MANDATORY

This is a great revelation coming from distant Malaysia, a marvelous mix of melodic death metal and new black metal, a inspirated fusion of IN FLAMES and DIMMU BORGIR! This is MANDATORY, one of the best bands of the legendary label PSYCHIC SCREAM ENTERTAINMENT. This interviews was answered by Zam (Guitarist) & Zach (Bass).

mandatory4a.jpg (19538 bytes)Krepuskulum:  Talks us about the appearance of MANDATORY of the beginning to the release of the debut album.

This band start out in early 1997 consist with five main men and start jamming some old stuff such as Bulldozer,Sepultura,Sodom,Aggressor,Deicide,Malevolent
Creation and lots more. On that time we've played gigs around our home town(Penang). Few month later, line-up had changed due to some minor problem.
After that we were active creating our own songs...... soon.....PSE offered us to join the label for a compilation  named-'Called Of The Haunted Island I'...the songs is 'Death...A While & Ice-Maiden Look'. PSE interested on us after seeing our performance in one gigs at our home town. In 1998...PSE gave us a chance to be appears on another compilation.....a project between PSE and Modern Invasion (Australia).....it's called 'Modern Ozz Demons Psychotic Eastern Blitz 666-'99 Vol.1'......and a songs have appeared in that comp.-'Nightmare'. In same year once again we're appeared in another comp.-'Called Of The Haunted Island
II'....the songs is 'Far Away...'Till Dawn'. In 1999.....PSE want we work for our very first album (yahooooooo!!!!!at last....)We worked for nine month throuh the album. We work very hard. Finally.....in October...we've record all our 8 songs
in a studio in Kuala Lumpur.And the result......you've heard it.

You are one of the best bands of MALAYSIA. Do talk us a little about the metallic scene in your country?

Are u really mean that?hahahh..gee..thanx a lot man. Well...more metal bands are coming up in our country that mix up with modern metal and the extreme one. Amongs are Koffin Kanser, Sil khannaz, Herriot, Tandus...and lots more, they're damn good!!!

You entitle your music of " SPIRITUAL DEATH METAL ". What is the meaning of that label?

Huh!!..here comes the hard ones..mmmmm..it's means   like..life after death..fantasies..the cosmic..ghost.. fallin'..and maybe 'chicks'!hehehahahah!!.But the main strenght are..the arrangement of our music with a variation idea mix up with depressive and spiritual lyrics..that is 'Spiritual Death Metal'.

The album MANDATORY is a masterpiece of melodic death metal, with great uses of keyboards and creative guitar rifs. How is the creative process of your music?

It just like...not all of us listening to the same type of music.We had lots of different influenz,ideas. This give us chance to create our own style and there will be no limits in our own music and ideas.

Your music seems to Have strong inspiration in BLACK METAL'S new current European, of bands as DIMMU BORGIR, CRADLE OF FILTH & of MELODIC DEATH METAL of bands as IN FLAMES, besides possessing aggressive moments in the style of BATHORY, MARDUK and SARCOFAGO.Are these bands strong influences in MANDATORY music?

Hell yes!!!! this bands had inspired us for a long time ...our fuckin' playlist!!!

6 - Talk us a little about the letters of your musics. "BE GUIDE ON ME" and "SCREAM OF DESPERATE SOULS" are very strong and deep, where did come from the inspiration to write them?

Oh yeaaa????? This two fuckin' songs are writen by our guitarist. The inspiration and ideas to create the songs comes when once a day he practice himself at home.....suddenly he planned and try out a rough arrangement.....after a day he showed us the songs.....we listen and we did some correction for the arrangement on that song. Finally, we did it in a jamming studio......and the result.....we've got something we never imagine and think before. We've just tried out something that no one done before.

7 - What are the meaning of the CD cover art?

It means 'MANDATORY'!!! You could see a woman lying on the alien, suffering and dying. Death is a must to all humans, evil rules!!!

8 - How has been the reception to the debut album?

The reception of Mandatory is extremely good. We're now accepted by many labels, distro and mag. Some of them even said that we're the best from the Malaysian region. For the time being, we still don't see any bad reviews about out debut album. According to PSE, we're the most accepted local bands in the foreign countries at the moment. Even the sales in overseas also very encouraging.

Contacts: Label: pscream@pd.jaring.my Band: death_sentenced@yahoo.com