The Right Talk: Exclusive Interview With Evan Busch, The Co-Founder Of Gay Christ Records

Welcome to “The Right Talk”, The Online Talk Show where The Right Hand Path speaks to Celebrities from the world of Metal music. Our Celebrity Guest today is Evan Busch, the Co-Founder of Gay Christ Records, the Niché Underground Metal Record Label based in the city of Minneapolis in the American state of Minnesota in this Exclusive Interview to an “Indian Metal Music Magazine’’.

The Right Hand Path: Metalik Heils From The Right Hand Path!!! How are things with you at the Gay Christ Records Headquarters?

Evan Busch: Greetings to The Right Hand Path (TRHP)! Things are great for us, just a busy day ending up here in Maryland USA where I work.

The Right Hand Path: Your record label has an interesting name “Gay Christ Records”. In my view, there are two ways of looking at it, first is “the word “Gay” is of Old English origin and means to be happy, merry and in a way not care much about, if you get what I’m saying + Christ = Happy Christ Records”. The second way of looking it is through astonishment in a modern 21^st century sense. Homosexuality and Christ, an unimaginable thought to most people”. Am I right in looking at the label name through two different ways or is this a manifestation against “Judeo-Christian” society that I believe Hessian and mockHim Productions believe in?

Evan Busch: The name originally started with one of our founders, who has a penchant for blasphemy against the Judeo-Christian God and his secular construct, liberalism. He was looking through a list of names one day and saw someone named GAY CHRIST, which turns out to be a very nice lady who lives in Texas. However, the name made him laugh out loud because he imagined a HOMOSEXUAL JESUS CHRIST mincing around and having a gay old time, and knew that such an image would upset many believers, who are so tolerant and loving of their God’s creations that they don’t like the gay ones! I am a brave nihilist and I don’t care if people don’t like gays but it’s stupid to claim your God loves everyone and then say you don’t want gay people loved by your God. For that reason we play around a lot with the imagery of a gay Jesus.

The Right Hand Path: Could you be kind enough to tell the Readers of The Right Hand Path and people into Metal music as to how Gay Christ Records came into existence?

Evan Busch: I (Evan Busch), Vijay Prozak and two others founded a distro back in 2000 called EVIL MUSIC. As part of our business plan we decided we would give back to the community, not for profit, so we started GAY CHRIST records to archive classic metal recordings and make them available. Two years later, broadband exploded and people started swapping MP3s, which made much of what we do moot, but we’ve still been able to create an ORGANIZED storage of old metal recordings, which means they don’t get lost when 666hellhammer666 logs off of Limewire or DC++. We also support file sharing through the NEOCLASSICAL MUSIC HUB which is a DC++ hub that has about 300 visitors a day trading death metal, black metal, classical and other scary music.

The Right Hand Path: Allow me to quote the below-mentioned from Gay Christ Records website

Mission

“We seek to disseminate previously out-of-print or lost recordings of metal music for non-commercial, academic purposes.”

Who is/are the Prime Mover behind this Mission, are they still with Gay Christ Records? Is this Mission set to build some kind of Archive, like Nations have National Archives or to be an Encyclopaedic Repository? In addition, are you influenced by any Metal/Non-Metal record label in this venture?

Evan Busch: The Prime Mover was Vijay Prozak, then passed to Kontinual, now to me. The mission is to build an archive of music that has zero commercial value or is forgotten but is still relevant, so that future generations can find it. We would like to someday be a museum! We also work with our contact at the University of Texas library in archiving classic underground metal for academic study. We are influenced 100% by underground PUNK and METAL labels of the 1970s-1990s who had no intention of becoming commercial, only wanted to spread the music because they knew once something is for sale, it gets corrupted by the demands of its audience!

The Right Hand Path: Allow me to quote the below-mentioned from Gay Christ Records website

“People in America seem to have trouble with the concept that we do not sell anything. We trade exclusively with underground purists. No normals, mainstreamers, regular Joes, humanitarians, humanists, Christians, productive members of society or parental authority surrogates accepted or desired. You have the rest of society; go to your paradise, idiots”

Why the above-mentioned as a Note on your website? Like I asked earlier, does this stem from being against current “Judeo-Christian” society. Alternatively, is this to project and sustain an Élite and Purist image?

Evan Busch: The Judeo-Christian idea is that God loves the individual, and what the individual wants is important, and that taking care of other individuals is important. But that’s short-sighted. What’s important is the whole (community, ecosystem, tribe, data set) and what it has that is important, like culture including music! If we start thinking about individuals only, we can never act as a group to fix problems, and we have to tolerate everyone even if they are insane or stupid. That’s what makes empires fall! Screw that, let’s work for the idea that unites us and push aside the people who are broken! We are purists and elitists, but it’s not image. We are making a serious point. There are seven billion people on this planet and many of them are broken. What is important is not that someone is an individual, but what they contribute. By that I don’t mean going to a job, but helping out in the production of higher things, like culture including music. People think we’re crazy but death metal is important culture, it’s the only real commentary we have on society in the 1990s that isn’t paid-for swill like fast food or television!

Especially people outside the United States, this information is important, because they’re going to go through what USA did in the 1990s, but it’s going to be in the future… the US was ahead of everyone else thanks to WWII, which made it The superpower, and so now the rest of us are catching up!

The Right Hand Path: What kind of association/relation do you have with Hessian and mockHim Productions of the American Nihilist Underground Society?

Evan Busch: We share members and founders with mock Him/Dark Legions Archive, which started way back in the 1980s and got on the web in the early 1990s. Hessian.org shares those same members, and includes friends, as does DeathMetal.org, their newest project.

The Right Hand Path: Gay Christ Records also has a Staff that adds reviews to the record label’s website. Since you have already said “No” to Christians and America, your country of origin and residence is a Christian Nation and Multi-religion, Multi-cultural and Multi-racial and considered to the Land of Capitalism. Does this milieu affect and reflect in your Social, Political, Religious and Musical beliefs and in turn in the composition of your Staff?

Evan Busch: I’d like to say I’m totally hardcore but really, anyone who understands what we’re trying to do with metal is cool by me. I don’t have a problem with capitalism per se, but “too much love of money” is really the root of many evils. Most Christians are idiots but most people are idiots. I’m not cool with diversity as the idea of a society, but that has no bearing on whether I like someone as an individual. It’s just a stupid idea to try to shape a society out of artificial means, like “we believe in democracy” and “God bless the USA.” My people are worldwide.

The Right Hand Path: Allow me to quote the below-mentioned from Gay Christ Records website

 “We want demo tapes, rehearsal tracks, 7″ EP or obscure media recordings, live/bootleg recordings, and other media of the music of historically significant metal bands.”

Does the above-mentioned by the use of “obscure media recordings,… other media…” include Vinyl, VHS, DVD, Cassettes, Blu Ray [despite Gay Christ Records website header stating “GAY CHRIST RECORDS: Black and Death Metal CDR Traders/Non-Profit Label”]?

Evan Busch: Yes, totally! I’ve got a Pro-Ject Debut III USB turntable for vinyl, and I have an old VCR hooked up to my stereo and I ran a line out to my soundcard. Cassettes are no problem, I’ve got a NAD stereo tape deck for regular cassettes and I have a recorder for microcassettes with a line out to the stereo too. Blu Ray? Is that like a DVD standard? Sounds like it was before my time… or after it.

The Right Hand Path: Which Metal bands in your opinion are “historically significant” for Gay Christ Records apart from the ones already in your collection?

Evan Busch: There really are too many to list, so I’ll use some examples. First, we all know the canon. You know, like the Morbid Angel, Deicide, Incantation, Suffocation, Obituary, Asphyx, Pestilence, Carnage and Nihilist type bands. There are almost infinite recordings of such bands floating around. Your stoner Uncle Bill may have once been to a backyard party, and has an old videotape of Cryptic Slaughter live or whatever. We want it. We want to take it, make a recording of it that’s pure digital, clean it up as best we can and get it out to the world. Yeah, maybe only 503 people worldwide care. So what? Then there’s also the second and third tier bands that were good but never made it to the big time. Accidental Suicide, Sorcier des Glaces, Belial and Infester are part of that group. They are part of our history. They are part of our culture, which isn’t just metal but that which encloses it, which is the history of humanity striving to get its shit together and transcend its ludicrous limitations. The universe is infinite… so the mind should be too.

The Right Hand Path: You might have your international contacts and correspondences; do you plan to register your Gay Christ Records with the Government so that you don’t face any business/company, tax and other hassles?

Evan Busch: Probably not. We take in no money, pay no salaries, and although we could get rid of sales taxes, our biggest expenses are postal and that wouldn’t change, so there’s no real point. If we ever get to the point of buying over a thousand dollars of shipping materials, CD-Rs and stickers in a year, then I’ll consider it.

The Right Hand Path:  It has been great interacting with you. You are the third Entity from the American Nihilist Underground Society network after Vijay Prozak and National Day Of Slayer to be on The Right Hand Path. How does it feel & is there anything that you would like to tell the Readers of The Right Hand Path and people in general?

Evan Busch: I really enjoy what The Right Hand Path is doing. It’s in a similar spirit to the Dark Legions Archive (the metal portion of the American Nihilist Underground Society and the writings of Vijay Prozak), the International Day of Slayer, DeathMetal.org, all old zines, all old labels, and all true underground spirits are doing! We want more out of life than money and television, so we make it! We all work together to have a real underground and to let the vapid people pass on us by. Thank you for the interview, hailz and abort gay Baby Jesus!!!

The Right Talk: Exclusive Interview With Vetis Monarch Of Weapon

Welcome to The Right Talk, The Online Talk Show, where, The Right Hand Path talks to Individuals & Organisations alike from the World of Metal Music. Our Guest, today, is Vetis Monarch of Weapon, the Canada based Death Metal/Black Metal band.

The Right Hand Path: Greetings from The Right Hand Path to the Disciples of The Left Hand Path at Weapon! Welcome to The Right Talk, how are you?

Vetis Monarch: Exhausted but alert. We’re just getting geared up for the upcoming tour of Western Canada with our friends in Rudra. If all goes according to plan, this is going to be a historical tour.

The Right Hand Path: Could you please share the story of Weapon, if I’m right, from its Creation in Bangladesh to Weapon in Canada in 2011, as we speak?

Vetis Monarch: Formed in Calgary in early 2003; relocated temporarily to Bangladesh during my travels of 2004 – 2005. Moved back to Canada, but relocated the band to Edmonton and this is where we have been ever since.

The Right Hand Path: 1 Demo, 2 EPs and 2 Full Lengths, how has been this for Weapon, since former members of Weapon have been from cool Canadian Metal bands like Agni Nethra from Revenge and Axis Of Advance and Kapalik from Orator of Bangladesh? What do you’ve to say about the names of you and your band members, they all seem to reflect their ideological beliefs, is it so?

Vetis Monarch: It has been quite the journey, to say the least. Weapon was burdened with line-up issues from the very beginning because I am very picky and not the most pleasant person to work with. Agni Nethra was really a session member, but a great help when I needed a skilled bass player. Kapalyq was a full-time member of the band.

Members’ pseudonyms must reflect the ideology of the band. Weapon is Satanic through and through; every member’s name has something to do with the Left Hand Path.

The Right Hand Path: Your 2009 full-length album “Drakonian Paradigm” LP was released by The Ajna Offensive and the Tape on In Coffin Productions. Similarly for your 2010 full-length album “From The Devil’s Tomb”, which was released by Agonia Records in Europe and in North America by Tyler Davis’ The Ajna Offensive. Was there any special reason or arrangement for releasing the album on two different record labels/productions?

Vetis Monarch: Money and distribution. Splitting all the costs between 2 labels makes it more affordable for all involved and distribution wise Agonia has a secure foothold in the European territories. ‘Drakonian Paradigm’ suffered from poor distribution in Europe so we wanted to make sure that didn’t happen with ‘From The Devil’s Tomb’.

The Right Hand Path: How has been the response from your fans and record labels in general to your 2009 and 2010 releases?

Vetis Monarch: Seems like we are becoming a love/hate band with nothing in between. The fans that like us are fanatical about our work. ‘From The Devil’s Tomb’ has received a very positive response from the media, which I’m sure can be somewhat attributed to the better production of the album.

The Right Hand Path: Unlike other Death Metal/Black Metal bands, Weapon’s lyrical themes/songs usually seem to be pro-Hinduism, anti-Islam, dealing with Satanism, the Dark Side of Life and The Left Hand Path, if I may say so. Is it because of your interest in these topics or you just don’t want to be another run of the mill Death Metal/Black Metal band with Anti-Christian and/or Vedic Metal stance?

Vetis Monarch: My interest is in examining and studying Satanism in as many cultures as I possibly can. So, I can’t say I am anti anything in that regard, since knowledge of my chosen discipline can emerge in the most unusual of places. That being said, of course I don’t want Weapon to be just another Death Metal/Black Metal band. We believe in maintaining tradition but we put our own unique stamp on it.

The Right Hand Path: It’s been 4 months since 2011 began, any plans for a new Weapon album/tour? Your former band member Kapalik’s band Orator performed recently in the Trendslaughter Festival 2011 in Bengaluru,India. Any plans for an India tour?

