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Here we have a talk with Gigi Casini (bass/vocals) from one of the most brutal Death Metal bands of Italy, called MIND SNARE. Their new material, "Hateful Attitude" represents the pure hate & brutality in its circa half an hour playing time. I advise you to check this masterpiece out before it will be too late!
Hails! How are you? Give a short characterization about MIND SNARE's members and its very first releases. I mean the demos and your first album here.
- Hello! I'm Gigi Casini, bass/vocals, 32 years old. The other members are Marco Boffa, drums, 29 and Chris Benso, guitars, 28. We were born in 1989. We released 2 demos in 1990 and 1991 with the names of "Satan's Slaughter" and "Chemioterapy". Then, in early 1992, we changed name in MIND SNARE (this name came from "Harmony Corruption" LP NAPALM DEATH song) and in middle 1992 "The Dream..." demo was released. After 1 year we released a promo, "Icon", in '94 "Blind" demo and a live tape in '96. Then we suffered so many line-up problems, until July '97. But in early '97, "Awaiting the Ancients" 2 songs-demo gave us the chance to take the band alive. Marco enters the band as permanent drummer in September '97. Since 3,5 years we are really brothers, not like in the past. So, after hard work together, came "Hegemony" self release in May '99. And then PSYCHIC SCREAM deal, but we'll talk better below...
How can you explain the music of MIND SNARE for those who haven't heard about it before?
- Hateful Brutal Death. Hateful because we hate all the people that try to fuck us, Brutal Death because it's Brutal Death, ahaha... We got some hate and rage inside our hearts and our music is the natural evolution of it...
The "Hegemony" mini album was your first release for PSYCHIC SCREAM Entertainment. How did the deal with PSYCHIC SCREAM come about?
- Just talking with Eric Cheah, the owner of the label. I ask him if he's interested in a collaboration and say "yes"... Eric is the most honest people that we met in 12 years. We start to talk about deal in September '99 and in December '99, 3 months later, "Hegemony" re-release was out... This is the way to work seriously...
How is PSYCHIC SCREAM treating the band? How many albums is the band under contract for?
- We love PSYCHIC SCREAM. Eric works 18 hours a day for his label. He is "The underground" in South East Asia. Eric put a lot of ads on worldwide magazines and he's in contact with so many people, interested in MIND SNARE. I receive a lot of reviews, interviews, fan mails. I think that PSYCHIC SCREAM is the most cool label that MIND SNARE can reach, because we are underground and Eric is underground, so... He don't put any kind of pressure on us, about composition, songwriting, etc... We are totally free to write our songs. We signed a deal for 2 albums, "Hegemony" and "Hateful Attitude", until November 2001. I hope that we will work forever with Eric, because he is honest and 100% underground.
Please tell us a bit about your latest album "Hateful Attitude". Are you satisfied with it? Is there anything you would have done differently, looking back on it? Compare it to "Hegemony" MCD and please tell us what are the basic differences between them.
- We are totally satisfied about "Hateful Attitude". We recorded without pressure, in total harmony. We know well the guy of the studio, so we worked better. We wanted to record an album with a clear and powerful production and we did it. "Hegemony" was different. We suffered so many problems during the recording session. We finished and we don't like it, so we re-mixed 2 different times. About songwriting of the 2 albums, I can say that "Hateful Attitude" is more fast (for example: we re-recorded "Monarch of Prayers" from "Hegemony" and it came out with 14 seconds less, without changing nothing, so it's very fastest then the old one!) and hateful. Our songwriting is changed a little bit. More violence and hate! I think that the new album is 70% more bastard then the old one...
What can you tell about the conception and lyrics that MIND SNARE stands for?
