Eyeconoclast (Italy)
Their album “Drones of the Awakening” surprised me beyond expectations with its blasting death/thrash. The sound allows room to hear what the guitars are doing, and the excellent drumming cuts across very well. Also, the guitar work grabs one’s attention for the clarity, despite the fact that Eyeconoclast is high-intensity, tight, blasting frenzy death/thrash. The drumming patterns, rhythms, blasts, rolls, cuts, zigzags—the elbow grease—will make you like this album, if you like fast metal drumming that employs creativity, not just speed. It’s easy to hear the good guitar solos, some melody, some thrashiness, and the growling has personality and energy.
Paolo (bass) and Stefano (guitars) answered the questions.
www.eyeconoclast.it
www.eyeconoclast.it
--
Hello, Eyeconoclast! I enjoy the way that the guitar work is memorable. The listener can distinguish the riffs played; and I also like the drum work a lot; and of course, the songs are well written and intense with interesting twists. Can you explain the situation with the vocalist Giuseppe?
Paolo: Hi man, thanks for your words! We really appreciate it. That was our main intent!! The band was formed in 2002 by Alessio and Synder, the singer who was with us until 2011. Unfortunately due to his job, he was unable to continue with the band and only was on the EP “Sharpening Our Blades on the Mainstream” as a session member. After that we had some changes in the vocal front, our songs are really hard and we are even more demanding with our members, so to find a good front man took almost two years, and yes, Giuseppe is our current singer, he jumped on board last year and he recorded the vocal sessions of the album.
What is the situation for the band in Rome?
Paolo, Stefano: At the end of May we have the official release party for our latest release “Drones of The Awakening” in Rome. After that show we probably we won’t play here for a long time, except for out of ordinary gigs. The band has played in Rome a lot of times, in every club and now our current focus is to play abroad and bring our music to a new public.
What do you mean by your previous EP from 2011 "Sharpening Our Blades on the Mainstream"?
Paolo, Stefano: “Sharpening Our Blades on the Mainstream” was aimed at Mainstream Metal of course, we really dislike the latest trend in Metal Music to play very simple songs (or apparently difficult/wanna be technical with messy riffs), with poor structure, only to please forgetful listeners. The EP just wanted to kick some asses, that’s all.
How famous is a band Italian band like Rhapsody of Fire in Italy? Does the radio play any Eyeconoclast?
Paolo, Stefano: In Italy the media never talk about metal music if it does not imply a crime fact. Even a top selling band like Rhapsody of Fire is not on tv shows or on radio
What do you mean with "our conscience detunes the neo-cyber dumb nonsense chorus"?
Stefano: With that line we use a metaphor where we mean to imply that our conscience misinterprets (detunes) the dumb same old chorus - the bullshit we hear every day, politically and musically speaking- and we are unable to see this truth. This is a lyric written by our former singer Carlos and he often used some sort of complicated rhetoric figures and bizarre metaphors to both hide and tell what he wanted to say.
Tell us about the songwriting process.
Stefano: In this new album the lyrics were written by Giuseppe (the singer) and I. Alessio (guitars) and I write the music and Paolo [bass] and Mauro [drums] contribute for the last touches that make the songs perfect, and they are also really good to notice if one song is, or is not perfect when it’s finished.
Are there any political ideas in your lyrics, or are they mostly cyber fantasy lyrics? Do you have any opinions in your lyrics about the economic situation in Italy?
Paolo: I think that every action has a political meaning and Sci-fi is a just another way to talk about something without saying it straight out. But no, in our lyrics there’s nothing about economic situation, corruption or things like that, we are more focused on the relationship between man and society as result of his ruinous ideals. Even that has a political value, but it’s seen through a sci-fi point of view. The main lyrical themes are about trans-humanism and post-humanism. All the lyrics are based on the concept that the evolution of mankind towards an integration with his own technology, is the only possible way to survive to what we are doing to ourselves with what we call "progress". We use the same concept to talk about the current situation of man, who has the perennial need of trapping himself behind the ceilings of his own society. That's represented in our cover art, where you see a "mecha" with a man inside, controlling it, while he's disemboweled by the hand of the same mecha he once controlled, after it became sentient. The mecha is representing the society who has its final victory over the man who willingly trapped himself in it.
