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INDEX
INTERVIEWS
GUESTBOOK
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DEEP VEIN
I
was quite surprised when I received DEEP VEIN’s first demo, because
even if the band is still young, they have a morbid feeling as well
as an obscure mood I didn’t expect much from nowadays French bands.
It shows the merciless winds of the old school are striking back
to crush any kind of moronic false metal! Ah Ah! As I ever
told this before, this band reminds me some other formations I knew
from their demo years who evolved in something better with rehearsals,
beers and experience…
Introduce the band and do a biography!
DEEP VEIN was
created in January 2001 by Cyril (drums) and myself, Jim (Guitar).
We were a part of a Doom death band from Poitiers, BLOODTEARS. We
had started to build tracks the two of us, and Lorenzo (vocals and
ex BLOODTEARS) joined us. Later (around 2002) I left BLOODTEARS
to concentrate on DEEP VEIN. Sylvain (guitar) and Jérome (Bass)
joined us quite soon after that.
Our first gig occurred on the
26th April of 2003 in Lusignan : it wasn’t good! Since then, we
have done some other gigs and we recorded a demo.
The name of the band, DEEP VEIN, seems to have links with the bleeding, and the abyssal deepness of hatred. Tell us what it means for you !
In fact Our name comes from ‘Deep vein thrombosis’ : it’s an abnormal coagulation of blood that can lead to death since the brain isn’t irrigated anymore. One can also do a link between old school/ Deep vein, a music that takes its influences from the beginning of Death metal (80’s and 90’s).
At the level of the riffs I found you are influenced by the American old school and obscure brutal death scene of the 90s (IMMOLATION, INCANTATION, ENCABULOS) as well as by a more ancient Death metal of the 80’s (old DEATH, old MORGOTH, a bit of PARADISE LOST's beginnings). Would you add other movements or some bands in particular to this list ? (Maybe DEICIDE ?) Are there some kinds of music you eternally want to be out from DEEP VEIN ?
Yes you are totally true, and I would add the old MORBID ANGEL,BOLTTHROWER, CANNIBAL CORPSE, PESTILENCE, SUFFOCATION, CARCASS, AT THE GATES, AGRESSOR, the thrash metal with SLAYER, TESTAMENT… and many others! On the other hand I don’t like the musical direction bands like SOILWORK or IN FLAMES took… they were really more interesting at their beginnings.
Your compositions sometimes fall in the bleeding and the mortuary ! With a feeling modern Death metal bands have a really hard times to find back ! What are your musical motivations that seems totally out from those of nowadays extreme metal wave ? What’s your opinion about American Brutal death, ultra technical brutal death and deathcore ?
We privilegiate before all the insane side of the music. We don’t bet on the quickness of playing because on one hand it asks for a technical level we haven’t reached, and on the other hand we aren’t interested in playing a noisy maelstrom during gigs, because of the instruments and material we use. Of course I enjoy bands such as HATE ETERNAL and DECREPIT BIRTH, but are they able to play their music live in good conditions that doesn’t sound messed up? I’m rather a consumer of the hypertechnical things in the vein of PSYCROPTIC and YATERRING, but I can understand it may bore some peoples. Speaking about Deathcore, I’m ok for DYING FETUS who mixes Death and Hardcore in an efficient way.
A whole movement of old school Death metal, Thrash metal in a totally 80’s style (without any core nor modern influences) and speed metal is actually beginning to tale some importance in the deepest underground. The new bands evolving in these styles are more numerous, and the older bands are also reforming. What are your feelings towards this enthusiastic phenomenon?
It’s important
to take notice of the influences pioneer bands such ad DEATH, MORBID
ANGEL, NIHILIST had. If these bands (and others) didn’t exist, the
style would be very different nowadays, if it would have existed.
I understand some do not listen to these bands, but to negate their
impact is stupid ! Personally speaking, I find it excellent some
new bands impregnate themselves with this old school feeling and
they later play it their own way. Of course some will complain and
say it’s not original. It’s hard to be original nowadays, so we
try to compose some good tracks, it’s a good beginning !
Speaking
about the reformations, some such as the NECRODEATH comeback are
excellent, but it’s really obvious it occurred for financial reasons.
Nowadays’ market isn’t the same than 15 or 20 years ago. So it’s
cool to see again DESTRUCTION, EXODUS, AGENT STEEL, DEATH ANGEL…
but they aren’t back only for the music.
What are the crowd’s reactions during your gigs ? How many concerts did you do and how did that occurred? Do the guy who doesn’t enjoy morbid music much appreciate your music ? Your style isn’t as direct as Brutal death or Grindcore (on an impact point of view) and a given state of mind is needed to enjoy it.
