Sunday, March 13, 2016

Valgrind 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?
"Speech of the Flame" is finally out, so we only have to concentrate on promoting it in the best way possible. We already played at the "Speech of the the Flame" release party and tested the new songs on stage. We are now looking forward to play more gigs to present the new album properly.


2.Recently you have 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?
Of course we did not change the main characteristics of our sound, but this time we approached the songwriting in a different way. The first album was written solely by Massimiliano, while "Speech of the Flame" has been a more collective effort. The songs have more impact and the structures are a little bit more straightforward. At the same time we created more complex solos and harmonies, I think Massimo and Massimiliano really did their best on this one.


3.This is your first album in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?
We were forced to make some line-up changes, Massimo and Gianmarco were recruited just after the release of "Morning will come no more" and they had to learn the old tracks in order to be ready for the live performances. Once we stabilized the band we started working on the new material. After we created and recorded it we had some problems with the previous label and everything was delayed. We were lucky to enter in the Lord of the Flies recs rooster, Cristian was a fan of the band and immediately showed the will to release the album as soon as he could.


4.The lyrics cover the darkest side of ancient Mediterranean civilities, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in those topics?
This time we wanted a main lyrical  theme and Massimiliano suggested the ancient Greek and Mikenes cultures. These civilities were part of our history and their myths permeated all the Mediterranean cultures. We are Italian so we can still breath this legacy, specially in the south where the band was founded 20 years ago. Me and Massimiliano wrote all the lyrics, I think they fit the music perfectly.


5.The bands name from Norse Mythology, are the band members also interested in Paganism?
Not really, the band name has been chosen in 1995 by a guy who is not even in the band anymore. I think it represents the power of the band's sound very well but it's not really related to our thematic anymore.


6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
To be honest I would say that the most recent shows are the best. We have improved dramatically in terms of cohesion and our live performances are getting better all the times. Our shows are definitely simple and based only on the brutality and darkness of the music.


7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We have a couple of show in italy planned on may, we will confirm them as soon as possible. It would be great to visit some European countries again, we played in Germany and Sweden in the past and it was a blast. Anyone who is interested in arranging something can contact us at paintingtheabyss@gmail.com


8.The album was released 'Lord Of The Flies Records' can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
It is a new label runned by scene veteran Cristian Colonna. He released only quality material so far and we trusted him immediately. He was a fan of the band since the release of our first album, it's great when you find a label where you are not only a number among others.


9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal?
So far our music has been well reviewed and received everywhere. Anyway "Speech of the flame" has just been released, so we are curious to read the comments. I hope that we can build a bigger fan base and start making some serious tour to bring our music everywhere.


10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the other band members are a part of?
Me and Massimo play in Hateful, a Death Metal band with a more Technical twist. We have played For the first time outside of Italy this year in January. We are currently working on a third album and trying to organize another minitour in Europe. Gianmarco, the drummer is busy with the hardcore Italian legends Raw Power and also Massimiliano works with a couple of local bands. We are busy guys eheh.



11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We definitely don't want to repeat ourselves. With this new album you can hear a strong progression in terms of songwriting and with the next album we hope to do the same. I think it will be a balanced mix of killer riffs and dark, majestic melodies.  We already have a couple of new songs to rehearse and I am sure we are going in the right direction!


12.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?
Since day one we were voracious listeners of the early nineties Florida Death Metal. Massimiliano is a Morbid Angel, Pestilence and Death addicted (just like myself) and we grew up with that sounds in our mind. Having said that there are more external influences like Classic metal, Doom and some Black Metal stuff here and there. Vocally speaking I tried to make "Speech of the Flame" more diverse  using different vocal styles from song to song. I always loved "Blessed are the Sick" vocal approach, where each song has it's own "pitch".




13.What are some of your non musical interests?
I am a painter and decorator, so I'd say everything related to visual arts is my main interest together with music. You can check a selection of my works at www.facebook.com/danielelupidiartist .


14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for the interview! We recently released a video clip for "Tyrants" , you can check our facebook page www.facebook.com/valgrindband. We can't wait to see you guys on the road. Thanks for the support!!!

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