Hails Paulo, Your second demo "Become Vengeance Become Wrath" Has received great reviews. Tell us about the great response to your real Death Metal. Has it been over one year since it came out?
Yes, as a fact we have been receiving good comments about this demo. Of course some people give more atention than others but the most important in my opinion is that basically everybody that had the opportunity to listen to "Become Vengeance, Become Wrath" have been showing respect for our music, and this is really great!
How come EMBALMED SOULS has only released two demos even when you've been playing since'90? Why haven't you come to the attention of a label?
I've been answering to this question very often lately.... Since our beginning we had in our minds that EMBALMED SOULS would not be an ephemeral band. We decide to make some priorities like to find a place to practice, to get our own instruments and improve it along the time. Since that none of us are rock stars we have to manage it with the money from our own job (yes, we're fuckin employees!). But we were not stressed with this kind of subject like "hey, everybody is recording a demo but us". Before "Journey Through Bizarre" that is officially our first demo, we recorded in 1994 a simple rehearsal in a common tape (called "The Lament of Souls") which was promoted among some contacts and was a kind of answer to some people that was more interested to show their "fancy equipments" then to support the real brutal underground. That's not for us... What always kept us strong in our goals was (and still being) our passion for the music we hail. Later on in 1999 we recorded our 2nd official act called "Become Vengeance, Become Wrath" and we're planning to enter in the studios again during this year to record a new act.
What is the experience of recording two demos live like? Is it complicated?
We decided to make our demos live for financial reasons, but also, as a way to show our true identity, our music with no effects or disguises. The main problem during the recording session was the relationship with the sound enginner, I mean: sometimes is hard to talk to someone who does not have any knowledge from Death Metal Music and think that he's the absolute owner of reason... There were bad moments, especially during the 2nd demo. Sometimes these enginners try to make your sound different 'cause they think they're dealing with this kind of shit music that they're used to record and it's a little bit complex to explain that this is EXACTLY what we want to AVOID!!! In my opinion, this is the problem: the relationship with someone that do not want to understand your musical aspects.
Who produces your demos? The sound on both demos is great. Do you keep an eyes on this?
Both of demos were produced by us and as I said before, we had bad moments trying to explain to the sound enginner the musical aspects that EMBALMED SOULS priorize. Of course, every step in our demos was done under our supervision. The final result was ok for a live demo, especially when we had no enough money to make a better recording & mixing.
"Journey Through bizarre" brought you out into the open, making you know for the non-trendy brutal death and dark Metal you play, and creating a great response. The tracks on this demo, When were they recorded? What bands influence you?
EMBALMED SOULS is and always will be a Death Metal band. Our influences come from Death Metal and I'm absolutely proud to confess you. Some stupid people wants to look like "intelectuals" denying their influences, and for me it's a silly speech... "Journey Through Bizarre" was recorded in 1997 and it features six songs, including musics from our very beginning ("Cry Before Die" is our 1st song!) and other ones composed during our unholy existance!
Why did you include material from the "Journey through Bizarre" era in your second demo?

This Death Metal is slower than the new songs.
Since that our money was enough only to spend a few hours in studio, we had to choose 05 songs to be recorded in "Become Vengeance, Become Wrath". We decided to put some old material as well, because we really enjoy those songs and we're very proud from our history, so there's absolutely no reason to avoid any music. "Unholy Warrior" & "Remember the Past" are the 3rd and 5th songs composed by us.
You dedicate a lot of time to promoting the band. It's very easy to come across E.S. in web zines, newsletters, and mailing lists around the world. Have you received any proposals to release your debut C.D. I read somewhere Death gasm Recs were interested in signing you. What happened?
I'm into tape trading since my god damn teenage years - I really do it for passion. I'm absolutely proud to be part of the mighty Underground Worldwide Death Metal scene. I respect a lot the job done by fanzines, tape-traders & penpals 'cause this is the only way to keep the scene always alive!! Too many years ago, tape trading & zine reading were the tools that lead me to the completely abyss of Death Metal possession! I still respecting this a lot and I try to be in touch with them not only to promote EMBALMED SOULS, but also to support them and to keep this mood alive 'cause I strongly believe in the underground maniacs & death metal worshipers!!! But sometimes it's hard to keep everything updated for reasons like lack of money & free-time (job, study, personal matters and money once again!)... Concerning to DEATHGASM RECS, there's nothing about signing us, sorry, in despite that Evan is really a great guy! (hail AVULSION!!!).
Is the current line-up the same as in'91, Or have there been any changes?
Except for Andre, who joined the band in 1995. The other maniacs (me, Nildo & David) are in the band since the beginning in 1990.
Some bands come together because there have been break ups in other bands and the members get together to play. Were there any pre-Embalmed souls bands? Do any of the current members come from other bands or play somewhere else?
EMBALMED SOULS is our first experience in a serious band and as a fact, it was where all of us in the band really learned to play, where all of us started to develop our technics and ideas, to create our own songs and to get a established practicing routine.
