by Niklas Göransson

During the early 90s, death metal nomad Gene Palubicki embarked on a nationwide pilgrimage. By 1996, his path converged with Kansas City native Pete Helmkamp, and together they forged the Angelcorpse debut, Hammer of Gods.

 

GENE PALUBICKI: I grew up in an area without any kind of following for heavy music. By rights, there should’ve been no reason for someone like me, coming from a small river town in the Midwest, to pursue thrash or speed metal. No one around me shared these interests.

Gene Palubicki grew up in Winona, Minnesota – a small city nestled along the Mississippi River. When Gene was a teenager in the mid-80s, it had a population of roughly 26,000.

GENE: IRON MAIDEN and MEGADETH were the first bands I heard where the whole element of distorted guitars really started mattering to me. For every subsequent album, I wanted something similar or even more radical, which eventually led me to American thrash. Discovering “Hell Awaits” (SLAYER) was like tasting blood – I wanted more.

Why do you think satanic metal spoke to you so profoundly?

GENE: As a child, I loved horror movies like The Exorcist and Salem’s Lot; I believe their atmosphere and possibly also soundtracks affected my taste in music. When I eventually came across metal, I was instantly drawn to bands with a dark, ominous vibe and sinister themes. By contrast, the punkish or fun-type stuff never appealed to me.

Which bands are you thinking of now?

GENE: Frankly, I can’t really remember specific names – I’m referring to this mid-80s genre called ‘crossover’, which wasn’t entirely punk or metal but had an upbeat quality that never struck a chord with me. Most of what came out around then didn’t appeal to me unless it was straight-up speed or thrash metal.

Seemingly, one of the few things Winona had going for it in terms of metal was a record shop that stocked releases by Wild Rags, Earache, Combat, and Noise Records. One fateful day in late 1986, Gene bought KREATOR’s “Pleasure to Kill”, DARK ANGEL’s “Darkness Descends”, and “Morbid Tales” by CELTIC FROST.

GENE: You know, it still sticks in my memory because of the context. Someone discovering these recordings today, over thirty years later, might say, ‘Oh yeah, great albums.’ But try to remember the first time you heard them, as a kid – and then imagine hearing that set of records one after another on the same day. That really set the pace for the kind of sound I listened to and liked.

What distinguished these bands from the metal you were already into?

GENE: It wasn’t just about speed; the guitars, vocals, and drums all convened in a constant assault of metal music. Listen to something like “Pleasure to Kill”, “Darkness Descends”, INFERNÄL MÄJESTY, or the first PESTILENCE album – the list goes on – where you don’t even need blast beats to feel the aggression. There’s much to learn from those records, even for modern listeners exploring this genre.

By then, thrash metal thrived on both sides of the Atlantic, but there were significant differences between the American and European scenes.

US thrash, represented by the likes of METALLICA, SLAYER, and MEGADETH, tended to emphasise technical precision and intricate riffing. In contrast, German acts such as SODOM, KREATOR, and DESTRUCTION often had a rawer, more aggressive sound and a general inclination towards diabolical themes.

GENE: For us Americans, bands like SODOM and DESTRUCTION became the classic staples of European speed and formative death metal. The faster playing and more extreme vocals really attracted me for some reason. Even in my early teens, I decided that this was the kind of music I wanted to play and develop further.

 

The following year, 1987, saw the release of CELTIC FROST’s “Into the Pandemonium”. Known for its experimental approach, the album blends elements of classical, opera, and industrial music with extreme metal.

GENE: When it came out, “Into the Pandemonium” went over most people’s heads. I myself thought, ‘The three or four metal songs are good, but the rest is stuff I don’t quite get.’ No other band incorporated those kinds of sounds . As a teenager, I was used to metal-centric records from start to finish. But then this thing comes along, opening with a bizarre cover song followed by classical music parts and strange vocals.

Tracks like the album opener – WALL OF VOODOO’s “Mexican Radio” – and “Rex Irae (Requiem)” showcased musical influences unheard of in the metal genre. For instance, some of Tom G Warrior’s vocals were clearly inspired by Rozz Williams of American deathrock band CHRISTIAN DEATH.

GENE: Once I got older and understood Tom’s influences, it made more sense. But for someone used to straight-up thrash or death metal, this release either became a long-term curiosity or something they absolutely hated. Even today, it stands out as one of CELTIC FROST’s most remarkable records. You have the immediacy of albums like “Morbid Tales” and “To Mega Therion”, but “Into the Pandemonium” provided a blueprint for the synthesis of metal and classical music.

It occurred to me that the only previous Bardo Methodology interviewee to single out “Into the Pandemonium” was Christofer Johnsson from THERION – who later pioneered and developed such elements in death metal.

