- Well, I think it's great man! It was great working with Erik. We've known Erik for a long time and, you know, he's experienced not only as a musician, great musician, but as a producer. Just really and also a friend! So we really think all together really helped in the process of recording and making this record and it coming out the way he did. So we owe a lot to Erik Rutan, because he's a really hard guy and really works shit to death, and he worked us to death, we drove him crazy too, but the end of the day he's gonna get you the best results and Mana Recording Studio in my opinion is the new Morrisound, but the difference is with a guy like Erik, who cares about the albums, he puts everything he's got into his records and projects. So no one's gotta go there to be disappointed, I really think he's gonna work wherever goes into this place to the maximum, which is the best for the fans and for the album, for the band. So I have nothing, but good things to say. I don't think we could have done this record anywhere else. It had to be there under those conditions: extreme, hard work. We're grateful to him for the hard work he did, capture the sound, having it sound so much better from the "Dechristianize" drums, guitars, everything.

- It's more natural sounding, more opened and what we did is it was because Erik. I mean, Erik really wanted to mike everything up, not just trigger like "Dechristianize". So we miked it and we took time to make sure we got the tones, the drums sounding nice in the balance and everything, and the guitars, and we took a couple days just along drums, a couple days on guitar. And that's what happened. I mean, we just took our time with a guy like Erik who knew what this album needed. He didn't like "Dechristianize" drums either, he told us "Hey, this should be better". We agree, you know. It could be better, everything can be better, you know. So we listened to him, he listened to us, we tried to work hard. And I agree, I think it's like night and day almost, you know. I think a lot of the fans will gonna realize it when they hear "Icons": "Wow, what a difference in the drums and the overall production of it, it's a lot better!". And that's what we wanted. Obviously we wanted to write the best music as well and we tried to do our best. (You did it! – Ed.) Thank you! Believe me, we didn't think we could, because me and Dave sat many days talking to each other saying, shaking the heads' cone, it's not possible to do, make a better record than "Dechristianize". But we started telling ourselves maybe we can match it, maybe we can come close. And we started writing and sudden pushing each other to write better and next, you know, we were like: "Wow, I think we have something, we're onto something good". Another ride, another song that's just brutal or whatever. And we suddenly and a couple of friends hear it and next thing, you know, they were like: "Oh man, I think you guys have a chance to beat it!". We are like: "No, never gonna happen!". We just try to match it, do our best, you know, that's all you can do. You write and you try your best and then you have to let it go and you just hope the fans appreciate and understand what level, they're on the same pages as you, when they listen to it. But yeah, we did it, in order took a year to write the music for me. I wrote all the music again and together with Dave orchestrated everything, and Dave wrote the leads. To me it's like part 2, but with a better production and I think again with even more into the music that has a lot more for me old-school hooks in there and elements of some different stuff, you know. But it's definitely, it's great, the feedback we're getting from the fans. You can't ask for anything better than that. That to me is the reward, you know. When we work hard and you have people that appreciate what we're trying to do. And we get it back and they go: "Hey, we love it!" and I say great man, that's all we ever wanted anyway! But, you know, we write always for us first, remember, and hope the fans like what we're trying to do.

- That's a good question. Right now it's all about this record. I never like to go so far into the future, but I certainly wouldn't roll it out. It's possible that we will record the next album, 'cause we really like working with Erik. So there is a possibility definitely, but it is too soon to tell right now. I mean, the new album it's just coming out, you know, we're touring. I don't even think about a new album right now. My mind's only about performing, touring and things like this. So maybe a year from now, two years from now when it comes time to start writing maybe some ideas, when I start thinking about this, but it's a possibility for sure to work with him. We'll see what happens.

