Stay Brutal
Patrick
fiendformetal@live.com
Interview with Simone vocalist and guitarist of Blasphemer done by Patrick
1.Hails Simone please introduce yourself to the readers. When did you first get into metal?
Hi Patrick, this is Simone, I am a metal guitarist who started his career into extreme music in 1998 founding the band we are actually talking about, Blasphemer. I was really young at that time but metal has always been my passion since I was a child. When I was 9 years old I got my first Metallica and Megadeth tapes and from that point all has begun. I lived in a small town in the Milan suburbs and in the early 90’s it wasn’t easy to find a decent music shop and even the most popular metal release were really hard to find. There was no internet, no Ebay or Youtube and when you were lucky enough to get a new tape, it stayed for months in your hi-fi. Growing up my musical taste was always looking for something more aggressive and that’s how I got into death metal.
2.Who were some of the first bands you listened to? Who are some of your current favorite bands?
Well, like thousands of kids I started listening Metallica, Megadeth, and Iron Maiden, then I got some tapes from Sepultura ,Slayer etc. You know, it has been the same for all of us I guess. I still remember when I first listened to Arise: I was blown away. I thought: “man, this is some serious shit!”
Same thing happened to me with Deicide and Morbid Angel. Some albums are milestones in one man’s musical path and if you walk on mine, you’ll find at least these 10 masterpieces: Deicide Legion, Morbid Angel Covenant, Obituary Cause of death, Cannibal Corpse Tomb of the mutilated, Broken Hope Swamped in Gore, Suffocation Despise the sun, Incantation Mortal Throne of Nazareth, Immolation Here in After, Deeds of Flesh Imbreeding the Anthropophagi and Infernal Torment Man’s true nature.
If I have to name a few of my current favorite bands in addition to those previously mentioned I would pick up Dead Congregation for sure, Inquisition, The Chasm and Coffins.
Same thing happened to me with Deicide and Morbid Angel. Some albums are milestones in one man’s musical path and if you walk on mine, you’ll find at least these 10 masterpieces: Deicide Legion, Morbid Angel Covenant, Obituary Cause of death, Cannibal Corpse Tomb of the mutilated, Broken Hope Swamped in Gore, Suffocation Despise the sun, Incantation Mortal Throne of Nazareth, Immolation Here in After, Deeds of Flesh Imbreeding the Anthropophagi and Infernal Torment Man’s true nature.
If I have to name a few of my current favorite bands in addition to those previously mentioned I would pick up Dead Congregation for sure, Inquisition, The Chasm and Coffins.
3.When did you first meet the other members of the band and was it long before you all formed Blasphemer ? How did you all choose the name for the band?
I first meet Paolo when I was about 14 years old, so almost 20 years ago. We are always been good friends and still we are. At that time I played in a thrash metal band but I wasn’t satisfied with it, since I wanted to play death metal. The drummer was also into death metal and we decided to try: I wrote down something and introduced Paolo to the other band members as the new singer. Few months later Blasphemer was born. The name was chosen by Paolo and it comes from a Deicide song: Blaspherereion. We all agreed that Blasphemer was what we were looking for: actually the band started as an anti-christian death metal band and things hasn’t changed. You know, Italy is a strong catholic country, we have the Vatican and the Pope: Blasphemer sounded to us the more appropriate name for our music that was supposed to be brutal and offensive.
4.What is the current line up of Blasphemer ?And for the readers who have never heard the band how would you best describe the bands musicial style?
We are three at the moment: me (Guitars), Paolo “Munnezz” Maniezzo (vocals) and Clod “The Ripper” De Rosa. The drums on the new album were composed and recorded by one of the most talented drummer ever imo, Darren Cesca but in the near future we will promote the album live with an amazing Italian drummer, whose name I prefer to keep secret for the moment.
How would I describe Blasphemer music? As a fucking chaos risen from hell! Try to imagine torturing guitar riffing, insane drumming, odd tempos, blast beats, ultra guttural laments tormenting you without end…well this is a realistic picture of Blasphemer’s music.
How would I describe Blasphemer music? As a fucking chaos risen from hell! Try to imagine torturing guitar riffing, insane drumming, odd tempos, blast beats, ultra guttural laments tormenting you without end…well this is a realistic picture of Blasphemer’s music.
