Throat Cutter interview

I recently wanted to take a new step towards building this website and I thought the best way was to interview the bands. This is the first of, hopefully, many other interviews I will be sharing. This time I had the chance to talk with Whispers and Shane from Throat Cutter and here's what they shared with me.

Q: When was Throat Cutter created and what's the story behind the name?

W: The band was born in Chengdu in 2015 by Whispers, who is the soul creator of Throat Cutter, though the name (inspired by a dream of Whispers of cutting of the throat of some poor fellow) came later in 2016 when he returned to Yaiyuan.

Q: What was your inspiration when you created Throat Cutter?

W: Black Metal is my favorite music. I started playing bass at 16 because I loved Megadeth and wanted to create music that was intense. Eventually, I found Darkthrone and everything changed. I wanted to play Black Metal.

Q: Where do you Throat Cutter in 5 years?

W: More songs, more records! A tour around our region, Japan, Thailand, Laos would be great. But to tour in Europe would satisfy my dream.

Q: Is it important to you that your music reaches listeners in other countries? Why?

W: Yes! We want to show the world that China has great Metal too. We have many of the same passions as non-Chinese and want to show that we are not so different. We are happy to represent China in the Metal world.

S: As a foreigner, America specifically, in China, I find it inspiring to see and hear the Chinese take on Metal. TC is an ode to classic Black Metal and I've had a really good time hanging out with these guys and playing bass and guitar with them live. The crowds here are very hungry for this aggressive sound and energy of Metal. I've seen the crowds reaction to TC's and others music and it's really encouraging to see and have young folks create their own bands and help grow the scene in a country that needs some catharsis.

Q: Could you name some of your favorite bands?

W: At 16 I loved Megadeth and Darkthrone. As I kept searching I found Cult of Fire, Gorgoroth, Emperor, Carach Angren and more.

S: Growing up on Metal has its evolution. Hair Metal, thrash Metal, death, black... All but the hair Metal stuck with me and I still listen and play this music many years later.

Q: In your opinion, what can the world expect from Chinese Metal bands in the future?

W: I don't think the scene will grow because the world is changing fast. I think many Chinese like Metalcore and other pop versions of Metal more than Extreme Metal (thrash, death, black, etc.) so, unfortunately, the old-school extreme Metal scene will always stay unpopular.

S: In China I'd say people that love extreme Metal scene are extremely devoted have a distain for the pop-metal scene. It reminds of the 1980's era of metalheads.

Q: Many people from other countries don't know about many Chinese bands, but thanks to platforms like Bandcamp we can discover new projects. Other than Bandcamp, what do you think Chinese bands can do to promote their music outside of China?

W: I think PestProductions does a great job with promotion and I trust them. To reach outside of China, perhaps my foreign friends (like Leo) can help spread the sound of Throat Cutter.

S: I think touring would do well for any band from a country not known for its Metal scene. Metal, especially Extreme Metal, has a camaraderie that many other music genres don't have and I know people around the world would be curious to witness Metal from China.

Q: At last, please tell us about your most recent release.

W: Our EP, Battle of Blood Heaven came out this September (2019). Four tracks all war. These tracks were simply recorded at Silence's (Formally Big Abnormal - Guitar) place. He and Y. recorded the songs and mixing was done by LiZhe (Purple Hell). Sad to say, we are not so satisfied with how it sounds, but it feels good to have a CD in our hands. We plan to record a full-length album next year.

Thanks a lot to Whispers and Shane for this interview and you guys go check their new EP Battle of Blood Heaven.