Vetis Monarch: If a promoter was willing to pay for 4 plane tickets for Weapon to go play in India, we would do it in a heartbeat. So please spread the word!

The Right Hand Path: Thank you for this Interview with The Right Hand Path. Would you like to say anything to the Readers of The Right Hand Path here in India and abroad and your fans?

Vetis Monarch: We appreciate the support thus far. Please continue to do so by buying our records and not dowloading them. Hail Satan.

The Right Talk: Exclusive Interview With Niklas Sundin Of Dark Tranquillity, Laethora & Cabin Fever Media

Welcome to The Right Talk, The Online Talk Show, where, The Right Hand Path talks to Individuals & Organisations alike from the World of Metal Music. Our Guest, Today, is Niklas Sundin of Dark Tranquillity, Laethora, who, is also, the Founder of the Design Studio, Cabin Fever Media.

[Source | http://www.niklassundin.com]

The Right Hand Path: Greetings from The Right Hand Path here in India. Welcome to The Right Talk, how are things with you in Sweden?

Niklas Sundin: Things are fine, thanks! Good but busy.

The Right Hand Path: I’m glad that I’ve got an opportunity to talk to a Metal great like you! I first encountered Dark Tranquillity through the video of live performance of the song “Wonders At Your Feet” at the Gods of Metal festival in Italy. When I saw the video for the first time, I thought it was some obscure bunch of musicians playing at an ubiquitous Metal festival. This was in 2003, three years after I started listening to Metal. At that time, I was slowly but steadily coming to know about Metal, the musicians, the bands, etc. Dark Tranquillity and Niklas Sundin were Greek to me at that time. But, “Wonders At Your Feet” video left me spellbound, the music wasn’t like anything that I’d heard so far, it sounded like a blend of Western Classical and Metal.

What do you’ve to say about this and do you ever come across fans like me from far off lands like India, and how does it feel then?

Niklas Sundin: I remember that show; I think that it was the first time we played “The wonders at your feet” live, probably befor the “Haven” album was released. Italy has always been one of our favourite countries to play in, and this particular festival was one of the very best.

[Niklas Sundin – Live]

[Source | http://www.niklassundin.com]

I’ve actually heard a lot of people saying that, that particular song was their introduction to D.T. It’s very catchy and easy to get into, so I definitely can see why.

It’s of course amazing to actually have people from all over the world listening to our music and feeling connected to it. There are so many talented bands who never get an audience beyond their friends and local scene, so we’re very fortunate in that regard.

We do get quite a lot of emails and general interest from India, and the response we had at our very first show in Hyderabad some weeks ago was amazing, so we’d be more than happy to come back. Great people and fantastic food!

The Right Hand Path: Let me quote the below-mentioned from your Website [http://www.niklassundin.com]

“Digital abode for graphic designer/musician Niklas Sundin. This site rose out of the need to have a central hub for my various projects, and will serve both as a portfolio showcase and as a news page.

Music related design projects will still be posted to http://www.cabinfevermedia.com on a regular basis, but this site will be updated more frequently with a more diverse array of content.

Member of Svenska Tecknare [Sweden’s Illustrator’s society]. Has throughout the years been featured in several prolific publications such as Cap & Design, EFX, Digital Photography + Design, Computer Arts and Tecknaren.”

Please Enlighten the Readers of The Right Hand Path with something about you, apart from the above-mentioned, that isn’t much known?

Niklas Sundin: Well, it’s hard to know what to add, really. In both music and design, I always thought that there’s no huge need for people to get under the skin of the creator.

[Niklas Sundin At Work]

[Source | http://www.niklassundin.com]

The work should really be much more important than the person.

That’s why we’re pretty private in D.T. – we don’t want the music to be overshadowed by personal anecdotes and info on our favourite food or TV shows, ha ha! These things easily lead to idolizing and painting the image of the artist as a larger-than-life person, so we prefer to let the music/artwork do the talking.

The Right Hand Path: I want to talk about Niklas Sundin, both as an Individual and as a Creative Force, if I may say so. You’ve been a member of the Grammy nominated Metallers, Dark Tranquillity since 1989. You also play in Laethora and according to your Website have been Proudly Featured in Joel McIver’s book “The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists”, and like I mentioned in my previous question, Graphic Designer and Founder of Cabin Fever Media. Your Website’s “Related” box has a link to JJIM Studios; please tell us about it too. How did all these come about, what do you Look Forward to in all these and how do you Manage all this? Is being a multi-talented Individual, a Crown of Thorns for you? What’s your Take on all this?

Niklas Sundin: I don’t know…all this sounds a bit overwhelming. I really have no desire to make myself out to be some kind of creative genious or multi talented wizard. I like to play music and I like to draw, and I’m fortunate enough to be able to work with what I like most. If I had been doing something completely different for a living, I still would play my guitar and create artwork. There are a lot of people out there doing great work in different disciplines, so it always feels a bit weird when people try to make it sound like what I’m doing is that unusual. As for time management, it’s obviously very hard at times, but luckily I’m a bit of a workaholic and enjoy being busy. It’s all about planning. Sometimes I have to bring work with me on the road, and it’s not always easy trying to make good artwork in a tour bus surrounded by drunken maniacs, but on the other hand it provides an interesting perspective, ha ha!

The Right Hand Path: The Cabin Fever Media website [http://www.cabinfevermedia.com] has the below-mentioned to say about itself

[Source | http://www.cabinfevermedia.com]

“Cabin Fever Media is a Sweden-based design studio with primary focus on the music industry. Active since 1999, the company has produced over 200 album covers/layouts as well as countless designs for t-shirts, backdrops, stage sets and other assorted merchandise.”

With Cabin Fever Media, you work across diverse platforms from Print,  Motion, Quill, Web and Miscellaneous, is the aim here to be something more than a Design Studio and instead be a Creative Force offering almost every possible Service to the Music Industry under one roof, since, Cabin Fever Media has been doing Stage Sets, Assorted Merchandise and Plans to Foray into Video Production and Animation as a larger part of Activities in Future?

Niklas Sundin: Well, it’s always interesting to be able to offer the whole package so to say, and the best projects are usually the ones where I can do not only the front cover of an album but also t-shirts, backdrops and whatever else the band might need.

[Source | http://www.cabinfevermedia.com]

This differs a lot between projects of course; sometimes a band or label only have the need for one illustration, and sometimes they require a lot more. Hopefully I’ll be involved much more in music videos in the future; there are some very interesting projects and ideas coming up for this year.

[Arch Enemy [Sweden] 2003 Anthems Of Rebellion CD Artwork Layout]

[At The Gates 2008 Poster Backdrop Artwork]

[MOD Dragonland 150x150]

[MOD Skyfall 150x150]

[MOD Winterfallen 150x150]

[Kerozene [Sweden] – Logo, Identity, Band Photos]

[Melodic Metal from Denmark. Cover Artwork [for CD] of “Architect Of Lies” by Cabin Fever Media.]

http://www.mercenary.dk

[Brutal Death Metal from Mexico. Cover Artwork [for CD] of “Storm Of Annihilation” by Cabin Fever Media]

http://www.evilheart.com

[Brutal Death Metal from Denmark. Cover Artwork [for CD] of “In Skinless Form” by Cabin Fever Media]

http://www.usipian.dk

[Sources | http://www.niklassundin.com & http://www.cabinfevermedia.com]

The Right Hand Path: Tell us something about how Dark Tranquillity and Laethora work? It’s been a long time since you’re in Dark Tranquillity and if I’m not wrong, earlier you were in Hammerfall. What has prompted your simultaneous move into other Bands, what is that you look forward when you ponder on Lyrical Themes, Music Composition as a Band Member and what do the Band Members think of you as a Musician? Is there a benchmark that you want to set; will Dark Tranquillity always remain your Prime band? I must say that I haven’t listened a lot of Dark Tranquillity’s music, but what’s your view of the response that your 2010 release “We Are The Void” and Laethora’s “The Light In Which We All Burn” released by The End Records in 2010?

Niklas Sundin: Ha ha, yes, I was in Hammerfall for the first 2-3 years – not a lot of people know that. Back then, it was mainly a small thing we did for fun, playing live once every year at a local rock contest. Dark tranquillity will always be the main concern as it’s the band that has been around for 21 years and has a life of its own. Playing in Laethora is very rewarding, as it allows me to explore different playing styles and techniques and also to experiment with darker and more extreme music.

[Debut album of Laethora, featuring ten songs of intense and original death/grind. This is the extremely hard-to-get European edition of the CD, released in 2007 by Osmose Productions.]

http://www.laethora.com

[Source | http://www.niklassundin.com]

That said, compared to most musicians of our age, the D.T. members have always been very focused on our main band. It’s not uncommon for people to have played in 10-15 different bands throughout the years, but most of the D.T. guys have only played in this band or 1-2 small side projects.

I have no idea what the band members think of me as a musician, ha ha! D.T. isn’t really based on musicial perfection; neither me or the other guitarist are any shredders, and while we’re all decent musicians we’re far from being virtuosos.

The Right Hand Path: You also do Illustrations and Sketches, Assorted Drawings/Paintings, using Natural Media? Can you explain what is meant by Natural Media according to you? Please also share how the “Gadus Morhua” sketchbooks released in 2003 and 2005 come about and also the album cover art  of Indian Thrash Metal band Kryptos’ album “Spiral Ascent” done by you? Do you Plan to Exhibit your Works?

Niklas Sundin: Well, “natural media” simply means non-digital stuff. The real thing so to say – pencils, brushes, charcoal. As with most illustrators, this is what I love the most even if the computer is an invaluable tool as well.

As for the “Gadus Morhua” books, they were a result of lots of people seeing me drawing in my sketchbooks while on tour and travelling and saying that they’d love to see them collected in book format.

[Gadus Morhua By Niklas Sundin]

[Source | http://www.niklassundin.com]

It’s mainly a fun thing for myself. Instead of writing a diary or making travel notes, I draw – and each little sketch can bring back memories of the particular time and situation they were created. Also, around that time, most people came to me for very digital looking artwork, as that was the popular style of the time, so I wanted to show that I actually can do things the traditional way as well.

[Niklas Sundin – Moleskine]

[Niklas Sundin 1992 Pencil Drawing]

[Niklas Sundin – Oldie]

[Niklas Sundin – Snigel]

[Source | http://www.niklassundin.com]

Kryptos is a great band – they supported us at the Hyderabad show and I think they definitely have potential to grow much bigger outside of India. The process for their cover artwork was very straightforward: They simply mailed me and we started working on it.

[Kryptos – Spiral Ascent – By Niklas Sundin]

http://www.kryptosindia.com

[Source | The Right Hand Path’s Archives]

The Right Hand Path: It’s been a Pleasure for me to Talk to you and I hope it has been the same for You. Would you like to say anything to the Readers of The Right Hand Path and the Legion of your Fans in India and abroad?

Niklas Sundin: Well, thanks for the interview and of course thanks to all D.T. supporters reading this. We certainly hope to come back to India as soon as possible, so see you there! Cheers!

The Right Talk: Interview With Sergei Pismeny & Gil Blouin, Founders & Owners Of Israhellbanger Records

Welcome to “The Right Talk”, The Online Talk Show where The Right Hand Path speaks to Celebrities from the world of Metal music. Our Celebrity Guest today are Sergei Pismeny & Gil Blouin, Founders & Owners of Israhellbanger Records, the Metal Record Label based in the city of Kiryat Motzkin in the Jewish State of Israel in this Exclusive Interview to an “Indian Metal Music Magazine’’.

The Right Hand Path: Mighty Metalik Shalom From India’s The Right Hand Path!!! How are things at Israhellbanger Records Headquarters?

Sergei Pismeny: Hi! Thanks a lot for your interest in our Metallik activities! Everything is fine here, though it could be nicer if there was more free time, since now I’m combining studies for the 1^st degree in economical science (like Wager Antichrist!) with 2 jobs, but I’m not the one to quit!

Gil Blouin: Israhailz V.Ganesh! Everything’s pretty good down here. Label wise, we are finally gonna release the long awaited Bestial Death tape this month. Personally, I’m getting ready for a 10 days vacation in Berlin, where I will get to see some killer bands like Desaster, Vulcano, Blasphemy, Order From Chaos, Mystifier and many more – Total Hellbanging Mayhem!!!

The Right Hand Path: Some Non-Mainstream music companies tend to use “Records” or “Recordings” in their name; otherwise, all other music companies have “Music” or some other “standard music company” name. What do you have to say about this with regards to “Records” in your record label name?

Sergei Pismeny: One could say it’s wrong to put the “Records” word in our moniker, since we don’t release vinyl (maybe one day it will happen, but not in the near future), but it’s not that the stuff released by those pop labels you’re talking about has anything in common with music, so when all is said and done – I think that adding the word “Records” is pretty natural ad I see no real problem with it.

Gil Blouin: I guess that at the time “Israhellbanger Records” simply sounded better than “Israhellbanger Productions” or something like that, no big plan here…

The Right Hand Path: When I first saw the name Israhellbanger Records on the Internet, I thought somebody by the name of Isra [I thought the name Isra sounded Jewish] had this record label/somebody having affinity for Israel had started this label and lastly it reminded of the USA based Hells Headbangers Records with regards to somewhat similarity in your and their name. What do you have to say about this?

