Interview with LEAD INJECTOR

!!!BLACK SPEED METAL FROM GERMANY!!!

Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.

Tell us a few things about LEAD INJECTOR (Members, Starting Year etc).
Lead Injector was founded and the first songs written at the end of 2022. At that time bassist Leo was still on guitar and guitarist Jason played bass. We quickly realized that we both perform far greater if we switch instruments so that's what we did. At the start we had some trouble finding a drummer that fits the band and has the skill to play what we need him to so the band stagnated for a few months. But then we met Justus and everything changed. We suddenly had endless possibilities and so our songs became more brutal, harder, faster and we were finally able to fulfill our big dream of hitting the stage!

You have recently released your demo ''From the Crypts... of Hell''. What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
The feedback was honestly better than expected. Of course we gave our best and have many friends who support the hell out of us but we just didn't really believe that it would be so damn well received. At the From the Crypts of Hell release show, our CDs and cassettes sold out faster than the beer (and that's before we even played!). After the release we also started getting a lot more messages with people being interested in the band..

Label or DIY and why?
We do everything ourselves. Why? Simply because we don't have a label that could support us haha! So we have to take matters into our own hands. But as we said we have good friends who help us out wherever they can. Our friend SepulchralOwl made our band logo as well as all of the artwork for our demo etc. She even completely hand painted our stage backdrop! Erebous from Berlin came down to help us record the Demo, he has the necessary equipment and knowhow. Also we get lots of good feedback from our friends that helps us improve our songs and our performance. 

Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
We actually recorded the whole demo twice. The first time we ended up just getting drunk and fucking around as usual but then we realized we had no time left so we pulled an all nighter recording everything until 8 am! Total hellride. However we were not satisfied with the results so we did it again with more discipline and better planning and the results were much better. Before our important very first live gig we all managed to get injured, Jason drilled into his finger at work and Leo almost caved his head in on the ice, but we wouldn't let something like that stop us. For our first show a lot of friends came and gave their all to make some action in front of the stage and there were many people who were confused afterwards, how a band can have so many fans already when they perform for the first time.

Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
We love physical copies of music, it is just nice collecting them, holding them in your hand and admiring the artwork. Of course digital is way more practical for listening, especially when you're out and about but when everything is digital it just feels bland and soulless. We all have collections of tapes, CDs and vinyls and find it very important to make CDs and tapes and maybe one day vinyls of our music too.

Your music style is Black/Speed Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
Oh god, the list is long. But there are a few that pop out. We are especially inspired by the classic three pieces of Venom and early Sodom and Celtic Frost. That's also very noticeable in our music. But there are many more bands, newer ones too. For example Midnight and Hellripper, or local bands like Sintage and Acid Blade that give us tons of inspiration to keep on rocking and keep making music.

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 for your band?
The biggest sacrifice everyone has to make is their time. If someone doesn't invest time, nothing happens and the band can't make progress. Band practice especially takes up a lot of time but it's the most important thing for a band. When we don’t practice we don't improve, we gradually get worse. But also in the beginning money is a big thing everyone has to sacrifice. To get started you need a space for practice, you need instruments and equipment, a drum kit and a PA system. All that is not cheap and buying second hand can be risky, we had some bad luck with faulty equipment. But don`t let a lack of money bring you down! Where there is a will there's a way. 

Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
We had some really great experiences at all shows we played so far, the most important thing is that the organizers plan everything (or at least their part) correctly, tell us what they need from us and do what we need from them. The sound system and equipment must work perfectly and the sound guy has to know how to do his job. It's also always a HUGE difference when there is someone actively doing the stage lighting, creating a much more energetic atmosphere. The most important thing for us when performing is the crowd however, they need to be active and ready, they need to put their phones away and participate, bang their heads and mosh, that's the best way to enjoy metal music. It doesn't matter if it's a huge crowd or just 3 guys in front of the stage, as long as they feel the music and go wild, that's all we wanna see! Oh, and beer. Lots of fucking beer.

What attributes do you think that a new Black/Speed Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
When it comes to the music it's a waste of time caring about being unique and special. Just do what you love and make the music you love and be genuine. If you're frantically trying to be special and unique you're just gonna end up making some progressive technical core garbage and losing all the feeling and power in your music. Its boring when every band sounds the same but just do what you feel is good and if people like it you will become popular, if not then not, who gives a fuck. Art should always be made for one's own fulfillment but hey, if you put in a lot of love and passion into your work, chances are high other people will like it too. What new black/speed metal artists should do is leave their basements and their online forums and actually hit up some local bars and underground shows, build connections to other metalheads and create and maintain a local scene. Get drunk, have fun, that's what metal should be all about, that's how you keep it alive. This will also benefit the band because then you will have people who actually give a fuck about you and your music.

Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Black/Speed Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a band to promote its work?
Of course digital platforms are valuable for a new band these days because you can get a whole lot of reach without a lot of effort. We already had a guy in Argentina who knew about our band before we even released our first song hahaha. However, relying on digital platforms solely is a bad idea. There are just so many bands out there all over the world, you will have an incredibly hard time trying to stand out. It's far better to live and perform metal locally and physically, the connection to the music is so much better and it becomes so much more special when you know the guys behind the music as real people and not just a username.

Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Germany (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
In Dresden we have a really nice scene with some big venues for big bands but far more important: Bars and Clubs that host many small rock, punk and metal concerts. There are many young alternative people and our metal scene is growing and connecting with other metal scenes from different cities. Discovering another metal scene always kinda feels like finding an alien civilization, you thought you were all alone out there and then suddenly bam!, there are a lot of new people and new bands you can get to know.

Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
No, not at all. Never heard of it.

The last 4 years, worldwide in the world, we have faced many dark, strange & new situations in our everyday life (covid, lock-down etc.) Did all of this affect you positively or negatively?
It affected us both positively and negatively. Negatively in the sense that so many shows had to be canceled, you couldn't go out and connect to people, many bars and venues had to close down because they were not making any money. It was a blow to the social life. But it was positive that we had a lot of alone time to focus on practicing our instruments, discovering new bands online and taking that inspiration to form and improve our style.

What are your future plans?
It would be nice to find a good label that can support us so we can record our first album. That's the biggest next step for us. But we look to the future with dreams of going on tour in different places, playing live maybe all over the world and with bands we like. It would be a big dream come true hanging out backstage and getting drunk with our big Idols like Tom Angelripper or Cronos. 

Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
We thank you for the interview, we really enjoyed answering the questions. Thanks to everyone who has supported us since the beginning, especially our friends and families! To everyone else, remember: Death to false metal, keep the true Metal alive! Go out there, rock n roll and kick some ass! Show who you are with battle jackets, band shirts, denim and leather and let your hair grow, let's bring back 80’s speed metal!

By Steve the Filthy Dog.

LEAD INJECTOR CONTACT:

https://www.instagram.com/lead_injector/