GENE: By the early 90s, it was clear that bands were heavily influenced by “Into the Pandemonium”. The earliest recordings of MY DYING BRIDE and PARADISE LOST clearly drew from it; I even recall old interviews where they admitted as much. So, it did have an impact. It’s interesting how an album that many dismissed in the 80s gained praise a few years later. Opinions certainly do change over time because it became one of my favourite records.

Gene started playing guitar in 1985, around the time he got into thrash metal. Over the years that followed, inspired by the likes of POSSESSED, DARK ANGEL, and CELTIC FROST, he carved out the framework of his riffing style.

In early 1991, Gene formed IMPIETY with two high school friends – a guitarist and a bass player. Unfortunately, Winona had very few metal drummers.

GENE: There weren’t many musicians around who shared our interests. Finding a drummer capable of playing what one might call early 90s death metal seemed impossible, but we were determined to try. Well, more so me than the other people involved. The only way to achieve this was by putting some songs to tape using a drum machine and my friend’s four-tracker.

Four-track tape recorders played a crucial role in the development of underground metal. By recording multiple audio tracks onto a standard cassette, amateur musicians could layer instruments and vocals and then mix them together without the need for a studio.

GENE: While completely antiquated now, these things were really easy to use. So, my friends and I tried to make demos of whatever we could, driven by our interest and desire to create something. But due to our young age and inexperience, none of us knew what the hell we were doing – especially when it came to programming drums, which is evident from our first demo.

IMPIETY’s 1991 demo “Damnation of the Holy” features three songs with a combined running time of just under six minutes.

GENE: The purpose wasn’t to shop it around to labels like, ‘Oh, here’s a new band. Do you like our music?’ We made it to hand out at shows, hoping to find a real drummer interested in playing with us. The first place we brought it to was Milwaukee Metalfest.

Milwaukee Metalfest is a renowned music festival founded in 1987. In July ‘91, Gene and his bandmates travelled roughly two hundred miles from Winona to attend the fifth edition.

GENE: The drive took six or seven hours, so my friends and I made a road trip out of it. Each of us had a pile of about ten tapes, and whenever we met anyone who might be interested, they were handed a copy. At that time, Milwaukee Metalfest would’ve been the biggest gathering of underground metal in the US; it was amazing to see so many current bands at one large event.

One of the bands performing at Milwaukee Metalfest V was Kansas City death metal outfit ORDER FROM CHAOS. By then, they had released three demos and an EP called “Will to Power”.

GENE: I’d never heard of ORDER FROM CHAOS and knew nothing about them. I went into one of the rooms where a stage was set up and heard vocals that sounded like old BATHORY. I thought, ‘What the hell is this?’ At the time, most death metal bands had these heavy, burpy vocals. So, I watched O.F.C. and thought, ‘Maybe these guys know a drummer.’

Later that night, Gene approached ORDER FROM CHAOS guitarist Chuck Keller to hand over a demo. Keller, in turn, gave the tape to O.F.C. bassist Pete Helmkamp, who ended up writing to Gene.

 

Three months after Milwaukee Metalfest, in October ‘91, Gene saw MORBID ANGEL, UNLEASHED, and ENTOMBED at The Cabooze in Minneapolis. Once again, “Damnation of the Holy” had been brought along and now ended up in the hands of MORBID ANGEL drummer Pete Sandoval.

GENE: Afterwards, I thought nothing of it. A few months later, my mother received a call from Tampa, Florida, while I was working: ‘something about a drummer’. She didn’t know the context, but it turned out that when MORBID ANGEL returned home from tour, Pete Sandoval had kept the tape and played it for a friend.

This was Aantar Lee Coates, who’d previously played in a Maryland band called EXMORTIS. After two demos – “Descent into Chaos” and “Immortality’s End”, released in 1988 and ‘89, respectively – he moved to death metal hotspot Tampa to pursue new musical projects.

GENE: Aantar somehow found my phone number, called it, and left a message. I got back to him, we chatted a bit, and he sent me some tapes of his drumming. We got along well and started discussing a potential collaboration.

The main challenge was the 2,400 kilometres (1490 mi) distance between Winona and Tampa.

GENE: At this point, I could easily have said, ‘Oh well, I’m not gonna move across the entire country’, and that would’ve been the end of it – but I chose to give it a try. After scraping together whatever money I’d saved up from the day job, I sold off some things and then got into the vehicle my parents had given me. At eighteen years of age, I moved down to Tampa.

When you left your home state, was it to pursue a professional career in music or more from a deep-rooted urge to just play in a band?

GENE: It definitely stemmed from a desire to jam my own music and, especially, the possibility of being in a band. I knew there’d be no way I could play death metal in the region where I lived. The realisation just hit me one day: if I had to pack up, leave my hometown, and take the risk, then that’s exactly what I’d do. This whole process involved a lot of trial and error, but it was the start of pursuing metal in a way that would go beyond mere fandom.

