Devil's Island featuring Violblast.
After the Christmas break we're back on our tropical desert island, in the middle of the ocean, hundreds of miles from anywhere. This is Devil's Island! Every week we maroon a band on the island and see what they get up to. It's not your average desert island and we'll see just how each band copes with the extreme conditions.
This week when we arrived at Devil's Island we found Spanish thrashers Violblast. The lads had not seen for a while, we thought they was lost, search parties had found no trace! But now we've found them shipwrecked on our island!
How did they cope with life on Devil's Island? Find out now...
Welcome to The Razors'e Edge and our somewhat lovely, warm desert island. Don't worry about it's name I'm sure it's not as bad as that would suggest.
So you're marooned here on this island, but before you ended up shipwrecked you each chose one album that you couldn't live without. Which album did you each chose and why?
Sebas: I would die choosing between The Wild Hunt (Watain) and the last Colter Wall record, American Cowboy Music. I would chose Watain hoping that Santi would take the Colter Wall’s album. Watain is nowadays one of my favourite bands, and that album is so varied, and in it you have a ballad, the titled track The Wild Hunt that is almost a ballad, and extreme black metal songs. But I love and I need the American folk music, and Colter Wall is a young song writer with an incredible voice and old school songs that make me travel to the far west
Andrew: I could never chose just one album, I have so many favourite albums, it depends on the mood of the moment. But if I would have to chose one, maybe Danzig 1.
Santi: Songs of the plains, by Colter Wall. I have been listening to this album for a year now and it never bores me. This guy's voice is unreal.
Just behind that palm tree is a shack for each of you to stay in, with enough space for you to put up a poster on the wall of one album cover. What album cover do you each chose?
Sebas: Johnny Cash, any of his covers, of course. I really like his image and I admire that legend.
Andrew: I would choose Slayer's “Reign in blood” or “Seasons in the Abyss” album cover. Larry Carroll's works with Slayer album covers are perfect for me. They have the serious tone of an old oil canvas painting, but they're also dirty and messy. Full of scratches, stains and even glued photocopied photos of disturbing images of saints or corpses. The ultimate art piece to hang at your Devil's Island Shack!
Santi: It would probably be some of The Dubliners albums. Any of them with Luke Kelly (main singer) on it. I feel devotion for the man, although he died in 1984 and I never saw him live.
There's also a bar on this here island. But alas each of you only get to chose one drink for the entirety of your stay. What's your tipple of choice?
Sebas: Beer
Andrew: Coffee with milk. I always have a mug at hand when i'm at home. No sugar, just coffee and a short bit of milk.
Santi: Beer, no doubt about it. Wheat beer if possible.
Your suitcases were lost when your ship sank, but you each managed to salvage one item of band merch. Whats the merch and for what band?
Sebas: Violblast, I have to do promo wherever I go haha
Andrew: I would save my tshirt with the cover art from Cruz's “Culto Abismal” on it. Cruz is a Crust/Death/Punk Metal band from Barcelona. They just have that album and a Demo out, but I remember discovering that album, and listening to it on repeat almost every day for more than one year. I think I even bought them the same tshirt 3 times.
Santi: I think I would get any of my Violblast t-shirt, for obvious reasons.
You’re sat on the island thinking “I’m stuck here on this island with my bandmates for eternity”… who would you rather have been shipwrecked with?
Sebas: Alone, fuck them
Andrew: With Santi. One shack for each, and Devil's Island would be a peacefull place with Irish music in the background.
Santi: Any of those guys on youtube that make houses out of a couple of trees in the middle of nowhere. I must admit I like those videos, I could spend hours watching those dudes build many things with a simple axe and creativity.
There's a walkman in your pocket, on the tape inside is the recording of the one live show that stands out for you. It could be any show, from any band, anywhere in the world. What show is on that walkman?
Sebas: Seattle 89, Metallica. The best live show ever
Andrew: Metallica, Seattle 1989.
Santi: Metallica. Live Seattle 89. Best metal show ever, period.
You're getting desperate, you decide the only course of action is to put a message in a bottle and hope someone finds it. Your message could be to any member of any band, but should be the one musician most suitable for a rescue attempt. Who is it?
Sebas: Bruce Dickinson, maybe he would come with his plane.
Andrew: Pff, no idea. Maybe a message bottle to the guys of Sabaton, They could come to the island shooting fire in a fast rescue war boat.
Santi: Get me the fuck out of here, I'm starting to like flowers and rainbows (they will come faster than ever).
You've been stuck here a while and food supplies are running low. There's only one thing for it... which fellow band member gets sacrificed to help the others survive?
Sebas: I’m fucked, I’m the biggest one
Andrew: I couldn't kill them. I would probably sacrifice myself for the band and shoot myself in the head so they can live.
Santi: I think Sebas has the most tender meat out of the 4, but due to some known circumstances we will avoid that meat. In fact, the most sensible idea would be to sacrifice Sergio, and we know why. There would be food for us and 3 more bands.
Finally, when the ship sank you each managed to save one person from the wreckage. That person is the one musician that has influenced your career the most, shaped your way of thinking and your outlook on life. Who did you save?
Sebas: James Hetfield
Andrew: I would say Jeff Hanneman. No egos, no bullshit, just play aggressive music, kill it on stage, and hide in my cave after the show to do my stuff.
Santi: James Hetfield would be the choice. I would say Luke Kelly, but he's dead, so, being realistic (and fair to be honest), James Hetfield made me pick a guitar and start playing music. A great inspiration as a musician and as a person (even though his current problems)
During our time with the band on the island, it was only ever the three of them, Sergio was no where to be seen. We hope they haven't sacrificed him already in an effort to survive.
If they get off Devil's Island in time, the band tour the UK at the end of January.
