A Dirty Dozen with SAVAGE EXISTENCE – March 2022
According to a recent press release: “Savage Existence have released their new live music video for the song “A Thousand Pounds of Trainwreck.” A faithful reflection of the energy of a live performance (which is what this band is about), the clip was shot during their recent tour in Mexico – where they shared stage with legends of death metal Monstrosity. The band already has plans for the future. “We expect to release an EP with 2 covers (Lamb of God “Resurrection Man” & Machine Head “Old,” with participation of Logan Mader on guitars) and then the second album MATRICIDE, that is already recorded with special guest Gary Holt on guitars and some other stellar appearances (also produced by Logan Mader). As for the rest of the 2022-2023, we plan to play live, of course if pandemic allows. For now – the sky is the limit.” We get the band to discuss new music, influences, and 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 you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?
Our first album ANIMALS represents manifest of “power of will” & “inner strength,” attacking real life issues, combining death & groove metal with southern rock fusion under the slogan: “BE THE PREDATOR NOT THE PREY.” All songs are capturing this energy and at the same time we added a song called “Savage Medicine” that adds this mystic feeling of ayahuasca experience. So this can be this kind of hidden gem for fans having real shamans recorded and included in our album, some of that can be heard on “Winds of Shit” single also.
2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?
SAVAGE EXISTENCE was created in Costa Rica in the year 2021 by Daniel Cleland (guitars) and Jesse Radford (drums), both entrepreneurs from Canada and already experienced vocalist, producer & songwriter on international and especially European and Latin American power metal scene Anton Darusso (formerly from such bands as critically acclaimed power metal band Wings of Destiny, Oxidize from Sweden, Magic Opera from Italy, among many other international projects he took part up to date featuring many renowned musicians), issuing first album under the name ANIMALS, produced & recorded by Logan Mader (Machine Head, Once Human, ex-Soulfly) being a renowned musician and producer on international metal scene (who also contributed as a guitar player, arranger and sound engineer on the album); adding professional local musicians for live performances Emil Minott (bass) & Andres Castro (guitars) to complete lineup. We all feel that what got us in the music is just this need of self-expression, need of being heard and having something to say lyrically and musically.
3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?
There are too many to mention actually, but concentrating on Savage Existence particular sound, it would be definitely such acts as Pantera, Soulfly, Machine Head, Down and Lamb of God and many others… hahaha our singer loves ABBA & Queen, for example and all the classical rock artists.
4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?
Well, Philip Anselmo is one of the people we would love to collaborate, being one of the true origins of the modern groove metal style (at least vocally) and all the bands that we already have mentioned before… Guys like Randy Blythe, Corey Taylor, Ivan Moody, Jonathan Davis, and many others. We are a new band, and we are open for collaborations.
5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour? What do you like to do to unwind?
We usually dedicate ourselves to our families, Daniel Clealand with Jesse run a Soltara Healing Center so all good, Anton is a family guy, runs a business and records a lot as a session musician/vocalist in tons of projects, so he usually hangs out a lot in different local studios, Andres teaches guitar and does a lot of session work also, Emil works as a session musician too.
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?
Overwhelming force of nature combining death & groove metal with southern rock fusion, adding insane vocals.
7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?
Jesse is our chef, Dan gets drinks in, Andres cracks out acoustic guitar and Anton usually refuses to party (even though he is a true party animal), because he is always sleeping or having a drink or composing and getting ready for next show, Emil is a chill guy.
8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?
Gary Holt from Slayer and Exodus, it was pretty cool to hang out in the studio together, great company, great guy. Ah but the last one was David Coverdale from Whitesnake, Anton was absolutely starstruck, because he is a super fan of that guy, we met him at a restaurant in Vegas, he was a total gentleman, and we shared a laugh.
9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?
The best part is identifying, relating to people, travelling, and having this communication, endless self-expression to the maximum. We do this not because we can, but because we have to express ourselves its in our nature. Being a musician is our dream job.
10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?
Good question, we must think more about that one. And we never get tired, it is great to have attention, it is all about being heard, so every time someone asks you a question – its great, someone cares.
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?
No regrets, we only live once, and any failure is an experience that makes us better and stronger.
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?
It would be great to be in any recording session of any real star that changed music history, starting with Elvis, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, Dio, Motorhead, Judas Priest, Journey, Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Septultura, etc. The list goes on and on. Everyone in the band has special moments, special songs, records that made us. Those are too many to mention. It would be interesting to be during the recording session of Black Album of Metallica, to learn couple of things, since that album really was one of the biggest in history of metal globally.
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Category: Interviews