Death To All returns to Brazil in January for five shows. The tribute band featuring former members of Death will perform in Porto Alegre (20), Curitiba (21), Limeira (23), São Paulo (24) and Belo Horizonte (25). Ticket information here .
The Symbolic Healing Tour celebrates the anniversaries of the iconic albums Spiritual Healing and Symbolic , which are celebrating their 36th and 31st anniversaries since their release, respectively.
We spoke with drummer Gene Hoglan about the tour, the importance of Symbolic for bands today, Chuck Schuldiner , and much more. Read the full interview.
WM: You're going to play two albums from very different phases of Death: Spiritual Healing and Symbolic . How has it been switching between them during the shows?
GH: Wow, I think you read the mind of the last person I talked to (laughs). Same initial question. Right off the bat, I'd like to point out that our shows are quite long. On the tour we did in the United States, for example, Symbolic was performed in its entirety because it was the album's anniversary. From Spiritual Healing , we played several songs from it, but it's very challenging to play both albums in the same night. We always include tracks from Death's entire discography. But our performances last more than two hours. So, if we put all the songs from it on the setlist, we'd die (laughs). We have a routine of traveling night after night and doing shows. This ends up repeating itself. I'm saying this so that you all understand. But we're doing very well and doing an incredible job. We've been playing a lot of material from Spiritual Healing and we're also celebrating Symbolic . These are very important albums in Death's catalog.
In the first album, you can already notice elements of melodic death metal that would later become very evident in Symbolic . Small crumbs were left. Seeds were planted, showing where Death would evolve. Having James Murphy [ño Spiritual Healing ] as co-guitarist alongside Chuck added a melodic element to the songs. His riffs already showed his evolution towards his own style. It no longer sounded like Leprosy (1988), nor like the brutal Scream Bloody Gore (1987). He was beginning to spread his wings and explore new ways to express what he wanted to have in his music. That's how it all happened.
WM: In 2024, Death To All had a remarkable tour in Brazil with several shows. What motivated you to return to the country so quickly?
GH: We were invited, you know? They were really good shows. We'll have a different presentation now. Last time, we played something we called "legacy night," because we played songs from all the albums. Our setlist varies between 20 and 21 tracks. We always try to play a few songs per album. On certain albums, we played up to three. That was the repertoire. But I think what happened afterward, when we did The Scream of Perseverance Tour [in 2024] in the United States, ended up attracting the attention of producers worldwide. They thought, "Wow, this is a really cool concept. You're going to play albums in their entirety." And not only that. You're doing this over two nights in many cities. The first one being entirely dedicated to the introduction of death metal: Scream Bloody Gore played in its entirety, with elements of Leprosy and Spiritual Healing also present. Everything revolving around that era.
Then, the following night, comes The Sound of Perseverance (1998), along with Individual Thought Patterns (1993), Human (1991), and Symbolic as well. Several highlights from all these albums are being played. It's a very innovative concept you've created. All of this is very interesting. Many people said, "Can we have that too?" And then, when we finally managed to do it, another year passed. We're not doing two nights anymore. If we were doing two, no problem. Whole album here, whole album there. Now we only have one night. We don't have much time in our schedule to do all of that.
So we're doing the best we can with the time we have, which is why each show is quite long. I'm not guaranteeing we'll play a two-hour and seven-minute set like we used to average. That was our standard when we were touring by bus, because we slept through the night. In this next leg, it's all dates with flights. So we play until very late and wake up very early the next day to catch a plane. But even so, we're going to destroy. We're going to rock.
That's one of the reasons why, when we announce tours like Symbolic Healing in the United States, other promoters around the world say, "Hey, we want that too." And we always reply, "If people come, we'll do it." It's that simple. If the audience wants it and will show up at the shows, then we'll do it. If we don't deliver a good show, they'll notice and won't come back. But that's why Death to All always rocks. That's why each show grows. I think we're playing bigger venues this time than we were a year ago. We'll continue playing shows all over the world whenever we can.
WM: Symbolic is a generational album for death metal. Matt Heafy, from Trivium, for example, always mentions that he learned to play guitar and compose by listening to it countless times. In your opinion, what elements made it a kind of guide for current bands?
