DEATH, THRASH, BLACK, HEAVY, DOOM AND ROCK METAL ZINE

- REVIEWS, REPORTS, INTERVIEWS - SUPPORT METAL UNDERGROUND

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úterý 3. února 2026

A few questions - interview with death metal band from Italy - MASS STRANGULATION.


A few questions - interview with death metal band from Italy - MASS STRANGULATION.

Answered Roberto (bass), thank you!

Ave, can you introduce your band to our readers? – When was it founded and what style of music do you play etc.?

(Roberto) Hello, and thank you for this interview!

Mass Strangulation was formed in 2007 in Campobasso, southern Italy. From the outset, our intention was to compose original songs inspired by the legendary European death metal scene of the early 1990s. After putting together five tracks and just as we were about to record them, the guitarist and drummer at the time left us, leaving me and Francesco with a handful of songs and nothing else, so we mothballed the band.

In 2022, over a few beers, we decided to revive the group, and immediately contacted Marco and Jacopo on guitars and Pino on drums. We began composing new songs, completely discarding those from 15 years earlier, and after choosing three, we recorded and released them as an EP, “The Red Tip Massacre”, our official debut.


Where and under what conditions were you recording the new album? Who was in charge of sound, production and mastering?

(Roberto) ‘The Red Tip Massacre’ had a somewhat complicated gestation. The drums were recorded at Landscape Studio by Gianluca Vergalito, the guitars and bass were recorded at Samnite Studio by Marco Alfieri, our guitarist, while the vocals were recorded, also at Samnite Studio, by Giuseppe, the singer of Sakahiter, in which Marco, Pino and I also play. When everything was ready, we entrusted it to the skilled hands of Stefano Morabito, mastermind of 16th Cellar Studio in Rome, who took care of the mixing and mastering.

How many copies were released and which medium was used for this new edition (CD, digital, vinyl, cassette)?

(Roberto) The EP was released on CD and tape, in a very limited edition! To be honest, I can't tell you exactly how many copies Sign Of Evil Production printed, simply because its owner, immediately after sending us the CDs and tapes, just... disappeared! We haven't heard from him since, so we have no idea how many copies he put on the market, let alone how many he sold…


Who is the author of the lyrics and how were they created and about what do the lyrics deal with?

(Roberto) We don't like things to be conventional, so I can tell you, without any problems or embarrassment, that we don't write the lyrics, but Valeria, who is Francesco's partner, our singer.

You may wonder why we made this choice... Well, it's easy to explain... While we were busy composing songs in the rehearsal room, one day she came up with three lyrics that simply left us speechless, so we decided that from then on she would take care of them. She is also a psychologist, so she is able to tackle the themes we deal with from three very particular points of view: that of someone who is passionate about the issues analysed, that of a woman and that of a doctor.

The themes deal with serial killers and brutal murders, with one peculiarity: they are all Italian murderers! We wanted to distinguish ourselves a little from the usual themes addressed by death metal bands, while remaining in a similar field that would go well with the sound of our songs, and here we are...

Who created the logo of the band, and who took care of the graphics and the website? What about you and social networks? Do you consider these things important?

(Roberto) The logo is the work of Roberto Toderico, a dear friend of mine, whom many will surely know as the creator of numerous logos and covers for bands of a certain calibre such as Asphix, Sodom, Artillery, Pestilence, Severe Torture, as well as artwork for festivals such as Party.San.

The cover, on the other hand, features a drawing by Mario Uggeri, an old Italian illustrator, depicting the Circeo massacre carried out by Angelo Izzo, who is also the protagonist of the story told in the EP's title track.

The rest of the CD artwork is my work, while the website is still under construction.

Being an old man, I literally hate social networks, but luckily Marco and Jacopo are younger and take care of them. I realise how important they can be nowadays, even though I consider them absolutely ephemeral compared to the old means of communication such as magazines, fanzines, radio, etc., and that is exactly why I cannot tolerate the fact that today, instead of moving forward on the basis of their real value and the effort they put into composing and promoting their music with live performances, bands have to worry about constantly posting content on social media to make people aware of their existence. It's a stupid way to approach music, and it's a product of the stupidity of today's times, as well as, in my humble opinion, the antithesis of the original philosophy and lifestyle of metal...


Which label did you choose for releasing your album and why this label? Are you satisfied by how your label represents you and takés care about you?

(Roberto) As I mentioned earlier, ‘The Red Tip Massacre’ was released in February 2025 by Sign Of Evil Productions, a small Polish label that mainly deals with extreme underground metal. It was Viktor, the owner, who contacted us immediately after we uploaded our EP to the main streaming platforms, waiting for a label interested in releasing it. At first, we enthusiastically accepted his proposal for two reasons: we had an important live show in Rome supporting Cancer coming up, so we were in a bit of a hurry to release the EP, and also because he seemed like a very active and proactive guy, so much so that from the very first contacts we were also talking about possible dates in Poland to promote the CD. Unfortunately, as I mentioned before, after sending us the material, he disappeared, and we still have no contact with him, so I can already tell you that we will definitely be looking for a new label for the release of the full album…

Which bands do you idolise and where do you get your inspiration?

