All questions answered by Carlos Rodelo (Vocals)
1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
We’ve been working hard on new material and preparing for our upcoming tour in the summer. We were told that we should wait and savor the new album before we start work on our third but we just love writing, it’s a never ending thing with us.
2.In October you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
I would say the easiest way to describe us is Technical Melodic Progressive Death Thrash…or just metal too ..I guess.
You know we draw inspiration from all sorts of music. I think the biggest difference between this new album and our first is the diversity in it. Our first record featured more of a straight up thrash approach to it but as we got better as musicians we started incorporating a lot of new elements and it’s made for some really interesting song writing. The main thing we added though in my opinion is the progression and mood changes in the songs. One minute the song is going light speed and then suddenly it all just comes crashing down on the listener. We want to keep people on their toes when they listen to us.
3.Your lyrics cover some science fiction and conspiracy theories themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?
To be honest our lyrics are impulsive one minute the song is expected to deal with the subject of suicide bombings and after one episode of “Ancient Aliens” It becomes a song about reptilians.
When it boils down to it though we’re big nerds haha We write about things we can relate to in personal lives. We have songs that deal with some serious topics as well but we try not to take it too seriously all the time.
4.Why did you pick the name 'Tormentor' for the band and also are you aware of the many other bands that use the same name?
We actually get this question a lot, I did know about it’s previous use which is why we spell it with an E at the end instead of an O. There seems to be a mixed response about it. I felt that name perfectly represents our sound and style at least in the way that we look at it. There was a point where we were thinking of changing it to something else (fun fact it was almost changed to Paroxysm but that doesn’t sound as cool) but we received a lot of support from a bunch of different people not to change it (mainly because they really liked the logo). I think people who take it to task though need to chill, it’s just a name and only a very few people even care anyway. It’s just a name.
5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We’ve been very fortunate to be part of some killer shows down here. Our shows with Exodus and Forbidden have been some of our favorites as well as our first headlining show back in 2008. We do great shows all the time though and in recent years we’ve made leaps and bounds in our live show. We used to be the type to just stand still and head bang but not it’s a lot more physical and a lot more crowd interaction. We try to grab the audiences attention right from start to finish.
6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We are going to be heading out on a small headlining tour in July, “Unrest in the Southwest” 2015 with our friends in Concrete Sledge. And we will also be doing some cool festival shows that have yet to be announced (can’t spill the beans yet sorry haha) later this year.
7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of thrash and death metal?
It’s been great! I feel that people are hesitant to check us out sometimes for whatever reason, but we get told a lot that once they do they dig it right away. Even globally we have gotten a great response considering we’ve never left the United States; we get orders from every continent (except Africa and Antarctica…for now). There are so many bands out there that you can’t really blame someone for not checking you out but we are very grateful for everyone that has.
8.The original version of the album was released by EBM Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
EBM is based out of Mexico City and they have been putting out our music since our debut full length album. They’ve released albums by a lot of cool bands like Hirax, Bio-Cancer, Zombie Holocaust and a lot more. We felt it was time to move on though and set our sights on something bigger which is why we signed with Static Tension Records in May and we will be re-releasing the album in late July through them.
9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
That’s a good question, we’ve already been working on material for our third album, and there will definitely be some elements from “Prophetic Deceiver” but we’re putting more thought into song writing. We want to continue to put out killer pulse pounding thrash metal but we want to be able to demonstrate our musicianship as well.
10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Biggest influences have been Testament, Death, Demolition Hammer, and Sepultura among others.
Lately speaking for me personally I’ve been listening to a lot of Revocation, Carcass and The Black Dahlia Murder in terms of non-thrash bands. Thrash wise I’ve been really into Warbringer, Havok, and Ultra-Violence from Italy. We also listen to a lot of instrumental music because we feel there is a lot we can take away from it.
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Man where do I begin, as I said above we’re big nerds man, we love reading comics, watching sci-fi and horror films, we love checking out obscure places to munch and drink. We’re people you know? We like to do all the same stuff everybody else likes to do that’s really how I can sum it up. We’re all big sports fans and we like to joke around with the idea of songs being played at these events knowing it’ll never happen haha
12. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Just thank you to everyone that has supported us over the years, We’ve been around for 8 years now which is a hell of a lot longer than I thought we’d be doing this so from the bottom of hearts thank you to everyone and keep your eye because this is only the beginning.
