ThanatoSchizO - interview

ThanatoSchizO is a Portuguese Metal Band, that appeared in 1997 and are now a cult band, not in Portugal but in other countries also. They're preparing a new album, so I decided to interview Guilhermino Martins, ThanatoSchizO's guitarrist...

404) It was almost ten years ago that everything started for you, inicially as a covers band, until you started to write some original stuff in 1998 and recorded a demo tape with three songs. Can you please tell our readers a description of ThanatoSchizO's evolution as a band?

TSO) To sum it up quickly, the we banded together in 1997, after two years rehearsing covers, giging, going to modern music contests and doing everything we could to get better musicians and experienced on gig'ing. After that mutation we started doing some originals and three months after we went into studio to record our Demo '98. That demo's sound is completely apoteotic - in the worst way - so we decided not to commercialize it. So, we kept rehearsing and that led us to the recording of the Melégnia EP with the supervision of Luis Barros - our producer as allways. It was 1999 and we started a never-ending tour to promote that EP.
At the end of 2000 Misdeed Records talked us to record our first full-length, and in 2001 "Schizo Level" appears. The intense number of gigs keeps on and the promotion of that album led us to the British independent "Rage of Achilles" that edited our "InsomniousNightLift" in 2002.
After that, in 2004 we released Turbulence and, after two years promoting it with gigs, we slowed down to concentrate on our next full-length album, to be released in mid-2007.

404) Your last work, Turbulence, and as we are already used in your releases, showed us a new face and sound of ThanatoSchizO. How was the general reaction?

TSO) It was undoubtly the TSO's album that had the best reactions and was voted in several places as the best nacional CD of the year.

404) Melégnia's tour got in TSO's fans minds as a really extense tour, and showed us that you were serious about this thing, that you weren't one of those bands that appear to disappear soon. So, it was quite surprising for me to see that you didn't gig'd in 2006... Why was that?

TSO) Easy! After so many years playing live we needed to slow down and totally focus in the next album. Gigging is a strong experience with a great mix of feelings and rituals, and that would distract us from the essencial: our fourth album, So, in that way, we're working in our new album without any kind of pressure.

404) Can you tell us something about the new album? Is it going to be in the heavy path, like in Schizo Level, or in the soft path like in InsomniousNightLift?

TSO) We know us well enough to know that we can't answer to that yet... We never repeat ourselves - it would be easy to record just another "Turbulence 2" but that's something that just won't happen.

404) How are ThanatoSchizO viewed outside of Portugal? Will your next release mark ThanatoSchizO's history as the album that made TSO gig in foreign stages?

TSO) I think we're seen as an exportable band. I don't know if the new album will make us tour outside of Portugal, but if the opportunity arise we'll consider it. We had such opportunities in the past, but the conditions weren't as expected, so we decided not to play.

404) We had lot's of argues here in Portugal lately about the Portuguese Record Industry and the issues of digital music. On the other hand, we see lot's of bands, like yourse, using the Internet to get known, giving free mp3's in their websites or in services like MySpace. What's ThanatoSchizO's oppinion about mp3's?

TSO) I still have a romantic vision about art, and, in this case, about music, and I beliece that people buy the records they like, whether they have it's songs in mp3 or not.

404) I know that ThanatoSchizO has it's own style and sound, so we can't say that they sound like some band. But what are you listening to lately?

TSO) Lately I've been earing the new records from Strapping Young Lad, Rain Paint, Peeping Tom and Ihsahn. Besides the news, this month I've been listening a lot of Secret Chiefs 3, Kip Winger, Fadomorse and Miasma and the Carousel of Headless Horses.

404) What do you think about the Portuguese Metal health?

TSO) We're having more public to quality projects. After some time of mediocricy, we have healthy times of criativity and lately we're having new bands getting the scene healthier. The Internet was a catalyst, and nowadays noone can say he has no way to know this or that band. On the other hand, the public is getting more interested in knowing different stuff, which pleases me.

404) Do you want to leave a final message to this interview readers?

TSO) Before everything, I thank your for this interview, the support and interest on ThanatoSchizO. To the readers, I recommend a visit to www.thanatoschizo.com, were you can follow the news about the upcoming album.

404) Thanks for the chance of interviewing you! Good luck... Here, we'll wait for the upcoming album!