PHLEBOTOMIZED – Interview with Dennis

Unfortunately I completely missed out on this band when they were active – it was only when someone recommended them to me on a forum that I finally checked them out… and I'm extremely glad I did! Phlebotomized were lightyears ahead of their time when they released their own brand of experimental and progressive Death Metal!
Phlebotomized may be long gone, but the music definitely still lives on. I was lucky enough to have Dennis answer a few questions about the band's past and tell me what he's up to now…

I only found out about Phlebotomized after someone on the Loucifer Speaks forum mentioned you (in fact, he has part of your “Immense Intense Suspense” album cover art as his avatar!). Please could you tell the readers a bit about the band – When was it formed, the members and when the band split?

In short, the band started in 1989 as Bacterial Cancer, but that name was changed soon when a relative died out of cancer. It was then changed to Bacterial Disease. Then band was just a 3-piece then, with Tom (guitars), Lawrence (drums) and Patrick (bass). The band played grindcore Napalm Death/Terrorizer-style. That year a couple of great albums were released: Atheists Piece Of Time, Autopsys Severed Survival, Paradise Losts Lost Paradise and The Key by Nocturnus. These albums, plus the fact that the guys now really started to learn how to play their instruments, led to more serious songwriting and thus a more melodic style. In 1991 Barry (vocals) and Ben (keys) joined and the band recorded their first demo Devoted To God, early 1992. The band sold 1.000 tapes themselves and did a lot of gigs, and so the name Phlebotomized was getting stronger in the underground. After the release of the demo, Jordy joined as second guitar player and Maarten on violin. We were now a 7-piece band! August 1992, the band went into the studio to record 2 new songs and an intro for Cenotaph Records for a 7-inch. But these songs were way to long to put on a 7-inch. Then MMI Records from Germany released a 7-inch called In Search Of Tranquillity with the entire A-side from the demotape (same songs, nothing new, yet printed on red vinyl and the only Phleb-release on vinyl, so still very cool!). The new songs would appear on a mini-CD, yet Cenotaph backed out, and so we released them as a 5-track CD with MMI Records again: Preach Eternal Gospels contained the 3 tracks we recorded for Cenotaph plus the last 2 tracks from the demo. Late 1993 Barry left and I joined the band in March 1994. We recorded our debut Immense intense suspense that summer with Cyber Records. We did a lot of gigs and got quite some press coverage. 1994-1995 were the happiest years for the band. But then, Patrick left, then Maarten left, then Jordy left and we had a hard time finding new guys. Also, we got interested in other styles that we wanted to integrate into our music. It was a very unsure time, but still we recorded a full CD Skycontact, summer 1996. We had some troubles and it was finally released February 1997. Quite some people liked the album, but a lot of old fans and the underground turned their backs on us because they didnt like our new style (whatever that was!). We did less and less shows, enjoyed the band less and less and in the end we thought it was better to quit. That was late 1997

How would you describe the music that you made with Phlebotomized?

Well, we started out as a traditional 3-piece grindcore band, then we evolved to a very heavy atmospheric death metal band and in the end we played everything we liked at the time, yet still producing a very heavy metal sound.

Sounds like you had quite a jump in styles. Did you lose/gain many fans when you went from being a Grindcore band to what you ended up becoming?

Well, we didnt have any fans at the time we played Grindcore ha ha, so we surely gained a lot of fans after the release of the demo Devoted to God and our debut Immense intense suspense. After the release of Skycontact we also gained new fans, but in total that album must have lost us many fans. It only sold about one third of what Immense had sold It was quite a different album, and although we were an experimental band, and we thought people would expect us to progress, the changes were too much too soon for a lot people Some fans told me that at first they didnt like Skycontact at all, but years later they started to appreciate it Actually there a lot of people who think it is our best album!

Where did the name Phlebotomized come from?

From a song called Tragic Entanglement. Lawrence used the phrase Phlebotomized by an insect and he thought it would be a better name for the band than Bacterial Disease was. I guess he was right, but a lot of people had a hard time pronouncing that name or taking it serious

Who would you say your biggest influences were?

We were all 80s heavy metal fans, so Iron Maiden, Metallica and Slayer were a great influence. When the band started they liked Napalm Death and Autopsy, and later Paradise Lost, Nocturnus and Atheist. Also a lot of song writing was done by Tom, who studied classical guitar at that moment, so theres Bach and Beethoven as well. I think thats where songs like Mellow are the reverberations came from. Later, when we all started influencing the music we listened to Life Of Agony, Faith No More, Pink Floyd, Kyuss plus all that heavy metal stuff came back once more: Iron Maiden and Metallica. We came full circle sort of

What is your fondest memory of being in the band?

Apart from the sex, drugs and rocknroll? Uhm no thats just it: sex, drugs and rocknroll! No really, what was best about this band was that its music was so bizarre and unique. The music attracted mostly freaks and that made our gigs special We never appealed to that part of the metal scene with the beer drinking mindless dumb fucks We got more attention from the skinny guys with glasses and girls! Also, when we entered the stage, people were often blown away by us Size does matter, you know! When with seven on stage, people dont know where to look at first its like this army that invaded the stage and then the sound we produced with seven guys My fondest memory is that we DID make a difference in the metal scene

If you could change anything about the band's past, what would it be?

