Eternal Grave is one of the fighting bands in Argentina, trying to swim against the stream, facing the shallow and hollow music that day after day seems to flood our country and they are fighting to get a place in this scene that due to extra musical difficulties finds harder to survive. We talked with Juan Morello, guitarist of the band.
Can you tell me a little bit about the history of the band?
Eternal started at the end of ´93 (with another name) and there they were Ariel Martinez (drums), Silvio Bilbao (Guitar and vocals) and Marcelo Salusky (bass). They played as a trio while they were checking guitarists , until I (Juan Morello) entered the band in May ´97. Some months latter Marcelo left the band and while we were searching for a bassist we started to compose new songs. A year later Marcelo came back to the band and we incorporated Marcos Bustamante (vocals). With this lineup we played many times and this is when Eternal Grave starts to have more regularity on the stages. At the end of ´99 Marcos left the band and then Marcelo left us definitively. In mid- 2000 Yamil Yovine (vocals) and Bruno Martínez (bass) entered the band.
Which is your opinion on the first demo of the band?
I still tyhink that is good, despite the sound (as always).
What can you tell me about "demo 15/8/99"?
It is a material that we recorded on our rehearsal place and in one take. It does not have the best sound but is really good for the place where it was recorded. We have taken from that recording a couple of songs for compilations: "Nazareno" for the cd of the fanzine Metalica and "Cardiofagia" for the cd of Sacrilegio magazine.
Are you recording new material? How is it?
We are not recording anything. Not because we don´t want to do it, it is for a budgetary matter. If we can put together some bucks we are going to destine the money to recording…we have a lot of new songs.
Are you still playing songs from the first era of the band? Have you modified them to make them sound better as a five piece?
Except for a couple of songs, we are playing all our songs live. Obviously we are rotating the songs because there are a lot of them composed, but we never stopped playing the first ones. Regarding the second question, the songs were modified when Eternal Grave started to have two guitars, from then all the songs were composed for two guitars.
Ho are Eternal Grave´s songs composed? Do you do it each member on its own or the songs arise during rehearsals?
In the beginning Silvio was the one composing everything . Then, with time, the "tyrant" lost a little bit his power and the composition was democratized. We started to compose things in rehearsals, perhaps after playing some idea. We have the luck that Ariel, Silvio and I understand each other very well, and that allow us to do the songs faster.
Do you have some live dates planned?
Not for Buenos Aires yet. On the long weekend of May we are going to play on a mega-festival in Corrientes. For June maybe something will come up in Córdoba and in August, if luck is with us, we will be playing with Masacre (Colombia) in the Show-center in Haedo.
I saw that your main influences are Death, Cannibal Corpse, Malevolent Creation, etc. Are there influences from other musical styles also?
Yes, there are, but those that you mentioned are the ones that we all share. There are Slayer things too. Sometimes they say that we are influenced by bands that we have never listened (?)
How important is the technique or a great control of your instruments in Eternal Grave´s music?
It is very important. That is exactly what we care most about and I think that is what it caracterizes us. We try all the time to not be repetitive and go on musically all that we can.
What are your lyrics about? Where do you get the inspiration to write them?
Silvio is in charge of the lyrics. Usually there are lyrics in a Gore style, there are porno lyrics (Saborea mi carne, Virgen no morirás, etc.) and also some dedicated to some horror novel character (La 1º Noche del Lobo, Síndrome de Reinfield, etc.).
How were the incidents on the TC (car racing) or the pornography that you mentioned on your website?
That is only marketing... (it is all a joke!!!).
Which are your expectations for the career of the band in the future?
There are a lot of expectations, but everything is going very slow. The reviews of our material have been very positive and the people in shows answer relly good to it. We hope to record in a better way to transmit the power that Eternal Grave has live and obviously continue growing musically and in popularity.
Something more that you want to add?
Thanks to you Fede for giving this helping hand to us and to all the people that comes to our shows because they are the guys that with the energy they transmit us they make us keep on going. Well, obviously I will make an out of place comment that has to be present: Aguante el CHIVO y MARQUITOS DI PALMA because this is his year!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ETERNAL GRAVE WEBSITE:
http://eternalgrave.com.arInterviewed by Federico Marongiu
ETERNAL GRAVE - DISCOGRAPHY
Demo 1996 - 5 song Demo (1996)
Demo 15/08/99 - Rehearsal Demo (1999)
ACTUAL LINEUP
Juan Morello - guitarra
Yamil Yamine - voz
Ariel Martinez - batería
Silvio Bilbao - guitarra, voz