BORN (TO GRIND) TOO SOON: THE MARUTA INTERVIEWS

I first encountered Floridian grindcore lords Maruta back in 2008 while they were touring behind their debut album In Narcosis.  I distinctly remember vocalist Mitchell Luna almost inadvertently whipping the beer out of my hand with his microphone chord, such was the manic energy he and the rest of the band were releasing on stage.  I was totally blown away, and Maruta had clearly stolen the show.  I briefly spoke with Luna afterwards, long enough to buy a copy of In Narcosis and requisite t-shirt + shill a bit for the website I was writing for at the time (Sonic Frontiers.net, don’t bother looking for it, it’s not there anymore) in the hopes of securing an interview.  The interview happened a few months later and In Narcosis wound up taking the #7 slot on my best metal albums of 2008 list.Here’s what I said about it at the time:

“Maruta’s In Narcosis was undoubtedly the record that restored my faith in grind. Sure, the Floridian trio adheres to many of the genre’s hallmarks, yet they also possesses a drive to expand and evolve the style that permeates their debut album from start to finish. Not content to stick with the “blast blast blast” template, Maruta offer a take on grindcore that is as thoughtful and progressive as it is brutal and ugly. Unfathomably ahead of the genre curve, Maruta is the future of grindcore, plain and simple.”

I still stand by those words.  I wasn’t listening to a lot of grind at the time, and In Narcosis came out of nowhere and caved my skull in, it still does every time I listen to it.  Its blend of classic grindcore filth, skewed technicality and misanthropic lyrics sounds fresh and vital three years later, which is saying something in this age when 99% of so-called “extreme” music is every bit as disposable as the average radio pop shit shingle.

Fast-forward to 2011 and Maruta have released their second album, Forward Into Regression, a hyper-active mix of grindcore, Gorguts-ian instrumental wizardry and crushing heaviness that will once again land the band a spot on my year end list when the times comes.  I interviewed Luna a second time in August of this year to discuss the album.  Unfortunately, 2011 will also be remembered as the year that Maruta decided to call it a day.  When I heard the announcement, I was saddened; I had always thought that Maruta would be a band I’d be writing about for years to come.  Furthermore, I met my wife at that show back in ’08, so it might sound odd, but the band has a sentimental place in my heart forever for that reason.  When I contacted Luna in order to get his blessing for this post, he added:

“I feel like Maruta was capable of more than what we were able to accomplish in 6 years… but a variety of shitty circumstances/ life’s bumps in the road ended up choking all the life out of the band prematurely. What’s sad is that there was material that we were working on that will most likely never see the light of day, but it is what it is. Not sure what else to say, other than the cliche “thanks to all who supported in any way, shape, or form”. Members will be starting new projects, you can count on that!”

Maruta will be playing one final show before being committed to past history; they will be remembered as a band that was unbelievably far ahead of their time.  Below are the two Maruta interviews I conducted in their entirety.  Enjoy them in remembrance and celebration of one of the most unique and forward-thinking bands in grindcore.  RIP Maruta.

Interview I: Originally written for Sonic Frontier.net(RIP) sometime in 2008, actual date of publication unknown.

THKD: For readers that might not be familiar with the band, tell us a little about how Maruta was formed and what you were doing prior to joining.

Mitchell Luna: I met Nick through DIY shows, old bands of ours would play together… I used to play in a band called Tyranny of Shaw at the time. He played in a doom band called Entropy, and in a death metal/grind band called Implosive Disgorgence. Eduardo was living in El Salvador (he has only lived in the U.S. for about 3 years). At the time we wanted to just get together and jam some straight forward powerviolence/grind, But we ended up getting a bit bored and started experimenting with wierd riffs, dissonant elements, and even some doom parts. We still like playing the more punk sounding shit sometimes too, so we kinda blend it all together in our own way.

THKD: The band takes its name from the brutal medical experiments conducted by the Japanese army during WWII. What was it about this atrocity that you find interesting and/or inspiring?

