interview with combat noise
Have any of you played in other bands? Yes. Indio (guitar), Lachy (bass) and I (vocals) have another band named FROM THE GRAVES. Indio plays guitar also in CONGREGATION.
How is it that you started playing music? I started in front of a stereo growling “Beneath the Remains” in 1989. When I thought I was ready I formed KRUDENTA in 1990, a Death/Thrash band with other friends. KRUDENTA was active almost a year. It dissolved because musical differences among the musicians. From his guts surged MADNESS, AGONIZER, DEFORMITY, COSA NOSTRA and COMBAT NOISE.
What are your names? / Who plays what?
Juan Carlos Torrente–Vocals (1995…)
Jorge Luis. “Colo”–Guitar (1995, bass till July 2005 when he took the guitar…)
Jorge García “Indio” –Guitar (April 2009…)
Lachy Rabelo –Bass (May 2011…)
Lachy “Torpedo” –Drums (July 2013…)
Have you had other previous members?
Alberto Gonzáles “Chino” – Guitar (1995 – Agust 1997) (Jan 2000 – May 2004)
Jorge Marin – Guitar (Jan 1996 – May 1999)
Yumileisy Torres “China” – Guitar (Feb 2004 - July 2005) (Dic 2006 – April 2009)
Reydal Roncourt – Guitar (May 2004 – Dic 2004)
Vaniet Gil– Bass (July 2005 – Nov 2006)
Randy de Armas –Bass (Feb 2005 guitar, took bass on Dic 2006 till May 2011)
Alejandro Padrón –Drums (Jan 1997 – May 2013)
Andry (May 2013 –July 2013)
Where are you from? La Habana, Cuba.
What year did the band form? COMBAT NOISE’s first rehearsals in 1995, first gig in 1996.
What's your style of genre? Death Metal.
What inspires you? Old School of Death Metal.
How often and where do you rehearse? COMBAT NOISE practice at Sala Maxim Rock every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. From 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
How have you developed since you started with the music? Now we play the instruments better, the composition are more technical. But we try to keep the spirit which inspires us and the style. We keep the same attitude from the beginning and we’re proud of that because we feel Death Metal in the same vein that we started.
Do you have other interests of work outside the band? I am a member of the CUBAN NATIONAL CHOIR, and ENTREVOCES CAMERA CHOIR like a professional job from more than 20 years.
Are you looking for a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that? COMBAT NOISE belongs to the Cuban Rock Agency in La Habana, Cuba. Is good for us because the Agency programs our band around the island in big concerts and Metal Festivals and we have the 75 % of the tickets.
Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that? After 7 DEMOS, we made “After the War… The Wrath Continues” and “Anthems of Carnage” for AMERICAN LINE PRODS (Mexico), “Frontline Offensive Force” for BRUTAL BEATDOWN RECS (Cuba) and a re-edition with SEVARED RECS, OLD CEMETERY RECS, BUTCHERED RECS (USA); and “In War We Trust” for LEGION OF DEATH RECS (France).
What made you decide to make this music? I remember Colo (COMBAT NOISE Guit) and me all time head banging at first line in concerts or in front of a loud stereo, with closed eyes, dreaming with a band. One day we decided to make it. Colo bought a wood guitar and started to study by himself “Smoke on the water”. Like everybody, I think! Hahahaaha!
What are your songs about? War. Our lyrics are inspired in belic events that happened from the Second World War up to our days, emphasizing the horrors which those bring within.
Who does the composing and writes the lyrics? Every musician bring ideas or songs to the rehearsals. I made all the lyrics.
Do you start with the music or the lyrics? Mostly with the music. After that I adapt the lyrics, add or take off times of some riff and change the music if is necessary.
Do you compose in a certain environment? Yes. Sometimes in solitude, when the Angel of Death bring me some ideas! Or in rehearsal… Alcohol helps too.
Have you done any covers live? CANNIBAL CORPSE, DEICIDE, SIX FEET UNDER, SODOM, NAPALM DEATH. Normally we play one in a show or none. Is the way that we support bands and music that we like.
What language do you sing in? English.
What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs? Minimum around 150, Maximum 600 in Havana. Inside the country we act only in Metal Fests… around 2000 or more metal heads, it depends of the province.
What ages are most of your concert attendants? From 18 years to 30.
Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary? We play the classics… the songs that the audience always want to hear in our shows and new material, but we always try to vary. COMBAT NOISE composes for the show, not for the Cd and we have a lot of songs. So we have material enough to choose.
Do you have a regular place you play live often? Yes. Maxim Rock, one Saturday a month like headliner. Sometimes we support other bands in their shows.
What was your first gig like? “Patio de Maria” was the most extreme and underground Metal place in La Habana during the decade of 1990. There COMBAT NOISE played in Agust 96 in front of 20 metalheads. I remember the silence between song and song and the audience frosted. Was a terrible feeling. After the show we gathered at the back stage and I said: “Ok, we did our best, and we did well, party now!” and brought out a bottle of rum.
