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Here’s a cool Italian band who plays a kind of Death metal that could please those who enjoy Technical, complex or progressive musics such as some of the last DEATH albums or the “Spheres” album of PESTILENCE! All the needed is said in the interview answered by Luca (Guitar/ vocals)
 

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1. Ok! Do an introduction to ILLOGICIST's history!

Well…I think it’s quite simple…Illogicist was born in 1997 to reflect our everyday attidudes, feelings and emotions in the music, just trying to communicate our thoughts, our vision of the life. We started reharsing a lot and after 3 or 4 month we recorded our first ep titled “Polymorphism Of Death”. Some line-up changes occurred and after that with the new members Diego and Emilio, we started to work on the new materials and we came to studio 6 month later to record our second demo cd, “Dissonant Perspective” that reflects better, I think, the personal style of the band.

 

2. Was the name of your band chosen because your music is quite technical, different from classical Death metal and illogistic in its structures? Or is there another reason?

You have perfectly understood the reason…the name of the band try to describe the music style we play, the approach we have with our instruments, but also a way to fight against the complete rationality of the modern society…all rational…all logic…be illogic please..only one time… :) ehehe

 

3. How would you define your style of music?

I think I would define it simply as music….ok ok, don’t worrry..I know it’s not possible in this case and I know it’s not the answer you are looking for. I think Illogicist are a death metal band, with progressive influences may be…but it’s very difficult to try to define your own style…I think the listener could define it better..you should :)

4. You have some strong DEATH/ CONTROL DENIED influences, but the most thrashy parts of your music ("Knowledge curse" mostly) could remind of DESTRUCTION's "Live without sense", or even few stuffs of OVERKILL. What are your influences?

Very strange what do you say, because I’ve never listened to Destruction and Overkill too: my mainly personal influences are Iron Maiden for the classic metal, and the bay area zone bands like Death in primis, then Atheist, Cynic, Testament, the european Pestilence and Carcass, Cryptopsy from Canada. I really like the guitar playing style of Ron Jarzombek from Spastic Ink. I love Spastic Ink.

 

5. Which DEATH release do you think your  music is the nearer? I would point "Symbolic".

I really don’t know…may be I can tell you Individual Thought Patterns, but not for a reason in particular. I think is the Death more progressive album and Emilio bass style is near for ideas to Steve Di Giorgio ones…eheh. Ok now Emilio should pay me a couple of beer for what I’ve said…

 

6. Your logo reminds me the one of the online Art gallery SITO (www.sito.org). Do you know this site?

Very strange..you have reason…but I’ve never seen that untill now! I will try to exchange our banner with them..eheheh.

 

7. It seems you're quite slow composing your tracks, which is cool! The result can only be better. How long do you spend on a track?

Not so slow I think…you have to consider that the time really spent for composing the last three song was 2 month, but not playing and trying to writedown something everyday. The time spent on a single track is different from song to song: the writing process is quite fast,  we focus more on the arrangements, playing and reharsing a lot together, recording with multitrack and trying to find the best parts for the song we are working on. A simple way to compose I think, not so illogic as maybe you was thinking ehehehe.

 

8. Is the composition a band's work, or is it mainly a musician in the band that composes the riffs and arrangements?

The composition process is mainly a musician work. We work and play a lot at home..then we meet in our reharsing room…in my box…eheh…and we try to work on our material together, even if sometimes I bring with me the demo of a song recorded with a sequencer with a midi drums track…and we start playing and arranging it together. The I can say…riffs composed by the individual, arrangements made by the band.

9. Your lyrics seem to be linked to the human being and some of its inner experiences. Tell us more about it.

I only try to transform my emotions and feelings in words and verses, talking about introspectives arguments, fears and also philosophy. I really like philosophy, it’s the only real “religion” I know…you…human being…you are you own god…the god of your-self. Strange, right? I think music is more important the lyrics, but they are together a great way to communicate what you have in mind.

 

10. Do you know other underground bands who are a lot influenced by DEATH? Can you name some and which ones would you recommend?

Good question!!! I know a band called Gory Blister that has already signed with the french label Sekhmet Records. I think you could appreciate the Death influence in our music, even if they have developed a good own style, a bit more technical I think. I don’t know any other really underground band influenced by Chuck’s works.

 

11. Give me your opinion about these bands:

CORONER: Not bad, even if I’ve never listened to them so much.

ATHEIST: The Gods! I really love their works, in particular Elements. I’ve already found the original release of Elements in LP, I’m listening to them a lot in this period!

MORBID ANGEL: Good death metal, sure, but I’ve never been so much involved personally to follow all the disography of the band.

TESTAMENT: I really love The Gathering  and their new approach to thrash music…they play louder the in the past and Chuck Billy’s voice is fucking aggressive now…quite death metal I think. Then Steve Di Giorgio is my favourite bass player.

EXODUS: I’ve listened to their last work sample the past days. A new modern song for a thrash metal band old style…it could be appreciated or not…

CANNIBAL CORPSE: A fucking hard band in the past and now…but maybe now..I think playing for us is quite a standard obbligation…I say that because that was my impression at their last shows in Italy.

