Here Ricardo Bedoya SCUMZINE magazine, How's it going in the band?
Hi Ricardo. All is well, thanks!
1 Let's start by talking about the new material being prepared by the band, Are new topics being prepared? And when are they going to be edited?
Artur (the drummer) and I are currently working on new stuff. We have 5 songs ready and recorded in demo format (home recording). We are working on some other parts that may develop into songs. We have also been busy with our other projects. I am working on the new 666 Shades of Shit and Prostitute Disfigurement albums. Artur is working with Enlighten and Prayers of Sanity. So things are going slow but steady.
2 Tell us about the cd "PREDATORY HARVEST", how was it received by the fans and the extreme presses?
It was very well received. I did not read a single bad review about “Predatory Harvest”. It was released about the same time as Wormed and Arkaik’s albums and the reviews were very awesome. It was also in loads of end-of-year top album lists at the time (2015). We were extremely happy with all the reactions.
3 Tell us about the concerts, metal fest, any tour of the band?
Because we live all over Europe and 2.400 Km apart, we rarely play live. Three of the guys live in Portugal, while the singer lives in Switzerland and I live in the Netherlands. We had a European tour scheduled with Gorgasm, but we had to cancel last minute because of private issues of some of the members. We play when we can, and preferably bigger festivals.
4 Tell us about the "CHICKEN PARTY" festival, how was the experience? Tell us about the concerts, metal fest, any tour of the band?
Xxxicken Fest was really cool. Nice guys in the organization as well. They had to move mountains to make the festival happen. Lots of respect for making the fest possible. Apparently, lots of people were working against them. We played there, and it was a really good experience. We always played regularly when we all lived in Portugal. That doesn’t happen anymore, like I said. But the ones we play are really awesome. We also played in Tilburg, in the Netherlands, last year. We played at the warm up for the first edition of Netherlands Deathfest.
5 PREDATORY HARVEST ", how the process of creating the cover art?,
What is it like working with Par Olofsson? And for the new CD who is in charge of the design ?, and what is the idea of the new cover art?
We had a clear idea of what we wanted for the cover. Our lyrics are futuristic doom scenarios, technological armageddon, encounters with alien life forms (for a better understanding, read our lyrics), so we knew what we wanted. Par had the perfect cover for us. He is a very nice guy to work with. The new cover art depends on the new lyrics. We haven’t started with them yet, as we usually start with the music first. We already have some ideas for lyrics, but nothing written down. It will focus on technology again. I have no idea who will do the cover. That’s one of the last things we think about. It also depends on how much money we have for spending on it. Usually not that much.
6 How is the scene of Brutal Death Metal of Portugal?
As I said, I moved back to my home country (Netherlands) almost 5 years ago, so I haven’t been following much of the scene in Portugal. In the Netherlands it is healthy, with loads of brutal death being made. In Portugal you have Analepsy, Dead Meat, Grog, Undersave, Cronaxia… to name a few.
7 How was it received by the scene DISLIMBED AND STUFFED WITH MAGGOTS, THROUGH FLESH SLIDES THE BLADE and EXTERMINATION DANTESQUE?
“Dislimbed…” was our first recording ever. There was not a lot of stuff like it in Portugal at the time (2000), so it was very well received. Even outside Portugal it was pretty well reviewed. Pure goregrind with filthy production. “Through Flesh…” was recorded by me. I did all the instruments and vocals on that one and recorded it at home. It was what I wanted to do at the time (2002), and it doesn’t sound bad. But I wouldn’t do it again at this time. The reception was good, but it wasn’t anything technical. Just gory death metal with catchy riffs. The drum machine was a limitation. “Extermination Dantesque” marked a turning point for the band (2007). This is where brutal death kicked in. The band started getting noticed again and the reviews were very good. You can clearly hear the difference.
8 How are things and distribution ULTIMATE MASSACRE?
Ultimate Massacre Productions did a really good job promoting “Predatory Harvest”. They are still doing a great job. Serge and Mallika are very active in the brutal death scene, so they know exactly how things work. They are super professional and genuinely nice people. Look at the other bands they are signing and you will agree the label is one of the most important labels in the brutal death scene worldwide.
9 What is the way to create the topics or to write in the group?
Concerning the musical aspect, the whole band contributed for “Predatory Harvest”. It was written when we all still lived in Portugal. Now it is a little different. I am writing most of the stuff with our drummer Artur. Alex, our bassist, will pick up our stuff and work on his bass lines from there. He does an incredible job at that. Listen to “Predatory Harvest”, and you will see what I mean. He joined the band during the recordings of that cd, and changed the whole sound with his work. The album will probably end up with the whole band contributing to practically all the songs. The lyrical topics are mostly explored by Artur and me, with the occasional idea or concept by Filipe.
10 What are the closest plans to support the new job?
Right now, we just want to finish the last 4 or 5 songs for the album. It will not be a quick job, because we are busy people. We all work, we all have families and some of us have other bands. And we want the next cd to be a worthy follow up to “Predatory Harvest”. So absolutely no rushing. The songs will only come out when we feel good about them. We throw away 10 riffs for every riff we use, so we are very picky. We want the final result to be worth the effort.
11 how did they hit ULTIMATE MASSACRE?
Ultimate Massacre is cool about it. We can’t rush this and we have our own speed. I think they understand this. They are also in bands. You don’t release something for the sake of releasing it. There are enough sad examples out there to learn from.
12 Final comment? And something you want to add
Many thanks to you for giving me this chance to keep your readers updated about Fungus. We will have news about the second album soon. Follow us and Ultimate Massacre Productions on Facebook to stay updated. In the meanwhile, spin “Predatory Harvest”, absorb the lyrics and the ideas behind them, and check out our label mates. Ultimate Massacre Productions know what they are doing. Stay sick, stay brutal!