UN: Cryptobeast definitely shows the next step in the evolution of Usurper. Everything from songwriting, to the delivery and tightness has been stepped up considerably. Do you think that Cryptobeast is the best album thus far from Usurper?

Rick:Absolutely! 100%! We are so pleased though that not only the mainstream press is finally giving us some credit, but more importantly that the die-hards that followed us for years also think this is our strongest album and strongest line-up! We knew these songs were gonna kill, but you never know what people will think, especially with a key member change like a vocalist. We honestly felt Tyrantor was a better front man and vocalist, but were'nt sure what the fans would think. So far, it's been overwhelmingly positive!

UN: Neil Kernon producing the album really adds a lot to the album. It’s a bit less Celtic Frost sounding then one might expect, but the album is incredibly heavy, and clear with maintaining an energetic edge. What was it like working with Neil? Are you guys happy with the outcome of the recording sessions?

Rick: Neil kicks total ass!!! He is not only a top-notch producer, but also a friend of the band. He is a man who takes his work very seriously and accepts nothing less than a 110% effort! We first worked with him on Twilight Dominion and the experience was INCREDIBLE! So for Cryptobeast we knew we'd use him, or no one. Neil didn't just approach this as a dollar sign, he really put everything into this. He came out to a few rehearsals over the summer, and really listened to the new material. Then before the actual recording, I met with him at his home studio and did some pre-production work; all of this was off the clock, he did not charge money for all of this extra work, it was something he wanted to do. So by the time we actually began recording, everything just fell into place. We've worked with some good producers in the past, but none are in the same league as Neil.

UN: This new album is your second album with Earache. Do you think that the label is going to open a lot of doors for the band? I don’t think that your previous label would have been able to provide you with Neil to produce your album, and honestly Necropolis never did much with Usurper.

Rick: Earache was always our "fantasy" label. Back in the day we used to send our demos out, and Earache was ALWAYS the label we would send stuff to. They basically put Extreme Metal on the map, and revolutionized underground extreme metal. They have a great staff that really supports what we do and are actually behind us even though we are underground. Necropolis served it's purpose, but turned into a nightmare. Back in the day when we signed with them, Paul was the coolest guy in the world. They were very small, but had some KILLER bands, it was perfect for Usurper. But as time went on, the label lost their old attitude and a bunch of new guys worked there who hated Usurper and never pushed us. All in all we are happy where we are at now.

UN: The new album has the metal anthem of the year, Kill For Metal. My promo was without lyrics, what is the song about exactly? Slaughtering posers?

Rick: KILL FOR METAL is not about literally killing a person in the name of metal, but rather a call to arms to all real metal warriors to rise up and destroy all forms of modern false metal. It is about our metal lifestyle and features our metal battle cry, "BOOZE. DRUGS. WHORES"

UN: Much of the new album is based around old horror characters and monsters. What inspired the horror influenced approach on the new album? And what exactly is the Cryptobeast?

Rick: I've always had in interest in Cryptozoology, which is the study of animals thought of as mythological, extinct or non-existent that actually exist. Everything from werewolves, to griffins, to giant thunderbirds to reptile-humanoids and more can fit into this category. I also like to make connections to ancient mythological demons, and modern day sightings of paraphysical manifestations. One such entity was a demon from Assyrian mythology called Pazuzu. This creature was thought of as a malevolent demon who was humanoid, yet winged and spread disease, famine and plague when he flew overhead. I thought this was a cool visual and a cool story. Then I read about a modern day account of an entity that swooped down during a thunderstorm into a churchyard in America in the 1930's. The way the priest described this entity, fit with the legend of this ancient demon. So I had the song, and this topic seemed to fit perfect with the mood of the song. When the band heard it, we all agreed it should be the title track. Which on one had is specifically about this entity, and on the other hand is an homage to all the cryptobeasts we have songs about.

UN: Just out of curiosity, who did the album art for the album? It has a very familiar style but I couldn’t find a name on the painting.

Rick: It is the same guy who did the Twilight Dominion cover as well as the Necronemesis cover. His name is Craig Simpson. Check out his website for more of his amazing work www.craigillustrations.com

UN: I also noticed that there was something written on the gravestone. Any story behind that or is that possibly the artists signature that I overlooked for the previous question?

Rick: HA! HA! HA! The "GDS" on the tombstone actually stands for "General Diabolical Slaughter". It is a tribute to our former singer, and our way of closing the book on that chapter of the band... of course done with the classic Usurper sense of humor!

UN: The new album also shows the debut of Dan Dawson. What happened with the original vocalist and how did you guys discover Dan? I think his vocals fit perfectly with the bands approach on the new album.

Rick: General D. Slaughter's intoxicant problem, combined with his lack of motivation, just got to the best of him and he decided to retire. He did it in the worst way possible, 4 weeks before a huge show in our home town... So we called up the Tyrantor! Fuck Yeah!!! "Dandy" Dan Dawson aka "The Tyrantor! We knew this guy for years - actually him and Joe Warlord went to high school together and Tyrantor was in a band with Jon Necromancer (bass) in the late 80's/early 90's. So we knew this guy could do it. He was basically the same age as us, listened to the same style of metal, lived the same type of lifestyle, and had the same image as us. A singer is possibly the hardest member to replace for an established band, so we knew it couldn't just be anybody. We viewed Dan as an "upgrade". he had the same old school thrash/death metal influences as the General, yet much better image, personality, stage pressence and vocal range.

UN: What brought about the idea to remake Warriors of Iron and Rust for the new album? The song is only a few years old I thought. Did you guys feel the need to record it with the current line-up as a bonus for fans?

Rick: Because we played it live with this line-up and it simply blew away the original version.

UN: The album also features the return of the bands original drummer. What brought him back into the fold? How many albums has he been away from the band for?

Rick: Joe Warlord left Usurper in 1996 on good terms for noble reasons. He layed on the 1994 "Visions From The Gods" demo, 1995 "Diabolisis CD" and then 1997's "Threshold of the Usurper MCD". After that, every tour and album was with Dave Hellstorm. We always knew one day we would reunite with the Warlord, it just so happened that now was the right time and right situation. Anything I write, I know Joe can play, and since he was an original member, we have the same goals, ideas and influences. This to me is the strongest Usurper line-up ever!