I have not heard your 2003 EP "Cursors." How does the memorable, blasting death/thrash of "Drones of the Awakening" compare to that old recording?
Stefano: Our style has changed a lot. It is way faster, less melodic (but still melodic), the structures are more complicated but better, and of course we're better as musicians, but sometimes when I hear that old recording, I always find something that I like, haha, much has changed but those old songs were good I think!
How did you connect with Prosthetic Records? When you think of the U.S., what do you imagine that touring would be like? Are there plans for Eyeconoclast to play in the U.S. at all?
Paolo: It’s a simple story: “Sharpening” was released to find a new label, we had a friend in common with the guys at Prosthetic, they listened to our stuff and probably they enjoyed that, I hope they saw what we see in our music haha! It was great when we first got in contact with them, and they pushed us to make the songs even better than they were before! Prosthetic is a good label, we hope they’ll push our music like only a label can do. Nowadays, with the enormous quantity of music on the internet, it’s really difficult to reach the listener without a label behind you.
To play in U.S. is a big goal for us, we just have to wait for the right occasion, and the right proposal. I hope to come there soon! I imagine it like an adventure through the places I’ve only seen if the movies, a coast to coast trip with the smell of barbecue sauce in the air, haha! Back to reality: yes, it’s expensive and we need a certain request from the public. So if your readers want to see Eyeconoclast in the States, please ask your promoters!
Here's a non-music related question: In Italy there often seems to be cases about racism in soccer (football) that become international news. Some fans do racist things to players who are African or African-European (or African-American, like from Brazil, etc.). Do you find that some Italians are angry about that type of racism (or perhaps, embarrassed)? Do the newspapers criticize that racism or they think it's "funny"?
Stefano: Good question! From how I know Italians (as I am Italian) I think it's more something that has to do with stupid football fans that always find a way to tease the opponent, using everything they can. Italy has been a multicultural society since the roman empire, which gives us about 2000 years of cohabitation with all the near and far people, and to this day many ethnic minorities live in Rome and Italy and they are 100% Romans like all of us. So MANY Italians are pissed off hearing news of these stupid racist football fans that are so stupid that I think they don't even realize what truly isracism. Our society and government firmly rejects all kinds of racism and fascism. Also newspapers reject this kind of behaviour, and those who are caught by the cameras in the stadium while doing something racist are identified and prosecuted by the law. As it should be.
Three quick questions:
What is your favorite metal band from Italy of all time?
Paolo: Mmm.. it’s difficult. Probably Bulldozer, I love that stuff!
What is the food that you eat the most and like the most?
Paolo: Ok…It’s a fucking cliché, but it’s pizza! (Italians and Ninja Turtles favorite meal ahah)
Can you tell me the name of a great movie from Italy in 2013?! Maybe I can find it here and watch it.
Paolo: Italian Cinema has been dead for years. You’d be better off watching something from 70’s or 80’s. If you like Italian comedy – it is a mixed of tragedy, sad ending and joke, very different from the comedies made in USA - I really recommend the director Mario Monicelli: Amici Miei I & II, L’Armata Brancaleone, Brancaleone alle Crociate, Il Marchese del Grillo are big masterpieces (sorry, I don’t know the English titles)! Or if you are more horror oriented, you surely know Dario Argento or Lucio Fulci, but if you want to see something more underrated check out “La casa dalle finestre che ridono” or “L’arcano Incantatore” by Pupi Avati, you’ll thank me!
Anything else about Eyeconoclast that we should know?!
Paolo: Yes, we are on iTunes! and our FB is updated daily, everyone interested in Eyeconoclast news can find us here: http://www.facebook.com/eyeconoclast
You can find our albums at Prosthetic official store www.indiemerch.com/prostheticrecords/band/eyeconoclast
For additional Merch go check our official webstore:
http://eyeconoclast.bigcartel.com/
Congratulations on the album, I have enjoyed it!
Paolo: Thanks for the interview man, hope we’ll see in USA as soon as possible! THE END.
