Interviews
To date, we have conducted 1630 interviews. If your band is available for an interview, feel free to contact us and we'll see what we can do. Here are our latest:
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Krisiun On "The Great Execution" And More
For full-length studio release number eight, Brazilian death metal trio Krisiun has changed up the formula and brought influences from the classic metal masters to bear in "The Great Execution." With the album now officially launched the death dealers are currently laying low in preparation for an assault on Europe with Vital Remains and Malevolent Creation.
In the calm before the coming storm, I hit up Krisiun drummer Max Kolesne to get the low down on "The Great Execution," from the band's writing rituals to the decision to go all analog for a natural sound and onto his favorite releases of the year from other metal legends. The full interview is available below.
Band Photo: Exhumed
Exhumed Dissects Latest Cadeveric Offering
Exhumed has left a twenty-plus-year-stinky stain on the extreme metal community. Starting with their 1998 platter of splatter, “Gore Metal,” Exhumed has become one of the more recognized acts on Relapse Records’ roster of atrocities. Recently, the group released the pun-heavy-titled “All Guts No Glory,” its first proper album in eight years. The punk-laden album subsides on a heavy diet of blistering drums, sharp guitars, ghoulish voices and dark humor.
Vocalist, guitarist and partial Exhumed brain child, Matt Harvey spoke to Metal Underground via phone about his “It’s Alive”-shaped baby. In addition to providing details about recording “All Guts No Glory,” Harvey spoke about playing two Metal Underground-sponsored events. The day of the interview he had just started Exhumed North American tour with Goatwhore and Havok, and also commented on the group’s upcoming performance at The Goregrowler’s Ball.
Band Photo: Nemesea
Nemesea "Quietly" Talks "Resistance"
Quickly after releasing the debut album "Mana" in 2004, Dutch symphonic/alternative band Nemesea realized that they did not want to be another symphonic gothic metal band. After raising the cash through Sellaband, the band took a drastically different approach with the sophomore release "In Control." Adding electronic and alternative elements from the band member's personal influences, they created a sound that maintains a presence in the rock/metal scene, but which allows them to branch out into so many different avenues and reach fans of all likes.
Now, with the backing of Napalm Records, the band continues this progression with the forthcoming LP "The Quiet Resistance" (release date November 18, 2011) which adds even more influences to the sound that is still garnished with a dark edge with the assistance of After Forever keyboardist Joost van den Broek. Vocalist Manda checked in with Metal Underground to talk about the new album.
Band Photo: Revocation
Revocation: The Interview To End All Interviews
On a chilly Saturday evening, I dropped into the cozy Silk City Taproom in Florence, Massachusetts, for a special one-off show featuring Boston's breakout underground metal stars, Revocation. They released their jaw-dropping and versatile third studio album "Chaos Of Forms" through Relapse Records earlier in 2011 to wide acclaim, and had just wrapped up an opening slot on tour with Chimaira when they decided to revisit their regional turf in a far more intimate way.
Prior to loosing a toxic river of thrash, death, speed, groove, and progressive metal on the tiny club's adoring patrons, three of Revocation's members checked in with Metalunderground.com on Silk City's outdoor second-floor smoking balcony. Huddled in a corner and speaking above the nearby din of a rowdy, liquored-up crowd, guitarist/vocalist Dave Davidson, drummer Phil Dubois-Coyne, and second guitarist Dan Gargiulo indulged me with some amusing banter.
The full, unabridged transcript follows below - complete with some unruly outside interjections too silly not to reproduce here.
Band Photo: Autumns Eyes
Autumns Eyes Talks New Album In Video Interview
Approaching the long awaited album titled "Please Deceive Me," Autumns Eyes front man Dan Mitchell chats with MetalUnderground.com about the new album, horror movies, "Lulu," and more in a new video interview available below. A full transcription of the interview is also available after the jump.
Band Photo: Exhumed
Aaron Mendiola Discusses The Goregrowler's Ball
Aaron "Goregrowler" Mendiola owns his own concert promotions and booking company, Goregrowler Entertainment. While Mendiola tirelessly works throughout the year to bring San Antonio the best in the metal underground, no event presents as big of a challenge or elicits as much gratification as his Goregrowler’s Ball Festival. After a year of planning and promoting, Mendiola can finally take a deep breath, step back and admire his accomplishment…then, it’s back to work.
