
1. Hello my friend, pleasure to have you on Rotten Pages ´zine. How are you doing today? Let us set the scene first. Where do we find you right now? Please describe your surroundings.
hey, bro! I'm doing great right now. It's a pleasure to be part of the South American metal scene. I'm currently sitting in my home studio between my vocal technique, lyric sheets and a bunch of new death metal CDs.
2. Before becoming a musician, were you self taught taking private music lessons at a young age or did you fully learn and adapt on your own from there?
haha I was an extremely lazy dog when I was young and never wanted to go to lessons. Looking back, that was pretty stupid. I had to learn everything the hard way. When I see what people half my age are doing on YouTube playing the guitar or on the microphone, I sometimes get annoyed that I never took lessons before. But I think it was a different time than it is today.
3. Rotting Core has been active for over two years now. Did your sound evolve over the years? What has kept you inspired to continue creating music?
I am the newest member of Rotting Core, so I can only say a little about it. The guys found their own sound. Everyone put their own stamp on it. I think I brought a few good ideas to the table. And now we write songs together that fit in well with our concept.Our goal is to revive old school death metal.
4. As an emerging band in the extreme metal scene, what are some challenges you've faced, and how have you overcome them to pave the way for your future?
the biggest challenge is finding promoters for gigs. the pandemic is to blame for that. people are hesitant to take risks. it used to be easier (20 years ago😂). someone would organize a concert and you would give them a demo cassette and maybe they would book you. it's not like that anymore. promoters only want big bands that are guaranteed to sell out the house. Or they offer you cheeky pay2play deals where you have to spend a lot of money before you can go on stageu. the underground scene has it tough these days. people aren't willing to spend money on unknown bands. they forget that their idols and heroes were once in the same place. cannibal corpse were also an underground band that nobody knew about!
5. Let´s focus on lyric aspect of your debut selftitled demo, are there any particular themes or topics that you're exploring on these 3 tracks?
Oh yes, lyrics are a central theme for me. I write most of the lyrics on my own and use them to express what moves me. Many lyrics are about real events or current circumstances. The central theme, however, is the depravity of human life. No other creature on this planet inflicts such cruelty on others. All our songs are about this too. All be vicious, for example, is about the fact that in principle any of us can become a murderer. The right conditions just have to be there to trigger the lowest parts of us. By the way, there is a good reason why our lyrics cannot be read anywhere. In Germany, we have major problems with youth protection on this issue. Death metal in particular is very quickly banned. But reality is much more cruel than my lyrics.

6. You´ve defined your music as Oldschool Death metal, what can listeners expect from your songs? Were there certain artists that influenced you in your musical upbringing?
We don't have any hyperblasts! Heavy riffs in a rolling mid-tempo! It's hard to define and describe all of this. Each of us was influenced musically in a different way. And old school is where we overlap. I think if I had to describe the sound of Rotting Core to someone, I would say we sound unique, but it's something between Bolt Thrower and the first Six Feet Under.
7. Is every member of the band involved in the composition of your music? When you sit down together and rehearse, does it go smooth or and you do full songs or do you really have to insist on certain parts all the time?
Each of us is involved in the entire writing process, each in his own area. Benny and Timo write the guitar riffs, Albi the bass lines, Jörg the drums. When we have a basic concept for a song, we talk together about whether anything can be optimized. When everything is ready, I write a text and see how I can add vocals to it.
8. Between recording music and performing live shows, which would you say is more in your favor or do you think both have their own significant ways?
I think both depend on each other. But if I have the choice between going to the studio or on stage, I will always choose the stage.
9. How would you define your relationship to local promoters and, more widely, the German death metal scene in general? What would you like to see emerging in this microcosm?
I already mentioned that the pandemic has destroyed a lot. I would like to see the underground connect more again and promoters find the courage to organize small local concerts again. Of course the bills have to be paid, but money isn't everything.
10. With what you cannot make compromise – in your music and in your life?
disrespect! I think everyone has their right to exist. I leave this diss track crap to other genres. And about the music: it has to be loud and handmade

11. I´ve discovered all of you have previously played in several bands in the past, So I´d call you veterans on the scene - what advice would you give to young musicians?
😂 I think veterans are good! Yes, as you can see from the grey hair and the many wrinkles in our pictures, we have all been in the scene for a while. What advice do I give to young musicians? Stick with it, don't let setbacks discourage you and lower your expectations. Network with other bands and I don't think I'm saying this myself, but learn to use social media.
12. What changes — good and bad — have you witnessed or experienced in the local and underground scene?
In my opinion, the underground has become too focused on success. We used to have good regional networks. If one of us dropped out, someone from another band would step in. That doesn't happen anymore. I think the underground is too goal-oriented these days.
13. The death metal genre has been quite solid and consistent since the last three decades. How do you see the future of the genre going in the future?
There are no other metal genres with as many subgenres as death metal. I think that's the secret of its success. I personally listen to a lot of brutal/tech death alongside the classics. What strikes me is that everything is getting faster and faster. Hyperblasts, gravity blasts, inhuman double bass. The groove is often lost. Ultimately, everything has its phase. But the concept of death metal will continue to exist for another three decades or more.
14. I want to thank you, sincerely, for your time. Before we end our conversation, is there anything else in particular you’d like to share?
I have to thank you. I would never have imagined that I would give an interview in South America. The internet makes it possible. Maybe we'll get the chance to play there one day. Until then, we'll just keep writing songs. Our first album is planned for next year. And last but not least, keep supporting Underground Death Metal
Best Regards
Conni from Rotting Core
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