Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Infection Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
Once again we are in a weird predicament. The album was recorded from 2012 to 2014 during the time I was still living in Peru. Once again, I’m living in another country so the album had to be released digitally (as a side note, we expect to produce physical copies of "Acrotomophile Mutilator"). It is clear that we’re not going to be able to play it live, at least not until I return and we find permanent members for the bass and drums positions. So it can be said without hesitation that we’re a studio band at this very moment.

2. In July you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
Instrumentation is one of the biggest differences between our first and second full-length album. For instance, there’s a more conscious work on the guitar department: the use of a broad palette of dissonant chords apart from the classic fifths; there are melodic passages where the axes harmonize with each other; the songs in general have different motifs and incorporate influences from thrash metal and black metal… all of that can be appreciated after several spins of the disc. Concerning the bass, it has a more predominant role on the mix, even doing his own thing here and there. Finally, something that was noted by many reviewers of our first production was the lack of changes in the vocals. This time Giuliano, our vocalist, did his best to demonstrate that he can growl like a caveman and screech like a demon!

3. This is the first album to be released in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time?
Five years is a lot of time, too much I’d say... Well, “Necrokindergarden” was released in 2009 while I was living abroad. When I came back to Peru in 2010 our drummer was not anymore in the band. The bassist was overwhelmed with personal things and became an intermittent member of the band. We played some time with a new drummer but he also had to left the group due to personal issues. In the absence of stable members, it was difficult to rehearse on a regular basis. We even had a session drummer but he also had a band so Infection wasn’t his priority musically speaking. As you can see, it was a trying period. Nevertheless, in spite of that (and the lack of money) we continued working hard and managed to record “Acrotomophile Mutilator”. We had to do it in stages: first drums, then guitars, bass and vocals at the end. All that I‘ve told you contributed to the big gap that separates our two studio albums.

4. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
The original idea behind this new album was to speak only about young killers. Those stories of children harming and killing their peers was fascinating, a demonstration that there’s no innocent soul on this planet. So, "When Children Murder," "Kidnapped and Kill," and "Psychopath" are examples of that. As time passed, the main theme branched out. This is evident in "Rape... Kill... Rape" and "Beheaded Children Contest," both are about children predators. These songs were ultimately not included in this production, but we expect to release them some day. With the rest of the tunes the themes are varied, ranging from cannibalism to zombification. Horror stories and disgusting topics are always part of our repertoire!

5. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Infection'?
That’s a good question! In the beginning, the chosen name was “Infected.” When I was talking to a friend about it, he told me that some year ago there was another Peruvian band with the same name. I didn't know that, so I decided to change it to “Infection” to avoid misunderstandings. In both cases, an infection is something that spreads inside the body, ultimately killing the person if no treatment is received.

6. Currently there are only 2 members in the band are you planning on having a full line up again in the future or do you choose to remain as a duo?
It is sad to say this but in Peru we don’t have so many musicians that are willing to be in a metal band. Among those, there are a just a few ones who can follow a metronome, if you know what I mean. Moreover, it's rather complicate to find a skillful drummer who can cope with the constant changes in tempo and signature, and that isn’t playing with another band. We don’t want to wait years for the chosen one. I have no problems recording the bass myself and programming the drums in MIDI. Yes, it is better to have real musicians but at this very moment is not happening so we have to resolve to the issue. We released “Acrotomophile Mutilator” in that way, and we’re happy with the results.  So, answering your question, there are no plans to incorporate new members in the short term.

7. What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Well, well, it has been a long time since we played live. However, let me tell you that metal shows in Peru are wild, totally insane. Concerts as a general rule occur in remote locations, on the skirts of the city. To get to those places one have to travel a lot. Even though the provided musical equipment is usually not the best, it’s really fun to play in front of a crazy mosh-pit. We hope to get back to play live, definitely.

8. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
A few months before the release of our new album I began looking for a label but after some research I stop doing that. You see… it represented no benefit for us. Furthermore, without a strong fan base it would’ve been almost impossible for a label to sing us up. Fortunately enough, a band can nowadays release their own music and keep the (small) revenues to themselves.  Although we acknowledge that money isn’t the thing that drives us, it is always necessary for the recording process and manufacturing of future albums.

9. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?
Metal music is universal. In that regard, fans from around the world have shown interest in our stuff. Our Facebook official page has received good comments and support from headbangers around the world. To this date, magazines and webzines have given positive comments to our new album. We didn't make too much effort to promote our music in the past, but this time we’re doing it differently, our goal is to reach a bigger audience.

10. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Basically, we want to continue releasing brutal music. Of course we won’t shift our style; death metal is what we love to play. We're not interested in trends... what is hype now isn't necessary good stuff. Just see what happened with some legendary bands and their catastrophic attempt to make “modern” music.

11. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
I can mention three bands that are the main inspiration to our music: Death, Cannibal Corpse, and Monstrosity. However, we are not interested in cloning exactly what they’ve done or what they’re doing now. As a musician, you should be really opened to all kinds of genres and styles; otherwise you’ll end up biting your own tail, doing the same over and over again. There are plenty of bands that are stalled (you know which they are.) I mean, having a recognizable style is good, but repeating yourself is not. Besides metal, I listen to rock, country, and electronic music. I also love jazz and I can say that music had influenced my soloing style (for example, the insane chops by saxophonist John Coltrane). I’m not saying I play like Coltrane or that I’m as good as him, I’m just saying I like chromatic long runs when it comes to soloing. As for bands that I’ve been listening lately, I can mention you some: Tacit Fury, Vektor, Vomit the Soul, and Internal Bleeding.

12. What are some of your non-musical interests?
I do graphic design for a living, so I'm always analyzing websites, magazines, and everything that has a visual aspect on it. I also like architecture and art. Thus, traveling and visiting museums is one of my greatest pleasures.

13. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
First of all, we'd like to thanks “The True Bringer of Death Zine” you for this interview. This opportunity to frankly speak about our music and future plans means a lot to us. Secondly, we invite all metal heads that haven't listened to our music yet to grab our new album and give it a try. We deliver good old death metal spiced up with some technical stuff, what can go wrong?

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