(Roberto) If you've had a chance to listen to the three tracks on the EP, you'll have noticed that our main inspiration comes from the Swedish death metal scene, so leading names such as Entombed, Dismember and Unleashed, without forgetting other European bands such as Bolt Thrower, or a few American bands, although the latter influence is undoubtedly less significant than the others…


Did you send your record to some Labels - which are the labels? How was the response?

(Roberto) As already mentioned, everything was done very quickly, so as far as the EP is concerned, the only real contact we had was with Sing Of Evil Production. We will definitely be sending out some promos soon to start looking around in anticipation of the first full album, which we would like to release by the end of 2026.

How many gigs have you played? Which type of gigs do you prefer, whether it's (clubs or festivals) and which of your performances would you consider as the best?

(Roberto) I'll tell you that despite the long break from 2007 to 2022, and despite only having one EP to our credit, since we got back into action we've been asked to play around here in southern Italy, and at the moment we've already played a good number of live shows, many of them with bands of old friends who are also active in the underground scene, such as Taxidermia or Mauled, just to name a couple.

Personally, I like both situations. I like small live clubs because the performance takes on a wilder form, with people pogoing on top of you, while I like festivals because they are generally better organised, the stages are bigger, you meet people, you see old friends again...

Of the dates we've played so far, the one supporting Cancer in Rome is definitely the one that left us with the best memories, both because of the calibre of John Walker's band and because there were so many people there, they were moshing like crazy under the stage and we had a really great time...

What about your plans for the future? What do you want to achieve with the band?

(Roberto) We are currently working on the full-length album. We have five complete tracks and a series of riffs that will make up the remaining three, after which we will begin pre-production and plan to start recording in late summer, so that we can release the album by the end of the year, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

What we want right now is to play as much as possible, because live performances are what we do best, as confirmed by the feedback and compliments we have received.

On stage, we are able to unleash our wildest side...

How and where can your fans contact you? Can you provide some contact information?

(Roberto) Despite myself, we are on all the major social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, and on digital platforms such as Spotify and Bandcamp, but I prefer people to stop and talk to us before and after our live shows. Face-to-face contact is always the best way to communicate...

Thanx for the interview.

(Roberto) Thank you for giving us this space and greetings to your readers. If we happen to be in your area, come and say hello and rock out in front of the stage during our performance, you won't regret it!





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středa 21. ledna 2026

A few questions - inteview with death metal band from France - CRYOXYD.


A few questions -  inteview with death metal band from France - CRYOXYD.

Answered Eron (Guitars, Vocals, Synths), thank you! 

Ave, can you introduce your band to our readers? – When was it founded and what style of music do you play etc.?

Hello, I formed Cryoxyd (Eron) from the ashes of my former band „In Memory Of…“ around 2000, I think. At the time, we released two demos between 2003 and 2006, but the band split not long after I moved to Paris, mainly because—oddly enough—I couldn’t find a drummer.

It has to be said that the style back then was a bit more unusual: a mix of death metal, industrial elements, and overly elaborate song structures. I publicly put the project on hold. I then composed the album on my own between 2006 and 2008, before reviving the band around 2019. It went on hiatus again during the Covid period, and afterward I ran into lineup issues.

Today, the style is definitively rooted in 90s Tampa Bay–style death metal.


Where and under what conditions were you recording the new album? Who was in charge of sound, production and mastering?

We recorded the album at home, each of us in our own space, as it was originally meant to be a studio project—my project—and I neither had the financial means nor the intention to record it in a professional studio.

The mixing and mastering were handled by Kristian Ogir at Everloud Studios in Denmark, and I’m very satisfied with the result.

How many copies were released and which medium was used for this new edition (CD, digital, vinyl, cassette)?

For now, Dolorem Records has only released 400 CDs. We don’t yet have the financial means to press vinyl, but we’ll be opening pre-orders soon. I don’t think there will be a cassette release, as I admit it raises a kind of ecological dilemma for me. That said, I’m not even sure what pollutes more in the end—physical formats or digital.

Of course, the album is available on all streaming platforms.


Who is the author of the lyrics, how were they created, and what do they deal with?

The lyrics were written by me.
They broadly deal with humanity and society, touching on subjects meant to provoke reflection without being overtly philosophical. Beliefs are also addressed, as well as introspection, all set against a fundamentally misanthropic backdrop.

Who created the logo of the band, and who took care of the graphics and the website? What about you and social networks? Do you consider these things important?

I created the logo myself, and a friend of mine, Kevirus, handled the cover artwork, while the layout was done by David Fakrikian.

