Criminal

Posted on Nov 19, 2005

by Anders

Vocalist/guitarist Anton Reisenegger of the Chilean band Criminal (which now are residing in Europe) is an old rat in the metal scene. He started the legendary Pentagram (CL) in 1985, and released very little material by the band, but it all reached legendary status. Then the band Fllout in 1989 and in 1991 he formed Criminal, which still is going strong. The band has just released its 6th full length album "Sicario" a straigth forward and hardhitting thrash record, with some influences from death metal. I hooked up with Anton and got a lot of information on the new album, their last album "No Gods, No Masters" which was a bit experimental, he went through the new album and tells a bit about each song and so forth... Read on and check out the band.

 

Will you start out with introducing yourself and tell us what has driven your urge for playing metal all these years?

We are Criminal, a band from South America, Chile to be more precise. I'm Anton Reisenegger, guitar and vocals, and I do write quite a bit of the music and most lyrics. We started out in the nineties and have released 5 albums so far. And we do play metal because it's the best thing you can do. I wouldn't know what else to do with my time.

How do you keep the flame alive? You have been on the metal scene for quite some years, but still approach it fresh and energetic!

I dunno, I suppose if you have a real passion for what you do, then it's going to show in your material. It's pretty cool that many reviewers have said we kick most newcomers' arses!

A small introduction of the rest of the band and a bit about what they contribute to Criminal with will also be great!

There's Rodrigo Contreras, lead guitarist and also songwriter, Zac O'Neill, who plays drums, and we are without a bassist at the moment.

You are now ready with your new album "Sicario", how do you feel about it?

Great, we're really happy with the way it came out. Usually when we were fresh out of the studio it would take only a few days until I found something to bitch about, be it the sound, the songs, the lyrics or whatever, but this time around everything seems to be perfect.

How has it so far been received by the press?

Reviews have been great so far. We've had some really good comments in magazines like Terrorizer, Rock Hard (Germany) and Rock Tribune (Belgium). There has been the odd negative review, too, but I suppose we shouldn't expect everybody to like us.

Have you gotten any response from your fans yet?

Yeah, they just love it! I think some fans were a bit confused with the last album, because it was more experimental and extreme, so we gave them what they expect from us: just brutal, in-your-face thrash metal!

What would you like to accomplish with the album?

I would like to see it establish the band as a known name in Europe and to open some doors for us in other markets we haven't touched yet.

Have your sources of inspiration changed since you wrote your last album "No Gods, No Masters"? I can sense some slight changes here and there.

Not really. I mean, as you said already, we've been around for quite a while, so our basic influences are pretty much decided already. But at that time we really wanted to try something different, and I think it was a necessary thing to do, because we found out which ones our stronger and weaker points are as a band.

You uses some keyboards on "No Gods, No Masters", but have dropped that again on the new album, why is that?

There wasn't total agreement in the band over the need to have keyboards. I would still like to use some here and there, but I can understand the fact that if there's a permanent keyboard player in the band, he will expect his instrument to be heard all the time. The fun thing was our keyboard player of the time pretty much made the decision for us, because he didn't show up for a tour, so we didn't have much of a choice but to sack him.

How well did "No Gods, No Masters" do?

It did alright. Not great, but it got the name out there and we were able to tour with Six Feet Under.

How do you look upon that album, here 1½ year after it was released?

I like it! I think there's stuff on there that we didn't even know we were able to do. But as I said, I also do understand that some of our fans were a bit confused by it. And I also think it would have done much better if it had been recorded with a proper budget, because the way we did it we couldn't really afford a studio that was state of the art.

I do sense some newer sources of inspiration like the melodious aspects from Arch Enemy, and even at times some inspiration from the way Angela Gossow uses her voice, as in the track 'Walking Dead', and the killer grooves from older bands like Obituary are present once in a while too, like in 'Time Bomb', have I hit something right here?

I try not to think too much about other bands. And actually, if you compare "Sicario" with our earlier work, you will find that most of those trademarks were there already. The groove, the melody, the aggression, it's all there! Just listen to the bonus track on the European version, that was originally on our first album, and it fits right in with the new stuff.

How do you work when you write music, and do you have to be in a certain mood when coming up with music?

We've always had the same modus operandi when writing the songs. Either Rodrigo or myself come up with a few riffs for a song that we take into rehearsal, and then we start putting it together and working on the arrangements. We have found it impossible to write a song from scratch with the whole band together in the rehearsal room. It's just the way it is. And yes, I would definitely say you need to be in a special mood when writing. At least I am not a "mechanical" writer.