- Yeah, it definitely caused of real shitstorm controversy. Basically what happened is we had some artwork and it's the artwork that's inside the booklet. This was supposed to be the cover. And what happened is I come up with another idea, I told the artist, you know, Kris. I said: "Hey Krissy, I got this idea, if you can make it into something more". And he said: "OK, send me your ideas". I sent my ideas and he started working and he sent me the "Icons of Evil" cover and I said: "Wow, that's gonna be the cover", you know. And he said "I agree", he agreed with me, he thought this was evil and this was the cover and what ended up appear inside the booklet with us on horses that was supposed to be like the artwork for that was supposed to be based on like the Golgotha scene, it was supposed to be after the crucifixion of Christ, like part 2 "Dechristianize" and where we: me and Dave and Glen like part of the Romans (And who is the fourth one? – Ed.), yeah, and the fourth one was supposed to be like just death, just death, you know, riding with us and that's what the whole concept of Golgotha scene with the soldiers and we were supposed to go: "OK, we will take Christ off the cross and we will just split him in half, you know, quarter. So this was the concept and we're gonna use this for the album cover. And the artwork's great, like I said we just got this other piece of work and we were like: "Aaaa, this has to be the artwork!". And from there it became this big controversial thing, because a lot of the distributors didn't wanna put it in the shops or carry it and this is when the whole fight came with the artwork and it was banned. They told us we had to put a slipcase. And I was like: "Well, you know, I'm not too happy, but I told Century Media that I definitely wanted the artwork inside even if they had to put it in a bag, a brown bag, I don't care. But I said without the artwork I don't wanna release the record! I had to fight and they were cool, they were like: "Hey, we're supportive of you, this is what you want, we'll put a slipcase, but the artwork will be inside and make everyone happy and blah-blah-blah". This is the way it worked out. So, you know, I couldn't believe it, because when I think of the "Dechristianize" cover, I think it's evil, it's pretty sick as well and in Europe – no problems. It was distributed fine, the shops carried it, only in America I thought this kind of censorship happens so much, but now I'm realizing it's all the way around the world, it's everywhere, you know. Any time you have anything anti-religious or some sort of, you know, it stirs people, it makes people, you know: "What is this?". Well, I always thought: "Oh, if you don't like it, don't buy it!". That's always been my philosophy, you know. I don't like censorship, because I think if we allow censorship, we start to limit our rights of self-expression, our rights of freedom of speech, you know. And then what? And then we have no say. So I think everyone should have freedom of speech, freedom of artistic expression, because the more you let the government and people suppress us, less we have and at some point we appear totally controlled, we'll be like robots, you know. So I think it's important to always fight for what you believe in!

- No! "Hammer Down the Nails" was actually just supposed to be a single. They called us and said it was gonna be a single. I said: "A single? Vital Remains on a single?". And it just became that one song that we said OK, this song represents the album in some ways, let's use this to let everyone have a chance to hear a little bit. So we put a little bit of a sample on Century Media's page and on the Vital Remains' page and people were crazy, you know. They wanted to hear it! So this is why I ended up putting a video of Dave playing the track in the studio, because this is him playing it, one take, and I am going to put the whole, I've put a clip of it, but I am gonna put the whole thing, so people can see Dave playing the whole take that's on the album, one take, that's the drum tracks. It proves to a lot of people, because some people don't think Dave plays drums, they think: "Aaaa, Dave... Aaaa, he plays guitar, he doesn't play drums, we never see him". But he plays drums really well! And you know, that's why I wanted to prove to some of the people that think: "Aaaa, maybe they use a drum machine". Aaaa, OK! Well, here's the video, this is him playing, it doesn't lie. And that's why we wanted to put the video for the fans and for some of the critics that might think: "Wow, can this guy playing?". Here we go, here's the video! "Hammer Down the Nails" just a song that we thought was brutal and it wasn't gonna be album cover. Title was always gonna be "Icons of Evil" from the very beginning. I like the "Hammer Down the Nails", it was a cool title, but I like the "Icons of Evil". That's a title I came up with a night, I wanted to use it.

- It was great! I mean, Glen's an old sprout, you know. He's an icon of death metal. He's been around for a long time and he's a total professional. When he comes into the studio, he's very professionally wants every line to be perfect and we do too. But he also brings sometimes a sense of humor, he makes us laugh, you know, and the stress kinda, it's not like "Oh, shit" like, when he's not there it's very stressful. You know, we had some days where we were very stressed out, some days we were laughing, but it's tough, you know, some tough, it was a tough album. It's hard work, so when Glen comes in, he's like "Heeey yaaaaayooh...", he's always joking around and having a good time and he came in and he made us laugh and he had a good time with the vocals. Yeah, working with Glen is easy, very professional! He comes in, he knows exactly, you know, he's gonna have to work hard and he knows the Vital Remains. It's gonna be technical with the vocals and the patterns, but he does this. This is the kind of thing he does and this is what he does for many years. He knows this business, he knows he's a professional and he came in and it was just 4-5 days, I think it was, to do vocals. And the funniest, I'll tell you a story was when we did the cover of Yngwie, because he didn't wanna do the cover of Yngwie, you know. He was like: "Not! Why have we doing Yngwie Malmsteen, dude?". And I like: "Oh well, we thought it's kinda song, you know, cover song, like Dave can do some great shredding and we just thought Yngwie would be a cool, an old Yngwie song, fun for Dave". Dave ended up doing all the tracks and all the instruments. And he is like: "No, I don't wanna singing Yngwie Malmsteen!". It was so funny, but then we were like: "Come on, just try it man". And he came in and everyone laughing so hard man, because he had to sing this. You know, he was having a good time. We laughed so hard, I have my camera on myself, filming him, laughing and us laughing, but it come out great. You know, the song come out really good, really heavy and it kind of fits with the music.

