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INDEX
INTERVIEWS
GUESTBOOK
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- OLD SCHOOL DEATH / ITALY -
1. Hello!
Since your previous recording (A demo entitled "Not of This
World") was released approximately 10 years before, I imagine
many readers aren't familiar with VALGRIND, and so a little introduction
would be nice to bring them the necessary informations.
Valgrind was born from the ahses of a super-underground band called Necrospell, a sort of speed/black metal project influenced by classic metal bands of the 80’s and 90’s. The change of moniker foresaw a change of musical style: During the years Valgrind was defined as classic death metal influenced both by the Us scene and the North-European one…And we still play what is called classic death metal. We hope we developed our own style through the music and atmosphere… A melodic and obscure trademark.
2. How did this demo, and the four previous ones, taste compared to your first album? Was it already the same kind of Death metal, or something changed (And eventually deepened) through the years?
Our first album is a complete portrait of our feelings and intentions. Maybe the demos were too short to be classified in the same style…We now have a new line up, so the musical expression is different and I guess we now have a better definition in our sound.
3. So, you first album "Morning Will Come No More" was released on may 2012. I think it's a very good album, full of colors, atmospheres, and cool riffs! I hope you are still satisfied with the emotional and musical contents of the whole... How could you describe it in few words?
“Morning will
come no more” was composed during the last years as a concept album…
So the songs and all tunes respond to this intention. We are proud
of the songwriting and of this sound that underlines the atmosphere
we created. “Morning will come no more” talks about an apocaliptycal
coming to earth… There are suffering, diseased, claustrophobic melodies.
I guess this album needs an in-depth listening to be understood
in all its diversity.
4. Was this album a continuous work of composition for ten long years, or was it rather seldom depending on the good will of mother inspiration? Did some of these songs really take 10 years to be completed from the first riff to the last one, or perhaps we should rather view your methods of composition as a pile of songs: Once the first one is if finished you begin to work on the next one? This album contains a lot of music, a bit more than 57 minutes; I imagine you recorded most of the compositions you had in your basket?
Some songs were composed for the demos. We changed the arrangements after the line-up was renewed to record the album. At the same time, I composed new songs in a similar way. We choose to bring a new lyrical concept to the entire album, so we changed the lyrics of the old songs. The record is already very long, but we had another couple of songs ready that weren't included because of a different atmosphere (They wouldn't have found a place in "Morning will come no more").
5. Which newer bands would you feel close to on a musical point of view? I would say OBSCURE INFINITY from Germany aren't so far, for the "atmospheric" aspect and perhaps the length of some compositions, but they evolve in a quite different world. There could be Brazilian POISONOUS in the fastest moments. Then sometimes I could also think about the French band DEEP VEIN (R.I.P) for some atmospheres, but this seems less adequate once you take in consideration the form of the music.
I don’t like to compare my music to other bands. It's up to the peoples listening to make comparisons. However my first inspirations are bands like Entombed, Morbid angel and Pestilence.
6. If I said your music had the color of blood, would you agree? Or would you rather choose the color of wine? ;-)
The color of blood, because blood is our own life. Music is the expression of our own life…
7. Your compositions contain absolutely nothing necro in the vein of what we can hear the last years... It is "only" old school and could simply have been released 15 years ago. Is this a conscious choice to avoid some of the modern old school gimmicks, to differentiate yourselves a bit from the flow of newer bands, or is the necro screaming/ vomit/ putrid stuff simply not too much your kind?
We compose
all in a classic way, so it's easy to comprehend that we put classic
tune melodies and vocal patterns in our songs. Maybe we are not
good to express our feelings in a different way. Peoples and press
call this “Old school”, I accept this definition, but I am not so
sure there exists a real mental pattern to compose in an “old” or
“new” school. I guess in general there are innovative bands and
classic ones.
8. Two musicians of HATEFUL currently play in VALGRIND. Are they a part of the songs' composition, maybe they just bring ideas for arrangements, or perhaps there's an only main composer who does most of the morbid brewing job?
All members bring their contribution to the arrangements. Maybe the change of drummer influenced myself too. For “Morning will come no more” no one else wrote a song, because I had already completed all the compositions. In the future you will see other composers in the credits, and a larger cooperation to all the writing work. Dani, the vocalist, shares all my visions so we both study the riffs and the lyrics for the new stuffs.
9. I was surprised to see most of the band members play in brutal death metal bands, or assimilated. How would it be possible to conciliate two quite different genres in a same personality? On one hand you have something old styled that doesn't care for the technical "over the top" aspect, on the other hand you have something more modern and more focused on this technical aspect. It could seem quite contradictory in the minds of younger Death metal fans who think any brutal death sucks...
