Hey! What's Cenotaph been up to since the release of "Puked Genital Purulency"? Hows the sales for it going? Any new recordings planned/completed?

We have completed five songs so far. Sales are also good for a grind death band. First CD will be released again, the MCD version of both albums will also be released again. The shirts must be done soon.

Cenotaph in my opinion underwent a massive change from "Voluptuously minced" to "Puked...". I thought V.M. was rather average.....but, fuck, was I blown away with "Puked...". What lead to this style change? Are you happy with your new sound?

No change had been conciously planned for the second CD. This was the natural continuation of our evolution and recording in a better studio also helped. It gave us the chance to represent our music in a better way.

I heard that "Puked..." had to be re-recorded and remixed. Is that true? I also read that Cenotaph used a "famous" Turkish producer on the album. How did this come about?

Yes, we recorded it two times. The first recording was not satisfying. For the second time, again the guitar parts were not satisfying, so they were recorded for a third time. Famous Turkish produced made the shittiest guitar sound ever. Anyway, I don't think he is famous.

Your style could be classified as technical death/grind, but it sounds very original. I cannot put my finger on it, but something sets you apart from the crowd. What would you say sets you apart from other grind bands?

We try to play as technical as possible without losing the emotion. In some songs, our main goal was to create the combination of well arranged, simple riffs and some other technical ones. From our point of view, when you play your song without any distoration, if it sounds good then the song is OK.

Do you find living in Turkey isolated - both in geographical and musical terms? Is there a big metal scene in Turkey? Are Turkish people accepting of metallers, or are you looked on as "freaks"? (I live in Australia, and I'm classed as a "freak" for listening to metal)

I don't feel isolated but, of course, the amount of gigs in Turkey are much less than in Europe. The metal scene is not so big. I don't like it as some children are trying to copy the bigger bands, original bands are few in number. Metallers are generally classified as freaks, but it is dependent on the place where you live. They tolerate metallers more in big cities.

Are you guys planning to tour outside of Turkey? If so, are there any plans at present? How much support do you get from gigs in Turkey?

We don't have a chance to tour as our vocalist is now living in Austria and I will leave for the States soon and we are all students. We haven't done a show for a few years, but I remember that we earned good amounts just because in Turkey the number of gigs aren't that much and people love going to gigs.

Are there any "support systems" (i.e. welfare, unemployment benefits, musical support programs) in place in Turkey that are available to Cenotaph, or do all the band members have to work? If so, how do you find time to practice and how much time do you spend doing so?

Being a band member in Turkey has always been a problem after graduation. You have to make money from a job and it's not possible by your music. You have to find time for both music and a job.

How do you think Cenotaph's sound will develop in the future? How does newer material differ from songs on "Puked..."?

The new material is faster and technical and sometimes consits of more melodic riffs.

How do you think the overall death/grind style will develop over the next few years? What would you like to see more of in the style?

I am not sure about that. Some of the bands are pushing the limits and some of them are getting slower. You cannot compare a drummer from a new CD with a drummer from a CD recorded five years ago. I am alwaysto all styles in death metal as long as the product is brutal.

What bands have influenced Cenotaph, and what bands do you listen to at the moment?

We have been influenced by so many things, not just gore, death or grind bands, we listen to all kinds. At the moment, I am listening to Ritaul, a band from Leviathan Records from the Czech Republic. This is a great label...you have to see his releases. And some others are Krisiun (last one), Lux Occulta, Disgorge (Mex), Dilling Escape Plan, Marduk, My Dying Bride, Blood ('93 demo), Dead Infection, Immortal (last one).

How hard is it to get underground metal releases in Turkey? I believe Turkey is quite religious and strict, so do you have any problems with customs? Were there any problems when you released "Puked..." due to the song titles and pictures?

No, everybody is thinking that way, but it's quite wrong, you can find everything in the shops. Have you seen the Disgorge "Forensick" cover? You even can find this CD in the shops. We don't have any problems with censorship. This is the situation in big cities but others also begin to the mail orders, so I can't say a limitation exists about music in Turkey.

Could you tell us where the inspiration for the lyrics come from? Any particular horror/gore sources? Do horror/gore movies play a big part in the writing of the lyrics?

We are not so interested in horror gore stuff, talking about the lyrics, this is just our creation. Sorrow converted into brutality is the source. But on the otherhand, this is not our way or perceiving the World, we are normal people in our daily lives.

Do you see Cenotaph remaining in Turkey in the future, or are there plans to relocate?

Relocation can take place but not to continue our music, just to complete our educations. As I said before, Turkey is OK for playing this music if you have enough money.

OK, thats all, any last comments/merchandise plugs?

Check out the website, the shirts are available and if you like technical stuff as well as maximum brutality then for sure Cenotaph is for you.