Interview with Forsaken

 FORSAKEN - BRAZIL

Interviewed by: Fonda

Hails FORSAKEN! How are things with the band? How’s the UG scene there in Brazil?
Hails! Things with Forsaken are getting better now, we came back as strong as we were and we are with a good divulgation work made by our vocalist Alex Állen. Underground scene in Brazil is very hard, you cannot face metal as a job, you cannot live just playing your music. We play in Forsaken in the Sundays morning, in all the week we work in common jobs. In Brazil there’s only space for commercial music, made to alienate people, as axé music, samba, pagode, funk (arghhh!!!). This kind of music uses to be very sexist, women and little girls are mere sexual objects. All of this contributes to keep our youth always alienated. So, the social inequality never ends.

Transcending from Doom to Death, to becoming really fucking heavy, are you trying to do various genres to know where your music fits in perfectly?
No (smiles). It’s a natural process of composition. There are many influences in the band. We cannot escape and we like this, we like the way our music sounds. We don’t think to change our sonority. If this happen will be a natural process too.

Does Forsaken tour a lot? Are you a strict “UG gig” performers?
Because our job we only play in the weekends. Here in Salvador there are no many shows. There’s no space for our kind of music. Without mentioning a closed group of a metal label that monopolizes the scene – they just give space for their “friends”. Can you understand me?

Seriously speaking, South America has lots of great fucking bands! Like ISOYF, Flesh Grinder, Ratos de Porão, Mystifier, Lymphatic Phlegm, Etc! What makes bands from your country so good at this?!
There’s no an exact formula. I think that what makes bands in Brazil so good is the will to overcome the obstacles found to play metal in this land of shit. The bands are good in spite of the difficulties, because they win, every day, them.

Is it hard promoting vinyl/EPs/demo/album, etc in your place? What I mean is promoting across the globe compared to other countries like USA? Does recording cost badly?
Very, very hard! Our EP “Dangerous Path” was released in an independent label, our label, created exclusively to release Forsaken’s productions. We don’t have how to release other bands in Forsaken Records, the costs with recording are very expansive. Live in Brazil is very expansive. We pay our productions with our jobs money. Then, internet is the principal way to promote the band worldwide.

Do you think humanity is forsaken? How do wish the world would end?
Yeah. The humanity is forsaken. Forsaken in the darkness of ignorance, where light means knowledge, but we always kill the light. We fear the light. The human being is naturally evil, we cannot deny this fact. We destroy everything we touch. So, Humanity must end!

Forsaken started in the late 90’s, so what is the future plans of the band? What trademark does Forsaken want in order to be remembered in the UG scene?
Our future plans are to keep playing our music, record our first album and play in other countries. We want to be remembered as a band without radicalisms, that sees metal as only one thing, independent of the stile, no divisions. We want to be remembered as a band that played what really believed.

If not rehearsing, what do you guys do for past time? Get laid, play football, get-fuck-up high on booze… hmm?
I’m pedagogue and I’m writing a chapter for a book in the area of Education. Luciano is historiographer. Alex is journalist and specialist in design, visual communication. Leandro is musician, he’s vocalist/bassist/keyboardist at Mystifier and he’s also a drawer. Gabriel is geographer. Are you surprised?
What is your opinion on UG bands selling out because of money? Do you think the UG scene on Brazil will die soon or will it rise and be heard across the nation?
We won’t sell us out for money, but we can’t deny the ones who sell themselves. If you live as a professional musician, if don’t have another job, sometimes you don’t have choice, that’s a way to survive. And that was the reason for us to find other jobs (pedagogue, historiographer, drawer and geographer) and keep playing only following our hearts. About the underground scene in Brazil, I think it will never die, because it’s always in a renew process, with new bands rising everyday, but metal in our country will never be heard for all the people, it’s an illusive dream. In Brazil, alienation increases everyday.

In the course of you guys getting married and have kids, will Forsaken carry on? Or is it time to bid farewell in metal?
I am married and I got a child, a boy who’s four years old. Kastiphas is married too. There’s no reason for us to stop with the band. We don’t think about it.

I feel like asking you this… best fuck position in your opinion?? Hehe...
Anyone with Orgies Behind The Holy Figures as a background sound. (smiles)

What are the chances of Forsaken going to Asia and tremble the metal freaks?
We are just waiting an invite, will be the realization of a dream and a great pleasure for the band.

Tell us something about the album, will it make my head band and demand for more?
We are opened for labels offers. Our desire is to record our first album, but we don’t have money. All of us are still in the beginning of our professions and we can’t pay the costs. If don’t appear any label offer, we will release another EP by the Forsaken Records.

When you say Forsaken, it usually refers to Vampires. Do you believe in those stuffs? The Paranormals too? Would you mind sucking my blood?
No, I don’t wanna suck your blood (smiles). And no, I don’t believe in those stuffs. But I have a fascination about vampires. If I could I’d like to be a vampire. But the real mean about the conception behind the name Forsaken for the band is in the sixtieth question.

I have to say, Brazil’s politics is fucking mess-up like ours! Ever wanted to perform in a rally? What song will you sing to your President or other dirty politicians?
No, we didn’t want to perform in a rally. We won’t sing a song to our politicians. Our lyrics don’t speak of politics; our lyrics speak of philosophy, internal conflicts, human duality, religion as the opium for the masses. We protest against politics with our jobs, everyday: I with my work of educator, and also treat this question in the chapter that I am writing for a book; Luciano also treats this question in his writings and in his classes; the same occurs with Alex, Leandro and Gabriel.

Well, that’s about bloody it!!! Say your last words for our NBzine readers and Forsaken followers! For those new listeners, encourage them to check your band out! Thanx for your time answering this! Cheers!
First, Forsaken would like to thank you so much for this opportunity. For the NBzine and for our fans we say: keep strong and support metal! And for the ones who don’t know us, please access the site www.myspace.com/deathbrforsaken, listen to the songs and make free downloads. Cheers!

Band site: www.myspace.com/deathbrforsaken