GH: We love Matt, he's great! Well, that's amazing, you know? I think the fact that it's such a catchy album helped. Chuck wasn't worried about making the most evil and heavy riff ever. He wrote riffs that came from his heart. If that's what came, it went into the song. We had enough time to explore different approaches with the album. To give you an idea, we made Individual Thought Patterns in 3 weeks. Symbolic , on the other hand, took about eight or nine months to finish, I think. We spent at least six months rehearsing at Chuck's house.
That's where you notice the difference between each album. Individual Thought Patterns sounded more immediate and very chaotic. Symbolic had a different vibe; it sounded a bit more polished, smoother. We had a new producer [ Jim Morris ], and more modern production techniques were used. That's where this kind of "model" started to take shape. And it was a captivating record. I think it was simply good. What's the term again? Not "gatekeeper," but rather a gateway. That's it, a gateway. That was the "gateway" to metal for many younger guys.
There are many younger musicians than us, from huge bands around the world. Super well-known bands that reached the top with their big hits. They came to talk to me and said, “Man, Symbolic was the album that taught me how to play guitar. That’s my sound. I learned to play guitar with it.” And I scratch my head with some of these people. Some make sense, I think, “Yeah, I understand.” But others I say, “Your music doesn’t sound anything like Symbolic and you’re telling me this? (laughs).” Wow, that’s crazy. Like, you? Mr. Number One artist. This kind of album caught the attention of younger people. Because, to be quite honest. I even mentioned this before.
When Symbolic was released, many older headbangers, who had been in the scene for years, were confused by both Individual Thought Patterns and the album itself. They thought: “Where’s my band that made Scream Bloody Gore ? Where’s Spiritual Healing ? What have you done? You ruined everything (laughs).” That kind of reaction never mattered to me. But more importantly, it never bothered Chuck.
He said, “I write what I feel. I’m not the same guy I was a decade ago when I wrote Scream Bloody Gore . I’m also not the same guy I was years ago when I made Spiritual Healing . I am who I am. I’m going to keep writing as myself and, hopefully, surround myself with like-minded people. People who agree on a good way to move forward. And that’s how things are going to happen.” So, I think that was showing up there. And having a returning musician, like the drummer [Gene himself], I think probably helped him. Knowing he had a guy by his side who had been with him on the previous album. And who wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. I’m sure that was helpful.
WM: In 1995, Death Metal was moving towards a phase marked by speed. Bands like Deicide and Cannibal Corpse are the main names of this era. Death went against the grain, opting for a more melodic and technical album. What motivated the band to follow this path, even with the scene going in the opposite direction?
GH: As I said before, Chuck was beginning to evolve and leave behind the elements that defined his career and personality over the last decade. As he moved away from that kind of music, the kind he helped create, he went in a new direction. He followed one path, and the music went another. It was always like that: “Man, at the end of each day, I need to write what I feel. To say what matters to me. What’s in my heart.”
If you notice, the lyrics became much more introspective and reflective. He wasn't just writing about crucifixions or related things anymore. He tried to write from wherever his thoughts came from. Not just things that were popular within the metal community, you know what I mean? Within certain segments of it. I think he had his own path to follow. Whoever wanted to follow him, great. Look at the number of people who did.
1995 was a watershed year for melodic death metal. It was the year of Cannibal Corpse , Deicide , and Morbid Angel . Those bands were still around and rocking hard. But a new style emerged, brought about by albums like Symbolic , Individual Thought Patterns , and Carcass 's Heartwork . It evolved into something that didn't need to be a million miles per hour fast, or the most extreme thing you'd ever heard. It was something that could stay with you, evolve along with your taste. That was quite uncommon in heavier metal at that time, even more so in that year.
WM: In the 90s, Chuck was already writing songs about contemporary societal issues like manipulation, invasion of privacy, and religion. Do you believe that with the influence of social media and today's polarization, these lyrics have become prophetic and even more real than they were back then?
GH: I already thought it was prophetic at the time. Regardless of which way the world was going. He had a very strong perception of what was happening. Chuck was totally connected with himself. That's why I always said he had a gift. A precursor in thinking about things that were happening and discussing them lyrically. I remember 1994, when we were all introduced to the World Wide Web. It was the internet still in its very infancy, in its embryonic phase. He was already scratching his head, saying things like: “This is the network of hate. It's going to lead to serious problems. This is going to give a voice to people who don't deserve to have a voice. Many people are going to gain enormous anonymity, with which they can go around throwing bombs.”