We played 6 gigs since the beginnings of the band and we had as much good reactions (Pogos and headbangings) than failures (Peoples looking at us with crossed harms). I can understand that, since peoples don’t know us it’s a normal reaction. I think to decently enjoy our music, a few beers can do the trick ! More seriously speaking, we aim to have varied compositions, with tempo changes and breaks (without abusive technicality), so that we aren’t bored when we play
Do the alcohol and substances that modify perceptions enter in the game during the composition of the tracks? How does it usually occur (How many beers for a setlist, amount of destructed anus…) and do every musicians Contribute to the musical composition ?
The compositions’ basis comes from Cyril and myself, then we work on the articulation with the other guys. When we compose, we stay sober as it’s easier to build the tracks. Then, during rehearsals it’s different, we drink and smoke few joints !
I noticed your drummer hasn’t an old school kind of playing while his drumming is more technical, and maybe more varied. What do you think of it ?
Cyril venerates Gene Hoglan (ex DEATH, DARK ANGEL) , Sean Reinert (ex DEATH, CYNIC), and Richard Christy (ex DEATH, BURNING INSIDE). He experiments a lot and hew works his drum patterns until it pleases him. It’s sometimes a bit boring but it gives something more to our music!
Do you enjoy POSSESSED, GRAVE or AUTOPSY? Listening to their first albums, the words ‘Death metal’ take again all its sense ! The metal of death! Morbid, shabby, brutal, insane…
The bands had
an enormous impact on Death metal, it’s certain ! I know a bit these
3 bands and I’m fascinated by the macabre and dirty production one
can’t find back in nowadays’ sterile releases.
For example, DEICIDE’s
album « In torment hell » isn’t a problem at the level of the compositions,
but the too clean and clinical production doesn’t fit this band.
Are you listening to metal since a long time and with which bands did you begin Death metal ?
I’m listening to metal since about 9 or 10 years. The extreme side progressively took more place with SLAYER, PANTERA, SEPULTURA… and then CARCASS, DEICIDE, CANNIBAL CORPSE, DEATH… and now ANATA, DECAPITATED, CRYPTOPSY… I like to discover new bands, even if it’s the most obscure ones.
What’s your opinion about Black metal?
I’ll speak for myself : I enjoy MAYHEM, DISSECTION, ASMODEE, SATYRICON, ETERNAL MAJESTY, DARK FUNERAL… I like the insane and dark side of this music, I try to incorporate it in our own music. I’m mostly interested in music, Satanism isn’t for me and I even don’t speak about the fascist things !
How is the extreme metal scene in your suburb? I think there’s PULMONARY FIBROSIS whose vocalist runs the METAL FURY radioshow (100% Extreme metal from the pits of hell!)
There are some good bands in Poitiers, there’s of course PULMONARY FIBROSIS who released a split CD with THORWALD (Slovakia) in 2003, we have ever played with them. There’s SYPNOSYS (Old school thrash death) who released an album this year. We doesn’t lack bands but places where to play. Then most of the time, bands play in bars and where they can. Hopefully Pascal from METAL FURY is here to propagate the Metal of death! Him and the guys from PULMONARY FIBROSIS have helped us quite a lot in the beginnings as they made us play with them, while we even hadn’t got a decent recording. I want to thank them one more time.
You recently released your first demo! Do an introduction to this release and try to convince the reader of buying it !
The demo is called « Reign of decadence » and contains 3 tracks. We did the recording in two days and mixed the whole stuff during an afternoon in a little studio situated in Poitiers. I think any extreme metal fan who’s open minded can enjoy our demo, even if we aren’t brutal nor Grind. If you are a maniac of the 90’s scene you can be interested in our demo ! The call to old school fans is launched !
What are your future projects ? It’s you to conclude this interview!
We’ll be a
part of a compilation CD released by SKULLFUCKED Prod , it will
contain 14 other bands as well. It should be called « The French
underground series » and it has a strictly promotional goal. A track
from our demo will be a part of it, it will give metal fans an overview.
It’s scheduled for the end of march/ beginning of April.
We’ll
play at the GRINDZOR FEST (Near of Tours) on the 10th April with
our friends PULMONARY FIBROSIS, ILL DIVINE, GASTRICK BURST, BASTARD
SAINTS, IRAE and possibly the Slovak band PYOPOESY.
Thanks to
you Gab for your honesty and the interest you shew towards the band.
Contact: Cbeautour@aol.com