- Well, I write all the lyrics. Chris wrote one in this album, but I'm the one that writes lyrics for the band. In the past I was influenced by fantasy, splatter/gore and shit like that. Now I'm more focused in real things, about society, love, hate... On "Hateful Attitude", I've written 2 lyrics against religion, 2 against society, 1 about HP Lovecraft, 1 dedicated to my mighty Father and 1 about our blood brothers NEFAS, etc. (see below...). Chris written once about his obscure thoughts... I live in a western society, dominated by corruption, church, money and power so I cannot stay in line with them and I'm full of hate. So, I write basically about it.
Is there a big scene where you live? Also share with us some information about the Italian underground scene in general.
- Well, the scene in Italy now is strong like never before. Bands like NEFAS, BASTARD SAINTS, AWFUL, MORBUS, CADAVERIC CREMATORIUM, DYSMORFIC, WOPTIME can compete with all the bands worldwide. We got a lack of promotion and clubs here, but we fight everyday to make the scene strongest and kickin' ass.
What music you prefer to listen to frequently?
- Obviously Brutal/Grind... But I love Hardcore, Straight Edge, Krishnacore. I listen too just a little bit of punk, Black Metal (old ones like VENOM, CELTIC FROST, BATHORY or fast and raw bands like IMMORTAL, MARDUK, etc...). I don't listen only these kind of music, for example I love IGGY POP/THE STOOGES, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and stuffs like that.
What kind of atmosphere is there when you do a show and what bands do you prefer to play with? What do you feel when you play live?
- Well, just before a show I enter in a particular state of mind... On stage I am another kind of guy, totally focused on the music and performance. Totally raw and out of head... I do everytime the best of myself on stage, for us and for the people that follow us. I like to play with bands like NEFAS, MORBUS, DYSMORFIC, BASTARD SAINTS, CADAVERIC CREMATORIUM, AWFUL... Really blood brothers of us. I hate rockstars bands, I can't play with this kind of musicians.
Your opinion about:
a.) politicians
- I hate all the politicians worldwide. They rule the world without mercy, trusting just in money and power. Their attitude will not change forever. I hope they'll burn in hell as soon as possible.
b.) christianity
- I hate Christianity in the same way of politicians. A bunch of corrupted motherfuckers, with the power in their dirty hands. There's blood of the innocents on their hands. I think there's something somewhere to believe in, but the way of church is totally deviated by power and money. I hate all priests, Pope, etc. See you in hell dirty bastards...
c.) catastrophes
- What do you mean exactly? If you mean catastrophes like floods, earthquakes, etc. I can only say that I am sad everytime I heard about it. But it's nature, you can do nothing against it... For catastrophes I mean children that dies without food and things like that. The world is a bunch of shit, it's very sad for me...
d.) computer technology
- I like computers but I think that technology overloaded the world... People lived for thousand years without it, don't forget it. I like to return to roots, life is not just technology...
e.) criminals
- Criminals are not just killers, rapists, etc... Criminals are people that rules the world without conscience, taking care only about power and money. I hate them.
f.) destiny
- I believe in destiny and fate...really. I believe in reincarnation. I know that I can meet a person that maybe I was in love with her some centuries ago... And when you will meet this person, you can feel something strange in you... I call it destiny...
What do you wish to do with MIND SNARE in the future? Any plans or assumptions when will your next stuff be out?
- We'll continue to write songs brutal and catchy as in the past and play powerful shows on stage. We'll tour Italy this year with our brothers bands plus gigs in Belgium, Holland and shows with bands like KRABATHOR, DISGORGE (Mex.), SANATORIUM, HOUWITSER, PANDEMIA, GOREOPSY, etc... In the past we played with KREATOR, MALEVOLENT CREATION, VADER, OPPRESSOR, SACRED SIN, GODLESS TRUTH, DISGORGE (USA)...
Finally, some hateful thoughts for the readers, please.
- I can't say hateful things to the readers because they are fans... I just can say beautiful words to the readers because I love all our fans worldwide... Thanks for the great interview, it's an honour for us to talk with guys like you, totally dedicated to the underground. Thanks again brother!!! Believe in yourself! Forever...
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