Interview with BLACK LEATHER
!!!BLACKENED METALPUNK FROM CHILE!!!
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Tell us a few things about BLACK LEATHER (Members, Starting Year etc).
Black Leather is a one-man band, so I start this project in 2012 releasing a demo titled “Hall Of Pain”. My intention with BL was make the music the most I like, my favorite style, which is Metal & Punk, so I decided to create a project with that orientation, beside my other projects of Black Metal and Death Metal. The name came to my mind spontaneously and I thought “this is the perfect name for a Metal/Punk project”.
You have recently released your album ''Ride Over Death''. What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
Is recently released and, till now, the feedback is all good, the people enjoy this kind of music, but I think that I haven’t been able to further expand my networks to make the name of Black Leather more known. I would like that Black Leather could be known in different parts of the world.
Label or DIY and why?
Both… “Ride Over Death” was released by Headlight Productions which is a record label, but there are other demos before that was released DIY. However, I prefer to work with record labels, I like the mutual collaboration when a label is oriented to improve the band.
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
I personally prefer CD’s and Vinyls, despite that the world today are more focused in the digital platforms (like Spotify), I love the physical product in music, is a piece of art. I like to read the booklet (smell it also) and have a visible collection of music, It's like books, reading and smelling them is an inexplicable pleasure.
Your music style is Black MetalPunk. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
I have too many influences from both sides. Warfare, Driller Killer, Anti Cimex, Darkthrone, Blackthrone, (Old) Emperor, Celtic Frost, La Polla Records, Cicatriz, Eskorbuto, RIP… There are many more bands, but in general I love the Punkish Metal sound and the Blackened Metal Punk. Also I’m very influenced (when I write lyrics or music) by the social contingency, philosophy, what I see in the streets of my city, mental health, suffering, discrimination, stigmatization and the marginalization of some groups of people. For example, the song “City Of Metal” from new album is about the Swedish toxic waste (heavy metals such as lead and arsenic) dumped on Chilean soil from 1984 y 1985, as of deals between Chile and Swedish companies, have poisoned the community of Arica for more than 30 years. This environmental contamination has affected people's health, forcing the Chilean State to generate reparatory actions with the population, but we can still see today the aftermath of said environmental disaster.
Which things, do you think, a Band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future of your Band?
Oh well, this is a really interesting question. I feel like I haven't sacrificed much compared to other bands, but I've certainly sacrificed things to carry the music forward. As I was saying, I'm a solo musician and always I do the entire edition and mastering of my own music, but not only for BL, but also for the various other musical projects that I’m involved in, and I have been making music since 2003. The things that I have sacrificed are mostly the time... Time that I could have invested in other activities, meeting more people, traveling to other places... Instead, I've locked myself in my little world of music. To give you an idea, I'm a family guy, I have a full-time job, in addition to my job I have other jobs as an independent and I teach at a local University, so I usually don't have much time. As for whether I think a musician should make sacrifices, I think it shouldn't be a rule, but is more a condition. I doubt very much that a musician can improve in their musical projects without making any type of sacrifice. Also, I think that the life of musicians is a very sacrificed life, a lot is done and little is earned (monetarily as example).
Describe your ideal live show as a performance Band. Have you already experienced that?
I played in Metal Shows, but is not a thing that I like too much… My ideal live show is something small, in a small place, with few people who love music and sharing. I like the idea that after the show I can share with the audience, drinking something and talking.
Which attributes, do you think, that a new Black MetalPunk Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
The worst thing is trying to copy a band, or wanting to follow a style without understanding it. I think that we can copy some ideas like the tapping from Eddie Van Halen, than in the present is used by many bands. But copy the whole thing, is not good. Bands serve for influence and get an idea of what we want to achieve, but we must explore our own skills, emotions, thoughts and experiences, to bring them to the musical plane. So, I can't say "use this" or "do that", I only can say be original. For me, Metal Punk is a revolution, a scream of protest against the system or against the hegemonic pressures. I use music to express what I think about it, and I recommend to do the same... Is not talking trash, but is talking with consciousness of reality.
Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Black MetalPunk Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a Band to promote its work?
Yes, absolutely, we need to use the digital platforms to spread the music to more people. We can use both ways, digital platforms and the classic person to person sharing, is not necessary to be one or the other.
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Chile (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
There are great bands here… The sound of Chile it's mostly a crude, raw, old school sound, so bands get a very 80s sound, and I like it. There is a band called Devil's Poison, of Blackened Speed Metal that released an album in 2020 and is a kick in the face, very good music. The metal scene in my city (Arica) is small and with just a few bands, and in Chile there is not much zines, bands usually need to contact foreign distros, zines, record labels to get a little of attention.
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
Nothing… I’m Greek descendant, and I think that I should be more involved in the Greek Culture, but no, I don’t know too much about it. I only know that till March 03, 2021, Greece had 1176 active Metal bands… In that date I made a short study of the database of Metallum.
What are your future plans?
I want to make more music with BL, but everything will depends on time…
Thank you very much for your time & Keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Thanks to you and the team for the interest. I invite to all the people who will read this interview to listen to Black Leather, if you like a "poor, crude, bleak and grim, cheap unclean sound from streets" (Lyric from the song "Metal To The Core"). Regards!
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
BLACK LEATHER CONTACT:
www.facebook.com/blackleathermetal
www.blackleathermetal.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/headlightprod