At the moment, we don’t have a website yet, but we’ll be working on that soon. As for social media, to be honest, I’m not very comfortable with it and I don’t particularly like it, but nowadays everything goes through social platforms, so there’s really no choice.

There’s also an ecological dilemma involved, because during a promotion period you inevitably overuse social media—posting constantly, reels, stories in every direction—and you start wondering whether it’s really useful compared to the pollution it generates. It’s a real issue.


Which label did you choose for releasing your album and why this label? Are you satisfied by how your label represents you and takés care about you?

Dolorem Records was the best option among those who showed interest in this album.

I used to hang out on Sunday afternoons at a small nightclub/concert venue in Paris called Le Klub, where I discovered several bands whose albums I immediately bought—albums that were released through Dolorem Records.

I also had friends on the label who spoke very highly of them; I’m thinking in particular of Infern and Misgivings. Alex, the head of the label, does a solid job with promotion, and above all he’s someone who is genuinely passionate about the underground scene.

Which bands do you idolise and where do you get your inspiration?

Obviously, all late-80s and 90s death metal bands, but more specifically from the Florida scene, even though there are also some European influences. That said, I think Cryoxyd’s style clearly fits within the 1990s Tampa, Florida wave.

My favorite band is, of course, Death, but also Mercyless, Pestilence, Monstrosity, Brutality, Nocturnus, and Morbid Angel—these are, I think, the influences that come through the most on this album.


Did you send your record to some Labels - which are the labels? How was the response?

Obviously, I first sent the album to the bigger labels—some replied, others didn’t. I reached out to all the well-known labels, both larger and mid-sized, but not so much to smaller ones, because I was already thinking about Dolorem Records for that category. To me, they seemed like the best option based on what I knew, and above all, I really like the bands signed to the label, which is naturally a mark of quality in my eyes.

I did receive very encouraging feedback from an American label, but they didn’t want to commit to a debut album yet. They advised me to first build and develop the project with the first release, and potentially consider working together on a second album if the project proves to be sufficiently established.

How many gigs have you played? Which type of gigs do you prefer, whether it's (clubs or festivals) and which of your performances would you consider as the best?

For the moment, we haven’t played live yet.
Our first show will take place on March 28th in Nantes, and we’ll most likely play another show the day before on the Paris–Nantes route. That said, we really need to find a proper deal with a booking agent, because I don’t want to exhaust the band by playing tiny, poorly structured shows.

We all have a solid musical background. For instance, Greg on drums plays or has played in several bands such as Deathcode Society on Osmose Productions, Glaciation on the same label, and Ufych on Holy Records. Jeff previously played in an Iron Maiden tribute band alongside Denis Stratton himself, guitarist on Iron Maiden’s self-titled debut album. As for me, I played in a punk band, Metal Urbain, with whom I toured internationally and recorded an album in San Francisco with Jello Biafra, former singer of Dead Kennedys.

We’re not newcomers to music, and as a result, we won’t accept just any conditions.


What about your plans for the future? What do you want to achieve with the band?

Obviously, we want to tour as much as possible and overthrow Metallica!

How and where can your fans contact you? Can you provide some contact information?

I don’t even know if we already have any fans, haha.

Well, they can contact us directly through social media messaging—it’s always a pleasure to reply!

Thank you for this interview.

Thanx for the interview.

pondělí 19. ledna 2026

A few questions - interview with death metal band from Chile - UNCHURCH.


A few questions - interview with death metal band from Chile - UNCHURCH.

Ave, can you introduce your band to our readers? – When was it founded and what style of music do you play etc.?

Ave for you as well.

We started playing together in 2022, after deciding to form a band. Since the three of us had good experiences playing together in previous bands, we got in touch, and our first sessions began in December of that year. From the start, we naturally gravitated towards playing classic death metal, almost unconsciously, always using and developing diverse playing techniques. These techniques gave us our own unique language, allowing us to gradually shape our style and find the path we wanted to follow.

Where and under what conditions were you recording the new album? Who was in charge of sound, production and mastering?

We recorded our current LP mostly at our guitarist Rod's GSR Studios, while the drums were recorded at Nihil Studios, both in Santiago, Chile. Rod also handled the mixing and mastering. We didn't use triggers on the drums, nor samplers; the guitars were recorded with a real amplifier, a Peavey 5150II, and a BOSS SD1 pedal. We always strive to make everything sound as organic as possible.


How many copies were released and which medium was used for this new edition (CD, digital, vinyl, cassette)?

By now, our LP has been released digitally through various platforms, including Bandcamp, YouTube, and Spotify. It has also been released in two physical formats: CDs and cassettes. The cassettes were pressed in a limited run of 50 copies in Chile by Proglótida Grávida, while the CD was pressed in a limited run of 300 copies by the Mexican label Chaos Records. A vinyl edition and a cassette edition are also planned for release by the same label, with both expected around mid-2026.

Who is the author of the lyrics and how were they created and about what do the lyrics deal with?

