INTERVIEW GURKKHAS

"For me, French death metal is made up of three bands: Massacra, Loudblast and Crusher."

Speaking of bands that have been inactive for decades (see previous interview with Canada's November Grief, see here), a few weeks ago I suddenly had the announcement of the reunion of a band in my mailbox that I, like so many others, had long since irrevocably consigned to the eternal hunting grounds of death metal. We're talking about the French Gurkkhas (with one more “k”, named after the Gurkhas, Nepalese soldiers in the service of the British Army and the Indian armed forces, in which they form their own units). They have now released a compilation via Great Dane Records, which includes the complete second album as well as parts of the debut, and which I can only warmly recommend to all fans of US-American death metal in particular. I spoke to vocalist Jeff about the two albums released back then at the turn of the millennium as well as about the current and future situation of the band and death metal in France.

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Hello Jeff, you broke up the band in 2003 after two albums on Massacre Records and Morbid Records. What were the reasons for the end of the band back then?

Hello, our guitarist decided at the time to follow another path, and as we did not find any as good as him, we finally, death in the soul, decided to hang up.

Especially when you think back to the time of the two albums, what are your emotions and thoughts about them? What were the best, what were the worst moments, which gigs and/or tours did you play back then?

This isn't objective of course, but I think these two albums, especially the second one, are outstanding and I really wish I could have presented them at their true value, through concerts and tours with a big audience, so we could tell if they were really such good releases or not. There were so many great moments, like when a fan lifted up the top of his t-shirt and got our logo tattooed on it, or when we played in Salvador, watched on stage by soldiers with AK47 machine guns, and other sad moments like the refusal to pay us, the ordinary life of a band on tour so to say.

And nowadays, what prompted you to revive the band after more than 20 years? Who took the initiative? If I understand correctly, you're as vocalist the only member left from the line-up of the two albums, right? Did you make music elsewhere in the meantime until the reactivation of Gurkkhas?

Nico, the drummer, had this idea. He asked Romain and me and we said yes. He also proposed it to Richard, the guitarist who had left the band but he finally declined after after the original commitment. From the first album I am the only one left, from the time of the second album we are three. In the meantime I made an appearance on a death metal compilation some years ago but nothing more. I had focused my life on Gurkkhas you know, and for me it was this band or nothing.

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"It’s really fun because our songs are 20 years old and many say they haven’t aged and have stood the test of time. It must be said that Nicolas Hamond, our drummer, restructured and modernized them. We’ll see what it’s like live, but we’re very confident because Gurkkhas is primarily a live band, both albums were designed to do that."

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Do many people from back then still have you on their radar and are surprised or happy that you are back, or do you rather have the feeling of starting all over again?

I was really extremely surprised by the reception that this "best of" album received. Frankly, imagine coming back after 20 years, it’s a strange feeling. First we announced it and immediately we received a lot of support emails, and it went around the networks, then interviews and CD reviews started to arrive and they are all very good or excellent so far. It’s really fun because our songs are 20 years old and many say they haven’t aged and have stood the test of time. It must be said that Nicolas Hamond, our drummer, restructured and modernized them. We’ll see what it’s like live, but we’re very confident because Gurkkhas is primarily a live band, both albums were designed to do that.

The “A life of suffering” album is included in its entirety on the new release plus some songs from the “Engraved in Blood, Fleshand Souls” album. Why didn't you put both albums (at least almost) on the CD? The length would have at least come close (almost 75 minutes fit on one audio CD).

It was a decision from our record company.

You come from Bourg les valance in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the south-east of France. Can you introduce our readers to this region? And which bands are worth recommending in your area? But Gurkkhas were originally based in Brittany, weren't they?

To be honest I know no one in the south . The other members are still in Brittany area but I don’t know the bands actually. We are back since years in silence, like if we were frozen in time, hahaha!

I'm currently reading “Into everlasting Fire”; the official band biography of Immolation, in which they also tell how they played with Massacra and Tankard at Le Gibus in Paris in 1989 and were one of the first American/ foreign death metal bands to visit France. How did you experience the beginnings of death metal in France, which bands were particularly popular and/or influenced you at the beginning as a listener and to start with Gurkkhas?

For me, French death metal is made up of three bands: Massacra, Loudblast and Crusher (how could I forget Crusher in my list, shame on my head. Incidentally, this band had also reformed in the meantime and even announced a new album for 2021 for the band's 30th anniversary, but nothing came of it after all- author's note). These three groups made me want to make this music. Their professionalism, creativity and way of being influenced us enormously. We recorded both our albums in the studio of Loudblast’s leader, Mr Stéphane Buriez. We are also fans of Immolation, Morbid Angel, Deicide....

Do you have a theory why France has never played such an important role in death metal and extreme sounds? Off the top of my head, apart from Gurkkhas, I can think of the long gone Massacra, who created some great albums, Loublast, Mercyless, the progressive death/doomers of Misanthrope, Arkhon Infaustus, the death/doomers of Ataraxie and the long-lived Agressor, who have been around since time immemorial. Compared to much smaller countries like the Netherlands in terms of population, that's not so much. Your ideas in this regard?

I think it’s changing, but very, very slowly. I think that the media, the infrastructure, even if it evolves, is not at the same level as the other countries in Europe. It’s as if death metal, or even metal itself in time as a musical genre, was not taken seriously at all, it’s sad.

What can we expect from Gurkkhas in the future? A new album? What about gigs? You are currently looking for a bass player, right?

We are working on the third album and when we have two or three new tracks, we will present it to music publishers and we’ll see . As for festivals or tours, our management takes care of it and again we will see what happens. But one thing is certain, we are back! And yes we are looking for a bass player, anyone interested could contact us under  Gurkkhas666@gmail.com.

The last words belong to you, here you can get rid of everything that has not yet been said!

First of all, I would like to thank you for your support, it’s extremely nice and we appreciate it very much. Then, to all of you who read and notice that death metal war machine Gurkhas is back...so soon! Stay brutal.