It isn’t often that we get the chance to hear a death/grindcore band emerging from New Zealand, but RVKKVS is here to change that. Although they are a new name, the band’s members may not be veterans of the old school, but they are no strangers to the scene, they are hungry and eager to make their mark around the world. Their music delivers a relentless mix of death metal and grindcore, proving that this crew knows exactly how to craft pure brutality. I spoke with the band about their origins, influences, and what it means to be part of the underground metal scene from such a far-flung corner of the world.
Hey guys down under! RVKKVS is a relatively new band. How did the formation of the band come about, and what inspired you to start this project? Was the creation of the band related to COVID, which broke out that year or this is just coincidental? What does RVKKVS name stand for?
Raj: I started writing a few tracks after some back and forth with Allan and Ben talking about starting another grind band out of the ashes of a previous band we were in together in “Bloodfvkk” in the mid 2010’s. It was kind of spontaneous when the riffs started flowing and a shell of an idea of where this could go came together. This was when Recidivist Reprobate was written, alongside the 2 tracks that come before it on the album. They were intended to be played as a piece together.
This was just before the lockdowns, so we’re really not a COVID band that spawned from having too much spare time haha. It was just a coincidence. Allan and Ben were also writing a few separate songs alongside at the time.
We then needed to find someone who could hack it on bass. So hoping by chance he would be interested, we hit up a bass player friend who played in a band we all really dug while growing up in NZ. One of the most violent bands out of this country IMO, Forced to submit. That’s when Ross came into the picture and he was keen off the bat. After being a full time muso in a very different capacity for years, he was hungry to play brutal music again and dug the tunes.
Thus RVKKVS was formed. Don’t read too much into the name. It’s literal. The v’s are a homage to where we came from (the ashes of BLOODFVKK). It’s caveman enough for listeners to ridicule at first haha, then change their minds when they hear the blast of “fuck you” in the music.
You’ve focused your sound on a combination of death metal and grindcore. Who are your biggest musical influences or albums from these genres? Were there any local influences outside of extreme music, like your neighbors Kylie Minogue or Jason Donovan? 🙂
Raj: Well it’s pretty hard to put a collective bunch of influences together, since we’re a bit of an eclectic bunch with taste in music that can vastly differ. To be honest, I can’t really think of any particular albums that served as an influence towards the song writing in Rvkkvs specifically and if i’m to write a list of my favourite bands in the genre, it’ll be too much of a passage. I’d be lying if I said I’m not curious about seeing what others triangulate out of hearing it though haha.
Local influences outside extreme music? Naa haha. I’m sure the other guys might pull something out you can have a laugh at though haha.
Ben: Metal wise we listen to all types of stuff, but for me one non metal influence locally here in NZ that comes to mind is Erny Belle, specifically Venus is Home album, it covers some of the same themes we do in our music. Otherwise there’s lots of influences outside of music, for instance the samples and atmosphere we have tried to convey comes partly from us all being into movies and comics. Obviously samples are nothing new in extreme music, especially grindcore, but we’ve tried to “curate” them for this particular release to have a certain vibe, and we use them as well as other atmospheric samples when we play live. Oh actually also maybe some Jimmy Barnes Cold Chisel shit hahaha, old school Bon Scott era AC/DC, ruthless old school Aussie pub rock hahaha.
Death metal and grindcore are quite widespread genres. How do you strive to remain original within these boundaries, and how do you think you’ll attract listeners on a global level?
Raj: If you are genuine in your approach to composition, not thinking to emulate but more writing to a gut feeling of what you like, it will naturally be something different. So about it staying within the boundaries of the genres, I’m not particularly concerned about.
We create aggressive music with a fair lot of variety in rhythms, pacing and melody. We care about the hook as much as the mayhem. Always dark and unhinged. Monster truck riffs and carnage brutherrr.
Ben: We’ve all written sections of songs, there’s not one sole songwriter and all ideas are on the table and we have a lot of different heavy music influences, shit that we are inspired by, so the songs we create are fairly different from one another. Hopefully listeners will find something they are drawn to and when the album is listened to start to end there’s enough variety in there to keep you hooked and with a few surprises.
Your debut album is set to be released at the end of November via the Australian label Grindhead Records. How did this collaboration come about, and what do you expect from it?
Raj: We were put in touch with Grindhead by Ricki from ODIUSEMBOWEL, when I was asking around for recommendations, while sending out EPK’s to labels. Being a “new” band (even though composed of experienced musicians) it’s a difficult endeavour to find a label that’s willing to invest in your vision alone. We realised Grindhead has been contributing to extreme music in AU and even by proxy NZ (finding out they were involved in DISGORGE (US) making it over here in the mid 2000’s). We were lucky that Ryan (of Grindhead records) liked our material and was immediately interested.
He agreed to release the CD and we set a release date later in the year. In underground label fashion, we expect a better distribution of our physical formats and help to promote the release. Grindhead also organises shows under “Grindhead productions”, so we look forward to potentially playing more shows “over the ditch” in Australia. They’ve been great to work with so far! Straight to the point, no smoke and mirrors. The way we like it.