As a proud sponsor of this head banging extravaganza, Metal Underground.com has chronicled the festival’s news as it breaks. We have given the scoop on the festival’s headliners and co-headliners—Suffocation, Exhumed and Hirax, as well as announcements of new additions such as Phobia and Brutal Truth. Now, it is time to give the floor to the man, Aaron Mendiola, who makes The Goregrowler’s Ball possible.
Death Angel: A Bunch Of Fun Dudes
Death Angel is one of the great underdog stories of American metal. Arguably the "baby band" of the San Francisco Bay Area thrash explosion, their initial late '80s lineup formed even before some members could legally vote or purchase a Hustler. After three cult classic studio albums, an early '90s breakup threatened to consign Death Angel to footnote status in rock history - if not for the resurgence in popularity of old school thrash over a decade later.
With a reinforced lineup and a youthful energy undiminished by time, the band firmly planted itself back on the metal map in the 21st century, via indie giant Nuclear Blast Records. Death Angel then faced perhaps their toughest challenge to date when founding members Andy Galeon (drums) and Dennis Pepa (bass) departed, leaving a gaping wound that providence would see healed by the recruitment of newcomers Will Carroll and Damien Sisson. "The two white boys in the band," frontman Mark Osegueda has joked, referencing the group's collective Filipino heritage. The resulting studio album, 2010's "Relentless Retribution," is a defiant roar of triumph that led to a furious worldwide touring campaign - all leading up to a coveted opening slot on one of the most anticipated American metal tours of 2011 with New York legends Anthrax and fellow Bay Area crushers Testament.
On Veteran's Day - or so-dubbed "National Metal Day" - I sat down in Worcester, Massachusetts with guitarist Ted Aguilar, who joined the band upon its initial 21st century reunion and has since proven an integral member.
Interview With Wolves In The Throne Room
Last Wednesday Wolves in the Throne Room graced Helsinki with their presence, and brought a bit of that relaxed West Coast vibe to a country very familiar with their love for nature. Aaron sat down with me and explained about the phenomenon of Black Metal in the public eye; the importance of identity, culture, and tradition; as well as what has driven Wolves in the Throne Room down this path to Europe and the alchemy of it all.
Band Photo: This Is Hell
A Conversation With This Is Hell
This Is Hell has turned out to be one of the more exciting thrash bands in recent memory, but it wasn’t always that way for this New York quintet. They originally took inspirations from the NY hardcore scene for their first two albums, “Sundowning” and “Misfortunes,” before taking cues from bands like Municipal Waste on last year’s “Weight Of The World.” Just a year later, they have completely turned into a thrash act with “Black Mass,” though not without a few hints of their past still present. I had a chance to speak to guitarist Rick Jimenez in late October about “Black Mass” and how long-time fans will react to this new direction for This Is Hell.
Band Photo: Obscura
Obscura Talks North American Tour And New Bassist
The German titans of technicality, Obscura, have finally hit North American shores for a proper headlining run to show off their blistering blend of death metal and progressive musical ideals. The Metalunderground.com sponsored trek is in support of Obscura's newest tech-death masterpiece "Omnivium" (check out our review here).
A day before the tour started, I had the chance to chat up Obscura guitarist Christian Müenzner about the new run of shows, as well as the band's recent lineup change with the addition of new bassist Linus Klausenitzer. Christian also talked about the set list for the tour and how crisscrossing the U.S. is much different from a European run due to the long travel distances involved.
Band Photo: Hull
Interview With Hull
Brooklyn's Hull has been rising in notoriety quickly with sludgy doom and a New York attitude. With "Beyond the Lightless Sky" just released, Hull hit the road this fall and winter to reach fans across the U.S. I caught up with the band the day after Halloween in New Orleans where they discussed the album, rating systems used to rank it, and their California hot tub dreams. A transcription is available below.
Band Photo: Testament
Eric Peterson Teases New Testament Album
After a lengthy period teeming with myriad personal and professional struggles, influential Bay Area thrashers Testament dropped an atomic depth charge known as "The Formation Of Damnation" through Nuclear Blast records in 2008. Their ninth studio album, it was a commercial and critical smash hit that mopped the floor with pretenders and cemented one of the most powerful comebacks in recent music history. It also officially reunited the (almost) classic lineup of frontman Chuck Billy, guitarists Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick, and bassist Greg Christian - with the new addition of drummer Paul Bostaph.
After more than three years of successful touring with some of metal's biggest and best names, Testament is hard at work on their followup Nuclear Blast effort, due out sometime next spring. However, this hasn't stopped them from hitting the road across North America with veteran thrash comrades Anthrax and Death Angel. It was from this tour that band founder Eric Peterson took time to fill in Metal Underground.com with - among other things - some details on the highly anticipated new album, the cryptically titled "The Dark Roots Of Earth."
