Pic courtesy of: Desaster "I think the most important thing is our love for Heavy Metal in general and our eternal friendship, which kept and keeps the band alive."

CR: Hey man how are you? What have you been doing lately?
Tormentor: Hey! Man, I feel hangövered! Yesterday we had a “nice” drinkingfest in our local metalpub! The band is going well! Many interviews, a couple of gigs and still hungry for METAL! We allready started writing new songs and rehearse for the upcoming live battles!

CR: I read on your web page that you had some problems in the airport in Spain, do they let you travel with spikes and those bullet belts or those are just for the shows? (A sort of stupid question to break the ice!)
Tormentor: Haha, ok the ice is broken... no, these buttheads of ryan air were not able to work fast so we had to wait in a row until they closed the check inn... long story... but we offered the office guy to break his neck, kill him and eat his brain... but we had to change the flight to a later one, on another airport in Germany. So we had to pay the changetickets, the rental car, one more day parking at the other airport and so on... RYAN AIR SUCKS! But they are still cheap! haha...

CR: You guys are still going to do a couple of more shows in Europe right? How many songs from the new album are you guys playing? Do you have like a certain amount of songs from “666 - Satan's Soldiers Syndicate” and specific ones that you promote or that changes from show to show?
Tormentor: Yes, we are just fixing some gigs for 2008 here in Germany and other countries. But we prefer to play more single gigs at weekends. In March we’ll do a small tour with 3-4 gigs. That’s long enough! hehe...
We will play maybe 5 songs from the new album... but only 3 a night. So we change the set a bit every gig!

CR: Is there a bigger significance for the nicknames of the band members or is it just for fun? Did each individual pick their names or was it assigned to them?
Tormentor: Everybody did it by himself! I think in that kind of Metal is it great to have a nickname... it’s not just for fun! It keeps the whole band a bit more “evil”. Names like Angelrippe, Cronos, Insulter of Jesus Christ and so on are killer names and fit perfect to Heavy Metal!

CR: Desaster is close to the 20 year mark, that’s pretty remarkable, now after so many years, what do you think has kept this band alive, what in your opinion is the single most important issue that Desaster had to struggle through in order to make it this far?
Tormentor: I think the most important thing is our love for Heavy Metal in general and our eternal friendship, which kept and keeps the band alive. We are like brothers... sometimes all is fine, sometimes everybody is pissed of at each other... haha... after many years you know each other 100% and know his thoughts... We still are hot to shoot some Desaster- Metal into the Metalscene and we are still hot to play live.... that’s very important. I think Desaster will go on for more years...

CR: According to your biography, the band used the name Desaster in part by inspiration taken from another German band Destruction, how much did that band impacted you guys or the founders if you have any idea, on the way Desaster approach not just the music but the attitude and the overall “look” of the members at that time or you personally?
Tormentor: Specially on their 1st record (MLP) the Destruction guys looked really “metal” and I think this was also a big point why Infernal and Creator Cassie choose the name “Desaster”. They were total possessed Metalheads who started to play that same noise as their idols did! They also thought that “Desaster” is a good name for those 3 guys back in the beginning of the time... because they were a Desaster! And.... we still are a total Desaster! Believe me!!

CR: Are you guys all musicians full time or do you have “day jobs”?
Tormentor: Desaster is, was and will be our hobby... a very time-intensive one, but it is only a hobby. We all have daily jobs and we will not change it! As long as we all have work, we are independent and can do what we want. And we need our freedom... otherwise a band like Desaster would not exist!

CR: Do you personally had some “professional” instruction on the instrument that you play or is it just an empirical skill that you acquired over time and practice?
Tormentor: I had for a couple of weeks a drum teacher... but I was too lazy to learn all that shit! I want to make noise! All other members never had a teacher... maybe that is also what makes us so strong. We grow up in handling our instruments together....

CR: 666 - Satan's Soldiers Syndicate, your new release, kick ass title by the way! It sounds at least to me, faster, heavier than Anglewhore; was that on purpose or it just sort of happens?
Tormentor: Thanxx a lot! It’s normal that all Desaster songs are coming straight from our hearts... we felt that it was time to show all maniacs that we are still armed to shoot salves of Metal into all faces of those who don’t believe in real metal! Sounds like Manowar, right?! haha.... Anyway, we felt that the new songs are more direct, fast forward and brutal! “Angelwhore” was a bit too “progressive” for our way... not that we are proggies, never!... but maybe here and there a riff too much and too long... so this time it was only the pure song structure and nothing more around! Like a fist in the face of god! Because we are Satan’s Soldiers Syndicate!

