Nowadays, sci-fi death metal bands like today’s Demo:listen feature band growl about reaching the outer reaches of existence and it doesn’t seem that far-fetched. Like it’s only a matter of time before outer space-themed death metal is just cynical and morbid than speculatively cynical and morbid. No one knows for sure what tomorrow holds, but I can’t be the only one who suspects the future will be brutal and uncompromising. So when a band like Brighton, England-based death metallers Body Asphyxiation Science come around, the feeling is not so much of discovering a band that’s looking far ahead to the distant future, but of catching up with a band that’s carving the future into the present.
“We represent a life force that your human mind can not comprehend and can not disclose the location we transcend from,” begins Body Asphyxiation Science. “Just messin’, I am from a city in the UK called Brighton. It is about 30 minutes outside of London.” Body Asphyxiation Science is the work of guitarist/bassist Joss Allen.
Joss explains: “Yes this is my first one-man band project, not the decision I wanted to go with at first but I was searching for a LONG time to find members to actually have a live band that would work together. But it just took far too long and due to human nature people are constantly flaky. Then I came across a band called THORN and a label called Gurgling gore, that opened up an entire new world to me.” Joss continues to explain that this world was “the underground death metal scene!” He says, “The place is littered with one-man projects and people didn’t seem to care, as long as the listener enjoys the music they will support you in this scene.” THORN, Joss says, “inspired me to pull my finger out and get stuff written for a release.”
Explaining his unusual but memorable band name, Joss writes, “So Body Asphyxiation is what happens when the body is starved of oxygen and that’s what happens in space. I had this vision of scientists creating a man-made structure that emulates the environment in space,what they would do is put humans in them and just study what happens to them as they perish in these tubes. So the study of body asphyxiation . . . Body Asphyxiation Science.”
On the demo Space Adaptation Syndrome, released in September, Body Asphyxiation Science combine brutality, technicality and catchiness to create memorable and extremely promising death metal. In less than ten minutes, Body Asphyxiation Science make it perfectly clear that they are not visitors who have come in peace. They are here to conquer.
Regarding the band’s themes, Joss says, “The lyrics I write for this stuff is all about space, the universe and alien species. It could be about stuff that we know about, for example the gravitational weight on some planets that would crush a human into nothingness, or I write about hypothetical situations like an alien race that has 4th dimensional travel capabilities that come to the planet with the only intention of eradication. If it’s a song on a BAS release it is going to be about space.”
As for the brutality of those drums, Joss admits they are programmed. “Dude I wish I could play drums like this,” he says. “Sometimes I think to myself that I would’ve been better off learning bass or drums. People are always looking for good bass players and drummers ha ha, never guitar players.”
So how did Space Adaptation Syndrome come together?
“I have to say that once I got started they didn’t take long at all, I want to say about 2 weeks,” Joss recalls. “I think that’s why the songs are shorter than I would have wanted BUT once you are in a flow there is no point in stopping. And to create that visceral underground sort of sound I didn’t want to focus too long on the songs, once I was happy I stopped. I guess the hardest thing was actually finding someone that could mix and master the way I wanted it to sound. I have found someone I LOVE for that job now but hey I’m unbelievably happy with how SAS came out.”
As for recording the demo, Joss says “I did it all at home in my home set up. I have acquired some choice gear over the years so recording from home is no issue at all.”
Joss says, “In terms of writing the music, all music – drums, bass, guitar and synth stuff was done by me. But because I have not got the skills for death metal vocals I employed the help of good friend Jason who has the skills required to lay down the brutal stuff, we actually just got a new vocalist as well for all our future releases.”
While recording Space Adaptation Syndrome, Joss tells us he definitely learned a few things. “I mean in terms of home recording and playing guitar and just writing music, it’s a never ending cycle of learning,” Joss admits. “But for this I learnt two things. Number one is to take your time. Like most things, if I rush this stuff due to excitement I’ll end up putting out something I’m not 100-percent happy with and I think people will be able to hear that. The other thing is the evolution of the sound, now that SAS is out I now 100=percent know what I enjoy writing and how I want the project to sound. Actually I have also learnt just how unbelievably accommodating the underground death metal scene is, people are just constantly pumped to hear new music and I love that.”
Body Asphyxiation Science have kept busy since releasing their demo in September. On their Bandcamp is also a song from a split with Trench Foot.
“The mighty Trench Foot, unbelievably cool dude,” Joss explains. “So this was just because we have been chatting back and forth and we just came up with the idea to do a split, this is my first split so I was sooooo happy to be doing it with such a cool band. So with this one it is only 1 track each, and you will be able to grab the physical cassette (looks amazing by the way) from a USA label called Stump Grinder Records. This happened super fast but we both had the music ready so it was just a no brainer to help promote each other using music.”
Also on the BAS Bandcamp is the single “Gravitational Blood Art.” Good luck wrapping your puny mammalian gords around this blast from the remote future.
“Yes, this [track] is like my final form,” Joss says. “I started working on this 4 track[-long] release as soon as I was done with SAS. The thing about music, not just death metal, is that you should approach it with the mindset that you are writing it for yourself and TRY not to write for the gratification of others. And this release is a combination of the first demo mixed with all the elements I feel like I should have added. But now it’s done I will let everyone be the judge of that when it comes out mid 2022. I have a label all sorted for the 2022 release and the art work is just . . . out of this world. Get it??”
Those who wish to pledge fealty and support their forthcoming galactic overlord, should head directly to Body Asphyxiation Science’s Bandcamp.
“If you would like physicals right now I am completely sold out of cassettes but you can still buy CD versions of the demo from my Bandcamp. If you want the European exclusive visual cassette of Space Adaptation Syndrome, head over to the Brutal Cave they still have some left. You will soon be able to grab the USA exclusive version of the Space Adaptation Syndrome cassette from the mighty Gurgling Gore, and of course the physicals for the BAS/TF split will soon be out on Stump Grinder Records.”
In closing, Joss says, “I just want to say thank you to everyone that has supported the band and listens to the music I write. It means more to me that you could ever know. Big shouts to Brutal Cave records, Gurgling Gore, Stump Grinder Records, David my main dude from the band Atraebillis and Davo from the band Coffin Mulch. SOOO many more but these guys have been especially rad.”
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