Incantation – “We know that there is a demand for us to play in Europe, but we aren’t sure that Relapse fully realizes it.”

Ever since I joined the Vampire Crew, I wanted to do an interview with Incantation, one of the best and most brutal Death Metal bands ever. Latest album “The infernal storm” is a good reason to ask some questions, but of course I also had some other questions. My interview partners are Mike Saez (guitars/vocals) and John McEntee (guitars).

Hey how are things at the moment?
Mike: Things are going very good with the band right now. We did a 2-month U.S. tour for our latest album, and plan on going on the road again in early November with Impaled and Nile.

I know Incantation has been around for quite some time but could you give a short bio nevertheless?
John: Well, Incantation has been around for about 11 years now and has always stayed true to what we are and that’s a brutal blasphemous Death Metal band! If anyone need to know more about our history you should visit our web site at: www.incantation.com

How are the reactions so far on “The infernal storm”?
Mike:  Very good. We are all happy with the overall response that the album has had. Of course, there will always be people that aren’t into it, but we cant please everyone. The main thing that we are concerned about when it comes to writing music is that everyone in the band is happy with it, and with this album we all are.

On your home page you’re asking fans to send an e-mail to Relapse, so that you can play in Europe. Is Relapse being difficult in giving you tour support?
Mike: Kind of. We know that there is a demand for us to play in Europe, but we aren’t sure that Relapse fully realizes it. We get plenty of mail from fans over there asking us when we are going to play there, and we tell them that we want to, but its just a matter of us getting over there. It really helps if fans from there, that would like to see us email Relapse and tell them. That increases the chances of us playing there. Its been a few years since we were there, and we do have something in the works right now for early next year, so we will have to see what happens.

How does it feel to have Kyle Severn back in the band? Are you satisfied with the current line-up?
Mike: Great.Kyle is super cool, and an amazing drummer. We are all very pleased that he is playing with us again, and he is also psyched to be jamming. He sounds better than ever, and is 100 percent dedicated, so we are all confident that it will work out.

Will this finally be a more stable Incantation line-up?
Mike: We are all satisfied with this line up. We have confidence that this line up will last. All of us get along great, and we all share the same vision of the band, something that John had a problem with in the past. We have all worked together for a while now and things are going very smoothly.

In the past Incantation and Mortician helped eachother out pretty often. Mortician is doing pretty good right now. Do you think Incantation will get some more recognition too in the near future?
John: I think it’s great that Mortician is doing real good now! Both Mike and myself had helped out Mortician at one point or another. We didn’t do it to gain polarity we did because we are friends with them and like their music! If it helps up then great but if not it’s not we still have great memories of jamming with Mortician!!

How was touring with Immolation?
.John: Killer! It was great they are great guys and long time friends! And on top of that they are one of my favorite bands too! So it was a great experience and we hope to get a Incantation and Immolation tour happening sometime soon!

Is it still relatively easy for you to write brutal yet “original” music?
John: No problem! It’s natural to me!

Besides “The Infernal Storm”, which Incantation-album is the most special for you?
.Mike: My favorite album will always be Onward To Golgotha. I remember going to the store and buying it, and just being totally blown away by the music on it. It was brutal as hell, the production was muddy, and it just had such and evil feel to it. Since that album I was always anticipating Incantations next releases.

Your home page www.incantation.com looks great. Who created this?
.Mike: Rob (Yench, bass; Stijn) is the person behind the website. He really dedicates a lot of time to doing it, and I really think that it shows. He is doing an excellent job on it, and a lot of our supporters seem to think the same. He spends countless hours updating the site, and trying to add to it on a daily basis. I was even shocked when I saw it. Not at all to doubt his ability to do a good job, but I was really surprised when I first saw how it looked. Now it’s good because a lot of the fans go there, post questions to us, and we are able to talk with them more, and get feedback from them directly.

What do you think of the current condition of metal in the U.S.? Where can you find the best metal scene in the world, according to your opinion?
Mike: I think that over in Europe the scene  is a lot better. The people there seem very dedicated to metal. They play real metal on the radio stations, and even on MTV. That is something that you hardly ever see in the US. All that they play here is trendy rap rock now. Don’t get me wrong. The U.S. does have a lot of dedicated metal fans, just not the extent as other places.

Are you able to put enough energy in the band? Do you also have a regular job besides the band?
Mike: I have to have another job besides the band. A lot of people think that just because you are in a band and you tour that you are rich or something. With Death Metal that is sadly not the case. It just simply doesn’t pay the bills. Especially because I live in New York, and the cost of living is so damn expensive. I would love the day though that I could sleep late, and just hang out and do what I want, and know that my music is paying all the bills, but I just don’t see that happening any time soon.

Your 5 all-time favorite albums and your 5 favorite new releases?
Mike: 5 all time favorite albums are: Iron Maiden – Powerslave, Slayer – Reign in Blood, Grave – You will never see, Entombed – Left hand path, and Gorguts – Considered dead. As far as new albums this year the new Iron Maiden, Vader, Krisiun, and King Diamond.

Are you still in contact with many of the former Incantation members?
John: Some of the former members I’m in contact with, I’m always interested in what they are up to because they are like my brother. And there will always be a connection!

Do you follow the new bands entering the scene? What new bands do you really like?
John: yes, I follow the scene as much as I can, I’m pretty busy but I do what I can! One of my favorite newer bands is Migauss from Greensburg, PA. Also Kyle is doing a side project featuring Lord Ahriman (Dark Funeral) – Rhythm Guitar, Vincent Crowley ( Acheron) Bass and vocals, Ricktor Ravensbruck (Electric Hellfire Club) – Lead Guitar and Thomas Thorn (Electric Hellfire Club) – Keyboards and Samples. Wolfen Society recorded their debut EP called ‘Conquer Divine’ in September.

Your final thought…
Thanks a lot to all of our fans. We hope to be in Europe early next year. You can find out what is going on with the band, tour dates, merchandise, etc at our website at www.Incantation.com. Thanks for all of your support and we hope to see you all on the road! Hail the goat!