Interviews: Mulciber

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Death Metal band Mulciber from the USA. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. What was the main inspiration behind your new single “Ashes of Gehenna”?

Ian: Just telling a story of what had happened in the valley of Gehenna and a storied telling of what someone saw who opposed these kinds of sacrifice.

2. The title is pretty intense. What does “Gehenna” represent in the context of the song?

Ian: Gehenna was a pre-biblical location. Where people committed acts of idolatry and ritualistic sacrifice to the deity Moloch.

3. Why did you choose “Ashes of Gehenna” as the first glimpse into the upcoming album Of Insidious Essence?

Bill: Mostly because it's one of the most aggressive songs. But also has a lot of what we do as a band in one song. It's heavy, it has a groove, and a nice breakdown.

4. Mulciber blends early 2000s death metal with both modern and old school brutality. How did you approach capturing that balance in this track?

Aaron: Mainly, I was trying to match the intensity of the riffs Ian and Bill had already written for this track. The 1st half of the song was Billy and Ian's writing. And I followed up with the 2nd half pulling influence from my favorite bands Hate Eternal and Skeletal Remains.

5. Your band formed during the global pandemic in 2020. How did that strange time influence the creation of Mulciber?

Bill: So, during that time, Ian and Aaron were in a different band. And it was a bit unorganized, and other members were unmotivated before, and with the global pandemic happening. So they ( Ian and Aaron) decided they wanted to start a new project. And keep this band more structured, songwriting-wise, and management-wise. Plus, having a global pandemic going on, it kept us from playing live shows and focused more on writing.

6. Cleveland has a long history of heavy music. How has the city’s scene shaped the band’s sound and identity?

Aaron: The Cleveland scene has long been known to be super supportive of everyone. There's a lot of extreme metal tradition floating around Ohio, and truly, we just want to keep that torch burning. Sound-wise, it's dark and ugly, RIP Embalmer. Identity-wise, it's aggressive and to the point, just like Cleveland underground.

7. Several members come from established underground bands. How did this lineup finally come together to form Mulciber?

Dan: Mulciber was already an established band. But in 2025, I joined the band to be the second guitar player. Everyone in the band has been playing death metal for a long time. Being friends with Bill, Aaron, and Ian for a long time, I was excited to get the opportunity to be a part of Mulciber. The band already had a full-length album written and recorded prior to me joining. But I'm happy to be able to play the material live and contribute vocals.

8. How does the new material compare to your debut EP Misery of One released through Redefining Darkness Records?

Bill: I would say this album is much more intense and aggressive. While holding to our roots with song structure and good groove.

9. What can fans expect from the upcoming album Of Insidious Essence, compared to what they’re hearing on this single?

Ian: We have a pretty diverse catalog for this album. With an emphasis on complementing song structure while balancing brutality and groove.

10. Can you walk us through the songwriting process for “Ashes of Gehenna”?

Bill: Ian wrote the drums first. I did the first half of the song, and Aaron wrote the last half. And I helped Ian structure the lyrics from 2 other sets of lyrics he wrote.

11. What was it like working with producer Tony Tipton on the track?

Aaron: Tony is a lot of everything; he's very to the point and honest, open-minded about how things should sound, and adds little things to the song to make it better.

12. You also released a music video for the song. What was the concept behind the visual side of it with Chris Walter?

Aaron: It was a live performance-style video with some images inserted to support the lyrical theme. But overall, we let Chris do whatever he wanted for editing and lighting, and whatever magic he worked, Chris has always been super cool to work with.

13. Did anything memorable or chaotic happen while filming the video?

Ian: Not really, we had a solid crew, Chris Walter filming and Josh Endres (the nest productions) running lights and sound for us. It was a painless process.

14. Your sound pulls influence from bands like Morbid Angel, Suffocation, Aborted, and Blood Red Throne. Which of those had the biggest impact on the band when writing this track?

Bill: I would say Aborted, and Suffocation,  along with skeletal remains, were a big influence for this track. The intro being more Aborted-like, the breakdown being more Suffocation, and the catchy riff before the breakdown being more skeletal remains.

15. Death metal fans are known for being loyal but demanding. What do you hope listeners take away after hearing “Ashes of Gehenna”?

Ian: I would hope they appreciate a more raw recording, with some good diversity of aggression and groove.

16. How does Mulciber translate the intensity of the studio recordings to the live stage?

Dan: We hit the stage trying to engage the audience by bringing the energy from the track to a live setting with an energetic stage presence, with windmills and headbanging like crazy.

17. Are there plans for touring or shows in support of Of Insidious Essence?

Bill: Well, as we're answering these questions. We are currently on a little tour in Scandinavia with our Icelandic friends in Divine Defilement. So hopefully once this is done and we get back to finishing recording vocals, we'll do a small run in the United States.

18. Looking ahead, where do you see Mulciber heading after the release of this upcoming album?

Dan: Some more live performances and writing new music.

19. Is there anything else you'd like readers of Breathing The Core Zine to know about Mulciber?

Bill: Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the new album “Of Insidious Essence” in the fall of 2026. Follow us on all the socials. And keep supporting metal.

Support independent metal journalism — Visit the official BTC store