Interview with Jules Näveri of Profane Omen
Catching up with Jules Näveri after their set at Metalheim Festival was a great experience! They've just released a new album "Destroy!" and have gotten a new bass player, Antti Seroff. Read on to see what Jules has to say about the passion that sets musicians apart, what Sisu is and why we should take a page out of the Finn's book, and also what makes Profane Omen such a damn good act.
Band Photo: Primordial
Interview With Alan Averill Of Primordial
I sat down and had quite a long chat with Alan on the second day of the Metalheim Festival. Primordial has just released the album Redemption at the Puritans Hand and we had quite a lot to talk about! Alan shared with me his opinions of the metal scene today, as well as the difficulties musicians face in the long ladder that is the music business.
Interview with Everything Falls Dark
Texas is as brutal in the literal sense as it is in the metal sense. The heat is oppressive, the politicians are extreme, and the Tex-Mex food can get pretty damn spicy. This brutality gave rise to many a metal band, though not as many in the tech- and core- worlds like Everything Falls Dark. Based in San Antonio, TX, the band's music is aimed at putting bodies in motion.
The band's drummer, Clint Williamson, took time out for a short interview to let the world in on what they've been showing Texas metalheads for quite some time.
Interview with Tyr at Metalheim 2011
On the first day Metalheim Festival I had the chance to sit down and chat with Gunnar Thomsen, Kari Streymoy, and Terji Skibenaes of Tyr. The guys talked to me about their desires to expand musically and what we can expect from Tyr in the future, as well as some interesting tour experiences.
Anthrax's Belladonna States Big 4 Possible in 2013
New York thrash outfit Anthrax released albums such as “Spreading the Disease” and “Among the Living,” in the 1980s, which will forever be understood as not only classic thrash albums but classic heavy metal in general. In 1992, Anthrax replaced singer Joey Belladonna with John Bush from Armored Saint. Even though the group stepped down the speed of earlier recordings, the first two Bush albums, “The Sound of White Noise” and “Stomp 442” were well received. Then the group experienced a blurry period, releasing only "Volume 8 - The Threat Is Real" in 1998 and “We’ve Come For You All” in 2003.
Belladonna rejoined in 2005 only to be ousted in 2007 to make way for an unknown singer named Dan Nelson. In 2010, Anthrax returned to its greatest glory in twenty years as part of the Big 4 European Tour (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth) and Festival in California. American fans were afforded the chance to see three of the big four thrash bands with Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax that very summer on the “American Carnage” tour. This tour was a return to the “Clash of the Titans” lineup, bar Alice in Chains, of 1991.
These tours surely recharged the group’s batteries. A year later, the group has released what many consider the best Anthrax album since…well, since the last album featuring Joey Belladonna. Belladonna may not touch the sky in a Halford fashion on “Worship Music,” but good luck finding a vocalist with as much passion and tone clarity. As he proved on stage after this interview, he can still hit every high note with perfection. “Worship Music” relates a modern sound that just doesn’t warrant this type of vocal style. With said album came a headlining tour with Testament and Death Angel in tow (read the show report).
Metal Underground went backstage to speak with Joey about returning to the group and their recent resurgence. Drummer, Charlie Benante sat next to us in the dressing room, playing an unplugged electric guitar. Guitarist Scott Ian came in to give exciting news about the crowd and comment on Belladonna’s vocal talents. Belladonna frantically changed clothes, hurrying to make way for our interview. While putting on a clean t-shirt he alluded to the movie “Airplane,” saying, “Have you ever seen a grown man naked, Joey?” Death Angel vocalist Mark Osegueda warmed up his voice outside the door, letting loose soaring, eagle screams. This all made for an interesting and somewhat hectic interview, but other than a few words obscured by Osegueda’s voice, Belladonna gave us a candid look at his life as the front man for thrash legends Anthrax.
Interview with Ville Sorvali of Moonsorrow
Moonsorrow is very different then other Folk/Pagan metal bands in the genre, while they may not be giving us happy drinking songs, they have a strong and very distinct appeal that has made them a successful band. Following the release of their last album "Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa" Moonsorrow has been quite busy! I caught up with Ville Sorvali prior to the start of this years
Metalheim Festival where we talked about their first Asian tour, the new album as well as some ideology and what the Moonsorrow concert experience should be.