- Yeah, it's a little bit different, but then it works.

- Right! Especially Glen singing it. No way, he ain't gonna sing that. And that's I think sometimes it's good to try something very very different, like out from the field you would not expected. Because it gives something like unexpected and something very special, you like: "Wow!", you know, "I wouldn't expect that". But you listen to it a couple of times and you enjoying like: "Wow, that's cool!", you know, refreshing. Instead of trying something that's already been done a million times, Black Sabbath... You know, we thought about this, 'cause Glen loves Black Sabbath too. You know, we thought it's been done too many times. The Yngwie track not been done so many times and not by one person. And have Glen singing it was just great and his vocals are nice and roar, it sounds heavy. I think it sounds way better than the original. I think if Yngwie hears it, he'll be shocked, because only one guy did all the music, you know, Dave. And it's a funny story, because Dave met Yngwie Malmsteen when he was ten, ten years old. And Yngwie signed autograph form and like: "Hey, go kid, get out of here", you know. And the funny thing is Dave could play Yngwie "Rising Force" when he was ten. So Yngwie didn't know that this guy was gonna be what he is, a great musician, you know. He was just a little boy going one day – "I will play your shit better than you" –, you know, whatever. (Hammer down Yngwie – Ed.) You know, what I mean. So it's cool and that's kind of another reason why, 'cause when Dave told me that story, I've said: "Hey, I think that's even cool that we cover this song". And it is worked out. You know, I mean, it was a lot of fun and a lot of laughs. It is funny, because we were drinking on this song and having fun and Dave was drinking, busting out the solos, we ended up taking a break and went to the bar across the street from the studio. Erik, everybody, we're all drinking. "Eh, let me wanna do" and Dave just killed. It was a party. It really was on that song. Everything else on other stuff no party, serious, hard, stressful, but on Yngwie we were like: "That's the last song, it's a cover, have fun, you know, drink or have fun, make the best".

- Glen right now is involved in a divorce. So you know, with this situation it's very difficult, you know, you have to go to court. So this very technical things going on with that. He couldn't come with Deicide, he couldn't come to do this tour with Vital, because he still has to go to court. You know, I mean, because of the divorce hearings and all the stuff. It's a really personal thing for him. He told me even not to tell them people. You know, he wishes, he could have came, you know, but I mean, he has a son with this wife and they have a lot to work out with the details of done divorce proceedings. So, you know, I am sure once he gets everything worked out we may try to talk to him to see if he can come and do a list of European tour. Like I told we've never done a European tour with him in Vital Remains, only in US, some gigs and festivals. So, you know, and I want the European people to see Glen with us, because we have a great time, we really do, we come out, you know. It's just great to hear what you hear on the record with him, you know. We wish him the best of mind to work that out first. So we're hoping that maybe in October or something, he will have everything done and we can come back to Europe with him, that would be great, but that's really the reason, you know. Some people say different things, but that's the truth. That is the truth! I know Glen for many years and I would never bullshit anybody when people ask me. I tell them straight how things are, you know, because you never believe the rumors. Always ask the people directly and they tell ya, you know. So I think he'll have everything worked out by then, hopefully he'll be back to Europe and maybe we will be together hopefully doing tour with him. I'd love to do a Deicide/Vital Remains, how we did in the US. In Europe would be great, you know. Two sets, he did this in US, it was really great, we had some sold out shows, people really liked it. So we'll see! We just wish him the best.

