Neter comes from Spain and they bring some high quality, traditionally brutal and (at moments) technical death metal with them. With three albums under their belts and newest being only months old, there were questions needing answers. Andrés Rosales (bass) was nice enough to answer all of them so sit comfortably, click on the 'play' button and get to reading.

Tomek

Spain was always a place where I wanted to visit and explore. Tell me about the area you live in. What kind of places would you recommend to visit?

We live in the south of Spain, in a city called Seville. It is the fourth most populated city in Spain, and one of the most visited by tourists. Fortunately, we live in a very beautiful city with famous places like La Giralda, El Real Alcázar and Plaza de España. Walking through the streets of El barrio de Santa Cruz or on the banks of the Guadalquivir River and tasting our varied and rich gastronomy is delightful. There are plenty of things to do here, but we also recommend a trip to Granada to visit La Alhambra. You will love this city. We strongly recommend visiting Seville because you would really enjoy your time here, but I have to suggest avoiding coming in summer. Spring is an ideal time to visit the city, but in summer the temperatures are extremely high, and it is unbearable to go outside.

What kind of scene do you have over there, is there a lot happening?

Some years ago we had a good scene, but nowadays we sadly have to say that the scene is getting smaller and smaller. Young people don't seem to be interested in metal music, and the attendance to concerts is decreasing. We do not know if this is something that is happening throughout the country, but in this situation we have been forced to seek our audience outside of Spain, and we have found great support in countries like The United States, where fans continue to support the bands buying music in digital format.

Let's talk about your newest album, was it a blast working on it, how was the whole process?

We enjoyed the process but it was very tough too. We forced ourselves to complete the whole process in less than two years, because we wanted to take advantage of the success of Idols, and we needed to work very hard to achieve it. We don't make a living with our music and we have jobs, so the time we can dedicate to Neter is limited. But despite the difficulties, we got the right the songs on time, and we are very happy with the result.

Did you find yourselves employing anything from the first and second record onto the new one?

We don't usually recycle anything from previous albums. When we started to write Inferus, we didn't have anything written yet, so we started from scratch. We see an album as an independent ensemble with its own entity, and recovering old discarded songs can affect negatively the result.

Was there anything that influenced you differently while composing; were there any non metal influences that surprised even yourself?

We listen to a lot of music of many different styles, but our main influences come from extreme metal groups. We are not afraid of including new aspects in our music, and we like to try new formulas, but Inferus is more like an evolution from Idols. We wanted to add some groove and more variety but keeping the same essence. We had a very clear concept in our minds, and we wanted to add more personality to the new songs, but we have avoided big changes in our style.

Which song gave you the most trouble and why?

Without a doubt, the song that has given us more headaches has been 'Atlantis of the Sands'. We didn't finish writing this song until day before entering the studio, and even after finishing the recording, we considered removing it from the set list. Finally, we didn't eliminate it, but we decided to cut a part of the song, and paradoxically at the end it was one of our favorites - as it is for many fans.

Which one was a breeze to finish and record, why do you think that was?

Unfortunately, no song has been easy to write or record. Technically, some have been more difficult than others, but all of them have at least one detail that has been a challenge for us. 'Blazing Fallout' is a slower song, and it has probably been the easiest one to record, but it also has a quick passage with difficult wrist movements. Whether in a technical or a compositional level, in every song we always try to step out of our comfort zone because it is the best way to evolve as musicians.

What do you consider the most important element in creating your music, is everything buttoned up when you go in the studio or there is still room for a little improvisation?

We have sometimes made little changes during the recording of an album, but we prefer to prepare everything as much as possible. Before entering the studio, we always record a homemade demo of the entire album because it allows us to make a good review of each song. Spending time in a studio is very expensive, and there time to record is very limited, so we must be as prepared as we can. Anyway, even if we had limitless access to the studio, it would make no sense for us to improvise. The way we write music is not compatible with that. We like to write concept albums and giving every song a meaning and it is not possible to do so improvising in the studio.

How did you make your decision when choosing album cover, tell us about the process?

We worked with many concepts throughout the album, and we considered different options, but finally we wanted something related to the temple of Göbekli Tepe. We knew the theme we wanted for the cover, but it wasn't an idea that we had developed too much, so we left that job to the designer. We called the same artist who made the cover of Idols, and he sent us different sketches using a very similar style of drawing and colors to Idols. It made sense for us because we wanted to reflect the relation of Inferus with the last album, so we decided to work with him again.

Whose work do we see on the album cover, how does it correspond to the lyrics and music?

All the artwork from Inferus has been made by Daví Orellana. Daví has worked with us many times in the past, and we are very close to him. We love to work with him because of the quality of his work, and because he usually adds a meaning to every detail of his drawings. Everything on the cover is there for a reason, and that reason is something related to the lyrics, and that’s why we are so happy with the result. We talk about different civilizations in the lyrics, but the temple of Göbekli Tepe is the most representative symbol, so that had to be the chosen one for the cover.

