Interview with HEXEN
!!!HEAVY METAL FROM CHILE!!!
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Tell us a few things about HEXEN (Members, Starting Year etc).
Hexen was formed back in 2022. The formation has been the same since the beginning, with Victor Pavez singing, Carlos Cornejo on the bass and backing vocals, David Garcia on drums and Basthian Giroud and Sergio Masciocchi on guitars and backing vocals.
You have recently released your album ''Join the Ritual''. What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
We are pleased to say that our debut LP has been received pretty well by the community. The specialised press has praised our work and emphasised the fact that we played old school heavy metal. The audience has been super nice, as we are starting to hear them chant “Keep the fires burning” live. That is a huge step in the right direction for us.
The cover artwork has a great atmosphere! Tell us a few things about it.
The cover is an old oil painting called Allegory of Winter by Jacques de Lajoue (curiously, a French buddy, kind of a premonition, isn’t it?). We chose it for a couple of reasons, like the fact that it looks ritualistic but solemn at the same time. Seeing other bands we admire select antique paintings as their cover art also inspired us to do it.
And what about the lyrics?
Lyrics are essential for us. We don’t write songs that stray from our chosen topics. Mainly,we deal with Cosmic Horror, Lovecraft lore, Dark folklore and stories taken from Heroes de Piedra Cortada (Heroes of Cut Stone), the novel and TTRPG created by Sergio, our guitar player.
Recently you have released your new video clip "Blood and Poison". Tell us about this experience of making a video clip.
We had a blast recording that video. We were at Equinox studios in Rancagua. The same place where we recorded the album and rehearsed every week, so we felt at home. Ro Faundez helped us to make the best of the situation, and we ended up recording the video in a few hours. We committed to the black and white aesthetic from the beginning as we thought it would make it look more dramatic. Choosing that song for the video clip was difficult, as we were considering at least two other songs to make the video but in the end we chose Blood and Poison as it is one of the songs we enjoy the most playing and the lyrics are related to Sergio’s book so it was something more exclusive.
How did your cooperation with Under Siege Records occur? What do you prefer, Label or DIY and why?
Under Siege Records is one of the best things that has happened to us. We reached Jerome with our LP a little bit raw, yet. He showed interest immediately, and we started emailing a lot. I guess the inbox of our email should have at least 100 or more messages from our conversations. He had a saying on the final result, and we shared the process with him. We are no one to say if DIY or Label is better, I guess it is something that will be different in each case, not all labels are as cool as they seem, but for us, to be part of Under Siege Records is amazing, we are enjoying it a lot and Jerome has granted us opportunities that we didn’t have before. We would definitely like to keep this fire burning.
Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
From the recording, we must say that we worked as fast as a shark. A few weeks ago, while talking with Lester from Spell, we were laughing about the fact that we recorded all the instruments and voices in less than 24 hours. We arrived at the studio completely focused and delivered accordingly. Of course, David just dropped himself on the ground after recording the drum. He was exhausted. From live shows, we can say we enjoy them a lot, lately, we have been sharing a lot with other bands, and we had the chance to open the show for Ambush in Santiago and share a little bit with them. Awesome guys with an intense show and a bag full of jokes.
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
That is a tricky question. To be honest, we are more on the side of the physical format. Go to the show, buy the merch, support the bands, but we can’t deny that the digital format has helped us reach an audience that, before Under Siege, we couldn’t reach. If we were to choose a physical format, I guess we would all agree that Vinyl is kind of a goal for us. We are looking forward towards a vinyl edition of one of our albums.
Your music style is Heavy Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
I guess it is futile not to mention Iron Maiden as a strong influence, but we also take inspiration from bands like Stormwitch, Manilla Road and Running Wild. Those are some of the influences we have as a band. Individually, the thing gets more diverse as some band members like Basthian and David listen to more extreme genres like Black metal and death metal, while Carlos go-to genre is Thrash and Victor and Sergio dwell in the realms of 70’s and 80’s proto heavy metal, hard rock and also power metal. We share a lot of music and learn from each other’s influences.
Which things do you think a band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future for your band?
I’m more into the investment side of this. We feel like we invest our time in achieving our goals. Any band that has a serious approach must understand that time will not come back, and everything you do will make it worth it. We all have families and other interests, but in the end, we always prioritise Hexen when it comes to important dates. Needless to say that we have put a lot of money into this too, buying instruments and equipment. To do that, we work a lot in our “daytime” jobs as Tech support, teachers at public schools and store managers.
Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
No, we haven’t experienced the ideal show yet, but we are confident we’ll make it to Keep it True and do what we do best.
What do you think about the rise of AI in music production?
It is a boomer. We understand that technology goes faster and faster nowadays, but the Art creation is something that requires spirit, mistakes, rage and sadness, a plethora of emotions and human interaction that AI can’t produce. The real deal is that people and the market are ok with consuming and selling that product. (We are looking at you, Spotify, we know what you have been doing.) It is not weird that people turn towards AI music as is from 2010, there has been a fixation with perfection, with music that sounds always the same, using the same mics to record, and the same popular amps, and the same plugins, and sampling drums so each hit sounds perfect. This relation between musicians, consumers and music made it easier for AI to be accepted. We, the ones that still love music for what it is, a fearless expression of emotions and will, are the Le Resistance, my friend.
What attributes do you think that a new Heavy Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
First, decide what style you want to play and respect it, then allow your band to play in rehearsals, gather influences from the musicians, add a little bit of those weird influences on your music, and don’t ask for permission to do so. If people like your sound and music, they will love it and that’s all. It is important to understand that there is no way your music will be for everyone.
Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Heavy Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a band to promote its work?
I think that never in the history of humanity, making music has been so approachable as it has been these last years. Promoting through digital platforms is a “must” to reach audiences that your local gigs will never grant you, but that’s all. It is pretty hard to make a living from digital incomes. Bandcamp is the best of the platforms as I see it. In the end, once you have reached your audience, if they like you, they will buy the merch, but remember, kids, you still have to be able to perform live and deliver. It is not a digital world.
From your experience in the music industry, what would you tell to a new Heavy Metal band to avoid or what to do?
Well, avoid band member changes if possible; a stable formation improves the band’s performance. Don’t drink before the gig, do it after it. Respect your work and give it value. It is ok to play gigs for free the first year, but after that, make sure your band is a show that is worth at least enough to cover the expenses and earn a little bit of money for band projects. Avoid taking it as a hobby, and treat it like a life project. Avoid keeping your ideas for yourself, talk with your band members, say what you feel, and work together.
Do you see any differences between the Chilean Metal Market & the EU Metal Market (Labels, Bands, Fans etc)?
Absolutely. I would say that the Chilean Metal Market is Extreme Metal-centred. Most bands that Chile produces are on that branch, while the EU has a much more varied market. Traditional Heavy Metal is a subgenre that few bands in Chile work. We lack festivals for underground bands like Keep It True, Pyrenean Warriors Open Air, Up the Hammers, etc.
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Chile (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
Chile has its current wave of traditional heavy metal right now, with bands like Heiligen, Iron Spell, Lucifer’s Hammer, among others, that contribute to a healthy network of underground warriors keeping the flame alive. There are places like RBX and Club CAMCE in Santiago where awesome shows have taken place, and in Rancagua, we have Sala Golden for shows and the mythic “Galpón de los Alpes”. Sometimes finding a good place for shows can be a little bit tricky, but we manage to do it. Some fanzines and webzines are working to promote heavy metal like Epifania Subterranea and Sudor de Metal. I know there are more out there.
What does Metal means to you? And give us 10 metal albums that run in your veins.
Metal means everything to us. We live it, it is our fuel! And only ten albums?, that's cruel, but here we go:
1. Crystal Logic - Manilla Road
2. Walpurgis night - Stormwitch
3. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son - Iron Maiden
4. Port Royal - Running Wild
5. Redemption at the puritan hands - Primordial
6. Luchando por el metal - V8
7. Tightrope - Anthem
8. Blue Blood - X Japan
9. Minas Morgul - Summoning
10. The World, the Flesh, the Devil - In Solitude
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
We are not connoisseurs, but we are aware of the strong Black Metal forged over there. There is a special quality to the sound of Hellenic black metal. Guess we should visit the land of heroes and play a gig along with some of our fellow musicians.
What are your future plans?
By now, we are already focusing on the composition of an upcoming album while we work to strengthen our bonds with bands and promoters from other countries. We want to take the Chilean Flame of Heavy Metal to European countries.
Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Thank you for having us. To everybody out there, if you have listened to us, thank you. If you would like to support us, tell your friends to keep the fires burning. We hope to see you all soon.
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
HEXEN CONTACT:
https://www.facebook.com/hexenchile
https://www.instagram.com/hexenheavymetal/
https://hexenchile.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6I0aZVsGJCNuNAVGIgQCar