Quem já não esteve numa clareira no meio da floresta? Teias de aranha gigantescas e o som, sim, implacável da natureza. E se surgir um lobo ou uma alcateia, reclamam o seu território porque lhes está na natureza. Não há lugar para relapsos medrosos. Meltdown é uma banda do país basco de metalcore puro que nos respondeu a algumas perguntas.
Who has never been in a glade in a forest? Gigantic spider webs and the sound, yes, the relentless sound of nature. And if a wolf appears or a pack of them they will claim their territory because it's in their nature. There is no place for fearful relapses. Meltdown is a band from the Basque country of pure metalcore that answered some of our questions.
First of all, I would like you to know that we really enjoyed your debut LP FROM THIS DAY TO THE GRAVE released by Art Gates Records and we reviewed it on our website acordesdequinta.com
- Hi mate, Mikel here. Thanks a lot for the kind words! We worked really hard to make this album happen, so it's always good to get this kind of feedback, big up!
Q: Even though your style is cleary on the post-hardcore spectrum of music, it would be interesting to know if you all share the same musical tastes and if there are other bands (of other genres), that have influenced you in some way or another.
- We all have a common ground where we listen to the same bands and styles, but we all have our own musical tastes. Some of us might be more into djent, others more into hip hop, melodic hardcore... we listen to loads of different music, and I think that's a really positive thing for the band.
We are influenced by post hardcore bands as you said, but we are also influenced by metalcore, melodic hardcore, maybe nu metal... Would be really hard to pick a band or a specific genre, diversity is one of our keys I guess.
Q: How did the band start? Where did you meet?
- We started around middle 2013. We knew each other from high school and from attending local hardcore and metal shows; we were not really best friends when the band started as we did not know each other before, the project made us much closer.
I guess the first place where we all met was on a local post-hardcore show hosted by Cohen, that was the place where the idea was born. The first proper meeting was in our hometown, exactly at Bittor's brother's rehersal room. We played a cover from Berri Txarrak as a first hit; it went horrible, but that's how band's start I guess!
Q: What venue did you enjoy playing the most and why?
- I think we all have our own favorite place, so it would be really difficult to answer this question. Our performance at Download Festival Madrid 2018 was a really special show definitely, and our hometown shows are always awesome for us. The release show we had at Nevers in France was also amazing, we will never forget that.
Q: Could you describe how your composition process works?
- We have changed it for this new record. First, we record the main ideas and riffs for the songs, and then we work on them all together. Main riffs normally come from the guitarists, and then each one works on his instrument in order to evolve the song. Final production is made all together.
Q: What are the topics or themes that influence the most the writing of your lyrics?
- This has also changed with this album. Before we recorded “From This Day to the Grave”, we used to focus into existential and some social topics; we used to talk about the way we saw the society and the humankind in general. With this record, we have focused on topics that are relevant for us in a personal way, things that we feel our listeners will feel identified with. This is our most personal work so far, no doubts.
Q: Do the politics of the Basque Country in constrast with the central powers of Madrid influence your music in any way? Do you have a stance on that matter?
- This is a good question. We don't feel like Meltdown is a strictly political band, although we all have our personal opinions regarding to this topic. To be honest, there are different thoughts inside the band about the politicial situation in the Basque Country and the possible solutions, so we do not have a clear stance. However, in a musical level, we have been influenced by many basque bands that have talked about this topic, and the social movements that happened here in the 80s and 90s created some structures, like the Gaztetxeak (squats related to left-wing political groups that host and hosted music shows and other cultural and political activities), that allowed us to tour and develop as a band. So, we can say that we have been influenced by the whole issue, one way or another.
Q: How is the current music scene in Basque country?
- I think that the basque scene is one of the strongest scenes in the whole spanish state. There are loads of opportunities for bands to play around, many studios to record songs... However, I think we are in a transition period, as some older bands have quit and some young new band's have started. But we definitely have some sick bands and there are many more coming, it is just a matter of time.
Q: What was your favorite concert while growing up and the one that gave you the final encouragement to become a musician?
- As I said before, the show by Cohen was a great deal for us, and it encouraged us to start the band. That happened in Donostia-San Sebastian in early 2013; they proved us that it's not necessary to be american or british to have a heavy band and nail it, it's just a matter of work, motivation and dedication.
In a personal level, I can't really remember about a specific show that was incredibly relevant for me in order to become a musician. It was a normal and natural process. Maybe the first Resurrection Fest I attended back in 2014 boosted my desire to follow this lifestyle; next year we will play this festival, dreams come true.
Q: This is the final question and somewhat a very random one but I think it’s amusing. If you could choose a spirit animal for your band, what would it be?
- Maybe a wolf, always working as a herd and following our goals all together <3
Thank you and we’ll be glad to hear from you soon.
-Thanks a lot for your interest and time, see you on the road.
INTERVIEWER: CLÁUDIA ZAFRE
INTERVIEWEE: MIKEL
BAND: MELTDOWN