NAPALM DEATH: As Morbid Angel…a good band but I’ve never been too much impressed by us…maybe because I knew them after knowing Death..ehehe

COMECON: Sorry…but I’ve never listened to them…do you think I should? I hope to find something about them during my cd shopping on the net!

 

12. What about the Italian scene? Some bands worth the listening?

The italian scene is quite strange during the last time…I think there is too much jalousy between bands even if I have contact with some very kind and great bands. What to say…I like Aydra and Gory Blister. Two real good band from Italy. I think they will improve even better theyr style.

13. I think the band SADIST is (was?) coming from your country. What's your opinion about their music?

Sure, they were italian. I very like their first works, but in the end of their career they was absolutely too much near the new metal style for me…I really loved their first works as I really don’t like their last ones. But this is only my personal thought about them…I’ve a sort of allergy to this nu-metal stuff…ehehe.

 

14. It seems a tribute to DEATH formation will record a CD that will include some covers of the band, this project will be composed of some ex- DEATH musicians and some other guys... It seems like a strange idea. What's your opinion about it?

I’ve never liked so much tribute cd, but I think it will be curious to listen the ex-Death musicians playing again Death songs. I think also it could be really a good thing if it can halp with contribution the Schuldiner family with some money to pay the hospital fees. I would be very curious to listent to it.

 

15. I see you are searching for a label, did you get some offers? Something interesting?

We have signed a contract for three albums with Crash Music Inc. I think a really good chance for us, for spreading our music and for playing live in foreign countries I hope. We are very happy about that, then we can concentrate on the new material we will record at the end of this year. The new album I think it will be released at the beginning of the new year.

 

16. Taking in account you take your time to compose your tracks, which songs would you include on a CD if you get signed? Would it be the tracks from both demos and few new ones? or else?

We have been signed…ehehe…we will record in the for the upcoming album all the three songs of Dissonant Perspectives, The Soul Feeder, Knowledge Curse and Dissonant Perspectives, and I think 5 or 6 new songs. I really like the first demo tracks but I think there has been a sort of evolution during the last year, in a more progressive direction and I think that they don’t exactly respect the actual style of Illogicist.
 

                    

17. The experimental/ progressive side of your music is more present on your second demo, is it the main style line of ILLOGICIST now?

Surprisingly this is your track that's the most "conventional" in the technical Death thrash metal style I enjoy the most: "Knowledge curse". We all know some Death metal bands like PESTILENCE or MORGOTH lost some fans when they turned to something more different and experimental (second word for Pestilence mostly), aren't you afraid to hardly find the right audience?

I well understand what do you say. Yes, I think the experimental and progressive side has been developed on Dissonant Perspectives and also in the new material we are working on for the next recording. I really love this aspect of the music, even if, as you tell, many death metal bands lost some fans when they turned to some experimental stuff. The answer is quite simple…we don’t have so many fans…then there is not any problem of this genre….ehehe…BTW we make music for ourselves and to enjoy ourselves…absolutely not to have more fans or to have any groupies behind the stage..even if this last idea is not so bad I think…do you? :)

 

18. Is there a real scene for your kind of music, a cross between melodic/ technical death metal and more original death, as there are ones for Brutal death, Grindcore... I mean, are there many zines, labels, organisations...?

I’ve never had problem with zines and organizations for the genre of music we play. It’s just music I think…they have no problem to review any sort of metal. There is a strong little scene of technical death metal lover all over the world..but it’s quite small I think. Talking about labels, I think it’s different. In effect this is not a music genre that sell a lot, then is very difficult to find the right label that believes in you We have found Crash Music Inc. now and we hope all will be ok with us.

 

19. When you play live, is it easy to play these technical riffs? Have you got a good stage presence (Moving, headbanging, etc) and how are ILLOGICIST's gigs?

Good question…it’s not so easy, but all our songs are composed to be played live and not only to be recorded and performed in studio, then I can say..sure…it’s not to easy to play them, but as we have composed a song…we play it live. The real problem in this case is the sound on the stage, is to understand what we are playing in that oment on the stage…because in all the concert we have made we always had some problems with the stage monitors system. Not a good thing! What about the stage presence…sure we move..we make headbanging…even if for me that I play guitar and sing it’s a little more difficult…but we try to kick asses on the stage.

Illogicist gigs are very simple….we start playing….we play as loud as we can all our track-list…we end the concert….and the, in the backstage…I personally kick asses if my band mates have done something wrong playing..ahahaha…

 

20. What are the future plans of ILLOGICIST? It's up to you to conclude this intie?

We will enter the studio in november for recording the new material for our deut full-length album. Now we have to rehearse a lot playing our new songs and working on them. The album will be avalaible I think in February/March 2004 and then we start to play live for promoting it. A good program.what do you think about?

Finally…thanks a lot to you and to your zine for this very interesting interview, so different and interesting for me then the other ones I’ve answered untill now. Thanks a lot for your support guys! And as Chuck said…LET THE METAL FLOW.

 

 Website:  http://www.illogicist.com

 

 

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