1.-Since the beginning of the band, which has been the more difficult or the harder it has happened to the band?
The first years were hard. Since then the most difficult it’s been to keep a permanent, stable and regular line-up in the band. Otherwise the harder was in 2003 when we were going to start the recording of our first album, one of us suffered an accident and the band rested in lethargic silence until the end of 2006.
2. - The Band is only 3 members, for this style of metal that you’re playing; don’t feel like you need another guitarist to give more weight to the band sound, or volume to the music? If so what would be the profile that they would ask for another member?
I don’t think it’s necessary because I’ve always loved the trio bands or where there’s only one guitar like Venom, Sodom, Motörhead, Mayhem, Morrigan, Immortal, Tulus, Tsjuder, Destruction and so on… Of course another guitar would enrich our sound with more shades and blends, and it would be fine to play with one more guitar doing other harmonies in our gigs as I record them in the albums. Is hard to find the right person to join Abrahel but I’m not closed to that.
By the way if you have the chance to see us blasting on the stage I can assure you that you won’t miss a second guitar.
3. - Are you satisfied with the people response of the metal underground for the work of the band?
Yes, because underground never responds to trends and fashions of any time. That’s a work for another kind of people (they call themselves “musical journalists”) being a one more piece of a big established engine more worried to label, tag, catalogue and surf on the wave of the moment. Being paid by the big record companies just to write great reviews of some mediocre bands, and some “old glory” bands that have released some shitty albums that afterwards no one will remember or no one will listen again.
The underground is out of the business and is where Abrahel belongs and always shall be, because we’re a honest and a purist band who believes in what is doing, and will remain for the next centuries playing Black Fucking Metal and worshiping the Unholy Forces of The Underworld.
I’m so proud to say that until today we’ve had an exquisite relationship and dealings with everyone who’s been interested in the band by any radio-station, fanzine, webzine, etc. because they listened the band, they liked it and have decided (like you) to support Abrahel giving us the chance to appear in their media without any kind of financial will, because all of them (and you) do it for free with all their passion and the most of times (if not always) they have to spend a lot of money just for keep doing what they love the most like us.
The Mainstream knows that the Underground will stay forever and stronger, because if one thing it’s been good for the music that’s been the internet and the free downloads.
Why you have to pay nowadays 15-20€ for a shitty album when you can download it, listen and delete it after for free?
Do you know the high quantity of bad albums I bought some years ago when I had no internet connection, and cd’s that I have in my home that I never listen or maybe has listened once or twice?
Underground people will download your album for free, will listen it and if they like it just be sure that they’ll find the label and the distro or will contact the band to buy it and have the original copy with all the lyrics and the art.
4. - As a black metal band, I would like to know that new proposals are adding to the usual sound of the band, which makes them different from other bands of the genre?
The most significant details that make Abrahel a bit different from the other bands of the genre is that, talking about our music, we’re not a band with a strict and closed stereotyped style where all songs are sounding similar, and all have a high defined structure with a regular length of 3-5 minutes.
You can listen in our recordings all of what Black Metal is about, and talking about our lyrics you can read a conceptual story which started in our first album and it will continue on the next episodes the band will record.
Every album is an episode of that story and every song in the albums is a chapter, so you will have to listen and read Abrahel a couple of times just for getting everything that’s inside our musical concept.
5.-The band use flutes, specifically as this instrument enters the themes at the time of creating them?
I recorded a flute at the final part of “The Priests of Transition” song from our first album, and surely it will be blown again at our next because there’s a song that requires it.
It doesn’t mean that I will use it again, but if while creating a song I think is necessary I will do it with no regret.
I’m from Catalunya but all my family is from a zone in the north of Spain called Aragon, and I used to play some traditional music from there when I was young because always have loved its folklore.
I like and enjoy playing traditional instruments and at the next album I’ll play some more for sure.
6. - Ideologically the black metal has various streams and different ways of viewing the Satanism. In which way you are facing the ideology of ABRAHEL?
In our case is not only a matter of Satanism, religion, a dark hobby or a childish façade to sell a fake image of us.
We worship the Unholy Forces of the Underworld and have our own philosophy regarding to score our lives, walking through the Left Obscure and Glorious Path along these infested lands. Trying to face this holy crap called society.