I don't own the album so can you tell me about the words a bit, what are they about, what topics or themes can we expect to find on Inferus?

Inferus is like a journey through history in which we talk about how different cultures have faced their own disappearance and, in other words, their own death. Many primitive religions worshiped death like a god, and we have referred to death the same way in our lyrics. So, it would be as if that deification of death was behind the end of civilizations, and mankind venerates it because they fear it. We prefer not to express these ideas explicitly, so that’s why we use metaphors and symbolism to tell these stories.

In your opinion, which song from the new album is the best representation of it?

We had a long debate to choose the song that best represents the album, and we didn't know which one to send for the promotion. 'Primordial Entity' is a very powerful song and it has a very recognizable guitar riff, but it is too different from the rest of the album. 'The Pillars of Heracles' and 'Rebirth Of The Overthrown' are killer songs, and we could choose any of them as the single of Inferus, but finally we decided that 'Faceless' is the most representative because of the lyrics and the potency it transmits.

Which one seems to work out best in the 'live' setting?

In the shows we are playing the album almost completely, and they are all working quite well. 'Triumphant March' is still the most claimed by the people, but songs like 'Faceless' or 'The Pillars of Heracles' are standing out above the rest.

New album has been out for few months now. Response has been good from what I see. How does it feel to know you did well, what is the best thing and the funniest you've heard about the album so far?

We are very happy with the feedback we are receiving from the fans and the media. Sales are going better than expected, and we are reaching a lot of people thanks to the good promotion of our labels. It is comforting to see that we are doing things well, and that we are on the right track. We still have a lot to learn and improve, and we have great aspirations, but we are enjoying the process which in the end is what matters most. It's very easy to choose the best and the funniest thing we have heard about Inferus. We have read in some reviews of the album that we are probably the best Spanish metal band, and although it is a very daring consideration, it is one of the best compliments we could receive right now. And the funniest things we have read are the references to the phallic form of the pillars of the cover. It seems that many people have a slightly perverse mind, and can’t avoid making the comparison.

Thank you for finding time to this interview, good luck with everything. Last words belong to you.

Thank you very much for your support, and thanks for making us this interview. We also want to thank our fans for the support we are receiving, and we can't wait to see you at the shows.

Bursting onto the progressive scene circa 2003 with "Ripples in Time," Chrome Shift has been steadily making some waves with their brand of technical prog metal and addictive song compositions. If you are a progressive fan, you have possibly noticed the quality material from DVS Records and Chrome Shift has no doubt caught your eye. Otto Schüett, founding member and guitarist of Chrome Shift was all too happy to depart surplus information on "Ripples in Time" and their upcoming European touring.

Jack 'Odel'


Congratulations on "Ripples in Time." I am very impressed with the record, and it has been receiving quite an amount of playing time recently. You guys must be stoked with how it turned out, considering it is a debut record.

Thank you! Yeah, you are right! Considering that the record was made primarily for ourselves and friends to document what we had been doing for some years in the rehearsal room, and was done so for the prize of a good guitar amp in the run of 14 days, it was a surprise really, both that we got a record-deal so quickly and that we have received a huge amount of fantastic reviews so far.

Earlier this month Chrome Shift played at Sweden Rock 2003. How was it? How did your expectations of Sweden Rock differ from what the reality was?

Well, being an unknown band, we played at a time where most of the audience was sleeping it off, so it was kind of surrealistic playing on a monster stage with only a few hundred people in front. But, really, it was what we had expected. But then again, everyone we met was very friendly and enthusiastic, so it was worth doing it.

I must admit I have not heard too much about this festival. Is this a mainly progressive music festival? What other bands were on the bill for 2003 that you played alongside?

I must admit that we were only on the festival grounds for a couple of hours as we had a long drive home. As far as I experienced Sweden Rock it was a festival for classic heavy-rock and metal bands, with a few exceptions, us being one of them. I got to hear a little Talisman, Sepultura and some metal-bands unknown to me. I know that Queensryche, Whitesnake and Twisted Sister, as well as some other well-known bands were main acts. As a whole it was very well checked and very big (four stages with music simultaneously). Fantastic weather too!

How did it all begin for Chrome Shift? Did you guys have any background in the progressive scene before forming Chrome Shift?

The band was co-founded by JC (bass) and I, after our previous band Shane had dissolved – that must have been around 1997. After looking for musicians without luck for nearly a year or so, we made contact to Poul (drums). That was in many ways the most crucial decision for us. We wanted a no-limits drummer, and that was what we got. Jakob was the next guy we contacted. In my opinion he is the real sensation in Chrome Shift. So the first years we played only instrumentals while looking frantically for a singer. In Denmark it's almost impossible to find someone wanting to try his talent out on the kind of music we play. But then, at last, Rasmus was found.