I used to say, “Chuck, you’re going to get a lot of information from this. If you can connect with people, I think that’s fine.” He didn’t buy into the idea at all. I try not to speak for Chuck Schuldiner. But one thing I’m sure of: he wouldn’t be an online person. He would never use social media. He wouldn’t be interested in it. That’s just my opinion. However, that’s how I feel. It was a characteristic of his. Having that prophetic way about him when it came to seeing things in the future. And perceiving where things, even in their initial stages, would lead.
WM: What makes Death's music so timeless that it continues to attract new generations?
GH: I think they're good songs, you know? I was already a Death fan even before I joined the band [in 1992]. They didn't do much after I left [in 1995]. But, I mean, the albums released before I joined, I thought they were incredible. They always released great work. Especially Scream Bloody Gore and Leprosy . I go back to the Mantas [Death's initial name] with [vocalist] Kam Lee and [guitarist] Rick Rozz . All of that is part of it. Chuck was evolving his music into what would become Death. I already liked them. I was able to do incredible things with Dark Angel up to that point. It was good music. Something timeless.
Did Chuck let his influences show through? Absolutely. We all did. I think it's very pleasant to listen to. Including from a production standpoint. It was always well-produced. They had a few minor issues here and there over time. But you go back and listen to a Death album from almost 40 years ago and you think, "this is good." It was then, and it still is. It doesn't sound like they recorded on a four-track mixing board with a pillow in front of the microphones. Something incredible and unique.
I think Death ticks a lot of boxes. I say that as a compliment. There are qualities that simply get a "yes." Does the band do this? Yes. Does it do that? Yes. Doesn't it do that? Yes. It doesn't matter what it is. I simply think Death is very good. That applies to anything I've been involved in. I've always tried to make good records. I've had different approaches across many albums. I don't even know how many I've released. Try to find a bad one, there isn't one. I've always tried to release quality metal. Quality music. Sometimes those albums aren't metal. But I've always tried to be involved with excellent music. That's something that defines the band: quality. It doesn't matter if you like it. If you like the members involved or not. The same goes for Chuck. But still, they're good songs.
And that's one thing I think Death is: quality. It doesn't matter if you like the band, like the members involved, don't like them, like Chuck, don't like Chuck — it's still quality music. Absolutely.
WM: Gene, you've been to Brazil with several bands. What's your favorite moment here?
GH: All of them. Brazil is so much fun to play in. All of Latin America and South America. Playing anywhere is incredible. Brazilian fans are so passionate. Any band that gets the chance to go to the country has a fantastic experience. We love connecting with the audience. And, you know, it's such a beautiful place... Seeing so much excitement directed at us is something that makes us very grateful. Every night in Brazil is a wonderful memory.
I've been to shows with Testament , Dark Angel, Death To All, and many other bands. I've always had wonderful and incredible times. Just like all of us. Thank you so much to all our Brazilian fans for always showing up. And, look, these upcoming shows are just around the corner. They're going to be incredible and spectacular. You'll want to be there and have a fantastic night of metal. The kind of night whose memories will last a long time.
WM: After this tour, what are the next steps for Death To All?
GH: We have some things coming up in the near future. People should stay tuned. We'll be making announcements soon. There's also a lot going on behind the scenes for many of my projects. We'll be sharing each one as soon as we can. Death To All also got a new social media page. I think it'll be launched soon. Go check it out. It's @deathtoall_official. That's us. New profiles on Instagram and everywhere else. So that's it. Stay tuned for everything related to Death To All.
WM: To wrap things up, could you send a message to the Brazilian fans who will be attending the shows?
GH: Wikimetal staff, readers from Brazil and all over the world. It's a pleasure to speak with you. Thank you so much for all these years of support. We, Death To All, and I, Gene Hoglan, can't wait to return to Brazil and do an incredible tour. We're going to play some powerful metal for everyone, making everyone leave with a huge smile on their face and in their heart. We are very excited to be able to go to the country. We are very grateful for this. We can't wait to show you some of Death To All's metal!
READ ALSO: Death to All in Brazil: Essential tracks from 'Spiritual Healing' and 'Symbolic'