interview with crust/death Subterror (Brazil); plus, 3 Subterror recordings for free for you to enjoy

Subterror (Brazil)

What happens when you mix Hellhammer with Discharge? Subterror!

“Awesome” and “excellent” does not even begin to explain how exciting Subterror sounds.

If you want to hear a band with an honest mentality about recording, politics and music, then Subterror is for you.

Plus, how cool is this? Their three recordings are available for free, which is how I got them, and so can you: “Desespero” (2011), “Subterror/Do You Think I Care?” split (2012), “Human Beings Should Have Never Evolved … at All!!” (2013).

Get the free music here: www.subterror.bandcamp.com

Don’t be a stranger. Send them a “thank you” note for making the existence on this miserable, violent and disgusting planet a bit more bearable with this music.

www.facebook.com/Subterror contact: subterrorcrustbr@gmail.com

Samuel (drums) was kind to give answers to these questions. As you will see, Subterror has a lot to say about music and politics.

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How are you all? You have three recordings? That's what it says on Metal Archives. Is that correct?

Hello! Thanks for the contact and the interview! We are fine, despite the hot weather of the city. Well, these informations are correct. We started the band in 2009 and we made our first release in 2010, a demo called “Desespero” (“Despair” in English). In 2012 we released a split with a crust band from Hungary called "Do you think I care?" and in 2013 we released our split with another crust band, "Defy" from São Paulo (Brasil). At the moment we’re preparing our first full-length which will be released in 2014 by the label Black Hole productions into CD format and on vinyl by other labels.

Subterror sounds honest. How do you record?

We try to avoid a computerized record. Our preference is to record raw and honest tracks, recording without triggers or replacements. For us these details are important because we care how the sound can appear when someone listens and how we play alive, how someone see our gig. So, we try to make a record similar to our concert. We aren't "instrument players", we are not virtuous guys when we play. We play with the intention of spending what we feel, pain and anger. Just that. At the first two releases, all the instruments were recorded in the studio, but this latest record we just recorded the drums at the studio and the guitar and the bass at a friend's home. Just this last recording we use triggered drums, not so much triggered, and some things replaced. We still enjoy this recording, but we won't do it anymore. We really prefer a natural record.

What was happening in 2009 when you formed the band? What was going on in Brasilia and music?

In 2009 we were still learning many things with the contact with several friends and underground festivals. For example, we learned a lot watching Violator and other bands in Brasilia and in Brasil. The cool thing of this city we live, especially in the period 2000 to 2006 is that the underground has always been a great mix of styles. The town never had a specific scene of punk or metal, everything was always mixed, punk and metal together, with some exceptions, of course.

At that time we listened to crustcore, death metal and grindcore. We had some projects before forming Subterror, but none worked for several unforeseen, so we did a break and after a while we began to think to try something again.

We always liked to live here and enjoy the gigs, but we searched a raw position. A space that doesn't speak only about European problems, North American political, wars and how life could be better if we think positively. We respect those positions, but we don't see the world that way. So, in 2009, we formed Subterror with the proposal to play a raw crust. A kind of song that we always liked. After some time we started to mix metal and crust. Was not a change on purpose, just happened.

How is it recording when you live, for instance, the split in 2013?

We recorded the drums at a studio and the rest of the instruments at a friend's house. We decided to test some possibilities for various reasons, one of which was money. Studios in Brazil are very expensive. The recording process was not very long because there were just 2 songs. We recorded everything in 3 weeks and 2 months to finish the mix and master.

Subterror is based in Brasilia. How is the scene for Subterror there in that city and the rest of Brazil?

The scene is not so big, but we have a strong friendship. We have many cool bands in the city, a scene without divisions. We played with bands of thrash metal, death metal, hardcore and grindcore, and other people. Always with much respect. Everybody together because we don't have a specific crust scene, punk or metal scene. We are a small group of great friends.

Obviously we don’t associate with bands of character sexist, racist, homophobic and so on. We don't play with this kind of bands. We usually play a lot in Brasilia and always is a great experience, playing on punk or metal concerts. About the rest of Brazil, it's interesting because we create mechanisms of interaction with the other states. We played much outside of Brasilia and many bands also play here. It's like a cooperation, not competition. The bands help each other.

How long has Harry been playing guitar?

Harry plays guitar a few years. Well, until now the guitar had not fixed the tone, the way to specify sound. The result was always the sound of the test with the tentative to sound like old death metal style and Discharge. Sometimes we fulfill our goal.