From a metal standpoint I haven't really heard a lot of music coming out of Denmark. Do you guys have a good music scene in Denmark?

If we are talking about prog-rock or heavy metal we have a lot of would-be bands, but no scene and no audience at all. Concerning other music styles there are a lot of very good musicians, a lot of good bands. Generally speaking I think it's like other countries: the market is flooded mainly with music that appeals to those who have the money, you know?

How hard was it to put together a band like Chrome Shift in such a small country like Denmark, which like every other country is universally subject to mainstream music?

After being involved with heavy rock and the like for many years I must say that the existence of Chrome Shift itself is a little wonder, finding the right musicians took years and keeping the band together for years without having any possibility of getting the music out one-way or another. And it is still very complicated to get the band together to practice. We live far from each other and are involved in a lot of different things...

René from DVS Records is obviously a big fan of all things coming out of the progressive rock/metal field. How important is it for you guys to be associated with a label that really enjoys your music, as opposed to a company that might just be in it for the money?

Well, I met René for the first time at Sweden Rock. We have a very good contract with DVS and he has been friendly and supportive all the way – it is much more than we could have hoped for just a year ago! It seems appropriate to be with a record company that is foremost interested in bringing out new bands – we're in the same boat so to speak. So, until now, there has been no pressure.

You have two non-English tracks in both Danish and French. One is about a dead astronaut and has something to do with the time or life of an assassin. Is this correct?

'Kosmonauten er død' (it means 'the cosmonaut is dead') is one of the bands first songs. A real chrome-shifter, grown in the times before we met Rasmus! Here Jakob really sets the cinemascope! The title refers to a note I found about the burning-up of a Russian cosmonaut in space on his way back to earth. It's that kind of feeling, or is it? The other is 'Les temps des Assassins.' This one is my responsibility. It was inspired by the happenings around the World Trade Center. Sometimes I simply have to go against the grain. What is it that makes men go to death open-eyed? Any man? Any idea? How can one be so desperate? So weak? So strong? If the lyrics provoke – that is what they're meant to do!

In a broad sense "Ripples in Time" is about time travel, space and darkness. I don't think this topic has really been explored much in rock/metal so much before. It seems to carry a sort of a science-fiction theme to it. Do you guys have a personal interest in these subjects?

Yeah, you are right, that's science fiction. Jens, our bass player, who wrote "Ripples in Time," has a knack for those kind of things. That we have two tracks concerning space is a coincidence, though.

The four tracks that make up 'Ripples in Time' is obviously one of the biggest talking points of the record. How did the writing process differ for these four songs than the rest of the album? Did you write the songs with an idea that they were going to form part of larger group?

Well, originally Jens wrote the first part as a stand-alone piece. But somehow along the way he considered there was more to the basic idea – the last 3 parts were finished just in time to make it to the record. 'Ripples...' differs from all the other tracks in the respect that it was finished and not worked on in rehearsal as most of the other songs. There was simply no time to work it over if we wanted it on the record.

Are the themes from the 'Ripples in Time' section vastly distinctive in relation to the rest of the album, or still a continuation of the themes that were present on the other 8 tracks?

As stated above, somehow 'Ripples...' is different from the rest of the songs and has no inner relation to them. Musically speaking it relates though, as Jens has supplied a large part of the musical ideas for the whole album. It's the same source.

You guys are on the bill to play ProgPower in October. You must be extremely excited at the prospect to get your music out to a larger audience!

Yes! Our appearance at ProgPower will be part of a tour, which we are planning at the moment. All this is very new to us and we really look forward to getting into the routine of being on stage and playing to different audiences. Also being together as a band for more than a day will be a new experience.

What looms on the horizon for Chrome Shift? Surely, following ProgPower it must be time to start thinking about a follow up record for "Ripples in Time"?

Well, we have yet to see if our record sells, but I think we are ready for the grand ball, if that should be so. I know our record company and our management has a lot of plans for us. So, basically it's the same as always: we are working on a lot of new music (at present time we already have enough material for the next record – a lot of it we already play live). We surely hope to get into the studio again this autumn, if possible with a little more money than last time.

With "Ripples in Time" being a reasonably successful record in terms of media reactions, do you feel a great deal of pressure to up the stakes for your second album?

No, I don't think so, no at the present, anyway. I'm very optimistic about the future, as I think we already have a lot of dynamite material ready. It will be very diverse, just like the first record, but in terms of technique and musical content it will be more adventurous and daring.

Thanks for taking your time out for this chat, man! I greatly appreciate it. Good luck with the future, and I am eagerly looking forward to seeing you guys come out with a record that blows away "Ripples in Time"!

Thank you for you interest! It's a new and uncommon feeling suddenly to be of interest to a lot of people, to share their good will towards our music, and to get some confirmation! That's surely the best motivation to keep working with the music despite a lot of practical, especially economic problems. And yes, you can look forward to something special the next time!