The lyrics are written by Rod and Cram, and address various themes related to existence and our vision of the universe, particularly the refutation of Christianity and its fallacies, as well as all forms of human weakness from a metaphorical point of view, which translates into a strong critique of harboring religious beliefs, adhering to churches and hiding behind them, instead of cultivating oneself individually and properly through knowledge and the search for the greatest personal mental and physical strength.


Who created the logo of the band, and who took care of the graphics and the website? What about you and social networks? Do you consider these things important?

The logo was created through a collaborative effort between Cram, who made the initial sketch; designer and tattoo artist Adrian Bascur, who digitized and refined it; and Rod, who made the final adjustments.

Regarding social media, we consider it a useful tool for promoting and reaching our music. It also allows us to stay in touch with other producers and people in the industry interested in our art.

Which label did you choose for releasing your album and why this label? Are you satisfied by how your label represents you and takés care about you?

The label responsible for releasing our LP on CD was Chaos Records in Mexico, who have widely distributed our work through various websites and zines dedicated to extreme metal. While we've had some setbacks in receiving our CD copies in Chile, we hope to continue improving and growing in these areas. In Chile, the label Proglótida Grávida released a cassette edition, which has become quite popular, and thanks to the work of this Chilean label, we've also been able to reach various metal-focused sites like ours.


Which bands do you idolise and where do you get your inspiration?

Our undeniable influences include Morbid Angel, Deicide, Death, and other death metal classics. However, the three of us also listen to other musical styles outside of metal, such as classical music, classic rock, and other influences that shape how we make our music.

Did you send your record to some Labels - which are the labels? How was the response?

Yes, we sent proposals to various labels around the world, many of whom expressed immediate and strong interest in releasing our LP. Some others also expressed their appreciation for our work but couldn't take on the project right away due to time constraints. Ultimately, we chose the option that seemed best to us: Chaos Records.


How many gigs have you played? Which type of gigs do you prefer, whether it's (clubs or festivals) and which of your performances would you consider as the best?

For now, we play at various venues that invite us, where we evaluate the technical and identity aspects of the event, but we don't discriminate between venues and festivals. We really enjoy playing live, so we're always open to offers.

What about your plans for the future? What do you want to achieve with the band?

Our goals are to continue playing devastating death metal, composing and creating new works, playing live, and continuing to project our message of death musically with the band.

How and where can your fans contact you? Can you provide some contact information?

Our email address is unchurchmetal@gmail.com, we also have accounts on Instagram and Facebook, as well as a YouTube channel, through which people contact us.

Thanx for the interview.





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neděle 18. ledna 2026

A few questions - interview with thrash metal band from United States - BURNING DEATH.


A few questions - interview with thrash metal band from United States - BURNING DEATH.

Answered Ethan Rock (guitar/vocals), thank you!

Ave, can you introduce your band to our readers? – When was it founded and what style of music do you play etc.?

Hello! We are Burning Death from Nashville, Tennessee in the United States. We formed originally in the fall/winter of 2021 as a side project by Act of Impalement members Ethan Rock on guitar/vocals and Jerry Garner on guitar. Since have acquired Gore (2021) on drums/some vocals, and JW (2025) on bass. We play thrash metal in the vein of the old gods of early Slayer, the 80s German scene, various South American outfits, and Sabbat (Japan)

Where and under what conditions were you recording the new album? Who was in charge of sound, production and mastering?

Same as the Act of Impalement recordings, in the same studio no less, the tracks are mostly live recordings with the odd correction here and there and overdubbed solos/vocals. Shibby, the producer and who mixed the album, I've worked with for over a decade so the process wasn't too stressful. Dead Air Studios mastered the album.


How many copies were released and which medium was used for this new edition (CD, digital, vinyl, cassette)?

Right now all that's out there are 300 CDs and of course digital. More formats may come later but we will see how things play out for now.

Who is the author of the lyrics and how were they created and about what do the lyrics deal with?

All of the lyrics are written by me (Ethan). For the core of most of the lyrics I was inspired by historical or hypothetical scenarios (like nuclear war) of mass violence/death, a dose of nihilism, and the lyrics of the musical influences above. Not trying to be much of a philosopher for this release, mostly alcohol fueled madness and ecstatic anti-christian zeal.

Who created the logo of the band, and who took care of the graphics and the website? What about you and social networks? Do you consider these things important?

The logo design was brainstormed by Jerry and myself and actually drawn by Diablo Macabre who does art for the Hell's Heroes fest for a point of reference. The album art was based off of a horrible drawing I made and recreated by Nether Temple Design. No website so far but I do consider social networks important to a degree. I'm not particularly a fan of social networks but for general promoting it's pretty invaluable for its potential reach.


Which label did you choose for releasing your album and why this label? Are you satisfied by how your label represents you and takés care about you?

We went with Caligari Records who also takes care of Act of Impalement. The owner and I have always had an easy time working together. He has good PR connections as well to spread the word. Honestly the release has done better than I expected with no prior releases so I'd say Caligari has done a great job!