Sergei Pismeny: HHR is a great label that we support constantly, but the “Israhellbanger” has nothing to do with it. I thought that it could be a good name, because it’s obvious that it refers to Metal for maniacs pure and it’s Israeli, but the idea is taken from some e-mail written to me by Gil, where he wrote “Gil, an Israhellbanger”.

Gil Blouin: HHR are indeed a great label / distro but the name didn’t came from them. I came up with it 2 or 3 years ago as kind of a “nickname” I used in emails, so when Sergei said we should use it for the label I of korpse agreed. To me, it was kind of a mix between ‘Israheller Productions’ (an old Israeli label/distro) and the German ‘Hellbangers Moselfranken’.

The Right Hand Path: Talking of Israhellbanger Records website at http://www.israhellbanger.com, visitors are now redirected to http://www.israhellbanger.x10hosting.com/content/index.html. Apart from that, the Black & White logo of Israhellbanger Records with a bullet belt, machinegun and the name “Israhellbanger Records” in Iron Maiden style fonts, what is it all about? A reflection of everyday strife that your Nation as a Jewish State is witness to in a hostile neighbourhood in The Middle East through the Black & White background colours or your days in the Israeli Defence Forces reflected through the bullet belt and machineguns? [is the machinegun depicted there the world-famous Uzi sub-machine gun?]

Sergei Pismeny: The redirection is yesterday news; the website is working properly right now. The story behind it is that I finally decided to start using the internet-related knowledge I scored at my work and made the mistake of removing the website from the crappy server it was hosted on, before I finished doing the upgraded version and uploaded it. Now WWW.ISRAHELLBANGER.COM works properly and soon I’ll add a nice and user-friendly e-shop section there.

As for the logo – Iron Maiden is my and Gil’s favorite band ever, so who needs any other font?

The weapon is M-16 and it was Gil’s idea and in general – military service is usually a greatly working tool to separate the posers and to split local poser so called “metal” bands. The majority of those chameleons deny any connection to heavy music after a 3 years military service (usually already in the middle of it). The bullet belt? What can be more Metal than spikes, bullet belts and chains? It just fits… I find it hard to believe that Gil’s aim was whining about how dangerous it’s to live here and somehow raise the awareness about it among others through this logo. None of the 2 of us like the idea of “life metal”-politics related stuff.

Gil Blouin: About the logo – The Maiden ‘font’ is due to the fact that they are the best band EVER! The bulletbelt is used as a kind of connection between metal and the army and the M16 assualt rifle is simply because I’m quite a militant guy and this is my ‘weapon of choice’… Thinking about it, it might have been more ‘Israeli’ to use the Uzi instead, but fukk it, I think Milovan Novakovic did an amazing job. The black/white colours has nothing to do with the “Israeli reality” in the Middle East though, it simply looks better than a pink / yellow logo, hahaha….

The Right Hand Path: On August 2, 2009, Israhellbanger Records website stated the below-mentioned

“Israhellbanger Records is an independent label, formed by 2 Israeli headbangers, Sergei (aka Werewolf, the xeroxed “Evil’s Best” zine editor) and Gil. Our aim is simply to support Metal bands we like by releasing their material on tape format and distributing Metal releases in various formats for honest prices.”

Right To Left: Sergei Pismeny & Gil Blouin

Is this something you do as a Hobby or Passion for Metal or as a Professional & Independent Metal Record Label supplemented by your Evil’s Best zine? Could you be kind enough to tell the Readers of The Right Hand Path and people into Metal music something more about how this began for people who are hearing of Israhellbanger Records for the first time? In addition, are you influenced by any Metal/Non-Metal record label in this venture?

Sergei Pismeny: Gil is the one who has a beer in his right hand and a goat on his black shirt and I’m the one with the pint in my left hand, wearing a black shirt with a goat on this picture! Trying to live from it or making big profit has never been our aim. For that target we have our daily jobs, so yeah – the label is just a kind of expensive hobby to satisfy this perverted Metallik lust!

The idea of starting Israhellbanger Records came to me when I started to distribute my “Evil’s Best” fanzine anywhere I could though trades, and since the printing shop doesn’t accept cd’s, tapes and zines as payment for printing services, I had no choice but starting a distro. Combining it with my own releases seemed to be not less logical. I knew that Gil wanted to start something like that himself in the past, so he was glad to cooperate.

I think that the quote you mentioned above sums everything up pretty well. We just do what we feel like doing – spreading the plague of True Metal among those inhuman outcasts, devoted to Hell’s music!

We aren’t influenced by any labels, we are who WE are!

Gil Blouin: I’m (Gil) the one with the Blasphemophagher t-shirt and Sergei is wearing a Bathory t-shirt. About the ‘history’. …OK, back in 2005/6 e.v. I was working on a printed metal zine which never became a reality. So, I began thinking about doing a tape label with the intention of releasing the Hangman demos on tape, as they were only released as cd’rs which I don’t really like. It didn’t manifest as well, but I kept the idea in my head. In 2009 e.v. I kontakted Sergei after getting the 2nd issue of his zine and we started trading and stuff like that. Some months later the label was born. I don’t like the word “influenced”, but personally, I was inspired by the works of some respected UG tape labels like InCoffin Prod. (Thailand), Witchhammer Rec. (Thailand) and Sodomistic Rituals Prod. (Germany)

The Right Hand Path: Please tell us about the artistes/bands signed onto Israhellbanger Records and since you aim to release their material on tape format and distribute Metal releases in various formats, don’t you think you are limiting Israhellbanger Records commercial viability with regards to bands signed to it by sticking to the tape format? Haughty Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives, the Canada based Internet Database for Metal shows 174 Metal bands presence in Israel. Of them, 1 is Tangorodrim signed to the Norway based “Satanic” Metal record label Forces Of Satan, what is your take on all of these?

Sergei Pismeny: TANGORODRIM is a wolf among local sheep and I give my total support to these drunken kunts! They never wimped out and I wholeheartedly believe they never will, so as long as there’s a label supporting them – good for them! I know that F.O.S. Now owns the rights to their first 2 albums and TANGORODRIM also used to be signed in “Southern Lord”, so I’m not sure how reliable the information about their current label is at the moment.

As for other local Metal bands – there are very few diamonds you can find in this pile of crap, so other nowadays active bands than TANGORODRIM, HELL DARKNESS, MORBID TENDENCY, SONNE ADAM, BETRAYTOR, STRIDENT, BEERAGE don’t really deserve any attention in my opinion, unless you’re some “metal”core hypester and it doesn’t even make any sense to read this interview for you… As for no longer active bands or those who play something totally different nowadays – check out SALEM’s pre-1998 materials and try to find any traces of “Unholy Bands from the Holy Land” 12” or tape compilation, this is a historical document that proves that there used to be some really good Death Metal bands here in the early 90′s.

As for Israhellbanger bands – HANGMAN is the best local Thrash Metal band ever and it really sucks they aren’t active anymore, but both me and Gil used to like this band a lot back in the days of their activity and it was great to have an opportunity to immortalize all their stuff in the compilation we released through Israhellbanger.

BETRAYTOR is a young local Thrash Metal band and they released a cool demo recently. I heard their rehearsal recordings, made with a simple, old boombox, and surprisingly it sounded really great for such a low budget recording, just like a real early 80′s demo! Let’s say that the release followed only a few days later and I doubt if I’ll ever regret this decision!

BESTIAL DEATH recorded their demo “Suicide of the Immortal” back in 1986, but never released it properly. I heard about this ghost demo before, but was recently lucky enough to contact their original drummer Dror through SALEM’s bass player Michael (who drew the original cover for that demo back in the day!) and got his agreement to get it released on tape, as it was meant to be done almost 25 years ago. For various reasons this project keeps being delayed, but next week I’m finally going to send the materials to the factory at last, so it will be released SOON! Expect nothing but raw sonic torment that will make “Morbid Visions” sound like “Arise”!

After BESTIAL DEATH – we’re planning to release a tape version of the upcoming debut album of the Chilean band EVIL MADNESS. Expect some serious Black/Thrash overdose there!

As for the tape format limitation – I’m convinced that there is a big correlation between those who listen to True Metal and those who have tape decks. I don’t see myself obligated to feed mp3 blogs by doing CD releases, but prefer to spread the word about our releases as much as possible among those who care about such music. If there’s still demand for a sold out release we made – I won’t seclude a reissue option, to get more tapes spread.

We’re also not trying to join the bandwagon of those who make various versions of the same release, make their releases super duper limited and hand-numbered etc, so unless a few people want to save on shipping and prefer to buy a few copies of a tape we released – it’s usually a “1 man – 1 tape order” situation here, which I think is great, because I consider it really useless to have a print run of X tapes sold to X/2 collectors that will barely listen even to 1 copy.

Gil Blouin: The current bands I support from Israel are: Arallu, Bartholomeus Night, Betraytor, Hell Darkness, Infernal Nature, Morbid Tendency, Mucous Scrotum, ShworchtseChaye, Sonne Adam, Spawn Of Evil, Tangorodrim and Tsorer. About the tape format – personally, it’s my earliest and favorite music format and I think there are way too much cd / vinyl labels around, so I see no point in creating another one. Those people who think the same are probably the ones buying/trading our releases and I reckon there aren’t too many of ‘em out there anyway…

Gil Blouin, Moti Of Arallu And Yosi Of Bartholomeus Night

The Right Hand Path: Sometime back, I saw a program on Israeli military personnel on the Russian television channel Russia Today, in that 1 female Israeli military officer almost seemed resigned to the constant strife in and around Israel but at the same time preferred War over Peace and was proud of being Jewish and the Jewish State? Is that a sentiment shared by you [and your colleagues when you were in the Israeli Defence Forces], how much does being Jewish, Jewish State, ideology like Zionism shape and affect you as human beings, metalheads and Israhellbanger Records?

Sergei Pismeny: If that chick prefers war over peace, I think that she’s dumb. No matter how much those who have no clue how it feels when bombs fall near your house try to present war as a romantic phenomenon, there’s no charm in it in my opinion. My family didn’t come here because of Zionism or religion, I’m an atheist to the bone and don’t care about politics. Moreover – I hate it when Metal becomes a stage for politicians! There are enough politicians to deal with that crap. I don’t feel ashamed of who I was born, but a wise man said once that when a man has nothing left to be proud of – he starts to be proud of his nationality. It seems that this is the way it usually works and I find it pathetic. Maybe our sales could be better if we were located in Europe or the US and maybe we would be trading with some shitty NSBM labels if we weren’t Jews, but as long as the local postage service costs are so low here – I’m really glad to run a label from a country where I can charge a 5$-ONLY flat rate price for any package I send to our customers, while probably no other underground Metal label on Earth can’t offer such a luxury to its supporters!

Gil Blouin: I have no problem with being called a Zionist. I am not religious in any way, but I do feel free to take from Judaism what fits me as a person without being a mindless “worshipper”, pretty much like I do with everything in life. I was born in Israel and have no problem to die for this land if the situation calls for it. As I mentioned before, I’m a pretty militant guy and still do my time in the IDF’S reserve forces (around 2-4 weeks a year until I’m 40, so still 9 years to go…). About what that officer said, well considering that the so called “peace process” which has been going on here for the last 17 years has caused nothing but more bloodshed, she has a point. If I have to choose between a fake peace which is used to slowly destroy me or go out to war and destroy ‘em – the choice is obvious. Basically, the situation in Israel is so complex, that I guess you have to live here to fully understand it. To sum up my personal views towards this topic: VICTORY IS MY PEACE – ISRAEL FOR ISRAEL!!!

The Right Hand Path: I see that you describe yourselves as “Headbangers”, are you inclined more towards Metal from that era instead of the one associated with the word “Metalhead” today?

Sergei Pismeny: Excuse me? Pardon my ignorance, but how do “Headbangers” differ from “Metalheads”? I really need this knowledge in order to know the difference between those who listen to Metal and those who listen to Metal…

Gil Blouin: I don’t really go around calling myself  a “metalhead” or “headbanger”, I’m just being myself and I guess that does include being addicted to metal and bang my head when I feel like it, wether in a front row at a gig, a metal pub or in my living room…

Gil Blouin At An Arallu Gig

The Right Hand Path: As Israhellbanger Records grows and your international contacts and correspondences increase, would you be registering Israhellbanger Records with the Government so that you don’t face any business/company, tax and other hassles when you produce your Israeli/International label artistes’ albums in Israel and export/import them?

Sergei Pismeny: So far there’s no urge to do it, but never say never. I’m pretty sure it will never become a full time job though. I didn’t expect that I would make a living from writing, definitely not just a year and a half after having started to release the fanzine (no, my job has nothing to do with Metal, I’m not making a living form a fanzine!), so who knows what the future will bring?

Gil Blouin: As for the moment, we are way too small/ug for the “financial authoritiues” to notice us and I hope it stays that way as I totally despise having to deal with bureaucracy and bullshit like that.

The Right Hand Path: What is your take on the Israeli Metal Scene since Israel has a multi-racial population with European Jews, Black/African Jews and Indian Jews of Asian origin who have migrated to Israel after converting to Judaism from Christianity [like the Bene Menashe Jews from India’s North East considered to be 1 of the 11 Lost Tribes of Israel] apart from Israeli Arabs. Please don’t get me wrong when I ask if Metal in Israel is considered to be a White Man’s music or it’s played and listened to by Israelis irrespective of their racial origin

Sergei Pismeny: There are many immigrants from the ex-USSR, who are into Metal here, but in the scarce cases I meet a like-minded maniac, I couldn’t care less about where his ancestors used to live hundreds of years ago.

