Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Lucas Sansil (vocals)
Jack C. Daniels (guitar)
Victor (guitar)
Genre: death metal
Haloperidol is a band from São Paulo and it's part of music treasures that exist in the underground scene. Extremely well done is the death metal produced by them. A melodic death metal with heavy and brutal vocals was what I saw on their first gig. Check here the interview that the blog did with them!
I. Hello, Haloperidol! First, thank you very much on behalf of Blog Oroborus for this interview with you. According to the very page of the band on Facebook, Haloperidol is the name of a drug used to control psychological disorders, among others. Why did they choose this name for the band?
Lucas Sansil: We appreciate your contact and attention that's been given to our work. When me and Jack were looking for a name, we had never thought of something like that. So, we were at the house of a friend listening to some other friend's band, Itself, which has a well-done death metal style, and strangely enough there are only two guys in the band, and we heard they have a song called "Haloperidol". So, we seek sources on what was this name up for and it fit with what we wrote for the song's lyrics. We though that would be cool to use this name with our themes, so we decided to pick this one for granted. Some people found it funny, others mocked it, but joining our musicality, it sounds like it has more meaning, sounds dark and brutal. (Laughs).
II. The first contact I had with the band wasn't via the Internet or through the show, it was the logo on a t-shirt. And, man, it already impressed me, just with the logo. Who created it? And how was to adapt it according to the band's sound proposal?
Jack C. Daniels: The band had already released the first demo song called "Blood Hand", but did not yet have a source or a fixed logo. We used a temporary source which was created and edited by myself, just to fill the empty look of the band's name. Not long after the release of the first demo, as we had asked earlier, an acquaintance gave us a sketch of an idea for a new source, we ask him to create something aggressive, that could be fit together with the proposal and with the band's face, but it needed to be as readable as possible, once that there are difficulties to decipher each letter and understand what is written on so many extreme metal bands' logos. It seems like they decide that it has to be completely unreadable (laughs).
He handed us this draft with the base of the source we currently use. At the same time, I like its format and how it highlighted the letter "E", for its noticeably larger size and its mirror duplication and exactly in the middle of the word, we had no doubt that was going to be the official logo. We took the vector of this draft on the computer and I edited it in Photoshop to put the target behind the letter "E" and it did seem drain to me. So, once red is my favorite color, it was the first who thought better fits to it. And once source and logo itself were ready, we made it official.
III. Haloperidol is a relatively new band, formed in 2012, according to Encyclopaedia Metallum. How was to add people to the band? Which influences did each of you bring to Haloperidol?
Jack C. Daniels: Unfortunately, Haloperidol never had luck with formations since we began looking for members. Haloperidol was raised by Lucas and me, after I left a teenage band. At first we did everything, we created, recorded, disclosed and all that is usually done to an usual band routine, we were more than enough for the band to produce, but the only things that were problems, was that for concerts could not be just Lucas and I; and also, just being him and me kind of froze off the possibilty of other views and musical influences. Then, through disclosures and statement, we had the privilege of working with great musicians and great people. Unfortunately, eachone that went through Haloperidol didn't work in the same way that the band was working and they could not maintain their permanence for this reason. Even though, we were always seeking the professional side and not clinging to the staff, but from time to time, tests and conversations, I believe that now we have the right people with us.
About the influences, now Haloperidol moves according to what Lucas and I have as musical taste and references. We like almost the same musical styles and, most of the bands too, one or another other differences, but nothing so overwhelmingly different. Adding all we have as a references, all Haloperidol influences have a little of everything, as well as Groove, Death, Heavy, Power, Thrash, Metal and Southern etc. We try to always have an open mind, not only to the metal sheds, but for music in general.
IV. Also according to the band's Facebook page, the lyrical themes of Haloperidol are made up primarily of: "[...] letters that usually have themes like psyche,mental illness and insanity, the human decay.[...]", In addition, you guys talk about religion, without focusing specifically on some. Why did you choose these subjects to treat on the songs of the band?