We’re an apolitical band and we hate any kind of politics in music and life. And more this moment in our tainted and rotten by corruption country we have to survive in.
Of course we respect (and wanna be respected) everyone, because I think music is a strong way to express yourself and your idealisms, but Abrahel is above that all although you can read something between the lines in our texts.
7.-Being Spain along with Italy the European country with the most followers to worship Satan, having multiple orders to the worship of the goat, the members of ABRAHEL belong to any sect? If you are, which is the order and which precepts to follow?
No.
A sect (of any kind) is the operating theatre where brains are removed and replaced.
8. - Well let's talk about specifically the music and your releases. You were included in LEGION OF TCHORT #2 from Peru, a Cd-r compilation focused to the most blasphemous and darkest way of the metal underground. Thanks to this and my friend Carlos Leo who gave me this compilation I could listen to your band. There, I could check the great growth of the Spanish scene that has nothing to envy to the Nordic, This just gave me to think, apart from the Basque and Catalan bands, many of the Spanish underground bands, they are going to put aside the sound in common European black metal. Do you think there are differences between yourselves and the Nordic bands? There is a Spanish sound of black metal? Where the ABRAHEL sound is going?
That’s fine, because I have discovered lots of good bands in compilations. That’s the idea of it.
It’s been always a good scene in Spain, but now it seems to be more quantity of good and other bands, but that’s not only a Spanish merit, I think.
Nowadays people has the technology in their hands at home, and is so much easier to record music than years ago with a “pro tools”, “QBase”, “Nuendo”, etc.
Under my point of view I think there are not too many differences between the scenes of every country, because this is a global stream. And in the case of Black Metal we’re talking about something that was born in some many different places in the world more than less at the same period, which it had afterwards a great rebirth ten years after in some many different places in the world, (Not only in Scandinavia) and that’s still alive in its own “evolution”.
Fortunately we cannot talk about a “Spanish Black Metal sound”, because every band here has its own idiosyncrasy and sound. And talking about Abrahel there won’t be anything different in the future from what you can listen in our last release.
You can see an improvement from the first release, and that’s what you’ll be able to find in our future sound. Just moving closer around how we know we should sound.
9. - How was approaching between ABRAHEL and LEGION OF TCHORT? Are you satisfied with their work and promotion?
It was in a time when “MySpace” was a useful tool for promoting bands.
He was very excited and totally raved about the band. In 2009 I sent him a promo copy of our first album while touring in USA with Archgoat, and he decided to include Abrahel in his B.M. compilation #3 with the song “Morkath The Wrathman”.
Well… Maybe pleased but not satisfied.
He’s done a good work according to his possibilities but not according to his skills in my personal opinion. But anything that comes to Abrahel that can make our music, story and philosophy arrive to someone around the globe is always welcome.
10. - What advantages and disadvantages Do you see in offering your sound for the compilation CD’s?
I think is a big deal, because that’s a chance that everyone has to discover great new bands.
I’ve discovered lots of good and great ones in several compilations…
11. - I know that apart LEGION OF TCHORT released in CD-R pro printed the EP. How was the contract? How many copies he sent you and how many were sold? Are you satisfied with the promotion on this side of America?
That was an EP with some songs from our first episode full-length.
There was no contract apart from the word of a man, which I thought it would be enough coming from a good friend and a fan of Abrahel.
He sent us nothing and still don’t, and no notice about how many he has sold and distributed for promoting it.
12. - Well, let's talk about the composition of the tracks, those are built as sequences, each topic is structured to make the following as a continuation. How do you begin to build the tracks in terms of structure strictly?
Well… I don’t have a strict tightened pattern or a strong guideline.
I know what I have to tell in every moment, because I have all my concepts clear and settled from a long time ago. And the intention is composing the right music for it. Or I compose some music that it suggests me to be played in some present or future parts of my story because I find it fits remarkably well.
My usual way of working when building the tracks is creating a chaos with everything I have gathered for every chapter (Our albums are episodes of my story and they are divided in chapters working as tracks), and then I have to put all the pieces in order declining and refusing many of them, or sometimes creating some new ones to make a song sound as it should be an Abrahel song.
13. - At the time of creating, where the draws come from?
As said before I have everything in my mind from a long time ago, and mostly of all parts of my story and their concepts clear and settled, and I only have to develop them putting everything in order forming the chapters (songs) inside the different episodes (albums) just for telling the story of the Demon Abrahel.