ML: To be completely honest, it was just a name I came up with really quick. Maruta has always kinda been going full speed ever since we got together. I remember we played our first show in Miami alongside our friends in Torche, Capsule, etc just a mere 2 weeks after our first rehearsal. We just had to pick something to throw on the flyer. I am a pretty big nerd when it comes to reading up on wars, biological experiments and whatnot, and I thought Maruta had a cool ring to it. We wanted a name that didn’t sound too “brutal”

THKD: In Narcosis is easily one of the year’s standout grindcore releases. Tell us a little about the writing and recording process behind the album. Are you pleased with the results?

Mitchell Luna: First of all, thanks for the kind words! That album was actually written over about a period of a year and a half. Some of the older songs were written with the help of our good friend and former member Jeff Stevenson. In Narcosis was originally only 10 songs. Willowtip decided to pick us up, but that meant that we had to go back into the studio and record more material to make it a real 30 minute full length. We encountered several technical and engineering difficulties and to be honest the completion of the album took a lot longer than we anticipated. There are a couple small things I wish I could change about it, but overall we are all happy with the outcome.

THKD: In listening to In Narcosis, it’s clear that there is much more at work than the traditional grindcore influences. What inspires Maruta to create such an innovative take on the genre?

Mitchell Luna: We just like to experiment and kinda keep things fresh in our own way. We are all big fans of different genres of extreme music or whatever the hell you want to call it, so we kinda mix grindcore, doom, punk, and death metal elements. We are pretty open minded during the song writing process, throwing something new on the table is never a problem for us if it is tasteful. We love bands like Benumb or Gorguts just as much as we love Los Crudos, Crowbar, Assuck, or a band like Creation is Crucifixion. For us its all about writing shit that would be exciting to both play and listen to once we are done.

THKD: Maruta operates as a trio, with a distinctive lack of bass guitar. Was this a conscious decision on the band’s part? Does this lack of low end ever present any difficulties for the band from a musical standpoint?

ML: To be honest we never intended on being bass-less. It just kinda worked out that way. It helps out that Eduardo tunes down really low, so we get that heavy low end in the overall guitar sound. We might be incorporating a bass player into our line-up in the near future though.

THKD: Your lyrics seem to come from a pretty misanthropic place, what is your take on the current social and political climate in the US, as well as that of humanity in general?

ML: I try my best to write lyrics that are meaningful, whether they be personal or about social issues that disgust me. I am a person that is strongly bothered by closed mindedness, backstabbers, or people that exploit others for their own personal gain. Most of Maruta’s lyrical content deals with my views on organized religion, or any other sort of establishment that directly dictates how people like you and me should live our lives, and what we should deem as moral or immoral. George W. Bush cut funds on stem cell research because the “bible says its wrong” for crying out loud. I do not understand how something beneficial to man through tons of medical benefits would be against “god”. If someone looks down upon someone else because of their religious beliefs, race, sexual orientation, etc, I am pretty much here to say fuck you and get off that imaginary pedestal you are standing on. Move forward, think, evolve.

THKD: With that said, grindcore is a style of music that has long been associated with politics. To what, if any extent is Maruta a “political band”?

ML: I wouldn’t really say that we are a political band… we may touch a subject or two that involves politics, but like I said earlier most of our lyrics deal with social issues or our views on humanity, etc.

THKD: Willowtip Records has made a name for itself as the “thinking man’s” label for metal and grindcore, and Maruta definitely falls into this category. How did you get hooked up with the label?

ML: We have always been a hard working band, and the type of dudes that do things ourselves. The connection with Willowtip was pretty much all just about sending our recorded material over, and being at the right place at the right time I guess. We were speaking to a couple other indie labels at the time, but once Willowtip was interested that was the obvious choice for us. We are pretty big fans of a lot of the material Willowtip has put out, not to mention that they are really cool dudes and treat us well. We are still stoked to this day about working with those fellas.

