Interview with HUNGER
!!!HEAVY METAL MANIACS FROM SPAIN!!!
We had a conversation with Jara Solís (Guitars). Enjoy!
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Tell us a few things about HUNGER (Members, Starting Year etc).
I started the band in 2022 with some friends from my city, but little by little they dropped out until I was left alone. That’s when I decided to reach out to Vick, who I already had on social media and who I thought was an incredible bassist. We worked on most of the EP together, and at that time we had Dizzy as a session vocalist. Later Rudolf joined, and finally my friend Fabio (Alessandrini) offered to record the drums for us, which made it possible to release the EP.
You have recently released your EP ‘‘Ruler of the Wolves’’. What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
Honestly, everyone has received it really well. The only negative criticism I keep hearing—luckily—is that it’s too short! People are already asking us for a full album, and we’re working on it.
The cover artwork has a killer atmosphere! Tell us a few things about it.
It’s definitely a message of female empowerment. We connected it to the name of the EP, Ruler of the Wolves. On the cover you see a warrior facing a beast alone, in a place where clearly many others have already died—you can see their skeletons on the ground. I think the message speaks for itself. Of course, it’s always tied to the context of heavy metal: empowerment through metal.
And what about the lyrics?
They are split between dark fantasy and criticism. For example, Hunger or Sabotage clearly carry a critical message. None of the lyrics are random or written just for the sake of it—every song has a meaning, connected to the scene, the industry, and past bad experiences. Ultimately, the message we want to share is that we are a young group of people hungry to take over the stage, no matter who or what stands in our way.
How did your cooperation with Jawbreaker Records occur? What do you prefer, Label or DIY and why?
Real story here: we were going to release the band independently because I thought no label would take us, especially since we didn’t even have a full lineup—Dizzy was still just a session musician at the time. But then I started thinking about how much it would cost to go solo, and I realized that Amethyst, for example, had released with a label with barely four songs on Spotify. So if they could do it, why couldn’t we? I looked up the label and saw they worked with Jawbreaker. I reached out to Yves from Amethyst, who I already knew—great guy, I knew he was going to help as a much as possible—and asked him for some guidance. He told me about Gustav, the owner of Jawbreaker, and said I should definitely pitch the project to him, as he would probably like it and support us. So I did, and indeed, Gustav loved the project from the very beginning. He even helped us formalize the lineup a bit more. Without a doubt, he’s been a key person for us. I think DIY is great if you have the means for it, and that was actually our first plan. But having a label really helps with promotion and merch. So if you can, why not? Unless you want total freedom—but in the end, our label gives us exactly that.
Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
We haven’t had the chance to play live yet, though we’re working on it for next year, so we don’t have too many anecdotes so far. Most stories come from tours and gigs. The recordings were mostly done separately, but I did spend a lot of time with Rudolf while we were preparing the EP, and with him there’s always something weird happening. For example, once a massive insect—about the size of an Airbus—got into the living room and we spent an hour trying not to get eaten. Another time, the electricity went out in the whole country while we had planned to record (Rudolf lives in another city). We had to dig out a World War II–era radio from some friends’ basement just to figure out what was going on. Strange things always seem to happen around him—long may he stay in Hunger!
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
My favorite is vinyl, and I think that’s true for a lot of people. Sure, it’s huge and annoying to carry around, but it’s the coolest piece of merch in my opinion. It’s very collectible, and every band wants to have vinyl. We haven’t had the chance to release ours yet, but we’ve already had requests for it, and our label hasn’t ruled it out for the future.
Your music style is Heavy/Speed Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
For the EP we drew a lot from bands like Riot, Omen, of course Stormwitch, early Motörhead, Fates Warning, Liege Lord and so on.
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?
First of all, money. You have to be clear that a band is an investment—it will cost you, and you might not get it back. But it’s a risk you take when this is your life and you’re willing to face it. Also time, because you need to dedicate a lot of it. Right now, since we’re just starting, we don’t have an insane workload yet, but if you look at a band that’s further along, their task list is insane—it’s a full-time job, except you’re your own boss. Personally, I’ve sacrificed savings, and I’m sure more challenges will come in the future, but I’m happy to face them.
Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
Ideally? Fire machines and spitting blood on stage—very WASP-style! But we haven’t had the chance yet, not even me in my previous bands. That potential is still hidden, waiting to be unleashed soon, hopefully!!
What do you think about the rise of AI in music production?
I think it’s terrible. The moment you need to ask a machine to write your songs, you’ve hit rock bottom. Same with AI-made artwork—those are deeply human jobs, as all art is. If a machine does it, it loses all value in my eyes. We have to fight against that and keep creating as people and human artists.
What attributes do you think that a new Heavy Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
For me, there are three key things: youth, image, and sound. Don’t crucify me for the first one! I do think you can succeed in music at any age, there are no limits, but I also feel the idea of a “young band” is fading a little. We need a fresh new wave of young bands to take over. Image is also very important, because it gives you identity, and if you add a strong sound on top of that, you have the complete formula—you just need to invest in it and defend it live.
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?
Yes, in part—they allow people to hear your music. But Spotify, YouTube, etc. don’t give much back economically, and sadly money is what helps bands keep going. Beyond moral support, we also need to cover costs. That’s why I think Bandcamp is a good option—it gives you both exposure and earnings. But at the end of the day, social media is still the best way to promote your music today.
From your experience in the music industry, what would you tell to a new Heavy Metal band to avoid or what to do?
First of all, always stay true to your values. Some people will see the spark in you and try to change you to fit their mold. If you’re not comfortable, get out. Always follow your own path as an artist and don’t trade that vision for anything. Also, be active: go to shows, festivals, talk to people, connect with other bands, be part of the community. Support others just like you want them to support you. And finally, you have to resist. You’ll face many obstacles, and you’ll often wonder if it’s worth it. But in the end, the answer is yes. And if it is, then fight for it.
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Spain (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
I’m not super involved in the Spanish scene myself, but we have Pounding Metal Fest in Madrid, which puts on a really great festival every year, and Metalcova in Barcelona, which is the same kind of thing. A very important mention goes to the Rainbow pub in Granada, the temple of heavy metal in Spain—every underground band has a place there.
What does Metal mean to you? And give us 10 metal albums that run in your veins.
Heavy metal is my whole life. Just a few days ago I was talking with Rudolf—we had met to work on the album and were walking down the street carrying gear in 40-degree heat. We asked ourselves: “Man, why does it have to be heavy metal that we love?” In the end we said, you know what, without this we’d be nothing. Who would we even be without it? We looked at each other and realized—we’d be just like a piece of cardboard. Metal is what drives us and makes us who we are. For me, it’s basically my life, and it always has been. My top 10 albums! Gotta say, it’s difficult to choose, as one moment I can be listening to Pantera and the next I’m listening to Irish folk music. But I’d go for these (no specific order, depends on the day):
• Judas Priest (literally any album from Rocka Rolla to Painkiller), but I think I’ll choose Ram It Down this time
• Iron Maiden – Killers
• Riot – Thundersteel
• Liege Lord – Master Control
• Stormwitch – Stronger Than Heaven
• Virtue – We Stand to Fight
• Q5 – Steel the Light
• Lizzy Borden – Godiva
• Hitten – State of Shock
• Anthrax – Spreading the Disease
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
Honestly, this is the first time I’ve heard of it. From what I’ve seen online, it’s mostly black metal, and I’m really not too involved in that scene, so I don’t know much to say.
What are your future plans?
We want to start playing live as soon as possible—we’re aiming for February 2026. By the way, we’re still looking for a drummer! But until we find someone permanent, we have a couple of session musicians who can help us get started. In the meantime, we’re working on the album and hope to hit stages across Europe soon.
Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Thanks a lot for the support and for having us. And thanks to everyone who’s been supporting us from the beginning—remember to keep supporting the underground!
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
HUNGER CONTACT:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574951137132
https://www.instagram.com/hungerheavymetal/
https://hungerheavymetal.bandcamp.com/album/ruler-of-the-wolves
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1i2NdYrNe9iTCv8Z4JMtUA