Here's a new and excellent new label on the scene. The kicker with this label is they only support brutal death/grind! An underappreciated and in recent times thriving genre. Please welcome Rich Lipscomb (also of the band Fleshgrind) & his label UNITED GUTTURAL (Interview Completed February 4th 1999)
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How's it going today and what did you eat for your last meal (besides innards!)? How old are you? What does metal and specifically death metal mean to you? What is the sickest or most brutal thing you have ever experienced or witnessed? How did you come up with the name United Guttural????
Just cooked up some carcass and eggs. Every thing is going good and I am busy as hell I am 30 years young. Well basically it is my whole life live it feel it breath it shit it I guess you can say I am a metal warrior. I have seen a guy on a motor cycle get ran over by at least 10 cars he was all over the place. I also saw a guy hit a guy over the head with the big end of a tire jack like 7 to 8 times blood and brains all over the place. I wanted a name a little different than the norm that had meaning to it U.G. united as one and guttural because that's all you will hear from my label. U.G. basically stands for underground brutal death metal point blank.
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What prompted you to start a label and how long has the idea been brewing? What is the most financially draining facet so far in running your label? Which is more expensive starting a record label or the day to day maintenance of it? Has it been more work than you imagined? Where do you get your CD's pressed and inlays printed and have you had any problems with censorship thus far????
Well basically all of the major and new small labels are very trendy and most of them are not signing brutal death metal and have no integrity and have ignored it and its my love so this is my revenge to prove that brutal death metal is the most extreme form of music and will prevail. Before are started my label in April 98, I had been thinking about for around 6 months before that. The financially draining would be promotion flyers ad space promo cds mail cost pictures promotion is a lot of work definitely day to day maintenance is harder hell yes a lot more work than I imagined I get my stuff duplicated through ADC in Cali ex bass player of Deeds Of Flesh Jacoby Kingston is the vice president of his company and he does all my work. Yes sometimes but I am underground and if they don't decide to distributes there lose because i am going to keep putting out the sickest shit I can us censor ship is a joke and they say this is a free country bullshit
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Could you list for me some of your fave horror/gore movies? Who in your opinion are some of the best gore artists and coolest album covers out there? Do you think true death metal lyrically should deal with death, brutal violence, and gore? Who do you think is the most interesting serial killer in history????
Sure some of my favorite gore horror films are Texas Chainsaw Masacare, The Shinning, Hellrasier, 3 Friday the 13, Dream Warriors, Halloween, I Spit On Your Grave. Yes why not thats what death metal all about gore death serial killers or what ever you want it to be i really havent thouht about most interesting but definitely most sick in our area was Gacy and Dahmer
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Can you list all your releases so far and give a few words on each? Are you happy with the final product of all your releases or is there anything you wish you could change about any of them? Do you pay any recording costs of your bands or do you just cover all pressing and printing costs & promotion? What is your average cost per unit, when all is said and done? Any thoughts of releasing something on vinyl any time in the future????
Yes my first release was the release of Deaden "Hymns of the sick" great brutal death with great melodies sick dual vocal assault. My 2nd release is Rotting "Crushed" a Canadian band that's got that old school brutal pounding death and my 3rd release is live Lividity "Show Us Your Tits", 15 live songs 1 unreleased song and the "Rejoice In Morbidity" demo 4 track bonus plus all the lyrics brutal porn gore at its best . I haven't yet paid for any of the recordings but i will be on some of my next releases and most definitely pay out the pressings and promo material. I really don't know the exact amount for each unit as i am always dumping money in my bands for stickers cds ads flyers and web site and just office supplies and materials phone lines computer equipment it just goes on and on. I have only been a label for around 8 months I will able to tell the amount better after the fist year goes by. Yes I really want to release all of my bands on vinyl like a 500 limited picture disc so U.G. will definitely be releasing lps of some sort
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As most self-respecting undergrounders reading this should know you are also in the band Fleshgrind. Do you find it hard to juggle the label and band and do you find either suffers do to the other taking too much attention? Are you still selling your debut album "Destined For Defilement"? Are you happy with how that album came out? Have you guys been playing out much in recent months? How much new material do you have ready and when can we expect a new release from Fleshgrind? Are Fleshgrind or any of U.G.'s bands going to be playing the New Jersey Metal Metaldown festival in March ('99)????