Eyeconoclast (Italy)
Their album “Drones of the Awakening” surprised me beyond expectations with its blasting death/thrash. The sound allows room to hear what the guitars are doing, and the excellent drumming cuts across very well. Also, the guitar work grabs one’s attention for the clarity, despite the fact that Eyeconoclast is high-intensity, tight, blasting frenzy death/thrash. The drumming patterns, rhythms, blasts, rolls, cuts, zigzags—the elbow grease—will make you like this album, if you like fast metal drumming that employs creativity, not just speed. It’s easy to hear the good guitar solos, some melody, some thrashiness, and the growling has personality and energy.
Paolo (bass) and Stefano (guitars) answered the questions. www.eyeconoclast.it
www.eyeconoclast.it
--
Hello, Eyeconoclast! I enjoy the way that the guitar work is memorable. The listener can distinguish the riffs played; and I also like the drum work a lot; and of course, the songs are well written and intense with interesting twists. Can you explain the situation with the vocalist Giuseppe?
Paolo: Hi man, thanks for your words! We really appreciate it. That was our main intent!! The band was formed in 2002 by Alessio and Synder, the singer who was with us until 2011. Unfortunately due to his job, he was unable to continue with the band and only was on the EP “Sharpening Our Blades on the Mainstream” as a session member. After that we had some changes in the vocal front, our songs are really hard and we are even more demanding with our members, so to find a good front man took almost two years, and yes, Giuseppe is our current singer, he jumped on board last year and he recorded the vocal sessions of the album.
What is the situation for the band in Rome?
Paolo, Stefano: At the end of May we have the official release party for our latest release “Drones of The Awakening” in Rome. After that show we probably we won’t play here for a long time, except for out of ordinary gigs. The band has played in Rome a lot of times, in every club and now our current focus is to play abroad and bring our music to a new public.
What do you mean by your previous EP from 2011 "Sharpening Our Blades on the Mainstream"?
Paolo, Stefano: “Sharpening Our Blades on the Mainstream” was aimed at Mainstream Metal of course, we really dislike the latest trend in Metal Music to play very simple songs (or apparently difficult/wanna be technical with messy riffs), with poor structure, only to please forgetful listeners. The EP just wanted to kick some asses, that’s all.
How famous is a band Italian band like Rhapsody of Fire in Italy? Does the radio play any Eyeconoclast?
Paolo, Stefano: In Italy the media never talk about metal music if it does not imply a crime fact. Even a top selling band like Rhapsody of Fire is not on tv shows or on radio
What do you mean with "our conscience detunes the neo-cyber dumb nonsense chorus"?
Stefano: With that line we use a metaphor where we mean to imply that our conscience misinterprets (detunes) the dumb same old chorus - the bullshit we hear every day, politically and musically speaking- and we are unable to see this truth. This is a lyric written by our former singer Carlos and he often used some sort of complicated rhetoric figures and bizarre metaphors to both hide and tell what he wanted to say.
Tell us about the songwriting process.
Stefano: In this new album the lyrics were written by Giuseppe (the singer) and I. Alessio (guitars) and I write the music and Paolo [bass] and Mauro [drums] contribute for the last touches that make the songs perfect, and they are also really good to notice if one song is, or is not perfect when it’s finished.
Are there any political ideas in your lyrics, or are they mostly cyber fantasy lyrics? Do you have any opinions in your lyrics about the economic situation in Italy?
Paolo: I think that every action has a political meaning and Sci-fi is a just another way to talk about something without saying it straight out. But no, in our lyrics there’s nothing about economic situation, corruption or things like that, we are more focused on the relationship between man and society as result of his ruinous ideals. Even that has a political value, but it’s seen through a sci-fi point of view. The main lyrical themes are about trans-humanism and post-humanism. All the lyrics are based on the concept that the evolution of mankind towards an integration with his own technology, is the only possible way to survive to what we are doing to ourselves with what we call "progress". We use the same concept to talk about the current situation of man, who has the perennial need of trapping himself behind the ceilings of his own society. That's represented in our cover art, where you see a "mecha" with a man inside, controlling it, while he's disemboweled by the hand of the same mecha he once controlled, after it became sentient. The mecha is representing the society who has its final victory over the man who willingly trapped himself in it.
