Interviewee: Gionata and Nicola
Year: 2007
Website: www.handfulofhate.com
MySpace: myspace.com/handfulofhate
Label: Cruz Del Sur
Featured on: Loucifer Speaks Exclusive... So far!
Handful of Hate are one of my current obsessions - every CD I own of theirs gets regulary played. There's just something about them that sets them apart from other bands in the Black Metal genre. Something bloody excellent!
Lou: Hi and thanks to agreeing to this interview. I?d like to start by saying that Handful Of Hate are, without doubt, one of my favourite bands at the moment, so this really is an honour.
Gionata: Hi to you Lou. Great words, nice to hear this from you? for us it?s an honour too.
Lou: I?d like to go back a few years and ask about the start of the band. How was the band formed and who were the original members?
Gionata: Well the band was formed by Nicola back then in 1993 and basically he?s the only ?old one? remained since then. The line up has always changed? I?m with the band since 1999, Matteo since 2003 and Geny since 2004. The first demo anyway has been released in 1995 so we can say that the real start is from that period.
Lou: What made you want to start a band like Handful Of Hate? Who are your biggest influences?
Gionata: You should ask Nicola but anyway I think is simply the will to play good music the way we like? I mean, even if I?m not a composer I can say I like to play good music and play live so I can imagine for everyone is the same.. My personal influences are ?black-metal?: old bands, new bands? simply what I listen and reached to give me something concrete. Good and dark vibes.
Nicola: Many different bands have influenced me during these years I usually listen brutal, grind and extreme Black metal.
Lou: Where does the name Handful Of Hate come from?
Gionata: Nicola tried to find a original name at that time and I think he did a good work. Basically our name is not similar to others.
Lou: What is the Black Metal and Death Metal scene like in Italy?
Gionata: There are a lot of good bands growing up here? a lot of them are getting very good deals and are starting go outside spreading the name of our country. The scene is different now? some years ago labels was not so much interested in Italian band, now I think things are changing a bit. For Death metal I can tell you that Hour Of Penance and Natron are very good ones. For Black metal I?d like to mention: Forgotten Tomb, Kult, Frostmoon Eclipse, Beatrik, Aborym, Tundra and many more?
Lou: Which is your favourite Handful Of Hate album so far and why? Personally I can?t decide ? each one blows me away!
Gionata: mmm? hard question? basically every albums reflects the band at one period in time so it?s quite hard decide about it. I prefer thinking that every album has a story behind made of rehearshals, concerts, hard soundwriting? I could tell you that I like ?Hierarchy 1999? because it?s my first album I released with the band but I also should tell you that I?m very satisfied about ?Gruesome Splendour? because it?s the fist in the face we always wanted to record? So..
Nicola: Personally I love each album but ?ViceCrown? maybe has a particular meaning to me. It has been composed in a very difficult period and it shows me personal capacities and my strong will to win upon problems?
Lou: If you could change any one thing about any Handful Of Hate album, what would it be?
Gionata: another hard question? basically I think that every of our albums are ok like this? if we would change something they wouldn?t be the same anymore. I think that for example ?Hierarchy 1999? has a very poor recording but for that period was the maximum we could do and I also like this ugly and dirty sound? Also some other releases has some details I?d like to change but it will be just a waste of time. The only thing I would change are the labels that released them ha ha ha? I think we weren?t be so lucky about them.
Lou: I guess that ?Gruesome Splendour? was the album that first got me into your music. Which is your favourite track from that album?
Gionata: uhm? all hard question this interview?? Ha ha? Livid, Theory Of Perfection and Grotesque In Plesure, Rotten In Vice are the best song to me.
Lou: How long did the album take to record?
Gionata: 11 days if I remember well, plus 2-3 days for cleaning, mixing and get the final master.
Lou: Is the ?Qliphothic Supremacy? (Handful Of Hate?s first album) CD still available?
Gionata: No it?s sold out some years ago? We had some tape version since last years but we sold them all too?
Nicola: Actually both cd?s and tapes are sold out? so if someone is interested to re-print it please get in touch!
Out of all the lyrics you?ve written for Handful of Hate, which is your favourite? Is there any particular line that you?re especially proud of?
Nicola: I?m proud of all lyrics I wrote during these years, in particular the gruesome Splendour?s ones I did my best to write something really different and extreme at the same time.
Lou: Do you have any plans for another album? If so, please could you tell us a little bit about it?
Gionata: Well, we just have some ideas and some riffs but everything is just on embryonic form? it?s a bit early now but we?re actually discussing to start try some new songs on next months.
Lou: Do you have any plans to or would you ever consider releasing a DVD? I?d definitely buy it!
Gionata: No, we don?t have professional recording to put on a DVD. I think that this kind of released should be done very good or it?s better to buy a ticket and go to see the band live instead of spending 15eu to gain a standard concert recording.
Lou: I know that you?ve played a few times in England in the past, but I was wondering if you had any plans to come back here in the near future?
Gionata: We played in London 3 times actually, once in 2004, then in 2006 and 2007? no actually there are no plans to come back there, maybe with the new album we could think to fly over again but now would be nonsense.
Lou: I?ve noticed that you tour quite a lot. Which places are you visiting next?
Gionata: Yes we are a quite active band, next shows will be in Barcenona (Spain), Athens (Greece) and a pair of shows here in Italy. This year we did a pair of small tours crossing countried like Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Romania, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, England and of course Italy.
Lou: What is the weirdest or funniest thing that?s happened to you on tour?
Gionata: In Croatia we finished Gasoline and the Service Area was far about 4 Km.. so we were on tour with Kult from north Italy and we had to move the van by our hands for all about 2km? then we found someone who brought me to the service area, I got Gasoline and got back thanks to a Turkish trucker. Ha ha? awesome situation.
Lou: Which is your favourite track to open a show with?
Gionata: We used to open every show with Risen Into Abuse, from Vicecrown because it?s half fast and half mid tempos so we can easily listen to the stage sound and understand if something should be better set before to continue.
Lou: Which bands have you shared the stage with? Who was your favourite?
Gionata: We shared the stage with so many and different bands? But I think that one of the best one is for sure Impaled Nazarene? We played with them 4-5 times and all times was good enough.
Lou: Your cover art is always very striking (my favourite covers are ?Gruesome Splendour? and ?Blood For Blood?) and I was wondering who designed your covers and why you chose those particular images?
Gionata: I usually take care personally about the artworks and all recent released are done by me, except Vicecrown. I chose both covers because they fit exactly the record feelings? When I make artworks I like to listen to the music and looking for images and solutions and those two are basically the best I found. For Gruesome splendour the picture I found was copyrighted so we contacted Lorenzo Mariani (famous also for Darkthrone covers) and he draw it changing some details and increasing the filth the original image was missing.
Lou: If you could go back to any point in history, where/when would you go to?
Gionata: uhm? maybe I?ll go back to my youthness just to start playing drums earlier and maybe to don?t commit the same errors in my life? would be great.
Lou: What?s your opinion on music downloading? Do you think it harms artists like yourself, or has it brought you more fans?
Gionata: Black-Metal is different from other genres? if a black-metal freak downloads something that he likes it?s sure he will buy it. Basically I donwload a lot of stuff but sure that I?m taking original copies of everything I like very much. No way out.
Lou: And finally, if you had to describe Handful Of Hate?s music in 5 words ? what would you say?
Gionata: Violent, aggressive, merciless, cold and powerful.
Lou: Thank you for answering my questions. Next time you?re in London, let me know I?ll buy you a drink!
Gionata: Sure we do. Thank you for your time and support? talk to you soon.