Slave Cadaver Newsletter Interview

Formed in a pungent cloud of coffee beans and alcohol in a barren concrete dungeon in Aro Valley, Slave Cadaver hated everyone and everything and wanted to do something about it. They attempted genocide, but that appeared too much work, so in 2003 they started a band instead, covering tracks from British grind band Carcass.

In between gigging relentlessly around Wellington and New Zealand they found the time to release a few EPs and in 2008 played support for Carcass. A year later the band sunk into oblivion playing the odd charity show, bingo hall and vagrant gathering, until 2 November, 2013 when the Cadaver shall exhume to play Bar Medusa for a tenth anniversary shindig with Bulletbelt, Wrath, Cenosphere and Aethea. Ten years after they still hate everything.

What has been your most memorable show to date?

Sam: Definitely the first show I played with the band – Hellington 2006. All the best death metal at the time combined with pigs heads and pigs blood… quite slippery, good times!

Guy: Opening for Carcass was awesome, but there have been tonnes of memorable gigs. A big one was a real early one with Red Circle Gang and that hippy/jazz/fusion/freeform band with the crazy jazz drummer (Circus Machine). I think it was only a 2nd or 3rd show. We didn’t fit in at all but it was great. Gigs with Wrath, Aethea and Anno Domini Mortus have always been a blast. The Tauranga show was a goodie… (starts rambling incoherently)

Zeke: Carcass, and the time in New Plymouth when I took too much BZP and had the Bleeding Gum Murphy grin all night. At the afterparty someone kept turning my amp off when I was trying to jam, haha!

Guy: That was a great night, that dude was worried about the power bill.

Which one of your songs are you most proud of, and why?

Jay: We have a new one called Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, originally written by Guy. It’s been 5 years in the making and will be played for the first time in November. Arseholes and Infamy is a good one too, great autobiographical lyrics from Eli.

Guy: Chop Shop because it’s sinister as fuck.

Where do you get your inspiration to create music from?

Zeke: Usually just have a descending riff from E with a widdly ending, into a chorus with a fast riff, into a widdly silly riff, then into a brutal riff, then a slow evil brutal riff, possibly followed by a wanky riff…

Guy: Horror movies and things I want to do to people (eat them)…

What is your most embarrassing on tour/gig moment?

Jay: I’ve had my kick pedals fall apart in the middle of a song before, nothing I could do, had to abort!

Sam: Apart from getting snapped farting a lot, waking up side stage in New Plymouth, then getting told bro you gotta play now.

How did you come up with the name Slave Cadaver?

Jay: Eli and original guitarist Viv came up with the name. It was originally going to be Slave to Cadaver, as in a process from a slave to a corpse, based on his theory that you are a slave to society and are forced to work until you become a zombie/cadaver. Eli once described it most eloquently but I’ve never been able to do so myself since!

Guy: Sort of a pessimistic view of life. Funny though because Viv didn’t have a job at the time.

What is the one thing you want NZ to know about Slave Cadaver?

Guy: WE ARE GOING TO EAT YOU!

Zeke: I haven’t been with a woman in three years!

Eli: I’ve never heard of, been part of, or received any money from the band you’re mentioning. You can speak to my lawyer… this interview is over.