1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
We’ve been working hard on new material and preparing for our upcoming tour in the summer. We were told that we should wait and savor the new album before we start work on our third but we just love writing, it’s a never ending thing with us.
2.In October you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
I would say the easiest way to describe us is Technical Melodic Progressive Death Thrash…or just metal too ..I guess.
You know we draw inspiration from all sorts of music. I think the biggest difference between this new album and our first is the diversity in it. Our first record featured more of a straight up thrash approach to it but as we got better as musicians we started incorporating a lot of new elements and it’s made for some really interesting song writing. The main thing we added though in my opinion is the progression and mood changes in the songs. One minute the song is going light speed and then suddenly it all just comes crashing down on the listener. We want to keep people on their toes when they listen to us.
3.Your lyrics cover some science fiction and conspiracy theories themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?
To be honest our lyrics are impulsive one minute the song is expected to deal with the subject of suicide bombings and after one episode of “Ancient Aliens” It becomes a song about reptilians.
When it boils down to it though we’re big nerds haha We write about things we can relate to in personal lives. We have songs that deal with some serious topics as well but we try not to take it too seriously all the time.
4.Why did you pick the name 'Tormentor' for the band and also are you aware of the many other bands that use the same name?
We actually get this question a lot, I did know about it’s previous use which is why we spell it with an E at the end instead of an O. There seems to be a mixed response about it. I felt that name perfectly represents our sound and style at least in the way that we look at it. There was a point where we were thinking of changing it to something else (fun fact it was almost changed to Paroxysm but that doesn’t sound as cool) but we received a lot of support from a bunch of different people not to change it (mainly because they really liked the logo). I think people who take it to task though need to chill, it’s just a name and only a very few people even care anyway. It’s just a name.
5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We’ve been very fortunate to be part of some killer shows down here. Our shows with Exodus and Forbidden have been some of our favorites as well as our first headlining show back in 2008. We do great shows all the time though and in recent years we’ve made leaps and bounds in our live show. We used to be the type to just stand still and head bang but not it’s a lot more physical and a lot more crowd interaction. We try to grab the audiences attention right from start to finish.
6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We are going to be heading out on a small headlining tour in July, “Unrest in the Southwest” 2015 with our friends in Concrete Sledge. And we will also be doing some cool festival shows that have yet to be announced (can’t spill the beans yet sorry haha) later this year.
7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of thrash and death metal?
It’s been great! I feel that people are hesitant to check us out sometimes for whatever reason, but we get told a lot that once they do they dig it right away. Even globally we have gotten a great response considering we’ve never left the United States; we get orders from every continent (except Africa and Antarctica…for now). There are so many bands out there that you can’t really blame someone for not checking you out but we are very grateful for everyone that has.
8.The original version of the album was released by EBM Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
EBM is based out of Mexico City and they have been putting out our music since our debut full length album. They’ve released albums by a lot of cool bands like Hirax, Bio-Cancer, Zombie Holocaust and a lot more. We felt it was time to move on though and set our sights on something bigger which is why we signed with Static Tension Records in May and we will be re-releasing the album in late July through them.
9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
That’s a good question, we’ve already been working on material for our third album, and there will definitely be some elements from “Prophetic Deceiver” but we’re putting more thought into song writing. We want to continue to put out killer pulse pounding thrash metal but we want to be able to demonstrate our musicianship as well.
10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Biggest influences have been Testament, Death, Demolition Hammer, and Sepultura among others.
Lately speaking for me personally I’ve been listening to a lot of Revocation, Carcass and The Black Dahlia Murder in terms of non-thrash bands. Thrash wise I’ve been really into Warbringer, Havok, and Ultra-Violence from Italy. We also listen to a lot of instrumental music because we feel there is a lot we can take away from it.
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Man where do I begin, as I said above we’re big nerds man, we love reading comics, watching sci-fi and horror films, we love checking out obscure places to munch and drink. We’re people you know? We like to do all the same stuff everybody else likes to do that’s really how I can sum it up. We’re all big sports fans and we like to joke around with the idea of songs being played at these events knowing it’ll never happen haha
12. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Just thank you to everyone that has supported us over the years, We’ve been around for 8 years now which is a hell of a lot longer than I thought we’d be doing this so from the bottom of hearts thank you to everyone and keep your eye because this is only the beginning.
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