Gil Blouin: Israel is indeed quite a melting pot with people from almost everywhere. I am actually ‘half Jew’, as my father is Canadian. I really don’t think of metal here as “white man’s” music or some crap like that and I have many friends here who has ‘darker’ skin than mine – but honestly, who cares about such a stupid thing ? Shit comes in all colours!

The Right Hand Path: How do you go about selecting and signing Metal bands for Israhellbanger Records, what are the parameters based upon which you analyze, evaluate and sign bands? Do you regularly go to concerts, check out music on sites like MySpace, SoundClick, MP3.com, ReverbNation, GimmeSound, Last.FM and PureVolume to name some? Are you the only person involved in this or does you have an Israhellbanger Street Team chip in with their thoughts? What should a Metal band looking to be signed on to a record label like yours take care of and look forward to?

Sergei Pismeny: Parameters? As long as a band plays good Heavy/Thrash/Death or Black Metal and its members aren’t wimps and both I and Gil like their music – any band that fits these parameters will do. Rarely do I go to gigs, since the better local bands don’t play any gigs and the other ones usually either suck or I don’t have the time to go and see them performing.

From the websites you mentioned – I use only myspace (I have a last.fm account, but I found this website absolutely useless) and I discovered many good (mainly newer) bands through it and gained many contacts with Metal-obsessed bastards worldwide. I also get some promos from time to time for the fanzine, but they’re mostly crap.

Street team? Get a grip!

We’re not that big to finance recordings in gigantic studios or finance multi-galactic tours. What we can offer is either exhuming a decrepit corpse from its grave (e.g. HANGMAN and especially BESTIAL DEATH) or help a new band that has no worldwide contacts whatsoever (such as BETRAYTOR) get its name spread, before they hopefully advance to something bigger. If it’s not enough for one band or another – c’est la vie…

Gil Blouin: I think there only 2 generes of Heavy Metal: good and crap! So if a band belongs to the 1st category and are not a bunch of wankers we will work with ‘em if they are intrested and our “budget” at the time allows it. I personally doesn’t listen to any music on my computer, so I basically discover bands through printed zines, trades, dubs I get from friends, ‘word of mouth’ or simply buying stuff ‘blindly’, which I’ve been doing all my life and I rarely made the wrong choices…Who needs mpshit, ect. when you have good “metal instincts” ?

The Right Hand Path: What is your view on Metal bands/musicians/organizations associated with Metal who believe and use “Judeo-Christianity”, the words, National Socialism, Jew, Zionism and Jesus Christ in connection to Israel and Judaism in a manner offensive to the Jewish people’s religious sentiments and their history of unjust persecution and disinformation of them in the past and present.

Sergei Pismeny: Life is too short to care about morons!

Gil Blouin: I am not “offended” by anyone or anything and big words without action behind ‘em means nothing anyway. However, that being said, I don’t listen to stupid NS bands at all, since there are enough worthy bands to support out there. I do make a difference between ‘attacks’ on Judaism as part of the monotheistic religions, which I have no problem with and the pure racial stuff or anti Israeli themes, which I don’t tolerate. Anyway, in the big picture, let’s just say I am way more concerned about the real threats to Israel from the Islamo-Nazis and their allies, so I really couldn’t care less about the stupid lyrics / interviews of bands like Graveland, Der Sturmer or As Sahar…

The Right Hand Path: Which Israeli/International Metal bands in your opinion are up, coming, and have a great future?

Sergei Pismeny: Israel – TANGORODRIM, HELL DARKNESS, SONNE ADAM. World – there are too many of them, so let’s say GRAVE MIASMA (UK), MANZER (Pictavia), MANDATORY (Germany), HERETIC (Holland), BAPHOMET’S BLOOD (Italy), IFINITUM OBSCURE (Mexico),  INFERNAL CURSE (Argentina), just to name a few of those who got me seriously impressed lately…

Gil Blouin: From Israel – see answer no. 6 above. From the rest of Planet Satan – Acrimonious (Greece), After Death (USA), Annthenath (France), Arphaxat (France), Assaulter (OZ), Cerekloth (Denmark), Communion (Chile), Dead Congregation (Greece), Deathhammer (Norway), Demona (Chile), Diocletian (New Zealand), Doombringer (Poland),Funeral In Heaven (Sri Lanka), High Spirits (USA), Hour Of 13 (USA), Ignivomous (OZ) ,In League With Satan (Italy), Godslaying Hellblast (Turkey), Kurhan (Poland), Maledicere (USA), Maniak (Phillipines),Midnight Rider (Germany/Japan), Morbid Yell (Spain), Necrolisis (Costa Rica), Necrovomit (Italy), Nihil Domination (Ecuador), Nocturnal Evil (Argentina),Profanation (Argentina), Pugnator (Denmark), Recrucify (Peru), Riotor (Canada), Ruins (Germany), Sacriphyx (OZ), Sanguish Imperem (USA), Set (USA), Speedwolf (USA), Sperm Of Antichrist (USA), Stench Of Decay (Finland), The Royal Arch Blaspheme (USA), Trench Hell (OZ), Tribulation (Sweden), Vault (Malaysia), Wastelander (USA), Zygoatsis (Thailand), Zuul (USA)…I think that should do for now, hahaha – happy hunting!

The Right Hand Path: I hope it has been as much a delight and pleasure for you like it has been for me to know and interact with you for the first time through this interview. Is there anything that you would like to tell the Readers of The Right Hand Path and people in general?

Sergei Pismeny: First of all – thank YOU for your interview, spreading the lack of ideology of Israhellbanger Records is very important for our secret master-plan! Thanks a lot to the readers as well! Stay tuned and follow our updates at WWW.ISRAHELLBANGER.COM , or feel free to contact us about anything through werewolf12345666@gmail.com !

Gil Blouin: Well, I don’t really like typing that much, but your questions were good enough, so I made it to the end…Thanxxx alot for this cool intie. V.Ganesh and good luck with all your current/future metal (and other) activities! I sure hope metal in India will grow more in the future, it’s not like you’re short on population there, haha. Thanx for anyone who read the intie. You can send your questions, empty threats and nude female pics. to metalfukk@yahoo.com I hold my beer high for all the real metal maniacs in India – Cheers! Oh, and can someone please send me some jaras…?  

 

The Right Talk: Interview With Urvesh Vasani, Founder & Owner Of Six Inch Nails Records

Welcome to “The Right Talk”, The Online Talk Show where The Right Hand Path speaks to Celebrities from the world of Metal music. Our Celebrity Guest today is Urvesh Vasani, Founder & Owner of Six Inch Nails Records, the Metal Record Label based in the capital city of Mumbai in the Western Indian State of Maharashtra in this Exclusive Interview to an “Indian Metal Music Magazine’’.

The Right Hand Path: Metalik Heils From The Right Hand Path!!! How are things with you Urvesh?

The Right Hand Path: Please accept my belated congratulations for Six Inch Nails Records. When I hear the record label’s name, Nine Inch Nails and long Nails especially seen in horror movie vamps & evil spirits come to my mind. Did the above-mentioned inspire you when it came to choosing a name? Some Non-Mainstream music companies in India tend to use “Records” or “Recordings” in their name; otherwise, all other music companies have “Music” or some other “standard Indian music company” name. What do you have to say about this with regards to “Records” in your record label name?

Urvesh Vasani: Thanks, I have been questioned a lot of times about the name being inspired by Nine Inch Nails, but to be honest, it has got nothing to do with Nine Inch Nails. I never listened to Nine Inch Nails and it wasn’t in my mind either when I came up with the name Six Inch Nails (chuckles). I did consider putting “Music” at the end of “Six Inch Nails” but somehow, it didn’t really seem as appealing to me at that time. So I decided to stick to ‘Records’. And I never felt like changing it since then.

The Right Hand Path: Could you be kind enough to tell the Readers of The Right Hand Path and people into Metal music as to how Six Inch Nails Records came into existence?

Urvesh Vasani: Well, Six Inch Nails Records was started off by a little spark in my head when I thought of putting my original compositions on a CD. I was only 13 at that time, and didn’t really know what labels do. But all I knew was that a label would get my music on a professional looking CD and help me sell it. However, I never approached any record labels, since I have always been the DIY way I decided to do it on my own. I then looked up for some information on labels on the internet, and already had a plan building in my mind. Business had always interested me, but this was something unique so I forgot about my own music, and went on to launch a record label. And here we are, SIX INCH NAILS RECORDS.

The Right Hand Path: Allow me to quote the below-mentioned from Six Inch Nails Records website

“Open to almost ALL metal sub-genres…”

In addition, from what I see in the Six Inch Nails Records artiste roster, the bands signed so far are Melodic/Brutal Metal. The reason for this question is the bands on your Six Inch Nails Records are from Western & Eastern India, and other parts of the world. So how is Six Inch Nails Records going ahead to reach out to other sub-genres of Metal [in other parts of India & the rest of the world] and how has been the progress so far?

Urvesh Vasani: Yes, SINR is open almost ALL metal sub-genres, regardless of my personal likings. Anything that sounds original, catchy and appreciated by the audience is what I am looking for. The progress has been pretty good so far, with one release out already, people have started to notice Six Inch Nails more than ever before. There are a few more signings and a couple of (of more) releases lined up before 2010 ends. The EP was quite successful and I hope the future releases to be better. We are always looking forward to going up the chart and giving what the fans deserve, good music!

The Right Hand Path: As Six Inch Nails Records grows and your international contacts and correspondences increase, would you be registering Six Inch Nails Records with the Government so that you don’t face any business/company, tax and other hassles when you produce your Indian/International label artistes’ albums in India and export/import them?

Urvesh Vasani: The registration is already underway and should be done by the end of 2010.

The Right Hand Path: Allow me to quote the below-mentioned from Six Inch Nails Records website

“Spread across a lot of online websites …”

Now from the above-mentioned where the “dots” begin you have talked about Six Inch Nails Records presence in the Social Networking Websites. This prompts a question, how do you want Six Inch Nails Record to be seen as, an Internet based record label or a quintessential record label? In addition, are you influenced by any Metal/Non-Metal record label in this venture?

Urvesh Vasani: I feel that the internet is a great tool to reach out to the people and is a great marketing medium. However, we also have people outside India in countries like the US and the UK helping us out to market the label by distributing flyers at gigs, word-of-mouth marketing and more quintessential methods of getting the word out there. So I guess, there’s no specific way in which I want SINR to be seen, I just try and cover as much audience as I can to provide the fans with the best in metal.

The Right Hand Path: How do you go about selecting and signing Metal bands for Six Inch Nails Records, what are the parameters based upon which you analyze, evaluate and sign bands? Do you regularly go to concerts, check out music on sites like MySpace, SoundClick, MP3.com, ReverbNation, GimmeSound, Last.FM and PureVolume to name some? Are you the only person involved in this or do your Street Team/Cyber Team members chip in with their thoughts? What should a Metal band looking to be signed on to a record label like yours take care of and look forward to?

Urvesh Vasani: I usually look for originality and something that metal-heads can’t wait to get their hands on! Hard work and dedication is again one of the important ethics at Six Inch Nails.

I don’t go to concerts much to be honest, but I do use websites to check out new talent. I do take inputs from the street team members and consider all the bands that write to us or send us demos. So if any bands are reading this, I would like to thank you a lot for writing to us and I never miss out on checking out AND replying any band that e-mails me.

The Right Hand Path: What are you going to do about music downloads [paid ones like on Apple iTunes & others] & music piracy on the Internet to safeguard the best interests of Six Inch Nails Records and its artistes? What do you have to say about some labels protecting their albums with technology which disables them from being burnt/converted into a format like say MP3 in a computer?

Urvesh Vasani: Piracy these days is growing rapidly; it’s a thing that is killing the music industry. However there are a lot of people out there who really feel this isn’t right besides bands and businesses, and those people out there are trying their best to reduce piracy, which is a very commendable thing. I was surfing the internet the other day, and came across a video by a label owner quoting that fans think that bands are rich enough and won’t be affected by one unauthorized download but imagine walking into a big business who has a chain of stores and asking for a free product? For instance, if a customer walks into McDonald’s and says “You are a big business, the owner is rich enough. Can I have a free burger?” the manager would either be speechless or just wouldn’t stop! It’s the same with music, bands and labels put in a lot of effort and money in producing music. And when a fan downloads it, it is a great loss to the band and the label.

As far as digital distribution is concerned, I am open to it but the final decision is left to the bands, the first release on SINR was distributed through iTunes, Amazon Music etc. The future releases is all left to the bands, if they want to, we go ahead with it.

The Right Hand Path: Talking of “Ears Will Bleed” the line often used in Six Inch Nails Records online banners, is that inspired from Earache Records? When I saw that line, it reminded me of Earache Records, you see, the “Ache” and “Bleed” part. Six Inch Nails Records has a simple and professional looking website. Have you designed it on your own since you are also into Graphic Design through your Beater Designs venture, please shed some light on Beater Designs and how it  blends Six Inch Nails Records and your record label’s webstore?

