When the topic of Technical Death Metal comes up in conversation, naturally, one would be so-inclined as to discuss Chuck Schuldiner and Death, but he'd be remiss to overlook Monstrosity and what's been a stellar contribution to the sub-genre on their part. "Millennium", "The Passage of Existence" and now "Screams from Beneath the Surface" - three career-defining records with the latter having just been released via Metal Blade Records. It stands as a beacon for genre trueness, as it simultaneously pushes the limits of said genre. Not to the max, but just enough to keep the music fresh. Just the way it was meant to be.

Percussionist, Lee Harrison - co-founding member of Monstrosity and drumming phenom has been a a scene-player for decades and has seen them come and go, all the while as Monstrosity has maintained their reputation as a prolific force; having navigated their way through their own perils and industry woes; resulting in one of the most favorably reviewed discographies in the business. During my latest interview for MetalBite, Lee discusses some of the band's defining features, his outlook on the current scene and a look into their latest LP, "Screams from Beneath the Surface", released this month via Metal Blade Records.

Jeger

Greetings, Lee, and welcome to MetalBite. It's been eight years since "Passage", which was a monumental album in my opinion. Now, the "Screams from Beneath the Surface" era has begun. How do you feel about the band in its current form with such a long-awaited new LP being released?

Lee: Things are moving right along! Won't be long until the tour starts and we can get back out to playing again!

A lot has changed in the Tech-Death world since the early '90's. Some of this stuff is hardly discernible as Death Metal anymore. I feel like Technical Death Metal should still be fundamentally grounded in traditional Death Metal mechanics. You guys nailed it with "Millennium". What's your outlook on the genre as it stands today when you compare today's Tech to, say, "Individual Thought Patterns" (Death) or "Millennium"?

Lee: Well, we always try to have a balance between technicality and brutality. Some bands can go too far, and you end up confusing the listener more than entertaining them. So, we've always tried to find that balance. I think with Millennium we got a little crazy with the odd time signatures, so with the release of "In Dark Purity" in 1999, we really wanted to find the perfect balance. And I think that's what we did. We've kind of been perfecting that formula ever since. For some of the younger bands playing technical music, there are some great musicians out there. But like anything, there's good and bad; it just depends on the perspective of the listener and the influences they bring into the experience.

Which era of Monstrosity do you feel has best testified to the band's overall vision for Technical Death Metal?

Lee: Well, if we're strictly talking about technical metal then Millennium is definitely the album that people are going to consider the best. That being said, I think all of our songs have a certain degree of technicality. We just want to retain the essence of strong songwriting and the art of arrangement. Technicality for its own sake can sometimes come across as showing off, and that's not really our thing. We do like to incorporate odd time signatures when it serves the song, though.

How would you say the last eight years has shaped Monstrosity? The world is a different place than it was when "Passage" was released.

Lee: I mean, we learn a little something from every album. There wasn't really anything in particular that happened in the last eight years that changed me. I was basically quarantining before quarantine was even a thing, so the pandemic didn't really affect me that much, to be honest. Obviously, life events do inspire us and influence us in certain ways, but I'll leave it up to the listener to decide whether it's for the better or for the worse.

What was your biggest challenge in recording "Screams from Beneath the Surface"?

Lee: Nothing too crazy, of course. It was mainly just the usual scheduling difficulties. We put in the time and work to make sure the material was as good as it could be. During the mixing session, we got a little critical about the guitar sound and ended up going back to change a few things. Of course, with every album there are things you'd change, and this one is no different. So really, everything's pretty much as expected. LOL

Exile, paralyzation and bewilderment appear to be some of the abstract concepts pertaining to the new material. Does "SFBTS" follow a concrete theme?

Lee: I don't know about those three words in particular, but we've always drawn on similar apocalyptic themes and end of the world scenarios as subject matter for our song lyrics. Death, destruction, war, all those kinds of things have been central to the inspiration behind our lyrics. This album is no different in that respect. I purposely try to retain a certain level of familiarity.

What does your touring schedule look like in support of the new album?

Lee: Well, at this point we're starting the tour on April 18th in Lucerne, Switzerland with Napalm Death. From there, we continue headlining for another three and a half weeks. Then we come back and play Maryland Deathfest again; this time with Napalm Death and Sinister. That should be a good one. After that, we're playing the Milwaukee Metal Fest. In August, we head to the Czech Republic for the Brutal Assault Festival. Following that, we're hoping to confirm a US tour for the fall, and possibly a South American tour after that. We'll see what happens. It's possible some of that may spill into 2027. But hopefully we can just keep the ball rolling and keep moving forward.

When you look back at Monstrosity, what about your career would you say has stood out most?

Lee: I'd just say we've stuck to our guns and persevered for as long as we have. We haven't given in to the usual business garbage that tends to bring bands down. We've been fortunate to keep it rolling this long, and hopefully it won't stop anytime soon. We'll see what happens. Thanks for the interview. Hope to see everyone out on the road. For merch and everything else, check: out www.conquestmusic.com and www.monstrosity.us.