The burning passion of Divine Rapture
BIOGRAPHY
Divine Rapture emerged in the early/mid 1990’s s a three piece organism founded by J.J. and Mike Hrubovcak in the Philadelphia area. Due to an intense marketing and promotion affort put forth by the brothrts, the first record created such an impact on the underground scene that the entity’s presence was soon felt in all 50 states and foreign markets such as The Netherlands, Poland, Indonesia and Brazil among others. The completion of the entity by accomplished musicians Babak Davodian and Justin DiPinto sealed its fate to completely dominate the death metal genre.
Major press releases and review in such magazines as Metal Maniacs, Transcending The Mundane and Pit Magazine spread the seed in the US and abroad enabling Divine Rapture to gain ‘Sons of Harvest’ cross the globe. The entity’s list of accomplishments includes two successive Milwaukee Metalfest (also the first band to ever play twice in the same year), March Metal Meltdown and performances with such names as Deicide, In Flames, Dying Fetus and Kataklysm. The entity recently traveled to Tampa, Florida to record a three song promotional CD with Erik Rutan at Dimensional Sound Studios. the lyrics are paradoxicaly personal yet universal and can be applied to a variety of personal paths. The offspring/songs themselves exhibit astonishing harmonic musical clarity and brutality that is reinforced by a variety of influences in several genres.
interview with Mike vocalist on 20-3-2001
Give us a short introduction of yourself and your part in the band.
well, i'm a total metal freak...always have been..i started DIVINE RAPTURE with my brother J.J. about 2 or 3 years ago... he plays guitar and writes 80% of the music...i do all the vocals, lyrics and artwork for the band...as well as set the atmosphere live and threw the art....i also handle all the mail, and promotions...he does bookings and stuff... this bands my baby---and my outlet for my emotions and flipping out...so i put everything i have into it... and bob -our other guitar player and justin our drummer who both totally kick ass!, also strive to build up the band....so everythings running smoothly.
Why did you start the band?
I just needed an outlet to express my inner soul and purge all my anger and despair...and it just seemed natural... j.j. wanted to start a deathband real bad...so i was like--yes!--lets do it....and thus things began---now instead of flipping out in normal life...i do it on stage and create it into something other people can relate to....and understand....
What is it like to have a real metal brother like J.J.?
well, he's a freak too, but to be honest he doesn't listen to too much metal---he's all into classical, and weird stuff. but then he straps on the guitar and churns out pulverizing death--so it's pretty funny... people are always like--’o.k. which one of you was adopted?’--because we look nothing alike really.. also they say brothers always fight, but we get along great...and love to goof off..... and when we combine our visions musically---watch out---PURE PAIN-DRIVEN DEATHMETAL!!!!!
What did you parents thought of having metal kids?
they hated it---they've never really been supportive...and constantly put us down and tried to put our music and stuff down...i'm mean they like us...they just don't approve of our brutal nature and way of expression... but hell, whatever...
Where you always involved in metal?
i got introduced to metal when i was like 10.....i went from metallica to testament to slayer to totally underground black/death/doom metal in a span of like 3 months...and been totally loyal to it ever since.... deathmetal is my root--it's where my innerself fits and is able to expand and grow..... nothing touches my soul quite the way that this music does...it's really the only thing i live for.....
What were the bands you grew up with?
morbid angel, deicide, bolt thrower, cannibal corpse, deteriorate, morgoth, mortification, pestilence, anathema, sinister, massacre, carcass, death, coroner, kreator, obituary, emperor, ....etc...the list goes on, and on...
Are you still listening to them?
of course!!!! my tapes are all worn down now, and i'm forced to buy them again on cd...but hell yeah.. good music is always good--and they still touch me the same way... i'd be dead right now if it hadn't been for music.....it's helped me alot growing up in my youth... i don't know what i would have done with out it...and it's release---probably woulda went on a killing spree ...
Ever meet them in person? And you still worship them?
yeah,---it's weird now though, because the same bands i went to see back in the day at shows ,,, i'm actually playing shows with now and hanging out with...ya know...and it's no longer a worship thing it's just a respect thing, and now i understand them more and became actually friends....it was so weird actually haveing Erik Rutan from morbid angel record our new promo cd.....and even weirder to hang with them all and just be cool.... it's like whoa!! this is awesome...if you told me back in highschool that i'd be playing shows with these bands i'd be like---yeah right......i just hope to someday affect people's lives the way there music afftected me back in my youth....
What is your profession? The artwork you make is only as a hobby?
i'm a graphic designer....so i try to make a living at what i do...but i can't really express myself threw the art i do for jobs... cause i'm paid to do what the client wants...that's why i do freelance for bands, as well as do my own art and paintings and such for my band...so i can do all the crazy deep, dark and twisted stuff i love to do--and well, NEED to do .....
Any other hobbies in life?
besides art and music and stuff...no not really.....i don't really have time apart from band stuff.... unless you can consider going out with friends--getting messed up and acting the fool, a hobby.......
Are you involved in the underground scene? And what do you do?
110%!!! i'm at every show i can be at----in the pit....i help promote other bands, and just basiclly get involved with everthing i have time for...that has to do with undergound deathmetal.... i travel, and drive all over just to go to shows...i trade and spread the underground...threw mail, e-mail, and every way possible....do art for bands, zines, etc.....so i'm pretty active.....
How is the local scene for a fan and as a band?
i've seen the scene expand and grow over the past couple years....more bands popping up---and i'm always ready to support and hook them up....cause it's a great thing to see a good blackdeath band spring up out of no where... more venues.....stores...radio stationse etc.... so the scene over here is cool---as long as these hardcore kids stop getting clubs shut down for fights..and rummbles...
What is your goal in live?
to just reach peoples live's with our music and give younger people and outlet to flip out to and relate too.. i want people to recognize my pain and how real what i feel is...and i want to tour other countries and just spread my innerself....and create.....enjoy....and die.......
How do you see yourself in five years?
i try not to think about the future---nothing in life is constant...so all i know is i do my best in all i do... and if what's happening now is any indication of how our future will be then awesome....
What kind of things make you pissed off?
hypocrisy, ignorance...arrogance, stress, work, life, liers, stupid uncaring mindless people...’hot’ snobby bitches... having no $.....not having enough thunder storms...missing band practice cause of something stupid...pigs!!--god i hate cops........the list goes on......
Last rites?
support underground deathmetal!!!
get in touch....don't be afraid to be yourself....that's all you got in this shitty world... stand strong....unite and let our voices be screamed unto the sky......
HAIL THE UNDERGOUND MASSES-----THE ONLY ONE'S KEEPING IT REAL!!!!
--------FOREVER SHALL CHURN THE BURNING PASSION WITHIN OUR WRITHING HEARTS!!!!!----METAL MIKE