Urvesh Vasani: (Chuckles) The line was completely original, I never even thought it could be related to Earache Records, this is the first time I heard someone relating that to Earache. The line actually came from my short-lived podcast back in 2009. I used to say that the podcast was brought to the listeners by “Bleed Your Ears Productions”. The podcast is no-more but the line is there, just a little modified.

Yes the website was designed by me, glad that you thought it was professional-looking since it was the first website I had ever designed. Beater Designs was another venture of mine back in 2008 where I used to design flyers, logos and other small but effective graphics for bands. I just thought it was very interesting, but since I was not artistically literate or talented, Beater Designs wasn’t very successful and stopped functioning early 2009.

The Right Hand Path: Which Indian/International Metal bands in your opinion are up, coming, and have a great future?

Urvesh Vasani: There are thousands of bands out there, with potential spewing out of their music. Very difficult to name any!

The Right Hand Path: It has been great interacting with you. Lastly, the short form of Six Inch Nails Records is “SINR”, which is in a grammatically incorrect way Sinner, what is your take on this? Is there anything that you would like to tell the Readers of The Right Hand Path and people in general?

Urvesh Vasani: (Chuckles) Yes it is a grammatically incorrect way ‘sinner’ but I still like to call it S.I.N.R. Well, lastly I would like to thank The Right Hand Path for having me on The Right Talk and I wish the webzine all the very best for the future, you are doing a great job.

For the readers, I would like to say that there are tons of new things coming up from Six Inch Nails Records and Six Inch Nails as a whole. Not only for the music lovers, but otherwise too there’s a lot of things we’ve got in store for you. So stay tuned and keep it nailed J

The Right Talk: Interview With Sahil Makhija, Founder & Owner Of Demonstealer Records

Welcome to “The Right Talk”, The Online Talk Show where The Right Hand Path speaks to Celebrities from the world of Metal music. Our Celebrity Guest today is Sahil Makhija, Founder & Owner of Demonstealer Records, the Metal Record Label based in the capital city of Mumbai in the Western Indian State of Maharashtra in this Exclusive Interview to an “Indian Metal Music Magazine’’.

The Right Hand Path: Demonik Heils From The Right Hand Path!!! How are things with you Sahil?

Sahil Makhija: Things are good but extremely hectic so I’m working 24/7 but I’m not complaining as I’m doing what I love.

The Right Hand Path: Congratulations for the new signings of Albatross, Devoid, India release of Dimmu Borgir’s latest album Abrahadabra and Demonic Resurrection being signed to the United Kingdom’s Candlelight Records?

Sahil Makhija: Thanks a ton man, it has been a very busy year for us. We had some bumps along the way but all in all things have gone pretty well.

The Right Hand Path: Some Non-Mainstream music companies in India tend to use “Records” or “Recordings” in their name; otherwise, all other music companies have “Music” or some other “standard Indian music company” name. What do you have to say about this with regards to “Records” in your record label name?

Sahil Makhija: I think it is normal to use words like that as part of the name as it denotes what you do. Records, in our case explains that we are a record label that releases music. J

The Right Hand Path: Could you be kind enough to tell the Readers of The Right Hand Path and people into Metal music something not known about Demonstealer Records since its existence from 2005?

Sahil Makhija: My bedroom is the office and I’ve been running it almost single handedly since 5 years. So every time you get a parcel from the label it has been hand packed by me and I’ve stood in a line at the post office to ship it to you. J

The Right Hand Path: Allow me to quote the below-mentioned from Demonstealer Records website

“Demonstealer Records (also known as DSR) is an independent record label based in Mumbai, India. It is the only label in the country that is dedicated to the genre of extreme metal.”

What do you have to say about the above-mentioned and keeping in mind the fact that your friend Kunal Choksi has positioned his Diabolical Conquest Records as “Underground Extreme Metal Record Label”?

Sahil Makhija: Kunal is a good friend of mine and has just started his label so I might have to change the DSR bio but honestly we are a label that is more focused on Indian bands, Kunal’s label is not really putting out any Indian metal albums and I don’t know if he has any plans to as well. Also, Kunal’s label runs not just in India but his webstore is also based out of the US so I think both labels are completely different.

The Right Hand Path: Sometime back, I read that you had lost some money on the India release of Behemoth’s album Evangelion through your Demonstealer Records. Is it true and how are you coping with this financial setback?

Sahil Makhija: Yes, I lost a fair amount of money with the Behemoth release but I don’t give up easily so we’ve continued as usual. We are managing to cope with it; my salary check is what funds the losses that the label might make. However if people by the album still we will recover that money over the years.

The Right Hand Path: Coming to the focus part of Demonstealer Records, you have stated the below-mentioned on Demonstealer Records website

“DSR was created to push to the forefront some of the most talented and extreme metal bands. It is focused on releasing these bands worldwide, organizing tours and creating a true metal scene and community.”

Demonic Resurrection played this year at Norway’s Inferno Metal Festival and then at Czech Republic’s Brutal Assault Festival. In addition, former Demonstealer Records band like Scribe played with you at Norway’s Inferno Metal Festival, Bangladesh signing Severe Dementia played at Resurrection. So based on the above-mentioned as stated on your website, what are your thoughts on the release and tour aspects of Demonstealer Records bands from the beginning of your journey in 2005 to now in 2010?

Sahil Makhija: We do what best we can for the artist, we release their music worldwide and try and do a good number of gigs to launch the album as well. However now we want to focus on mainly the release part of it as the music scene has developed since the time that bio was written and there are more promoters, booking agents etc who handle other aspects of a bands development and career. We did a launch tour for the recently released Devoid and Albatross albums and now the bands are going to be playing a lot more places as well. For DR we clubbed it with the Resurrection festival and did 7 cities. So we think we do a fairly good job of it.

The Right Hand Path: As Demonstealer Records grows and your international contacts and correspondences increase, would you be registering Demonstealer Records with the Government so that you don’t face any business/company, tax and other hassles when you produce your Indian/International label artistes’ albums in India and export/import them?

Sahil Makhija: I’m registered as a sole proprietorship and when the time comes to pay the required taxes and duties, I most certainly will. However seeing the growth of DSR in 5 years I can safely say there is a long time before that will be required.

The Right Hand Path: Coming to the Demonstealer Records website, I must appreciate you for incorporating the “Shop” within it. I like the simple and user-friendly look of the website. Since you have international ambitions, do you plan to revamp the website to give it a sophisticated look and be more even user-friendly?

Sahil Makhija: Right now, the plan is to get a basic webstore up and running, there are no plans of redesign right now, maybe when I sell some more CDs and can afford a revamp I will, till then the design will stay. I’m very grateful to Arun Kale for designing the website and helping me update it all the time.

The Right Hand Path: How do you go about selecting and signing Metal bands for Demonstealer Records, what are the parameters based upon which you analyze, evaluate and sign bands? Do you regularly go to concerts, check out music on sites like MySpace, SoundClick, MP3.com, ReverbNation, GimmeSound, Last.FM and PureVolume to name some? Are you the only person involved in this or does your Demonstealer Records Street Team chip in with their thoughts? What should a Metal band looking to be signed on to a record label like yours take care of and look forward to?

Sahil Makhija: The decision to sign bands is completely my own. I do listen to bands regularly that send me demos for the label as well as the latest bands on the scene. However my criteria for the most part is that I look to sign bands that have been on the scene for some time, played many gigs, built a fanbase and recorded a good albums. Acrid Semblance, MyndSnare, IIIrd Sovereign etc have all been on the scene for a very long time and so I signed them for full lengths. Devoid has been on the scene for 6 years. Albatross was the only band that I signed without them having played live but my friend Riju is part of the band and I their work ethic and music sold me on signing them to DSR. For new bands I think they need to survive the first 2-3 years as a band and become really good and build a fanbase and then send me a demo if they want to get released. I sign very few bands because it gets too much for me to manage. I however have 2 new bands coming onboard next year, which I will announce as, and when deals are signed. J

The Right Hand Path: Apart from offering Free Downloads of out of print Demonstealer Records album what are you going to do about music downloads [paid ones like on Apple iTunes & others] & music piracy on the Internet to safeguard the best interests of Demonstealer Records and its artistes? What do you have to say about some labels protecting their albums with technology which disables them from being burnt/converted into a format like say MP3 in a computer?

Sahil Makhija: Well DSR has started by tying up with Hungama.com to offer Indian fans mp3 downloads of DSR albums for as low as Rs.10 per song. We have all our music on iTunes and other downloadable sites, which are paid downloads.  As for piracy, we can’t fight or stop people from downloading but we can educate them about the harm it causes the artist. I find that a lot of kids download because they either don’t know where to get the album or don’t realize that it hurts the artist. I have seen people actually change from being downloaders to saving money and buying CDs to support the artists. So it is really about educating people. When it comes to protecting CDs etc I don’t see the point because I trust people and I believe if they have paid good money for the CD they should be able to do as they please for private use. I’d rather fight the piracy war by educating people rather than putting a code on my CDs.

The Right Hand Path: Diverting a bit, is it true that the Demonstealer Records logo is inspired from the logo of a gym called Powerhouse? I heard there is some connection of a friend of yours to the label name & lastly since you extend the word “Demonic” to your ventures, do you plan to get it Trademarked?

Sahil Makhija: As soon as I read this question I googled for Powerhouse Gym and thankfully, there is no similarity in their logo and ours. Saloni Sinha has design the new logo for the label. The story goes that an old friend told me that my name ‘Demonstealer’ sounds more apt for a record label, which is why Demonstealer Records came into being. Else, I would have probably called it Demonic Records or something. – As for trademarking Demonic I’m not sure if I can do that but maybe I should trademark ‘Cheers & Stay Demonic’ J

The Right Hand Path: What is your view on departure of bands like Scribe, Exhumation and Bhayanak Maut from Demonstealer Records and Dusk, Severe Dementia and Warface from Pakistan, Bangladesh and the USA respectively on the label?

Sahil Makhija: I signed all these bands for single releases and they were free to do what they wanted after that. Whatever path these bands have chosen has been best for them and as a label; I have no regrets about not releasing more music from these bands. DSR has always been a platform, the first step if you will for Indian bands and I’m happy that these bands have got their 1^st release from DSR and been able to go onto bigger and better things. As for Warface, SD and Dusk, they don’t have any new releases and are not very active anymore.

The Right Hand Path: Which Indian/International Metal bands in your opinion are up, coming, and have a great future?

Sahil Makhija: From the lesser known bands I think Nervecell from Dubai have a great future, they have a great music and they work their asses off. From India I feel Kryptos are probably going to be the next to break out because they have great music and Nolan and gang have been going on for almost 12 years and I think their next album could be the big one. Apart from these bands other Indian bands have some way to go but they all have the potential to make it big, it is just about writing good music and saying fuck everything else in life we are going to work hard and be successful.

The Right Hand Path: It has been a pleasure knowing you since the past few years and on this interaction. Is there anything that you would like to tell the Readers of The Right Hand Path and people in general?

Sahil Makhija: Well all I can say is people need to understand that if you love music and are a fan of certain bands you need to support them by buying their CDs, merch and stuff because unless you do the bands cannot continue to make that music. Music is a career for certain people and if their music provides you with a great experience and more then you should ensure that these people get their due.

 

 

The Right Talk: Interview With Madhav Ravindranath, Founder & Owner Of Roadcrew Records

Welcome to “The Right Talk”, The Online Talk Show where The Right Hand Path speaks to Celebrities from the world of Metal music. Our Celebrity Guest today is Madhav Ravindranath, Founder & Owner of Roadcrew Records, the Metal Record Label based in the capital city of Chennai in the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu in this Exclusive Interview to an “Indian Metal Music Magazine’’.

The Right Hand Path: Metalik Heils From The Right Hand Path!!! How are things with you Madhav?

Madhav Ravindranath: Things are good, I’m doing good. Just working on the finishing touches of my new gore-grind release which should be out in a couple of months.

The Right Hand Path: When I hear the record label’s name, a band’s tour bus comes to my mind. Did the above-mentioned inspire you when it came to choosing a name? Some Non-Mainstream music companies in India tend to use “Records” or “Recordings” in their name; otherwise, all other music companies have “Music” or some other “standard Indian music company” name. What do you have to say about this with regards to “Records” in your record label name?

Madhav Ravindranath: Well, the road crew is usually the most important part of a touring band; they’re hidden from sight and yet contribute towards every live show the band plays, relieving the band of any stress and tension and allowing them to concentrate exclusively on the music. I wanted the label to bear the same importance to the band and hence, Roadcrew Records. There wasn’t any specific reason for choosing “records,” it could as well have been “productions” or something. Roadcrew Records had a nice ring to it.

The Right Hand Path: Could you be kind enough to tell the Readers of The Right Hand Path and people into Metal music as to how Roadcrew Records came into existence?

Madhav Ravindranath: I always wanted to start my own label, having played and organized enough live music to know how this Indian music scene works. The main stimulus came from Rat King. I heard the promo CD of ‘The Plague Of Hamelin’ the band had put out in Dec 2008 and was pretty damn impressed. Plus, having known with Murari and Deepak for long enough, I knew they’d jus let the music rot on the computer if no one promoted them. So, I signed on Rat King and the rest, as they say is history.