Where can people read the lyrics?

Good question. I think we don’t have the lyrics available on the internet, but that wasn’t a thing on purpose. Soon we’ll put the lyrics on Bandcamp and if possible on Metal Archives. About the lyrics, I write most of them, but the whole band tries to help. If someone doesn't like a lyric or some part, we try to fix.

How would you describe the themes of "Alimentando o abismo" ("Feeding the Abyss"?) or "Funeral"? How would you explain the title "Human Beings Should Have Never Evolved at All!!"?

“Alimentando o abismo” (or Feeding the abyss in English) is about the feeling of nothing – the abyss of nothing, created by the elimination of any support or crumb that life can offer. Ideals of peacefulness, harmony and stuff. Think about how a life would be without meaning, value and truth, false hopes that numb us and alienate the weight of existence, a life that oscillates between boredom and suffering, elation and despair. Without illusions we fell into a kind of abyss of nothingness.

“Funeral” is about a failure that will follow us until the end of our life. Regardless of our choices, all of them have consequences, the question is, how many wouldn't hurt anyone? Imagine the fact that you were born was enough to harm another person. Funeral is about that, a failure as a living being, an inevitable failure.

“Human Beings Should Have Never Evolved at All!” is a sentence from the song "Hands That Mold" of Dystopia, Oakland (USA). We really enjoy this band. The song is about the progress of man and his ability to segregate disaster with this false ideal of progress and peace between us and the world.

I like the fact that I can hear the bass in your music. How long has Luan been doing vocals and playing bass? Luan used to do vocals only, correct?! But now he plays bass, too.

Yes, we started the band with four members, but in 2012 our bass player had to leave the band and Luan took over bass and vocals. In fact, he had never been a singer, he had always played bass. So, I think to play the bass and sing was easier to him. It was nice because he brought some kind of specific way to play the bass and sound, a brutal and heavy way to sound, great for the kind of music that we play.

Do you think that Brazil needs revolution? Is there a type of change that you would like to see? Is all politics nonsense, in your opinion? Do you think there is nothing that can be done about the poverty in Brazil?

It's difficult to use the word "revolution". We have libertarian positions, but we are not anarchists or socialists. At the moment, we think that any attempt to revolution or freedom can create a new prison. Social or individual. At moment we have a critical point in human existence where the subjectivity of the individual is controlled in such an absurd way that is hard to believe that together we can make a considerable change in Brazil or worldwide.

About the poverty, it is possible and an obligation to reduce it, but in the current capitalist system which we live, while this shit continue existing, together with the apparatus of the police, state, church and other forms of oppression, will surely be impossible to refrain from any form of poverty or inequality in Brazil and worldwide.

Do you think that soccer plays the role of a "second religion" in Brazil? To keep the masses entertained so that they do not rebel? Maybe television in general is the "second religion"? It's probably correct in the U.S., too. "Don't worry about politics. Leave it to the 'professionals.' Just watch your tv show and be happy." In the meantime, the corporations and politicians do what they want: steal and exploit and kill.

I agree but I need to say that not only soccer is the responsible for the control here. The media has enormous power over the population, probably bigger than soccer. The Brazilian media is controlled by only one broadcaster, the same which supported the Brazilian dictatorship. The other channels are headed by churches or banks owners. The Brazilian media is fascist and manipulative. They control news and create stereotypes. We don’t know how it works in the USA, but in Brazil we have a big problem with sexist, homophobic and racist programs at most of the channels. Every Saturday you can join your family to watch a comedy and laugh at a joke about rape, about gays or black people. That's horrible and nobody cares.

In fact, that’s really happen. We learn this kind of thing in our whole life, how you say, “Don't worry about politics. Leave it to the ‘professionals’ – the professionals are the media and they want you stay where you born. Born to die in the gutter.

What would you like for listeners of Subterror to do? Do you have t-shirts? Do you update your webpage frequently?

Thank you for interview! Well, we would like to say for listeners of Subterror that each choice carries a guilt, take care with people and with yourself. We're not worthy of anything. Don't be fooled, by false security, we're weak. If you came here thinking that we are a metal band that like to put nude girls in our cd covers or that we accept fascist people sharing the same space with us, probably you will feel better dead. Nazi metal and nazi punks, fuck off! If you are interested in the band, we always update the page on Facebook and there you can check the informations, merch and talk to us. Again, thank you for everything! Subterror/Samuel.