THKD: Florida was once known as a hotbed for extreme music, and the state is pretty much the birthplace of American death metal. What is the scene like these days?

ML: Well, it’s definitely not the same nowadays that’s for sure haha, but then again I wasn’t around for all that stuff in the late ’80s/early ’90s. While florida has a ton of solid bands and great people… the metal scene somewhat feels jaded in a weird way…. or it just could be myself that’s a bit jaded. Fuck if I know, dude! Florida’s metal scene is cool and all, but we fit in a shitload more with all the DIY and punk kids.

THKD: When I caught you guys on the War on Everything Tour with Impaled, Phobia and Illogicist, I was really impressed with the sheer ferocity of your performance. What is it about this music that inspires such a high level of intensity?

ML: Thanks a ton for coming out to that show, man. We all just really love what we do. We think, eat, shit, and sleep grindcore. It’s all about getting pumped as hell and just playing fast and playing pissed.

THKD: Do you enjoy touring and performing live? What are the pros and cons of life on the road?

ML: Touring is great… but yeah it always has its ups and downs, The ups are that everyday is a new city and a new adventure…. Hanging with old friends and making new ones. The downside is the financial side of things. Quite honestly we don’t make any money when we tour, we barely broke even last time. We were out for two months ( one month was one we booked ourselves and did independently, the other was the war on everything tour, playing a total of 54 shows). Also, it is really difficult to keep a job in between touring. It’s not like we play the music we do in hopes of making vast amounts of money… but a little bit to cover some bills/rent while we are out on the road would be nice.

THKD: What’s next for Maruta? When can we expect some more new material to surface? Is there any more touring in the works?

ML: Well, we have already written about 6 new songs (2 of which we played live on tour last time). It would be great to keep the momentum going, record another album for Willowtip in 2009. As far as tours, we are most definitely going to do something in may of 2009 to coincide with our performance at Maryland Death Fest, and hopefully another tour or two after that. We are in the process of finding a good booking agent to back us up and keep us busy. Thanks alot for your time, and to anyone who read this. Cheers and grind on!!

Interview II: Originally posted to THKD on 08/04/11

THKD: What were you looking to accomplish with the new album, Forward into Regression?

Mitchell Luna: We were honestly just trying to challenge ourselves a bit. Put together a grind/metal album that is not traditional or predictable. When we sit down and write, we pretty much only compose stuff that is pleasing to our ears. We have no regard for what others think when they give it a listen. I guess you can say we are a “sonically selfish” band. What sounds great to us, might just be ok to you… and that’s fine. We are all really happy with the outcome, and I think Forward into Regression is the best representation of Maruta yet.

I don’t expect everyone into grind to like Maruta, but as long as you hear us, or see us live and say “well, these guys are fucking really into what they do”.. if we get that point across, to me it would feel like we musically suceeded.

THKD: You recorded the new album at Mana Studios. How would you describe the experience?

ML: The recording process was pleasant. Brian and Erik were very cool, down to earth, and cracked tons of jokes. There also happened to be a total wine and liquors store nearby. I spent most of my time (when I was not recording vocals) hanging out and sipping on micro brew beer while playing playstation, so it was pretty laid back to say the least (for myself haha). We tracked drums and vocals over there, and recorded the D.I. tracks for the bass and guitar at my house/Mauro’s house, then re-amped them at the studio. Definitely some good vibes in that studio. I would say we are all pretty pleased with the outcome and the experience in general.

THKD: After the great response In Narcosis received, did you feel any pressure while conceiving the follow up album?

ML: Well, In Narcosis got a good response as far as blogs, and smaller zines are concerned… we are extremely grateful for that. But for the most part I think it was pretty overlooked by all the “bigger” metal publications. It didn’t sell all too well either, haha… but that is probably just due to the times.

As far as pressure, I would say no…we played a few songs off Forward into Regression even as early as 2008 live, and the response was always positive. Forward into Regression is basically In Narcosis on steroids. If you liked that album, you will like this one as well or even more.

