Answered THE OUTSIDE.
Translated and questions prepared by Duzl, thank you!
Hi „The Outside“ !!!
Hello and thanks for your interest and time!
The Outside was formed in Berlin in 2008. Can you clarify your background a little bit...How did you get together, because most of the members are from diferent countries,… who invented the name of the band and why did you decide to play thrash metal?
Alberto: Sergio (Sergio Klein former guitar player) and me came to Germany a couple of years earlier from Chile. We were playing together since always, school bands at first and then more serious projects. We had our band in Berlin but it didn’t work as planned hahah, and we started the search for new musicians. This city has people from everywhere, and just one metal scene. Sooner or later you start meeting metal people from different countries, that’s how we got musicians from Canada, Chile, Turkey, Israel and Germany, some stayed longer than others but it was always interesting. Roland, our singer is the only German in the band, Ishay (bass) is from Israel and since 2013 in The Outside. Actually Sergio proposed "the Outside" as name for the band. Playing thrash wasn't a conscious decision or part of a plan, it was just the music we wanted to create. Now we took another direction, i think it has more Death Metal elements and even a Doomy feeling sometimes.
Your albums have a really good reviews, where were you recording the last album named „Dawn of the Deaf“ ? Who is responsible for the sound, mastering and production? Can you get us through this album and tell us a little bit about the concept?
Roland: To be honest, we just had one thing in mind - we were angry, and we wanted to bring that into the music. If that's an album concept already, so that it is: Make the music darker and more aggressive. As far as the topics of the lyrics are concerned, these developed while we were composing the songs. Then we recorded the drums with Lasse Lammert near Hamburg and the other tracks in different studios in Berlin. Then it was all mixed by Igor Leiva from the South American Doom band Poema Arcanus in his Atomic Noise studios in Santiago de Chile, and mastered by our own Ishay Sommer in Berlin who gave his final touch on the sound.
Who is the author of the lyrics and where did you take inspiration? Your text are about social issues … it’s just because is modern play a thrash metal with these lyrics or do you talk about something what you are personally dealt with as corruption, religion…You touch this themes for almost 10 years, do you think that something was changed?
Roland: There are countless reasons why people and why we are angry about others abusing their power. We think it is important to express that we're not giving in, that everyone is vigilant and conscious about these things. We are an international band from three continents, and guess what? We all see the same shit going on, wherever each one of us comes from! It makes no sense for us to sing about maids and dragons, when people are killed or lives are destroyed just for money or ridiculous religious beliefs. I work actually as a journalist, often covering international politics. So just imagine you would have to deal and dive into this shit all the time - you need a valve for all that. The album title "Dawn of the Deaf" criticizes the indifference to these things.
Why did you choose „Metropolitan Edge Records“ for the release your CD? You released both album with them, means it that you are really satisfied with their work?
Roland: Oh, so obviously our disguise works pretty well, as Metropolitan Edge are ourselves! Well, it was a good way to keep as much control over our music and other content while not staying away from the traditional physical market. We are selling a significant part at our concerts, but for both albums we also worked together with a second label to help us distribute the music.
After releasing demo, there was your debut album named same as your band “The Outside“ Can you tell me something about that record? How was it recording this record and did you have any particular aims when you went into the writing and creating process?
All the songs of that album were written for the band we had before The Outside, that made the process a little harder at the beginning, because we had to adapt the new needs and taste of everyone. At the end I think that helped us to know each other better, but i'm personally not that happy with the end result, however it was the best we could do at that time. We wanted to play live, and get shows in different places, and for that purpose the album worked very good.
Last change of line-up is on guitar post when Ricardo in July join to THE OUTSIDE, why does this change and how is working cooperation, because as I know Ricardo actually live in Prague.
Alberto: Exactly, in 2016 Sergio left the band, luckily at that point I knew that Ricardo was coming to Europe (we knew him because we did a tour together with his old band Timecode) and that was the chance to rebuild the band with the new musical concept I had in mind, less melodic, more direct and darker. Since Prague is not really far away from Berlin, we decided to give it a try and see if it works, luckily it works good for us hahah
A special question for Ricardo… how do you like Czech Republic, why did you move to Prague and do you already know some Czech metal bands?
Ricardo: Czech Republic is such a beautiful country. I have had the opportunity to visit some places and cities since I came for the first time in 2014. I had never imagined that visiting Prague could make such an impact on me and make me decide to move here after a second visit one year after. Last year I saw Master’s Hammer in Brutal Assault. I also know Gutalax and Citron.
You are definitely inspired by thrash metal, which bands do you consider a most important in thrash metal history of this genre?
Alberto: The first two albums without a doubt! For us Slayer, Metallica and Megadeth were massives sources of inspiration in our early years as musicians and metal fans, bands like Nevermore and Testament played a big role in our past sound as well.
How often do you meet in the rehearsal room? Who is the main composer and how is the creative process of composing new material? Do you share ideas over the internet or do you sit down together in a "garage" where you think of everything?
Alberto: Sadly less than we would like to. We don't have a normal band "relationship" rehearsing one or two times a week, but with the possibilities of the Internet we can work through recordings and we meet when we have some material ready to play. Me and Ricardo are the ones to blame for the riffs and current direction of the music, Roland makes his vocal parts and the lyrics and Ishay his bass lines, but everyone has an opinion and we work everything together.
What does it mean for you to perform your songs live?
Roland: We enjoy playing live more than anything else. There is no feeling like being on stage and playing your own songs. No clue why, but it seems to be a different kind of adrenaline which puts you into a tunnel.
Ishay: That’s the meaning of life as far as I am concerned.
I assume that you are also listeners of music. Your band has a bandcamp, are you supporters of various streaming services, or do you prefer physical medium? Do you collect CDs, vinyls, tapes etc.? What's your most valuable (don‘t mean financial value) album in your collections
Roland: Of course! We are different in that respect, some use streaming, but all of us also have a certain collection of CDs. I have a shitload of vinyl, too. I might have the most valuable record somewhere, but i don't tell the others which one is it! But among others, a Hail of Bullets self-released vinyl before they were signed, an original "Resisting Success" disc by Hades and some weird unofficial "No Life 'til Power" vinyl, containing two Metallica demos with Dave Mustaine.
What are your opinions about new wave of thrash metal?
Ishay: Actually I am quite surprised that I am back to listening to Thrash in the last few years. My romance with Thrash was mostly in the 90’s and starting at the early 2000’s I wasn’t listening to Thrash anymore. I am finding the new wave of Thrash pretty good! It seems in a way that it is still the same old style but with a feeling with something new and different. I particularly enjoy the new Testament albums as well as the latest Death Angel and the British Anihilated, which we toured with in 2015.
Can you tell me what to expect from THE OUTSIDE in the Future? Some plans and visions? When are you coming to play to the Czech Republic again?
Ishay: These days we are working on recording our third album, which takes the band to a whole different music direction. The plan afterwards is of course to release the album and support it with a EU tour. The Czech Republic is definitely on the list! Our last show with Sergio was in a festival in Ostrava in June 2016 and we had a blast there. As far as metal crowds go - the Czechs are the best!
Thank you for your time and answers! I wish you a lot of success in the metal scene at home and abroad, hope to see you soon somewhere on the stage and the last words are yours guys…
Thank you very much! We hope to play anytime soon in the Czech Republic when the new album comes out!