5.Blasphemer is getting ready to release their new cd "Ritual Theophagy" through Comatose Music how did the band come in contact with this label?
We first got in touch with Comatose in 2005 and never interrupted our collaboration. I believe Comatose is one of the most serious and professional label in extreme music and we owe a lot to its owner, Steve Green. He always trusted us and supported though the trouble we got through.
The way we got in touch with the label at that time was pretty different from what happens nowadays: ok we had Internet but it wasn’t the fast internet we all know and there were no social networks. We had lots of Cds and made a list of labels we wished to work with. At that time there wasn’t lots of labels and to sign a contract was pretty hard, especially for an Italian band. Man, it was just ten years ago but this world (music, bands, labels, etc) changed completely! Well, in our list we actually put Comatose of course and we sent all those label a promo CD we recorded that year, a short biography and stuff like that that now I don’t remember anymore. When Steve wrote us back we were totally amazed! We couldn’t believe a US label was interested in our band: we did music just for fun and mr Green answered us proposing a deal with awesome conditions! It can be said that Blasphemer was born again in 2005 due to this contract. From that moment we started looking very seriously at our music and our work, before we were just fucking around.
The 2005 demo we recorded as a promo for label will be printed for the first time this year on tape via Unholy Domain Records. Keep an eye open on it, cause that recording is awesome in my opinion: raw and brutal, it brings you back to the early 90’s!
The way we got in touch with the label at that time was pretty different from what happens nowadays: ok we had Internet but it wasn’t the fast internet we all know and there were no social networks. We had lots of Cds and made a list of labels we wished to work with. At that time there wasn’t lots of labels and to sign a contract was pretty hard, especially for an Italian band. Man, it was just ten years ago but this world (music, bands, labels, etc) changed completely! Well, in our list we actually put Comatose of course and we sent all those label a promo CD we recorded that year, a short biography and stuff like that that now I don’t remember anymore. When Steve wrote us back we were totally amazed! We couldn’t believe a US label was interested in our band: we did music just for fun and mr Green answered us proposing a deal with awesome conditions! It can be said that Blasphemer was born again in 2005 due to this contract. From that moment we started looking very seriously at our music and our work, before we were just fucking around.
The 2005 demo we recorded as a promo for label will be printed for the first time this year on tape via Unholy Domain Records. Keep an eye open on it, cause that recording is awesome in my opinion: raw and brutal, it brings you back to the early 90’s!
6.How long did it take the band to write the music on the new release? Does the whole band take part in the writing process or does one member usually write everything?
It was a long and complicated process. I wrote the guitar parts long time ago and recorded them in 2014. At that time we hadn’t a drummer but I didn’t want to let that music die in my laptop (btw. For every single note I play, I write sheet music with a popular software ). I decided to record first and then to look for a drummer. After a while I got in touch with Darren Cesca, who wanted to arrange the drum parts himself from the very start and so he did. He wrote first drum machine, then sent me an mp3 file so that I could discuss with him the work done. When we found an agreement Darren adjusted the drum machine and sent me a new file with all the modified parts. He did the same for every song and then he recorded all the drums in his studio. Once the drums was completed we arranged all the vocals and the bass once again to fit them with the drums. We recorded them and after that we got in touch with a friend of us, Andrea Marino from Bastard Saints, who recorded the screaming. He’s a very talented artist and did a great job. Some songs were completed in the studio during the recording session and the vocals on Ritual theophagy are a first take improvised by Marino while listening for the first time the song.
I usually write all the music but the whole band take care of the arrangements. We are a very democratic band where each member has the same right to approve/reject/modify every single note.
I usually write all the music but the whole band take care of the arrangements. We are a very democratic band where each member has the same right to approve/reject/modify every single note.
7.Besides the new cd that is coming out does the band have any past releases still available or other merchandise for the readers? If yes where can the readers buy your releases and merchandise ?