Which bands do you idolise and where do you get your inspiration?

I think the most obvious is Slayer especially Hell Awaits and before. Other than that Destruction, Sodom, Deathhammer, Nekromantheon, Sabbat, Sacrifice, Bathory, Force of Darkness, and the like. A lot of what got us into metal in the first place.

Did you send your record to some Labels - which are the labels? How was the response?

Caligari has sent it around to various labels and distros so far. Headsplit I believe, SA Records in Japan as well as another out there, and a distro in Germany (actually don't know which) as far as I know so far. Other than a significant portion being requested in Japan and Germany I don't know the response presently.


How many gigs have you played? Which type of gigs do you prefer, whether it's (clubs or festivals) and which of your performances would you consider as the best?

We haven't played many actually, probably less than 10 though we do plan to play more. Festivals would be cool but generally I prefer club gigs. The gig we played last Friday (January 9th, 2026) was definitely my favorite so far with our brothers in arms Process of Suffocation (Memphis, Tennessee) and fellow local thrash Savage Attack.

What about your plans for the future? What do you want to achieve with the band?

We have another gig later this month in a town about an hour and a half away but other than that writing new material and playing more gigs out of town like maybe New Orleans, Chicago, or perhaps out in Texas. Generally, the main goal is just create the most aggressive and evil (AS IT FUCKING SHOULD BE) thrash we possibly can.

How and where can your fans contact you? Can you provide some contact information?

You can find us on Facebook (Burning Death) and Instagram (burningdeath666) or email at burningdeath616@gmail.com

Thanx for the interview.

Thank you! Cheers!

sobota 17. ledna 2026

Interview - UNDERSAVE - Dark, raw, and cold dissonant death metal with a taste of rotten blood!


Interview with death metal band from Portugal - UNDERSAVE.

Answered Nuno Braz (vocals, guitars), thank you!

Recenze/review - UNDERSAVE - Merged In Abstract Perdition (2025):

Ave UNDERSAVE! Greetings to the Portuguese underground. I hope everything is going well for you. It should be, since you have released the third great album of your career this year. I must admit that it literally pinned me to the wall. It's dark, energetic, and cuts like a sharp knife. It's very clear that you've done a great job and that you have a lot of talent. How do you perceive the new album in relation to your previous works? Where did you want to go with it, and how do you think the recordings are different?

Hi Jakub and Deadly Storm Zine!! Thanks for the interview! This album can be seen as a natural evolution/regression of previous works. Not better, just different. Six years have passed since the release of Sadistic Iterations... Tales of Mental Rearrangement, and everything was composed afterward, it’s something natural; We don't strive to do something different, but we also don't want to repeat ideas that have already been used.

Regarding the recording, it was quite different. It was a much longer process, and we chose a new person to do the mixing and mastering of the album – Diogo Santana – Noise Portrait Recordings! Paulo Vieira had recorded the previous two albums, but for this one we decided to change!


"Merged In Abstract Perdition" has all the attributes of good death metal. For me personally, it's an album I love to come back to. How did it come about? How does UNDERSAVE compose new material?

It all starts with riffs. Basically, we start with some good riffs created at home to begin a song, and then in the rehearsal room, with the help of a few beers, we start developing ideas. The creative process is what attracts us most in Undersave. We need to test, record and listen, do and undo, and undo again until someone is satisfied.

Who is responsible for the sound? I have to admit that the sound is literally killer. It keeps making me turn up the volume on my hi-fi system. You have a sound that is cruel, raw, and at the same time dark and animalistic, almost analog. How did you work with it in the studio? Where did you record and how did everything go?

Diogo Santana! He's a long-time friend who has followed us since our first album. He's done excellent work with other bands, so we decided to record with him. Furthermore, we share a vision with him of how we like Death Metal.

Regarding the recording, the guitars, bass, and vocals were recorded by us in our rehearsal room, and the drums were recorded in the studio with him. Then the mixing and mastering was done at his studio, Noise Portrait Studio.

We try to avoid the compressed, undynamic sound that characterizes modern Death Metal. We've received good reviews of our sound, as you mentioned.


An integral part and a kind of bonus for fans today is the music CD (cassette, vinyl). You released it on Transcending Obscurity Records and it has interesting, dark cover art. Who is the author? How did you choose the motif and how does it relate to the music on the new album?

This is a painting by Nuno Zuki from Belial Necroarts. He has been doing very good paintings in various styles, so we were already paying attention to his work. As soon as he published the painting that would become our cover, we immediately decided to contact him.

The cover fits to us, seems to exude the feelings of our music - Despair, Anxiety and Perdition. This cover has received very good feedback.

