SOURCE – I wanted to start things off by asking about the new album Necrobreed you have out. What were the actual changes that you tried to bring forth on this record?
Julien Truchan (Vocals) – We simply wanted to release the most violent and insane Benighted record ever. We worked a lot on the sound to make it even more massive and creepy for it to match with the brutality of the new tracks, which were all written to make each a easily reminding track with catchy chorus in the middle of very fast parts and more disturbing ones. In Benighted we always wanted to write not just tracks but actual songs, for fans to be able to recognize it from the very first notes and give them the will to scream with us on the chorus for example. Efficiency on stage has always been the purpose of our music and each track has its own identity. Necrobreed offers even more variety than the previous albums, it contains the fastest tracks of our career and I would say also simply the best ones!
SOURCE – After having been together for such a long time, does that make it harder or easier to come up with new material?
Julien Truchan (Vocals) – I would say it’s much easier! Even if the line-up has changed with the years the thing is that we always kept the essence of Benighted’s music, making it evolve from an album to another. We write our music in a very instinctive way at first, and when the structure is ok, we work a lot on arrangements and stuff. This album was easy to write cause we were so motivated and full of rage that we all had a lot to offer during the writing process!
SOURCE – With the success of your last album Brutalive the Sick did you feel any added pressure this time?
Julien Truchan (Vocals) – This live album was a huge success as it was a limited numbered one and its sold out, but people were wondering if we could do something better or more extreme than Carnivore Sublime, which is a huge positive pressure that we adore! Ah ah! Necrobreed is in my opinion better than it in every point!
SOURCE – Some of the tracks features Trevor Strnad (The Black Dahlia Murder), Asphodel (Chenille) and Arno (Black Bomb A). How did that collaboration come about?
Julien Truchan (Vocals) – We made a European tour with The Black Dahlia Murder at the beginning of the year, it was one of the best tours I ever made! Those guys are so fantastic and such an incredible band on stage! When we wrote the track “Forgive Me Father”, I totally imagined Trevor killer vocals on some parts! He was very enthusiastic about being a part of our new baby and he sent me his vocals parts who really bring this track to a new level of brutality! Asphodel is on her side and amazing singer who can sing in every style! Damn she is an alien! We needed her on the opening track of the album to put this typical 80ies horror movie music as the creepiest intro to open the audio horror movie that’s Necrobreed. His delicate voice gives this such an insane dimension before the actual music starts, I love it! And finally our long time friend Arno from Black Bomb A who has this very particular voice, like a bear you stole his lunch to! Or a brontosaurus under steroids! Ah ah! His vocals were just perfect to increase the violence of this very poetical song “Cum With Disgust”! The result is killer!
SOURCE – What can the fans expect from the new album?
Julien Truchan (Vocals) – Simply the most violent piece of shit Benighted ever wrote with a lot of insane parts which can make you shiver and a “straight to your face” line from the beginning until the end!
SOURCE – Are there plans for a traditional video for that song or any others on the album?
Julien Truchan (Vocals) – Absolutely! In January will be revealed the first music video for the promotion of the new album! I can only tell you that it’s disgusting and that someone from the recording crew puked during the filming! Ah ah!
SOURCE – Benighted has been around for over 20 years. Where do continue to find the anger, the rage that is evident in all of Benighted’s music?
Julien Truchan (Vocals) – These are our guts speaking! We love to share everything we’ve got inside of us, positive and negative! As long as our bodies will allow us to go on stage and give everything, we will be there for sure!
SOURCE – A lot of focus these days is on the issue of kids illegally downloading music from the internet and how to combat this. The record companies are steamrolling governments all over the world and pushing through draconian legislation and restrictions that only seem to benefit them while crippling the rights and privileges of everyone else. What are your own thoughts on this and the future of the music industry?
Julien Truchan (Vocals) – I guess internet is a huge way to discover new bands and spread the good music but people need to understand that if the labels don’t win any money from the records, they can’t of course give good conditions to record new stuff to the artists. You have to make a difference between the huge musical enterprise that can be some big bands and the smaller ones who only want to play and record good albums but can’t because their albums are illegally downloaded. It’s important to support the bands you like by buying albums or going to the concerts to help them give you the best they can. And as in Benighted, no one wins personal money as every benefit is used for the band and not the musicians; I think I speak about it in an objective way. It’s not about business, it’s about keeping a band alive nowadays.
SOURCE – Do you momentarily make enough money to live from being a musician?
Julien Truchan (Vocals) – With such an extreme band like Benighted? It would be very hard I guess… And fortunately, it was never our goal to live with music!
SOURCE – That’s about it, any final words for our readers?
Julien Truchan (Vocals) – I want to thank you at first for this interview and invite all our fans and friends to listen our new album and see you in the pit guys! Stay sick!
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