Are you satisfied with the album’s production? Did you achieve the sound you wanted?
Raj: This being our first album, it’s a beginning to defining the sound we want and I’m stoked with how it’s turned out. Hearing it back has spawned ideas on what we can do next!
I tracked the album at a project recording studio that me and Cam Sinclair (who mixed the album) run called “Dynamic Rage” and Luke Finlay of “Primal Mastering” mastered it.
We’re all friends and work together often, so it was quite “in house” with all of us being aligned with what we were out to achieve. There’s a vast load of talent and experience from both Cam and Luke in extreme metal productions and their work on the album really pulled it together.
We wanted a clear yet outwardly aggressive sound and I think we got there!
It’s all with real amps / pedals / mics and analogue outboard gear. No slip edits or sample replacements. I guess a fairly “organic” approach for modern standards.
Can you tell us more about the themes you explore in your lyrics and your songwriting process – does the text come first, the music, or is it a certain atmosphere that “clicks”?
Ben: As Raj mentioned in a previous question, the formation of this band was fairly spontaneous, and there wasn’t a clear theme in mind when we started writing songs. We write songs in all different ways, sometimes it’s a guitar part, sometimes a jammed riff, sometimes a programmed drum idea is emailed around, sometimes lyrics are written first, and sometimes there’s a “beat box” voice recording that forms the initial structure of the song.
Thematically once we realized we had the bones of an album the name “Antithesis of Prosperity” was chosen and put on the shelf as we wrote the rest of the tracks. the songs on this album, as the name suggests, talk about dysfunction, loss, hubris, addiction, there’s even a love song hidden in there haha. But yeah basically just the human experience and some of the bad choices we make not just as individuals but as a society. Just like our music though, the themes and lyrics are not bound by any particular genre or theme so we mix it up and we roll with what the moment calls for.
What is the grindcore/death metal scene like in New Zealand, and how do you contribute to it, or perhaps not contribute?
Raj: NZ has been a country with majority Death and Grind local metal bands from the time i’ve been around since the early 2000’s. We’ve all been involved either playing in bands or organizing shows / Fests (both local and international) over the years up till now. Also involved in recording and producing bands in the scene. So you could say we’ve been living and breathing underground metal for a long time.
We’re a small country in the middle of nowhere, so as you can imagine, musicians all know each other and it’s a tight scene. Gig’s happen fairly often, you could get a show every month or two in the major cities (Auck / Welly / Chch).
Some of my favs which should give you a bit of a feel of the styles that are prominent in the Death metal or Grind scene: CARNAL, ODIUSEMBOWEL, MALEVOLENCE, EXALTATION and HERESIARCH. Check them out!
How would you describe the energy of your live performances? You opened for some big names on the global extreme scene, most recently on the FULL OF HELL & THOU tour. How did the audience react?
Allan: As a band we try to have our live energy match our ferocious music which is an extreme approach. Extreme heavy, extreme grooves and what we like to refer to as monster truck riffs! Extreme tempo and speed at times. We want to be constantly testing ourselves and surpass our limits while at the same time enjoying ourselves and the ritual of performing!
Opening for FULL OF HELL & THOU was a huge honour and privilege. Both bands played amazing sets above any and all expectations! FULL OF HELL was epic! Thou played one of the most crushing and punishing sets I’ve ever seen! As for the audience, there was a really good turn out from the beginning, quite a lot of people were there for our set. People who took the time to speak to us afterwards gave positive feedback. In fact, when looking for a venue for our album release, a venue came back to us commenting that their staff had been to this gig and loved the set which was awesome. We’ve booked said venue for the album release show!
What was the first show you ever played?
Allan: As Rvkkvs the first show we played was at a venue called The Thirsty Dog (a tavern in Auckland city) alongside these bands: GRAVE AXIS, SOUL VOID and PARASITIC INFESTATION. It was a good show with a good reception from the crowd and good feedback from the other bands, some of whom we are good friends with. You can watch our debut show on Youtube – shot in 360 degree footage.
Has the rise of social media and online music platforms increased visibility for you as a band, and are you planning to use it in every possible way after album release?
Allan: I guess you could say that most of us have been lucky to have been in the pre digital and online era where things like poster runs and flyers / handouts; as well as things like regulars at specific venues that metal bands would play at. Also that era a lot of bands’ reputations were built on stories of epic shows where “you had to be there” and some bands built mythical and legendary stories and reputations via word of mouth.
I personally miss that era. However, with the changing times and evolution of technology it’s just a reality that social media and other online platforms are now the norm. It is not so bad. To have access to bands you love or recommendations from friends or the rumours and reputations of bands and being able access their albums online or view live shows, or even direct contact with a band, is something quite unique and special. Worth embracing. We hope to have good engagement and connections with the rest of the world via social media and other online internet platforms after this initial release.
