Interview for DEATHTHRASHER MAGAZINE by ROXANA VIVANCO & ARMANDO MUTILATOR:

DT: Hello JOHN, once again here in DEATHTHRASHER, how are you?
John: Hello! Well, quite good, always making things with my groups…

DT: JOHN you commented to us in the interview that we did the last year (2005) that you knew PESO years before you joined NECRODEATH and that you had a smaller band in which you played with him, what band was you talking about? At the present time some material of that band exists?
John: The group was called T.S.O. (Sanitary Trattamento Obbligatorio) and the members were, besides PESO and me, ZANNA (nowadays singer of RAZA DE ODIO) and LJ DUSK (nowadays guitar of DyNAbyte). We played cover versions of other groups like ANTHRAX, S.O.D., BRUJERÍA but also AC/DC, ROSE TATTOO and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE! We recorded a song that was titled T.S.O., like the group, but we recorded it only for us, it was never released to the public since the group only existed for our own amuse. We played mainly in the breweries of our city and it was not a group destined to record discs.

DT: What last news do you have about SCHIZO?
John: I know that they are mixing their new disc that will have a special participation but… I cannot say more!

DT: Why do you use different names? For example in NECRODEATH you use the name JOHN, in CADAVERIA and DyNAbyte the name of KILLER BOB and in RAZA DE ODIO you use the name EL SARGENTO, is it for something special?
John: Because I have serious disturbances of personality… hahaha! The truth is that I like to change my style and also change of name. When I was an adolescent everybody called me JOHN, which is not my real name, and I don’t know why they called me like that. Soon, when I began the group with CADAVERIA, we decided to give to each member a name of a character of the LYNCH films (KILLER BOB comes from the film “Twin Peaks”). For RAZA DE ODIO I wanted a more aggressive name which be within the style of the group, for that reason I chose EL SARGENTO.

DT: Which are the weirdest editions than you have seen of some NECRODEATH production? What country from, which seal from? Some illegal issue?
John: They generally do not send foreign editions to us, because we do not have a direct bonding with other record companies and SCARLET RECORDS seems that does not have time for these things… But they sent to us the English and the Russian edition of “The Shadows' Madame” disc of CADAVERIA and the English one was very different from the original one, since it had a totally different cover; the Russian edition was funny because it was written in Cyrillic! And I don’t know anything about illegal editions, but I don’t care, the important thing to me is that people listen to our music! But I remember that once, during a show, a boy requested me to sign his disc and… It was a handmade copy! Hahaha it was very funny… we pull his leg just a little bit and soon we signed his disc and we took a beer with him…

DT: We know that the Swedish food is your favorite, what dishes do you consider the best ones, which would you recommend and how are they done? How come do you tasted the Swedish food?
John: It was indeed my favorite when we used to record in Sweden and we spent lots of time there… I must update the website… hahaha! I liked it a lot but now I have changed my tastes, now I like more the Mexican food because is god damn hot and I have discovered again the typical tastes of my city and my culture, which is the pesto (a basilica sauce) with the paste! (Testarolis al pesto ruuuule - Ed.)

DT: It does exist some similarity between the work in RAZA DE ODIO and the first band that you had years back with PESO?
John: Well, a bit…ok, the drums, the bass and the voice is the same, and we also played some versions from BRUJERIA… but the style is totally different and in addition PACO is in RAZA DE ODIO with his flamenco guitar that gives to our music a special sound. Even LOPEZ, the electric guitar of RAZA, has a different style compared to LJ DUSK. LOPEZ is more like CAVALERA, LJ DUSK plays like DARRELL or CAZARES. The guitar is very important in a Metal group, for that reason if you change the guitar you may change a lot the style of any group.

DT: PESO, How did you join ANGEL DEATH?
Peso: In that period ANGEL DEATH did not have drums but they did have the urgency to record a 7”, for that reason they contacted me and I was available. They came here where I have the studio, I remember it was Saturday, they showed me the songs and the following day we recorded them in another studio in Genoa.

