SOURCE WEBZINE | We don’t have readers – we have believers.

SOURCEWEBZINE – We are an online magazine, totally dedicated to the rock, metal and hardcore scene based in Brazil – South America. What else do you know about our beautiful country, besides the fact that we have beautiful Forest ?
Darren Brooks  (Guitar) – It makes coffee and Sepultura come from there, that is about all we know !

SOURCEWEBZINE – How does the producing of a new album usually look like for you, specially Benediction, how do you set about and who does what or do you work together on everything?
Darren Brooks  (Guitar) – The band as a whole works together on everything we do. Benediction is like a large family. Although it is the five musicians that everybody focuses on it is more than that behind the scenes. We consider our roadies and our record label as part of Benediction. We are a fucking movement !

SOURCEWEBZINE – If you compare this new album “Killing Music” with your previous ones, what do you think is the biggest progression you made?
Darren Brooks  (Guitar) – Apart from a slightly different more raw and in your face sound nothing at all !  We haven’t  ‘progressed’ in our eyes. We do not approach an album thinking how can we make it different because we don’t really want it to be that different. Benediction has a style like Bolt Thrower that you can tell straight away. We will leave it to the young new bands to find that new style of metal because we have our own and are quite happy with it so feel no need to try too hard for anything different.

SOURCEWEBZINE – How has your past groups affected and developed the musical style of Benediction’s sound?
Darren Brooks  (Guitar) – There haven’t really been that many past bands that any of us have been in that have influenced our style that much. Frank was in a few (Napalm Death, Sacrilege (UK), Cerebral Fix) and maybe his writing style may hark back to his Sacrilege days mainly because he  writes music in that style, a simple riff that can be built around. Dave is also in Anaal Nathrakh whose brutal sound on their albums has impressed on us a more brutal sound for ourselves but that is why we used Mick Kenney to produce “Killing Music” to mix our sound with his sound and we think it works well.

SOURCEWEBZINE -  Nowadays people are often talking of music piratism. What are your opinions about downloading music from the internet?
Darren Brooks  (Guitar) – It happens ! We are all for getting hold of live stuff but as for illegally downloading an original new release it can be a right downer as the record companies cannot recoup the money from advances to the bands which means the bands cannot make any royalties off sales and also labels cannot take too many risks on signing new talent because of the lack of funds. It’s a situation that we have no idea how to resolve. Some people are very poor and really want to get hold of a new product but cannot afford to buy it so just download it. We would not like to take someone in that situation to court over it. It’s here now, it is done, we have to live with it for the time being.

SOURCEWEBZINE – The internet is a very important source for many metal fans – how do you use the internet and how important is it for you and other bands?
Darren Brooks  (Guitar) – The internet is a fantastic tool in the music business. You can get your music heard all over the world and find so much new talent out there which in the old days would not have happened. We used to have to send cassettes all over the world when we started, now it’s a click of a button and someone in Brazil can hear something new off a band in England straight away !

We use it all the time to do interviews, release new music and make new friends the world over. No band could survive without it nowadays.

SOURCEWEBZINE – How content are you with Nuclear Blast Records, do they deliver what you had hoped for?
Darren Brooks  (Guitar) – We are extremely content with our record label Nuclear Blast Records. We are very lucky in that we have a label that helps and supports us and has stuck with us for our entire career. How many bands do you know that have stayed on the same label for nearly 20 years ?

Our label is one of the biggest metal labels in the world but we can still call up the owner (Markus Staiger) directly and talk instead of just being another product on the roster. In fact the whole team on the label are great to us.

SOURCEWEBZINE – In some past interviews I read that you guys have day jobs, what exactly do you guys do other than playing and composing music? Would you guys like to just make a living of the music you write?
Darren Brooks  (Guitar) – We used to make a living off our music. Most of us invested wisely and bought houses and cars with money made from Benediction. We do well when we tour money wise but unless you are on the road all year long then there will not be enough money to pay bills. Most of us work in the music business as well as owning some of our own businesses so we do Okay.

SOURCEWEBZINE – What life lessons have affected how you live today?
Darren Brooks  (Guitar) – None ! We all enjoy life and are lucky to still be able to release music and tour the world. We are content. We have learnt to look after eachother in the band maybe. It is a family and when someone in the family needs help we give whatever help they need. Money or spiritually. We suppose that is our life lesson, to make sure no one in the benediction family ever goes wanting.

SOURCEWEBZINE – What are the plans for the nearest future, any big news that are going to catch the eyes of all metalhearts?
Darren Brooks  (Guitar) – To start touring as soon as possible and to get another album out in 2009.

No seven year gap this time ! No big plans we are afraid. Just take life as it comes.

SOURCEWEBZINE – Thanks for your time and good luck with the album. Anything else to say?
Darren Brooks  (Guitar) – Thanks to all our fans and thanks for taking the time to interview us.

Benediction – Myspace
Nuclear Blast Records