Interview: Xolotl (Utah, U.S.)

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zine contact:
Metal Bulletin
P.O. Box 571794
Houston TX 77257-1794 usa
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Xolotl (Utah, U.S.)
With their self-titled recording, Xolotl introduces their perspective on traditional raw black metal. The overall speed is often as-fast-as-human-blastingly-possible, guitars and drumming funneling the spirit of chaos into comprehensible sounds of black metal rage.
What’s more, a distinctive component of Xolotl’s black metal is their use of indigenous instruments and ideas. In terms of musical result, the aforementioned chaos-compositions are enhanced with additional sounds from indigenous instruments, which give the music an imaginative touch.
The lyrics are in Spanish, brought to sound-life by Bruja, totally destroying her vocal chords; and as the guitarist also named Xolotl explicates here, they hope to have lyrics in indigenous languages in the future.
www.myspace.com/xolotlwar
Address: Xolotl/575 North 250 West/ Springville Utah 84663/USA
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What will 2010 be like for you, recordings, concerts, etc?
XOLOTL: We’re going to have a new song that has not been released on a Mexican metal bands’ cd compilation under “Industria de Malevolos” label (Mex.). And if everything goes ok we’ll be recording our second cd by mid 2010. About shows, just a few here and there.

Do you plan to play Mexico? The cd is by a Mexican company.
Yes, the cd was released under American Line Productions label, they want us to play some shows there but to be honest, it won’t be possible in the near future, we all have jobs and other shit to take care of, so… not for now.

In your black metal, there are other sounds besides the typical fast and blasting sounds. What are some of those instruments?
They are some pre-hispanic instruments like sea shells (trumpet like sound), some Native flutes, ayoyote seeds shakers, different sizes of aztek drums, wood rain stick, and teponaztli drum.

Your band is based out of Utah, U. S. How is the metal scene in Salt Lake City, Utah. How many recordings in total do you have?
Well, Utah is not known for its huge metal scene, but we have several really sick bands here. Even though the scene is small, it is strong and supportive. We have just released our debut album, and that is all we have out for now.

Is there one person responsible for the lyrics? Are there various people working on the same general concept?
Yaotl is the one responsible for all the lyrics and the band’s ideology. Everyone in the band is really involved and believes passionately in the hole pre-hispanic spectrum. Also as individuals we are really involved in activist movements to help our people.


Your lyrics deal are themes of the ancient peoples of Mexico. Are you students of history? Do you speak indigenous languages?
We all do have knowledge in pre-hispanic history but Yaotl is the Master, he has some serious studies in Mexican ancient history, he also speaks some Nahuatl, Yucatecan Maya, and Guatemalan Quiche. He is actually taking Nahuatl lessons.

Do you want lyrics in indigenous languages, and not in Spanish?
Actually that has been the idea since the beginning, but Nahuatl is not an easy one, La Bruja had a hard time singing and learning the lyrics in nahuatl, so we decided to sing them in Spanish for now, but we are still working to move 100% to Nahuatl.

Can you explain your perspective on “Kulto a Ketzalkoatl”?
Well, it is extremely short, but to me it gets right to what I think is the point. That the immense colonizing effects that have been implanted in our way of thinking and dna is blinding us, and the solution to this “blindness” is learning, accepting, and being proud of who we were and who we are.

What is the working relationship between your guitarists Xolotl and Nahaulli? What is the vision for the guitar sound?
The working relationship is perfect, we work together extremely well, we are in the same page always, when one of us gets stuck somewhere in the writing process then comes the other one to the rescue, it’s like 2 brains working connected somehow. Our vision for the band sound was exactly as the cd sounds, crude, raw, simple structures and hateful riffs. We don’t care about a perfect over-produced sound, I don’t like over produced sound, I do care more to transmit all the hate to the music and sound. If you care too much about the sound production you get lost, sounds perfect but you lose the feeling.
One example is Bathory: Blood Fire Death, sound maybe is not the best but definitely transmit all that obscure feeling to the music. The guitar sound was exactly what we were looking for, raw and organic. It doesn’t bother me at all the string scratching sounds, amplifier and guitar hum, it make it feel more live and organic.

Last comments?
Thank you for the time and space in your zine. To get the album contact us at www.myspace.com/xolotlwar or www.alprods.net THE END.