Raj: Social media is quite saturated so to be actually visible, you need to have consistent content that’s entertaining for the follower and know how to work the platform’s to get maximum reach. I’m used to spending time on bigger pieces than multiple quick shots to work some algorithm. So it can be a bit of a struggle, but you need to evolve with the time.
To answer your question however, yes we plan to push as much as we can on social media platforms. We want to give our tunes the best shot at getting heard! We are however thankful that underground outlets such as yourself are interested in our tunes and engage with us. You spread the word to those who are actually invested in our niche extreme music and that means a lot to us.
There’s been a lot of discussion lately about AI in band artwork design, and some bands are okay with using it. How important is artwork for your band, and would you consider using AI-generated work as the cover for your album?
Ben: I consider myself an illustrator before I’m a vocalist, and visual art is a big motivator for me in general. It’s cool to be able to collaborate with your bandmates on a project like Rvkkvs and do the art and aesthetics “DIY” styles, all the album art, merch, logos are all done by us. We collaborate on ideas and I’ve done the artwork for the “Antithesis of Prosperity” album. Music and art go hand in hand and I love the album cover as a medium to help convey the vibe of the music to the listener to flesh out the experience.
AI art I personally wouldn’t use for a cover piece, as it’s a good chance for me to do some traditional by-hand (paints, charcoal etc) art which I don’t get much time to do these days. I have no problem with other people using AI art, in some respects it has a dystopian flavour to it which can be quite effective. I’m fascinated with the rise of technology and the growing relationship, good and bad, with people, so from a curiosity standpoint I reckon go hard and explore AI art if that’s what you want to do!
Which bands are you listening to lately? Do you favor old bands and albums, or do you have some favorite new bands as well?
Raj: Lately, I guess for extreme metal, I’ve been listening to the new ADORIOR album “Bleed on my teeth” that dropped a few weeks ago. It’s been a real throwback because it feels like the natural progression to their last album that came out over 20 years ago. Almost trapped in time and I love it that they’ve maintained that essence from when I first heard them back then! Dark and filthy!
The new INTERNAL SUFFERING – “Rituals” has been on constant rotation along with the new GRIDLINK album. Both bands that are delivering shit over and above. The new SKELETAL REMAINS is also pretty steroids and I’m back on cranking DEMOLITION HAMMER – “Epidemic of Violence” regularly.
I can’t say I favour only old bands but these days I seem to be leaning that way a bit more. Probably more a testament to my age more than anything, though I notice a lot of the newer bands in death metal are pushing a lot more into mid paced slam vibes. I prefer bands that earn their slams rather than start on it at the get go haha. New bands I’ve heard that I like are DISSIMULATOR (Can) and DELIQUESCE (AU). One’s technical death thrash and the other has NYDM feels! Give them a go. Let rabid music become a thing again.
After the album release, what’s next for RVKKVS?
Allan: First step after the album release perhaps some shows to celebrate releasing. We have already begun working on the next batch of songs and are considering doing an EP and also split release.
We would also like to engage with the global scene a lot more and connect with you all out there. So feel free to send us messages via our social media.
Something else we’d like to do is grow our merch to a much bigger scale (I have always been impressed by the scale of range of merchandise bands like SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, BEHEMOTH, IMPIETY have available to their fans).
Top three New Zealand beers?
Raj:
- Black Sands – Wolverine (When you want to get fucked up)
- Parrot Dog – Bitter Bitch
- Hawkes Bay Brewing Co – Ginger Fusion
Allan:
- Tuatara
- DB Draft
- Hazy IPA
Ben:
- Speights Summit
- Garage Project- Pernicious Weed
- Hallertau #7 and #10
Any last words to the readers, old and new fans?
Allan: Thank you to all who support us and the metal scene, here in NZ and the scene wherever you are. We hope you dig our sound! Keep that metal flowing in your veins! See you at a gig or in a mosh pit real soon! Perhaps even online! Keep metal going strong!
Ben: Thanks for reading this and supporting metal wherever you are! It’s awesome to see so much sick new music coming out and the level of creativity and musicianship is inspiring. Metal is a constant, and a source of energy and inspiration! We hope you find something in our album that hits the spot and gets the stank face going haha.
Raj: Keep an eye out on our social media for more content leading up to the release of “Antithesis Of Prosperity” next month! Expect monster truck riffs and carnage. SEE YOU IN THE PIT. Thanks Nenad and Necrozine for reaching out for this interview!
Follow RVKKVS:
Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/rvkkvsnz
Digital pre-order (Bandcamp): https://rvkkvs.bandcamp.com
Physical pre-order (Bandcamp): https://grindheadrecords.bandcamp.com/album/antithesis-of-prosperity
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3SHJmnPgz0ebubv3OGtLjC
Youtube Music: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCaGsCJA0sVsmHEPBUU8BObQ
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/rvkkvs/1766603166
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rvkkvsnz
Recidivist Reprobate Visualiser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYgen9C-kPI