I've been wandering around the underworld for over thirty years, and I go to Portugal for music because I know I'll find something good there. I think we have a similar nature and taste when it comes to metal. I really like your bands and follow your scene closely. Maybe I'm even a little jealous of you, because we only have a few death metal bands that are worth listening to. How do you explain the fact that death/black doom metal is so successful in your country? How do you perceive your scene, fans, and labels?

Portugal is a country with many good bands, but I don't think metal is successful in Portugal!

Maybe because we are far from the center of Europe, many bands never gain recognition and mature, and the bands break up after a few years. Another thing that doesn't help is that we are not a particularly rich country, so bands end up losing motivation. In the underground Black Metal scene, we have quite a few good bands! Regarding Death Metal/Grindcore, we have good examples like Holocausto Canibal, Grog, Bleeding Display, Dead Meat, and more recently Phenocryst, Tvmvlo, Pestifer, and Resurge!

Regarding Labels, we have some pretty good ones – Vomit Your Shirt, Larvae, Caverna Abismal, Helldprod Records, Selvajaria Records, Miasma etc.


You play old-school-influenced death metal, but at the same time, you are progressive in a way. Nowadays, bands can't avoid comparisons, but I'd be interested to know how the idea to form UNDERSAVE came about, who your role models were and are, and where you want to take your band. Are you attracted to big international festivals, are you willing to go on tour with a more famous band?

When we started the band, we were three cousins ​​discovering Heavy Metal and beginning to learn to play instruments. We were around 13 years old, so our tastes at the time, when Nu Metal was booming, were quite questionable. But our main influences at the time were Sepultura, Slayer, and Pantera. The idea was to do a Thrash/Death Metal band, but something went wrong.

Our main goal as a band is to make music that puts us alongside the bands we worship. But this is a process of disillusionment because, since we haven't been able to achieve that, we must try again.

Yes we would like to do a proper tour someday. We are attracted to Underground Festivals! For booking us – undersave@gmail.com

When I started my website eight years ago, I had a vision that I would try to support bands that I thought weren't so visible. To let the world know about them. I think I'm doing pretty well, at least according to the feedback. How do you approach promotion? Do you leave it to the label, or do you send CDs out for reviews yourself? For example, I buy albums that I really enjoy. How about you? Are you also fans who like to support your colleagues often? Do you go to concerts? Do you party?

It's so important that there are people with your vision! Some of my favorite bands are quite unknown, and without promotion like yours, I probably wouldn't know them.

We did some promotion for our album, but between rehearsals, composing music, and concerts, we ended up having little time on the release date to promote it.

About the concerts, yes, I go to a lot and spend also lots of money on CDs, vinyl records, and beer! I really value the physical format!


On the one hand, a band starting out today has lots of opportunities to make itself known, but on the other hand, there are so many bands that fans get lost in the crowd. Lots of people just download MP3s from the internet and instead of going to concerts, they prefer to spit venom on Facebook. How does modern technology influence you as UNDERSAVE? What do you think about downloading music, Google metalheads, streaming music, etc.?

In my opinion, everyone should listen to music from whatever source they want, but bands should receive fair royalties from legal streaming.

The strangest thing is that so much promotion should guarantee venues with larger audience and more underground concerts... but it doesn't.

I like to ask musicians what death metal means to them. How would they define it, is it more of a philosophy and lifestyle for them or "just" relaxation. What does it mean to you? How do you perceive and experience it?

I wouldn't just say Death Metal, but Metal in general. By the way, I'm listening to Bulldozer's “The Day of Wrath” right now, great album!

I'd say metal is a philosophy and a lifestyle, because some of our life decisions are related to it! And you can draw similar conclusions when you analyze a group of people devoted to metal.


Finally, a classic but important question. What does UNDERSAVE have planned for the coming months? Where can we see you in concert? If you have something on your mind and would like to say it to your fans, labels, promoters, here's your chance.

We have some concerts scheduled for the coming months in Porto, Barroselas Metal Fest, and Lisbon! And we're trying to organize some dates to promote the album outside of Portugal.

Thank you all for your support! Come to the concerts and buy us drinks!

Thank you very much for the interview. I wish you every success with your new album and hope your fan base grows as much as possible. I look forward to seeing you live somewhere and wish you all the best, both musically and personally. I'm going to listen to "Merged In Abstract Perdition" again!

Thanks Jakub! Cheers

Recenze/review - UNDERSAVE - Merged In Abstract Perdition (2025):



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Rozhovor - UNDERSAVE - Temný, syrový a chladný disonantní death metal s příchutí zkažené krve!


Rozhovor s death metalovou skupinou z Portugalska - UNDERSAVE.

Odpovídal Nuno Braz (zpěv, kytara), děkujeme!

Recenze/review - UNDERSAVE - Merged In Abstract Perdition (2025):

Ave UNDERSAVE! Zdravím do portugalského undergroundu. Doufám, že je u vás vše v pořádku. Mělo by, máte na kontě letos třetí dlouhohrající skvělé album své kariéry. Musím se přiznat, že mě doslova přikovalo na zeď. Je temné, energické, řeže ostrou hranou nože. Je hodně slyšet, že jste odvedli skvělou práci a taky velká porce talentu. Jak vnímáš novou desku v souvislosti s předchozími počiny? Kam jak jste se chtěli posunout a v čem jsou podle tebe nahrávky odlišné?

