A pioneer death metal band Derketa.. with their original sound from 90's original death metal in the Old School....death metal Goddess....
Sharon I would like to give my eternal thanks to answer this interview. Is an honor having the chance a talk to you.
Sharon I would like to know, what are Derketa doing right now
Thanks. Right now we’re working on new material to record our first full length. We started up regular rehearsals for it so things are moving along. Im probably going to release a 3 song demo prior to this about April of this year, not sure yet though.
-The is more than 10 years in the music, how do you feel.
Im feeling pretty good about it all. I think the older style of death metal is resurfacing again so im excited to get some more recordings out there.
-You and terry keep playing for these 10 years, too many bands have a lot of line up changes. What you do different than other bands to keep same line up
You haven’t done your Derketa homework!! HAHA I have the worst history for line up changes. Terri and I called it quits back in 1991, her and I tried reuniting in 1997 but her musical direction wasn’t the same as Derketa so it didn’t work out. In 1999 I started working with Jim Sadist of NunSlaughter and we put out a couple releases together. But due to the travel distance between us, it made things rough to really get more accomplished. Right now im working with Jared Altamare, who is the drummer of the other band I play in called Eviscium.
-Besides Terry somebody else is playing on the band
Just me and Jared for right now. My main focus right now is Eviscium so im not looking for anymore members for Derketa. Ive had too many disappointments with people telling me that they wanted to join but never followed through with it. So now I just try to focus on the song writing and to keep the band going with recordings. Its less complicated that way.
-Derketa goes too much in silence why
Im just pretty much laid back about the whole thing. I took a few years off to get my life in order, now that I have done that I can concentrate back on song writing. The style of death metal seemed to change in the mid 90’s and I didn’t feel like I related to any of it. So I really didn’t have an interest in being a part of it to be quite honest and wasn’t sure if people even wanted to hear Derketa again. Don from NunSlaughter is the one that talked to me about getting it all going again and ill always be grateful for his little push. But I like to keep Derketa as much underground as I possibly can, im more comfortable that way.
-You don’t spend much time in studios why, there is only 1 demo 1 7”ep and now a recopilatory cd also some compilations.
Ive got a couple more recordings out there than those ones, not much more though. There was the ’89 Rehearsal tape, the ’90 Unholy Ground demo, the ’91 Premature Burial 7”, the ’99 Begotten Son split with NunSlaughter, which got re-released on a picture disc in 2000, the song Your Rotting Flesh was recorded for the Mad Max Impaler of Trendies tribute, the 2002 Behold the Legioins of Hell split release with Gravewurm, SadoManiac and Witchburner, and then the Goddess of Death CD which contains all of these recordings on CD format. But I don’t hit the studio too often, mainly because of the financial aspect of it. I have some opportunities for more 7” recordings that ill do after the album is finished.
Tell us something about “goddess of death” how is the fans response
The Goddess of Death CD contains the Derketa recordings from 1989 to 2002 remastered to CD quality. People seem to be into it, a lot of older people seem to be snagging it up as well as some newer people in the scene. Necroharmonic released this in October of 2003 and hes about to have the 2nd pressing of it made so it seems to be coming along well enough.
Is the same sound as when you start derketa
Yeah, my musical taste is still the same. Im still the same person with the same ideas as I was 15 years ago so Derketa’s sound will never venture away from where I started.
When you start derketa, you start a new death metal legion “women in metal” are satisfied with the results.
Well, I don’t really pay too much attention to the female thing. I never saw females in the scene as being odd so to me they are just like everybody else. I don’t feel that Derketa had any influence on the females out there playing death metal, im sure it was in their blood as it is mine. But I am glad to see more out there doing it because then maybe the scene focus will lean more towards the music and not so much the genders of the members playing the stuff.
Why derketa, do not grow up as death metal bands like immolation, incantation etc, what do you think the band lacks to expand more.
