Interview for Antichrist Magazine #9 2009

Hellz! Glad to meet you here! The year has passed since your new album was released. So in which state of mind you are now? Working upon new stuff? Max: Hi Aleksandr! We are working on 3 new songs, we are almost done..just finishing to arrange them. That’s 3 because we have focused more on the promotion of our new cd, that means a lot of gigs and we are getting ready for the next concert at Metal Disorder Festival in Milan! I didn’t heard about PLANAR EVIL before receiving your “Mankind Way Of Life” for review. Also seems not so many thrashers knows you. So please write little about band history. Max: Planar Evil got together during January 2000, 9 years ago. At the beginning we were born as a thrash-trio in Venom style and in November 2002 we entered the Temple Of Noise Studios in Rome to record our demo “Land Of Doom”. You can find the new version of the demo songs on “Mankind Way Of Life” but I advise you to listen to the original one too. Old school thrash metal maniacs would like it. We have had some line up changes through the years because it is such a hard thing to find the right people to play with, people you can share the same ideas and feelings with. We played a lot, even as an opening band for important names such as Blaze Bayley, TM Stevens, Torture Squad, Grind Inc. and so on...we always had a lot of fun! Last year we recorded the first full length album at Temple Of Noise Studios in Rome (as well as for “Land Of Doom”). We got 400 copies printed under the promotion of ITALIAN THRASH ATTACK (www.myspace.com/italianthrashattack) and we got a sold out in only two months’ time. They asked for our cd in many places from all over..from Italy to Germany, USA, Japan and so on…After that we signed up a contract with MDD Records, we got our cd reprinted, they did a great work for us. Ok, “Mankind Way Of Life” is your first full-length, right? Can you say – “yeah, we are very proud by this album!”? As for me, this is a strong debut. Also for what you put there many 1 minute empty tracks? Max: Yes we are proud, we are having a very good response. But naturally we’ll always try to do it better and better, trying to have a better production changing recording studios. The empty tracks are meant to divide the songs from the last two stupid hidden tracks where you can listen to some delirious crazyshit from Mark with a popular polka on the back hahaahah. Then tell us about album conception. Looking at the album title, it’s about some “global” themes, right? Max: Yes, "Mankind Way Of Life" is not a concept album but something like that. Throughout our lyrics we try to picture different human ways of life, especially the wrong ones. About band title. Why right planar evil? From your point of view, is it a very important thing – the name of the band; don’t you agree that music and band title should reflex each other? Max: We chose the name Planar Evil in 1999 or 2000, we were young. It’s like Sepultura, they choose their name when they were young, probably they would not use the same name and cover albums now (bestial devastation or morbid vision)…But we can’t change it now and we don’t want, it mirrors a part of our story as a band. What do you think the words Planar Evil mean Aleksandr? What is “Planar Evil”? Please answer me ahahah. Your music very close to such KREATOR, TESTAMENT (most of all, even vocals are slightly similar), SLAYER. Do you like these bands a lot? And did not you planned to have the band in the way of aforementioned beasts during your band creation? Max: sure! Mark and I (the former members) are truly thrash metal maniacs! We started listening to thrash metal when we were children and we have never stopped listening to old ones, paying attention to the new ones as well: today the underground thrash metal scene is getting bigger and more interesting, moreover there are some coming back of great bands from the old school. About Planar Evil I can say that mostly we are influenced by the American scene. But we also have a glance to the European one. What means thrash metal for you? Is it just music you are playing of or something much deeper and important? To the word, why not death or black metal? Max: Of course the music you listen to reflects your being, your own way of life. We are into thrash metal and old school hardcore. We don’t tell about dragons and princesses. We have something deeper and meaningful around us to tell people about. As for death and black metal bands, the old school’s ones kick ass too! I see you go through common things like line-up troubles… Tell us, why you had 4 line-up change? What the reasons other musicians left PLANAR EVIL? Was there even one single guy who told something like – “I left band because this is not my taste of music” or something else? Max: The point is that we live in a small place, there aren’t many musicians, metalheads or thrashers...It’s difficult to find people who have the same attitude as Mark and as I have. We just want to play thrash metal and don’t ask for more! The other ones changed their lifestyle after a while or complained for the lack of time for their family, girlfriends (ahaha! What a fuck!) or a job. Speaking about critics, I know you got huge respect from thrash metal communion. But I think there were negative critics as well, am I right? So, tell us if there was a TOTALLY objective and “right” negative critic? Max: we are having good responses in reviews. It is obvious that we can have negative critics, never thought of that as a problem. One must always be open minded enough to accept any sort of crictic. We aint made the best thrash album of the world aahahah for sure! But I’m not really interested in reviews, especially if a webzine is run by an 18 years old boy. Every reviewer has his own taste of music, can prefer the old school or the new school, can prefer thrash or power metal and he will judge according to it …I feel proud of my group when I come across a review done by a metal maniac who share the same ideas and opinions about what thrash metal is as me! That makes me buy the fanzine. How did you find MDD from Germany? By standard promo-campaign or so? And how could you evaluate your cooperation so far? Max: Yes, I have done a standard promo campaign contacting many labels. Markus of MDD was soon interested about reprinting the cd that I had self produced with my ITALIAN THRASH ATTACK small promo agency. I think that MDD is working well. There is a good feeling between me and Markus, he have an old school head and gives a great support to the underground scene…try to get the two free samples cd “Kill ‘em All” and “Ride the Lightning” from MDD so you’ll understand. Italy have REALLY many GREAT bands into different metal genres! Do you like your native scene? Which are your relations with other Italian metal bands? Max: working with ITALIAN THRASH ATTACK and going around with Planar Evil I got to know many bands. Up to now we can be proud of the scene from the old school (Bulldozer, Necrodeath, Excidium…). But I think that there isn’t a great culture among people in Italy. How often do you play live? Do you like play live at all and what is your main priority – record an album or play many gigs? Max: A live concert is the best dimension for a thrash metal band. We try to play as much as possible but there aren’t many places where you can play…We would like to make our music known abroad as well so we are planning something outside of Italy too. What’s your relation towards religions? Also don’t you afraid situation like in Poland – “war” against metal music industry from catholics? Max: This kind of situations is really annoying. I don’t believe in Church, in its institutions, in its figures. We don’t need churches…that’s it. As for now, do you like live there in Italy? Tell us one great and one totally bad aspects concerning living conditions there in Italy? Max: One bad: as you can read on international newspapers we have a ridiculous government in Italy and it makes our nation ridicule almost every time. But the biggest problem is people’s superficiality, they are like muppets. I’m really antisocial! One great: mmmm southern women, food and art. Could you accept women there in PLANAR EVIL line-up on some instrument? You know, some ones still says like “there’s no place for women there in the metal music!”… As for me, this is no difference if it’d be man or women… Max: If a girl is able to play..why not?..And if she is able to do something else as well as playing…all the better! why not? Ahahaha, just kidding… What do you know about Ukraina as a country and about Ukrainian metal scene (bands, zines etc…)? Max: I’m sorry but I don’t know anything about Ukrainian scene..so it’s you Aleksandr who can give me some hints if you like. It would be great! Is there still greatest pizza there in Italy? Thx for your time! / Aleksandr Max: In the south of Italy it is. Here you can try the best food of the world, not only pizza…but watch out! It tastes different in the north! Ahahaah! Thanx Aleksandr, see ya thrashin’ all around and thanx for your great support, THRASH OR BE THRASHED !!!