1.Hello please introduce yourselves to the readers?
Hi, I´m Víctor Mac-Namara a Chilean metalhead, I come from the Hell of South America kingdom of injustices, which makes Death Metal more hateful and ugly. I'm a guitar player and a full-time metal cover and graphic artist known as MacSlaughterday for some years, so I'm very happy with that.
2.When did you first discover Metal music? And who were the first bands and artists that you listened to?
Was at the end of 1989. Metallica started to become mainstream, releasing thash to the masses. I got Ride the Lightning on tape and it turns me nuts, I never heard such good music as that besides some classic music tunes, for me it was not just follow an idiot gang stuff. Still today this is one of my favorites. After I joined the tribe, checking out fantastic albums and meeting good friends, for me was a contra culture and still it is, was absolutely fantastic.
My first bands were Death, Kreator, King Diamond, Exodus, Dark Angel, The Exploited, Dead Kennedys.
3.Was it long before you discovered death and the more extreme metal genres?Who were the first bands to catch your attention? Who are some current bands that you have been listening to?
I'm a weird person I'm into fanatism too, but I like freedom, a complex I guess as mostly of humans, but even like that and overall the violence that I experienced in my childhood and nonacceptance from society. I feel more comfortable in this bizarre arts field. To me, it is another world and a way to express. In metal, I found that unreal real-world happening somehow. Extreme and more bizarre styles were my fascination. I did jump into that and looking for that constantly, I dislike mainstream metal bands, that use metal elements, pure weekend entertainment, no risk, no more meanings just aesthetics, complacent with the establishment, just entertainment.
The first bands were Morbid Angel, Nocturnus, Exmortis, Fatal, Slaughter. Cryptic Slaughter, Invocator, Dark Angel, Eucharist, Autopsy, plus some punk acts like The Exploited, Discharged, G.B.H. The Misfits, Agnostic Front, Gorilla Biscuits, and some goth, industrial bands, and classic composers. Currently, I'm into Funeral Mist, Krypts, Dead Congregation, Agnes Obel, Blodtâr, Insect Warfare, Venenum, Funeral Chant, Cattle Decapitation, Katharsis, Blood Incantation, Concrete Winds etc.
4.Thornafire was started in 1998 what gave you all the idea to start this band?How did you choose Thornafire as the name of the band?
I was playing on other Santiago bands, and I wanted to release faster material do the band's activities more fast, and manage better my music target, a bit away from the North American metal that ruled the head of people in Chile back then.About the name, back then in ‘98 good names with one world were empty so many bands as At the Gates, Night in Gales, In Flames, started to appear, so just we jumped into that tendency, The name was chosen by Anthorn former singer that managed the half of the band's concept, he drawn the amazing logo too.
5.Who would you say are the bands biggest influences and have they remained the same over the years?For the reader's who have never heard the band how would you best describe Thornafire's musical style?
For me Eucharist, Entombed, Bathory, Autopsy, Morbid Angel, Hypocrisy (old) I do like Bulldozer sound, fat and massive and evocative with sensibility. As a player I`m much into barbarism, bloodshed, and cruelty of od Sodom, Katharsis, early Krisiun, and Angel Corpse but I love it as a listener.
6.Leprosario Lazareto is the bands latest full length how long did it take the band to write the music for this release?Does the whole band take part in the writing process or does one member usually write everything?
Oh, after some European tours, and a Magnaa album I was trying to see the repercussions of these latest magik and hard work times with the band, so after two live albums, Live in Berlin and Live in London I was ready to keep making more music. I did the whole album by myself with the help of drums and arrangements from Tomas Garcia, There were super hard times, everything against, but in my opinion, metal is a force against the odds too.
7.Who usually handles writing the lyrics and what are some subjects written about on the new release?Which usually comes first the music or the lyrics?
Lyrics are poetic representations of forces beyond this world, sometimes bitter, sometimes serious. First of all, is the music, I'm not a lyric writer, but sometimes we do use a poetic alchemist book writer from Chile, Patricio Araya, I just wrote “El coro de los hambrientos en tus oidos conchetumadre” which is my freewill and ambiguous astrophysical representation of these low vibes and distorted civil values there in Chile.
8.Besides the Leprosario Lazareto release are the bands previous releases still available for the readers to purchase?
Besides physical releases is their anymore merchandise currently availible for the reader to purchase?If yes what is availible and where can the readers purchase it?
Yes, all the productions are along with Umbrium records (umbrium.cl) by now And Leprosario is available here in Europe under Great Dane records.
9.What does Underground Metal mean to you?
Is a magik music out of this world, the tunes and the esthetics and lyrics sometimes are a unique grotesque expression, for many is just music to make friends and entertainment after the job, for me, many times speaks louder about the organization and hypocrisy of the societies, how they lie to you, terrifies you, organize you under their reality representation, for me many times this music vomits back all the same uglyness and anger that society brings to you day by day. Is Catharsis too. This expression is there, free, without a leader, and is not a sophisticated circle, like reading fancy writers or other expression forms, that demands you enter some sophisticated circle. Underground caught my attention
And what is it that keeps you motivated to keep going in the underground scene over the years?
Cause always i have the freedom to choose it, very different from other life aspects where I have to adapt and follow rules.
10.Thornafire comes out of Chile's death metal scene what is your opinion of the scene in Chile over the decade's?
’80s and 90’s this scene was outstanding and fantastic, we had the Pinochet regime, so many musicians said that they just did a copy of a foreign artist, for me was a unique, rudimentary and morbid escene, mid of 90’s when the underground became accessible, started to change. But still, you can find some jewels there.
11.Who are your all-time favorite bands coming out of Chile?Are their any new bands that you could recomend to the readers?
Pentagram (old) is twisted and cacophonic but wicked, and weirdly have ver raw folklore roots. Warpath, Atomic Aggressor, Sadism, Melektaus, Dominus Xul, Wrathprayer, Atomicide.
12.When you need to take a break from working on new music or band business what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Wow, is hard, I must work most of the time,
but I do like to speak from people and hear their meanings, sometimes I watch documentaries and from time to time enjoy nature.
13.Besides Thornafire do any of the members currently work with any other bands?If yes please tell the readers a little about them?
By now, Cristian Cardenas is playing in a porno grind band called Ñiache, and I`m playing in a Polish black metal band called Secfremist.
14.Thank you for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final words for the readers?
Yes, keep an eye on the underground scene and support your talented local acts. Thornafire https://thornafire.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thornafire https://www.instagram.com/thornafire_official/ Great Dane Rec. https://www.greatdanerecs.com/eshop/web/ https://greatdanerecords.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/GreatDaneRecords https://www.youtube.com/user/GREATDANERECORDS