Had you even rehearsed with a live drummer before?

GENE: Yes, my friends and I used to jam some heavy metal covers together. To then get the chance to play with a drummer capable of fast double-bass and blast beats for the first time was quite wild. Experiences like that set the pace; those unforgettable early moments give you the energy to keep doing this decades later. These days, rehearsals are probably even more intense, but I’ve become so tempered to it.

 

Gene lasted in Tampa for about six months before he had to move back to Minnesota. This was unrelated to the Aantar collaboration and simply because Gene ran out of money.

GENE: Aantar came back with me to Winona so we could continue developing new material. A few months later, we recorded four songs for the second IMPIETY demo, “Despondent Ecstacies”. This time, it featured me, our old guitarist, and Aantar. I sang and played bass. We sent the tape out to fanzines and gave it away to friends.

Did it garner any label interest?

GENE: None. Then, for whatever reason, Aantar decided to move back to Maryland. I stayed in Minnesota, and this concluded the IMPIETY project. But it was a start – an opportunity to develop new songs that became a stepping stone to better things. And like I said earlier: once you taste blood, you’ll end up craving more.

After IMPIETY dissolved in late 1992, Gene underwent a two-year standstill on the band front while he scoured the area for capable collaborators.

GENE: By then, I owned a car and could get up to Minneapolis and St Paul, where underground metal shows had become more frequent. I tried to get to know the players in that scene, but there weren’t many of them. I kept running into various difficulties, dealing with real stubborn fledgling musicians.

Stubborn in what way?

GENE: Well, to take just one example – there was a drummer who insisted on only playing death metal that sounded exactly like his favourite albums. You can’t really work with people who refuse to try anything different from what they’ve already done. When someone is so deeply entrenched, it makes communication on both the personal and musical levels very difficult.

 

In the fall of 1994, Gene attended a small Midwest festival when he was approached by Bill Taylor, bass player of XENOMORPH from Omaha, Nebraska.

GENE: Back then, musicians travelling to different cities would bring along flyers for shows and releases from bands they were friends with. I didn’t know him at the time, but Bill must’ve noticed whatever shirt I wore and thought, ‘Oh, maybe he’d care.’ Looking through the flyers he’d handed me, I noticed there was a new ORDER FROM CHAOS ten-inch.

The flyer advertised ORDER FROM CHAOS’ August 1994 mini-LP “Plateau of Invincibility”. At the time, the Kansas City band had released their debut album “Stillbirth Machine” the year before and recently finished “Dawn Bringer”.

GENE: Pete Helmkamp and I corresponded by letters after Milwaukee Metalfest, but that eventually tapered off. “Plateau of Invincibility” gave me an excuse to reconnect, so I sent him the money along with a note saying, ‘Hey, we haven’t spoken in a while. What’s up?’ When Pete shipped my ten-inch, he included a letter saying that O.F.C. were about to record their final album before breaking up.

When ORDER FROM CHAOS formed in 1987, the founding members vowed to limit the band’s lifespan to three albums, regardless of where they were in their career. The third and final record, “An Ending in Fire”, was recorded during the first half of 1995.

GENE: At this point, I was ready to give up on trying to get something going in Minnesota. I wrote back to Pete and said, ‘Look, I’m fed up with the people here. I’ve always liked your vocals on “Stillbirth Machine” – I’d be willing to move to Kansas City so we can form a new band.’ Six months later, I had saved up some money and made a demo tape of riffs.

What did people from your hometown say when you announced your second attempt at moving interstate to pursue music?

GENE: You’ll always find sceptics once you start doing something; if you’re not suddenly bigger than AEROSMITH, they go, ‘Yeah, whatever. That’s just a hobby. Don’t quit your day job.’ Anything to try to tear it down a little bit. Needless to say, there are very few individuals I knew there whom I’ve kept in touch with. Most people probably don’t even remember I existed because I essentially disappeared from that place.

 

Gene relocated to Kansas City in June 1995, the same month O.F.C. completed “An Ending in Fire”, thus terminating the band. After driving the roughly seven hundred kilometres (445 mi) from Winona, he moved into the house Pete Helmkamp shared with ORDER FROM CHAOS drummer Mike Miller.

Miller was initially supposed to participate in the new project – but what started off promising soon took a disappointing turn, as the purported drummer jumped ship before it could set sail.

GENE: The thing is, ORDER FROM CHAOS existed for eight years, with demos as early as ‘88. Mike had just lost the band he’d been deeply invested in for the last decade, and Pete and I were building something new from scratch. I doubt Mike minded our music; he just wasn’t feeling it. He may not have wanted to be in any full-time band at that point.