- We took it to another level, I think. We definitely took it to another level and it was like, you know, musically, you know, everything, it's just technical stuff. We really just worked hard and got it, because I mean some people say: "Oh, maybe it's because of Glen". And I always say: "Yeah, Glen brought the attention to Vital Remains!". A lot more attention. But if it wasn't for the music, the critics would have cut our throats, they would have said: "Ah, this is shit!". But the reason I think the critics like it, because at the end of the day they listen to the music and the vocals and everything and they say: "Wow, this is really good!". And that's what brought us to the level, not just one person. He brought the attention, but if it would have been a shitty record, it would have been a shitty record. So yeah, I definitely believe that "Dechristianize" really brought us to another level. And now with "Icons", people wanted another, a part 2 of "Dechristianize", you know. And like I told Glen and Glen realizes I think that a lot of fans like the way when he sings with us, because we don't sound like Deicide, we have our own style and he has to sing Dave's lyrics and phrase it differently too. So now you're getting Glen in some ways I think amazing. Amazing phrasings, amazing singing, a lot of vocals and it's its own instrument. So now I believe that he sees it like: "Wow! People like me singing with Vital too". And that's what he tells me: "Wow, I have new fans" and Deicide fans like us and it's all good for both of us. When he helped us, we helped him in a way too, but together we work really well. And I think that's very important in the formula between me and Dave and now Glen, together in the studio we work very well and produced great, I think, really good records, like two were. People enjoy it and they wanna hear more of this, you know. Like I told him even if he never did another record after "Dechristianize", I told him you will always be part of Vital Remains, because you did this one great album and for me we're honored to have you do this record. So now to have two, we are just even more like and people liking it again and it's another rush, we are just, me and Dave are like high on this thing and "Wow, this is great!". Another great feeling, another great album, people liking it. So it's another ride. Another great crazy roller coaster, ride of emotions. Like "Wow, people like it! Great!". Meet the fans and starting again, you know, like "Dechristianize". It's very cool, it's overwhelming. We are so grateful man, because we work so hard and to have this kind of responses just so overwhelming, it's great, very very grateful to the fans for all their support. It's great!