Not split up? Uhm no The band name? Uhm no probably sign a different record deal. At the time there were 13 labels we could choose from. Cyber offered us the best studio time to record the album, but we didnt take into calculation what other labels offered for promotion, sales network, distribution and royalties. At that time all we wanted was to record the best possible album, so studio time was our highest priority. We should have been wiser

Would you ever consider getting back together?

No Some of us would, some of us would never I would consider it, but the thought of choosing one line-up for a reunion and rehearsing the songs again makes me shiver Id rather play with my new band HELD instead!

Are any of you involved with bands at the moment? Where can we listen to some stuff?

Well, Tom and myself play in a speed/thrash band called HELD. You can listen to our stuff on www.myspace.com/heldmetal. Jordy is also active again, now with Harbour 81 (www.myspace.com/harbour81), Lawrence sings the blues with the LP Blues Band and The BeckYards The others dont play or stopped doing bands I cannot blame them for the latter haha!

How long has HELD been together? Have you recorded any EPs or albums that I could listen to?

Tom and I started in the summer of 2005, but we are complete as a band from summer 2006. In that time we have written over 20 songs. We are recording a demo at the very moment. You can listen to our first track at www.myspace.com/heldmetal. Tell us what you think!

What made you decide to put together the MySpace page? Have many of your fans found you on there? Have you made many new ones (apart from myself, obviously!)?

Oh yes well at first I just wanted to create a myspace for HELD, but we had just started and I had no content. So I put up this tribute page so I could learn how to maintain it the reactions are overwhelming! A lot of old fans found us, and its true: we are making new fans! Thats a big surprise to all of us in the band. Ten years after we split up we are still making new friends! Amazing what internet can do for your band! We got rid of our complete remaining stock of CDs, EPs and shirts in just a few months!

Which is your favourite Phlebotomized song and why?

I was a fan of the band before I joined them as their singer and what did it for me were the strange and bizarre tracks, the longer ones also with a lot of changes in moods and tempos Therefore I would have to say Dubbed Forswearer and Mellow Are The Reverbarations. I am also very proud of StoleShowSoul and I lost my cookies in the disco from Skycontact, but since I consider Immense Intense Suspense as our best band effort, Ill stick with Dubbed and Mellow.

I've got to agree with you there! I love those tracks! Which was your favourite album?

Definitely Immense intense suspense! The songs were the best songs we had written in the years before. We were very well rehearsed and the overall atmosphere in the studio was terrific. We knew it would be a success. We were sure of it. And that certainty, that positive vibe, is all over the album… As I said, it was our best effort as a band. Some of us may feel they had a better performance on another record, as a group we have never been better than on that album.

Now that I have two albums (and sneakily downloaded some stuff – I will buy it if it's available anywhere though!), I keen to get my hands on more Phlebotomized stuff. Is there anywhere where we can buy Phlebotomized merchandise?

Well Lou, you are one of the lucky ones to have ordered from us. Our stock is now completely sold out thanx to the myspace. Theres nothing left. My advice would be eBay, but beware of huge and silly prices! We are also in contact with some labels who would like to re-issue our stuff, but none of that is easy since our old labels are involved and our time is limited now I cannot say if it will work out. I have never downloaded anything myself, but I cannot blame you if you do, so just go ahead! Me, I am just a fan of the physical original product: I want to hold the stuff in my hands and cherish it I collect vinyl and have replaced every CDR that I liked with the original. I just love music!

In regards to having the 'proper CD' I'm very much like you. I prefer to have original CD with the original artwork – it just makes it feel like a more complete package. So, if you do ever re-release those other CDs then let me know because I need to add them to my collection! What's the most interesting piece of vinyl that you own?

Amused to death by Roger Waters. It is my all time favorite album, and to have that one on vinyl: WOW! It blows me away every time I listen to it! The best metal vinyl that I own is Unquestionable presence by Atheist, or maybe River runs red by Life Of Agony. Or Horrified by Repulsion, or A social grace by Psychotic Waltz, or Swallowed in black by Sadus, or Slow, deep and hard by Type O Negative No, its Roots by Sepultura! No wait, the original edition of Severed Survival by Autopsy!!! Anyone that can help me find Elements by Atheist on vinyl, please, PLEASE contact me I am a freak, I know now Last call: my favorite metal vinyl album is Aenema by Tool! Yeah, thats the one! Hooray!

Will you be releasing any of HELDs stuff on vinyl?

sure hope so! By now, I dont mind whatever format it is, I just want to get it out in the world! But it would be nice to play our new songs from vinyl

As I mentioned at the start of the interview, I first found out about you because of an avatar used on the Loucifer Speaks forum. I really like the cover art to “Immense Intense Suspense” – Could you tell me who designed it?

Yeah, it was made by Jochem Bult, and what we especially liked about it, was the size. If you unfold the booklet youll see the actual size. We still have no clue about what he meant with the artwork, but my guess is that it stands for the calm before the storm. The moment just before the attack Immense, intense suspense Nowadays, a lot of people think it is Gollum from Lord Of The Rings, but those (great) movies werent made by that time

What's next for you? Are you going to tour with HELD?

Nah we will surely do more gigs, but actual touring will not happen Wed love to, but therefore we are all too much occupied with our jobs and such But wed like to play twice a month or so, that would be nice And I would also like to go Belgium and Germany again We had great times with Phleb in Belgium, but with HELD we havent played beyond the borders yet

http://www.myspace.com/phlebotomized

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