	Pic courtesy of: Desaster "Desaster is, was and will be our hobby... a very time-intensive one, but it is only a hobby. We all have daily jobs and we will not change it! "

CR: In this latest release you guys had the guest appearances of several other musicians from very well known bands like Proscriptor (ABSU), A.A. Nemtheanga (PRIMORDIAL) and Ashmedi (MELECHESH); whose idea was it to have them on the record? And do you feel that guest appearances actually elevate the quality of an album?
Tormentor: I think it doesn’t matter which person we have as a guest on our records... this is more for us! Because it is really amazing to hear another voice singing your new songs. And we all love bands like Absu, Primordial and Melechesh! So it was an honor for us to have those three gentlemen on our new record! It’s kind of tradition to have a guest on our records. In the past we had maniacs like Mille, Martin Missy, Wannes Gubbels, Lemmie, Toto and more... all that started with the “Stormbringer” MCD! So I think on the next album we’ll have a guest again!

CR: Infernal is the last member of the original Desaster line up, what will happen if he decides to quit, will Desaster continue with you guys, or do you think you will have to at least change the name of the band?
Tormentor: He will not! I am sure! But if this would happen is this the end of Desaster! Because his riffs ARE Desaster!

CR: This is your second album with Metal Blade, what have been the biggest differences that you have felt when you guys decided to move to them, have the promotion increased? Have the awareness of the band increased?
Tormentor: Hey, all in all Metal Blade is only a record label! We had two other ones before! Of course we have, since we changed, much more promotion! I think there are no differences between “Angelwhore” and “SSS” at the moment...

CR: In previous interviews I noticed that Desaster keeps a very close relationship with other underground bands mainly in Europe, do you think the fact that you guys stay so much closer to what the underground is has helped the band achieved a sort of “cult” level for many young kids?
Tormentor: You know, we are not having this kind of friendship to some bands because of this so called scene. We only like to be Metalheads and meet other metalheads! If they are playing in a band or not is not interesting! But there are also some really great bands especially here in Germany. But I think it has nothing to do with any kind of “level”. The most important thing is to stay as you are and do what you want!

CR: I think all your full length albums have 10 songs, why that number in particular?
Tormentor: No idea! This time we really thought recording, like all previous full length records, 8 songs + intro + outro, but in the recording studio I played all songs a bit faster so that we only had something like 35 minutes for 8 songs + intro... so we decided to bring “Venomous Stench” on normal CD and recorded “Witchcraft” for the bonus on vinyl! So this time we have 9 songs + intro... but no outro!

CR: Desaster’s music is linked at least lyric wise to satanic themes and satanic visual art, why do you think that particular theme is so attractive to so many bands and metal fans? And why do you think anti-Christian and general anti religious music haven’t really “attack” or talked about other religions as well like for example the Muslims or Jews?
Tormentor: I really don’t care and do not believe in ANY religion! I am my own god! But we believe also in the dark and evil side! I really have respect to people who are 100% into a thing they are doing, but the most important thing is to do it for you and not to proselytize somebody! But the evil, dark and mystical side always was in Metal and it’s also important for the band and the feeling for the songs!

CR: The band started out as mostly a black/folk (off course there were some thrash riffs all over it) outfit, at least it sounds sort of that way in “A Touch Of Medieval Darkness”; is there any other particular sound that you guys would consider to include or develop into on next albums; or the actual sound the sound that has made Desaster what it is today is the one that will remain?
Tormentor: I think all in all we didn’t changed our style! You still hear when you listen to the 1st demotape or the new album that this is Desaster what is doing the noise there... but of course the change on the vocals gave the band another touch without changing the typical, unique Desaster- style. All in all the most important thing is that Desaster plays Metal from fans – for fans!

	Pic courtesy of: Desaster "I really don’t care and do not believe in ANY religion! I am my own god! But we believe also in the dark and evil side!"

