Interview with Benighted

This is the interview with Julien Truchan vocalist of Benighted!

1.- Brutal regards guys, how are you? Could you tell us a little about the origins of Benighted?
-Hey!! I’m fine; we’re close to tour again for the promotion of our new album “Icon” which is out on Osmose Productions since the end of last year, so I’m very impatient! At the beginning, in 1998, Benighted was just a side-project between members of several extreme bands from our country, and it was so natural and fantastic to play together that we have made this band our top priority very quickly and it’s at this day our single band for every member. And after 10 years, 5 albums and lots of concerts, we are there!

2.- In this moment how is the Extreme Metal scene in France, back in the days i remember extreme bands like Massacra, Agressor, Loudblast, Scarve…Now is a bigger and better scene?
-The French extreme scene is bigger than ever now; we’ve got great bands like Kronos, Destinity, Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition, Gojira, Dagoba, Hacride, Blockheads… I can’t tell them all. Bands propose now a more serious work and the most important thing is that they have a more personal music, with a credible way to play and give French metal its own identity! And we’re only at the beginning!

3.- In the period f 1998 to 2000 you had a Self – Produced album, this album open the doors to play more gigs around France?
-Yes! Even if our music was a bit different from what we play today, its was more black metal influenced than now, it makes us sign on Adipocere Records immediately and offer to the band the possibility to play lots of gigs and make a name on the underground extreme metal scene. This album was recorded in only 4 days, and I think it was a very good material at this period. We made a long travel since this time!

4.- Men what is your secret for create that amazing riffs? You have a unique style!
-Thank you for the compliment! We always had the same way to compose, but I think the fact that each member listen to different styles of music makes our way to create songs rich and original, as everyone can tell his own ideas during the process of composition. We don’t keep a track if we’re not satisfied at 100% with it. Each song has to be easily recognizable and have its own identity with surprising parts, breaks on a very brutal and groovy line of extreme death metal.

5.- You had the opportunity for play with great bands like Deicide, Morbid Angel, Dying Fetus, do you learned something about that experience?
-It’s always a pleasure to be on the same stage than this kind of bands! It stays a great experience as it leads you to spill your entrails on stage and give our entire energy to show what we’re capable of!

6.- At this time what is the most important fact in your career?
-I think it’s the signature on Osmose Productions, it represents a big step in the career of the band for an international development, and it’s a great retribution for our work, I find!

7.- For create music, do you listen a lot of Metal genres or just Death Metal?
-Everyone in the band listen to several different styles and not only in metal; some of us listen to punk, rap, jazz, classical music… and it’s great to use this influences and incorporate them in Benigthed’s entity!

8.- Who are your main influences?
-My biggest influences as singer in Benighted are Franck from Suffocation, Chris Barnes (first Cannibal Corpse period), and John from Dying Fetus. I really like Aborted, Devourment, and Cryptopsy too.

9.- Identisick and Icon are a masterpieces, with who worked for this albums?
-We’ve turned back to Kohlekeller Studio where we’ve even recorded our third album “Insane Cephalic Production”. The work of Kohle and Kai at the studio and their professional and human qualities make the recording very easy and friendly at the same time. They push us to cross our limits each time, and it asks lots of work before recording, but the result is always there at the end!

10.- For lyrics of “Identisick” what was your inspiration?
-As I work in a psychiatric hospital, all my inspiration comes from true cases of psychiatric pathologies. Each album brings its own concept, and as “Insane Cephalic Production” was talking about the mental diseases of children and women in pregnancy, “Identisick” was about the troubles of identity and personality in the psychotic crisis.

11.- Massacra or Suffocation?
-Suffocation!! I love their music and listen to them since I’m 14years old!

12.- How was the contact for play in a great Festival like “Inferno Fest” in Norway?
-Nothing to ask, they contacted us and we immediately accepted! It’s a great opportunity for the band to play at one of the most famous festivals in Europe! We’re impatient!

13.- Plans for this 2008?
-We’ve been planned to lots of festivals as the Houten Death Fest or the Neurotic Death Fest in Netherlands, the Chaulnes Metal Fest and the Hell Fest in France, the Rock Area Fest in Germany, and many others… so everything is cool! We have the intent to make a video clip in May with the son “Slut” from “Icon”, and we were supposed to make a European tour with Dying Fetus, but it was cancelled… a European tour will be made at th end of the year for sure!

14.- I hope see you sometime in Mexico, do you know some Latinamerican bands?
-I really hope we’ll come soon!! And for the band, I would say Disgorge!!!!!

15.- For last something to say dudes?
-A big “Stay Brutal” to all the Mexican metal fans who support us! Thank you bros!!!

You can check this guys on:

www.myspace.com/brutalbenighted
www.staybrutal.com