RIPPER
VENUS TORMENT
Ripper from Chile is a new thrash metal band that full-length debuted in 2014 with an album titled Raising the Corpse. It drew inspiration from Kreator legendary work Pleasure to Kill. It was one of the best debut's I've heard in a long time and one of the better thrash albums released in 2014. I have interviewed Ripper's guitarist and vocalist Venus Torment.
We can start with a small presentation of Ripper.
Ripper started in December, 2007, in Peñaflor town. We were considerably influenced by bands like Kreator, the old Sepultura, Necrosis, Explicit Hate, among others.
In 2008 Ripper released the first "rehearsal" which was limited to 70 copies only. Soon after our first show "Total Thrash" in Zenteno gym, Ripper came into contact with UG Defenders to, subsequently, release the first Demo "Destroy the World". Afterwards the independent release of the demo "The Exit", it took place a line-up change: Nicolas was incorporated in drums and kucho in guitar. By the end of 2011, Ripper started recording "Raising the Corpse" and, in the meantime of this recording, came up the EP "Fatal Memories". Finally, the first album "Raising the Corpse" is released by UG Defenders in May, 30th of 2014 in Chile, and, consequently by Iron Pegasus in Germany.
You guys are from Chile, how is the metal scene in Chile these days?
There're a lot of "Underground" in Chile. There's a constant movement of new material from different bands, from both new and older bands. Many bangers are supporting the scene, and they are continually expanding. This is not only happening in Santiago (the capital city) but also across all the country. Additionaly, there are many organizations hosting shows such as "The Final Command", "Total Thrash", "Metal Forces", "Evil Confrontation Festival" among others, that brings out amazing bands to the shows, those bands that have been alive for years now.
I must say that your album Raising the Corpse was one of the big surprises of 2014. It's a brilliant album...
Well... we never really imagined that our album would be a surprise. These songs were composed when we were children; the band was nearly to break up many times because of certain reasons. Sometimes you think and worry only for the people living in your country, because we did not expect our band having much importance abroad. Most times it's just gossip, stupid things people say about your band, but besides, there are a big group of people who are there to support you and waiting to meet you. Releasing this album was a push for the band to keep going forward.
You remind me a lot of Kreator around Pleasure to Kill, has that album inspired you and what do you think about the comparisons with Kreator?
Honestly, when recording the vocals, I was inspired of "Pleasure to Kill". there's no doubt about it and it seems to be a noticeable detail. But, maybe the comparisons should not fall only in Kreator; instrumentally speaking, in this album we were very influenced by Explicit Hate, Sadus, Death and Overthrow. According to the lyrics, we always try to describe emotions, more about "acting after thinking" (a spanish proverb) and not the other way round.
For us, the lyrics are very intimate, where there's no need of influences from anybody more than your own experience. This is an aspect that requires improvement, and to write thoughts more updated to our time and not too much from the past. there're different reasons to explain why everything happened the way it did, but now is not the time.
Ripper is quite common band name for a metal band. Aren't you worried that some people will confuse your band with all the other bands named Ripper?
Being sincere, when we decided to call us Ripper, we didn't had any idea of the other three bands called the same way in other countries. That there weren't a band "Ripper" in Chile was enough. Maybe if we had known that there was a band called Ripper and known they released an album in 1985, we would have called the band something else.
You have played shows with Chilean thrash metal legends Apostasy and Chronos. How was it to play with them. Are you fans of those bands?
We played with Apostasy once in Valparaíso. It was Amazing. Sincerely, before that show we did not know Apostasy, only by the name and some songs. Soon we realized how honoured we were to play with them. regarding Chronos, we have never played with them because the show, where we were supposed to play with them, was suspended. the old Chronos records are incredible, there's no doubt about it. Apostasy is a legend, Decesased in Funeral!!!
From left to right: Kucho, Spalinger, P.Cortes & Nicolas.
You also released an EP in 2013 titled Fatal Memories with a few songs that ended up on your Raising the Corpse-album. Why did you decide to release the songs again?
because we thought those songs should be present in an album. An EP or Demo don't have the same impact/surprise as the one an album do have. I'm refering to the quantity of copies per se, and the sound quality it get. there were many people who did not had any idea or knowledge about the band until the release of "Raising the Corpse".
You're balancing between death and thrash metal. But what genre do you guys prefer?
Is difficult to choose, at least for me, because I'm a devoted fan of that transition style from Thrash to Death Metal which was happening in the years '86 and '89. Albums such as "Immortal Force", "Schizophrenia", "Perdition Of Souls", "A View From The Other Side"and also pure Death Metal classics like "Luck Of The Corpse", "Slowly We Rot", "Leprosy/Spiritual Healing" that you cannot stop listening. According to the compositions we were having lately, we are likely more into the Death Metal genre.
Have you got any plans to record another album?
Yes!, In fact, we are in the recording process for our next album "Experiment of Existence".
Have you played any shows abroad yet? You should come to Europe some day...
In 2012 we were on tour in Perú, Bolivia and Ecuador. It would be great to go tour Europe someday. There will be always the disposition and the ambition to present our work. It's one of our biggest dreams...
What do you think about this thrash revival, is it a good thing and do you consider yourselves to be a part of it?
We have always thought that this is not a thrash Revival; Despite the fact that Thrash Metal is not really present in T.V shows, it does not mean it have dissapeared. The metal scene, generally, has always been alive, either through of zines, tride, collections, etc.
That's what we have witnessed with our own eyes, and how it has been transmitted through the years. and, actually, we don't even know if we consider us part of that, because we don't say like: "guys, let's go and revive the thrash scene", ha ha, at least we never weren't planning things in that way. if there are people who consider us as that, good, we won't get upset neither.
Ripper
What's your plans for the near future?
Our future plans are working in our second album, as we mentioned in one of the questions above. photo shoots, work in the composition and mastering. Also tell someone to make the cover for the album. Due to the health issues of one of our members, we cannot do any live shows at the moment. Now we are only focusing in the production of "Experiment of Existence" so it can be released this year.
What's the highlight of your career?
Signing with Unspeakeable Axe, Dark Descent and Iron Pegasus Records. To sound in the radial show "Disco Duro" and touring the countries Perú, Bolivia and Ecuador
Have you got any funny story to tell, if anything weird has happened while touring or so?
When we were in Lima, Peru. We had to wait two weeks there until the last date of the tour, with Violator. Those two weeks were Chaotic/funny haha. I remember it was the first time we talked in a live radio show, we haven't done that even in Chile. Soon after the interview, we became friends with the radio announcer and he took us to a concert in the Lima square. There were a lot of people and it was fun. Many bands were playing that were not into metal and I have never heard about them haha. We were also in a Disco!! I remember I was talking to a woman who liked Sepultura, Megadeth, etc. It was pretty amusing to stay in a place where we didn't belong, but anyway we had a good time with the people we met. I also remember lots of alcohol and quarrels during those two weeks.
Any last words to our readers?
I want to send a grand greeting to all the foreign people who enjoy listening to Ripper and are constantly writting to us, also to the labels which have been supporting us during this time, without them, it would be almost impossible to be recording with the quality we are doing now. Also a greeting to the Chilean people who had been supporting us since we were kids, and to the ones who are joining us. They know who they are and we will never forget them.
To all the things that had happened to us and had made difficult to keep rocking, but we kept! and we are making the best efforts to continue this, the inner friendship of the band has been a great ally to us. Now Ripper is in one of the top moments and is a duty to exploit it.
Cheers to all of you!
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