'MALO MUERTO' ZINE Nr.1 / Sept 1995 (U.K)

*Interview by DEAN SEDDON

 

-M.M.:'DESPISE are pretty unheard of here, yet you have been around since '86.Could you give us a brief history of the band?'

-DESP.:'Athens DESPISE were formed at the end of '86. With a line-up of MAKIS (vocals and guitar),MARIA (bass) and JOHNNY (drums),DESPISE have been around since mid'89.With this line-up we have played live in various clubs and also opened D.R.I.'s live in Athens in April '90.Our debut demo titled "State of Brutality" which is self recorded and produced,features 4 songs based on American thrash.'

 

-M.M.:'Your music is undoubtedly Thrash and it's pretty obvious SLAYER have had a fair influence on your sound.Is this a fair comment? What do you think of SLAYER?'

-DESP.:'SLAYER is a great band and certainly we have been influenced by them,but we think that our style is not just a result of strong influence,because the way we sound and the way we compose is something that always comes out spontaneously and expresses us.'

 

-M.M.:'IT'S GOOD TO HEAR A BAND PLAYING THRASH AND NOT MOVING ON TO THE NEXT TREND BUT DON'T YOU THINK THIS WILL HINDER DESPISE?'

-DESP.:'We are obsessed with thrash,as we have lived with it since its very beginning and we still continue to follow our own thrash instincts and feelings.We think our next piece of work will show a somewhat more complete picture of our band,as it will contain more songs and more recent material,as opposed to the 4 songs of the demo,which were composed between '86 -'91,even though they were only released in'93.So,in the new album which we are working on,there will co-exist the old impression of thrash together with a more evolved style which has spontaneously come to us those last few years.'

 

-M.M.:'TELL ME A BIT ABOUT YOUR 'STATE OF BRUTALITY' DEMO.WHY SHOULD ANYONE BUY IT?'

-DESP.:'Our demo was recorded and produced in our own studio in'92 and has received only positive reviews around the world, both in the music and production fields.Well,its a professional demo,which also includes a colour cover, photos and lyrics.'

 

-M.M.:'DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW MATERIAL WRITTEN? IS IT SIMILAR TO THE DEMO STUFF?'

-DESP.:'At this moment there is enough complete material, which has been roughly recorded and has certain similarities with the demo,even though we believe that it is adapted to our times and will give new ideas in thrash.'

 

-M.M.:'TELL ME A BIT ABOUT THE GREEK SCENE.YOU HAVE SOME COOL BANDS OVER THERE LIKE ROTTING CHRIST AND NIGHTFALL.WHAT ARE YOUR RELATIONS LIKE WITH THOSE BANDS?'

-DESP.:'These bands seem to represent Greece in the black/death/doom trends. We've also read about them in the foreign press, but we don't happen to know them personally .There are of course quite a few other metal bands which exist in Greece without being known abroad.'

 

-M.M.:'DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE ENGLISH SCENE?ARE YOU IN TOUCH WITH ANYONE OVER THERE?'

-DESP.:'We sometimes read about certain worthwhile English bands, such as REIGN and others and various mags or zines ,such as TERRORIZER, ANATOMIA, VERBAL AGGRESSION etc.,but we haven't so far had any relations with any English band, like we have with others from other countries. We are open to anyone who wants to get in touch with us.'

 

-M.M.:'WHAT'S IT LIKE GIG WISE IN GREECE?I KNOW YOU DID A GIG WITH D.R.I. YEARS AGO.WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?'

-DESP.:'In Greece quite a few gigs take place on a small scale and of course in humble clubs, that's why its quite rare for a Greek band to get the opportunity to take part as support in large events with foreign or well-known bands. Up to now, our gig with D.R.I. was definitely the one which left the best impression on us and also the audience. Of course the place and the sound was good and despite the fact that it was only our second appearance and no one knew our songs yet, we were warmly received by the audience. The large audience also contributed to creating a great atmosphere. Also the guys from D.R.I, were really cool and enjoyed our set very much, which of course was mutual.'

 

-M.M.:'EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING THEY WOULD LIKE TO SAY, MARIA, THE WORDS ARE YOURS...'

-DESP.:'A big thanx to everybody who helped us till now with the distribution and also our fans and the metal press and radio stations who supported our effort with enthusiasm. Lastly thanks to Dean and MALO MUERTO ZINE for the interview. SUPPORT THE UNDERGROUND !'

 

-M.M.:'LAST WORDS + MERCHANDISE.'

-DESP.:'Check out our demo "State of Brutality" and hopefully we will soon be able to present our first L.P.! KEEP THRASHING!'