Yes its very hard juggling both and I am sure both suffer a little. But maybe not I am just working on these things all the time its not like I have a regular job i go to day this is my job to work on metal all day I am putting my heart and soul into this label and band of mine yes I'm still selling the cd its just getting out now and its still selling very well yes I am very happy the way it came it got hundreds of killer reviews no we really haven't been playing out very much just concentrating on new stuff our fans want and need a new release from us this summer and expect it. so we will deliver one we have 9 new songs but all the lyrics haven't been finished yet i don't know yet about NJ but I hope we do play I don't think any of my bands will.
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I have been quietly wondering have Pulverizer Records, who released you debut CD still around or did they fold, they have been awfully quiet for a long period!? Pulverizer seem to have hurt themselves by committing to and releasing so bands all at once, you seem to be taking on a lot of releases to are you worried this will hurt United Guttural? What bands on U.G. are set for release in 1999 and What month can we expect them out? Do/have you signed any bands to multi-album releases????
No Pulverizer did not fold but he had a bunch of problems he is on the Right track now and you will soon start to rebuild his name. He did release a lot of bands in a short time and I think he could not keep up with it. No I don't think this will hurt United Guttural it just means i have to work extra hard plus he never hired anyone. I have around 5 people who work for me partime and one guy who is dedicated to helping me all the time anytime I need him roadie Rob you rule brother. U.G. releases will be Malignancy "Intrauterine Cannibalism" NY style brutal death metal featuring Roger Beajard and Desmond Tolhurt of Mortician, Devorment "Molesting The Decapitated" should be out by April brutal death slam then future releases Ton, Deaden 2nd cd, Numskull 3rd cd, Waco Jesus and a few other releases in the works probably at least 8 releases this year i am going to be busy as fuck. And no I haven't signed any bands for multi albums yet
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What label will the next Fleshgrind release be on? Any thought of United Guttural releasing the next Fleshgrind record? How often does Fleshgrind rehearse? How do you guys put together a song & how long does the average song take to write start to finish? Do any of the new songs have any soothing synths, violins, or female operatic vocals in them J????
That's a good question? I don't know yet but we have been offered a lot of money from a few labels. The money Fleshgrind has been offered U.G. could not afford besides I really don't want to put it out Fleshgrind always works hard so we need some one else to work for to further us that much more and be on level with a label who see our visions and believes in us we are currently practicing three times a week usually we write the music and get down then write the lyrics it usually takes along time to put a song together were we want probably around 2 months for each song nothing soothing on our next release just heavier and more brutal than the last cd you can just expect each release to get more heavy and if it doesn't and any of my members decide they don't want to play extreme brutal death ill quit the band no sell outs here i want to go out on the top and finish what we have started brutal death groove grind
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What sort of child were you? Get into trouble much and did you like school? What age/year did you get into metal & what were the first bands you listened to? By the same token, what age/year did you get into the underground and what were some of the first bands/'zines you wrote to? Do you have any hobbies and what do you do in your spare time away from the band/label? What bands have you been listening to as of late????
A crazy one I ran around and did what I wanted basically I really hated to go to school when I was a kid but when I got to highschool I loved because of the babes. Well 80 I was listening to bands like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest and other heavy metal bands '80 through '87. I was mostly getting into heavy metal and thrash . It wasn't till '87 till I got into death by '88 I was in my first 3 piece death metal band called Trilogy Of Terror. I didn't get heavy in the underground till '92, even though I started doing a little mail in '90. Spare time hobbies I have a lot I am always looking to have fun. I like to fish golf hunt skiing both party go to great America six flags go to titty bars. Mostly i listen to a lot of brutal death metal with low vocals
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Do you see 'zines as a vital part of the underground? Who are some of the best 'zines/labels/distros United Guttural has worked with so far? Do you care if a 'zine is pro done or xeroxed when considering them for promos? You have a copy of my 2nd issue, what did you think of it and what do you think I need to improve on? Please name some favorite 'zines past and present????