Your demo covers are kind of bizarre. Where do you get them? Is this aspect reflected on your lyrics?
This kind of bizarre subject really interest me and I think it's a very intrigate aspect... It's good to have a different vision from the common sense: some people see certain pictures and paintings with prejudice; others just see it as art. Especially those who are under religious dogmas want to put labels like sinful, blasphemous and so on, but it's just a medieval fear about what is unknow or apart from their narrow minds. To be honest: let them rot in their stupidity... But first, tell them Torquemada is no longer punishing the sinners against the holy church..... ahahahah!! Concerning to our demo covers, the first one was taken from a picture and the one featured at "Become Vengeance, Become Wrath" it's from the Wes Benscotten Gallery Website (an amazing artist with a very bizarre & marvelous design!!) (ED:covers of Mortician,Regurgitate, Ritual Carnage)
Not many bands come from Brasilia, your hometown. Most of them come from Rio, Sao Paulo, Curitiba (On the Brazilian coast). Is this because these cities are more crowded? What other reasons do you find for this? What bands from your area do you keep contact with? Which can you recommend?
The brazilian Death/Black Metal scene is all over the country, not only in the big cities. You can find killer bands and zines in many cities, not only in the ones you mentioned. Of course, when you're living in a big town things can work better since is more easy to keep in touch with another bands, better studios, equipments and so on. But it's not a rule.

Just to give you an example: one of the greatest brazilian bands in my view - CORPSE GRINDER, comes from a very small city. Another very important place for die hard bands & fans is in the northeast, where come bands such HEADHUNTER DC, MYSTIFIER, DECOMPOSED GOD, MALKUTH, AS THE SHADOWS FALL, MALEFACTOR... Originally from the south we have KRISIUN, REBAELLIUN, CARCINOSI... Concerning to Brasilia,, you'll can find brutal acts like NAUSEOUS SURGERY, VALHALLA, MIASTHENIA, DEATH SLAM, ETERNO, EMINENT SHADOWS... The brazilian metal scene is very strong and certainly you'll find great bands, mags & metal worshipers all around this damn land! There are many big festivals with many Underground bands in Brazil. Have you played any of them? Which is the best? As a matter of fact, we don't play very often 'cause usually the producers are quite damn amateurs and they still offering a very poor sound quality. There's no reason for us to be under this kind of production, especially when some people want to rip-off our efforts. I really despise this! But the things has been changing a little and I hope that it really turn into a big scene with producers showing respect for the bands and for the crowd. In my opinion, Death Metal gigs does NOT mean lack of organization.
Why do you think so many great brutal bands come from Brazil unlike other countries in Latin America? Why are you so far ahead? (I don't think the number of people is important. Sweden is a small country and has the most amount of bands are going to Europe.
That's a good question... I think Brazil always had a great tradition into Heavy Metal, since the the 80's: we had a lot of several killer bands which spread the brazilian Metal scene around this damn planet. We always had a great number of bands, Metal Maniacs, fanzines and people trying to get in touch with and to know different bands. This kind of culture has been feeding the scene for years and this is a very good point in my view. But another great place in South America for Metal is Chile: I really admire their scene good fanzines and amazing bands such as PENTAGRAM, UNDERCROFT, SADISM... The same goes to Peru (MORTEM is one the greatest bands in this infected planet called earth!!); Colombia as well, with mags and bands etc..
It's very common to see bands from Brazil in Europe. There are plans for a Brazilian attack over Europe with 5 or more bands. Have you thought about traveling or joining this tour? Is this easier to achieve for certain Brazilian bands?
It's great to see another brazilian Death/Black Metal bands playing in foreign lands and showing the brutality and hiqh quality from our scene: hail brazilian legion! With no doubt to play in Europe certainly would be a great experience, but we have to face our reality: at this moment there is no condition for EMBALMED SOULS to do a tour abroad, but who knows in the future?
Nowadays many old band are coming up with new albums. Some are good, some stink. Which are the biggest Brazilian come backs? Have you listened to the new stuff by Sarcofago?
Personally I'm not a big fan from this kind of "come back", sometimes it's more a kind of a fake promotion or a cheap opportunity than a real feeling to play as in the past. Of course there are some exceptions. Personally, what I'm very excited to check up is VULCANO, 'cause definitely they're gods!! Concerning to SARCOFAGO, it's with no doubt one of the brazilian cult bands, but their last albums are not my cup of tea (I'm not into drum machines....).
Thanks for answering these questions Paulo. Do you have any parting words? What are your plans for this year?
As usual, thanks a lot for the interest & support. It's great to see that south american scene still keeping the brutality alive and paying respect for our bands, not only to the ones from abroad. There are enough space for all talented bands who keeps the flame of the ancient unholy feelings alive, after all, evil has no boundaries! Hail to the HIMNOS RITUALES DE GUERRA and to the ones that still being possessed by the Metal of Death!!! Every twisted soul is welcome to join efforts in our bizarre hallucination. DEATH BY METAL!!!