Interview with Vandal (Infest)
Vandal: Hails brother! Thank you so much for your patience and dedication!
And also, thanks for your kind words about the album.
Uh, it’s difficult to discuss tracks separately, as they all together create a whole.
They are all focused on a mental health problems worldwide, and people who actually act mental to make some sick ideas come true.
Each song shows a different perspective on mental illness, and I tried to make it personal, as much as I could. I see it all the time how people with severe mental health challenges receive inhumane treatment, which makes me sick. False morality, corrupted systems, human values are lost, ignorance… that’s the world we are living in.
Psychosis is about a fight among different personas within one person. Who’s going to win, makes the future questionable.
"Hail Fire, Hail Death" is about eternal discrepancy of live and death, of fire and water, good and evil. Sides of a human nature when it comes to the burning point can be changed in a second. Igor Miladinovic was a special guest in chorus, with his killer voice, and I really believe that he is one of the best singers on Balkans.
Another track, "The Last Cremation" is a song about depression and suicidal thoughts of a young man. Ross Dolan & Bob Vigna from IMMOLATION were our guests on this track. Their contribution was of immense value to us, as they brought more power and energy to the song that emphasizes the importance of the theme it was inspired by.
Nuclear Deathrash is a legacy to new generations and our old friends, brothers, fans and warriors all around the world. It’s a salute to all the people who are keeping the flames alive.
But as I said, all the songs create a path for the listener to walk through and contemplate the meaning and complexity of mental illness. This is in many ways a harsh and neglectful world, and we should keep eyes on each other as much as we can. And when we add religious interventions with their hypocrisy and blasphemy, you see a world full of shit.
That’s why we tried to make a parallel between religion, mental state, hypocrisy, atrocity and lack of humanity, all in one, to make a message clearer.
Unfortunately I had no chances to have a trip to Hódmezővásárhely/Hungary (Lowland Fest) to see and meet you live in August this year. How do you remember that show?
Vandal: It was a great pleasure to be there and be a part o such a great festival. The moment we arrived we realized that it was going to be the one to remember. People were so crazy, moshing all the time, and after we finished the show, there was a huge party in the tents, so it was a long night. Promoters were amazing and they gave their best to make it the best for us! I really hope we will meet soon in Hungary and have a beer!
Vandal: Oh I agree. Bombarder is a special one to all of us! Thanks for your words about "Horde"! I like that song a lot, and I believe it really fits in properly, with all the bands on the compilation. All of the bands on the compilation should be given credit for making it sound so brutal.
Through the years Infest shared a lot of times the stages with Swedish Turbocharged. What are your favourite tracks/albums from them? Are there any interesting/funny stories from your common tours?
Vandal: Turbochared are family. We have so many funny moments with them, that we could make a book out of them ☺ From the alco-devastation every night and fart competitions in the van, up to all of the shitty stuff bands usually do on the tour ☺ I am a huge fan of Turbocharged, and it would be hard to pick a favorite song or album, but I could only say that, wherever you go, keep in mind that THIS IS AREA 666!
If I’m not mistaken Infest has been formed in 2002. Tell us briefly the history of the band. Which musicians (guitarists and vocalists) inspired you in the beginnings and have you any favorite ones nowadays?
Vandal: When I hear it was 2002, I feel quite old ☺
Hmm, I am really open-minded to different genres of music, but modern age music isn’t really my thing. I was a huge fan of Hard Rock bands, and heavy metal from the 80’ and death & thrash metal from the 90’. Extreme metal was always fascinating to me, since I was a kid. I remember I was the only kid on the block listening to extreme music, and then you get to know more people that have the same interests. Later on, you either choose to quit and treat it as a phase or you commit to it as a lifelong passion. Back in the childhood days, I can say that Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Metallica, WASP, Sepultura… and many more, were my favorite. As I was growing up, my respect and love for those bands haven’t faded, but I have also discovered a lot of new bands, like Immolation, Grave, Dismember, Vader, Unleashed, Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Dissection, Asphyx, Desaster and many more, all of which really influenced me greatly.
I must be honest and say that I am still trapped in the 90’ music, and I am not a fan of modern metal, so I haven’t discovered some new bands, but I really like the progress that old school bands make with the sound, production and stage performance.
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