There aren’t many bands in brutal death metal that have crossed the three-decade mark. Cenotaph is one of those rare names. Since the early ’90s, the band has helped reshape Turkey’s extreme metal landscape, and in recent years, they’ve raised the bar not only musically but geographically as well.

In the era following Precognition to Eradicate, Cenotaph has embraced a more refined and controlled form of brutality, continuing to push the limits of extreme metal by performing in unexpected places like Kazakhstan. Batu Çetin and his crew have managed to stay true to their roots while constantly evolving their sound—an approach that sets them apart not just locally, but on a global scale.

In this interview, Cenotaph opens up about their creative dynamics in recent years, their experiences across international stages, and their vision for the future.

First of all, Batu, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Let’s dive right in.

Pitstop: One thing that stands out in your recent interviews is this duality: Cenotaph remains deeply rooted in its origins while also pushing geographical and musical boundaries. Do you see yourselves more as a band preserving a legacy, or as one that continuously rebuilds itself using that legacy as a foundation?

Batu Çetin: I’d say it’s both. As Cenotaph, we try to stay connected to our roots while also adding something new with every album. We don’t want to be a band that keeps repeating itself. I believe there should always be some kind of progression both musically and as a band.

Of course, there are bands that stick to the same style for years and do it incredibly well, and I respect that. I listen to some of them myself. But personally, repeating the same formula over and over would feel boring to me. That’s why we always try to push the bar a little higher with each release. That’s the whole idea.

Pitstop: Since Precognition to Eradicate, your sound feels more refined and controlled in its brutality. Was that a conscious aesthetic decision, or more of a natural evolution over time?

Batu Çetin: It wasn’t a conscious decision, it just happened naturally. Precognition was a very technical and chaotic album, in my opinion. The new material we’re working on is also very fast and technical. We’re currently in the recording phase, and if everything goes as planned, we’re aiming to release it towards the end of the year.

Pitstop: In recent years, your international live activity has really picked up, you’ve even played in places like Kazakhstan, which isn’t exactly a typical stop. For a band coming out of Turkey, that kind of geographic reach is still quite rare. What does that expansion mean to you?

Batu Çetin: We’re really happy about it, and we definitely want to play in more countries we haven’t visited yet. Over the years, we’ve done shows and tours in many different parts of the world. What’s interesting is that in most places, our music had already reached people long before we did.

Of course, that doesn’t happen overnight. We’ve been connected to the international underground scene since 1993. Most of our albums have been released through labels abroad, so naturally we built a listener base outside Turkey.

I think we’ve managed to break that “geography is destiny” mindset. There are so many great bands in Turkey, and I truly believe many of them can reach much bigger audiences internationally.

Pitstop: Line-up changes are inevitable in a long-running band. How does the current line-up shape the creative process, and what sets today’s Cenotaph apart from earlier eras?

Batu Çetin: Line-up changes have kind of become a classic part of Cenotaph at this point. Right now, the new album is being written by me and our guitarist Eren. For live shows, we work with different musicians depending on the situation.

It all depends on the logistics of the show or the tour. Sometimes we even work with musicians from other countries. To be honest, one of the things I hate the most is canceling a show or a tour. So these line-up decisions are often about making sure everything goes ahead as planned.

Pitstop: Brutal death metal has gone through a significant transformation in terms of both technique and production. Do you see this modern shift as an evolution, or as something that threatens the essence of the genre?

Batu Çetin: These days, a lot of people can write and record music at home using plugins. Whether that’s good or bad really depends on personal preference. But honestly, there are a lot of brutal death metal albums out there that sound very artificial and plastic to me.

Many of them sound almost identical, and you can easily tell when the drums are programmed. I personally prefer more natural, organic sounds. Albums from the ’90s, with little to no editing, feel much more alive to me.

With Cenotaph, we try to stick to real instrument recordings and keep things as organic as possible. For me, that makes a huge difference in how the music feels.

Pitstop: Cenotaph has always had a strong “gore” aesthetic. Has your approach to these themes changed over time?

Batu Çetin: It’s not as direct or primitive as it was in the early days. Now we blend those elements more with science fiction and horror themes. Gore is still there, but we approach it in a more refined way.

Those themes have been repeated so much over the years that it’s important to find new angles. For Cenotaph, lyrics are just as important as the music, they’re a key part of the band’s identity.

Pitstop: As a brutal death metal band from Turkey, you’ve managed to establish a lasting presence on the international stage. What do you think was the key turning point for that?

Batu Çetin: From the very beginning, my goal was to be a global brutal death metal band. I was never focused on becoming big locally, because this isn’t where this music originally comes from.

Since the roots of this genre are in the US, we focused on that from day one. We released our albums through labels there, and everything evolved naturally from that point.

Now we’ve played in many different parts of the world, and we’re still going. We’ve also seen a significant increase in listeners in Turkey in recent years. Being able to connect with different generations is something I really value.

At the end of the day, I think the reason we’ve been accepted globally is simple: the quality of our music.

Pitstop: You’ve experienced the transition from the analog era to the digital production age firsthand. How has your perspective on recording changed?

Batu Çetin: I’ve always been a fan of the analog era. Of course, today you can’t completely avoid digital tools. So instead of rejecting them, we try to find a balance.

Even the most old-school studios now work with digital systems. That’s why I spend a lot of time researching studios before recording—listening to their previous work and figuring out where we can get the sound we’re aiming for.

Pitstop: The concept of “underground” is still an important reference point in extreme metal. Do you still see Cenotaph as an underground band?

Batu Çetin: Spiritually, we’ll always be underground. We came from that scene, and we still support it as much as we can. But where the band stands today—whether it’s underground or something else—is probably something the listeners can judge better than we can.

Pitstop: Looking ahead, do you see Cenotaph moving towards an even more extreme and technical direction, or exploring new boundaries in different ways?

Batu Çetin: With the new album, I think we’ve moved in a more technical direction. We’ve been writing faster material, but we’re still keeping the core elements of Cenotaph intact.

Whether people like it or not, we’ll see. But at the end of the day, we’re just going to keep making the music we believe in. That’s what really matters.