CANCER SPREADING INTERVIEW (ENGL)


INTERVISTA IN ITALIANO: LINK

1) Cancer Spreading is a really active and prolific band, so we can skip the same old introduction. Let's just say that you play some monolithic stench-core influencend by early Earache/ Peaceville noise and extreme metal (if you don't think the same, just correct me). The band has made al lot of demos and EPs, so where are you heading now?
Hi, I'm Gabri (vocals) the line up is made by: Merlo (vocals + guitar), Japa (guitar), Otta (drums) e Matteino (bass). The description fits perfectly, so I will not add anything. We are currently waiting Neaderthal Records to release our brand new LP "Ghastly Visions" and we are also composing new stuff. We haven't planned any gig in the next months, but more plans for the 2016 will be revealed when the time is right.

2) Your Facebook page points Modena-Bologna as the place where you live, I don't know anything about Modena. Tell us about this city and its scene, collectives etc. How it is to live there?
The only influence that our city had on Cancer Spreading is that the sleazy atmosphere that our streets give made our attitude and sound so negative... At least for what concern me. There are a lot of great bands and some spaces but no matter what I will keep on hating Modena.

3) Cancer Spreading toured a lot, even outside the borders of Italy: how it was? What differences did you found between your places and abroad? Can you give some advices to a band that is approaching the tour for the first time?

Yes, in those last years we have been lucky enough to make a good number of tours around Europe. The main reason in my opinion is that our genre is more appreciated in other country rather than in Italy. There are a lot of differences, but the main one is that is it more simple to get in touch with bands like ours, in Germany there's al lot of places where you can organize a gig: squats, youth centers or even pubs managed by punx collectives. As suggestions: I really don't know... Dont' have great expectations (if you're playing on a monday night in a god forgotten country of eastern Europe, you can't expect a shitload of people... while it can happen), also you have to get used to the shit food cause is always like that.


4) Cancer Spreading had several splits and EPs with italian bands (Children of Technology, to name one) and foreign bands (like Fatum or Last Legion Alive). How do you work for a split release? You write ad hoc material for the format that you choosed? Beside the friendship with a band, there are some musical requirment for having a split with you?
Yes, when we put out a split 7" or 12" with another band we try to write more songs with the right lenght for the format. No particular musical requirment (I always thought that the cooler splits are the one with bands of different kinds). Cleary we have to like the band every time, our splits are born from the friendship with the other bands.

5) The layout and the cover of your records are always cool as hell and match totally with your sound. Do you made it by yourselves or are there some other artists involved? The cover art are linked to the lyrics or it just serve a pourpose?
Thanks. We always try to look after the layouts as much as we look after the music. Is an aspect that in my opinion have not to be ignored. I've always found "incomplete" good records with shitty artworks; music is the most important aspect for sure, but artwork are a powerful way to communicate something. Our first logo has been done by Merlo but, beside that, we never did our artworks by ourselves: several friends had done it like Geno (that, back in the days, was a squatter in Villa Panico and organized a lot of our gigs there and also made tattoos on some of us), the last artworks are made by Stiv of Visions of War and Klaudiusz Witckzack, our friends too and the right guys to pen our sick imaginery. Beside the covers, I always assembled the layouts by myself.

6) In one of the label of your split EPs (I think is the split with Cruel Storm) you used a picture taken from Kentaro Miura's Berserk. Are there some other media (movies, comics, books...) that are part of the CS imaginery?
It wasn't from the Cruel Storm's split. I started to put images taken from Berserk from the split with Drunkards. I've always used it because I've always been a die hard fan of the saga (expecially the first part of the comic), it reflects the nihilistic and deviated spirit of  CS. I'm really inspired by any kind of media, expecially for what concern the ideological background, the influences are really a lot, aniway, anything that is in our mood ... We always used movie as intro from movies like: Blood Sucking Freaks, The Beyond, Salò, Mouth of Madness, The Final Darkness, Carnival of Souls in Ghastly Visions. We also used a sample from an average little man from Monicelli, which is not an horror movie but it fits with our views.
Same goes for books since the first 7" with COT, we used as commetary to our lyrics parts of the bible (for the book of Jacob). The upcoming LP will feature some sentences from Diary of a Drug Friend by Alesteir Crowley.
Speaking of comics, is used only Berserk. I'm really attached to it, I grew up reading it.
As you can see, there's a lot of different art that influence us, I think that there's a common thread between those arts.
We hope that our listeners understand it.


