Revolution Music: Hallo. First of I would like to congratulate you for your new album “Mankind Way Of Life”.
Max: Thanx! We have worked hard to produce it and it expresses our mood through the years, from 2000 to 2008.
Revolution Music: Could you start out by introducing yourselves and tell us what your role in the band is?
Max: I’m Max and I’ve been playing bass guitar in Planar Evil since January 2003. Mark, our singer, he’s the one who started out this project. At the beginning they were a thrash-trio. During the “Land of Doom” demo recording session in November 2002 I was always following them around. Then they decided they needed a stronger sound also during live performances, that’s why they asked me to join the band.
Revolution Music: How and why did you come up with the name “PLANAR EVIL”? Does it have any special meaning?
Max: We chose this name in the early days, in 1999 I think… it doesn’t have any special meaning, it’s just a matter of sound, it seemed to us that those words well recalled the concept of Land of Doom.
Revolution Music: How did you all come together, and became the band you are today?
Max: We had some line up changes through the years…Fortunately we have had a steady line up since 2005 with me at bass guitar, Mark Evil at vocals and rhythm guitars, Antonio at lead guitar and Amilcare at drums. More or less we have the same lifestyle.
Revolution Music: The album is released trough MDD Records, how did the contract get established, and how are they to work with?
Max: It was me who produced “Mankind Way Of Life” in 400 copies with my ITALIAN THRASH ATTACK (www.myspace.com/italianthrashattack) small promo agency. I have already done a standard promo campaign contacting many labels. After a while MDD Records showed us its interest in reprinting the cd (the first print got sold out in only two months!). There is a good feeling between Planar Evil and MDD, I gotta say they are doing a great job for us, as well as giving a great support to the underground scene.
Revolution Music: Why did you choose the title “Mankind Way Of Life” for this record, does it have any special meaning?
Max: Yes I chose the name "Mankind Way Of Life", it is to expresses the many ways of life that one can follow and that’s what make people different one from another. Above all I meant to underline the wrong ones, the wrong ways of leading one’s own life.
Revolution Music: When you started working on this album, how long did the process take from the first step to the final product? Was it hard to write new material for this record or did it come naturally for you?
Max: The recording process started with a pre-production at home in February 2008. After we entered the Temple of Noise Studios in Rome. It took us much time to mix. As for the next album we absolutely want to spend more time in mixing and mastering, probably in another recording studio. About the song-writing everything comes naturally. What else...we are also working on new songs now.
Revolution Music: Where did you record the album, and who produced it?
Max: Both “Mankind Way Of Life”, and “Land Of Doom” demo, were recorded and mixed at Temple of Noise Studios in Rome by Christian Ice with our collaboration of course.
Revolution Music: How was it to work with him?
Max: It’s always a lot of fun to work with Christian, he’s mad! It’s the third time that I have recorded at his studios. But for the next one album we think we are going to look for something new.
Revolution Music: Are you trying to express something through your music?
Max: We play what and how we live every day. Our thoughts, our opinions.
Revolution Music: How has the album been received by the press, the critics and the fans so far?
Max: As I have said we got the first 400 copies printed under ITALIAN THRASH ATTACK sold out in only two months. They asked for them from everywhere : Italy, Germany, Usa, Japan and so on…We did not expect such a thing! The reprint under MDD seems to go well too! We also have good ratings in reviews by magazine, fanzine and webzine.
Revolution Music: What is your view on the group’s position in today’s music scene?
Max: We are an underground band devoted to the old school thrash metal, not more, not less.
Revolution Music: How would you compare the material on “Mankind Way Of Life” to your previous material?
Max: If you listen to “Land of Doom” demo you can see that we have re-arranged all the tracks (the second part of “Mankind Way Of Life”). There is absolutely a better production and professional composition, as well as in our new songs. We have a better line up now so we decided to rearrange the old songs too. But “Land Of Doom” also sounds good…it’s for thrash metal maniacs, the ones who really appreciate screeching raw sounds.
Revolution Music: How would you define your style?
Max: Old School Thrash Metal. In our music you can find old school sensibility with a modern production. The Old School in 2009.
Revolution Music: What kind of stuff did you grow up listening to, and what kind new music do you listen to these days?
Max: We are truly thrash metal maniacs and we have grown up listening to the pioneers of thrash metal. We still listen to old stuffs but new things are always welcome.. There is a great underground thrash metal scene today and there are some come back of great bands from the old school too. Our influences comes from the Bay Area sound but we listen to thrash metal from everywhere if it’s good to us.
Revolution Music: Have any of these bands been source of inspiration for the album?
Max: For sure, bands like Forbidden, Exodus, Testament, Slayer, Sacred Reich, Overkill and old Metallica.
Revolution Music: In your time as musicians, what is your biggest musical achievement so far?
Max: Playing at metal festivals with great metal bands, have a contract with a label, having fans all around the underground metal world.
Revolution Music: Could we expect any European tour and maybe see the band in action here in Denmark any time soon?
Max: It would be great!
Revolution Music: What do you think of the music scene in Europe, compared to the scene in the US?
Max: There is a good scene in Europe too, for sure!
Revolution Music: What would be the ultimate tour, festival or show for you to play at?
Max: A new Clash of Titans hahahahah!!!
Revolution Music: Do you have any breaking news with the bands?
Max: We are working on new songs and planning some shows.
Revolution Music: That’s all we’ve got this time, do you have anything that you'd like to add or say?
Max: Thanx for your great support, see ya thrashin’ all around. THRASH OR BE THRASHED from Mark, Max, Antonio and Amilcare: A New Level Of Ignorance and Power ahahaha!!! Join us on www.myspace.com/planarevil and www.planarevil.com.
Revolution Music: We would like to say thanks a lot for your time. And we wish all you guys all the luck in the future whatever it might bring. And thanks to Sure Shot Worx for setting this interview up.
Max: Thanx again! Keep in touch!
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