A Dirty Dozen with CLOD “THE RIPPER” DE ROSA from BLASPHEMER – January 2020

According to a recent press release: “Candlelight Records has announced the worldwide signing of Italian extreme metal stalwarts BLASPHEMER. The group’s third album The Sixth Hour will be released worldwide on January 24. The Sixth Hour showcases 12 songs of pure blackened-death metal, mastered at the famous studio Hertz in Poland, known for its work with Behemoth, Decapitated, and Vader. Fundamentally a concept album, The Sixth Hour‘s main theme is the way of the cross — the last day of Jesus Christ and the path that led him from the Gethsemane to Golgotha. The aim of the album is to depict Jesus as merely human, trying to transpose into music the agony he felt on the last day.”  We get Clod to discuss new music, influences, and much more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

The Sixth Hour represents the evolution that both me and Simon had in recent years.  On the previous album already some of the songs (including the opener Suicide For Satan) were leaning toward a more classic death metal style rather than our trademark brutal death. Then I took up lead vocals duties, and a new guitarist and a new drummer joined. And then came the rest, gradually we were brought to compose more and more death metal songs, while incorporating some more typically black elements. I guess all the old fans are turning up their noses because of the change of musical proposal (probably I would have done the same years ago…), but anyway the most careful of you will probably one of the song on “The Sixth Hour” has already been published, though is now slightly re-arranged and with a different title, and two other songs feature some notable vocal guests.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

My neighbor, older than me of course, brought me into metal music! It was the end of the ‘80, and I started with classic Sepultura, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Pantera, Metallica. In a couple of years I started listening to death metal and I found my way! At the same time, when the black metal trend hit Italy, I used to hate those young kid dressed like losers with facepainting etc., but 20 years later I’m falling in love for black metal, and I’m now listening more to black metal than death. I grew up with the images of this badass metalheads with long hair, tattoos and beard playing on a stage. Nothing is better in life.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

When I was a child and internet was not a thing I remember I spend my day watching that one minute of Cannibal Corpse in the Ace Ventura movie, over and over again. Also MTV had a small selection of metal (at night only), and broadcasted Monsters of Rock Open Air 1992, which completely drove me crazy! I watched it thousands of time, and know every word and move of the musicians playing that show! Also Pantera’s Vulgar video made me dream about being on tour with a band!

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

My very first love was Megadeth! Then Suffocation was death metal’s answer for a need of brutality. I was musically born with classic Morbid Angel, Deicide, Malevolent Creation, so I think I must mention these classic for sure. Nowadays I’m definitely more into Marduk, Mgla, Dissection, Necrophobic and Vltimas.

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Friedman from Megadeth in the ‘90s for a solo, Benton for guest vocals, and probably all the members from the blackband Asagraum (you need to know they are only girls, so maybe not only for a song together…)

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

I remember a fan after a recent show that came to us and tell: “You guys are like Deicide if they didn’t turn gay, and Immolation if they were more brutal.” Was funny indeed. Well our opinion is that we are the bastard son of Immolation and Marduk.

7. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

Everything! It’s like a call, a vocation. You maybe think you want to be a musician, but in the end is the music that chooses you! You need to have a strong attitude and passion to be a metal musician! We are not fucking rockstars with tons of people around our asses, ready to satisfy all our stupid requests! We’re metalheads! We’re just a bunch of people with problems, that’s it! But it’s amazing to be on stage and on tour with your brothers! We can express ourselves 100% and not give a fuck about others’ opinion!

8. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Well usually me and Simon are the junky ones. Old school attitude! Party hard, get drunk and waste time doing stupid things with other bands. The new young members are more polite, well-mannered, etc. They need to sleep, have a good rest and want to talk about music… Too boring for two old dirty bastards like me and Simon, hahahah! I’m joking of course!

9. When was the last time you were star struck and who was it?

As a tattoo artist I can tell you it’s more common in the tattoo community to get stalked by girls. Usually in the metal community there are too much men to be honest…

10. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

To be a musician.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”, even if it didn’t change your current situation?

I left Septycal Gorge while recording our third album… Then they disbanded without even doing any other shows, but that album was recorded by another guy… Right now I’d try to stay calm and solve the situation, because I still can’t believe I didn’t record it after all the efforts I put in the writing…

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Tough question. …maybe Mayhem, De Mysteriis Dom Satanas, for many reasons. I can name other albums that have been way more important to me, but this one marked the history of extreme music in many different ways! …and come on, Norway is an amazing place to spend some time!

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Category: Interviews