7. Tell us five or more records that you consider mandatory.
This is difficult, I think every member you could give a different answer...
I try to name 5 that were big influences for Cancer Spreading.
  1. Deviated Instinct: "Welcome To The Orgy" and "Terminal Filth Stenchcore" demo. In these LPs, for us, Deviated Instinct were at the peak, total filth never unmatched. Fundamental to our sound.
  2. Amebix: "Arise!". Another undefeated masterpiece. I think there's no need for introductions. Personally I've always been a fan of the EP "No Sanctuary" and "Winter", because they are more sick ... but for Cancer Spreading I think Arise it's fine. 
  3. Genital Deformities: "Shag Nasty Oi!". Unrecognized English Death Metal / Crust / Stenchcore from 80s. Nobody has ever recognized them, but we have them always worshiped and they are a big influence too for our sound. 
  4. Bolt Thrower: "Cenotaph". Another huge influence, especially for our period "Death Crust" (Age Of Desolation / split 7 "with Black Trinity / Suffering). I think it is easily recognizable in many of our pieces, and I chose this EP rather than others just because it's the one with the most pieces raw. 
  5. Coffins: "Sacrifice To Evil Spirit" demo. Though not released too many years ago, we really consumed this demo at the time of the formation of Cancer Spreading (2006/2007). I believe that in this case also influences within some of our pieces are obvious. Amazing group however, I am continuing to follow them and take almost everything they do go out.
8) Have you got any side projects?
I and Japa (one of the two guitarists), until recently played in the Black Temple Below, ultrafilhty and dark doom-sludge; unfortunately, the group has recently suspended the activities. I also sing in Terror Firmer (Grindcore) and Gravesite (Death Metal).
Japa also played in Campus Stermini but I think they are not in business anymore ...
Merlo played in Axis Of Desolation, stenchcore band a-la Deviated Instinct. Even they unfortunately broke up.
Matteino however also plays in Stasis, group Crust / Metal with members of Gravesite, Repulsione, Haemophagus and other groups in 1000. I recommend them, really cool group.

9) You shared the stage with metal bands like Fingernails and Bunker 66, back in the days it seems strange for punk and metal bands to get along, is it still like this?
There are still differences, unfortunately they are many. Pretty much all of us have always listened to metal beside of punk (and also other genres) and so there has always seemed quite normal to incorporate influences of this kind ... But I'll tell you that both sides are full of barriers towards each other. Human beings belong to any type of front really like quarrel about bullshits, because of the small differences with the other sides rather than to try to appreciate what you have in common. The closed-mindedness is a bad thing. Fortunately there are people who go above and beyond all this, we have many friends and "fans" in the metal scene and we often played and collaborated with metal bands. I sing in a death metal band, for example.


10) It seems that nothing is left to chance. How did you shaped the sound through time? Is there any peculiar equipment or effect?
No peculiar effects or equipment, we are poor. We can't afford it. I agree with you. We know clearly how a CS release have to sound. Through the years we downtuned our guitars more and more and we got that rancid and doughy sound.

11) Famous last words and thank you for getting through this boring interview.
Thanx a lot for the interview, it wasn't boring... We hope that the "Ghastly visions" LP will be out soon, is probably the best stuff we ever recorded 'till now....
Go to listen the songs that are online: LINK.
For any infos: cancerspreading@hotmail.it.
Bye!

CANCER SPREADING BANDCAMP








Authors _ xZANx and SARA

Reviewing your records since 2011. Married in the name of Slayer.


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