A big reason for that is the band broke up right when everything started happening. Here in Pittsburgh, its almost impossible to find others into the same style as death metal. We don’t have a big scene at all. So without having people to work with, it all just fell through the cracks. Being that im the only song writing member in the band, its hard to keep the drive up. Now that im working regularly with Jared, im getting flooded with song writing ideas and have the desire to keep it going.
-Now lets talk about you recording materiiaal, could you describe a little bit. Step by step how was it. Describe us the songs, lyrics, music also the different demo, 7”ep also cd portrait cover
Well all of my writing starts by coming up with notes that sound eerie or haunting to me. Then from there ill start to get a lyrical line which I use to base the song on. From there ill come up with riffs and the arrangement to go along with it. I try and mix a good bit of doom with death metal because I think that combination is a good way to bring across the morbid atmosphere that im trying to accomplish. The lyrics are based on the supernatural, death, rotting corpses, just different ideas that are of interest to me. The CD portrait was painted by Daryl Kahan from Funebrarum/Abazagorath and the concept is simply the Goddess of Death; she is luring “somebody” back to the cult to be killed.
-What are you lyrics talk about, from wheerre do you take the ideas for the songs and what are they talk about.
Ive always had a fascination with death and the feelings that surround that. Like what happens to you after you die, if anything. Then the whole process of your body just rotting away and the burial, so my lyrics focus on those ideas.
-Besides the band what else you do, how ddoo you support metal scene
I go to as many shows as I possibly can. We don’t get many here in Pittsburgh so if I can make it, ill go. If I hear a band that is really good, then ill send it out to my friends and hope it will get circulated about in the scene. But there's just too many bands out there to stay on top of it all and support every single one, its not like it used to be 15 years ago. But I do what I can.
- Do you think the spirit “death metal” is getting lost? Definitely.
- why? Because people are trying to outdo each other and are forgetting the basic feel behind it all. People think if a band has death metal vocals then they are death metal. but the music doesn’t fit.
- who is killing? well there's a lot of bands that created sub genres of death metal, cant really give credit to just one.
- is the same as 10 years ago? No, not even close to it.
-Are you touring right now?
No, since I don’t have a full lineup, I cant see any live Derketa shows anytime soon. But even still we’re not in the position to really tour.
- What bands influenced you to play death metal .
Massacre, Death, Sepultura, NunSlaughter, old Paradise Lost, Immolation and the list goes on!
-Any future plans, touring, record deal,<
Right now the only immediate plans is recording the full length album. I'm still label shopping so I haven’t made a decision as of yet on how will release it. After that ill just take it day by day and see what's next.
-Is the metal scene getting a good supporrtt from fans record labels etc. nowadays?
I think the scene has grown quite a bit over the past 15 years, labels seem to be doing a good job in promotion. Theres always going to be those die hards out there to keep it all going.
-A lot of bands mention the word “evolutiioon” I can’t understand that word. bands as sepultura, morbid angel, entombed, amorphis, just to mention some change their style and they say this is a band evolution. I could think evolution is the same as commercialization(shit) . What do you think .
I agree, I don’t like when bands decide to change their style of music. Its misleading when you go to buy there next album because you expect more of what you liked to begin with. I guess bands try and become original since there are so many bands out there and they don’t want to sound the same as everybody else. The thing about it, so many bands feel pressured to keep writing music so if they're constantly writing then there's a good chance they're going to get bored with what they’ve been doing and most likely will try to challenge themselves in some way.
-Well Sharon I would like to give my eternaal thanks to you for your time to answer the interview my best wishes for derketa in the future. Anything else you'd like to add to this interview
Thanks for sending the interview and for your support! Im also playing bass in Eviscium with Mark Mastro of Rottrevore so be sure to check us out if youre into tuned down brutal death. Our mini CD just came out on Still Dead Productions called “Underneath the Buried” and we’re just about to record again for a split with the gods Funebrarum. You can check the websites of both bands www.derketa.com and www.eviscium.com for updates on the recordings and shows. We’ll have merchandise soon so if youre interested, just send an email to [email protected]. Stay morbid!!