We got to speak with Mexico’s death metal band Morbid Messiah!
MPM: First off, thank you for doing the interview, secondly could you go over what you do in the band?
JOSÉ: Greetings, I’m the vocalist.
ROBERTO: I am the guitarist.
MPM: The band has released Disgorged in the Coffin this past September. Could you go over how the writing process all came about?
JOSÉ: The concept came from the most destructive time in my life till now. Each song makes allusion to a specific topic from my perspectives during it (obviously not in a literal way). It started with the band’s most turbulent time (we had no progress, and we were even about to split up), and ended with the most solid one. The composition is the result of our previous experience in the past materials. We took the best from the styles of both, and we added more violence and filth to the formula.
MPM: The EP was released on Chaos Records. How did the label pick up the material and the reception been since its release?
JOSÉ: Víctor had contacted us a long time ago because he wanted to release something from the band, and this was the first the opportunity came up. The reception has been pretty good. Roberto already sold out most of his copies, and Víctor told us he had good sales as well.
ROBERTO: I can say that this EP was a very waited material, because we haven´t released anything since 2018, so I sold out my copies as soon as I received them.
MPM: Morbid Messiah’s been active in the scene since 2015 and has a strong extreme metal presence since the band is from Mexico. How is the music community over there in comparison to other countries such as North America, Canada and others?
JOSÉ: It’s fucking shit.
ROBERTO: As José said, fucking shit. There’s some bands and labels that have our support, but most of Mexican bands have not idea about what metal means and they found their bands because they want to go party. The sound is getting weaker and weaker, and they are more worried about their fucking merch than their fucking music.
MPM: When I first heard the EP I got huge musical influences being heavily borrowed from Autopsy, Grave, Incantation and Sadistic Intent. What was the driving force in creating a EP rather than a full-length and what artists would you guys say been the motivation to start a band?
JOSÉ: I don’t know if you’re referring to “In the Name of True Death Metal” or “Disgorged in the Coffin”. In the case of the first one, it was our first release, self- produced and with limited borrowed money to do it. Also, we thought it was a better idea to have some short-recorded material, so in the future it would be easier for a label to get interested in releasing the full length; and we got it right. Concerning “Disgorged in the Coffin” and future releases, we just like the variety in the material kind. Also, we didn’t want to go through the tired process of a second full yet. We started the band with the idea of doing classic, primitive and violent death metal, under the influence of bands such as SADISTIC INTENT, AUTOPSY, POSSESSED, early GRAVE, etc. A lot of people associate our sound with INCANTATION because of the density, but they have never been one of our influences. That deepness touch and the style of our production is mainly influenced by MAIM’s “From the Womb to the Tomb”.
ROBERTO: We just wanted to make our music. Making a full length was a really tired process for us, and we didn´t want to wait so much time to release something. We wanted to show that people who supports the
band that MORBID MESSIAH is not dead and reanimate the flame and energy of the past releases. As José said, we are mostly influenced by the cadaveric and filthy sound of early death metal.
MPM: What track off on Disgorged in the Coffin would you all say has been the most meaningful and effective in your humblest opinion in terms of lyrics and heaviness factor?
JOSÉ: “The Maniacal” is the most meaningful one in general, by the fact we had Dopi (MACHETAZO, DISHAMMER, etc.) as a guest featuring the vocals. That’s a total proud for us, as he’s one of our main influences. The song is fucking insane, his vocals were monstrous, and hearing the final result was a total inspiration for me as a vocalist. However, in terms of lyrics, the track that most represents my style and I added the most twisted shit to in the vocal level is “Angel of Disembowelment”.
MPM: Since the extreme metal scene has been growing within the last two decades, what would you guys say has been the best in being apart of a wonderful community with many bands finding their footing in the metal music genre?
JOSÉ: I don’t think today is better than before. Before there were less bands, tools and, in certain aspects, opportunities, but all of them were better and much more authentic. I only lived the final ashes from the times that will never come back, and that’s enough for me to know it. The only advantage I see from the current times is the easy communication and comfort that social media and technology provide. The rest sucks in my opinion.
ROBERTO: Personally, I think that contacting and working with people which music inspired me to make my own is the best part of it.
MPM: If you all had to pick between recording music in a studio versus performing music live front of hundreds and thousands of people, what would you all say is more in your favor and why?
JOSÉ: If we were in past times, I would choose to play live without thinking it, but at this point, I think the most valuable thing that lefts is the material itself, so record is my answer.
ROBERTO: It´s not easy for me to answer because I love to play a live show, but I´ve always believed that a band doesn´t exist until they record and release something. If I had to choose just one, I would choose to record music.
MPM: If making music wasn’t your profession, what hobbies do you all see yourselves doing in the present day?
JOSÉ: I like to do a lot of stuff, but I’m not really into any other “hobbies” in such a deep way as I’m in music (just in films, and for reasons not relevant to mention, I will never have a participation in that), so I guess I would just be hanging around and partying in my free time, just like I do when I’m not working or making music. Maybe if that was the case, I would eventually think in a different way, but right now I cannot tell.
ROBERTO: I love to cook, play with my PS4, watch movies, hang out with my friends and traveling. Music is not my whole life, but it’s an important part of it.
MPM: Are there any particular releases in 2022 the band is looking forward into hearing in the upcoming months?
JOSÉ: LEPROPHILIAC and AUTOPSY upcoming releases.
ROBERTO: HEXORCIST/PUTRID´s split.
MPM: What would you guys say about physical media of people purchasing hard copies of records, vinyls and analog tapes versus streaming digitally?
JOSÉ: Physical rules. Digital formats are valid and more practical, but it will never be the same.
ROBERTO: There´s nothing like getting your physical copy, open it, look the illustrations, lyrics, stuff quality, and play it loud disturbing your neighbors.
MPM: If Morbid Messiah were to open for any band active or disbanded, who would you guys like to bring out on tour?
JOSÉ: Active: AUTOPSY. Disbanded: MACHETAZO.
ROBERTO: AUTOPSY, MACHETAZO, SADISTIC INTENT, BODYBAG.
MPM: Lastly, I appreciate in doing this interview and I thank you guys for your time in doing it. Are there any wrap ups you like to add terms of future music and words to the fans out there reading this interview?
JOSÉ: More things are coming soon. Thanks for the interview. Keep it fucking sick.
ROBERTO: Thank you for your interest in the band. There´s Morbid Messiah for a long time more.
Interview by Jake Butler