CR: By your statement on the web I get that you guys are not very happy with the whole music trading on the web, maybe this is not funny for you but I actually got to realize of the existence of Desaster through one of those free download blogs on the web, I downloaded Anglewhore and got totally hooked with your music (off course I’m buying your records now!) so my question is, how much do you think these free downloads have affected Desaster and if there is any positive side to it what would that be?
Tormentor: You know, the music- industry of course isn’t happy about that, but we really don’t care about illegal downloads... what we don’t like is more that shit that some assholes release CDs of our music without any consent from us like it happen with our 1st demo a couple of month ago. Now we will find that idiot and start to take legal measure. He/she didn’t ask us in anyway and now it is on ebay... that makes us angry!

CR: Do you or any of the other guys on Desaster listen to your old records, let’s say “A Touch Of Medieval Darkness” or “Hellfire's Dominion” just to hear what the band use to sound like and how much have you guys grown since then. What surprises you the most in the evolution of the band, because Desaster started with a very black metal sound, very early Bathory and evolved during time?
Tormentor: Of course we listen from time to time to the old records. Especially when it comes to play them live again! We are really proud of all songs we wrote in the past and we still play them live as much as possible!

CR: I just wanted to hear….well read your point of view on the following. Lately in some countries in Europe the huge amount of immigration from Africa is creating a sort of “intolerance” for foreign people, a couple of violent incidents in different parts of Europe have reached the news. Do you feel that there is a growing intolerance for foreigners? Or has that part of society never really reached the metal community?
Tormentor: You know, this so called right wing scene is getting really big at the moment and a lot of stupid kiddies think it’s “cool” to combine some shitty nazi- stuff with Heavy Metal! And this sucks! I don’t care about any color or foreigners... they are all welcome! But some people are thinking different! Also some countries around Germany are well-known for their intolerance! But I hope that this “trend” will leave as soon as possible because Metal has nothing to do with politics and all that shit! Metal is a connective link through all countries and races... So it doesn’t matter if someone is green, pink, blue, black, white, lila, orange, red or whatever... if Metal Blood is pounding in their veins- they are bounded by metal!

CR: You guys don’t have a DVD, any future plans for one, any talk from Metal Blade about that possibility?
Tormentor: You’re wrong! We made a DVD for our Brazilian label Mutilation Records... I think it’s still available! From this gig they also released a CD and DoLP... really great thing! The DVD features the complete show in Sao Paulo and some special gigs during the years, some expressions from our 1st Brazil- trip and a professional layout!

CR: Do you have any band, from the “new crop” lets say that was created after the year 2000 that you really like and at some point admire for their work?
Tormentor: Ahh, there are some bands... for example like Fueled by fire from the US, a killer Thrash band! But I still think the year is not important! The feeling and how they present the band is much more important! I also like for example Lordi from Finland... but that’s only me in the band I guess! haha....

CR: You might consider this a dumb question (and maybe it is!) but I wanna ask it anyways; is it important for a metal musician to have the support and comprehension of their family when it comes to build a career out of this crazy but amazing genre of music?
Tormentor: I have no idea! Because we are not musicians! We are fans who play Metal! So we never had any problems... of course sometimes you have stress at work to get free for some gigs, but that’s real life! Maybe it’s good to have a girlfriend or wife who understands what a band means to yourslef and I really had luck to get a girl which really stands 100% behind me/us and also helps us in any way... More or less all our girls are a bit involved in the band like selling merchandise, driving the van or something else! Haha, also my mom nowadays likes this “band-life” but this would never affect what I want to do! But to come back to your question... we are not real musicians who live from their music! This is what keeps us independent and we need our special freedom!

CR: Any plans for a big tour next year?
Tormentor: Desaster isn’t a band who likes to tour 3 or 4 weeks in a row! We tried it once and it definitely showed us our limits! We prefer playing some single-gigs at weekends or some festivals... maybe some small tours with 4-5 gigs in a row is possible! We are in contact at the moment to go to South America next year... and some other gigs in foreign countries... also some gigs here in Germany are already confirmed. Maybe one or two split releases we will do...

CR: Well man thank you so much for your time, hope you place us in your bookmarks (jejeje), if you have any last words please let the Costarrican metalheads hear you!!!
Tormentor: Hey... that’s the end? Ok... thanxx a lot for the interesting questions... hopefully one day we can come to Costa Rica and break your fukkin’ necks with a total Desaster! Keep the metalspirit alive and stay dark! For merchandise please visit our website www.total-desaster.de or check out www.myspace.com/desasterofficial !! Bang or be banged!

Tormentor & DESASTER