Slaughterfield: Veteran Blood, Old-School Filth — Shotkickers Won't Know What Hit It. A killer chat with Matt from the band.

 

Slaughterfield: Veteran Blood, Old-School Filth — Shotkickers Won't Know What Hit It

Slaughterfield: Veteran Blood, Old-School Filth — Shotkickers Won't Know What Hit It. A killer chat with Matt from the band.

Three shows in and Slaughterfield already sound like a top-tier band with a decade of scars behind them. That's because they are — this is a robust unit built from Melbourne underground lifers who've been paying dues in bands like Counter Attack, Thrillkillers, Maniaxe, and Dire Blaze since before some of the venues they're playing even existed. Put that pedigree behind a striking and original sound that pulls Kreator and Sodom's Teutonic thrash violence into the same room as Possessed's primordial death metal weight and a filthy dose of Venom/Bathory black-thrash grime, and you get something that hits like it's already been road-tested for years — because in every way that matters, it has.

Nine tracks are already recorded and mastered with Jason at Goatsound. The record's finished. It's coming. If you have seen them live, you know it's riff city and all bangers, zero bullshit. And this Saturday afternoon, Slaughterfield line up alongside KNIFE and Helluloid at Shotkickers for what's shaping up to be one of the heaviest old-school bills Melbourne's seen in a while. We caught up with the band before the carnage.

You're still a young band on paper, but you play like you've done this for years — what's the actual backstory here? Is this a bunch of scene lifers finally starting something new, or literally a fresh unit finding its feet?

A bunch of scene lifers starting something new is probably a good way to describe us. We have all been playing in various bands throughout the years since we were old enough to get into licensed venues (or maybe younger).

The Kreator/Sodom thrash DNA is obvious, but there's also this Possessed/early death metal weight to it, and even a bit of that raw Venom/Bathory grime. How did that combination come together — was it a deliberate blend from the start or just what happens when everyone's record collections collide?

A couple of the bands I played in (Counter Attack & Thrillkillers) did a lot of gigs with Maniaxe, and over the years I became good friends with Dave. I wanted to start a band with two lead guitar players and called Dave to see if he wanted to jam. We threw around a few riffs, and naturally it worked and had an old-school thrash sound. Dave did Dire Blaze with Nori and got him on board on drums, and I've played with Crusty in Thrillkillers and other things over the years, and he was the perfect fit for bass.

You've only played a handful of shows so far, but each one's apparently hit hard. What does the songwriting process look like — are you stockpiling material, or writing tight and fast for the live set first?

We have a pretty solid set at the moment. As far as writing goes, one of us will turn up with a couple of riffs or even a full idea for a song, and we will thrash it out during a jam and finalise the arrangement.

Any recording plans on the horizon? Demo, EP, full-length — what's the timeline looking like, and are you tracking it live to keep that filth intact or going the more produced route?

We recorded nine tracks with Jason at Goatsound that are mastered and ready to go — we're just finalising artwork, then we'll set up a launch. It was a pretty quick recording process, all done in about four or five days, and I think the end result reflects our live sound.

Shotkickers with KNIFE and Helluloid — how'd this sick bill come together, and what can people expect from a Slaughterfield set that they won't get anywhere else on the day?

The Shotkickers gig came about pretty quickly. I spoke to an old mate about sorting a gig, and when I contacted Shotkickers, I think Helluloid were talking about a gig at the same time, and as far as I know it was suggested that us, KNIFE, and Helluloid would be a good match. On a Saturday afternoon, people might get a tribute from an old-school influence from us.

Longer term — is this a band built for the album cycle grind, or are you happy playing it by ear and letting the songs and shows dictate the pace?

Long term, we want to get some more gigs under our belt both locally and interstate, and continue to write and record when we get the chance.

https://www.instagram.com/slaughterfield/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569583371480

and the best demo tracks you have ever heard:

https://slaughterfield.bandcamp.com/album/goatsound-demo

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Three bands, one afternoon, zero mercy. Slaughterfield bring the veteran old-school tribute, KNIFE bring the industrial grind, Helluloid unleash whatever horror chaos they're bringing — get to Shotkickers this Saturday and find out for yourself. The record's already done. Don't be the last to know.

DOORS AT 2:30PM SHOTKICKERS, THORNBURY $15.....

https://www.facebook.com/events/4397663477047128