The pressure will be on for full length number 3 though. I would like to change things up a bit, for the sake of variety. And no, don’t worry we don’t aim to alienate our listeners. No clean singing or cheesy breakdowns will be involved. It will still be a grind record.

THKD: What was your mindset while crafting the songs that make up Forward into Regression? How would you describe your approach to creating new material?

ML: The songwriting process was all over the place for this record. I’d say half of it was written by Eduardo on his own (sometimes with my help, I would sit there and hum riffs because I can barely play an instument haha)… Our new bassist Mauro wrote 3 songs off of it, and there were several songs/ parts of songs that were written on the spot at practices.

Our mindset was like what I said earlier. To put together music that is pleasing to our own ears before anyone elses.

THKD: How do you think the band has progressed since In Narcosis?

ML: Well… we have a bass player for starters. The songs on Forward into Regression flow together better as a cohesive whole I think. There is a lot more going on musically this time as well.

THKD: The songs on the new album seem a bit more technical. Was this a conscious effort or just a natural progression for the band?

ML: It honestly just happened naturally. Eduardo writes riffs that are very tech-y, but in his head they are not… I don’t know if that makes any sense to you, but what I am trying to say I guess is that we don’t aim to be technical. It sort of just seeps out on its own.

THKD: What are some the of the lyrical themes being explored on Forward into Regression?

ML: Most of Maruta’s lyrical content touches social themes, and the same applies to Forward into Regression…. there are a couple of songs on the new album that are extremely personal though, and a few that venture to the abstract. I personally think that lyrics are left best for interpretation, it takes the fun and “art” out of it if I just sit and talk about what they really mean to me, and what I felt when I wrote them.

What’s weird is that I never really discuss the actual lyrics or their subject matter with my bandmates.. I am really closed off and reserved when it comes to that for some odd reason, and I am never truly comfortable speaking about what I wrote. I’d even go as far as saying that no one in the band usually even knows 75% of the song titles until we are in the studio recording them. Either way, the rest of the guys are usually too caught up in all that is going on musically, and have enough on their plate to sit and be worrying about what I am going to write.

JH: Who created the cover art for the new album? How does the artwork tie into the themes of the new album?

ML: Our friend Alex Eckman Lawn handled the art duties. He has pretty much been our go to guy as far as artwork goes. He has designed a shit load of shirt designs for us in the past, but this is the first time he actually puts together album art for us. I am extremely happy with the results, and we are going to stick with him from now on.

The art is very gloomy. We were aiming for a “crumbling dystopian city“ type look, and Alex achieved it well.

Forward into Regression definitely has a dark theme to it. It conveys our views of society and humanity in general. These are strange and difficult times for everyone… greed and close-mindedness are not just abundant, but it seems as that in times of economic frustration and unrest, man’s negative traits have flourished. Therefore it feels like we are moving forward into regression, we are making the opposite of progress.

THKD: You’ve added a bass player since the last album. How has this changed Maruta’s approach?

ML: We always wanted a bass player…. Finding an individual that was on the same page as us on a both muscial and personal level was what prevented us from having one before. Mauro is a great guy, and we couldn’t be happier to have him. He is very skilled, fun to be around, and shares the same “open minded” mentality that we have in regards to songwriting. He has brought more “energy” to the band, of that makes sense.

THKD: This is also your first recording with new drummer Danny Morris. What does he bring to the band and the new album?

ML: We actually got very lucky finding Danny… he is actually Mauro’s (bassist) roomate and they have great chemistry together as far as music goes. A lot of the songs on Forward into Regression were originally written with our old drummer (Nick Augusto, who left the band to persue more commerical musical endeavors with Trivium)… and then he basically had to re-write most of the drums, with certain old parts in mind. I love Danny’s style, it is definitely more “relentless” sounding to me, and I am very happy to work with that bastard. He is extremely tight, and always manages to throw in creative fills here and there that are very pleasing to my eardrums.

