1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
Greetings, blasphemous readers and chaos mongers from Hell!
Well, I can tell you we are already composing new stuff for a 7? ep to be recorded late this year and rehearsing hard for the upcoming gigs.
2.At the end of June you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound of the newer recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
Our new album is far more mature than our debut effort. It?s the same musical purpose on a more adult level.
3.On your facebook page you label your music as 'New Wave Of Portuguese Proudly Obsolete Black Speed/Thrash Metal, can you tell us a little bit more about this tag?
N.W.O.P.P.O.B.S.T.M is just a joke, really! In reality, it does not even define our musical approach in its entirety, it?s just some nonsense crap i posted on facebook without even thinking too much about it. Still, some truth resides in it!
4.You have covered some occult topics with the new album, how would you describe your views on Occultism?
Occultism is a huge motivation for me, as i see no interest in the mundane. Our lyrics revolve around religion, occultism, witchcraft, cosmology, mithology and everything beyond the visible and palpable.
The true power lies beyond the senses.
5.On the new album you had songs in both Portuguese and English, what was the decision behind writing in 2 different languages on the new recording?
There?s no rational reason to justify that, really. It just happened! Some songs had a Lusitanian feel to it and some others were blatantly anglo saxonic (at least from my point of view).
I really didn?t think much about it and let things instinctively flow.
6.Originally the band was called 'Black hammer' but know has the same name but in Portuguese, can you tell us a little bit more about the band name?
The band name is a mere metaphor for the dark forces that drive the band. The name change was a suggestion from a friend (Belathauzer- Filii Nigrantium Infernalium?s mastermind).
The fact is that Martelo Negro is less cliché than Black Hammer, even though the essence is the same. Also, as a moniker, Martelo Negro is far more mysterious than Black Hammer, i guess....
7.Originally the band started out as a solo project, what was the decision behind forming a full line up?
I guess that, at a certain point in time, it just became too serious for me as soon as i realized i wouldn?t want to remain confined to the walls of my bedroom, programming lousy drum machines and living in misanthropic burzumesque isolation. Heavy Metal is supposed to be celebrated on stage, even though there?s nothing wrong about one building a career as a one man project and refusing to play live.
It?s just a matter of artistic direction and personal choices. Hail Quorthon!
8.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
The 2014 edition of Steel Warriors Rebellion was a huge moment for us, as it was the 2012 edition of Degredo Metal Fest at Covilhã (crazy, crazy bangers and moshers!).
I would say we are a very intense band, even though we are all
heavywheight veterans reaching 40.
9.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
There are no plans for touring, except for some one-off gigs here and there. We all have complicated professional and familiar lives that don?t allow us to play live as much as it is desirable.
Still, we have plans to play abroad, even though we cannot do it on an extensive level due to the reasons i exposed.
10.The new album was released on HelldProd, can you can us a little bit more about this label?
HelldProd is a label focused on the real shit and we are very proud for being part of what they have been doing for the past 20 years.
No trends, no fashion! That?s what they are about! Apart from that, Helldprod is a very hardworking label, headed by people who know what professionalism is about.
Just take a look at the label?s catalogue and let all doubts be dissipated!
11.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your new album by fans of extreme metal?
Well, taking into consideration the album was released on a very limited edition (300 copies LP), i can only speak about a dozen of very positive reviews.
As for Portugal, the feedback has been great so far, as I believe we have finally gained the respect we have aimed for in the past 8 years.
12.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects that some of the band members are involved with?
Well, Melkor?s other band (Neoplasmah) is about to release a new album after a few years of inactivity.
Me and Thamuz are working on the debut cd of Bathürzüm (fast and destructive black metal with some Voivod influences) and i have my own personal project called Black Blood Whoracle going on (also fast black metal with some Sarcófago/Blasphemy/Beherit influences).
Our drummer Maalm is currently playing with Atentado and Filii Nigrantium Infernalium.
We also have a funeral doom thing going by the name Capela dos Ossos, with Pedra from Grog on the vocals.
I can say we keep ourselves very, very busy when it comes to making music related stuff.
13.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I guess we won?t change much during the course of the years. We feel really comfortable doing this kind of primitive thing and our goal is to keep our music rooted in the 80?s.
That does not mean we are heading towards stagnation, we just feel we can do interesting and refreshing stuff without abandoning the elements that define what Martelo Negro is about.
But as far as innovating anything, I guess not! Reinventing METAL means disaster, or at least that?s the way I see it.
14.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Well, the obvious stuff, I guess.
We have always been death metal fans, specially death metal from the 80?s crust, speed metal, thrash metal, etc Our most prominent influence is Hellhammer and Celtic Frost but, personally, I?ve always been a huge Iron Maiden fan...
We also have a huge grindcore background, since we all played in grind bands in the past...
It?s kind of complicated to define our influences because we are, in a very abrasive and extensive way, extreme music fans.
I, personally, listen to everything that sounds honest and true. I?m really into stuff like Anaal Nathrakh, Absu, old Carcass, Electric Wizard, Incantation, old Maiden, old Anthrax, old Slayer, Darkthrone, Carnivore, etc.
Complete musical schizophrenia!
15.What are some of your non musical interests?
I would say that some of our non musical interests are the things that our music is about: occultism, witchcraft and (anti)religion.
We are not huge sport fans (except soccer) and no one in the band is into bricolage, crochet, dancing, stamps collections or cooking...
16.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you very much for this interview!
Please, keep up with what we are doing here in this forsaken piece of land and stay true to yourselves. Keep it metal! DIE HARD!
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