Interview with Pandemmy

Metal Addicts – First of all, my congrats for “Rise Of A New Strike,” I’ve just reviewed it and it’s amazing, creative, and vigorous. “Rise Of A New Strike” is your third effort, isn’t it? What is it different from the previous efforts? Please, feel free to talk about the band.

Pedro Valença – First, thank you for the compliments! “Rise Of A New Strike” is our second full-length. “Rise Of A New Strike” is a mature album that features how willing we are to get wider audiences. It’s not our intent to be one more extreme metal band, neither to release the same albums. We wish to evolve and to be more diverse within our own musical identity. Our efforts are: 2013’s full lenght “Reflections & Rebellions ;” 2011 and 2012’s EPs “Dialetic,” and “Idiocracy;” and 2010’s demo “Self-Destruction.” Pandemmy were formed in 2009 when I left Monstera, which was a bit more Thrash Metal. Pandemmy are more aggressive due to our death/thrash influences, not to mention our daily Metal and non-Metal influences.

Metal Addicts – How was the experience to play at Hellcifest Festival and to open for Amon Amarth and Abbath. How is it to be a small band among two Metal monsters? How’s to play in such a big Festival?

Pedro Valença – It’s a very nice experience to share the stage with bands with such  an international legacy. We observed carefully how they act in order to absorve everything to our routine. Hellcifest Festival is getting shape and making its own history. That was the second edition, and we’re sure that it will grow and turn into an international date. We enjoyed a lot our gig and how the staff cared for us.

Metal Addicts – Pandemmy are from a non-traditional Metal region. Even here in São Paulo, a big city with an old and well-defined Metal tradition, sometimes people on the streets give me that look because of my hair. How are things there?

Pedro Valença – There’s a tradition in Metal here indeed. Eastern states scenes are from the 1980s, and there are also active bands from that time. Talking about Pernambuco (a brazilian state), there is a good book about local scene that is “Pesado – Origem e Consolidação do Metal em Pernambuco” (Heavy – Metal Origins and  Consolidation in Pernambuco), written by journalist Wilfred Gadelha. Eastern scene is growing up, but there aren’t still enough good places to play as it is Brazil’s poorest region, so that’s why we can’t count on the same amount of resources and international shows that other more priviledged regions such as the South. By the way, yes, there’s a lot of prejudice against headbangers. It’s unbelievable that even in 2017 people judge others by hair, black cloth. I guess that’s maybe because we live in society that cares more about the looks than the inner self. Metal is here to break rules and to be against all that traditionalism. It’s sick to see metalheads suporting conservative and hateful people like Jair Messias Bolsonaro (brazilian politician), and Donald Trump.

Metal Addicts – In my “Rise Of A New Strike” review I noticed that Pandemmy thing is death metal with some melodic, technical, and brutal dashes. And in my opinion that blend makes your music rich. How do you define yourselves?  And how to deal with all those diverse influences?

Pedro Valença – We define ourselves as a death/thrash Metal band, because that’s what we like to hear. There’s a dynamic songwriting in Pandemmy. If you listen to us, you’ll notice that our songs are different from each other, but not far from our musical personality. We receive influences from all Metal genres, and that comes into our writing. It’s funny to hear that we are a technical band, because that’s not our intent to be a virtuous or resourcefull band. But for sure we get it as a compliment.

Metal Addicts – I always like to ask bands about their songwriting process, and sometimes I get the most unusual answers. How’s your songwriting process? Do you share it or there a main writer?

Pedro Valença – I am the main writer, but since Guilherme (guitarist) got into Pandemmy in 2014 we started to share it. It’s not usual to me to write everything, because songs may change during rehearsals. We usually add, rule out or modify some parts. It’s just part of the process. Sometimes some band members come with the song done, that’s the case of “Stars Of Decadence” which was written by Marcelo Santa Fé, our bassist.

Metal Addicts – Recently you singned a deal with Sangue Frio Produções to share digitally your albums. Is this world of sharing natural to you or you are still trying to adapt to this new reality? By the way, do all your albums have a physical format? Do you force it? I mean, do you really want a physical product? I ask that because this is a nuance of Metal world. Fans love to have the physical product. It’s just another kind of relationship with music that conventional markets just don’t get it. How’s that to you?

Pedro Valença – For us it is natural to share via digital platforms. It’s the way it’s with the new technologies. The way we listen to music changed, but we need a physical product, that’s part of Metal’s culture. All our albums are also physical, some were labeless, some official. “Rise Of A New Strike” will be available physically this semester.

Metal Addicts – How about your career? Many gigs? Any plans to play abroad?

Pedro Valença – Not too many gigs nowadays. There’s been a shrinking process for local shows around here besides a great amount of international shows. 2017 has been controvertial, because even though the economy is in a bad shape, there’s been a lot of international shows. Even so we must go on as long as we are to release  a websingle this year and an official video. We are working on “Rise Of A New Strike” to play all around the country.

Metal Addicts – That’s all folks! Wish you the best. Keep Metal rolling!

Pedro Valença – Thank you Metal Addicts for this opportunity! Follow Pandemmy on all social media (Facebook, YouTube e Instagram) to seek for our news. We hope to play for all our fans soon. IT’S TIME TO SPREAD THE PANDEMMY AGAIN !!!

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