by JOHNSON CUMMINS

Death and grind metal have to be two of the most rapidly evolving musical genres out there. What was considered extreme last year can seem like fluff today. California’s Deeds of Flesh are one of the oldest surviving bands in the death metal scene. Throughout their 13 years in existence, they’ve managed to increase the breakneck speed of their blast beats and take technical turns to new heights. The vocals are only more brutal, delivering lyrics that explore the darker side of the human condition without relying on the death-metal staples of serial killers and cut-up corpses. The Mirror talked to guitarist/singer Erik Lindmark over the phone while he negotiated his tour van’s way through Toledo traffic.

Mirror: You filmed your DVD here. Any particular reason you chose Montreal?

Erik Lindmark: Montreal has always been really consistent for us, and one of the first places to really embrace us. Montreal is just a really good metal city.

M: In the early days of death metal, there were definitely regional sounds. Florida had their type of sound, Scandinavia had its certain style. Do you think there is still a regional sound in death metal?

EL: Sure, I think where we come from, there’s definitely more of a technical aspect to the sound. A lot of bands, when they’re forming, look to local bands as influences, and I guess that kind of fosters a certain regional sound.

M: Where do you think extreme music is most popular right now?

EL: Brazil was really good to us when we went there, but central Europe is probably where it’s really the most popular. Metal fans in central Europe are really knowledgeable about the music, and are really committed.

M: As well as playing in Deeds of Flesh, you also run one of death metal’s biggest labels, Unique Leader. Was the label born out of frustrations with other labels?

EL: It’s a long story, but we kind of got pulled into running our own label. We had a lot of offers from all of the big metal labels, but I’m really glad that we stuck to our own. We’ve signed over 20 bands, with over 40 releases, and it’s been really great to watch the label grow.

M: With metal labels like Relapse branching out a lot, it’s nice to see Unique Leader sticking to brutal death metal.

EL: Yeah, we wanted to keep it pretty streamlined as far as styles go. We’re known for releasing really brutal stuff, and that’s what people have come to expect from us.

M: On a technical level, each Deeds release obliterates the previous one. Is it a mandate to push the technical level with each release?

EL: When we started, there were bands like Cannibal Corpse, Gorguts and Suffocation, and we really wanted to try to take it to the next level. We wanted to start a band that was all blast beats and just as insane and as crazy as we could make it. We’ll always challenge ourselves to add new elements to the music, but we’ll never stray from what we’re known for. It’s not like you’ll ever hear a sped-up polka beat on a Deeds record.

With Vile, Decrepit Birth and Odious Mortem at Petit Campus on Saturday, July 29, 7 p.m., $15

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