- The thing is with that I mean sometimes you work with people and they can do, they can work with you for a little while and then things change in their lives and that's what it's been with Vital Remains. It sounds like me and Dave are two hard guys to work with, we only expect for people is the best, to give a 100% and commit to the band, and work hard. Like last time we were here our singer, Anthony, he was doing a great job and we were happy with him and Marco, you know, he was doing good, but then things happened on the road with Marco, his attitude changed and we had to let him go. We had to give him the death metal awakening, which is basically reality. That this is about the music and not about money and I think he had a different perception, he thought that this business he can make lots of money and we will like: "No! We play death metal, because we love the music! If you wanna make money you go get another job, because it's very hard to make a living playing death metal". And so we had to tell him this and he lived in California, so I think his way of thinking was different and with Anthony, he just quit, you know. Last October we did the US tour with Grave and Dismember and he said: "OK guys, I'll do this tour, but after this I don't wanna do this". And we were like: "Come on, you doing a good job, you don't wanna tour no more?". And he said: "No, I don't wanna live like this, another life, I just wanna work in a bar as a bouncer guy and make a little money". And his girlfriend, I think they may be getting married, I don't know, but I think he was taken a move into California with his girlfriend. So he just quit, I mean again, you know, somebody quits on you, what can you do. I know I'm not giving up, I love the music, it's my band, it's my life, I love this. Dave loves the music, he's worked hard with me for 11 years, since '96. He is not gonna quit, he loves the music and the fans. So we are in this position we were like OK, we've been through this before, we like the fans now, we're not gonna give up on the fans. So, if we have to have new people every tour whatever the main thing is the fans know that me and Dave will give the best for the album and live and we will find the best people who gonna give a 100%. This is the most important thing! So whether or not it's new faces to I wish that I would have the same guys, of course, I wish we had original members that, you know, were like 100%, always dedicated, but unfortunately 10 years ago original singer quit, original guitar player quit and left me and Dave: "Now you guys are on your own". Now I could to say: "Hey, you know what, this is tough I can put the band down, no more Vital Remains", but I said: "Wait a minute! I worked many years, making the music since the beginning, writing all the music and working hard, I am not a quitter, I am not gonna give up to get married and have children. I love the music, so I didn't give up". Me and Dave we try to find people and here we are 10 years later. You know, new success, continue. (It's like the strongest will survive – Ed.) Exactly! And that's the most important thing that we didn't give up, we just continue to work hard and not let anyone down, not let ourselves down, not give up on ourselves and the hard work over the years, but the music and the band we kept it alive and I think for that, the fans respect us for that. And that's something... you earn respect in the underground, you can't buy respect. You earn it the hard way! Working hard, playing as much as you can, playing hard and writing the best music you can and that's what we've done and the fans know this. And they know, hey, you know, these guys are the core of Vital Remains, these guys will not let us down, they always give a 150%! And we do! In a way, like I said I wish we could and found the right guys, but I like this line-up now. You know, Brian's really dedicated guy, you know, I mean from Catastrophic and now he's working with us. This line-up seems good, these guys wanna work. Damien wants to work hard. I am enjoying working with these guys. They young and hungry. It's fresh blood and it's good sometimes. Believe it or not, it's actually good sometimes to have fresh blood, new ideas, very helping in the hard work. "Hey man, I got some ideas". Oh cool! It's good you have ideas, you know. And playing together, and enjoying, and after the show we are like brothers, like: "Hey, great show!". Very supportive of each other and this is good. It's a brotherhood too, it's not just business and music. You have to have friendship and the brotherhood kind of way of thinking to each other, connection, you know. So I think this is important and we have that now! So, I like working with these guys and with Antonio, the drummer, just great guy, always wants to practice, always wants to work hard. Man, he's like a machine! Always practicing, I am like, wow, this guy never says: "Hey, I don't wanna practice". Always practice 5-6-7-8 hours and then after 8 hours: "Hey Tony, I am a little tired". OK. It's OK. After you do "Icons of Evil" twice, "Dechristianize" twice, it's OK to be tired, I understand. Good guys! I mean, we practice very hard together and Antonio stayed in my house, we practiced for months together, he knew the whole album before we recorded it. So we'll see. Right now, I have to say out of all the line-ups it's far just a comradery between us, the friendship, getting along with each other, no selfish guys: "Hey me, me me me...". It's really everyone together. (You mean Tim Yeung? – Ed.) Yeah, I am not saying any names. What's up Timmy? I like Timmy, I like Timmy a lot! Tim is a great drummer; he's just looking for his big dream. In the meantime, he could have been playing with Vital Remains, but instead, he chose to go work in California with Dino and I wish him the best. There's always a soft spot in me, Timmy reminds me like a little brother, and I just wanna getting him in the headlock and punch him in the head, you know. He's a funny guy, great drummer, you know. It's just like, you know, with Timmy, he has other projects and he can't commit 100% to Vital, that's the only reason why we don't work with him. Because I can't, you know, with Timmy, I'd always call: "Hey Timmy, we got a tour!". "OK, when?". OK, well, in 3 months. "Oh, I don't know Tony, I must talk to Dino". Why do you always have to talk to Dino, is he your daddy? You know, I joke around. "Oh, I don't know, because we might be doing this". Well, I can't wait, I need an answer. So that's why I started working with Antonio, because Antonio, I can trust him. OK, Antonio we have a tour, he's committed to us, to work with us, whenever we want. He will be there he says, whenever you need me to tour, I am there. And he has like 5 bands in Italy, that he plays for! You know, he's a great drummer, but he is like: "Vital Remains is first!". And I like that dedication, because it's not fair that if I have a call: "Hey, we wanna do this tour". "Oh, wait a minute, I must talk to Timmy, Timmy must talk to big daddy, big daddy must talk to...". (He's straight! – Ed.) Yeah, I need to know. Hey, I don't have to talk to I can just say: "Yes, we will do the tour. Hey fellas, guys, I have this tour. Everybody knows, this is the dates, I see you then!". That's it! The way it should be! So, this is why I like it the way it is now. I like working with Antonio and these guys. They all know, they are learning like... Damien's first time working with us and Brian, but they started to see how it works and realize it's just commitment and work hard, and it's all good, you know.