Band Photo: Evile
Getting The Basics From Evile
It's been a mere two weeks since the North American release of "Five Serpent's Teeth," the anticipated third album by U.K. thrashers Evile (reviewed here), and fans worldwide are still digesting it as the band gears up for its new touring cycle. In a rather formal email exchange, guitarist Ol Drake recently checked in with me to share a few thoughts on the album, his band, and metal music.
3 Discusses New Album "The Ghost You Gave To Me"
Woodstock, New York based prog act 3 has finally come out with a proper follow-up to "The End is Begun" in the form of the new album "The Ghost You Gave To Me" (reviewed here), which is available now.
As the band gears up for a tour with Cynic and plots out its 2012 road plans, I got the opportunity to chat up 3's Billy Riker about the sound of the new album and why 3 appeals to death metal fans without actually playing extreme metal. Read on to find out what Billy had to say about writing the record, how it connects with past albums, and even his thoughts on the latest Opeth release.
Band Photo: Cannabis Corpse
Cannabis Corpse Pot-tificates on New Album & Tour
Although started by Municipal Waste bassist Phil “Landphil” Hall and his brother Josh “Hallhammer” Hall, the idea for Cannabis Corpse predates Municipal Waste. “…we were smoking pot watching Cannibal Corpse on television. Josh and I were teenagers. We came up with the idea when we were seventeen, which was like ’99, but we didn’t get around to actually getting a real band together until 2006,” explains Phil Hall.
Seven years seemed an appropriate amount of time to grow and cultivate this idea. After all, this was the Hall brothers’ ultimate homage to the things they like best in life—weed and death metal. In 2006, Cannabis Corpse arose like a skunk-bud-scented Swamp Thing-like weed monster with the hilariously titled “Blunted at Birth.” They soon followed that up with other Cannibal Corpse parodied albums “Tubes of the Resonated” and “The Weeding” EP. While each album drew inspiration from Cannibal Corpse’s music and Florida death metal in general, Cannabis Corpse definitely made each song their own. The group even adding a touch of thrash, which one would expect from a band featuring a member of Municipal Waste.
Five years in and the group continues to mature. Cannabis Corpse’s most recent offering “Beneath Grow Lights Thou Shall Rise” includes better song writing, more guitar solos and shows the group even step away from the Cannibal Corpse-themed song and album titles, instead spoofing Deicide and Morbid Angel. Before taking the stage in Austin, Texas to support The Black Dahlia Murder (read show review), the group took me to their burgundy-colored van, where I interrogated them on their recent blood-stained musical harvest.
Isole Frontman Discusses "Born From Shadows"
Isole has been seasoned for the last twenty years, appearing as Forlorn in 1991, playing epic doom metal in the style defined by country-mates, the great Candlemass. Now on the heels of releasing the band's strongest effort "Born From Shadows" and the news of Candlesmass' signing on the same label (Napalm Records) for what will the the legend's final release, Isole finds itself on the receiving end of the inevitable torch passing of epic doom (Metal Underground's review for "Born In Shadows" can be found at this location).
Frontman Crister Olsson sat down to answer questions about conclusion of the "Moonstone Trilogy," the future continuation of the "Redemption" story from "Silent Ruins" and the reaction to the news of the band's biggest influence announcing its final release.
Jon Howard of Threat Signal Discusses New Album
Influencing but not part pf the new djent movement, Threat Signal is poised to be one of the biggest metal bands of the 2010s. Hailing from the Toronto area and led by Jon Howard, the band has been making music since 2004 and opened for such big names as Dark Tranquility and Epica. Jon was able to talk with me about upcoming plans, his side project and his recommendations for documentaries.
A Conversation With Ville Friman Of Insomnium
As it's fifth studio album "One For Sorrow" drops in the U.S. today, melodic death metal band Insomnium has a lot to reflect upon. In the nine years since it's debut defined part of that classic soundscape Finland is known for, the band has consistently upped the bar in terms of technically heavy albums that have cemented it's place as a world class act. Insomnium's blueprint is immediately recognizable, and it's constant schedule of touring has finally vaulted the band to a place where success is within reach. We got a chance to sit down with guitarist Ville Friman, who talks about the work involved in "One For Sorrow" and other vagaries in his existence as a musician.
Interview with Jarkko Aaltonen of Korpiklaani
Over half a year after the extremely successful release of their seventh album, Ukon Wacka; we caught up with bassist Jarkko Aaltonen at their show in Helsinki this past weekend. Jarkko tells us about whats in the works for the future; including more folklore, more touring and the possibility of new album.
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