Q and A: Rasyid (Wormrot)

By BRIAN GIFFIN

SINGAPOREAN grindcore unit Wormrot will return in their original format when they visit here next month as guests on Pig Destroyer’s tour. To get to know them a bit better, we took a call from guitarist and foundation member Nurrasyid “Rasyid” Juraimi.

Hot Metal: It’s going to be exciting to have you back in Australia again
Rasyid: “Oh thank you very much, man. Really appreciate it.”

HM: The last time you were here was with Napalm Death, and Wormrot has made a big change since then.
R: “The big change is that my original vocalist and drummer are back.”

HM: Has it been good working with them again?
R: “It’s been really good man. We spent three months working in the US and Europe getting back into the groove, and it’s feeling really good now.”

HM: As we said, the last time Wormrot was in Australia, it was with Napalm Death, who are incredible. This time, it will be with Pig Destroyer. Have you worked with or toured with them before?
R: “Yes, we toured with Pig Destroyer in Europe, in support with Napalm Death also. Really excited to see them again – really nice guys, really funny. Really looking forward to seeing them again.”

HM: When is there going to be new music from you? It feels like ages since Hiss came out!
R: “I didn’t realise it’s been like five, four years? (2022) It doesn’t feel like that. I feel like I’m still touring Hiss, but right now we are playing older songs to spice things up a bit.”

HM: When you look at the world at the moment, does that inspire you to make new music? It seems like a great time to be a grindcore band!
R: “Ha! Yeah it’s really unfortunate that the world is in crisis. It’s not getting any better. There’s always something going on, and I feel like you can’t stop being angry. You shouldn’t, I guess. You should be angry about these things. But we haven’t had the time yet to write new songs. Because everything happens so fast – me separating myself from my ex-drummer and finding myself back with Arif again and then going to tour … everything has been moving so fast. We’re just focusing on where we are right now, and we’ll only start writing next year, in February. So right now I’m just compiling stuff about what to write about. It might be a little more political, the new album. We’ll see. Most of the anger will come from that, I guess.”

HM: It just seems like there’s an endless supply of things to write about from a political angle. I know that Wormrot has done political stuff, and you’re good at it, and I think it’s important to have bands that are taking that point of view and bringing to people. Often it tends to get swept aside.
R: “I wouldn’t say we know a lot of stuff, but we try to speak about what’s happening and not turn a blind eye.”

HM: What have the crowds been like on the tours? Is it weird, touring America?
R: “No, it’s not, actually. We thought there might be some problems with customs, or even, like, with the locals at a petrol station, or whatever. But there was nothing! We enjoyed ourselves in the US, especially. We haven’t been there for a long time, so we didn’t know what to expect. We were greeted warmly and nicely. We had a lot of people there who were like, ‘Why don’t you come to the US more often? The last time I saw you here I was 12!’ We’re like, ‘I don’t know man. Blame your government. Blame your administration!’ Don’t blame me, man!”

HM: What’s it like being a band like Wormrot in your own country?
R: “Well, it’s like any other band, really! I mean, we have a lot more eyes on us as a Singapore band and right after Arif and Fit rejoined, I discussed the idea of doing more Singapore shows. Right now we’re not doing anything much. One show a year, or so. I said we should start playing local shows.”

HM: Is it difficult to do shows there?
R: “No, but I think a lot of people are intimidated by Wormrot because we play overseas shows. Because we make money from overseas shows, they’re afraid we’ll be asking a higher show fee, so they feel like they can’t afford us. So I try to talk to them and say that we’re not there to play for the money, we just want to play there.”

HM: Are you in a reasonable financial position to be able to afford overseas shows?
R: “I guess we are. We have day jobs to supplement Wormrot and I’ve been doing that forever. Everything I earn supplements Wormrot. Right now I feel more comfortable with how Wormrot is doing, so I work less in Singapore now. It took us ten years to get here!”

WORMROT – Supporting PIG DESTROYER

September 2: Amplifier Bar, Perth
September 4: Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide
September 5: Max Watts, Melbourne
September 6: The Factory, Sydney
September 7: The Baso, Canberra
September 9: Triffid, Brisbane

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