- Yeah, Ron was with us for a long time as you know. Always tour with us and then he shocked us man. We practiced with him a couple of times and he shocked us and we thought OK. You know he's going to come to the European tour, he was all committed and then at the last minute he just decided to quit. It was real shocking, you know. So yes, we were really surprised by Ron doing that to us, we felt like we treated him really good and we just couldn't believe that he left us like, saying: "OK, I am going to go to Europe with you guys". He started learning the new songs, coming to practice and then maybe two weeks before we were coming he goes "I don't wanna do it" and I thought that's pretty fucked up that he did this to us. We always helped him out, always brought him on tour. But you know, this is what I mean about humans and people. Sometimes people are selfish, they only think about themselves, they don't think about: "Oh, well this person helped me, my career, helped me for many years". So what do you do. We found Brian, a better guy, a more committed bass player, who loves to play bass and more of a cool guy. You can ask this guy: "Hey Brian, can you help me out?". With Ron, never help you out. Never pick up any gear, never. Hey, you need a hand with this, never, never. Brian? Hey Brian, can you help with this: "OK", he's right there. And this is the difference between I think a professional or and a guy that's just a little bit selfish, ego maybe or something, I don't know. Not a team player. Ron wasn't really a team player. Never liked to practice. I don't wanna talk bad about people, but you know, I think it's for the better. Because, I think he went 10 steps backwards, and we just with Brian went 10 steps forward, ahead. So, I rather work with people like this that are grateful and they everyday thank you for the opportunity. Always speaking: "Hey, thanks! Great! It's great to be here!". You know, this is what I always wanted people, to wanna be here, wanna work with the band and are grateful for the opportunity and play for the fans and the underground people. You know, all the underground metal heads and that's the most important thing, you know. If you don't wanna do it, then don't do it! Simple as that, you know. But if you love it then that's the kind of attitude I want for people.

- This was an idea I had, because over the years I got a lot of emails and letters from fans always asking: "Hey, do you have the 7 inch?". Sorry, I sold mine many years ago. "Do you have the demos?" I have only one, because I sold everything else many years ago. And they never had a chance to have these recordings in the original form. So I said to myself it would be nice to put all this on one CD, but very limited, only for like the younger generation of fans to say: "Hey, this is a special thing I put in my collection". Boom! They have a chance to have it and that's it. So I come up with this thing with Century Media, I said OK, limited 5000 copies. I don't want to exploit all the old stuff and sell thousands of millions. I just wanna have enough that everyone should have a chance if they wanted this, the younger fans, to buy it. And put in their collection, say "OK. Wow, this is where Vital Remains came from!". All the way from here, from the foundation, all the way to here, and to show how far we progressed, which I think we've come from the ground to the sky. You know, I mean really, we've come a long distance I think my friend. Very, very far we've traveled. And the natural progression of the band, progressing and trying to get better. And I think if you listen to each thing we've done, each record, it just got better and better. You know, some bands give you the best in the beginning and then they give you less and less and less. I think we are the opposite. I think with time we get better and I think we keep giving better and better records, because we keep trying to put so much music, so much into the music and everything, and that's important. It's like wine, you know. A good bottle of wine, you put it away and with time and age, it's better. This is Vital Remains, we are like an old bottle of Italian wine that's been sitting in the wine cellar for many years, we're like 67. You know, I mean like a nice bottle of right look, a nice bottle of 67 (Yeah, 68! – says the sound-engineer), sitting in the wine cellar, we pop that up it tastes great! So this is the reason why I did "Horrors of Hell" for the fans and they loved it, you know. And we kept it in the original, not the re-mastered, redone just original format, raw, raw as could be. And I did some liner notes and all original with some old pictures of the band and that's the way we made it something unique for the fans. It's another proud thing, another cool thing for the fans, some of the younger fans. Because it's funny some of these younger fans, I've said it before, they're young, they don't know, some of them think: "Oh, well, this is Glen Benton's side band". It's like: "No, we are not Glen Benton's side band". We're also a band that's been around for 18 years and then they discover all these albums: "Wow, it's like a treasure!". And they email me: "Wow, all these different records". OK, now you must go try to find them. "Oh, I've just got "Forever Underground"! Oh man, I waited one year to find this!". You know, it was funny, like OK, you got it, great! It's like treasure, you know. They're trying to look for these things, they're in the sand, it's in the mountains, whatever, they have to travel. "OK, I found it on eBay!". It's funny, you know. But this is the way it is, the generation, but I'm glad we did that. It was good to do.