Lucas Sansil: Usually, we talk about what we think, what we see what happens to humanity. It would be our view of everything. This is like an open book, a chaotic universe, empty beliefs and hypocrisy. The human mind is a machine to produce either good or bad, it depends on the meaning of it all to each person. So, there wouldn't be a better topic to discuss on than human decay, we find it a very complex thing, difficult to talk about, difficult to express, but it is the perfectly fittng to every song we compose.
V. How is Haloperidol's composition process? Do you guys compose separately and then unite the ideas or everyone is contributing together at the same place and time?
Jack C. Daniels: Since the beginning of the band, I am the main composer of the instrumental part and I share the compositions of lyrics with Lucas. Usually, I write alone, I prefer that way, so I can create all the guitars and drums parts to the songs, the bass I just don't give much attention to create, occasionally only, but every time I'll write music and tablatures for some new idea, I'm always writing guitars an drums parts, without exception.
After finishing all the writing of the new idea, we show it to the rest of the band and it open to opinions to improvements on adding or removing stuff, and so on. After that, we select the text that best adapts to the melody tempo and the instrumental and the vocals parts finally become one. Time and to time, when any idea somehow remains incomplete, Lucas supports me on the creations, giving opinions and ideas, helping to find some ray of light amid the darkness of creativity.
When everything is in full agreement, we record a demo for study. So, we start listening to it and wondering if we still need to redo something to make the perfect and so on. Then, we go to the production and we close the process with the official records.
VI. The first work came out recently, in 2014. The 'Amnésia' EP is undoubtedly a powerful work. Composed of five tracks very well prepared and arranged in perfect shape over the album. It is a selfconfident work when analyzed as a whole thing, but it is very worthwhile to highlight the intro of "Amnésia," which opens the EP almost smoothly, to soon make room for such a heavy sound, which is actually the sound of Haloperidol. In addition, "Rise Again" and "Possessed", and this last one with this amazing band name could not fail to be a sensational track to close the EP. How was writing and recording this EP?
Lucas Sansil: Me and Jack did not have many things, but we try to give our best recording this EP, because we were literally "broken" (laughs). We recorded everything pratically in my house, only our bassist at that time recorded his parts in his own home. We try to write it as simple as possible, without editing too much, putting effects, we prefer it raw. I made a simple mix, we masterized and released, in a total rush, full of writings and rewritings processed, changes here, changes in another way there, but in the end of it all, the result was what we expected: a melodic sound with brutal vocals.
Lucas Sansil: We appreciate your contact and attention that's been given to our work. When me and Jack were looking for a name, we had never thought of something like that. So, we were at the house of a friend listening to some other friend's band, Itself, which has a well-done death metal style, and strangely enough there are only two guys in the band, and we heard they have a song called "Haloperidol". So, we seek sources on what was this name up for and it fit with what we wrote for the song's lyrics. We though that would be cool to use this name with our themes, so we decided to pick this one for granted. Some people found it funny, others mocked it, but joining our musicality, it sounds like it has more meaning, sounds dark and brutal. (Laughs).
II. The first contact I had with the band wasn't via the Internet or through the show, it was the logo on a t-shirt. And, man, it already impressed me, just with the logo. Who created it? And how was to adapt it according to the band's sound proposal?
Jack C. Daniels: The band had already released the first demo song called "Blood Hand", but did not yet have a source or a fixed logo. We used a temporary source which was created and edited by myself, just to fill the empty look of the band's name. Not long after the release of the first demo, as we had asked earlier, an acquaintance gave us a sketch of an idea for a new source, we ask him to create something aggressive, that could be fit together with the proposal and with the band's face, but it needed to be as readable as possible, once that there are difficulties to decipher each letter and understand what is written on so many extreme metal bands' logos. It seems like they decide that it has to be completely unreadable (laughs).
