Interview with SATANIAK

!!!EVIL SPEED METAL FROM THE UK!!!

Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.

Tell us a few things about SATANIAK (Members, Starting Year etc).
Profane Savage: Hey maniac! We formed in 2024 officially. Our lineup is Dez Destructor on vocals, Profane Savage on guitar, Starbreaker on bass and Fabio from Whiplash did session drums on the demo.

You have recently released your demo. What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
Profane Savage: So far the feedback has been superb! Over half of the tapes went just on pre-orders and release day and keep going as we speak. Plus the interest from trading, fanzines etc has been very killer considering it’s our first demo tape! We are grateful to all real underground bangers who support us!

Starbreaker: It’s been amazing to see that people hear and enjoy the old-school approach we were going for!

Dez Destructor: A lot of people have really enjoyed it so far! I get asked a lot now about the cassettes and everyone’s been very enthusiastic about it. It’s been great!

Are you searching for a record label and what do you prefer most, Label or DIY and why?
Profane Savage: For now, we have been perfectly happy self-releasing the demo and spreading it via trading and the old school ways. That said, if a label has an offer for us that works with the vision for the band and is a good fit; that would be perfect. Serious offers can be sent to: sataniakspeedmetal@gmail.com

Starbreaker: At the moment DIY reflects us best, we’re currently doing everything we can independently, from the recordings to our own flyers. But there are some killer old-school labels and studios we definitely would love to work with one day! 

Dez Destructor: I think DIY is the most fun and rewarding way to get your music out there, but there are many great proper labels that treat bands really well and still have the old school spirit and there are ofc major advantages of getting more physical stuff out there easily.

Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
Profane Savage: Rehearsal and recording sessions are always an event. We are all passionate about playing heavy metal so it’s always a great time. We rehearse in a bunker, so the vibe of dust, rust and musk is embedded into the very DNA of the band. Recording was exactly what you should expect; lots of Marshall amps screaming at us in a room too small to be comfortable! Finally regarding our live tales, this will have to wait until our first show which will be supporting Bütcher, our good friends from Belgium!

Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
Profane Savage: I collect vinyl, tape and CD but I definitely like the analogue formats most. I have a bit of a passion for 7” releases too, owing to their significance in heavy metal, NWOBHM and death metal. Doing our demo on tape was definitely the right choice, this is how demos should be presented! We hope to go on to doing something on vinyl of course! 

Starbreaker: Vinyl vinyl vinyl! They sound great, and the focus on the artwork/layout around it is so creative with a lot of bands, it’s the whole package. AND you sometimes get a cool poster? Take my money! 

Dez Destructor: Definitely Vinyl for me! You get a lot more with it and it’s almost like making a real connection to the band, the artwork and the music. You can really soak it in. And if you’re lucky some bands put extra stuff!

Dez Destructor

Your music style is Heavy Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
Profane Savage: Yes, we are a heavy metal band to the bone! My influences vary from Stormwitch, Omen, Heavy Load, Iron Maiden and Exciter to more extreme stuff like Blasphemy, Nifelheim, Mortuary Drape, Sabbat (Japan) and Sarcofago.

Starbreaker: We all share similar influences. On top of Profane Savage’s choices, Judas Priest and Ashbury have been two bands that have followed me through life since the very beginning. 

Dez Destructor: I think everything’s been mentioned pretty much. I’d say at least with doing vocals in Satäniak I take a lot of inspiration from early Dianno-era Maiden, Ronnie James Dio, and a lot of Omen. Sheepdog of Razor is a huge one too especially with his belting shrieks. Really powerful voices.

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?
Profane Savage: Nothing in terms of artistic vision. Too many bands make fools of themselves on social media to satisfy some ever-changing and meaningless algorithm that undermines any musical efforts they have made. But to succeed of course pouring in passion, blood, sweat and tears is a must. If you don’t bleed for heavy metal, don’t bother playing it.

Starbreaker: Music comes hand in hand with our daily life, it’s not any kind of sacrifice that created this band, I believe it’s been the natural outcome of being a fan 24/7. Music has given us so much in life, now we want to give back and contribute our own sound to it. 

Dez Destructor: I agree with Starbreaker there. I’d say if I had to say one it’s a lot of time but everything makes it so worth it. There’s so much passion in what we do, I wouldn’t consider it a chore at all.

Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
Profane Savage: As yet, no. But we hope all of our shows will satisfy at least ourselves and any real die hard metallers in the room with us no matter if it’s few or many. I think for me, as the guitarist, it is essential I have my Flying V, my Marshall amp and some rabid rockers in front of me - anything else is immaterial. We don’t need rockstar treatment or modern technology, we just want your sweat and fury!

Starbreaker: I’d add an inhuman amount of haze and disco lights to Profane Savage’s ideal show! 

Dez Destructor: Literally everything above, a real show with real music!