DT: In an old interview CLAUDIO told us that he was the only member of NECRODEATH interested in soccer, now that the World Cup of Germany 2006 is ended, which was your position? Did you celebrate the victory of Italy? Did you follow all the matches?
John: Look, I am not interested in soccer, mainly because here in Italy is bullshit; there is much corruption, too much. But every 4 years, when arrives the World-Cup time, I like it a lot and I see almost all the matches, not only the ones of Italy, I like also to see the matches of other teams, mainly the smaller ones. And of course I am very happy that Italy has won the Cup, but I didn’t go out to the streets to celebrate the victory, we did not exaggerate…

DT: Until the moment which has been the reception of the NECRODEATH fans towards the new album “100% Hell”?
John: Very good. From fans and the critic also. In addition this disc gave us the opportunity to have new fans and the themes that we play live (“Forever Slaves” and “Masters of Morphine”) are very successful.

DT: where is oriented the lyrics of “100% Hell” to?
Peso: The lyrics of “100% Hell” speak about the tragic destiny of our world that is true hell. All the songs speak about arguments that have impressed me in a special way, by the way, the last song which is not a summary of all the previous stuff, as some people think, it’s indeed a fantastic trip towards the hell, inspired in “The Divine Comedy” by DANTE, from where we got the lyrics in old Italian which FLEGIAS has performed very well!

DT: I am curious about the cover of “100% Hell”, who designed it?
John: I was designed by CHAD MICHAEL WARD, who already worked with FEAR FACTORY and MARYLIN MANSON. We generally designed our own covers, besides “Black As Pitch” which ALBERTO, bass of SCHIZO, designed. But this time the record company asked us if we liked this and…shit! It was perfect for our disc! Without a doubt!

DT: JOHN, tell us about the collaboration of CRONOS in the “100% Hell”, he pleased accepted?
John: By means of the president of the VENOM’s Fan Italian Club, we asked CRONOS if he had liked to participate in our disc, in the way that he liked it more obviously. We gave him the freedom to choose what he preferred and he immediately accepted, he even said that he always followed our career and that he has listened to all our discs! It was incredible!

DT: How does it feel like that one of the greatest legends of Metal like CRONOS, be a fan of NECRODEATH from their very first album? And that he even has participated in “100% Hell”?
John: Well it is a great satisfaction. Without taking away ours fans and the critic of course, some opinions are more worth than others… at least for us!

DT: I wanted to ask you, what opinion do you have about bands like KORN and LIMP BIZKIT? About the Nu Metal in general… That in one hand and in the other one I wanted to know, what do you think about the Glam? About bands like WARRANT or POISON, Do you think that they made some damage to the 80’s Heavy Metal?
John: It is never damage the fact of having different ideas, to confront them or to mix them. Anyone might like this, others might not, but this is another thing. As for the Nu Metal, in the beginning it seemed good, but then I found it boring, I do not like those groups. And don’t like the Glam either, although long ago I liked MOTLEY CRUE, in the disc “Shout AT The Devil” there are many fucking great songs!

DT: Which is the music composition process in RAZA DE ODIO? And how about the lyrics? Do you compose all the lyrics in Spanish? Is easier for you to write in English or Spanish?
John: In RAZA DE ODIO is generally PACO who composes the themes, he composes them with his flamenco guitar and soon we “stuck” over our electric instruments. The lyrics are done by ZANNA, in Italian, and soon PACO translates them, he speaks Spanish very well. And for me… both languages come out very well to me, but I prefer the Spanish, because nowadays I have some rejection against the English and what its culture represents …

DT: Are there plans to release a new disc from DyNAbyte? Will you count on CADAVERIA again?
John: The disc “Extreme Mental Piercing” was very successful but our record company did not promote us at all… it’s a pity because I think that it is the best disc that I have recorded. Then we were in Holland for a brief gig tour and when we returned LJ DUSK had to dedicate himself to his family, for that reason we are in “stand-by”. But we already have ideas for new themes and I hope to record them the next year, with CADAVERIA, of course!

