Death metal is their business…and business is good! Chicago death squad Cardiac Arrest has just finished work on their seventh album, The Day That Death Prevailed. The CD will be released on July 27 via Memento Mori. Vinyl will arrive in September via Boris Records and cassettes will be released via Headsplit Records. We sat down with lead singer/guitarist Adam Scott and guitarist Tom Knizner to discuss the details of their brand new album.
The Day That Death Prevails seemed to come together rather fast. Am I wrong in this assessment? Was there a need to keep the ball rolling after A Parallel Dimension of Despair?
Adam Scott: Yes we did. We normally take a year and a half or so to write enough songs. As soon as Parallel was behind us, we felt the need to go back to work right away. We had ideas in mind right away musically.
Which is the perfect lead to the next question. How does a Cardiac Arrest song come about? Do you have a routine or does it grow from a riff/lyrical idea?
Tom Knizner: Adam usually has some skeletons of songs ready. We will jam the riffs and then see where it can go. I’m more spontaneous in writing. Usually, when we are warming up, I’ll play something. If it sticks, we keep exploring. If not, maybe next time. But it is totally a collaborative effort. David (Holland) does a lot of the arranging and Nick (Gallichio) will try different beats, but we all work together. Keep in mind we don’t play live a whole lot. We practice together once a week, every week. So we are always working on something.
You’ve always been a great band. However, I feel there’s been substantial growth from Morgue Mutilations to today. Each album is progressively heavier and deadlier than the last. Would you agree? If so, what do you attribute to this development?
AS: I would say so. With any band with any sort of longevity comes maturity in some way in the songwriting.
TK: Really, it’s consistency. We enjoy each other’s company and love jamming together. Adam, David, and I have been together since 2006. Nick joined us in 2011. So many bands have jumbled lineups or just pack it in.
I’ve always felt Cardiac Arrest has an underlying punk edge comparable to Abscess. It certainly showed on the last album with “Professional Victim”. Can we expect the same pissed off energy on The Day That Death Prevails? Also, who are your favorite punk bands?
TK: Yes, that’s me. If you are familiar with my other band, Severed, we did that Abscess style. So I naturally brought that in to Cardiac when I joined. My favorites are the usual suspects. Ramones, Misfits, Fear, Black Flag, and lots of others.
AS: There’s definitely a lot of that this time around more so. Lately I’ve been big on stuff like Antiseen and Cocknoose. There’s other punk stuff I like as well. Obviously Misfits. Also, Fear, Sloppy Seconds, and Black Flag.
TK: Let’s not forget GG!
Of course!
AS: Yes!
TK: Plasmatics too.
The new album’s cover art was done by the great Eric Rot and it’s brutally beautiful. How important to you is an album’s artwork in conveying the point of the music?
AS: I think in a lot of cases it’s very important. It has to fit the vibe in some ways of course. Also, when someone discovers your band and sees the CD/LP/whatever for the first time wherever, one thing that has to grab them is the cover art. Think of anytime you go to a music shop. A lot of times, I bought something based on the cover. A blind buy at times, but money well spent I’d say.
TK: I’ve got nothing to add there other than Rot rules!
AS: That too. Rot’s the man.
Cardiac Arrest has been going strong for nearly two decades. Over the years, you’ve played shows and festivals all over the word. Which shows stand out as favorites?
AS: One favorite would definitely be Autopsy in 2012 in Chicago for obvious reasons. Other shows I would say are Neurotic Deathfest 2015 in Tilburg, Netherlands. It was easily the most people we ever played to and a great way to end our first European tour. NRW Deathfest 2018 out in Germany was great too. And over a decade ago we played in Montreal with Deströyer 666. It was quite an insane experience.
TK: The Autopsy shows here that we played. And the tour with Nominon in Europe was one of the funnest times for us. Europe just rules all the way around. You get treated so well. Then you come back here and play and get two drink tickets.
You’ve released splits with bands such as Surgikill, Radiation Sickness, and death/doom overlords, Coffins. Are there any bands you’d like to release a split with in the future?
TK: We have plans with splits. Since there is nothing on the live front for the foreseeable future, we are already back to writing. And we like to do splits because they are fun and get to showcase another band and vice versa. It’s a win win.
AS: There’s definitely a few bands and ideas in mind. It’s just a matter of coming to fruition.
Finally, I know you’re both avid record collectors like myself. What is your desert island album?
AS: It depends on my mood. I guess either Left Hand Path (1990) by Entombed or eeny-meeny-miny-moe it on whatever Iron Maiden album.
TK: I don’t have one, so I’ll just make a short list: Horrified (1989) by Repulsion, Severed Survival (1989) by Autopsy, Kill ‘Em All (1983) by Metallica, Killers (1981) by Iron Maiden, Tres Hombres (1973) by ZZ Top, and Too Fast for Love (1981) by Mötley Crüe. I got lots of others, but those really stick for me.
AS: It’s a tough question for sure!
Well guys, thanks for taking the time to talk and I look forward to the new album! Cheers!
AS: Thanks man! Cheers!!!
TK: Cheers and thanks.