- Right now actually our contract is up for renegotiation and Century Media is very happy with us and we're actually very happy with them. So we're in negotiations or we're gonna be after this tour to renegotiate for another, I don't know, deal. I don't know what includes, you know, we'll have to talk and a lot of negotiation, discussions, but Century's been really cool to us I have to say, very supportive. They let us do what we do, we let them do their job and we have a good relationship together. It's cool, I mean, the one reason why I wanted to sign with a company like Century Media is because I wanted, we were always on European labels, Osmose and Peaceville, and it was always hard for our fans in America to find, because of the bad distribution. So I wanted to find a label that had distribution everywhere that was easier for the fans. So they didn't have to pay in America 38 dollars or 28 dollars for import, you know, it's from Europe. I think that was just crazy. And then the people in Europe would know our records more than our own country, in America, the United States. So I wanted a company like Century Media and some people were like: "Oh well, you know Century Media, I don't know if it's the right label, like they thought maybe they would influence us to change, but not once!". I think they know what kind of a band we are and we are not the type of guys that you can say: "Hey, I think you should soften up the music". It would never happen, I would go back to selling demos out of the back of the van, I don't care, you know, to the fans. I don't think they would ever try that with us, we're not that kind of band anyway, but they always been really cool. Never ever influencing us, in our way of thinking, writing, we do what we do and then we presented here and they've always been like: "Cool". And that's cool man. You know, let the bands do what the bands do. Let them do their music and the companies should do their job to get the album to the fans and advertisement and promotion. But, you know, we have a good relationship right now and I'm looking forward to resigning with them and for how many, I don't know. I don't know how many more I have in me, but we joke about it, you know, like some bands will sign for 6 albums and I think: "Wow, 6 albums for me is an eternity!". You know, it's the rest of my life, I don't know if I have the 6 albums, but that would be 20 years or something for us. The thing like I say is I will continue to do this as long as I have it in me and continue to give my best and whatever we do with, we negotiate, we resign with Century, you know, whatever the deal may be, we'll try to make it the best deal and everything as well, but we'll see, you know. Like I said they wanna resign us. I think the fans show that they wanna hear more Vital Remains obviously and we will see how things go with it, you know.

- Oh, no question my friend! No question! Not to slag the other labels, but I have to say Century Media have been the most fairest company that I've ever worked for in my life. And with the other companies a lot of unfairness I'll say that, a lot of bad things, definitely handled very wrong and let's say I never seen my fair share of anything, until I signed with Century Media. So you can think about all the years of work and albums where the fans were buying and then me not receiving anything. To this day I've received nothing. And I think that's pretty unfair on some of these labels that I work with that when I try to question: "Hey, how come I don't receive nothing, when you are selling these records to the fans". Who think they are supporting us, when we're receiving nothing, and I get no answers. So I really regret making records for these companies, you know. I don't regret the albums, I love them, the music that we made, but I really wish it wasn't given to these companies, who never did nothing for us, besides take all the money for themselves. It's unfair, because as an artist, you write music, and you try to give your best and the fans buy it thinking you're gonna receive something and a lot of times to their surprise and many they don't receive anything. So I'm happy that with Century Media very fair, they pay us, we do see royalties. And they're very fair with just everything in general. That, you know, you have a question, you can call them and say: "Hey, I have a question about this". "OK, we talk to you about it". With Osmose, Hervé: "Aaa, not in the office. Click!". Back in the day with Peaceville, Hammy. "Hey, Hammy we wanna go to Europe". "Oh fellas that would cost a lot of money, blah, blah, blah, blah... Click!". A lot of things like this, you know, that I'm not happy about, but you know, you live and learn in this business. You learn from the mistakes, you say: "OK, maybe this wasn't good, but I would try to make this better and it took years to learn all this, I'm still learning. There's all kinds of shady, crooked things in this business, but as a band you have to learn, you have to learn from the mistakes. So I'm definitely not happy with the old labels, besides maybe putting a record out and some fans getting it. I'm proud of the music and everything like this, but I really wish I could have found work the deal with Century a long time ago. I would have been a lot happier now, but like I said you live and learn. It's taking years, but now we have better, better label, totally professional and very fair and honest, and not to fuck with us, so this is the way I wish it would have always been, but it wasn't so. So I'm happy now, I wasn't happy in about the past, but you know, we live and learn.

- It's touring. That's the future. There's a lot of touring in support of the record, try to play as many tours to as many people as we can and promote the new album and that's the main thing, you know. Try to get them to really like, hopefully they love the new album, the response has been great. But that's the Vital Remains' future, is just, you know, play as many shows and tour as much as possible. And then hopefully in a couple years start writing and do the whole thing and hopefully have a good record again to give to the fans. So that's the future definitely.

- Well, I wanna say thank you to the Ukraine fans, to the Vital legions of Ukraine for all the support and thanks to you for the interview. You know, I can't thank you enough. I hope you love the new album "Icons of Evil" and I hope to maybe come to Ukraine and play. That would be a great honor for us, you know, to come play and hope you like it and hope to see you soon on tour. Thanks for support! Cheers!

- Thanks brother.