Hanna Tsepesh:Hi Nuno! Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL, thank you for accepting this interview! Can you talk a little a
bout how everything begin with W.A.K.O (We Are Killing Ourselves) as well that you tell us names of the other members of the band and what do they play, for those who don't know you yet...
Nuno: ONCE UPON A TIME IN WEST….(ahah). Everything began in 2001, at that time i had 16 years old, i was in a bar with a group of friends, we all had the same musical inclinations and tendencies so we decided to form a band, let's roll. Some years after all the things began to have serious proportions, the growing ambition and one collective conscience that something could happen. As any other band we pass through changes until we find the ideal formation that today is represented by Filipe Lima and João Pedro (guitars), Fred (bass), Arlindo (drums), and me in the vocals .
Hanna Tsepesh: In what to you inspire when you write the lyrics for W.A.K.O?
Nuno: In lots of involving things like filosofy, politics, individualism, cinema and in all kind of music that i listen too.
Hanna Tsepesh: I must say that those are very interesting themes! For the band and for you what are your bands of reference?
Nuno: We all have lots of points of reference that pass through rock, blues, jazz, until every kind of genres and sub-genres of metal, about the bands of election i can say that i grow hearing bands like pantera, machine head, faith no more, meshuggah and kyuss…
Hanna Tsepesh: The north american brand Dean Guitars sponsors you, how everything developed in that field? Can you talk a little about that? You all must be very happy with the invitation...
Nuno: It was with lots of satisfaction that we accept this proposal of Dean Guitars, proposal that was given to us in a way and measure from the pretention of the brand in searching for a band that have all the elements and ambition of triumph and international sucess like WAKO, the perfect simbiose (ahaha)!
Hanna Tsepesh: (ahaha), and it was well deserved that same sponsor, my congratulations to all of you! I had the chance to talk with some people from here and outside Portugal that simply love you work as well to see you guys performing live...i say and i quote: "Those guys are amazing, crazy ones and very good indeed! Like this, it's worth to see a concert!", were you guys expecting all of this success or it was one big surprise for you?
Nuno: I think that is the resolution of our journey and work, we keep our strenghts to reach this, to create and expand this same creation to the core of people. Our music as a lot of feelings and by that it's the identification of the crowd with it.
Hanna Tsepesh: You and the rest of the band must feel very proud of your work specially because i belive that it most be one huge struggle for you to reach the actual level, right?! Can you tell us the main problems concerning to supports etc...that you had?
Nuno: The journey of WAKO continues and will prevail for a long time, i think that we have some kind of a musical crusade, one maximum objective to break old planks in the portuguese panorama and the international one as well, i believe to much in our work and in the dream that unite us until the end. I don't want to point out my finger to nothing because WAKO built is own trail, we never depend of nothing or no one, no one brought us to the top, we were always autonomous and with lots of power of will. It become the era of the bands to triumph for himselfs and to risk without fears in what they believe.
Hanna Tsepesh: I agree with you, it's good that you have this positive thought and also the confidence in your work that is amazing! I believe that you come to stay (ahaha)! Speaking a little about your album "Deconstructive Essence", i heard some tracks that you have available in your myspace and also i listen your Ep "Symbiotic Existence" and i most say that i like it very much, day after day i stay more surprised with you natural talent! For those who haven't heard your album can you talk a little about it? Did you stay happy with the final result or do you think that you guys could do it better?
Nuno : In my opinion the album as one really good thematic, the desconstructive essence of the mankind, the album is covered by one demolished symbolism, the eternal paradox of creation through destruction, the way that men reach the top during the history, plenitude and glory, using instruments of pure evil and tirany in the conquest of values without any sence in a primordial state of divinity. That scene of trying to be God it's not only tied in your genetics as well by cosmic order never understood by the ordinary men. The technic component of the album if full of balanced riffs, lots of Groove, death metal, hipnotizing melodys, catchy refrains, pure state of agressivity without losing the sence of total harmony, explosive, we can not ask more for this album.
Hanna Tsepesh: When you enter on studio to record "Deconstructive Essence", you already had everything ready (lyrics and riffs)? It was hard the recording process of this album for you guys?
Nuno: All the process of the album was long but at the same time intemporal, lots of negative things pass with us but also positive one's during the composition process, it seems that the band was haunted (eheheh), always lots of setbacks in general and in particular with the band elements, for instance something macabre was always happening between us, health problems, love and hate eloquences, drugs, alchool. All of this gave us one drunk strenght of anger and will to make this album to stay carved in the portuguese metal. The creative process was established and initiated before we enter on studio, but the polish was made during the recording period.
Hanna Tsepesh: In one way or another in the end gives you one amazing and powerful result in your sonority, the album is out there to comprove your sucess here and outside! During this evolution process of the band what were your supports?
Nuno: Supports…? Only us, people were showing their interest in our work, and of course our crowd, this one's were always the main reason of our success.
Hanna Tsepesh: Yes, unfortunatlly the panorama is like that, but fortunatly we have the fans, friends and family that are always ready to help and support! About concerts, how everything is running?
Nuno: Concerts for me are the maximum celebration of all art, more and more i see new faces in our shows, people singing our songs, in our technical point of view i can quote that the machine is more oily than ever and it's one gratefull experience.
Hanna Tsepesh: Concerning to dates and places of future concerts, can you reveal to us?
Nuno: The next dates will be in United States, in the state of Florida, 15 dates, starting 16 of August until 1 of September..."on the road"!
Hanna Tsepesh: That's excelent, i believe that everything will be ok!!! All of this dates are already scheduled, there are some of this dates that you feel particulary anxious?
Nuno: Like i said before, obviously we are anxious for the north american tour.
Nuno: Like i said before, obviously we are anxious for the north american tour.
Hanna Tsepesh: I must say Nuno, that your voice is simply brutal, do you actually are in some kind of singing classes or you simply work your voice at home or in the rehearsels with the band?
Nuno: Thank you so much for your praise, all my growing was by myself, one natural growing, since i was a kid that i used to sing reference songs, training at home, working the vocal metrics, melodys, lyrics, it's one process that occupied one space in the individual plan of my life.
Hanna Tsepesh: Your welcome you don't need to thanx, honestly i simply said what i think! Can you tell us if there are already any plans for the next album?
Nuno: Yes big plans for our next work, but until there it will stay in the secret of the Gods...
Hanna Tsepesh: Oooh (ehehe)! Let's wait than for the future! One last question,do you want to leave any message for your fans that are always with you guys in your concerts as well with your work?
Nuno: Continue to appear in our concerts (ahaha), live the eternal rock, fortify the chain, because we still have a lot to give and thank you always for believing in us and the rest of humanity, fuck them, (ahaha)!
Hanna Tsepesh: (ahaha)! Thank you so much Nuno for your answers specially for the available time for this interview because i believe that you guys now are very busy! THE GATES OF METAL wish you lots of success and good luck for your concerts here and outside!
Nuno: Hanna, supreme happiness for your work, it's with people like you that make us believe that everything is possible(ehehe), thank you, kiss from hell.
Hanna Tsepesh: Thanx so much for you words Nuno!
By: Hanna Tsepesh
