The Brooklyn band Tombs are back with their third album Savage Gold, which was produced by Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal). It features new guitarist Garrett Bussanick and new bassist Ben Brand. I caught up with vocalist/guitarist Mike Hill, who tells us about the lineup changes, the new album, tour plans, tales from the road, his coffee company and other topics.

Chad Bowar: You have a couple of new members since your last album was released. How did Ben and Garrett come to join the band?
Mike Hill: Ben came highly recommended from my friend Jamie.

Garrett I’ve known for a number of years and have always admired his playing. He was available so we asked him to join.

How did the songwriting and recording process for Savage Gold compare to your first two albums?
The writing was pretty much the same. I wrote all of the songs on my own and brought them to practice where we arranged and edited the material.  The recording process was quite a bit different. Working with Erik Rutan wasn’t like any other recording experience we’ve had to date. There was way more time spent on pre-production and Rutan was involved early in that process. We spoke on the phone a lot and discussed ideas. That is definitely a new thing for me.

How did you decide to work with Erik Rutan?
I’m a huge fan of his work, both as a producer and engineer. He was in Ripping Corpse and Morbid Angel! Not to mention the great work he’s done in Hate Eternal. He understands extreme music and that was the kind of producer we wanted to work with.  His work as a producer speaks for itself, but the Goatwhore records are the ones that really sunk the hooks in.

What's his producing style, and how was the experience?
He’s very involved, not on the songwriting, but on the sound and tone of the record. We spent a lot of time discussing the record, talking about specific things like kick drum attack. A big issue on our other records was the drums, so it was important to me that we had a powerful drum sound. It was a great time spent working with Rutan. I look forward to the next one!

You produced Tombs' first album. Would you like to do it again in the future?
No way! I’d rather record demos and leave the heavy lifting to pros like Erik. I’m not much of a recording engineer. I’m more of an idea man.

How has the band's sound evolved/progressed on this one?
The short answer is that we’ve gotten faster and more aggressive, but there are also songs like “Severed Lives” and “Deathtripper” on the record, which are more moody. I suppose we’ve gotten better at expressing a more complete emotional range.

What inspired your lyrics for this album?
Death; trying to make sense out of life and consciousness. We humans can’t seem to accept things at face value, there always has to be a deeper meaning. It’s a meditation on vastness and infinity.

Did the great response to your last album increase the pressure or expectations for this one?
Not at all. The only pressure that I feel is to continue to do meaningful work.

What are your upcoming tour plans?
We’re hitting the road with Pelican right around the time the record is released. There will be more touring in the US and Europe in the coming months.

What has been your most memorable Tombs live show?
Temples Fest, Bristol UK. We got to play with Neurosis, one of my lifetime favorite bands.

What's the strangest or most unusual venue you've played?
Nara Sushi in Richmond, VA. By day, it’s a sushi restaurant, by night it’s a punk rock club. Sadly, they no longer do shows there.

Describe an interesting person you've met on the road.
I usually keep to myself; a lot of the really cool people I’ve met are in bands and promoters. Though I love touring, it is primarily a work activity. A lot of the responsibilities and logistics fall on my shoulders. I met Ralph Schmid, one of my best friends, on a European tour. Ralph, coincidentally plays in an great band called Planks. This was many years ago, when I played in a band called Anodyne.

We were in Germany and had some time off, so our driver set us up with these dudes who put us up for about 3 days. Ralph was like my long lost brother. He’s an amazing guy. We all hung out, stayed up late and watched movies, laughed. I’m not a very “rock ‘n’ roll” type of guy, so that kind of thing is what I consider a killer evening. Cool times usually involve horror movies, good music and food.

Tell us about your coffee company.
Coffee has been a lifelong passion of mine. My Mom is Italian, so I grew up with that sort of awareness of food. We always had coffee on the table, even when I was a kid. Coffee has been at my right hand through the entire trip. Recently, I’ve gotten into living a paleo lifestyle and discovered Robb Wolf’s coffee recipe of blending grass-fed butter and MCT oil into coffee. It’s my secret weapon to getting things done.

The coffee company grew out of wanting a company to exist that provides something that I want for myself, namely delicious, fair-trade, single source, organically grown coffee. Thomas Hooper, my long time friend and the man who creates all of the beautiful artwork for the Tombs record is on the team to create a visual identity for the company.  Our first roast will be ready in July.

What's currently in heavy rotation in your MP3 player?
Trouble – At the End of My Days, Grave Miasma – Odiori Sepulcrorum, Atriarch – Ritual of Passing, Celtic Frost – Morbid Tales and The Gault – Even as All Before Us.