Who else than NECRODEATH is to practice what it preaches, the priesthood…? The years do not count when the ardour and passion take root in their hearts. The 10th superb album “Idiosyncrasy” (see the review) gives you more info regarding these wild, racy, proud and indompatable animals. This interview with NECRODEATH reinforces my statements: the “class” is permanently Italian! NECRODEATH are Flegias – Vocals, Peso – Drums, Pier – Guitars, GL – Bass.
Mel Delacroix: 1987-2012 and Necrodeath is still in its place! What is the secret of this life?
Peso: Hi Mel nice to hear from you…sorry for the delay but we are really busy in these days of the beginnin of the year… There’s no secret in Necrodeath’s life and energy… it’s just the line up that works with a great passion as always and we try to do our best… What concerns our album “Idiosyncrasy” we worked a lot for all these 40 fuckin minutes… I guess, in all, about 2 years, if I think the first main riff I wrote to it .. 😉
Mel: A split in the 90’s, and Peso went in Sadist. What would you like to tell about this adventure that lasted until 1996?
Peso: After the split of the first part of Necrodeath life in jan 90 I decide to continue with a new project.. called Necrosadist…. But in one year I couldn’t find the right elements to start it officially… The meeting with Tommy was the good step to start and change the name in Sadist… I has been in the band for 5 years recording the very first two album (i’m very proud about tribe) and playing all around Europe.
Mel: Why the resurrection of Necrodeath in 2000? What was the trigger factor?
Peso: In 1996 I left Sadist…and in 1997 Claudio (the original member of Necrodeath) came to find me talkin’ about the re-union… so we close our self in a new reahrsal room and with Flegias and Jhon we remained pratically closed there for one year…in 1999 we went to Sweden to recorder the first album of the reunion mater of all evil…the rest is story.. 😉
Mel: If I say 5 February 1984, tell me what do you remember…?
Peso: Claudio and I went from Genova to Milano to see our fav band …Venom.. with a special guest, a new band called Metallica that nobody knowed yet… After this gig in the way back home we decided that we too had to play in so a noisy band and after few days Ghostrider was born… after one year in 1985 the band change name in Necrodeath.
Mel: Thrash metal appears to come back in the international scenes, is it same in Italy? and what do you think about it?
GL: Yes, during last years the thrash metal has come back again…and that’s great for me that I’m grown up with this music, the same is here in Italy, in fact you can see often some thrash festivals or new modern thrash metal bands to play in our country. I’m happy for this and I hope that the new generation can appreciate this kind of music born 20 years ago. I think that if thrash metal has come back it’s because in these years the metal music is in a kind of limbo without a new proposal…so the people search again old stuff. Personally I listen old stuff taking from ‘80/’90 years…but this because I’m old!!! Eheheh
Mel: 10th album, balance of childbirth? not too difficult?
Peso: We are a cult band… so what I can balance?..the succes we have never saw..the real one I mean..but we are proud and satisfied of what we have done during these years….and I hope our fans too.
Mel: Today, have you got some critical feedback? and what about the album sales? are you satisfied?
Pier Gonella: Of course we are satisfied about the sales of our albums. Today the music business is very hard and just to release an album is a critical work. Every year we can release a new cd and it means that our label Scarlet Records is happy about the selling. We also promote cd’s playing live many times.
Mel: Why did you choose the option of a single title bisected by several parties to this Idiosyncrasy?
GL: Simple.. because Idiosyncrasy is a unique song! It’s the first time that we make this kind of project and has been a nice challenge for all of us. Has not been easy but the final result is what we had in mind. The decision to split the song in seven parties is only for become Idiosyncrasy much easy to the listener, but you can choose if listen in one breath or in different parts.
Mel: How do you compose the songs?
GL: Normally it starts from Peso and Pier that create riffs and the structure and in a second time me and Flegias arrange our parts for the final result. For Idiosyncrasy it has been more difficult to compose the song, because you have to fix in mind all the parts and play in the same mood…It’s not a normal song with bridge and chorus, Idiosyncrasy is a long (40 min) song where you can listen many parts with different structure but in the mean time the song remains one, with an only one chorus that sometime appears.
Pier Gonella: Usually Peso is first member to propose ideas. Sometimes a drum sample, sometimes a riff that I “translate” into the guitar. Then we send the material to GL and Flegias for their arrangements. But there is nothing planned and everyone can propose ideas to work on. Peso and Flegias write the lyrics.
Mel: There’s a guest on this album… I leave to you to announce and to present him…
Peso: Leif is a great friend of mine.. we have toured Europe together in the past and we have stayed in contact since that… when I said him I’d need his voice for a spoken part he friendly answered me in a positive way… I love his spoken part!!
Mel: This album has a different artwork… from where you took the idea for it?
GL: The first idea started from Flegias, he suggested us a new kind of look inspirated at the cult movie “the reservoir dogs” of Tarantino. We love this movie and the dresses of a bad gang it’s perfect for us and reflects what we are…it was easy and funny to be an reservoir dog for a day! At the end all the booklet was also created in the same direction and we’re satisfied of the final result.
Mel: What is the craziest tour that you have made? and with whom?
GL: I have good memories about a tour in 2006 around Europe with Marduk, because it was the first time with the currently line-up and also because we made a nice tour around great countries for a full month in a crazy van without rules inside! ehehe
Lately we’ve toured in some places in East Europe, started in October for two full weeks. We played in different places that we hadn’t never visited and these new countries and people have been a nice discovery, so close to Italy but so different from us.
Pier Gonella: The strangest tour was on 2006 supporting Marduk band. It was a great tour but very hard because we made about 18 gigs in 20 days and the travelling was very long.
Mel: What are your immediate projects?
GL: Play, play and play…that is our fuel today…and we put the same fuel during all our concerts. But in the meantime we’ve in mind other new songs to write and new stuff, but for now we’re often around our country for some gigs to promote Idiosyncrasy.
Pier Gonella: At the moment we are concentrated on the gigs. We finished a tour in Slovenia, Austria, Romania, Bulgaria etc and we have a lot of gigs planned in Italy. Then We will start to compose again.
Mel: Peso, what is your perspective on the metal scenes of today?
Peso: Too many bands and very few good ideas…
Mel: Peso, what is your secret for this abnegation and this courage, that is, what allows you to take the boat with so much passion, over and over again?
Peso: It’s my life.. I love my instrument and my music…and actually I work with Pier too in his rock music school and studio recording (www.musicart.eu)
Mel: What are your 3 the most loved metal bands or artists ? any non-metal favourites?
Peso: Slayer, Venom, Mercyful Fate… not metal? Ozric Tentacles for sure!!
Mel: What are your current plans?
Peso: Actually we are planning the season of gigs in Italy until the summer festivals….
Mel: Have you a critical eye and concern on the international political & economic issues? and what about your own country?
Pier Gonella: I’ve not any passion for politic. At the moment the Italian situation is not so good…I hope it will became better.
Mel: Peso, finally, do you have still dreams to realize?
Peso: Yes… it would be great to make a tour in Japan, in Indonesia and South America too…
Mel: For you the last word…
GL: Thanks to you and all the Metal Shock readers! We hope to come back in Finland soon for a tour! I remember the days spent in Helsinki two years ago when we played and some other times at your Tuksa festival for vacation…. Anyway, if you want to follow us, check our website: http://www.necrodeath.net , we’re also in myspace and facebook…so if you want, you can write to us as well!
Mel: Thank you ! ;D
Peso: Thanx Mel for your great support!!
Interview by MEL DELACROIX
For more information, please visit: www.necrodeath.net
To read MSFinland’s earlier interview with NECRODEATH, please go HERE.