There are so many bands out there doing so many interesting things, it's hard to know where to turn. That's why we've created Crash Course, a recurring feature offering a concise introduction to a band or artist that we think slays, covering their origins, process and vision. Our latest subject is Innumerable Forms, a death-metal project that originated as the one-man enterprise of Justin DeTore (Sumerlands, Mind Eraser, Mental, etc.), but has since expanded into a legit supergroup with the addition of Jensen Ward (Iron Lung), Chris Ulsh (Power Trip, Impalers), Doug Cho (Rival Mob, Give) and Connor Donegan (Red Death, Genocide Pact). Their forthcoming debut LP, Punishment in Flesh, is due in August via Profound Lore; below, we get the basics on the band from DeTore.
WHAT WERE THE CHALLENGES IN CREATING THE NEW RECORD?
JUSTIN DETORE The biggest challenge was scheduling so everyone could be in the same place at the same time. Jensen's in Seattle, while Ulsh and Connor are on tour the majority of the year. But listen, those guys are serious, so they were able to make it work. Writing wasn't as much of a challenge. Granted, we worked hard on the songs, but both me and Jensen — the other main song writer — had a pretty clear vision of what we wanted. The first EP was very much a tribute to our influences, but I felt like we started to develop our own identity on the split 12-inch with Blessed Offal. The new material expands on that. Deciding where we wanted to go production-wise on the album was the other big challenge. Since it was an LP, we wanted something a little less primitive than the first EP, but we didn't want the cookie-cutter modern death-metal sound either. I hate that. There wasn't one record in particular where I was like, "Make it sound just like this," so there was a lot of trial and error.
GIVE US A BRIEF HISTORY ON HOW YOU CAME TO PLAY THIS MUSIC, AND WHO YOU RECRUITED TO HELP YOU AND WHY?
I had gotten into death metal in high school but always played in hardcore/punk bands. In the early 2000's I became friends with Daryl Kahan from Citizens Arrest and Funebrarum, amongst others. In 2002 he asked me to play session drums on the Dormant Hallucination EP so that was the first time I ever played in a death-metal band. Those guys were cool and introduced me to a lot of the more obscure demo bands from the early Nineties as well as classic death/doom so much gratitude to them.
Innumerable Forms started in 2007. I told this story in another interview but I posted some rough demos on the now defunct OldSchoolDeathMetal.com message board in late '07 and got some positive feedback so I decided to record a proper release in the winter of 2008 to 2009. I played all the instruments on that and the split 12-inch with the exception of Chris Corry who did the guitar leads. By that time I had gotten my friends in Mammoth Grinder and Hatred Surge to make up the live band, with Doug Cho and Jensen Ward later on. I had been friends with Jensen for years, but I actually can't remember how Doug joined the band. I think our van broke down on the New Jersey turnpike in 2011 and for some reason he was in town and was kind enough to drive us to the gig that night. Next thing I know he's playing bass. Connor Donnegan joined in 2016 on drums after our good friend Brian Boeckman left the band to pursue his career.
WHAT WERE THE BANDS THAT YOU USED AS THE CORNERSTONES FOR CREATING THE BAND?
Initially, it was mostly Finnish and Swedish stuff: Demigod, Disgrace, Abhorrence, Unleashed, Macabre End, Belial ... Later on we started to expand our sound to include more doomier shit like the Peaceville bands and Trouble. There's plenty more, but those are the basic ingredients. I'm not saying we are in the same league as those bands, but those are the influences.
HOW HAVE YOU IMPROVED IN THE LIVE SETTING BETWEEN THE START AND NOW? TELL A SPECIFIC ANECDOTE ABOUT HOW YOU'VE IMPROVED?
Again, I can't stress this enough ... All the guys in the band can fucking play so it makes the live show way less nerve-racking than it should be. I'm probably the weak link, if you want to be real. We are not a band that can practice on a weekly basis, so we usually end up rehearsing the day of the show. It can take a gig or two to work out the kinks, but we settle in. A lot of the newer songs are elaborate in their arrangement, and I honestly don't know how they are able to pull it off in a rehearsal or two. I try not to ask a lot of questions.
One time before a show I saw Connor puke for two hours straight, literally until the moment he got onstage. I had to set up his shit because he was so sick. Didn't even matter. Played the set lights out, no mistakes. Ulshman, too. All business. I like to call him "Texas Radio." Someone should construct a pyramid in his honor.
WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IN REPRODUCING THE LIVE SOUND ON THE RECORD?
The biggest challenge is not to over produce. It can be tempting in the studio, but we did our best to try and avoid super processed sounds, triggering, etc., etc. I'm not saying there isn't a place for that, but that's why a lot of new death-metal bands sound like robots playing metalcore when they use it to the extreme. We certainly spent a lot of time trying to get the right tones and atmosphere, but I still think it sounds like an actual band playing songs.
DO YOU PLAN TO TOUR? WHO WOULD BE SOME DREAM TOURING PARTNERS?
Yes I would love to tour. Not extensively, but a week or two here or there, if possible. Ideal touring partners? It would be cool to play with Cruciamentum, Hooded Menace, Bone Sickness or Mortiferum. Those are all bands that I think are good.
HARD DECISION: THE FIRST CONVULSE ALBUM OR THE FIRST SENTENCED ALBUM?
Easy decision. First Sentenced. Produced but not too glossy. Great vocals and songs with exciting arrangements. I hate when death-metal songs lack direction. The melodic and atmospheric guitar leads really make this a special album. Tenkula was a very talented musician. R.I.P.