The Right Hand Path: Since you have a full-time regular job yourself and been involved in the Metal scene in the past through the now defunct Death Metal band Maelstrom from Chennai how do you plan to go about Roadcrew Records since there are other Metal record labels like Six Inch Nails Records, Diabolical Conquest Records & Demonstealer Records?

Madhav Ravindranath: Other labels have never bothered me. Each label has their own niche, own music and their own methods of running the label. In fact, KC from DCR is a great friend and helps me out at times, so it’s pretty good actually. Having a full time job doesn’t change anything.

The Right Hand Path: Allow me to quote the below-mentioned from Roadcrew Records website

“The team at Roadcrew Records isn’t an easy one to please. The criteria for a band to be selected on to the RCR roster is an extensive and agonizing one, with very few bands making the cut.”

Don’t you think by an “extensive and agonizing criteria” for bands to be on the Roacrew Roster, Roadcrew Records would be seen as an “Arrogant” [please note I’m not making any personal judgments, my use of that word should be taken in consideration with the question and that it is in “”, this bracket explanation won’t appear on the uploaded interview]  or “Difficult” label for bands to work with despite your good intentions and would cut off bands from you and hit the commercial aspect of Roadcrew Records? In addition, can you share information on “the team” at Roadcrew Records, since, as far as I know you are the one & only person handling the entire Roadcrew Records thing?

Madhav Ravindranath: Not at all. I listen to a lot of music, I like a lot of music (even what’s considered crap by other people) and I distribute a lot of music but anything that comes under the RCR banner HAS to be music that completely shreds the skin off my back and quite literally blows me away. Not too many bands do that to me, hence the statement above. If the band themselves are deterred after reading that on the website,

The team at Roadcrew Records, until now has been primarily me with good advice, council and support from the good people at Headbangers India. Although now, I’ve found a partner in Sriram Kvlteshwaran who will be henceforth be running RCR with me.

The Right Hand Path: Moving further, how do you go about selecting and signing Metal bands for Roadcrew Records, what are the parameters based upon which you analyze, evaluate and sign bands? Do you regularly go to concerts, check out music on sites like MySpace, SoundClick, MP3.com, ReverbNation, GimmeSound, Last.FM and PureVolume to name some? What should a Metal band looking to be signed on to a record label like yours take care of and look forward to? This question is significant because you have now entered into the Free Album Download thing with Compilation Albums like “Because God Told Me To Do It” and “Serenity”, the India & Pakistan Metal bands Compilation Album.

Madhav Ravindranath: As I’d mentioned above, I only sign music I love. There’s no fixed criteria for a band to meet so that they can be signed. I watch a lot of live bands and the wonders of the internet allow me to find out about all the new and upcoming bands out there. As a general condition, I don’t listen to streaming music simply because I don’t have the patience to do so. I would be better pressed to listen to something if I got the CD or if at least the song was emailed to me.

If a band wanted to get signed by me, they should just send their music to me. Good quality recordings are a bonus but not essential, as long as whatever you send can effectively portray your sound and your ideas. If you play live, you should somehow manage to get me at one of your gigs that would make a major difference.

For the compilations, I just chose bands that I liked and I felt should be put up on a world stage and should be accessible to more people. Right from Psyborg, Hydrodjent, Evergreen, Skrat etc. “Because God Told Me To Do It” was done with Brad Miller (USA, Inner-X-Musick) and “Serenity” was done with Kamran Ata (PAK, Stampedes Inc)

The Right Hand Path: How do you want Roadcrew Records to be seen as a Metal record label, an underground/independent record label, major record label or multiple/varied genre record label? In addition, are you influenced by any Metal/Non-Metal record label in this venture?

Madhav Ravindranath: No, no influences although someday, I’d like to be like Solitude Prod (Russia) or Sevared Records (USA), both relatively underground labels but with very high rates of success and with some pretty big bands on their roster. I run the label doing things the way I want, and what I see would be most beneficial for the band and the label. Right now, RCR is an independent underground label and it’s pretty unlikely that it will become a major label (like Nuclear Blast) or a multi-genre label, although what really happens in the future deserves to be seen.

The Right Hand Path: In addition, from what I see in the Roadcrew Records band roster, Roadcrew Records presently has only 2 bands directly signed up with them and including the 3^rd unsigned band, all the bands on your Roadcrew Records roster are from Southern India [and play “Experimental/Ambient/Industrial” and “Metalcore/Alternative Metal” respectively]. So how is Roadcrew Records going ahead to reach out to other sub-genres of Metal [in other parts of India & the rest of the world] and how has been the progress so far?

Madhav Ravindranath: Well, the new band I’m signing on and releasing is a gore-grind band, so right there I have 3 completely varied genres. I’m not making any specific effort to stick to one sub-genre or reach out to how every many sub-genres possible. My next release might be another gore-grind one or another experimental/industrial one.

The Right Hand Path: As Roadcrew Records grows and your international contacts and correspondences increase, would you be registering Roadcrew Records with the Government so that you don’t face any business/company, tax and other hassles when you produce your Indian/International label artistes’ albums in India [since this “Roadcrew Records promotes and supports Veil Of Thorns and Choronzon, both avant-garde/gothic metal bands from the city of New York, USA.” has been stated in the record label website] and export/import them?

Madhav Ravindranath: Roadcrew Records has been registered with the government of India.

The Right Hand Path: Coming to the Roadcrew Records website, I must appreciate you for single handedly working on it since I assume you must have had a turbulent time during transporting the website from its original Joomla Content Management System Platform to a Blog Base Platform like WordPress. I like the simple and user-friendly look of the website. Since Roadcrew Records webstore has a Great & Professional Online Shopping website look, do you plan to revamp the website to give it a sophisticated look and be more even user-friendly so that the website [current version] and the webstore don’t look different when people visit the Roadcrew Records website?

Madhav Ravindranath: Yup, there are a lot of things pending which I had to do. Joomla gave me much more options but WordPress won because of its simplicity and ease of use. The online store has got to be revamped and will be done within the next month or so.

The Right Hand Path: What are you going to do about music download [paid ones like on Apple iTunes & others] & music piracy on the Internet to safeguard the best interests of Roadcrew Records and its artistes? What do you have to say about some labels protecting their albums with technology which disables them from being burnt/converted into a format like say MP3 in a computer?

Madhav Ravindranath: Music downloads like the ones on iTunes probably appeal to the newer generation of music listeners who live in the age of mobile music on the go. Music piracy affects the big and the small labels, and it’s very unlikely that it will ever be curbed. With all the increases in technology, there are always going to be people smarter than the record label industries, people who will manage to break past any protective mechanism on CDs, and that is why I try to incorporate something with all RCR releases that make it worthy of purchase. Be it great album art or make it a special edition or anything of the sort. If people still want to download, well, they’re just not getting the entire deal.

The Right Hand Path: Which Indian/International Metal bands in your opinion are up, coming, and have a great future?

Madhav Ravindranath: Can’t say. In this crazy country of ours, I’ve seen too many mediocre bands become big and too many great bands fade away. If I had to pick names though, I would say Escher’s Knot (CHN) and Theorized (BLR).

The Right Hand Path: It has been good interacting with you. Is there anything that you would like to tell the Readers of The Right Hand Path and people in general?

Madhav Ravindranath: It’s been great, thanks a lot for doing this interview. All I can say is: keep your eyes open and your ears peeled for future RCR releases, they’re bound to blow you away.

“Death rejoices to teach those who live…”

The Right Talk: The Exclusive Interview With The Demonstealer Of Demonic Resurrection

Welcome to “The Right Talk”, The Online Talk Show where The Right Hand Path speaks to Celebrities from the world of Metal music. Our Celebrity Guest today is The Demonstealer, of the Mumbai, Maharashtra, India-based “Demonic Metal” band Demonic Resurrection in this Exclusive Interview to an “Indian Metal Music Magazine” prior to the release of their third full-length album “The Return To Darkness”.

Photograph Courtesy: The Demonstealer

The Right Hand Path: Greetings from The Right Hand Path. The year 2009 sure has kept you busy like Hell, so does this mean no more Demons to Resurrect?

The Demonstealer: Haha, technically it’s the resurrection of demons that should be keeping me busy but I still have a lot of demons to resurrect by the end of the year and an even longer list for 2010 so I’m going to be busy as hell for a while…..

The Right Hand Path: Jokes apart, as we speak Demonic Resurrection “added” one more “Demon” to their achievements when they performed with the likes of Textures and Amon Amarth on Saturday, December 5, 2009 as part of “The Deccan Rock Festival” in Bengaluru along with other well-known Indian Metal acts like Kryptos,Undying Inc.,IIIrd Sovereign to name a few?….

This raises a question in my mind, it has been assumed in the Indian Metal [rightly or wrongly that’s an individual decision] that bands like Demonic Resurrection and Kryptos which are said to be “steeped” in the Old School Metal aren’t very “appreciative” of the Metal that we see today in India? How much of this is true or false?

The Demonstealer: I can’t speak for any other band but I think DR is in no way steeped in the ‘old school metal’ at all. While we are influenced by some old school metal we are in no way limited or defined by it. As long as it’s metal and sounds good to our ears that’s all that matters. Having said that we really do appreciate all the good metal bands we see in India today irrespective of what sub genre they play.

The Right Hand Path: Was there a sense of camaraderie among the Indian bands at The Deccan Rock Festival and how did this come about since it was an event, if I read right “supported by NGOs” and add to it organized by an “unknown” entities like The Live Gig?

The Demonstealer: I don’t understand what camaraderie between bands has to do with the show being organized by NGOs or The Live gig. The bands as far as I know do have a sense of camaraderie among themselves because we are all friends and we all like to hang out. So yeah all the bands were chilling together. BM, Undying and DR were all put up in the same hotel so we were all hanging out. Also one should mention the main organizers of the event ‘Okra Events’ who made this event possible…..

The Right Hand Path: Before The Deccan Rock Festival you sent a message on Facebook urging fans to record performances of Demonic Resurrection there which would be uploaded in the “Bootleg” section of your “coming soon” Official Website “http://www.demonicresurrection.in”. Was this a subtle ploy to get new ideas for a music video that could be sent to the likes of VH1 and others?

The Demonstealer: There was no subtle ploy behind that because we pretty much know what our music video is going to be. Also phone quality videos don’t really work for music channels. We just did it because there were people coming to watch us and it seemed like a great idea. And I’m sure the person who wins the autographed CD and poster will enjoy it.

The Right Hand Path: It’s been four years since your second and last full-length album “A Darkness Descends” was released by your own label Demonstealer Records in 2005. I remember someone remarked on a forum in the Internet that “they” felt it was take on Dark Angel’s “Darkness Descends” album. This apart, I see that War and Fantasy based themes have taken prominence in your new songs if I were to consider songs like “Dismembering The Fallen”, “Unrelenting Surge Of Vengeance” to name a few. ….

What can we expect from the new album in terms of lyrics and music since songs like “A Darkness Descends”, “Frozen Portrait” to name a few were gig staples and the fans knew their lyrics verbatim. Is the new album a kind of burden on the bands since it’s coming after 4 years and the line-up too has undergone changes?….

The Demonstealer: The album is definitely not a burden at all, its something we have been looking forward to since a long time since we are really excited about the new sound and the songs, but yes there are a lot of expectations from fans and we think the new album will live up to that. The new album is basically a story which is continuing from where ‘A Darkness Descends’ and ‘Beyond The Darkness’ left off. ‘A Darkness Descends’ was lyrically very scattered and no cohesive as a story but the idea got across and with ‘Beyond The Darkness’ the lyrics flow as a story. The Return To Darkness is the completion of that entire story and ends the trilogy of darkness.

The Right Hand Path: The Return To Darkness would also mark the 10 years of Demonic Resurrection ever since you founded t in 2000. With this in view, have you done something special. By special I mean, I see that many Indian bands are now getting their albums mixed/mastered at studios abroad and the production quality in becoming better and world-class.

No doubt, “A Darkness Descends” had all this and probably much more, but since you are a Sound Engineer also and run Demonic Studio, have you incorporated something that would make this album “stand out”?

This question assumes importance since there is a school of thought which believes in two kinds of band, one “which sound good on CD/Cassette/LP etc” and second “which sound good live”. I assume you might have taken this into consideration since Demonic Resurrection would be going abroad to play at Czech Republic’s Brutal Assault Festival where stalwarts like Cannibal Corpse would be present and I also assume that Demonic Resurrection would “like to present a common sound” irrespective of whether one listens to their album or sees them perform live. Are my assumptions right? If not, what do you have to say?….

The Demonstealer: Well we put a lot of work into this album, being the producer and engineer on this album I’ve had to take my skills to the next level and just improve on our sound and I think I have done that, when you hear this album along with all the previous releases you not only hear the sound/songwriting maturing it’s also the production of the music that improves. For the artwork this time we got ‘Xaay’ from Poland to do our artwork. He did the cover for the latest Nile and Karl Sanders albums and we love his work. About sounding the same live I share a different view point. Definitely bands should have something different live, whether it’s a little improved or a slightly different version because that makes the live experience more enjoyable. So yes you will hear the same songs on the CD but they will sound ‘live’. Live it’s all about putting up a great show, involving the audience and making sure everyone has a good time.