14. - The music is direct without much atmosphere and that is something that the fans like it, for me I prefer these as well. At time of playing alive what we can see of ABRAHEL? When you are playing alive what goes through your mind when interpreting the subjects?
All you can see from us in stage is a direct and straight band playing Black Fucking Metal in all of its expressions.
A blasting powerful discharge without much paraphernalia letting our music and the atmosphere we create talk for us.
Lots of people who’ve been in our shows have told us that being only three on stage we sound as an army, and we’re really proud of it.
This is a real and serious thing for us. Our appearance means our natural character, and over the stage is where we can be what we are. So… We don’t interpret. We express ourselves.
15. - Actually the band has put out their new stuff entitled ‘Implacabilis Procella Cupiditatis" released under AZERMEDOTH RECORDS, How you signed with this record label from Mexico? Give us a brief comment about the contract terms?
In 2011 we released our “Back from The Underworld” promo made with the intention to look for a worth label to release our second episode, and while touring Mexico in that summer, we met the guy from Azermedoth Records who showed himself so raved about it.
He asked us to release the promo in professional format and we decided to improve the sound of the promo songs with a new mastering, record two new songs and creating a new art-work for his release.
In February of 2012 we sent him the master and the art, and “Implacabilis Procella Cupiditatis” finally was released in September of 2012 with a six months delay which he gave us 200 copies this year when we toured again in Mexico to present the cd.
16. - What differences will have to the previous releases? Comments us about the tracks, composition and other situations in the production, etc?
The difference is that this is not a new episode in the story of Abrahel.
We can say this is an EP (even lasting 43’:25” long) or a compilation if you want to, and was formerly a promo with and intro created for the occasion, two demo version songs from our next album, a song in Spanish called “Existencia Maldita” composed only for the promo, and a Bathory cover.
Then for the Azermedoth edition of “Implacabilis…” in professional cd we added two regular BM new songs composed for this edition as I previously explained.
The good was giving me the chance and allow myself the license to compose something out of my story, and something I really have wanted to do for a long time ago like “Existencia Maldita” and “We Are Legion”.
“Existencia Maldita” is our first song in Spanish and for sure it won’t be the last.
That’s the musicalization of four poems from “Don Héctor Escobar Gutiérrez” who’s considered the Southamerican Black Pope with a final poem from my own crop just to unify everything in a one same thing.
Everything around this song was magical in the composing and recording process, and (I don’t know the high quantity of times I’ve listened it) is a song that still now shakes me inside and gives me goose bumps when listening it.
We had the chance when touring Colombia in 2011 to meet Don Héctor and show him the song, and he was pretty astonished and excited.
This hasn’t been the first time an extreme metal band uses some of his poems or texts in a song, and he knows perfectly what a guttural, throaty and a torn voice it is…
For us was a big thing to know the man and share a great conversation taking a coffee with his huge humanity and humor sense.
We Are Legion is something I wanted to do out of my story too. A regular BM song with regular BM lyrics about what we are. A bill of principles.
17.-The internet is undoubtedly a support and help to the bands but is also killing the underground, what is your opinion about to the web zines with respect to the zines printed…?
Well… I don’t think internet is killing the underground when it’s a tool that allows you to know a lot of great bands that, in other way, you couldn’t be able to discover…
A webzine, blogspot and so on, is something fast done by someone with the intention to inform on net, and the fanzines are something warmer and physical you can collect. And next year, the other, and until the end of times you will have it in your own to read it the times you want and wherever you want, while the internet link will disappear sooner or later.
18. - Do you think we will be able to see some day ABRAHEL alive, here in South American lands?
Of course! It’s been three times in Mexico and twice in South America we’ve been blasting around.
Now we’re working on the next tour of this year, so… Be ready and prepared for the arrival of Abrahel to your city, Evilfuckers!!!
19.-Which is the next steps to the band?
Recording our next episode that it will be entitled “Black Birth”, touring everywhere we can, and continue walking our impious journey with straight head and solid footsteps as the persons and the band we are.
20.-Thanks for your time, I leave you to the final message and give their blasphemous to the South American bangers?
