Extreme metal trio NERVECELL are currently finalising a “multi-album, worldwide” deal with a U.S.-based metal label that will see their last LP, 2011’s “Psychogenocide” released in all territories it hasn’t yet hit (basically everywhere outside of Europe and the Middle East), as well as global releases for their future output. For guitarist Rami Mustafa, the deal is a pay-off for the patience the band have shown. Check out Rami‘s recent chat with rollingstoneme.com:

“We’ve been waiting for while,” he says. “There have been so many potential deals that weren’t quite what we were looking for; just small details. But the label we’re talking to [Mustafa declines the opportunity to reveal the label’s name] is very focused on our kind of music, which is an advantage.”

The deal should also open up the opportunity to play some Stateside shows, which has long been an ambition for the U.A.E.-based band – Mustafa, fellow guitarist Barney Ribeiro, and bassist and vocalist James Khazaal. “There’s a lot of interest,” Mustafa says. “We get plenty of emails and comments from people wanting us to come over there. And there are so many promoters and agencies we’ve been talking to, but we’re just waiting for that moment. Once the album’s in that market, tours will open up. It’s a domino effect.”
Mustafa hopes the deal will be signed by the end of the summer. Before that, Nervecell will be hitting the European festival circuit, building on their already impressive following there with shows in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Holland, and opening with a slot at the Brutal Assault Festival in the Czech Republic in early August. “It’s the biggest metal festival in Eastern Europe,” says Mustafa. “The fans are so hungry for shows there, it’ll be great to go back. Over the last couple of years, we’ve been getting more fans in Eastern Europe too [the band are already well-established in Central Europe], they love our style – death and thrash metal. It’s basically hard work paying off.”

And says the band are in the early stages of putting together their third album (though there’s no release date set yet). Two songs are already close to completion, and the guitarist says it’s sounding like the record will be a mix of “the thrash of [Nervecell’s 2008 debut] Preaching Venom and the heavy side of Psychogenocide.”

“It’s sounding good,” Mustafa says. “We’re shaping our sound a bit as the years go by. It’s very cool to get to the sound you want without thinking about it too much. It’s very natural so far. And interesting. It’s going to be catchy, melodic… the fans are going to love it.” He pauses. “And,” he says with a smile, “it’s going to be fast.”

Source: Bravewords.com

Dubai-based NERVECELL guitarist Rami Mustafa is featured in a new interview with WhatsTheScene India. An excerpt is available below:

WTS: So now that there is easier access to underground metal, is there more reception to NERVECELL’s music?

RM: “Of course! When we started in 2001, the scene in Dubai was bad. But 2001 to 2005 it was really good. There were a lot of bands and a lot of underground gigs but people didn’t know too much about metal. They used to come to our shows and learn and realize – this is metal, this is death metal, this is thrash metal. We used to talk with everyone. We used to go out after our show to our friends and fans and have a chat and talk about bands and sometimes trade albums. It was a learning process. So yeah, for the past 3-4 years, I think the internet and YouTube and technology have helped the younger generation to learn about metal really faster than before, in a shorter span of time. Nowadays I find that musicians that can play a guitar lesson on YouTube (laughs). It’s not a bad thing at all you know!”

WTS: The Middle East is seen generally as a very conservative society, has there been any sort of opposition to your music and your lyrical themes?

RM: “No, not at all! A lot of people get confused by countries like Dubai and Qatar, these countries are really modern, very globalized so it’s not a problem. What we sing about is really about humanitarian issues and personal issues, nothing extreme lyrically. So we’ve never had these problems. As kids, growing up in the society we learned that we have to respect traditions and morals no matter what. For me, it was purely about the music and then the lyrics. We were fine you know. Other countries have issues with metal at gigs and concerts. We’d have had some problems playing there but we’ve never been to these countries. We try to avoid trouble and we were very careful so there has been no problem.”

WTS: So did growing up in the Middle East influence your music in any way?

RM: “Yeah, of course! The thing is James, he writes the lyrics, its a self-expressive kind of music and doesn’t necessarily have to be negative. A lot of it is about reality, it could be about what’s happening around us and it could be about things between close friends or could be about what’s happening in the world in general. We don’t really have topics that pinpoint and they are mostly general. What’s happening in the world does affect us but we don’t really take it to the level where it’s concentrated to the lyrics. We always concentrate on the music first.”

Go to this location for the complete interview.

NERVECELL have been confirmed for Burning Sea 2013, being held in Zadar, Croatia from June 5th – 8th, 2013. It will be the band’s first time playing Croatia.

Acts confirmed for Burning Sea 2013 include: 4ARM, AMORPHIS, ANGEL WITCH, AS SILENCE BREAKS, BARBARION, BENIGHTED, BLACK LIGHT DISCIPLINE, CAMBION, CANDLEMASS, CRIPPER, DEBAUCHERY, DECAPITATED, DESTRUCTION, DEVASTATING ENEMY, DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER, ENSLAVED, FLAYED DISCIPLE, FOREVER STORM, GRAVE, HERFST, ICED EARTH, IN SOLITUDE, INNER SANCTUM, JADED HEART, KADAVER, KING DIAMOND, META-STASIS, MASTIC SCUM, MOONCRY, MOONSORROW, MYSTERY BLUE, NERVECELL, NIGHTMARE, OVERKILL, RE-ARMED, SAREA, SHINING, SOEN, STEEL ENGRAVED, THULCANDRA, THUNDERBOLT, TSJUDER, TURISAS, VANDERBUYST.

Further details can be found here.