Interview with: Equaleft

Hell on Fire: Hello Miguel and welcome to Hell on Fire!!!

Miguel: Hi Nightshade and Hell on Fire thanks for your welcome .

Hell on Fire: Can you talk a little about how everything started with Equaleft and to introduce the other band members and what do they play?

Miguel: Equaleft started in 2003 with ex members of Mysterium, Tribe, This grace, etc with the aim of doing a dynamic sound completely different from the former bands. Since then we had lots of concerts and some line-up changes that slowed us down for some time, but since we´ve got the new bass player Alex (Assassiner, ex-Crackdown, ex-Strain) and recorded our first demo last year we´ve managed to get everything back on track and of course finally proceed to hunt for our goals.

Hell on Fire: Equaleft first work is untitled “as the irony prevails...” and i must say that for the first release you have here 3 powerful songs really well composed and 1 cover also really well achieved, my congratulations for that, what can you say about this first release since the beginning of it and the recording process?

Miguel: This first release was like a new beginning, was now or never , it made us stronger .We were very united and cheerful during the recordings in the 213 Studio. We had a big help from the producer Bruno Lariço (Heavenwood, July 13), he knows how we sound like and how we work, so it was very easy . All the cover art was done by a friend of ours, Helder which done a great job with it, simple and unique .

Hell on Fire: In my honest opinion Equaleft is growing really fast and lots of festivals request Equaleft presence, i’ve been observing this fast growing, do you feel the same about this subject?

Miguel: I think that the fact that our sound is very eclectic and dynamic gives us the chance to get more invitations. For the past 8 months or so , we´ve been playing a lot and the gigs had some great reactions so it´s great .

Hell on Fire: Yes indeed your sound is exactly how you descrive it! Talking about the lyrics, what do you want to transmit with these same lyrics for the listeners?

Miguel: The Lyrics are influenced by our lives, our daily frustrations, dreams, conflicts, feelings but always with plenty of Irony and an Optimistic vision. As I write the Lyrics, I tend not just to express myself but to be the voice of those who surround me .

Hell on Fire: What do you feel when you are on stage, as far as i saw until now when you go on stage you simply explode, am i right about this? How as been the reaction of the crowd so far with Equaleft?

Miguel: We love to play live, If you´ve seen us live you know you will find lots of movement in stage and off stage, we are a live band, and we enjoy ourselves with it. We have one rule in the band when we play live, that is no matter how many people there are, we have to give our best and enjoy ourselves and the ones who share de evening with us. So it´s always a big massive party (eheheh)

Hell on Fire: What do you think about the supports in Portugal do you think they are enough for the survival of a band? What can you say about this portuguese great festivals that simply don’t stop specially in the summer time? How was the feeling to perform in such a huge festival like SWR Barroselas MetalFest?

Miguel: Now it´s easier than a couple of years, you now have myspace, youtube and many places to play but of course it´s not enough, if you want something you have to fight for it or nothing will happen. We are a D.I.Y. type of band so we´ve been spending a lot money and time during this years but we are getting more and more great feedback from people. SWR was great it is a underground Metal fest, with many years and is getting bigger year after year, we enjoyed ourselves like teenagers. The Veiga Brother from SWR Barroselas metalFest and all their crew were fantastic, we thanks them all because we were treated very well in every way.

Hell on Fire: What do you like to do in your free times?

Miguel: Listening to music , I´m and addict eheh, read, practice Hapkido, golf(lol) playing with my dog and of course going out to watch other bands and having a chat with my friends

Hell on Fire: From what age did you begin to sing? Do you play any other instrument?

Miguel: I think it was when I was 16 or 17 but I knew nothing back then, I used to Play guitar as well.
Hell on Fire: Are you guys searching for a label?

Miguel:To be honest, right now we aren´t desperate, like I said before we are doing everything our own way, if we get an invitation then we´ll see. As long as we can carry on our path we are okay.

Hell on Fire: Great answer and that’s a good way of viewing the scene! Can you say something about your next work, or for now it’s like in the secret of the gods! (laughs), apart of Equaleft wich bands do you usually hear? Some band in special that you like the most?

Miguel: Our next work we will be more heavier than the demo, for sure as well as groovier combined with more different sounds. As a music addict and lover I listen to all sorts of metal and some non metal, just like everyone I have my favorite bands Pantera, The Haunted, Meshuggah, Carcass, the Gathering, Fear Factory, Mastodon, Dillinger Escape Plan, Massive Attack and so on. But I tend to search for different bands every month so I keep listening to both old and new stuff.

Hell on Fire: Surely it will be blast! What can you say to the bands that are begining the journey in this hard world of music and what advices can you give to them?

Miguel: First of all enjoy the music and yourselves, then try to work as hard as you can to promote your work, listen as much music as you can and last just be yourself always.

Hell on Fire: Yes great advice,so, where are going to be Equaleft next concerts / festivals?

Miguel: We have few scheduled :

27th May – Countdown to Caos Emergente, extra session in Vouzela
3 July – Rock like an anima benefit fest , Braga
18 July – Berço Fest II , Guimarães
25 July – Chá das eiras, Porto
17 October – Sta Maria da Feira
30 October- Festival Gaia Em peso VI
5 December – Nyktos bar, figueira da Foz

Hell on Fire: Thank you very much Miguel for your time, Hell on Fire wish you all the band good luck for your concerts and hope to hear soon from you with a new work that surely will be a blast!

Miguel: We thank you for all the support that you and Hell on fire as given us, we wish you the best luck and success with hell on fire and we hope to be with you as soon as possible “invigorate, animate” Miguel”ingles”!!!





By: Nightshade

EQUALEFT MYSPACE HERE