Interview with PSYKOPATH
!!!NORWEGIAN THRASH METAL!!!
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Tell us a few things about PSYKOPATH (Members, Starting Year etc).
Psykopath is a Norwegian thrash metal band founded in 2017. We met through a common love for thrash metal, a genre we felt was missing in the Bergen scene.
In 2020 you have released the EP ''Infectious''. What was the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
We released "infectious" in February, right before the world closed down so we haven't been able to promote and play as many shows as we would like. But we are happy with the result and the feedback has been great.
Label or DIY and why?
We are signed to Loyal Blood Records, a record company based in Bergen. We prefer working with a label, as they obviously have more experience with and knowledge about the music industry, so that makes it easier to focus more on the music aspect, and less on the business aspect.
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
Nothing beats the sound and listening experience of vinyl, and we are all huge fans and users of vinyl. Tape is pretty cool too. That being said, of course we all resort to digital format in our daily lives, but again, nothing beats vinyl.
Your music style is Thrash Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
We have influences from all over the place, including lots of non-metal artists, different genres, and different metal sub-genres, but some of the biggest ones we all have in common are Megadeth, Exodus, Pantera, Testament, Power Trip and Slayer, to name a few.
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?
Sacrifice isn’t necessarily the word we would use. The music and the band come first in a lot of settings, some of us have pushed back school studies, we have worked less in our day-to-day jobs, we have spent a lot of time, energy and money on the band, but we do it because we want to, and because we love it. This may of course be different for a lot of other bands, as they may have kids and families they need to get home to while on tour etc, but thus far none of us do, and we have yet to experience the sacrifice of touring.
Describe your ideal live show as a performance Band. Have you already experienced that?
We prefer to keep it simple, raw and energetic. An ideal show for us would be a packed venue, mosh pits, tight playing from us, and good sound.
Which attributes, do you think, that a new Thrash Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
The «thrash label» is not something we think about when we make new music. We all take inspiration from a lot of different places, spanning from death metal to pop. The music we make just happens to have a thrash «base» in many cases, even though some songs might have a death metal edge to it, and some may be more progressive. We think that kind of fluidity is important for any band in order to remain unique and interesting.
Do you believe that Bandcamp and other Digital Platforms help the new Thrash Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a Band to promote its work?
Bandcamp is a fantastic way for underground bands to promote and sell their music. With the regular streaming services bands of course receive less revenue, even though the promotional aspect may be beneficial. With Bandcamp you also get a closer and more personal relationship between listeners and artists, which we really like. The ideal way to promote ones work these days may be a combination of engaging with fans through i.e. band camp and other social media, in combination with live concerts.
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Norway (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
The underground scene in Norway holds a lot of tradition and history with the infamous Norwegian black metal wave, and has always been pretty strong. It is a pretty close-knit community, everyone is kind of aware of each other. These days there quite a few up and coming bands we like and know very well, for example death metallers Filthdigger, and Deception.
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
Not really, to be honest. But after researching a bit, we saw we had a bit of exploring to do! Thanks for the tip!
What are your future plans?
We are recording new music within the next couple of weeks, and we are currently getting ready for our first show in quite some time. We are really looking forward to playing shows regularly again.
Thank you very much for your time & Keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Thank you for having us!
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
PSYKOPATH CONTACT:
https://www.facebook.com/psykopath666
https://www.instagram.com/psykopath_band/
https://psykopath.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/psykopath-975700019
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3aiJOf0xS0i8dvaz0E48u1