Interview with death metal band from France - MISGIVINGS.
Answered Stéfan Baillot (guitar), thank you!
Translated Duzl, thank you!
Questions prepared Jakub Asphyx.
Recenze/review - MISGIVINGS - Misgivings (2022):
Ave MISGIVINGS! I am listening to your new album „Misgivings“ and I have the perceptive feeling that I am at an evil black mass. You play black death metal and this is your only first full length album. Can you tell us how the new recording was made and in what direction did you want to move from the great previous demos? Did you want to be even faster, darker, more evil?
Hail Deadly storm,
Of course, our desire was to surpass our demos whether in terms of speed of execution, atmosphere but more important, the production had to be much higher than our previous recordings. And we put everything on our side to achieve it. Darker and more powerful was the main focus.
You know what hit me into the face? Sound of this new record, It's organic, rainy, the album has a black spark. Nowadays, between overwhelmed and compressed formats it is literally refreshing. This is what I think is true hell! Please tell me where and how did you recorded? How did you get that sound? How was your cooperation with Olivier Jobin?
Thanks. Today digital sound has totally polluted extreme metal! Often providing the same sound in studios that sterilize the essence and the feeling of the bands...
We recorded the drums and did the final mix with Olivier Jobin who is a longtime friend. We knew he had an old analog table and what we were looking. Then we have made the sound recordings ourselves in our homemade studio. Guitar, bass and vokills.
And finally, the mastering made by Raph Henry from Heldscalla studio who perfectly balanced this natural side remembering the glorious years of death metal that we all love.
I'm the kind of old school fan who approaches music by buying a CD and a T-shirt when he likes the album. I have to say that the motif on the cover of this year's album is really good. That's how I imagine real hell. Can you tell us how you chose the motif, who's signed and how it relates to music?
Chris “Thorncross” Moyen handled the front cover. I often collaborated with him, and I had a very precise idea... Old-fashioned black and white. And most important, elements that would correspond completely to the music! Demon, serpents, pentagram, and demonic elements. The result was up to our expectations.
When I look at your line-up, you're a band that is made up of experienced musicians. Playing in packs like RITUALIZATION, IMPUREZA. How do you create new music? What about the process of creation new material? Do you have any problems - after all, experience is sometimes an obstacle. You know - ego etc.
There is no ego between us. We are longtime friends and brothers! Humility and simplicity reign within this group. A lot of titles had been written for a long time! We rearranged them to have a much more powerful rendering. We worked a lot to deliver a pure violent and powerful death metal album.
For me, American's death metal school has always been associated with a certain darkness. When I was young, I was fascinated by references to Satanism, the filth, the rot that smelled of your bands. How do you explain that Florida is the cradle of so many great dark bands? After all, you have a pleasant climate, I would expect something more "cheerful". How did you get into this style?
We are all over 40 years old in Misgivings. The US death of the 1990s impressed us all with the quality and especially the identity of each band! The aura that emanated from this era with this surge of blasphemy and fight against religions was a real shock for many of us. Their technique was absolutely terrifying and no one could compete with such a level of dexterity... Also, we will mention South American bands such as the Brazilian scene and of course legends like Mortem and other warriors of that time.
Let stay in the past. I wonder how it was like in France in the 1990s when it comes about music. Do you like to remember that time? How did you get to music and who was your idols? What about the scene then? Please tell us....
It was a magical time! Without constraints or responsibilities. We were young and carefree and our only goal was to make music and party with our friends. We all had a similar journey starting with heavy metal with bands like Wasp, Accept or Iron maiden. And then we discovered speed, thrash and extreme metal.
In your lyrics you often mention Satanism, darkness, many of them have strictly anti-Christian themes. Of course it belongs to death metal and I like it, but I would be interested in the origin of the lyrics. How were the lyrics for the new album created? Why Satanism and the Devil?
Satanism, demonology, black magic and the eradication of humanity are essential themes in Black/death metal! It was out of the question for us to talk about politics or social issues because that doesn't interest us. Only blasphemy and the fight against religious enslavement have their place in Misgivings.
In the history of metal, many bands have been banned because they shocked, had different opinions from the majority society, and in the France, where Christians are in a strong position, you must have met this. Did you ever problems? Nowadays, in the Internet age is so easy to condemn someone immediately, just create a fake news and then destroy him.
We’ve never had any problems with our anti-religious language or our music. Today the only concerns that the bands encounter here are often social and racial because some politicized small groups confuse everything... While it is only a question of contempt for humans and their excesses.
As musicians you have been in several bands since the 90s, you are experienced composers, you have recorded many great albums. Have you had to change your approach to music in any way thanks to new technologies? Thanks to the internet the world is completely different, bands have to approach everything in a completely different way. How do you perceive these changes?
No changes. Of course, internet is an important part of promoting a band. But it is not an end, just a tool that is used today by the greatest number knowing that we come from a time when there was neither computer nor telephone. We were just spreading the word and distributing flyers.
What about MISGIVINGS and gigs? I noticed you don't get out so often. Do you like the tour over the Europe? I could imagine you alongside such POSSESSED, DEICIDE, as they come to us quite often.
We were waiting for the album release to consider things seriously in terms of gigs. No question of doing things by halves by accepting a tour too quickly. Of course playing alongside Deicide or Possessed would be an ultimate consecration!
What does death metal, black metal mean to you? How would you define it and how do you perceive these styles as an experienced musician? I do not want you to describe the technique of playing, I would rather be interested in your gaze, feelings, transmitted energy etc. Try to be a philosopher for a while.
A quiet complex question. In my opinion black and death metal must respect a certain ideology!
There are a multitude of bands that believe in nothing. Just play as fast as possible with the latest techniques acquired on youtube and the best production in sterile and overpriced studios. But the very essence of this style is to have deep beliefs in order to communicate this devastating energy. The technology doesn't matter. The blood must be boiling in your veins. Hate, anger and a total disregard for this world can lead you to the left path...
When I was a young guy and I started with metal in the 1990s, France and your scene fascinated me (I adore and admire MERCYLESS!). Actually, it still fascinates me. How does your scene, clubs, concerts, festivals work today? What about the fans? Are they buying T-shirts, CDs, and supporting bands?
There are less venues and clubs than before, but the French scene is doing well. The elders are still there as powerful as before. There weren't many of them back then! Only Massacra, Agressor, Mercyless and Loudblast were present in terms of death metal. There are plenty of quality bands with us now: Venefixion, Sepulcre, Fall of seraph and so many others. There is a real revival!
And a great support between us... French hell awaits
Thank you very much for the interview. I really appreciate you taking the time for our web-zine. I wish your whole band a lot of hell inspiration, sold out media and enthusiastic fans. Good luck in your personal life. I hope to see you live ...
Hail and Kill Deadly strom. Thanks for hellish support and hope to see you soon maniacs. AMSG
Recenze/review - MISGIVINGS - Misgivings (2022):
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