Constrict - Interview

Hey, Breathing The Core fans, here we bring you another interview of the Mathcore/Metalcore band Constrict from Brazil, so here you can see and give a like to his FACEBOOK PAGE. We have nothing more to say, so enjoy this interview!

ECJ = Elias Cheika (Vocals)

MSV = Marcelo Varge (Guitar)

1.Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or came out just like that? 

ECJ: It was a name that was hammering on my head for some time, and when finally I met with Marcelo and talked about the band and style, it seemed like an obvious choice. Maybe because the use of odd time signatures can give you some kind of "constricting" feeling.

 

2.Why did you want to play this genre? 

ECJ: We really don't know what genre we are in. That's basic for every band to say, I am aware of that, so let me explain: we come from a varied musical background, so, even if the project started with Marcelo with Botch, Converge, Coalesce and a healthy dose of Tool in mind, I come from a more oldschool and at the same time experimental background, where Slayer, Testament and Black Sabbath live amongst Merzbow, Kraftwerk and Skinny Puppy for example. Paulo is a thrasher, so Overkill, Metallica, Nevermore, that was his stuff initially, but he also likes a lot of Revocation, Mastodon and newer bands, along with rock classics. Victor is an enigma and can't be discussed in common human terms.

 

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

MSV: No, but it seemed like yes. Everything happened fast, I think I met Elias and Victor in a week's time span and two weeks later we were rehearsing just like that.

ECJ: When my thrash band was falling apart I started looking for some band where I could take care of singing and making the lyrics/vocal melodies only. In my old band I usually composed the music as well, and the task of being the "go to man" was straining me. Then I saw the add Marcelo put on the internet and just after hearing his sounds for the first time I knew I had to get on board with that. It was different from everything every one was doing, it had character and originality and I felt it would improve me as a vocalist and all around musician as well. When we met to talk and drink we instantly "clicked".

 

4. Each band member favourite band? 

ECJ: I'll give you a boring answer, but it is really hard to narrow down to one. When I was a teen, it was NOFX, I can tell you that. Paulo and Victor both said it depends a lot on the moment they are in.

MSV: May I list two? Botch and Tool. Both of them changed my vision of everything, but Botch was the one who dragged me for a whole new perspective of composing music.

 

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

ECJ: For the lyrics I keep a large amount of written material that was built upon for years, I always keep a notebook close or at least scribble in everything I can, pieces of paper and "post-its", whatever. I am very inspired by cinema, but not only, I'm all over the place. For vocal melodies, some people I really dig are Dave Hunt (Anaal Nathrakh), LG Petrov (Entombed), Tom G. Warrior (Celtic Frost, Triptykon), Maynard Keenan (Tool, Puscifer, A Perfect Circle), Warren Dane (Nevermore, Sanctuary), James Hetfield (Metallica), Vurtox (Disillusion)... And a lot more, hahahaha.

MSV: I compose music since I was 14, it's been 13 years now so I changed my inspiration several times. I guess that for Constrict sound style what inspires me most is the challenge of unifying odd time signatures into a solid piece of music. I really do not care if I take 2 hours of writing to produce 15 seconds of riff's, it's all about finding coherence in something that, at first, simply doesn't sounds right.

 

6. Where was your last gig? 

MSV: We'll play at Cerveja Azul Rock Bar on April 12. We also have a show at Mongaguá on July 11. These'll be our first gigs.

ECJ: There are another gigs in the talking, but we prefer to wait to be sure before talking abaout it. Our band is a newborn.

 

7. Where would you like to act?

ECJ: Everywhere!

MSV: Could not agree more.

 

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

ECJ: Oh, right now we are just glad to play at all. I mean, we are starting from zero, we wanted to spend time practicing, sharpening our skills, cleaning our act, producing material and then recording something so we could the just focus in getting gigs and getting the most out of it.

 

9. Whom not? 

ECJ: I don't really wanna be associated with any act that is racist, mysoginist or homophobic.

MSV: Elias couldn't say better.

 

10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that? 

MSV: I guess stage fright is inevitable. I've really played a lot of gigs around Brazil, I really mean a lot, but none with Constrict yet. Said that even I cannot assure that I'll be "stage fright free" on our first show. But what I can say for all beginners that read this: That's nothing better than live performance. That's what doing music really is about.

 

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

 

MSV: Well, I must say Botch, Tool, Converge, Rammstein, Deftones, System of a Down, etc. The list would only get bigger, but these were really crucials for me as a guitar player.

 

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for? 

MSV: To interview us :)

 

13. What do you think of your fans? 

MSV: Well that's been a week now since we released our EP, we had almost 700 likes on our Facebook page which we consider the flagship for releasing our material, so that's for now all we can say about.

ECJ: We are thrilled with every time someone listens, download, share. And I really meant it.

 

14. What do you think of our site? 

ECJ: As I said, a place that can offer support and spotlight for an up and comming band like ours, out of nowhere, is just awesome. Initiatives like that are what keep the metal community going, what renew band and fans faith in it. I just think your site, more than great, is needed.

 

15. Something to add?

ECJ: We would like to say a big thank you for you and Beathing The Core for giving us this opportunity to shed some light on our band, and we also want to thank each and every person who listen to our sounds. There are plenty more things to come, and we hope this is just the beginning of a great friendship! All the best.

MSV: I can only appreciate your interest in our work and tell you that such thing will not be forgotten. For anyone who wants to keep in touch just follow us on Facebook (http://facebook.com/constrict)

and on http://www.constrict.com.br