(1) Could you tell our readers about your band? – What kind of music do you perform, when was it established, etc.?
Could you tell our readers about your band? – What kind of music do you perform, when was it established, etc.? We are Last Retch from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. We formed in late 2020 and released our demo in early 2021. Our style is old school death metal, with a simple approach to songwriting.
(2)Which bands or artists inspired you to play music?2) Which bands or artists inspired you to play music?
We all listen to a variety of different extreme metal acts, but the inspiration for this band is mainly from ’90s death metal. Our main influences are bands like cannibal corpse, carcass, bolt thrower, entombed, and other bands of that era.
(3) Who came up with the album cover and what was the inspiration?
Who came up with the album cover and what was the inspiration? The album cover was created by American artist, Brad Moore. He’s done covers for a lot of extreme metal bands, and we always really liked his style. When we approached him to do the art for our latest album, he seemed enthusiastic, and was open to interpreting the themes of the album. We’re really happy with what he came up with, he knocked it out of the park.
(4) Who wrote the lyrics for your albumAbject Cruelty , how did they come to be?
Who wrote the lyrics for your album Abject Cruelty , how did they come to be? Lyrics for our album were written by Finlay (vocals) and John (guitar). They bring their own ideas to the table and then collaborate on the final form. We draw lyrical inspiration from a wide variety of places, but this album largely focuses on the plight of modern man. Drug addiction, mental illness, homelessness, poverty, all of the issues affecting our city of Hamilton, and most other North American cities.
(5)Who created the logo for the band, and who takes care of the graphics and the website? What about you and social networks?
Who created the logo for the band, and who takes care of the graphics and the website? What about you and social networks? Our logo was created by Toronto graphic artist Roy Chan. Roy went to University with our guitar player John, and they’ve remained friends throughout the years. When we needed a logo we knew we wanted to get Roy. We pull our graphics for merchandise and branding from many different online creators, but most of the aesthetic aspects of the bands are curated by John (guitar) and Spencer (drums). They also manage the social media pages.
(6)How many Shows have you played? Which type of gigs do you prefer, whether (Venues or festivals) and which of your performances would you consider as the best?
How many Shows have you played? Which type of gigs do you prefer, whether (Venues or festivals) and which of your performances would you consider as the best? We started this band during covid, so it took a while to get going in terms of live shows. But over the last 4 years we’ve played about 50 shows around Ontario and our neighboring province of Quebec. We’ve mainly played small club shows, but we would love to play some festivals in the future. Our favorite gigs are usually in Montreal. We just played the first iteration of To The Death Festival in Montreal this past July, and that was one of our favorite live experiences. The organizers did a great job with the fest, and all of the musicians were treated really well.
(7) who came up with the name of the new album?
who came up with the name of the new album? The album concept was created by our guitar player John. It was an attempt to explain the harsh reality we witness everyday in modern society. Many people look down upon the less fortunate with disdain. However, many of the people experiencing homelessness, drug addiction, and mental health crises are in that position due to structural factors beyond their control. The way we treat them as a society is simply put, cruel.
(8) How and where can your fans contact you? Can you provide some contact information?
How and where can your fans contact you? Can you provide some contact information? The best way to get a hold of the band is on Instagram. You can direct message us or find our contact information on our page. If you click the link in our bio, it can direct you to our band camp, streaming services, label website, and anywhere else you’d want to go. Cheers.
