it.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

We have played quite a lot of shows over the past 6 years since we started hitting the stage. We've played with bands we enjoy from around the world like EXHUMED, ARES KINGDOM, SUFFOCATION, DESTROYER 666 and that's always a thrilling time. I especially have enjoyed shows we've played with alongside our peers in western Canada, such as MITOCHONDRION, ANTEDILUVIAN, HOOPSNAKE, ISKRA, HAND OF THE HORSEWITCH, MESSIAHLATOR, and FALSEHOOD. Our goal with every show is to make them high energy and intense, because no one wants to watch the garage band next door stare at their hands the whole show. We want people to feel our energy, and with the style of music we play, it is just a natural process that both ourselves and the audience get rowdy.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?

We have a 10 date tour, the "Scourge Across Western Canada Tour 2012" that we have put together. We will be hitting some favourite spots and some new territory with this tour, which hits as many places as we can from Victoria, BC to Winnipeg, MB. This tour will have us playing with some of our favourite Canadian bands like HOOPSNAKE, ISKRA, CHAPEL, INFECT PROPAGANDA, and AUTARIC.

7. I have noticed towards the end of the album there was a cover  of Evil Dead from Death what was the decision behind doing this cover tune?

"Evil Dead" was a song we used to jam when B. Harbak was playing guitar. Being fans of Death and especially Chris Reifert, we kept jamming it when Harbak left, and it eventually made its way into our live set and into the studio.

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of black/death metal?

I've read a few really flattering reviews of our new record already from various web zines, and people seem to share our sentiments that it is our best material to date. We often get compared to several other modern black/death metal bands such as ADVERSARIAL, MITOCHONDRION, and ANTEDILUVIAN, which is quite a compliment in itself, although I feel all of us have our strengths and niches that make us all different.

9. Are there any other projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?

BEGRIME EXEMIOUS is a full time band for all participants, but we all have other projects, and in T. McClellund's case, a couple other full time bands. T. McClellund has a one man black metal band called BRULVAHNATU, and also plays bass in ANTEDILUVIAN in addition to another project called NOXIOUS NEX. L. Norland currently has no other projects but has contributed many of his skills to bands such as A.M.S.G. and GLORIA DIABOLI. F. Thibaudeau also plays in a black/doom/crust band called FALSEHOOD. D. Orthner plays in a doom/sludge band called CYGNUS in addition to drumming for a grind/d-beat band, DYSPLASIA.

10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

The band has discussed our future path, and not wanting to give too much away, we're hoping to experiment a little more with touching on some of our other influences while retaining our core maniac style of death metal. We won't be playing more melodic material, but we definitely want to revisit some of our doom stylings and push that to different boundaries.

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

While writing "Visions of the Scourge", we were listeing to our usual mixture of extreme metal - AUTOPSY, CARCASS, DARKTHRONE, INCANTATION, ORDER FROM CHAOS - and a good amount of 70's music such as HAWKWIND, PINK FLOYD, BLACK SABBATH, JUDAS PRIEST. I'm always listening to tons of music, from black, death, thrash, and doom metal, to d-beat/crust/grind, to jazz. Lately I've been enjoying the new ASPHYX and NAPALM DEATH records, as well as our labelmates ANHEDONIST's debut.

12.How would you describe your views on Satanism and Occultism?

Although some of us take interest in it as a source of lyrical inspiration, I personally am more into nihilistic and existential schools of thought.

13.Outside of music, what are some of your interests?

Film and literature, I especially am a fan of anything mafia or dystopian. The Godfather Parts I & II are the best things ever put to film, and the book is even better. Of course, complete alcoholism and cannabis consumption occurs often, sometimes with other curve balls. I try to spend the nicer days here in Canada outside, exploring what I can find.

14. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thank you for your interest in the band and for the interview! We cannot wait to hit the road and play some great shows this year. The future is wide open for us and we don't plan on letting up any time soon! For those who would like to get in touch with us, emailbegrime@gmail.com.