My Interview With Death Metal Superfan Sam Osborn

When I first conceived of the “Death Metal Superfan” Series, my initial idea was just to interview people who were at least in their thirties and had collected over a thousand albums in their long journey of death metal fandom, but this interview adds another perspective. Sam isn’t even in his twenties yet, but he aspires for the Mayans to be wrong so that one day he might achieve the zaniness that comes with twentysomethingness. He’s a young dude who is as rabid a death metal fan as you’ll find and is well versed in the old-school roots of the craft. Here’s my interview with him:

Universe Number Five: You are quite a bit younger than the others I’ve interviewed in the death metal superfan series. How did you discover and then become passionate about obscure that was at the height of it’s popularity before you were even born?

Sam Osborn: Hrm. Well I can trace my love for heavy metal as a whole back to one specific event. When I was 10 or so years old my family went on vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and we went to the Hard Rock Café, where they were playing Metallica and Iron Maiden. Kinda cheesy but that’s where it all started hehe. I was immediately hooked and from then on I was always listening to new bands on the internet. Pretty quickly I got into all kinds of stuff like Slayer, Candlemass, and Destruction, and then discovered black metal. I was very into bands like Immortal and Burzum for a while (still love ‘em), before I started listening to DEATH FUCKING METAL.

UNF: What was the first death metal album you purchased (or stole)? What was your immediate reaction to death metal when you first heard it?

Sam: I listened to death metal for a long time before I started seriously buying records haha. I think the first one I properly owned was “Necroticism” (Carcass). The first death metal albums I actually heard were classic stuff like Death and Morbid Angel. The first death metal song I heard was “Dawn of the Angry” by Morbid Angel. It scared me! Even though Domination is typically regarded as one of the weaker Morbid Angel albums, that opening tremolo riff is permanently burned into my brain and I still love it.

UNF:What was the first death metal band you saw in a live setting?

Sam: Carcass and Suffocation on their Exhume to Consume tour in ’08. I was 13 or 14. I remember being blown away to hear Corporal Jigsaw Quandary and Inpropagation live but a little miffed when they only played the intro to Ruptured in Purulence.

UNF: Where did Harold Camping go? Wouldn’t you agree that we need another end of the world prediction date?

Sam: Hopefully somewhere where everyone points at him and laughs all day long. As for another doomsday date, I would hope not, because some people definitely take that kind of thing far too seriously. I remember reading on yahoo news or something that some woman tried to kill her kids to save them from the horrors of the apocalypse. And hundreds of people gave up their lives to travel around the country preaching that nutjob’s message. People invested their life savings in Family Radio advertising. Whether those things were due to honest belief, fear, or gullibility I don’t know but I hope anyone else who fancies themselves a prophet can learn from good ol’ Harold’s mistakes.

UNF: Create the ultimate death metal band. Pick one vocalist, two guitarists, a bass player, a drum machine, and a nagging bitch hellbent on creating drama and breaking the band up.

Sam: Vocals: Antti Boman (Demilich)
Guitars: John McEntee (Incantation), Eric Cutler (Autopsy)
Bass: Steve Digiorgio (Sadus, Death, Autopsy) but he’s not allowed to get too technical! Severed Survival style bass only!
Drums: I know I already have two members of Autopsy but I’m going to go with Chris Reifert. I prefer traditional thrash/d-beat based death metal drumming to constant hyperblasting, though blasts are cool IF employed properly.
As for the nagging bitch, the obvious selection is David motha fuckin Vincent.

UNF: What do you wanna do with your life?

Sam: I want to get a decent job that will allow me to live comfortably and focus my spare time on creative pursuits so that I can leave something cool when I’m dead. Right now I’m playing guitar in a death metal band called Thaumaturge.

UNF: Florida Death Metal or New York Death Metal?

Sam: That’s a hard one but I’m going to have to side with Incantation and Morpheus Descends. If either side had Autopsy it would win by default.

UNF: Biggest surprise album of 2011? Biggest disappointment (besides Morbid Angel) album of 2011??

Sam: Biggest surprise was probably Vastum and their Carnal Law demo. In my opinion they’re one of the best if not THE best newer death metal band. Honestly I thought 2011 was a great year for death metal and there wasn’t anything nearly as heartbreaking as I’ll Dive In Anus. To quote someone on the Nuclear War Now forums, that record was the 9/11 of death metal.

UNF: Name 10 death metal albums everyone should own:

Sam: Everyone should own a lot more than 10 death metal albums.
Death- Scream Bloody Gore
Autopsy- Severed Survival
Incantation- Mortal Throne of Nazarene
Repulsion- Horrified
Brutality- Screams of Anguish
Convulse- World Without God
Gorement- The Ending Quest
Impetigo- Ultimo Mondo Cannibale
Demilich- Nespithe
And one more Swedish album that may interchangeably be Grave- Into The Grave, Entombed- Left Hand Path, Carnage- Dark Recollections, or God Macabre- The Winterlong

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