Thanks to you Metalbrother for giving your readers the chance to know about Abrahel, and thanks to all those South American braves who walk beside us through the left obscure and glorious path along these infested lands… WE ARE LEGION!!!
www.myspace.com/abrahelmetal
www.facebook.com/abrahelofficial
VLESDLY: ‘ HAIL LUCIFER LORD OF HELL’-CD 2011-10 TRACKS:
Not often I hear some bands Uruguay, already is in music and news. VLESDY is the 2nd band of black metal that arrived to me in years of this brother country, and I am sure that this is the more active of the Uruguayan scene by the comments I got for many friends. Truly I didn't surprise in terms of the music, which by the way on that side of the South of the continent in general the majority of bands are very influenced by the European sound and this is no exception. HAIL LUCIFER LORD OF HELL' is going in the vein of the early GORGOROTH/DARK FUNERAL, very crude and basic, without much mixture or pretensions of technique in making elaborate tracks, the mainly of tracks are speed, hardness and power. I have to say that taste much serious lie, it is a band of basic black metal without many innovations, but nor do I dislike the music. I hope a next wok that makes them to improve production and conception of best tracks……………………………………..7.1/10
Vlesdly gmail.com
www.vlesdly.com
TREITUM: ‘1936’ CD SPAIN 2011- 6 TRACKS:
Honestly this work is overwhelming for me. I must admit I am a big fan of doom metal in its purest essence and real melodies without modism or tragic or environmental testing to give this ambient of funeral. TREITUM is a band you just know but no longer see their true potential. This work is a masterpiece of classic doom metal done before by PENTAGRAM / St VITUS, with a small dose of remembers to first works of MY DYING BRIDE in the lethal dose of sadness, only that something small in that memory, because the riffs are completely inspired by rhythms from beyond the grave, very slow tempo, very little depressive, doom metal is simply in the strictest way of heaviness. The tracks are very long and extremely doom ala St VITUS, which can sometimes sound a bit monotonous but if one takes care rhythms are powerful firecrackers of death and its very different from each other. Definitely a return to the bands of the late 70's and mid 80's with a fresher sound ... great work .................................................................................7.5/10
Treitumband@gmail.com
www.discosmacarras.com
INFECTOR: ‘ANGUISH’ CD 2011-BRASIL-9 TRACKS:
Basically we are dealing with a band that respects the word DEATH METAL well played, great power that many people love in the 80's, with no additions or rare or gore grind rhythms, only DEATH METAL made in the old 80's. the band maintains that crude, dirty sound morbid art of playing guitar riffs and crushing out, perhaps because one of its members played in that great band VULCANO if not gods of South American DEATH / BLACK METAL. So infector is faithful to the sound made by the Brazilian gods. The music is fast, morbid and total power, both in riffs and vocals. The tracks are smooth and facts should be unapologetic about the fact that people are matures and they knows what they wants and gets it. A band that plays death metal and 100% pure South American way. Do you needs know more. The best thing about this work is that it includes 'FROM THE BLACK METAL BOOK' track tribute to Vulcan. GREAT WORK………………………...............7.5/10
IMPERIO NOCTURNO: ‘OPUS TEM OMP AB’-CD 2011-BOLIVIA-15 TRACKS:
For me this band was a great find, I had already heard of them when I was in house of ALVARO (Ex guitarist of NECROMANCY and SATAN FLESH) a few years ago, at that time for some beers and was drunken I does not pay attention to the music, after a few years I got the CD, which came out first on tape and has been pressed in CD format by the Bolivian label RAW BLACK CULT records giving us the pleasure of listening to this very good band and not let it into forgot it. This band was a project of two insane minds ALVARO (NECROMANCY/SATAN FLESH/HELLSMOKE) & SATANAEL (BESTIAL HOLOCAUST) and is very different from their previous bands. This is a black metal that is on the ways of depression, sometimes with soft rhythms and others go for a mid tempo black metal to reminds to done for ISENGARD. This work is more serious SOUTH AMERICAN response of this band. This work seems to be divided into two times, the first time the tracks are stronger in riffs and sometimes parts faster and other mid paced with some guitar solo's. The second part of the final tracks are full of arpeggios and depression in a slower, the vocals are not quite to my liking but that is by mixing the sound engineer, but no longer a great work. Also we have added four bonus live tracks not included in the version tape. The artwork is very good and high quality of the booklet highlighting the cartoon. good work………………………………………..7.5/10