Yes, definitely 'zines are very vital to the underground so far the best zines that I am working with are The Sermon, Brutalized, Midwest Metal, Metal Mafia, Headfucker, Pit, Satans Candy Basket, Hell frost, Wretched and the list goes on. Label and distros to name a few Coven Of Death Relapse, Repulse America and Spain Pathos, Pit Bulls, Necropolis, Moribund, Nightfall, Mosh Pit, Deathgasm Pudgeknuckle to in both categories to list No I really don't care about how its laid out long as it getting circulated your second is sue of your zine is good I didn't look at it lately so I cant make an analyst view on for improvements.
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Do you like split CD's and are they any coming out soon from United Guttural? Has distribution been hard to set up, being a new label? Any bands signed to other smaller labels that you wish were on yours? Are there any unsigned bands out there that wouldn't fit (i.e. - a doom or black metal band) on U.G. that you would like to see someone sign? Have you been in the running and lost out to another label on any bands yet? How many flyers do you print up for each new release, and do they seem to be doing their job? What bands are you keeping an eye on for a possible future album? What mags can we check out U.G. ads in? Which album has sold the best so far for you????
Yea, I like split cds are cool but I don't have any coming out as of yet. No not really I been in the underground for a long time. I don't have major distribution yet but I do have 33 US distributors and 11 over seas and I'm always looking for new ones and picking up a few a months. No there's not any other bands from any other small labels that I want. I already have enough good bands lined up. That's right This brutal death metal label solely supports old school death but mostly brutal shit but that doesn't mean that U.G. won't distribute doom or black metal so yes this means I won't sign unless its brutal. No I haven't lost out on any bands yet but it seems like there are some labels trying to sign all of my bands I could lose any of them at any given time. I know all of my bands have got other offers. So I guess I'm doing something right. I print thousands of ads for every release yes they are doing the job I'm starting to build a good reputation. Well I have my eye on a few bands but I don't want to give the names cuz of competiton. Ads will be in the following zines: Headfucker, Metal Mafia, Brutalized, The Sermon, Pit, Satan's Candy Basket, Hellfrost and a bunch of others.
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Please list some fave porn movies and actresses? Which movie star's tampon do you wish you could be? What is the strangest place you ever had sex? Ever made love to a death metal album, think you can pump thrust fast enough to keep up with the blasts? What is your favorite sexual position? Ever fuck a woman in the ass????
FAVORITES: Fistfucking Lesbians, Anal Explosion and Po Po. Stangest place in a pool full of people. Yes fucking to death metal rules NY slam is the best keeping up with the blasts is fun. Bugs bunny style that's when you put her legs behind her head and fuck like bb hell. Yes almost every girl have I have (had) I gave them the tube steak up the poop chute
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What is your opinion on the internet? Do you see it as a useful tool to bands/labels? What do you see as pros and cons (i.e. - People stopping snail mail and no flyers circulating) of Email? Will there be web pages forthcoming for Fleshgrind & United Guttural????
The internet seems like a good place to advertise your band or label. Well it saves money on postage and you can contact people over seas without costing You a lot of money bad thing is ads aren't getting passed around as much. The official web page is www.fleshgrind.com and the official Web for U.G. is www.unitedguttural.com Which is currently under construction and will list U.G. distribution titles of 7' lps picture disc lps demo tapes cds zines over 1000 products. In all carrying death, black, doom, grind, crust, heavy, all forms of metal basically.
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What are your opinions on the death metal bands and scene for the early '90's compared to the latter half of the '90's? Is your label a full-time job? Do you do the label completely alone????
I like a lot of those old school but a lot of The new bands are more progressed. Yes my label is my full time job. I have 6 partime workers.
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Rich, immense thanx my metal brother for taking the time out of your busy schedule to fill out this long (do you hate me yet!? Haha) interview, it is appreciated more than you know!! Please give some final comments to Canadian Assault readers????
Well dale thanks for this hellish interview this is got to be 1 of the longest interviews i have had in the ten years I've been doing undergound mail (Wow! It is not even close to the longest I have given -Dale). All fans world wide thanks for your everybody check out our web sites for shows or news. CRUSHING THE WORLD -RICH. Fleshgrind/united guttural any body can e mail me at :
rich@unitedguttural.com . Eeverybody get a hold of me fans, bands, zines, Labels, ditros radio stations. See you in the pit
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UNITED GUTTURAL RECORDS
P.O. BOX 752
GRAYSLAKE, IL. 60030
U.S.A.