Our previous full length and EP are available at Comatose Music webstore and at Blasphemer’s Band Camp. Merchandise is also in stock. We are going to start in a few days the preorder for the new recording, 3 different packages will be available: the first includes the new albumRitual Theophagy in digipack, one T-shirt with the main artwork and a guitar pic; the second consists of a jewel case cd with slip case showing an alternative coverartwork, one T-shirt with that artwork and a guitar pic; the third is kind of die hard package with digipack or slipcase CD, Demo tape 2005, one white t-shirt with the tape-artwork and a guitar pic. I think we will open the prorder on September the 5th.
8.I believe I read that Blasphemer has some shows or tours coming up towards the end of 2016 and into 2017. Where are some countries the band will be playing?
Blasphemer will start hitting the stage on 2017. Nothing was planned so far, we just wrote down a set list and will start rehearsing at the end of the year. Once everything we’ll be ready we will get in touch with European festivals. US is always an option because we love to play there but it would be cool to play for the first time in Asia as well. We’re receiving proposals but we will start booking and confirming from January 2017. I guess we’ll organize a release party gig in Italy but we are still discussing the thing with our booking agent. We would like to play good gigs and we are preparing a solid show, you won’t be disappointed.
9.Any idea who are some bands you will be sharing the stage with? What have been some of Blasphemer's most memorable shows over the years?
Personally I would love to organize some gigs with our friends in Devangelic. Guess a Blasphemer / Devangelic tour would be pretty awesome: unholy brutality unleashed!
There are lots of memorable show but unfortunately we don’t have many videos: for the new release I hope we will be able to record the more shows we can, cause Blasphemer on stage delivers tons of violence and brutality in your face! Btw the CIM2011 was pretty awesome and you can find something on youtube.
There are lots of memorable show but unfortunately we don’t have many videos: for the new release I hope we will be able to record the more shows we can, cause Blasphemer on stage delivers tons of violence and brutality in your face! Btw the CIM2011 was pretty awesome and you can find something on youtube.
10. Blasphemer comes out of the Italian brutal death metal scene what is your opinion of Italy's brutal death scene over the years?
Italian brutal death metal scene is actually pretty rich. Lots of top notch bands come from our country, Hour of Penance, Putridity, Devangelic, to name a few. We have a various range of band playing different kind of death metal: we have brutal bands, melodic bands, old-school, modern death metal, technical death metal. Most of those bands are really worthy and internationally popular. I remember in 2007 Clod, our bass player, organized a 2-days death metal festivals, Tattoo Death Fest, with Italian bands only. It has been epic! On the same stage you could listen to: Vomit the Soul, Blasphemer, Septycal Gorge, Hour of Penance, Nefas, Putridity, Wargore, Modus delicti and many others.
11.Who are your all-time favorite Italian bands? Are their any new bands you feel the readers should check out soon?
I love Nefas, an old school Italian band that disbanded some years ago, you need to check them out, they were really underground. Italy is plenty of awesome bands, the ones I named right before for example. If you are into old school I suggest you to check out Voids of Vomit, Perfidious, Funest and Assumption.
12.Besides bands are their any good Italian label's or distro's you feel the readers should watch out for?
We have a bunch of labels which are printing very limited, rare and good stuff on CD, Tape and Vinyl. The best in my opinion are Unholy Domain (that is going to print our 2005 demo on protape) and Terror from Hell. If you are looking for the good stuff you won’t be disappointed, especially if you are not interested in mainstream and trendy.
13.When not working on new music or band business what do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I love reading (especially german literature) and playing guitar. Even if I’m not writing new stuff for my bands I spend lots of time playing guitar, not only electric: recently I’m studying classic guitar again by myself. Actually a band requires almost all your free time if you want to keep the things going in a professional way.
14.Do any of the members of Blasphemer currently work with any other bands or projects? If yes please tell the readers a little about them?
All of us are more or less involved in other projects: Paolo recently recorded some featuring vocals on the Vacuus demo, Clod plays drums in Modus Delicti and he’s writing a new album, I also play in Beheaded and I just recorded the new album Beast Incarnate that will be out in November via Unique Leader records.
15.Thank you Simone for taking the time to fill this interview out. Do you have any final comments for the readers?
Thanks for the interview Patrick!
Don’t forget to grab a copy of Ritual Theophagy and keep an eye open on our facebook page, cause we are going to hit soon your country and reduce him to fucking ashes!
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