I would say overall, the drums on the new record have a different feel to them, and I believe it is a step in the right direction.

THKD: With that said, I have to ask: What was your reaction Nick Augusto leaving to join Trivium(barf)?

ML: It was pretty odd at first, but it was a good move for him financially. He lives off playing drums now, so if he is happy then I am happy for him. It must be weird playing in a band that you don’t think is good, but then again it must be nice not having to work a day job and do things like travel around in tour buses and make good money.

I personally have invested a couple grand into Maruta, and we barely even break even most of the time. So yea, this band is something that so far has provided very little financial gain. Things like that can take a toll on you over time, and make you wonder why you still keep getting back in a rusty van and losing jobs to play in front of 8 kids in some moldy basement somewhere in middle America. You have to really love what you do to keep going. It is not for everyone.

Back to the subject of Nick, I still talk to him from time to time, and there are no hard feelings. It ended up working out for the best, because I think Danny made the band sound tighter.

THKD: Maruta is often mentioned as one of the bands that is pushing grindcore forward. Where do you think the genre is going? What are your thoughts on the current state of grind?

ML: Well, first of all thanks for those kind words! We experiment alot, and will throw in riffs from the death metal side of things, or let doom influence seep in from time to time. The way we see it, is if we write a riff.. and it sounds good, but a little too death metal… or a little too hardcore.. or a little too whatever.. it would be an absolute shame not to use it because it doesn’t sound “grind” enough. We listen to all sorts of different styles that the muscial spectrum has to offer, and for us I feel it would be dumb to close ourselves off to experimentation just for the sake of fitting in neatly into a certain mold or genre…. don’t get me wrong either, we all fucking LOVE traditional grind.. but there are plenty of other bands holding that genre down and keeping things going alot better than we ever could. Experimentation is not something that is necessary, it just happens to be what we are into.

I have said this in other interviews, but we are usually that band that death metal fans consider too grind, and grind fans consider too death metal, haha.

As far as the current state of grind: 2011 has been pretty crazy. Tons of great records have surfaced (new Noisear, Wormrot, Gridlink, Weekend Nachos, Rotten Sound, etc.).

I still get psyched when I hear new music that blows me away. Whatever it may be, as long as it is played with passion and it comes from the right place.

THKD: What are you listening to right now? What bands/albums do you find inspiring?

ML: As far as heavy music is concerned: The latest Noisear album is fucking great like I mentioned earlier. For those who have slept on listening to it, I would highly recommend it. Same goes for the new Sulaco record (even though I do not think it is officially out yet) My good friends Erik and Henrik who used to be in Crowpath started a new band called Tellusian that is pretty awesome as well.

THKD: Will you be doing any touring in support of Forward into Regression?

ML: Yes sir. We have a 5 week tour planned in Europe that we will be doing with Wormrot. It will be the first time we head overseas, so I am stoked as hell. We have some off dates here and there in the US, 2 of them being Scion sponsored shows alongside Phobia and Gridlink.

I would have loved to do a full U.S. Tour, but things really did not pan out this time. Perhaps in 2012 we can tour and do things right this time. I still self book all of our tours, which has both helped and hurt us in the past.

Unfortunately, even on a decent label and with 2 full lengths under our belt, we have not had much luck as far as finding a booking agent to work with us full time.

THKD: What’s next for Maruta? What does the rest of 2011 have in store for you guys?

ML: Like I said, we are doing that lengthy European tour in Sept/October. Our friend David Hall actually just finished wrapping up shooting a new music video for a song featured on Forward Into Regression, so you can expect that to surface soon. He does great work, and has shot videos for Today is the Day, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Fuck the Facts, Jucifer and others, as well as the MDF films. The vinyl version of the album also finally comes out late this month through Power It Up records. It will be gatefold and limited to 500.

THKD: Are there any final thoughts you’d like to add?

ML: Thanks for the interview, Josh, and thanks to those that took the time to read it Cheers!