VIRULENCE - Strange...insane, crazy?? This is a kind of psychedelic jazzy grind death metal, a personal proposal of these cult band coming from USA. In the first full length "A Conflict Scenario" released by german label MORBID RECORDS we can listen a unusual kind of music, very extreme and complex. Read the interview with Nick(guitars).
KREPUSKULUM: Talk to us about the creation of VIRULENCE. What is the reason to play grind music?
NICK: The band formed roughly 3 years ago & after the first few months of playing together we recorded the Dormant Strains MCD. I love the satisfaction and emotion I get when Im grinding a guitar line alongside a churning noisy blast beat.
Your music is very intense and complex? Do you believe that is possible mix influences like jazz music and progressive rock in a extreme kind of music like grind & death metal?
Anything is possible. Id say we are experimenting & forming musical hybrids, always trying to retain a high level of intensity. The aspect of high-quality songwriting is also very important to us.
Where come from your jazzy influences?? Did you study music in university?
I have listened to jazz music since I was teenager and played in jazz bands at a young age. Yes, Dave, Dan, and Myself met at a music college in Boston.
What are your favourite jazz musicians & bands and, of course, what are your favorite grind core bands ?
My favorite jazz musicians are Pat Martino & Michael Brecker- some favorite grind/deathmetal bands are Discordance Axis, Human Remains, Disgorge(ca) Devourment, Cephalic Carnage Cryptopsy, TON,
Do you like another styles of metal as Melodic (Helloween, Stratovarious), Thrash (Metallica, Testament), prog metal (Dream Teather)and the new fashion of melodic black metal ( Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth)? What do you think about the named new metal of KORN, LIMP BIZKIT & LINKIN PARK?
I still like Testament a lot- we stay very open minded to music and judge on if its good or not individually, not simply the style scene. I used to be a big dream Theater fan, as for black metal….Chris and I love black metal..not BM like Cof and Dimmu Borgir…we like Dark Funeral, Ulver, Nagelfar, Sorhin, Setherial, and many more. I don’t like Nu Metal bands….watered down for the masses…
The cover illustration of the album is very strange like your music? What is the meaning of the picture?
The bees are a representation of the inevitable conflict between two entities over a limited resource. The flower represents the limited resource, the source of conflict in nature, and the mechanism of evolution.
The USA is a country dominated by the musical fashion created by MTV. Is hard to play underground music in your country?
Its not hard. There is much good geniune support for independent and underground music. MTV is still a big part of the USA music culture…but MTV is not everything. More and more people are turning to ungerground music for something a little more…intelligent.
The name of the album "A CONFLICT SCENARIO" has a great sincronicity with the UNITED STATES now, with the WORLD TRADE CENTER episode, the country will can declare war...What do you think about it? Are you support the war??
Its too early to make judgements and opinions and give our standpoint on everything going on. Yes, some action is needed by the USA, but war is a terrible thing. Its hard to say…. Only I wish war was not necessary.
Talk to us about the creative process behind your music, How do you create this creative mix of grind & jazz?
The way its worked so far, is I will bring in a series of riffs and musical ideas with an idea on structure and arrangment. Sometimes dave and I meet together so we can learn and process what we're playing. When Dave comes in, then theres a second musical mind in the equation. We'll discuss ideas and revise my original thoughts, so by the time we come into the practice room with Dan we have a pretty good idea what we're looking for. In the practice room is where all the real chemistry and emotion exists and with those elements, we arrange the song into its true final sound.
The lyrics of the album are very strange and interesting. What is the inspiration to create the lyrics of "Reptilian Triangle", "Cementing with Introspection" & "Pipeline Dialogue"?
"Reptilian Triangle" is based on an outdated theory of the human brain which simplifies it into three sections, the simplest of which is the center of emotions. The simplification of human behavior is intriquing because we all still retain these primitive instincts. The song suggests the scenario in human evolution when homonids lived in social groups where insticts, rage and brute force, decided behavior and sexual access, and when there was an absence of rational thought.
Thank you very much for your support!!
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Contacts:
Band: Nman40@aol.com / www.virulencegrind.comLabel: www.morbidrecords.de / promo@morbidrecords.de