No, I guess this is an opportunity. I am sure that to be able to express all their feelings, the musicians should know enough of musical techniques not to be limited. This is not a goal, it’s a way to achieve the purpose. So my band members share this point of view, share this artistic purpose… I think this is a great opportunity for me to compose in every way possible, without mental prisons, technical limits, or genre cliches…
10. This said, your music contains something technical, but that remains old school... I feel like you probably enjoyed the "Spiritual healing" (Or eventually "Human") album of DEATH quite a lot, but apparently the following one ("Individual..." which became more technical) left no trace in your soul, or at least in your compositions. Would you clear our minds about your tastes for the sounds of Chuck Shuldiner?
Chuck was a great composer, a great musician. I like the albums of Death a lot and I think we all miss his musical contribution these days.
11. Listening to your Death metal, I also happen to think about the second album of DEATH "Leprosy", some BRUTALITY, the most flesh-filled riffs of mid-old MORBID ANGEL, the first IMMOLATION album (Mostly for the style of drums), perhaps very old NILE, and I read some peoples heard some old MALEVOLENT CREATION and DEMOLITION HAMMER... But I don't think this name-dropping paragraph would make a so good description... Are there other bands you would add to the list of metal composers that were influential for your style?
Many peoples
listening to this album tell me it reminds them of Immolation… The
comparison with Morbid angel is obvious, but I guess many bands
were a strong inspiration for me and my band mates. I think Pestilence,
Entombed and Deicide were other strong inspirations for this music…
12. I'm
afraid old school Death metal will become as generic and "efficient"
as the regular blasting death or brutal death we could easily find
few years ago... Every new bands will sound like ENTOMBED or INCANTATION
or REPUGNANT/ MERCILESS, and good bye mothers particularity, personality
and inventivity... This would become harder to find music with real
deepness and "something special".
Hopefully you didn't
fall in this trap since your music is filled with atmosphere, your
compositions have macerated for some time and it can be felt.
Do
you think a given amount of new bands fail in making interesting,
or personal, Death metal because they're too stressed to release
something too soon? They might be afraid of being already forgotten?
Because they're too stressed by internet medias, by peoples who
want everything and anything immediately (These peoples often forget
quality takes time, very often more than a couple of months)? Isn't
underground Death metal turning into a fast food kind of thing?
-> Click, listen, superficially enjoy, forget -> next one
please.
Yes. I think unfortunately Internet offers a superficial approach to the music. Fans and metal maniacs are still interested to be part of this world, like no one else. Maybe years ago it was easier to put interest in a band and follow its steps during all its existence. Now there are more bands, more subgenres, more hybrids... There is a huge number of reviews about new bands and many fans have to read before listening... “For fans of...” or “New…”. I prefer to listen to new bands and make my own opinion after that.
13. How were the feedbacks of underground listeners and medias for your first album? Are you aware about the amount of sales? Would it be a disappointment for VALGRIND if your album wasn't a commercial success (I mean at the level of the deep Death metal underground, this might mean it wouldn't sell easily at all for example), or this isn't the most important for you? (After all you don't play a style that exactly follows the current underground fashions, so your interests might resides in other lands). Are you confident enough in the underground spirit and morbid magnetism that would lead vibrating souls to your recordings?
"Morning
will come no more" is very welcomed by the peoples and press.
The
leader of Godeater records, Daniel, is proud of this album…We are
playing in Europe and the responses are good… It’s good for us…
Very good… Many peoples understood our intentions and love this
atmosphere…This is better than we ever dreamed of… I want to thank
you, and everyone, for the interest.
14. If that's not a too boring question, could you tell us your top ten (Or top five?) albums for 2012, and you all times top ten records?
As for the
2012 albums' list, I prefer not to give names of records and bands
because perhaps I am not too informed. But i’m sure there are tons
of good bands out there! As for the second part of your question,
here is the best top ten of ever:
Morbid angel-Blessed are the
sick
Entombed-Left hand path
Pestilence-Testimony of the ancients
Death-Human
Deicide-Legion
Nocturnus-The
key
Mercyful fate-Don’t break the oath
Candlemass-Nightfall
Venom-At
war with satan
Coroner-Coroner
15. Now your album was released a couple of months ago, we could wonder which kind of future plans you have in mind, or is this too soon to think about the future? Do you already have some riff ideas, or possibilities to play gigs in Italy? Thanks for the answers.
We are currently
promoting “Morning will come no more”. We played in Milan and at
Lowlands deathfest last summer, at Gothenburg death fest on November.
We are preparing a short tour in Germany and Holland around March/
April 2013. Additionally we are trying to confirm some shows in
north Italy before next summer…
We are composing a new album:
Some songs are already written and only need to be arranged while
we discuss others to choose the best riffing… As I already told
you, there will be a different concept in the next album and each
member of the band will contribute. I hope to record in next autumn.
Keep
an eye on us. We won’t fail… Thanks for the interview !
Web page: http://www.reverbnation.com/valgrindband