I have not heard your 2003 EP "Cursors." How does the memorable, blasting death/thrash of "Drones of the Awakening" compare to that old recording?
Stefano: Our style has changed a lot. It is way faster, less melodic (but still melodic), the structures are more complicated but better, and of course we're better as musicians, but sometimes when I hear that old recording, I always find something that I like, haha, much has changed but those old songs were good I think!
How did you connect with Prosthetic Records? When you think of the U.S., what do you imagine that touring would be like? Are there plans for Eyeconoclast to play in the U.S. at all?
Paolo: It’s a simple story: “Sharpening” was released to find a new label, we had a friend in common with the guys at Prosthetic, they listened to our stuff and probably they enjoyed that, I hope they saw what we see in our music haha! It was great when we first got in contact with them, and they pushed us to make the songs even better than they were before! Prosthetic is a good label, we hope they’ll push our music like only a label can do. Nowadays, with the enormous quantity of music on the internet, it’s really difficult to reach the listener without a label behind you.
To play in U.S. is a big goal for us, we just have to wait for the right occasion, and the right proposal. I hope to come there soon! I imagine it like an adventure through the places I’ve only seen if the movies, a coast to coast trip with the smell of barbecue sauce in the air, haha! Back to reality: yes, it’s expensive and we need a certain request from the public. So if your readers want to see Eyeconoclast in the States, please ask your promoters!
Here's a non-music related question: In Italy there often seems to be cases about racism in soccer (football) that become international news. Some fans do racist things to players who are African or African-European (or African-American, like from Brazil, etc.). Do you find that some Italians are angry about that type of racism (or perhaps, embarrassed)? Do the newspapers criticize that racism or they think it's "funny"?
Stefano: Good question! From how I know Italians (as I am Italian) I think it's more something that has to do with stupid football fans that always find a way to tease the opponent, using everything they can. Italy has been a multicultural society since the roman empire, which gives us about 2000 years of cohabitation with all the near and far people, and to this day many ethnic minorities live in Rome and Italy and they are 100% Romans like all of us. So MANY Italians are pissed off hearing news of these stupid racist football fans that are so stupid that I think they don't even realize what truly isracism. Our society and government firmly rejects all kinds of racism and fascism. Also newspapers reject this kind of behaviour, and those who are caught by the cameras in the stadium while doing something racist are identified and prosecuted by the law. As it should be.
Three quick questions:
What is your favorite metal band from Italy of all time?
Paolo: Mmm.. it’s difficult. Probably Bulldozer, I love that stuff!
What is the food that you eat the most and like the most?
Paolo: Ok…It’s a fucking cliché, but it’s pizza! (Italians and Ninja Turtles favorite meal ahah)
Can you tell me the name of a great movie from Italy in 2013?! Maybe I can find it here and watch it.
Paolo: Italian Cinema has been dead for years. You’d be better off watching something from 70’s or 80’s. If you like Italian comedy – it is a mixed of tragedy, sad ending and joke, very different from the comedies made in USA - I really recommend the director Mario Monicelli: Amici Miei I & II, L’Armata Brancaleone, Brancaleone alle Crociate, Il Marchese del Grillo are big masterpieces (sorry, I don’t know the English titles)! Or if you are more horror oriented, you surely know Dario Argento or Lucio Fulci, but if you want to see something more underrated check out “La casa dalle finestre che ridono” or “L’arcano Incantatore” by Pupi Avati, you’ll thank me!
Anything else about Eyeconoclast that we should know?!
Paolo: Yes, we are on iTunes! and our FB is updated daily, everyone interested in Eyeconoclast news can find us here: http://www.facebook.com/eyeconoclast
You can find our albums at Prosthetic official store www.indiemerch.com/prostheticrecords/band/eyeconoclast
For additional Merch go check our official webstore:
http://eyeconoclast.bigcartel.com/
Congratulations on the album, I have enjoyed it!
Paolo: Thanks for the interview man, hope we’ll see in USA as soon as possible! THE END.
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