The Right Hand Path: You have called a “marketing whiz” by people in the Indian Rock & Metal scene which is evident from Demonstealer Records Exclusive India release of Behemoth’s Evangelion and how you have established a “connect” by extending “Demonic” [and its derivatives] and in your various Enterprises in your own words [reference:  your answer to an interview given to RSJOnline.com a long time ago]. Demonic Studios is supporting Pod666, the Indian Metal podcast. Would you be involving Pod666 in “The Return To Darkness” promotions? If my figures are correct “A Darkness Descends” had sales of around 1500 [please correct me if I’m wrong], are you expecting this figure to triple in view of your upcoming performance at Brutal Assault Festival and do you plan to incorporate these [upcoming figures] to target more international venues for touring?….

The Demonstealer: POD666 I’m not sure is even around so there won’t really be any involvement but we will tie up with any possible medium to ensure this album is promoted well. ‘A Darkness Descends’ sold 2000 copies worldwide and yes we definitely want to triple that figure if not double it. We are working on a lot of things that might make this possible, better international distribution, better local distribution, special pre orders etc etc. And yes performing at Brutal Assault is going to definitely help us with International sales.

The Right Hand Path: Please accept my many “Demonic” thanks for this interview. It’s been a pleasure. How can fans get a copy of “The Return To Darkness”? What message would you like to give to your current and soon to be converted “new” fans?….

The Demonstealer: Fans can visit www.demonicresurrection.in and pre order the album’s special box set. Those that just want the regular CD can get it from Furtados Music in India or from our retailers abroad. All the details will be up on our website soon. J Meanwhile, Cheers & Stay Demonic! The Demonstealer…..

The Right Talk: Exclusive Interview With Aditya Mehta, Vocals/Guitars/Keyboards Of The Death Metal Band Exhumation

Welcome to “The Right Talk”, The Online Talk Show where The Right Hand Path speaks to Celebrities from the world of Metal music. Our Celebrity Guest today is ADITYA MEHTA, VOCALS/GUITARS/KEYBOARDS of the Mumbai, Maharashtra, India-based Death Metal band, Exhumation in this Exclusive Interview to an “Indian Metal Music” magazine.

The Right Hand Path: Mighty Metalik Heils from The Right Hand Path!!! How are you doing Aditya?

Aditya Mehta: Hey man, I’m doing really well.

The Right Hand Path: You have been known by nicknames like “The Count Of Old Bombay” and “Count Varathora” being the ones known to almost everyone who has read about and followed Exhumation ever since you and Yash Pathak (now ex-drummer) formed it in 2002.

If what I’ve read on the Internet is right “Varathora” is derived from the Greek Black Metal band “Varathron” whose music you are a fan of. Is this right and what’s with the nicknames both of them have the “Count” in them, are you fascinated by the Old World, especially 18th and 19th Century Europe and European Nobility?

Aditya Mehta: Oh no, I’m not a fan of Varathron. “Count” is from
Dracula and Grishnackh (whose music I am a fan of), and Varathora is something I came up with when I was in Demonic Resurrection. It sounded nice at the time and close friends still refer to me by these names.

The Right Hand Path: The genesis of Exhumation is preceded by the practice Thrash band Mortuary that was formed in 1998 by you, Prashant Shah [Guitars] and Yash Pathak [Ex-Drummer of Exhumation], which gave way to Exhumation in 2002 when Prashant Shah left for the United States to pursue his higher studies and Mortuary became inactive.

What is evident to me in both the bands Mortuary and Exhumation is their roots in Medical Science, were you and the guys in Mortuary and Exhumation interested in Medical Science especially the so-called “Morbid” part of it that deals with things like “Mortuary”, “Exhumation”, because at least according to the Metal database website, Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives I find bands like Calvin Korpse, Cranium, Dementra, Gruesome Malady to be at least interested in “Medical Science” or to have something to do with “Medical Science” to use words from Medical Science terminology in their names

Aditya Mehta: Oh no, no one in the band cares about medical science. Mortuary and Exhumation both sound great. I was always a morbid kid, but no medical science stuff. I couldn’t care less.

The Right Hand Path: Exhumation’s Official MySpace profile talks about the band being formed on Walpurgisnacht and the Greek Metal band of the same name “Exhumation”, was forming the band on Walpurgisnakht a conscious decision on your part since you’ve been a steady member of Exhumation while Prashant Shah is now also playing for the Hardcore/Metalcore Mumbai, Maharashtra, India-based band “Scribe”.

Did you face any legal problems/threats with regards to using the name Exhumation as in the case of MindSnare who became MyndSnare and a particular U.S.A. citizen who warned the Pune, Maharashtra, India-based Thrash Metal band Brute Force against using the name “Brute Force” as it was registered in the U.S.A.?

You have also written about Satanism under the tag “The Satanic Scholar” in your blog “Mehta Kya Kehta?”.

Was your belief in Satanism [if yes, please correct me if I’m wrong, I’ve heard that you believe in Satanism and call yourself a Satanist, though I would like to confirm this from you] responsible for the band being formed on Walpurgisnakht, which is considered to be like a festival for Satanists worldwide.

Aditya Mehta: Exhumation was formed the day Prashant came back to India. We released Among The Dead (single) on Walpurgisnakht because it felt like a good time.

The guys from the Greek Exhumation have been dicks to Prashant, threatening him to change our band’s name. Well, fuck them, I didn’t know of any Exhumation when I thought of the name, and there’s no way we’ll change the name after all this time. We’re Exhufuckingmation and you’re not.

Yeah, I’m a Satanist and have been one for many years now. Among The Dead would’ve been released on Walpurgisnakht even if I hadn’t been a Satanist because it’s just a nice time, yeah? Better Walpurgisnakht than Christmas, ha ha!

The Right Hand Path: When I talk of Exhumation, I’m reminded of the metal database website Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives which states “Satan” under the category “Lyrical Theme[s]” for Exhumation’s profile there.

As someone who has read about Satanism, do you believe and follow any particular school of thought in Satanism like The Church Of Satan, The First Church Of Satan [founded by The Church Of Satan founder Anton Szandor LaVey’s daughter], Xepher to name a few?

When I look at the names of your songs, I find nothing about Satan in their names/lyrical themes as most of them are about Death, Life, Individual and Food [especially in the four-way Death Metal split album “Defaced & Split” EP “For Personal Consumption Only” released by Demonstealer Records which if I’m able to recall correctly you’d written in Resurrection zine [Barcode Entertainment & Demonic Resurrection Bassist Hussain Bandukwala’s Extreme Metal Festival] was about a “Gujarati Vegetarian Loving Cannibal”. What do you have to say about this?

Aditya Mehta: There is so much life throws at you…it’s not just any one philosophy you learn from, there’s just so much, you know? I like to think of life as a fucking buffet spread out for me – I can pick up and put on my plate anything that makes sense to me. Anton LaVey’s The Satanic Bible has been a great influence, but then again, so have hundreds of other things.

From Among The Dead, Nothing But Misery and Disgrace/I Am My God are both anti-religion. Consider This will have some more directly Satanic stuff. For Personal Consumption Only was just something wacky Prash and I came up with. Prashant has always been a pure vegetarian, by the way. The concept of a cool vegetarian guy killing and cooking hot women thrilled the hell out of us.

The Right Hand Path: Talking about Satanism, I would like to ask you if you are an Atheist or not since I’ve observed that many people who are into Satanism are Atheists also according to whom God doesn’t exist. I find this quite puzzling since modern day belief is based on the principles of “Action, Reaction”, “Cause, Effect”, according to this some people are of the belief that if God doesn’t exist then so doesn’t Satan, and some believe that God doesn’t exist yet Satan exists. When one looks at say what an organization like The Church Of Satan has to say in their website, to my mind, it almost seems like an organized form of worship, almost like Religion, which in my opinion, many Metal Musicians & Listeners alike like to bash.

What do you have to say about this contradiction [according to me] and your view on the connections between Metal Music, Satanism, God & Religion. Do you also subscribe to the school of thought which believe in “The Left Hand Path” and opposes “The Right Hand Path” which they believe represents God, Religion & Conservatism [my understanding of The Left Hand Path and The Right Hand Path is according to the article on Right Hand Path and Left Hand Path in Wikipedia].

Aditya Mehta: I don’t think of myself as an Atheist, it sounds too directionless. Am I being vague? One can not believe in a higher power and still be a dumbfuck, yeah? Well, Satanism is not for someone like that. Satanism has created this crazy drive in me to achieve more and more and enrich myself and my life and surroundings in every way possible. There could be Atheists who are super-achievers, but you won’t find even one Satanist who is a moron. Every Satanist I have had the pleasure of knowing excels at everything s/he does. With Atheism there is no assurance of growth, with Satanism there is no choice but to keep growing better and stronger. It’s ingrained into your belief system.

As far as contradictions go, there’s always someone to ‘not like’ something. Who cares? I don’t waste time discussing pointless shit with people who don’t have a clue about anything. People actually have the time to sit and ponder over whether a higher power exists? Well, who gives a shit? The fasting Jain starving himself to death lives and dies just like the fat dude sitting and drinking beer and eating cold cuts in Germany. Praying is the most retarded thing, I’d rather do push-ups.

Heavy Metal is awesome for Satanism. If you’ve been taught to believe in some bullshit since the day you were born, you’re obviously not going to turn around and bust its balls because it’s going to make you feel like a fool. No matter how silly some extreme bands may sound, a dumb kid isn’t going to understand logic, he is going to need Deicide or Morbid Angel or Slayer to shake his beliefs enough for him to slice through religious garbage and pursue the truth. I don’t hate religion the way I used to when I was younger, it’s more of a joke now.

The Right Hand Path: The above-mentioned question gives rise to your role as the Bassist in Demonic Resurrection, the Demonstealer Records founder & owner The Demonstealer’s band, which you left to form Exhumation. Now what’s interesting is The Demonstealer has now joined Exhumation as a Bassist [as per the Official Announcement in this regard on your blog “Mehta Kya Kehta.

It’s been like both of you are connected to each other by some quirk of time, you were a part of Demonic Resurrection, Exhumation was signed on to The Demonstealer’s Demonstealer Records and later signed on to Grey And Saurian [of Anupam “Grey” Roy [whose Severed Dreams track by Grey] and Shashwat “Saurian” Gupta [whose Death Comprehends track by Narsil] were featured on Barcode Entertainment’s Indian Metal compilation album “Resurrection which also featured Exhumation’s track “The Awakening” [also on Exhumation’s full-length album “Among The Dead”].

What do you have to say about all this, everything seems so coincidental when one looks at it.

Aditya Mehta: Prashant and I were thinking of who’d fit right in with us, and we could come up with 2-3 names, The Demonstealer being one of them. Yeah, we’re all connected in some strange way.

The Right Hand Path: When I last met you on the last day of Independence Rock finals in Mumbai in 2008 you told me about your new Black Metal band “Sanctum Atrium”, what’s happening on that front, please tell me more about that?

Aditya Mehta: That’s Sanctus Atrum, and not much has happened with that because I have absolutely no time for it right now despite having many songs ready. It will happen eventually, I’ll just take my time.

The Right Hand Path: How has been the departure of first Aritro Roy on Bass [whom according to the Exhumation’s closed website http://www.geocities.com/exhumation] was found in the woods and Yash Pathak on Drums and the induction of The Demonstealer on Bass and you doing only Vocals been treated in Exhumation?

Aditya Mehta: It’s all cool, man.

The Right Hand Path: I must say that Exhumation has found an invaluable treasure in you especially since Prashant Shah has talked about you having a diary of lyrics each written with a specific theme and album in mind and how you and Prashant compose music and you decide the setting/feel that each song should have. This was stated by Prashant in an Interview to the Barcode Entertainment and Demonstealer Records’ Extreme Metal Festival Resurrection’s Resurrection zine a long time ago.

Is this pattern still being followed, are any changed going to be incorporated into this since in an interview of The Demonstealer that you conducted, The Demonstealer talked about having to learn somebody else’s music.

Aditya Mehta: Yeah, it’s always going to be like this. Prashant and I know exactly what works for us. We know exactly how we want a song to sound before we’ve even started working on it, and then later things can be reshaped as we go along depending on what’s best for the song.

The Right Hand Path: Exhumation’s MySpace profile talked on their next album “Consider This” being slated for a year-end [2009] release. Please tell me about what this album is all about, the lyrical themes it will have and anything and everything that you would like to share on this with The Right Hand Path?

What can the fans of Exhumation, many of whom consider it to be one of the “Best” Death Metal bands in India expect from it and how will it be different from “Among The Dead” and “For Personal Consumption” when the former was based on Death and the latter on Food [and Death].

Aditya Mehta: Consider This will be out in 2010. It will have songs about Satanism and global destruction and psycho killers and gore and maybe some personal shit that I need to let out. Among The Dead was intense, For Personal Consumption Only was a message being sent out in a humourous way, Consider This will be straight-ahead death metal.

The Right Hand Path: What do you have to say about your brand of “Gujarati Brutal Death Metal” and “Demonic Metal from The Demonstealer” coming together in Exhumation. What prompted you to shift from Vocals/Bass to just Vocals? Will you rely on your database of already written songs and how do you aim to benefit by releasing this album through Grey And Saurian? Will this be an EP/Full-Length etc? Who will be producing it?

