The onslaught is on…the Brazilian metal/punk lord WHIPSTRIKER has taken over CVLT Nation. We are extra proud to bring you an in-depth interview with Brazil’s crudest metal head. Victor WHIPSTRIKER opened up about what it takes to create his chaos-fueled metal/punk in a city at war with corruption. This band’s music is pure energy & when played loud will wake up all of your senses! Fuck all of the talking, let’s get to the interview. So after the jump, dive into the mind of metal maniac!
Yes yes Whipstriker…how are things in your world right now?
First I would like to say THANX! Well, everything is going fine. We´re recording new stuff and playing many gigs. We played a European Tour last winter. 25 fucking shows in 10 countries. We´re playing many gigs here in Brazil too, in cities like São Paulo, Sorocaba, Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Campina Grande and others. If I´m playing and recording, everything is OK!
What was the first album that made you realize that you wanted create loud music that would make people brains explode?
Yes, that’s the idea! I’ve been composing songs since 2001. In 2009, I decided to start to record them. I’ve recorded a lot of stuff in 2 years. In 2009, I had around 20-25 ready songs. For the first album, I decided to put together the songs that sounded more Rock n Roll. I’m happy you like it.
When you were growing up & decided that you wanted to make music, what was your family’s response?
It´s a crazy history. I was a professional football player starting at 13 years old. Around 1996, I started to hear some metal and punk bands. I already knew the guys who played with me in my first band, FARSCAPE, they were my school friends and football friends. In 1998, we decided to start to play music together. I left the football life to play Thrash Metal and Punk. My father stopped talking to me for 2 or 3 months. He really likes football and he wanted see me in the football life! AHAHAH!!! But Fuck that! I started to play, smoke, drink etc. Nowadays he doesn’t give a shit about my bands.
What are some of themes or concepts that influence your lyrics & the music you write?
Each song has a different theme. On the “CRUDE ROCK N ROLL,” album I talk about drugs and ordinary life. In a lot of my other music, I talk about war because we’re living in a civil war here in Rio de Janeiro. So I think it is important talk about it. Everybody must to know about the police and political corruption in Brazil. The dealers versus the state. Many people are dying in this war.
If you were the only human left on the planet & you could only have three albums to play for the rest of your life what would they be & why?
It´s fucking hard to answer that. I think:
– Thin Lizzy “Jailbreak”: Because I need some doses of Rock n Roll and Thin Lizzy is my fave band.
– Warfare “Metal Anarchy”: The best Metalpunk album of the history. I can’t live without it.
– Kreator “Extreme Aggression”: Because this album changed my life in 1998.
Why do you think thrash metal & punk are such a good combination?
I think Thrash Metal is a mix of Heavy Metal and Hardcore. I like both styles and I try to put them in my songs.
Do you feel that the Internet has helped you gain fans worldwide?
Yes, of course. The internet is fucking useful. Some radical people complain about the internet, mp3, download, bla bla bla. I really like internet, and I think we can use it to spread our ideas, songs etc. I released my music on overseas labels. Without the internet, that would have been impossible. My LP was released in partnership with 5 labels from 4 different countries. All the deals were made via the internet. The mp3 is cool too. You can hear the bands online and buy what you like. The problem is not the internet, but the people who stopped buying the music. I downloads stuff every day, but I buy many LPs, CDs, ZINES etc. Our European Tour was booked by internet too. The internet is good for sure.
You recently went on a European tour…who booked it? What were your audiences like over there?
Agipunk (Label/Agency) from Italy booked our gigs. They booked 25 gigs in 10 different countries. It was fucking great! We played every night! We were traveling with a band from Los Angeles called Iron Fist. Whipstriker and Iron Fist released a 7″ EP Split together, try to find it! We met many cool people in the gigs, like the guys of Children of Technology from Italy and Germ Bomb from Sweden. We played very good gigs in Berlin (Germany), Bologna (Italy) and Ellezelles (Belgium). I think these 3 gigs were the best. I hope to go back soon to play in the U.K. and Portugal / Spain because we didn’t play there.
What was the one thing about that trip that you will never forget?
I think the DO IT YOURSELF scene. Because it really works well there. The beers were great too, each night we drank a different kind of beer.
Do Brazillian fans give the same respect to local artists as they do to international bands?
No. I think people don’t give the respect that the local bands deserve. The promoters don´t give a shit about you if you´re local. But when the international bands come here, they are treated like kings. Fuck OFF! I started to promote some gigs here in Rio de Janeiro and I try to support the local bands with stuff like good equipment, good food, beers etc.
Your country has been producing heavy music for decades, why do you think heavy music is so popular in Brazil?
You’re wrong. Heavy Music is not popular here. OK, we have a good scene. But the popular music here is Samba, Bossa Nova, Axe, Funk and other shit. We have few places to play. There’s no support from the media, TV, Radio. There’s not many Rock Stores. It’s hard to be a Headbanger or Punk here. Believe me.
Do you feel that the environment that you live in impacts the way you make music?
Of course, I live in Rio de Janeiro. It’s a fucking chaotic city. 9 million people living in the same city. It’s the fucking chaos. The police are corrupted, the state is corrupted too. For many years we’ve been living a civil war. The state against the dealers. Every day, many people die. Polluted rivers and beaches, smog in the air, traffic. The scenery of hell. My music shows this chaos.
Musically, who have been your biggest influences & why?
As I said, I like many kinds of Rock music. I like the bands from the 60’s and 70’s, like Thin Lizzy, Beatles, Grand Funk Railroad, Creedence, Free, etc. I like metal stuff too, like Kreator, Slayer, Destruction, Sodom, Exodus, Dark Angel, Possessed, Sacrifice, Morbid Angel, Sarcofago, bands from NWOBHM like Tank, Diamond Head, Iron Maiden, Venom, Motorhead etc. Punk stuff like GBH, Discharge, ENT, Ratos de Porao, Driller Killer, Black Uniforms, Warcry, Crude SS, Varukers, Colera, Warcollapse, Disclose etc. I listen to Discharge after the Beatles, and there’s no problem for me.
What kind of feelings come over you while you are performing in front a raging crowd?
I love to play live. I think the show is made by the band and by the crowd. If the crowd is insane, I’ll play like a demon too. If it has some stupid lazy idiots, the show will not be too good. I would like to play every day and night. Tour after tour. But I can’t!
If your music was an alcoholic drink, what kind would it be & why?
Beer. I like beer. I drink other stuff too, but I like beer.
CVLT Nation would like to thank Victor for a rad & entertaining interview!
CONTACT: whipstriker@yahoo.com.br
www.reverbnation.com/whipstriker
www.myspace.com/whipstriker
†ROCKWELL†
August 15, 2011 at 9:11 am
Haha! Man, what a great guy, thanks got this! Don’t forget about DIABOLIC FORCE, they fucking OWN