By Andrew Bansal
Based out of Kolkata, India, Purgation is a death metal quintet which formed in 2010. They have been steadily building themselves up through local underground gigs in Kolkata and occasional out-of-town appearances. They are signed to US-based label Slaughterhouse Records and will soon be releasing their ‘Exterminated Maleasance’ EP. Currently, they are gearing up to play the upcoming ‘Banish The Posers’ Fest in Dhaka, Bangladesh on November 16th. A gig put together by Bangladeshi promoters Primitive Invocation, this gig will present Purgation with the best of Bangladeshi underground extreme metal along with bands from Malaysia and Thailand. A few days ago, I caught up with Purgation vocalist Subhajit to talk about the band’s involvement in ‘Banish The Posers’, among other things. Check out the conversation below along with some of their music, and if you’re in Dhaka, make sure you catch Purgation at the gig later this month.
First of all, what can people expect from Purgation at the ‘Banish The Posers’ Fest on November 16th in Dhaka?
Straight in-your-face death metal, as simple as that. We can’t wait for the day when we, along with some of the sickest acts in Asia, burn the place down and mark the day in the history books.
Have you played gigs in Bangladesh in the past or will this be your first time there?
We had been to Bangladesh in February 2013 for Death Skull Ritual II to support killer acts like Orator, Warhound, Nuclear Winter, and Enmachined.
How much do you know about the metal scene there? Is it similar in any way to the scene in your hometown of Kolkata?
The scene is absolutely brilliant. The crowd is insane and their incessant support out there in Bangladesh deserves all forms of adulation. Kolkata is slowly coping with its failed ventures in all these years. The scene is getting better each day with hordes like Putrid Ascendancy and KOSMA teaching and preaching people to develop a correct mindset. The number of underground gigs has increased and we hope we can catch up with the level that Primitive Invocation has achieved in all these years.
Your style of music is a very solid, in-your-face death metal. When you were starting your band, what inspired you to play death metal?
To talk about local acts, Scarlet Resonance and In Human were the two acts that inspired us the most. I and Debanjan were looking for like minded people. As soon as we got hold of Abhinava, Denzil and Ayushman we knew it was the right time for us to make the music we prefer the most.
You shared the stage with Wormrot at Undergrind Fest 2012 in Bangalore. What was that experience like for you guys? I love that band and I think they are phenomenal live.
It was definitely an experience to remember. Wormrot is absolutely insane. Probably the best part of that tour was seeing Wormrot live.
You are signed to US label Slaughterhouse Records. How did that come about?
Well, it’s a long story but to cut things short, we were really looking forward to a record label which could help us release our first EP. We got hold of Slaughterhouse Records, USA. JR Torina of Slaughterhouse Records has been supporting us since the first day and we are really excited and looking forward to our release.
Tell me about your forthcoming EP. ‘Exterminated Malfeasance’. When can we expect it to be released and where can people find it?
‘Exterminated Malfeasance’ will desecrate any form of corruption and political fuck-ups. This is our first EP and it consists of 5 originals. The EP kicks off with an intro followed by Uncanny Obsession and ends with System Impaled. If you can follow the track order with sheer circumspection, you will know that the track order is selected in such a way so that it delivers a clear message that we have tried to portray.
The cover artwork for this EP is excellent, and I think it represents your music really well. Whose design and concept is that?
The concept and idea have come out of Debanjan’s mind and I sat with Sid Sharma from Sid Artworks to get the skeleton done. The rest is Sid’s sheer brilliance. We are really happy with the work and design that perfectly goes with our music as well as the message we are trying to deliver.
Amongst the old death metal bands that you’ve listed as influences and inspirational sources, which ones do you think are still going strong and releasing good music?
Of course the first band that comes to our mind is Autopsy. There are quite a few bands which are making good music even today. Some have lost the track, for example Morbid Angel and Suffocation.
Aside from ‘Banish The Posers’ Fest and the EP release, what else do you have coming up in the near future?
Once we come back from Banish The Posers’ Fest, we will start writing for our full length.
Visit Purgation on the web at:
facebook.com/Purgation