Ahoj Jakube a Deadly Storm Zine!! Díky za rozhovor! Toto album lze vnímat jako přirozený vývoj/regresi předchozích děl. Není lepší, jen jiné. Od vydání Sadistic Iterations... Tales of Mental Rearrangement uplynulo šest let a vše bylo složeno až poté, což je přirozené; nesnažíme se dělat něco jiného, ale také nechceme opakovat nápady, které již byly použity.

Co se týče nahrávání, bylo to docela jiné. Byl to mnohem delší proces a vybrali jsme si novou osobu, která se postarala o mix a mastering alba – Diogo Santana – Noise Portrait Recordings! Paulo Vieira nahrál předchozí dvě alba, ale pro toto jsme se rozhodli pro změnu!


„Merged In Abstract Perdition“ v sobě obsahuje všechny atributy dobrého death metalu. Pro mě osobně se jedná o desku, ke které se hrozně rád vracím. Jakým způsobem vznikala? Jak skládají nový materiál UNDERSAVE?

Všechno začíná riffy. V zásadě začínáme s několika dobrými riffy, které jsme vytvořili doma, abychom mohli začít skládat písničku, a pak v zkušebně, s pomocí několika piv, začneme rozvíjet nápady. Tvůrčí proces je to, co nás na Undersave přitahuje nejvíc. Musíme zkoušet, nahrávat a poslouchat, dělat a rušit, a rušit znovu, dokud není někdo spokojený.

Kdo je podepsán pod zvukem? Musím potvrdit, že zvuk doslova zabíjí. Pořád mě to nutí na hi-fi věži přidávat volume. Máte zvuk, který je krutý, surový a zároveň temný a živočišný, působí až analogově. Jak se vám s ním spolupracovalo ve studiu? Kde jste nahrávali a jak vše probíhalo?

Diogo Santana! Je to náš dlouholetý přítel, který nás sleduje už od našeho prvního alba. Odvedl skvělou práci s jinými kapelami, takže jsme se rozhodli nahrávat s ním. Navíc s ním sdílíme stejnou vizi toho, jak má vypadat death metal.

Co se týče nahrávání, kytary, basu a vokály jsme nahráli sami v naší zkušebně a bicí jsme nahráli ve studiu s ním. Mix a mastering pak proběhl v jeho studiu Noise Portrait Studio.

Snažíme se vyhnout komprimovanému, nedynamickému zvuku, který charakterizuje moderní death metal. Jak jste zmínil, dostali jsme na náš zvuk dobré recenze.


Nedílnou součástí a jakýmsi bonusem navíc je pro fanoušky dnes hudební CD (kazeta, vinyl). Vy jste jej vydali u Transcending Obscurity Records a je opatřeno zajímavým temným obalem. Kdo je jeho autorem? Jak jste motiv vybírali a jak souvisí s hudbou na novince?

Toto je obraz od Nuna Zukiho z Belial Necroarts. Vytváří velmi dobré obrazy v různých stylech, takže jsme jeho práci již dříve věnovali pozornost. Jakmile zveřejnil obraz, který se stal naší obálkou, okamžitě jsme se rozhodli ho kontaktovat.

Obálka se k nám hodí, zdá se, že vyzařuje pocity naší hudby – zoufalství, úzkost a zatracení. Tato obálka získala velmi dobré ohlasy.

Toulám se podsvětím již přes třicet let a do Portugalska si chodím pro muziku vlastně na jistotu. Myslím, že máme podobnou náturu i vkus, co se týká metalu. Mám vaše kapely hodně rád a pečlivě sleduji vaši scénu. Možná vám i trošku závidím, my máme u nás jen pár death metalových smeček, které stojí za to. Čím si to vysvětluješ, že zrovna u vás se death/black doom metalu tolik daří? Jak vnímáš vaši scénu, fanoušky, labely?

Portugalsko je země s mnoha dobrými kapelami, ale nemyslím si, že metal je v Portugalsku úspěšný!

Možná proto, že jsme daleko od centra Evropy, mnoho kapel nikdy nezíská uznání a nedozraje, a kapely se po několika letech rozpadnou. Další věc, která tomu nepomáhá, je to, že nejsme nijak zvlášť bohatá země, takže kapely nakonec ztrácejí motivaci. V undergroundové black metalové scéně máme docela dost dobrých kapel! Pokud jde o death metal/grindcore, máme dobré příklady jako Holocausto Canibal, Grog, Bleeding Display, Dead Meat a v poslední době Phenocryst, Tvmvlo, Pestifer a Resurge!

