One of the most important extreme metal festivals in the country, Setembro Negro , returns with a special edition between September 2nd and 4th at Carioca Club, in São Paulo.
The event, now in its 14th edition, will bring more than 30 extreme metal bands to the capital of São Paulo, and Wikimetal had the opportunity to interview the American group Skeletal Remains .
Formed in 2011 in California, Skeletal Remains is one of the biggest names in death metal today. Their lyrics deal with violence, death, and gore themes – at the time of their first demo they were called Anthropophagy .
The Skeletal Remains lineup consists of Chris Monroy (guitar and vocals), Mike De La O (guitar), Brian Rush (bass), and Pierce Williams (drums).
Check out the full interview with guitarist Mike De La O!
Skeletal Remains will play on Sunday the 4th, from 5:35 PM to 6:20 PM. Tickets for Setembro Negro 2022 are already on sale at the Clube do Ingresso website . Prices range from R$250 to R$1,400 – the latter being a three-day pass for the VIP area.
Wikimetal: Hello, how are you? First, I want to thank you for taking the time for this interview. Second, for those who are just getting to know the band, could you tell us a little about the band, your sound, and how you got to where you are today?
Mike De La O: All right and thank you for having us on the site! We are a death metal band based in Whittier, California with members from Portland, Oregon, and Washington. We play an old school style of death metal similar to Death , Cannibal Corpse , Morbid Angel, etc. The band has been going strong for 12 years without any sign of slowing down, for sure. It's been a long road with many uninterrupted tours and festivals across the US and Europe/UK. We are looking forward to finally expanding our reach to South America, Australia, and New Zealand this year.
WM: Your last album, The Entombment of Chaos , was released during the pandemic. Looking back, what was that experience like for the band? Did you feel you missed the timing ? And what did you learn from the experience?
MDLO: It was definitely very different. The band is used to doing everything the traditional way, so when the pandemic hit, everything turned upside down. We had to do almost everything at home, which, although a bit annoying, ended up working much better for me and Chris [ Monroy , guitarist and vocalist] because we took the time we needed. For me personally, it was a relief because I hadn't recorded in a real studio for a while. I was definitely nervous, so it worked out for the best. We're very excited about how everything turned out in the end with Entombment .
WM: When you look back on your career, how do you see the black metal and extreme music scene now?
MDLO: I feel that both scenes have definitely grown in recent years with so many new bands emerging every week. The festivals are getting bigger, the tours are more abundant, and the record labels are signing so many great underground bands. The scene is alive and well!
WM: What are your musical and lyrical influences these days?
MDLO: Lately, I'd say Morbid Angel has been our biggest influence, but Hate Eternal , Gorguts (the Erosion ), Deeds Of Flesh , Demolition Hammer , and Cannibal Corpse are still very present in our sound and lyrics. We also draw inspiration from movies, war history, and video games when it comes to writing lyrics.
WM: And what about the future of Skeletal Remains? What can you tell us about any new music that might be coming out?
MDLO: We're writing new material without rushing, but we've started. This year has been hectic for us with touring, so we wanted to wait and get everything out of the way before getting back to writing. We have about 3 songs for our next album with Pierce [ Williams, drummer] and Brian [ Rush, bassist] putting their own spin on them, making the songs sound killer. The direction is similar to Entombment , but a bit more aggressive. We can't wait to release this new material for the world to hear!
WM: You're coming to Brazil in September. What can people expect from your show at the festival?
MDLO: Fast and heavy death metal!
WM: Also, it's your first time here. What are you expecting from the show?
MDLO: We expect the crowd to be loud and wild! South America has always had the best shows, so we expect nothing less than an energetic venue.
WM: Thank you for the interview! Do you have any final words or anything you'd like to add for our readers?
MDLO: We're so excited about this tour! We're going to rock it and make this show unforgettable!
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