CK: Hi Joe and Raff – thanks for talking to me. Many congratulations on the new album, you guys must be really pleased with the way it has turned out.
Joe: Thanks a lot, man! This album is the final outcome of the long process started after the European Tour with Sadus and Darkane in 2006. Touring with great musicians was a very special experience and we tried to learn as much as we could. Then we started to write down the new songs thinking about their “live” impact as well, making our sound catchier but keeping the same technical level. Then we played them with an old style anger and aggression, so Graveyard Of Angels was born. When we entered the studio, everything was ready, every step had been considered and we could work it out as planned. The first feedback is very interesting and it seems our aim, that is making the listener to play the CD again and again, is going to happen.
CK: Can you tell me about recording the album? Who did you work with? And did everything go to plan?
Raff: Well, indeed we have been working for about 10 years with the Italian Fear Studios (www.myspace.com/fearstudio). We started by our first album Art Bleeds and during that experience we had a very good feeling with the Fear Studio’s producer, Mr Gabry. From then on on both sides a good professional relationship began under a reciprocal respect and trust, so that now Gory Blister can set their own recording sessions even without a long pre-advice. Fear Studio doors are open whenever we need to create a professional product following any official release. Of course Mr Gabry is the main contact person with whom we do interface during the sessions, but since we work very intensely we can count on valid collaborators to bring the production to the very end. I also have got a small role into this matter, coordinating all sessions and checking that everything is going as planned, regarding the songs, the budget, or any unexpected occurrence. As for the recording process, nothing but the standard, everything on metronome, take after take, drums first, then guitars, bass and vocals. You know, sometimes some mishaps may happen, but this time everything went as smoothly and good as never before. If you check the extra bonus video track on the CD (“The Making Of…”) shooting the studio working progress, you will understand how the feeling was good and chill.
CK: How do you feel the music on ‘Graveyard Of Angels’ has developed or progressed since your last album ‘Skymorphosis’?
Raff: In every record we try to put our best, trying to take advantage by the improvement we experienced from the previous recordings and including some stuff we never did before. So there is a certain improvement record by record. The main evolution regarding Graveyard Of Angels is dealing with the songwriting. The song structure is more flowing than ever without losing the main technical feature of Gory Blister sound. More than in the past we focused any riff and arrangement for each instrument for a “live on stage” dimension because Gory Blister is first of all a live death metal band. Of course, even if it is difficult to say now, I’m sure there will be further evolution in the future due to the experience the band is preparing to undertake with this new record.
CK: Looking at the CD booklet of the new album it would seem that ‘Graveyard Of Angels’ is a concept album. If that’s right can you tell me a bit about the story that links all the songs? Where did you get the inspiration for this story?
Joe: Yes, it is. After Skymorphosis I wanted to write a sci-fi story, but then I travelled to India; Looking at western society from a different viewpoint inspired me a lot and I tried to write about opposites, that is life and death, darkness and light, man and alien, angel and devil and why not, universe and India. The point is that you don’t know what is really evil or good, because they are everywhere, the opposites melt with each other. So I imagined a mixed creature going backwards in time and space trying to annihilate the human race from planet earth, but something goes wrong and when he is back to his world he finds out it has been turned into Hell. You know, it is a metaphor of what we think about our western way of living, we use to think this is the only world possible, we think we are making the good for mankind, you know, progress and all, but… are we sure we are on the right side?
CK: How did having a lyrical concept affect the writing of the music for the album? Was it a more difficult task? Did you know from the beginning that you wanted to create a conceptual piece?
Joe: Yes, you may think like that, but it was music to affect the writing of the lyrical concept. I knew from the beginning I wanted to write a concept, but I didn’t know how many songs I had to tell the story, so I waited and then worked on all the lyrics at the same time. It was not difficult, you just have to think about the subject and then be patient.
CK: Since the release of ‘Skymorphosis’ you have added a bass player to the band and had a change of vocalist. Can you introduce the new members of Gory Blister? What qualities do they bring to the band? Why did Adry leave the band?
Joe: Unfortunately just before Skymorphosis recordings, our bass player chose a different path, otherwise we would have had a bass player on that album as well. When we were writing the new stuff we got in touch with Roby from AllHelluja; he is a really professional bass player and I feel comfortable playing drums under those heavy and surgical bass lines! As for Adry, it is a different story; on the tour he showed all the limits of his voice and when we wrote the new songs it was self-evident that he was not able to give our sound the right dimension. You can easily understand what I’m saying by listening to Graveyard Of Angels just after Skymorphosis. Dominic is a tornado!
CK: Why did you decide to include the remix version of ‘Emit Despale’ on the new album? Are you pleased with the way it turned out?
Raff: When working on the band’s pre-production songs, I use to collaborate with a friend of mine called Maurizio Brioschi (Maski Music). In addition to being the producer of an Italian death’n’roll band called AllHelluja, he used to work on electronic music projects. Since we had this instrumental song entitled emiT despalE, I thought it might be an interesting idea to try an experiment with him. So I asked him if I could mash up my riffs and create a new groove on that song. When he gave me a call back to say he had already done the job, I could listen to it and was surprised because even if it had nothing to do with classical death metal, the sound was aggressive anyway along with that baritone guitars and growling vocals giving the song a sort of dark heavy and acid groove. This was something the band had never tried before, so I asked if we could have the remix on the record as extra bonus track and the rest of the guys approved the experiment.
CK: When you look back over the career of Gory Blister to date what have been some of the highpoints and low points? And what hopes or expectations do you have for the years to come?
Joe: You may not know I formed the band in deep south Italy many years ago. That was one the lowest point because it took too much time to make the band known in the underground. When we moved to Milano things grew better and better, but the deal with Noise records in 2001 was another stop for us. They signed the band but as soon as the label was bought by Sanctuary group they cut many bands such as Gory Blister. But we didn’t surrender and one of our songs was released by Rock Hard Germany for their monthly comp CD, so we can say we started a real career from that point. Art Bleeds CD was released by Sekhmet records and then we got a deal with Dutch label Mascot records who released Skymorphosis and Graveyard Of Angels now. Of course, I have to say that the highest point of our story is the European Tour, which was a very important experience for all of us. So we expect to go around playing our music Europe wide again soon!
CK: Can you tell me a little bit about your lives away from Gory Blister? Work, interests…
Joe: Of course we need to work to support our everyday life and our music projects as well. But, since music is a job too, it is very difficult to find a proper one which employs you seven days a week. It is a day-by-day fight indeed, but our main interest remains metal music.
CK: What touring plans do you have to support ‘Graveyard Of Angels’? Is there any chance of us seeing you play in the UK?
Raff: I really do hope to repeat the experience we did around Europe in 2006 and honestly I hope to hit the UK stages too, man!!! However before planning anything we need to wait for the response on the sales. So, guys and supporters, if you want to see Gory Blister live in your country, you have to buy some copies of our new record, Graveyard Of Angels! This is the only way to support an underground band you like if you think they deserve it. This is the only chance we have to hit your country and spend a wild death metal night on stage with you! Horns Up!!!
For more on the band check out http://www.goryblister.com
http://www.myspace.com/goryblister
Interviewed by Chris Kee
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