What was your latest gig? Last Saturday in Maxim Rock. Was a COVER METAL FEST “Metal Through Your Veins III”. 9 bands, 4 covers each. 220 metalheads. No so much people, we expected more.
Have you had to cancel a gig? Yeah, many gigs. In the 90’s because no electricity, or no police authorization, or transportation didn’t arrive, some string guitar broken... Nowadays those shits don’t happen, but others do…
Where have you played live this year? Maxim Rock many times, “El Rey Metal fest” in Pinar del Rio province, “Metal HG fest” in Holguin Province, “Revolución Rock fest” in Artemisa province, “Rotilla Summer Beach” Fest, “Brutal fest”.
Where do you plan to gig the comming year? We don’t know yet. All the fests that invite us… “Brutal fest” for sure in February.
When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale? From the very beginning we started to sell our DEMOS. Around 10 years ago we made COMBAT NOISE t-shirts in Mexico for the first time and sold out. In Cuba is not possible to make t-shirts to sell… to expensive to make. Now we are selling our last Cd “Anthems of Carnage”.
Where can people buy your merchandise? In our concerts we sell de CD’S. Out of the island with the labels.
What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days? Music should be the food of the soul, no money for the pockets. I like to buy Cd’s but I don’t blame the guys who download music for free. Downloading is a choice for young people to listen more bands and select which they really want to buy… or not. But I think that if you really want to support a band, the best way you do that, is going to their gigs, buying their Cds and T-shirts. Is just my point of view.
How do you think the music industry have changed because of this? This is a real problem for them, not for us… We love to play alive! I remember, years ago, the abusive price of some albums that I really want to have and now I say, FUCK them! Big labels made a lot of money… now is over for them, and for the audience downloading is like a hellish sword of vengeance hahahhaha!!!!
What do you think of my work? I like the questions, very dynamic interview, not boring. Easy to answer…
How do you think and know that this interview will help you in the music business? In Cuba the access to internet is very slow and expensive, so we have no web, no facebook and the contact with the world outside is no easy. Obviously your interview will help us to promote our band and with that, the Cuban Metal Scene.
Do you have any role models or idols? I admire many musicians, artist and bands like CANNIBAL CORPSE, DEICIDE, BOLT THROWER, VOMITORY, DISMEMBER, GRAVE, MORBID ANGEL, OBITUARY… and a big etc.
Why do you think that they exist? because their roots haven’t changed, attitude still the same and my blood is boiling with them like in the beginning when I see them in videos or listen.
Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today? Is the same for me.
What have been your biggest obstacles? In Cuba there are no stores where the Metal musicians can buy anything for playing. After 20 years resisting, bleeding and counterattacking in the trench of the Underground we have good guitars and drums, but the strings, cymbals and patches for the drums, cables, etc. are very hard to find.
What advice would you give other bands or artists? In Metal, attitude is very important, keep that on and down the stage. Show all the energy of the band in front 1000 people, 100 or 10… and every metalhead respects you for that. Never give up in front of the obstacles, keep the band fighting and sacrifice everything for that, if the band is good and reach something… you’ll feel the glory. Listen not only the classic stuff, underground bands can teach a lot, because maybe, some day they will be classics too.
How do you get psyched for a gig? Around 20 minutes before the gig I do some exercise for the muscles of the neck, breathe in and out, a couple of screams to warm the throat. Some alcohol drinks… sometimes I vomit, because the nerves, I think. Every member of the band have their practice rituals before the gig. Before the show I usually concentrate myself in the speeches, in all the things we planned for the total assault on stage!!!!
Do you have any new material?
Our last Cd was made in 2012, but it was release at the beginning of 2015 by AMERICAN LINE PRODS.
Mention your discography
01- Marching of Terror -1996 (demo)
02- Soldiers must like to Kill -1998 (single demo)
03- For Military Supremacy -1999 (demo)
04- Awakening in Holocaust -2001 (demo)
05- Radical with the War Enemy -2002 (demo)
06- Under my Rifle’s Fire -2003 (single demo)
07- After the War… The Wrath Continues -2004 (demo); 2008 (CD) American Line Recs (Mexico)
08- Frontline Offensive Force –2010 (CD) Brutal Beatdown Recs (Cuba/France); 2011 (CD) Old Cemetery Recs/ Butchered Recs/ Sevared Recs (USA)
09- Anthems of Carnage –2012 (CD) Brutal Beatdown Recs (Cuba/France); 2015 (CD) American Line Prods (Mex)
10- In War We Trust -2013 (7”EP) Legion Of Death Recs (France)
What are your web sites? We don’t have at this moment. Some people put our videos in YouTube.
How can people reach you?
If you want to help us and send some guitar strings or sticks for the drums, you are welcome!
Juan Carlos Torrente
Calle Maximo Gomez 180, entre Ambron y la Piedra.
Regla. La Habana, Cuba
Cp-11200
What are your plans for the future? Now we are in a middle a new recording… ten tracks of blasting Death Metal attack! We are planning to make a new video-clip with the song “Through the Eternal Battlefields”.
Do you have something to add? Thank you very much. I hope someday we meet in a COMBAT NOISE gig!