It took a little while, but i translated the interview from http://www.bleeding4metal.de/index.php?show=interview&id=548 into english for our friends, who doesn’t speak german. hope you like it! (copyright: bleeding4metal.de - translated by Ela Hauser / @CENTAO_LEGION)
CENTAO released an impressive album called “The Look The Wait The Kill” which got a mature sound but is also full of energy. Singer Matt and guitarist Steve told us some things about what influenced the band and how difficult it is to be successful with rock music in Austria.
Hey guys! I like “The Look The Wait The Kill”. How satisfied are you thinking of your album?
Steve: Thank you! We are really satisfied! We had a lot of expectations to our producer and the studio and all of them came true. We think, the album sounds international and we love every song on it!
Matt: I think it’s great, I wanted the songs exactly like this.
What does the title “The Look The Wait The Kill” mean?
Matt: It’s about the first moment in life, the long waiting and the death on the one hand. On the other hand you can also see a predator in the title: It’s looking, waiting… and then it attacks.
Between those emotions are the songs of our album: rough, hard and aggressive, but also thoughtful, melancholic in humility to live!
“The Look The Wait The Kill” should make you think. We don’t want to show endtime feeling, but remind how fast anything can end. We think that the world is about to come apart at the seams. Everything goes faster, a lot of people are overstrained, burnt out and feel empty. Though it’s time to live here and now. That’s what we want to say.
Your sound reminds me of STONE SOUR, where you played as a supporting band. How far did STONE SOUR influence you?
Steve: That’s funny, we’ve already heard this, but I don’t think so. And I don’t listen to STONE SOUR often, but the show was absolutely amazing!
Matt: It’s hard to tell how much a band or their music influences you. I like the music and the band of STONE SOUR. I got a lot of personal influences, which aren’t confined to the guys from Iowa. :-) On this part I always have to quote a friend, who said: “There’s music you listen to – there’s music you make – and there’s music you would like to make.” There’s a lot of truth in it.
You were also support for GUNS’N’ROSES. How do you fit stylistically with the GUNNERS? How was your gig assumed and what do you think of Axl and his ‘mercenaries’?
Steve: That was the biggest indoor show we’ve ever played and it was simply fantastic to rock with such a huge crowd! 10 minutes before we started they told us to play a full hour instead of 45 min. But we made the people rock even if 99% of them didn’t know our songs. We are proud of it. I mean, who is interested in the support of GUNS’N’ROSES, when they are playing an entire hour? Anyhow, it was a huge success for us.
Matt: I was afraid of beer cups, but they didn’t come! :-) I don’t think that the support has to always be the same style/genre like the main act. It was a huge honor for us and we watched the show of the Gunners too. It was an amazing show and it was nice to hear the songs of GUNS’N’ROSES with the original voice. Even if they aren’t the band, like they were before. I have to say that I’m a Slash Fan!
What is the perfect rock song for you?
Steve: That’s nothing you can tell; if you hear a produced song, than you know: it got it or it didn’t. There’s no archetype we are working with or looking for when we are listening to other artists.
Matt: I need to feel it too. I always trust my feeling, that’s never lying.
I hardly can pick a favorite song of your album. Maybe it’s “Darkest Days” or maybe “The Look” (which reminds me of 30 SECONDS TO MARS). What’s your favorite song of the album and why?
Steve: “Truth” – just because it’s amazing to play!
Matt: It’s really hard to pick one. “Truth” is a favorite one for sure and also “The Look” because of the emotions. :-)
You are from Eggendorf, Austria, but your names sound Spanish or Portuguese? Are these pseudonyms or do you have Portuguese roots?
Matt: These are our Hispanic pseudonyms and they should be a reminiscence of the great revolution, which is coming worldwide. We don’t know what is going to come, but we can’t go on like we did before. The names should also be representative for the continuous suppression of the western hemisphere over the countries of the Third World. Before we start concerts we always play ‘Bulls On Parade’ by RATM!
Is it hard to be successful with music when you are coming from a small Austrian city? How important is success for you?
Steve: Yes, it is difficult, but that’s not because of the small city but because of our country where we are living. They don’t really care about music which comes from Austria. You don’t get a lot of esteem for what you’re doing. But film producers, etc. have the same problems. It’s not just us.
Matt: The corruption which has the Austrian politic in its grip is likely for the music business too. There are a lot of underhand dealings. In Vienna they are mainly interested in the high society; like the ‘Wiener Opernball’ and chamber singers. If there’s something about rock on the national radio, it’s for sure not about us. :-) But we got a nice Music TV named ‘GoTv’, which plays a lot of Austrian music – also our songs – and there are a few radio stations, which got rock program.
But I think the web become more important to bands like us, than classy media.
And yes… I do think success is important if you want to make music professional and we want to. You can write the most amazing songs, but when no one is listening to them… for who are you doing this?
Nice artwork and nice digipack. Who did the design for you? And why are there just a few parts of the lyrics printed?
Matt: Thank you, the artwork was made in Barcelona by Eloi Casellas, a good friend of ours, who plays guitar with EIKOSTATE in Spain. He is doing amazing graphics and pictures as well. He implemented exactly what we wanted to reveal with our music. I met him in Barcelona where we talked about anything.
There’s no special reason because of the lyrics. I think the next time we are going to put all of them in.
Thank you for the interview and good luck! The last words are for you:
Matt: It was a pleasure to be here. We are happy when you come to our concerts, at the moment we are planning a tour and remember the light at the end of the tunnel, may be you, good night!
Interview with Matt and Steve of CENTAO
Bildquellle: novarock.at
CENTAO announced NEW TOURDATES!!
They’re going to play
@ NOVAROCK FESTIVAL, Nickelsdorf, AUSTRIA
on June 10th, 2012!
GET YOUR TICKETS HERE: http://www.novarock.at/tickets
If you want to join the show and you are from another country and need help coming here just tell me. I can help you organize the trip!
BACK ON No. 5!!!
Well done guys… can we make it up till No. 1 this week??
SURE WE CAN!! KEEP VOTING!! http://gotv.at/vote.php?vote=25792
RT @CENTAO Please, bring back the summer!! NEU: Hier ist “addicted to you” Live vom Nova. http://soc.li/WPsKNcK
OMG I can remember this day really well… it was so AMAZING!!! Sun was burning and the guys of @CENTAO rocked the stage at the beginning of the NOVA ROCK festival!!! Want te re-live this day again!!!
