1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
We are Mortal Factor from Lucerne, Switzerland. The band was formed in 2003 by René and QD as a five man thrash metal band (the usual setup, 2 guitars, bass, vocs and drums). Recently we underwent several lineup changes and as of 2014 we are officially a trio with René on guitars and backing vocals, Spiga on drums and me on bass and vocals. We played all over Europe during our tour with Vendetta and Shadow's Far, but so far we have played most of our shows within Switzerland.
2.Recently you have released your first full length, 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?
The sound on the CD is basically a dirty mix of thrash metal and hard rock ... kinda. But we don't really know exactly either, it's just loud music with guitars and heavy riffs. Compared to our earlier stuff the new songs are groovier, a lot simpler and much heavier and in-your-face. The track "Mortal Factor" is actually one of our earliest songs ever written and more or less shows how we used to sound.
3.The band has been around since 2003 but so far has only released one promo, split and full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap between releases?
We're simply more of a live band. We played a lot of concerts over the years and it's what we enjoy most. It's possible that the next CD's gonna be released sooner than this one, but We're not going to churn out releases just so that we have some.
4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Some songs are about serious issues, such as general human stupidity (Symbols of Power/Don't be Afraid), while others are morbid/funny (Body in my Bed) and others simply say: fuck it all, let's party (Crank It).
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Mortal Factor'?
The mortal factor is apparently something that showed up often in greek mythology. It's the thing that makes us mortal, ie. distinguishes us from the gods, and that thing is blood, because gods don't have any. So blood is the mortal factor. The name was already chosen before we had had a closer look at it, but We liked the concept a lot so we kept the name.
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?
Three shows come to mind: one was a halloween show in a club called Mosphit in Wallis. If i'm not mistaken it was also the first show for our drummer Spiga. We had all had a lot to drink (except for Spiga who was really nervous) and our former singer accidentally cut himself on René's guitar strings on stage so he was bleeding and screaming the songs. The crowd was mental, really cool show. The other two are probably the gig at the Schüür in Lucerne and a show on our european tour with Vendetta and Shadow's far which took place in Kranj in Slovenia. The stage was actually built into an old swimming pool. Really cool and a long night ... Our stage performance used to be quite wild when we were still a five man band, a lot going on and lots of hair flying around. Now that we're only three people that has become a little more static. We're still getting used to it, but the energy's coming back fast! René's always worth watching anyways, hair and sweat everywhere!
7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
There are a few shows in 2015 but nothing official yet. The dates will be posted on www.mortalfactor.com and fb/twitter, so check back there. There's still room in 2015 though, so book us!
8.The album was released on Non Stop Music Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
Non Stop Music Records is our distribution partner for Switzerland and, digitally, for the rest of the world. It's a small but hard working label with a good reputation in the Swiss music scene, since it allows you to use their distribution channels without being bound to a record company. Great stuff!
9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of thrash and death metal?
We've had positive reactions throughout our european tour in all the locations and so far the reactions to the CD have been great as well. Still waiting for that 0-points-utter-shit review ... What happens quite often is that we're playing with brutal death and grindcore bands, so we're kinda the softie band of the evening.
10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I think we've found our own style and will carry on in that general direction. It's probably gonna vary from super fast to super slow, but it will always be about the riffs and the groove.
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?
Most of us grew up listening to the thrash bands of the 90's (Exodus, Testament, etc.), so they definitely had their influence somewhere. I guess Pantera's also an all-time favourite of ours, so there's that. Today we all listen to a lot of different stuff, but there need to be guitars. I for myself like Crowbar, 1349, Carcass, Devin Townsend ... the list is weird and long.
12.What are some of your non musical interests?
I love computer games and motorcycles, René plays GTA and collects guitars and Spiga, and I quote, likes to "study frogs in their natural habitat".
We are Mortal Factor from Lucerne, Switzerland. The band was formed in 2003 by René and QD as a five man thrash metal band (the usual setup, 2 guitars, bass, vocs and drums). Recently we underwent several lineup changes and as of 2014 we are officially a trio with René on guitars and backing vocals, Spiga on drums and me on bass and vocals. We played all over Europe during our tour with Vendetta and Shadow's Far, but so far we have played most of our shows within Switzerland.
2.Recently you have released your first full length, 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?
The sound on the CD is basically a dirty mix of thrash metal and hard rock ... kinda. But we don't really know exactly either, it's just loud music with guitars and heavy riffs. Compared to our earlier stuff the new songs are groovier, a lot simpler and much heavier and in-your-face. The track "Mortal Factor" is actually one of our earliest songs ever written and more or less shows how we used to sound.
3.The band has been around since 2003 but so far has only released one promo, split and full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap between releases?
We're simply more of a live band. We played a lot of concerts over the years and it's what we enjoy most. It's possible that the next CD's gonna be released sooner than this one, but We're not going to churn out releases just so that we have some.
4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Some songs are about serious issues, such as general human stupidity (Symbols of Power/Don't be Afraid), while others are morbid/funny (Body in my Bed) and others simply say: fuck it all, let's party (Crank It).
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Mortal Factor'?
The mortal factor is apparently something that showed up often in greek mythology. It's the thing that makes us mortal, ie. distinguishes us from the gods, and that thing is blood, because gods don't have any. So blood is the mortal factor. The name was already chosen before we had had a closer look at it, but We liked the concept a lot so we kept the name.
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?
Three shows come to mind: one was a halloween show in a club called Mosphit in Wallis. If i'm not mistaken it was also the first show for our drummer Spiga. We had all had a lot to drink (except for Spiga who was really nervous) and our former singer accidentally cut himself on René's guitar strings on stage so he was bleeding and screaming the songs. The crowd was mental, really cool show. The other two are probably the gig at the Schüür in Lucerne and a show on our european tour with Vendetta and Shadow's far which took place in Kranj in Slovenia. The stage was actually built into an old swimming pool. Really cool and a long night ... Our stage performance used to be quite wild when we were still a five man band, a lot going on and lots of hair flying around. Now that we're only three people that has become a little more static. We're still getting used to it, but the energy's coming back fast! René's always worth watching anyways, hair and sweat everywhere!
7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
There are a few shows in 2015 but nothing official yet. The dates will be posted on www.mortalfactor.com and fb/twitter, so check back there. There's still room in 2015 though, so book us!
8.The album was released on Non Stop Music Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
Non Stop Music Records is our distribution partner for Switzerland and, digitally, for the rest of the world. It's a small but hard working label with a good reputation in the Swiss music scene, since it allows you to use their distribution channels without being bound to a record company. Great stuff!
9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of thrash and death metal?
We've had positive reactions throughout our european tour in all the locations and so far the reactions to the CD have been great as well. Still waiting for that 0-points-utter-shit review ... What happens quite often is that we're playing with brutal death and grindcore bands, so we're kinda the softie band of the evening.
10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I think we've found our own style and will carry on in that general direction. It's probably gonna vary from super fast to super slow, but it will always be about the riffs and the groove.
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?
Most of us grew up listening to the thrash bands of the 90's (Exodus, Testament, etc.), so they definitely had their influence somewhere. I guess Pantera's also an all-time favourite of ours, so there's that. Today we all listen to a lot of different stuff, but there need to be guitars. I for myself like Crowbar, 1349, Carcass, Devin Townsend ... the list is weird and long.
12.What are some of your non musical interests?
I love computer games and motorcycles, René plays GTA and collects guitars and Spiga, and I quote, likes to "study frogs in their natural habitat".