He handed us this draft with the base of the source we currently use. At the same time, I like its format and how it highlighted the letter "E", for its noticeably larger size and its mirror duplication and exactly in the middle of the word, we had no doubt that was going to be the official logo. We took the vector of this draft on the computer and I edited it in Photoshop to put the target behind the letter "E" and it did seem drain to me. So, once red is my favorite color, it was the first who thought better fits to it. And once source and logo itself were ready, we made it official.
III. Haloperidol is a relatively new band, formed in 2012, according to Encyclopaedia Metallum. How was to add people to the band? Which influences did each of you bring to Haloperidol?
Jack C. Daniels: Unfortunately, Haloperidol never had luck with formations since we began looking for members. Haloperidol was raised by Lucas and me, after I left a teenage band. At first we did everything, we created, recorded, disclosed and all that is usually done to an usual band routine, we were more than enough for the band to produce, but the only things that were problems, was that for concerts could not be just Lucas and I; and also, just being him and me kind of froze off the possibilty of other views and musical influences. Then, through disclosures and statement, we had the privilege of working with great musicians and great people. Unfortunately, eachone that went through Haloperidol didn't work in the same way that the band was working and they could not maintain their permanence for this reason. Even though, we were always seeking the professional side and not clinging to the staff, but from time to time, tests and conversations, I believe that now we have the right people with us.
About the influences, now Haloperidol moves according to what Lucas and I have as musical taste and references. We like almost the same musical styles and, most of the bands too, one or another other differences, but nothing so overwhelmingly different. Adding all we have as a references, all Haloperidol influences have a little of everything, as well as Groove, Death, Heavy, Power, Thrash, Metal and Southern etc. We try to always have an open mind, not only to the metal sheds, but for music in general.
IV. Also according to the band's Facebook page, the lyrical themes of Haloperidol are made up primarily of: "[...] letters that usually have themes like psyche,mental illness and insanity, the human decay.[...]", In addition, you guys talk about religion, without focusing specifically on some. Why did you choose these subjects to treat on the songs of the band?
Lucas Sansil: Usually, we talk about what we think, what we see what happens to humanity. It would be our view of everything. This is like an open book, a chaotic universe, empty beliefs and hypocrisy. The human mind is a machine to produce either good or bad, it depends on the meaning of it all to each person. So, there wouldn't be a better topic to discuss on than human decay, we find it a very complex thing, difficult to talk about, difficult to express, but it is the perfectly fittng to every song we compose.
V. How is Haloperidol's composition process? Do you guys compose separately and then unite the ideas or everyone is contributing together at the same place and time?
Jack C. Daniels: Since the beginning of the band, I am the main composer of the instrumental part and I share the compositions of lyrics with Lucas. Usually, I write alone, I prefer that way, so I can create all the guitars and drums parts to the songs, the bass I just don't give much attention to create, occasionally only, but every time I'll write music and tablatures for some new idea, I'm always writing guitars an drums parts, without exception.
After finishing all the writing of the new idea, we show it to the rest of the band and it open to opinions to improvements on adding or removing stuff, and so on. After that, we select the text that best adapts to the melody tempo and the instrumental and the vocals parts finally become one. Time and to time, when any idea somehow remains incomplete, Lucas supports me on the creations, giving opinions and ideas, helping to find some ray of light amid the darkness of creativity.
When everything is in full agreement, we record a demo for study. So, we start listening to it and wondering if we still need to redo something to make the perfect and so on. Then, we go to the production and we close the process with the official records.
VI. The first work came out recently, in 2014. The 'Amnésia' EP is undoubtedly a powerful work. Composed of five tracks very well prepared and arranged in perfect shape over the album. It is a selfconfident work when analyzed as a whole thing, but it is very worthwhile to highlight the intro of "Amnésia," which opens the EP almost smoothly, to soon make room for such a heavy sound, which is actually the sound of Haloperidol. In addition, "Rise Again" and "Possessed", and this last one with this amazing band name could not fail to be a sensational track to close the EP. How was writing and recording this EP?