Aditya Mehta: The ‘Gujarati Death Metal’ thing was a joke. And now that I am free to move around on stage, I can do some flamboyant stuff while growling, haha! No, you won’t see me hopping and clapping my hands, HAHA!

The Right Hand Path: Exhumation has also the presence of Prashant Shah who is a great guitar player in himself and also a creative person who does arts [like design, artwork and other creatives]. Prashant Shah in an interview to a Metal Music magazine had talked about Exhumation’s new website being registered on the domain names http://www.exhumation.net or http://www.exhumationindia.in what do you have to say now that your website on Geocities has been closed by Yahoo! along with all the websites on Geocities

Aditya Mehta: I have no idea about this! Has the lack of an official website made any difference?

The Right Hand Path: In the past some of your gigs have been plagued with unfortunate incidents like the guitar strings getting snapped, power going off [if I’ve read this right at a gig where you were covering Deicide’s song “When Satan Rules His World”. Will “Consider This” be followed by a massive tour to promote it since it’s been a long time since you guys performed live. Talking about performing live, I believe there is school of thought among performers, musicians included, which believes in getting a kick from “performing drunk on stage”, what do you have to say about this and do you believe in this school of thought?

Aditya Mehta: I don’t know if there’ll be a tour, but we’ll certainly be playing live. I don’t know if we’ll be ‘promoting’ Consider This in any way because we don’t bother ourselves with any of that. We just make music and sit back.

I have been drunk onstage many times but I don’t do it anymore. When I was younger I liked being stoned and drunk during shows but it’s not fun now. I’d rather be sober and in the moment.

The Right Hand Path: Your label mates at Grey And Saurian includes other well-known bands like Mumbai’s Bhayanak Maut, New Delhi’s Undying Inc., IIIrd Sovereign, Acrid Semblance, Prashant Shah’s Scribe, Bengaluru’s MyndSnare and Singaporean “Vedic Metal” greats Rudra. How does it feel to be in such and exalted gathering of musicians and also playing with The Demonstealer?

Aditya Mehta: I don’t think we’re with Grey And Saurian anymore.

The Right Hand Path: As we near the end of the first decade of the 21st Century Millennium and come closer to the threshold of 2009, 2010 will see Exhumation complete 8 years. What are your reminiscences of these 8 years and what do you want to do and look forward to musically and an as individual, who describes himself in your blog Mehta Kya Kehta? as “A satirist/musician who writes on life, death and everything in between.” in 2010?

Aditya Mehta: There is too much to say here, it’ll turn into a blog post if I start writing about it!

The Right Hand Path: If I’m not wrong you must be happy to have accepted this interview request and doing this interview since in one of your blog posts where you had talked about interviewing people, you said that instead of you interviewing people, somebody should be interviewing you. What would you like to say to the readers of The Right Hand Path and fans of Aditya Mehta and Exhumation?

Aditya Mehta: Oh, you’ve come up with some thoughtful questions and this is by far the most interesting interview! To everyone reading this, kick ass, go for everything you want, have fun and celebrate life!

The Right Talk: Interview With Ian Shrapnel, Guitar/Vocals Of “The Gods Of War Metal”, Deströyer 666

Welcome to “The Right Talk”, The Online Talk Show where The Right Hand Path speaks to Celebrities from the world of Metal music. Our Celebrity Guest today is IAN SHRAPNEL, Guitars/Vocals of Deströyer 666 the Metal Multi National, in this Exclusive Interview to an “Indian Metal Music” magazine.

Picture Courtesy: Ian Shrapnel

The Right Hand Path: Metalik Heils from The Right Hand Path to The Wolf Cult Command!!! How are things at The Wolf’s Lair?

SHRAPNEL: All good here…..

The Right Hand Path: Please accept my belated congratulations for your new album “Defiance”.

As a first-time listener, it totally blew my mind, I didn’t know what to expect. I had heard that your song writing skills are fantastic and Deströyer 666 being The Gods Of War Metal.

What do you have to say about all this?

SHRAPNEL: I’m glad you enjoyed the last release, I’m not sure if I agree with your last statement but cheers for the compliment.

The Right Hand Path: If I’m right you guys might be relaxing after having finished the US leg of “World Defiance Tour” on October 5, 2009. You have the entire November to yourselves. What are your memories of this tour [in New York City K.K. Warslut’s phone got stolen]

How does it feel considering that the band members are now in The Netherlands, Germany and The United Kingdom? [Please correct me if I am wrong on the second and third country].

Picture Courtesy: Ian Shrapnel

SHRAPNEL: It’s been a busy few months. After the South America / USA tour I had a few days back at home before I went out on tour with RAZOR OF OCCAM on their European tour with ABSU, and now we get ready to go with D666 to Australia for the first time in five years. DESTROYER 666s Defiance tour thus far has been very much a success. We had a great time in the USA, and in South America. We were lucky to be treated really well over there and had some really great responses to our shows. Chicago, New York, San Fransico and Bella Horizonte being the best shows so far. Lots of drinking and party’s with the locals… As for the distance between members, it’s certainly not ideal, but it is manageable. There’s no other way we can work at the moment so we have to deal with the situation in the best way possible.

The Right Hand Path: Please share the story of Deströyer 666’s creation and the journey so far

SHRAPNEL: The band began when KK left Bestial Warlust and started writing music for what was originally going to be a project. It was born in 94. Releasing a demo, six songs with the devil and then the first album Violence is the prince of this world on modern invasion music. With time Destroyer666 mutated into a fully active band and the direction of the band seem to also morph. I joined the band just after the first album was recorded…. Working with KK, Howitzer (from GOSPEL OF THE HORNS) and Bullet eater (HOBBS ANGEL OF DEATH) on the material that was the unchain the wolves release. It was with this release that the band started to perform concerts in Australia and began to tour up the east coast of Australia. Members came and went and we struggled for a time to keep drummers. We ended up with a mate , Bezerker from Sydney, coming down to take on the bass duties and it was with this line up we decided to leave Australia and relocate to Europe. We had managed to get signed to French label Season of mist who had offered us tour support and we knew if we relocated we would certainly get more opportunities to perform. We landed support for the Immolation ‘closer to the world below’ tour in 2001 and after that we set ourselves up in the Netherlands.

We toured a lot, playing many festivals and managed to get on other tours and worked super hard at playing as many different locations possible. We ended up sacking our drummer for being unreliable and got Mersus onboard and continued on with the lineup of KK, Bezerker Mersus and myself. After a year and a half Bezerker and I encountered visa problems and he decided to leave the band and return to Australia. I moved across the channel to England where I currently live. We were lucky to have our good mate Matt Razor from the band Razor of Occam living in London also and he gladly took up the duties of bass and this brings us to the present day. The band is now spread out over three countries with KK living in Denmark and our Drummer Mersus living in Germany.

The Right Hand Path: Deströyer 666’s biography states that it was formed in 1994 by KK as an outlet for Thrashy riffs not suited for Bestial Warlust. Never intended to be a “serious” full-time band.

I think 1996 was a very significant year for Deströyer 666 since that was the first time it became a full band. 1996 also was a sad year since the Friday, December 13, 1996 tour [the first show and the first tour] for Unchain The Wolves turned out to be a great financial loss ever incurred but worth every cent according to the band.

In a way a mixed year, what are your reminiscences of this an Individual and Band Member?

SHRAPNEL: I think it’s fair to say that KK felt somewhat tired with the direction of Bestial. It left no room for variation. He wanted to experiment with slower songs and different melodic ideas that simply wouldn’t suit Bestial Warlust. And Hence D666 was born. Yes true it was never intended to be a full time band… that was something that just evolved as time went by. When I started jamming with KK regularly it was mainly focusing on being involved for the unchain the wolves album… however with some live shows under our belt things just moved more towards being a working band. The tour in 96 for the unchain the wolves tour was a disaster money wise. To travel up and down the east coast of Australia was very expensive for the band, but regardless we had a killer time and some great shows. We drank a lot and desecrated many young women on that tour……generally doing everything that should be done on a tour.

The Right Hand Path: I am not exactly aware of the year when the band members moved to different countries, but I assume it was before 2002. What made the band move out from Australia to Europe? What kind of impact did it have on the band since travel/geography might have been a bigger barrier when it came to making music

Picture Courtesy: Ian Shrapnel

SHRAPNEL: we left Australia on the 27 of April 2001. We felt that we had done everything a band like Destroyer 666 could do in a place like Australia. The distance between the cities was and still is a great barrier for bands touring there. The scene in Australia is strong and aggressive but when compared to the massive scene of Europe, it unfortunately fails in comparison. Moving to Europe really opened up the door and the potential to perform more and more shows. We managed to get on some great tours which really helped raise the profile of the band, where as if we had stayed in Australia simply would not have been possible.

The Right Hand Path: It is often said that your music is a blend of Black Metal, Thrash/Speed Metal and Death Metal. Some people like to call it “Blackened Death”, “Blackened Thrash”, but the most popular description for your genre seems to be “War Metal”. Will you be kind enough to explain the connection between your music and Wolves [and foxes for the first time in your October 5, 2009 transmission on the website]

What do you have to say about all this genre categorization? Does this bother you or you are sub-genre agnostic since you were founded as a Thrash Metal band?

SHRAPNEL: Destroyer 666 is a metal band. That’s the way I’ve always looked at ourselves. A ‘sub-genre agnostic’ is an interesting description….. and maybe one that’s suited in our case. We write music that gives us the feeling metal should. The metal rush.. For me personally that’s what metal is all about. I think many who appreciate what we are creating also understand this. I have no interest in creating the same album twice. Destroyer666 is an evolving machine that in many ways we don’t have control of.

The image of a wolf symbolizes for me the spirit of animal, the beast in man. The ability to work amongst the pack and to also survive alone. It’s a reminder of where we have come from when in this day and age we are often clouded by ideals enforced upon us by government and religion.

The Right Hand Path: Continuing on the genre map, what are the band members’ musical influences as an Individual and as a band as whole?

Does the presence [past and present] of some of Australia’s biggest and well-known Metal bands like Bestial Warlust, Gospel Of The Horns, Abominator, Razor Of Occam and Reverend Kriss Hades [of Reverend Kriss Hades, Sadistik Exekution-for A2 colour poster of an image to accompany the song "The Sermon to the Dead" in the Defiance LP version.] influence the process of song writing and music composition and production?

SHRAPNEL: Everyone in the band is very centered in the metal genres. We all are big fans of classic Heavy metal, black, thrash, death metal. We are certainly not trapped in only one style. I also listen to a lot of dark ambient music; Mersus is a big progressive /kraut rock fan and kk likes some neo folk stuff. I don’t think the above bands that you have mentioned have really shaped our writing so much. I think ALL the music we have in our collections give us some inspiration to write, not necessarily effecting the process as such but more like fueling the fire to create.

The Right Hand Path: Deströyer 666’s [http://www.destroyer666.net] third album, the 2002 release “Cold Steel…For An Iron Age” is going to be re-released by the U.S.A.-based Hells Headbangers Records on pic LP with sleeve and A2 poster.

Considering the below-mentioned that you have stated in the discography entry for this release, what do you have to say on this

Deströyer 666
http://www.destroyer666.net/album6.htm

“…Cover and layout totally fucked by label. Our apologies for this gross insult to artistic endeavours the world over.”

How did this re-release with Hells Headbangers Records come about? Is it because you have toured the U.S.A. twice once in 2006 and now in 2009. Is this a move to reach out in a more aggressive way to your American fans? [and North American fans and people involved in the Metal Music industry there].

And how are your relations with Season Of Mist Records considering their 2002 fuckup with your album

SHRAPNEL: We want to make amends for some of the problems that we had when we originally released the Album. At the time of the release we had some issues with our label Seasons of mist. We had a different cover altogether which they didn’t like and in the end made us drop it. We were put in a position that we had to rush through a new design, which unfortunately we felt was substandard. The seasons Graphic designer at the time made some fuck ups with the layout, photos were used without our consent and in the end we felt bitter about what had happened. Re-releasing the album is in a way us finally giving the album what it really deserved. There is no strategic planning with the release. Its something that we feel should be done and Hells Head bangers are interested in being involved.

The Right Hand Path: From December 2009 to middle of January 2010, the small European leg [covering Belgium, Germany, and The Netherlands] and the bigger Australian leg of World Defiance Tour will begin.

It would be in my opinion, a homecoming of sorts for Deströyer 666 since this is where it all began.

As an India fan of Deströyer 666 music, is there a chance that the band might tour India [if not, in the near future]. Australia today has a large population of Indians [migrants and naturalized citizens]. Do you see Indians at your concerts?

SHRAPNEL: Playing in Australia is an honor for the band. It’s been five years since we last played there so we are all very excited about getting back to our home soil. We are interested in performing in many different countries all over the world….so yeah, maybe one day we’ll make it over to your side of the planet. Due to the fact that I’m not living in Australia, in fact I haven’t lived there for over eight years now.

The Right Hand Path: It’s been my pleasure doing this interview with you. Would you like to give a message to the readers/viewers of The Right Hand Path and your fans?

SHRAPNEL: Thanks for the interview, keep the metal spirit alive!