DT: “100% Hell” is already available in the United States? We know that it would be in CAROLINE RECORDS, tell us how did you contact this label, which are your expectations as far as the great American market?
John: From Julio 2006 the disc is distributed by CAROLINE RECORDS in the United States, but don’t ask me about negotiation issues because this is work of the record company, we only play! The other NECRODEATH members are very happy for this new distribution in the U.S.A., I really do not trust very much in the North Americans, they are too much influenced by trends and in addition they always ask you to tour in the U.S.A. for promoting the disc but nobody wants to pay not even the expenses! We play for passion, we are not musicians by trade, each one of us has his own work, for that reason we cannot be a month in the United States just for free and they do not pay the flight either… I don’t know what they think but they are a little crazy for sure…

DT: JOHN, tell us some anecdote about the 2006 Tour with MARDUK and which of all the dates do you think was the most devastating. Which Public was the one that left the best impression to you and why?
John: The best public and dates were the two Italian ones! The success that MARDUK has anywhere in the world along the success that we have in Italy was a devastating mixture! The other dates were quite good, but not as much as the two Italian ones. And I had the opportunity to meet MARDUK, that are very noble and calm boys, but when they got to play on the stage they turn crazy devils hahaha!!!

DT: Who created the MySpace page of NECRODEATH? The Fans can write you directly that way or would be better than they do it by the website or the classic P.O. Box of Genoa?
John: The official NECRODEATH MySpace page is www.myspace.com/necrodeath100x100, there is another one but it’s of one fan. I created it but it’s PESO who updates it. Fans can use all the ways to communicate with us; we do what it’s possible to answer them all!

DT: What is your opinion about the last GODS OF METAL? Which musicians did you meet in this Festival?
John: I did not like the idea to put all the Italian bands in the same day. There were lots of people and the cost was cheap, but it seems to me that it could be better, for many bands that need promotion, to play during the days of the international groups. Unfortunately that day I was not very well, for that reason I went to Milan to play with NECRODEATH and after our show I went back home… anyway I liked to play again with CLAUDIO, after a couple of years that he left the group, it was very exciting!

DT: JOHN, your career as bassist is very prolific, you have collaborated with many bands throughout your trajectory; do you feel like the European STEVE DI GIORGIO (DEATH, SADUS, ICED EARTH, CONTROL DENIED, AUTOPSY…)?
John: Hahaha, please! I play in smaller groups and only with my friends, who are people that have the same passion that me in all we do.

DT: Which are your future plans with each one of your bands?
John: Let’s see… NECRODEATH: we are planning the shows for the next months, and I think that they will be all in Italy. CADAVERIA: we are mixing the new disc, that is almost ready and it will be released within this year’s end, but we have still not chosen a record company; in addition we are going to participate in the 2006 edition of MARTOHELL FESTIVAL in Barcelona, and it will be the first time that I perform in Spain, I have many friends there and I can’t way to go! RAZA DE ODIO: PESO has left the group and we have another drummer, within a couple of weeks we are going to record a new theme that we will put in the page as beginning sign of the new era of RAZA DE ODIO. DyNAbyte: I hope to be able to find LJ DUSK soon to begin the composition of the new themes, and to record them the next year with a new and better record company!

DT: Thanks once again to respond another interview for DEATHTHRASHER, this time in Spanish! (The interview was made originally in Spanish –Ed.) Take please this space to add some words
John: Thanks to you to give me the opportunity to promote my groups! I hope that this collaboration stays in the future. And I want to invite your readers to visit the pages of my groups and to listen to the themes and see the videos: NECRODEATH www.necrodeath.net, CADAVERIA www.cadaveria.com, RAZA DE ODIO www.razadeodio.com, DyNAbyte www.dynabyte.it.
Another thing: when do you invite me to play in Latin America??????? ;) (Is what we will try JHON!!! - Ed.)