Can you mention 3 bands and 3 songs that have meant a lot to you and the way you write music?

Metallica, Slayer and Sepultura. And 3 songs? Hmm, some of my favorites are 'Victim Of Changes' by Judas Priest, 'Ogre Battle' by Queen, and 'Darkness Descends' by Dark Angel. An extra mention goes to 'Born' from the new Nevermore "This Godless Endeavor", which is right up there with the classics!

Which role do you see Criminal having on the metal scene anno 2005?

I think we do show people that it is possible to make thrash metal sound interesting and fresh in the 2000s, without denying your roots, yet without jumping on any bandwagons either.

Your lyrics have always been great and quite critical towards the state of our society, how do you look upon the society today?

I'm obviously experiencing a new aspect of modern-day society since we moved to Europe. And I really don't understand certain things, like why people are so unhappy living in a material wealth that seems to be everything they want. The whole consumerism thing is something that I just don't get.

Which topics have you chosen to touch on "Sicario", if I’m not totally mistaken sicario means mercenary/hired killer… what does the album title reflect upon?

The album title was actually just meant to sound aggressive. The lyrics to the title track deal with the problem of teenage assassins from the Colombian slums, which is probably the ultimate expression of the loss of respect for life. But there's other topics as well. 'Rise And Fall' deals with the hegemony of the American empire, 'Walking Dead' deals with the dehumanization in the big cities, etc. People just have to read them for themselves...

If you feel like it, it would be extremely great if you would go by the album track by track and tell about the lyrics and how you got the ideas for them!

'Rise And Fall' – America, the only superpower, exercising its hegemony, challenged only by religious fanaticism.

'Time Bomb' – A person with his back against the wall, ready to do anything, which can apply to a suicide bomber as much as a kid who goes on a shooting spree in his school.

'Walking Dead' – Meaningless existence in a dirty, oppressive city.

'The Root Of All Evil' – The primitive drive that leads us to do thing we don't necessarily consider to be morally correct.

'Shot In The Face' – Scenes from a battlefield, but with an interesting second meaning to them.

'Sicario' – Wasted youth in a mix of violence, drugs and religion.

'The Land God Forgot' – A country unable to bury its past.

'Preacher Of Hate' – Self righteous people who think they know where you come from and what your truth is.

'From The Ashes' – Having the strength to overcome defeat.

'Touch Of Filth' – The Catholic church, turning everything good into filth with its twisted beliefs.

'Por La Fuerza De La Razón' – Play on words with the Chilean national anthem.

Where do you find inspiration for your lyrics and how do you work when you write them?

I basically try to think of a subject worth writing about and start writing down ideas, phrases or single words. If you get a good chorus right away that's great. It's also important to have strong opening lines for each verse.

How important is the lyrics for Criminal, compared to the music?

Well, honestly the music is more important, as I think it is to most people who listen to metal. But to me they are important. Let's put it this way: I would hate to destroy a really great song I've written with clichéd, meaningless lyrics.

Do you think you can make a change with your music, or create awareness of certain topics?

Well, it would be a bit pretentious to think we can change the world with our music and lyrics, but thinking about it, when I was a kid, there were actually certain songs that made me think twice about stuff. Especially from hardcore bands. That's probably why I chose to write lyrics about real stuff instead of fantasy shit.

How do you look upon filesharing and illegal downloading of music… and does it have any economic effect on you?

I'm against it, because I basically consider it the same as stealing, but at the same time it is a reality we have to live with. I wouldn't be able to tell you whether it's had an economic effect of the band, but I would think so, seeing that the whole album was available for download months before it was officially released.

Do have some touring planned in support of "Sicario" and what about a visit in Denmark/ the rest of Scandinavia?

It's all written in the stars at the moment. We have been trying our best to get on a tour, but it's more difficult than we thought. We might do something in Scandinavia though, because we're talking to this band Hostile Reaction about joining forces in a few shows.

How do you look upon the future of Criminal?

I'm just going to keep doing this as long as it's fun and I feel I have something to say, both musically and lyrically. Don't care much about the future...

Which albums have you been listening a lot to lately?

The new Nevermore, Mastodon's "Leviathan", The Haunted's "Revolver", Lamb Of God's "As The Palaces Burn", Strapping Young Lad's "Alien".

Thanks a ton for answering my questions, if you have anything to add, feel free to add it now!

Thanks for this space to promote the band. Everybody check out our album "Sicario" if you're into no-bullshit, brutal thrash!

Criminal website