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We Are The Damned is a band from Portugal which just released their second album, Holy Beast. To find out more about the Lisboan band we jotted down a few questions for them. Here we go!
Please tell us a bit about how We Are The Damned came to life! And why did you choose this band name?
We got together in 2007, kinda like a having fun band, that rapidly changed into something more serious because we manage to stun ourselves heheheh.... The band name came from some lyrics we listen from some song where the guy shouted we are the damned, I cant remember the band actually. But anyway we thought it was a name with guts and that somehow had everything to do with the concept we wanted to create for this band.
Your debut was released in 2008 - The Shape Of Hell To Come -, a reference to HG Wells' The Shape Of Things To Come? Or to Refused's The Shape Of Punk To Come?
Neither of both! Just a title that fitted the concept we made for that album.
You also did a 7" with cover versions of Celtic Frost and Venom, why these tracks? And what makes them special to you?
The reason to do this EP is because we truly love this bands, they are direct influences on our music, so it was a natural choice, those songs in particular because they match and blend well with our style.
You got the chance to tour Europe and support several bands, how much did that help you to develop?
It made us realize that its a hard way to actually made it our there, and we learned a lot obviously from those experiences.
Holy Beast is your new album, when did you start writing songs for Holy Beast?
We never think to much when making songs, we start building them up only a few months before the actual recording sessions, we made the album in 5 or 6 months, then went straight out to recording.
This time you worked with producer Ulf Blomberg, why him?
We toured Sweden with Ulf's band Grace.Will.Fall, so we got friends with him, he showed us some bands he was producing at the time, and due to he's visionary view of music, we think it was a natural choice for us.
Where did you record? And how long did the recordings take?
We tracked everything in a studio right next where we rehearse, along with Ulf, that came all the way from Sweden to help us out, then we flew over to Jonkopping in Sweden to mix and master at Ulf's Hoborec Studio, we took around 10 days to track down then 4 days to complete the mix/master.
By now you got some feedback, I guess, are you satisfied with media and fan reactions?
Yes! This is all very new for us, doing this interviews for example! Is kinda cool for us, its already an achievement, and yes the reaction is being 90% positive so far!
Have the likes of Entombed had a big influence on your sound?
Yeah maybe! I dunno we are influenced by a lot of bands and musical genres! Maybe Entombed is one of them I dunno.
The majority of the album is full of short, ferocious songs but at the end you unleash the nine minute epic instrumental Lucifer VIP (Chapter II) which shows a wide variety of influences and styles. Did you want to show another side to We Are The Damned?
That originated on the first album, where we made the first part of that song, its obviously conceptual, and yes, its totally different from our live shows where we are wild and extreme, and then you can buy the album, and listen to all you have witnessed and more... And Lucifer is one of those songs.
Diogo Alves 1841 is a song about a 19th century murderer who was eventually executed and whose severed head has been preserved for scientific study... an intriguing story but what in particular inspired you to write a song about him?
Heheheheh... I see you are very well informed! Well, the curious thing about it is that he killed a baby that actually smiled at him while falling, and that's when he stopped and confessed everything, so we found that curious and decided to speak about that actual event and suited well on the holy beast concept!
You did a video for Devorador Dos Mortos. How was your first video shooting? And why did you choose this track?
These track speaks about neo liberal politics and modern slavery, embodied by Amutt the Egyptian god that devoured the dead, on the video with didn't had the resources to make a more serious video, so we decided to kinda make it fun, but at the same time meaningful at our eyes at least, there are a lot of meaningful stuff there, the aliens that represent a new order, the basketball that settles for a pumping society, the use of the iPhone representing some sort of capitalist plunder etc.... It maybe does not make much sense.... But if you read the lyrics then watch the video you will get me!
Will you do another video? And which song(s) would you like to visualize?
I think Christian Orgy would make a great video!
Any plans to tour? Or will you play some festivals?
We are planning to hit at least Germany and Central Europe this fall, and we are doing a bunch of festivals in Portugal like SWR with Venom and Voivod, the Metal GDL with Entombed and Vader or the Vagos open air with Nevermore and Morbid Angel for example... All this summer, so its great to do this festivals because Portugal is a small country so everyone shows up at those festivals.
Coming from Portugal do you feel it's more difficult to get attention? Is there a vivid metal scene? Usually we don't hear much about Portuguese bands...
Yes, it is much more difficult, because there is no tradition on getting out and play abroad! So yes. It's hard and labels and booking agents don't really rely to a Portuguese metal band.
These days we usually hear about Portugal in the news, and it ain't good news. Is it getting tougher for you as a band nowadays?
It has always been hard, either there is good or bad news about Portugal.
What are your plans for the rest of 2011?
PLAY!
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