Pokud jde o vydavatelství, máme několik docela dobrých – Vomit Your Shirt, Larvae, Caverna Abismal, Helldprod Records, Selvajaria Records, Miasma atd.


Hrajete death metal ovlivněný starou školou, zároveň jsme ale svým způsobem progresivní. Dnes se vlastně kapela nemůže vyhnout srovnání, mě by ale zajímalo, jak vlastně vznikl nápad založit UNDERSAVE, kdo byl a je vaším vzorem a kam vaši kapelu chcete posunout? Lákají vás třeba velké zahraniční festivaly, jste ochotni vyrazit na turné s nějakou slavnější smečkou?

Když jsme založili kapelu, byli jsme tři bratranci, kteří objevili heavy metal a začali se učit hrát na nástroje. Bylo nám kolem 13 let, takže náš vkus v té době, kdy byl na vrcholu nu metal, byl dost diskutabilní. Naše hlavní vlivy v té době však byly Sepultura, Slayer a Pantera. Chtěli jsme založit thrash/death metalovou kapelu, ale něco se pokazilo.

Naším hlavním cílem jako kapely je dělat hudbu, která nás postaví na roveň kapelám, které uctíváme. Ale je to proces deziluze, protože jsme toho dosud nebyli schopni dosáhnout, musíme to zkusit znovu.

Ano, rádi bychom někdy udělali pořádné turné. Lákají nás undergroundové festivaly! Pro rezervace nás kontaktujte na – undersave@gmail.com

Když jsem před osmi lety zakládal svoje stránky, měl jsem vizi, že se budu snažit podporovat kapely, které podle mě nejsou tolik na očích. Dát o nich vědět světu. Myslím, že se mi to celkem daří, alespoň podle ohlasů. Jak přistupujete k propagaci vy? Necháváte to na labelu nebo sami posíláte CD různě na recenze? Já si třeba alba, která mě opravdu baví, kupuji. Jak jste na tom vy? Jste také fanoušci, co rádi a často podporují své kolegy? Chodíte na koncerty? Paříte?

Je tak důležité, že existují lidé s vaší vizí! Některé z mých oblíbených kapel jsou poměrně neznámé a bez propagace, jako je ta vaše, bych je pravděpodobně neznal.

Udělali jsme nějakou propagaci pro naše album, ale mezi zkouškami, skládáním hudby a koncerty jsme nakonec měli v den vydání málo času na jeho propagaci.

Co se týče koncertů, ano, chodím na ně často a utrácím také spoustu peněz za CD, vinylové desky a pivo! Opravdu si cením fyzického formátu!


Na jednou stranu má dnes začínající kapela spoustu možností, jak o sobě dát vědět, ale zase na druhou stranu, skupin je obrovské množství a fanoušci se v nich ztrácejí. Hodně lidí jen stahuje mp3 z internetu a místo koncertu raději plive jedovaté sliny na facebooku. Jak vás, jako UNDERSAVE ovlivňují moderní technologie? Co si myslíš o stahování muziky, google metalistech, streamování muziky apod.?

Podle mého názoru by každý měl poslouchat hudbu z jakéhokoli zdroje, který si vybere, ale kapely by měly dostávat spravedlivé autorské honoráře z legálního streamování.

Nejpodivnější na tom je, že taková propagace by měla zaručit větší návštěvnost koncertů a více undergroundových koncertů... ale není tomu tak.

S oblibou se ptám muzikantů na to, co pro ně znamená death metal. Jak by jej definovali, jestli je pro ně spíše filozofií a životním stylem nebo „jen“ relaxem. Co znamená pro tebe? Jak jej vnímáš a prožíváš?

Neřekl bych jen death metal, ale metal obecně. Mimochodem, právě poslouchám album „The Day of Wrath“ od Bulldozer, skvělé album!

Řekl bych, že metal je filozofie a životní styl, protože některé naše životní rozhodnutí s ním souvisejí! A podobné závěry můžete vyvodit, když analyzujete skupinu lidí oddaných metalu.


Na závěr klasická, ale důležitá otázka. Co chystají UNDERSAVE v nejbližších měsících? Kde vás můžeme vidět na koncertě? Pokud máš něco na srdci a rád bys to vzkázal fanouškům, labelů, promotérům, tak zde je prostor…

Na příští měsíce máme naplánované koncerty v Portu, na Barroselas Metal Festu a v Lisabonu! A snažíme se domluvit i několik termínů, abychom mohli album propagovat i mimo Portugalsko.

Děkujeme vám všem za podporu! Přijďte na koncerty a kupte nám drinky!

Děkuji moc za rozhovor. Přeji nejen nové desce spoustu úspěchů a ať se co nejvíc rozšíří řady vašich fanoušků. Budu se těšit někde naživo a ať se vám daří jak po hudební stránce, tak i v osobní rovině. Jdu si „Merged In Abstract Perdition“ zase narvat do hlavy!

Díky, Jakube! Na zdraví!

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