Interview with Ramon (Deathfall)

Ramon, the vocalist and guitarist of Deathfall, stopped by to say a few words about the band’s latest release and future plans.

Metal Express Radio:
Give fans a short biography of Deathfall.

Ramon:
Deathfall was formed in 2005 and is the new name of the former band called Rimmshot (1994/2005). Rimmshot’s music evolved throughout the years so I decided it was time to start a new era for the band with new music and a new name. A name that would be compatible with Hardcore, Metal, and even Death Metal. A name easy to remember. This name would be: Deathfall. After a lot of rehearsing, we recorded Reborn in 2005. Through this album we got a record deal in 2006 with Burning Star Records in Greece. So alive and breathing, Deathfall hopes they can bring the Hardcore and Metal crowd closer together and to spread their music around the world.

MER:
Why was it hard to continue as Rimmshot?

Ramon:
For me it was … because as Rimmshot we were always pushed into this Hardcore cubicle because we mostly played with Hardcore bands. Our music has always been more Metal then Hardcore. I wanted to get rid of this Hardcore tag so other people would check us out as well instead of only the Hardcore-minded crowd.

MER:
What are the differences (musicwise) between Rimmshot and Deathfall?

Ramon:
Deathfall’s music sounds more mature and technical than Rimmshot. There’s no doubt about that. Both music and lyrics are given more thought than before.

MER:
So, Reborn has been released for quite some time. Are you satisfied from the feedback?

Ramon:
So far we had really good reviews from well-known ‘zines around the globe. And, the crowd on our shows are always pleased as well, so we don’t have any complaints so far.

MER:
Did you choose the title Reborn to mark a new era for the band?

Ramon:
Yep, I thought it was the right title for the CD to put the Rimmshot era behind us and to move on.

MER:
Are you satisfied with the album? Is there something you’d like to change?

Ramon:
I think every band will always find something they want to change afterwards. This is a good thing, though. It means you’re still finding ways to perfect your style of playing, which is a long but interesting process.

MER:
Can you describe Deathfall’s music?

Ramon:
Simply put: Brutal Metal!

MER:
What is your writing process?

Ramon:
Depends … sometimes we write the lyrics before the music or the other way around. Sometimes I have the music ready in my head and I just have to convert it to actual tunes and see which lyrics fit best to it. After that, it’s only a matter of rehearsing before unleashing it on the crowd.

MER:
What are the band’s musical influences?

Ramon:
Slayer, Strapping Young Lad, Hateplow, Mεrauder, Morbid Angel, Death, Pantera.

MER:
What is the current status for Deathfall?

Ramon:
Writing tracks for the new album. We’re almost ready to dive into the studio and record a new brutal, diabolic album. And, playing gigs of course. We are planning some gigs in Denmark and Greece for later this year or early next year together with labelmates Need and Zenith. So keep your eyes open for the storm from Holland.

MER:
Where do you prefer to be — on stage or in the studio and why?

Ramon:
On stage, of course!! To show people what we can do and, of course, the interaction with the crowd. It’s always good fun. I like the studio as well. Just to see the tracks grow towards the end result.

MER:
Do you read the album reviews?

Ramon:
Sure, it’s always good to see what people all over the world think of your music.

MER:
Do you think that the reviews are important for the band’s publicity?

Ramon:
Yep, because people tend to buy your album quicker when they read a good review.

MER:
Have you ever been pissed off by a bad review?

Ramon:
So far we haven’t had any bad reviews. The only thing that was weird was that the album has been reviewed twice in the Dutch Metal Hammer by accident. One review gave us a higher score than the other one.

MER:
What are your future plans?

Ramon:
To unleash a brutal masterpiece onto the world and to play in every country possible.

MER:
What about your tour dates?

Ramon:
So far we have 4 gigs planned; all of them in Holland. Like I said before, we’re planning to go to Denmark and Greece somewhere this year or the next. And, we maybe have a gig in Essen, Germany with Cold As Life (USA). But, it’s not confirmed yet. Our drummer Sylvy is going to London in September to study ‘til February of next year. So, we have to be careful with planning gigs in between. But, we try to do as many shows as possible.

MER:
Name a band you’d like to tour with and the band you wouldn’t.

Ramon:
We’d like to tour with Slayer, Strapping Young Lad, Hateplow, Merauder, Morbid Angel, Death, Pantera, Sacred Reich, S.O.D, Anthrax, etc. But, who wouldn’t!! Basically, we would like to tour with every band we looked up too when we were kids. We would not like to tour with MTV Punk Rock bands and Gay Metal bands who wear make up and spandex and have emo haircuts.

MER:
Any final words?

Ramon:
Keep an eye out for the new brutal album coming at you in 2008. Hope to see you all somewhere around the globe on one of our shows. Thanks for the support! Hailz!