Lucas Sansil: Me and Jack did not have many things, but we try to give our best recording this EP, because we were literally "broken" (laughs). We recorded everything pratically in my house, only our bassist at that time recorded his parts in his own home. We try to write it as simple as possible, without editing too much, putting effects, we prefer it raw. I made a simple mix, we masterized and released, in a total rush, full of writings and rewritings processed, changes here, changes in another way there, but in the end of it all, the result was what we expected: a melodic sound with brutal vocals.
VII. Still on the EP issue, it was reviewed by some blogs such as Art Metal, Som Extremo and the famous Whiplash How this feedback for 'Amnesia' was seen by you?
Lucas Sansil: We are happy to have reached this "far." Because we had so much disclosure, we mean that surprised us since we had feedback even outside the country. This surely makes any musician happy in this scene. Many reviews have been done and it exceeded our expectations. People are enjoying our music, they're calling us to talk, to talk about the band, we are getting a lot of critics, but we reached our goal. I think it was a great release.
VIII. The first show I saw of Haloperidol was also the first show of the band and already were an exceptional one. How was this first experience, that happened in Caveira Velha, Jandira SP, for you?
Lucas Sansil: I appreciate the words, for us was very good, although it was not as we expected. Two of our members left us down the week of the show, we did it with two of our friends: Lucas Cassero (drummer at Spreading Hate) and Thiago (friend of Victor). Despite the rush, we introduced ourselves and it was a good experience for us. The place and the sound quality were on our side that day. People and friends who there, helped us a lot. It was a good show, though.
IX. Besides Haloperidol, which bands of the underground would you recommend to a metal fan?
Lucas Sansil: There are so many that we can even make a quick list to indicate them all, but I will mention a few: Spreading Hate, which I really like, it's a fist full of the best melodic death metal. Desdominus which is a crazy mix of death/black metal and fantastic melodies. Necromesis and also the good death prog Deadpan, D.A.M, Black Laguna, Espera XIII, HellArise, Itself, Power Vision - a very good power metal - Warsickness, Infuria. There are several more, but we couldn't mention them all, the list would be to big (laughs).
X. If you were to name a collective dream of you as a band, what would you be?
Lucas Sansil: Surely it will be to play at Wacken.
XI. What phrase would definitely define the sound of Haloperidol by describing it to a person who hasn't heard it yet?
Jack C. Daniels: Haloperidol is a band full of weight, aggressiveness and brutality, with melodic, fast, rhythmical and technical issues, but always seeking for the "feeling" above all, and of course it all roots particular characteristics into each song's core.
XII. How is the agenda for you in 2016? And, following Haloperidol on Facebook, we see that you are already working on a new single, right? What are you guys preparing and waiting for the near future?
Lucas Sansil: Well, in 2016 we plan to do many shows and our band's sound and name even more spread to the world. We aren't scheduling anything yet because we are in the structuring process with the new members, but soon we will begin with shows again. We are recording a single that will be our next job. We are developing the ideas of a videoclip, too.
XIII. And to close our conversation, I would like to thank you again for your time and willingness to answer us. I wish success to all of you and to Haloperidol, on behalf Blog Oroborus. The final space is free for you!
Jack C. Daniels: I would like to thank the opportunity and this great, great help you're giving us! It is always very rewarding when our work is recognized, even better once it was such an arduous one. This only encourages us to continue on fighting. As long as there is at least one person who really likes the band, all the work will be worth it and won't have an end. Congratulations for the work that this Blog offers! That's what the country needs, people who make it happen, people who to support, people that give opportunities to those who, but can not make their dream a reality yet.
Lucas Sansil: I would like to thank every friend, every person who enjoys Haloperidol and continues to support our work. I am very grateful to this blog forall the attention. We're happy to see our work getting space and being received that way. It's so much rock!
Posted by Caterine Souza