Profane Savage

What attributes do you think that a new Heavy Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
Profane Savage: I think “uniqueness” is a double edged sword. Like having your own personality is obviously a must, but you do not need to reinvent the wheel. Plenty of bands play to worship the old gods and do so with honour, integrity and skill. Equally, so many are progressive for the sake of progressive and to me this is vapid. If you truly feel electricity in your bones when you play a riff you have written, then it’s worth putting out there into the world.

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?
Profane Savage: To a point. Our music is on Bandcamp and stuff because we know this is how the world is. But to me I feel so much more validation when somebody buys or trades with us to get a tape (or vinyl or CD for my bands which have those). If people use it to listen to us, then cool, we appreciate that. But I do believe physical music is integral to the real underground and to fanatics of heavy metal and is a far more tangible way of supporting the band.

Starbreaker: Digital platforms, especially streaming, just feel like a promotion tool rather than a listening space anymore. Yes we use it to promote, but we put much more focus on making sure our physical formats sound and look great! The digital world spreads the word, but we hope that people stay for the music. 

Dez Destructor: I think it’s fine to use a streaming platform to promote music, and ofc it’s easy to listen to on the go straight out of your phone. But it’s not the same. Getting and putting out actual physical media is the best way to support the scene. And it’s much better to really take in and listen to the bands fully. Better sound, better experience, and better support!

From your experience in the music industry, what would you tell a new Heavy Metal band to avoid or what to do?
Profane Savage: Definitely do not let other people tell you what to do. If a label or manager tries to steer your own vision away from what you actually want, this is never going to end well. I think if you stick to playing hard with passion, you naturally build fans, contacts and your own network of real rockers who are worth more than some idiot in a suit and no idea of what a heavy metal band is. Also kill your ego. Confidence is a must, but if you think acting like a rockstar will make you one, you’re in for a nasty surprise… 

Starbreaker: Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there musically, even if it’s not “perfect” at first. Music is a process that shouldn’t feel completed on your first attempt, it’s a journey of curiosity and discovery. It’s easy to think that you must make the “perfect” record and have flawless imagery to back it up, because everyone has access to so much technology from the comfort of our home. But being genuine has far more value artistically, so draw your own album cover, record your own music, do what you must, we want to hear YOU by all means necessary! 

Dez Destructor: Just go for it! There’s always a way to record, play and get your music out there. And of course play what YOU want to play, don’t give in to trends you don’t like, and don’t let people try and change your artistic vision. You find the right people naturally and it only gets better from there. Don’t be afraid of constructive criticism from people that are just as passionate and ignore the assholes. And most importantly, Have Fun!

What does Metal mean to you? And give us 10 metal albums that run in your veins.
Profane Savage: Heavy metal is everything to me. From what I listen to all day, every day for most of my life, going to shows and festivals, playing it etc. I also have my fanzine (Shrieks From The Abyss) and webzine (Nattskog). Naturally collecting records like a maniac too and trading tapes, zines, all the good stuff! It’s what I live and breathe!

My 10 records are: Riot - Thundersteel, Omen - Warning of Danger, Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, Judas Priest - Painkiller, Nifelheim - Nifelheim, Kreator - Endless Pain, Messiah Force - The Last Day, Stormwitch - Walpurgis Night and Heavy Load - Death or Glory. 

Starbreaker

Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in London, UK (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
Profane Savage: It’s probably the most vibrant scene in England at least. We have some cool venues such as Helgi’s, The Black Heart, Boston Music Rooms etc. We get some cool shows thanks to being a major European city. That said; I am not aware of lots of fanzines aside from my own Shrieks From The Abyss, Charred Vulture’s and Metal Horde. Some amazing bands here though! We have Adorior, Necromaniac, Grave Miasma, Lvcifyre, Amulet and more!

Starbreaker: We have some cool record stores that we frequently scavenge like Crypt of the Wizard, All Ages Records and Rise Above Records. We have some great bands that have emerged since such as Parish, Vacuous, Seven Sisters/ Phantom Spell..

Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
Profane Savage: I love the classics such as Rotting Christ, Varathron, Necromantia, Macabre Omen and so on! Greek Black Metal has such a superb command of melody that gives it its own characteristic. Of course our friends No Remorse Records and Eat Metal Records are Greek and both are labels I really like!

What are your future plans?
Profane Savage: Well we plan to keep promoting our demo and then working on our new material which is already starting to take shape. We are very excited to hit the stage too and hopefully meet some of you maniacs out there! And other than that, you can find us at many shows, record shops or cemeteries being total maniacs!

Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Profane Savage: Thanks to you as well, it’s been a pleasure and keep the heavy metal underground spirit alive! Cheers to you readers, we appreciate ya!

By Steve the Filthy Dog.

SATANIAK CONTACT:

https://www.instagram.com/sataniakspeed/

https://sataniak.bandcamp.com/music

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6jLQ5QAltm6OyhX1rqRsq4