Kiju - We're Still Animals
A while ago I wrote a review for the new album of Italian metallers Kiju. They were very pleased with the result and therefore offered me to do an interview with them. Vocalist Vitto was kind enough to answer some questions for us. Here’s the result:
Hey, how are you?
Fine Thanks, how are you?
It’s a fucking cold day… but it’s ok, it’s sunny actually so…
Please introduce yourself and the band.
I’m Vitto, singer of Kiju, a SuperViolentMutatedHardcoreThrashMetalRockAndRoll band from Tuscany. We play together since 1999 and after the release of our first album, in 2002, we’ve been playing shows everywhere in Europe, making a looooooot of noise!!
We’re trying to keep on making a loooooot of noise during the next months, promoting our forthcoming second album: Demo(n)cracy!
What does ‘Kiju’ mean and how did you come up with the name?
Actually, I joined the band when the name was already chosen. I don’t know what was in the head of the guys when they decided to give the band this name, ‘Kiju’ does sound great to me though!
What are, musically speaking, the main influences for Kiju?
Oh, we listen to everything what has been made with sweat and inspiration… Some of us love bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan, Poison The Well and Hatebreed. Others can’t stop listening to Slayer or Pantera and our bass player just loves Duran Duran.
And how about the lyrics?
I just open the newspaper and I write about all the shit I have been reading. It’s really easy isn’t it? Hmm…it’s not easy at all actually. I really believe that humanity is walking in the wrong direction. It’s 2005 and still we are killing each other like animals…(showing that at least we still are animals). The only thing we really control in our evolution are the weapons we’re using for our mass exterminations. “Do you remember the song: 'Military Intelligence', these words combined can't make sense."
I think that we have to change a lot of things in our society and we have to do it fast! It’s time to stop staring at the television like dumb people, stop dreaming on buying useless new cars or new shoes. Everybody is talking about the cultural integration, environment, peace and democracy, but they’re doing it in the same way they talk about something in a reality show. We have to wake up the consciences of millions of people…how? I don’t know unfortunately! Sometimes in my mind it comes out that we need another September 11th…then maybe we will start reflecting.
I think that we have to change a lot of things in our society and we have to do it fast! It’s time to stop staring at the television like dumb people, stop dreaming on buying useless new cars or new shoes. Everybody is talking about the cultural integration, environment, peace and democracy, but they’re doing it in the same way they talk about something in a reality show. We have to wake up the consciences of millions of people…how? I don’t know unfortunately! Sometimes in my mind it comes out that we need another September 11th…then maybe we will start reflecting.
The way somebody uses to talk about the ‘exportation of democracy’ sometimes is so absurd! We’re killing thousands of people to free them?!
[img]https://upload.metalrage.com/Kijupic1 (Custom).jpg[/img]
About your new album, it just got released, how are the reactions so far?
Oh, your reaction was a good rate: 77/100, so I was glad to read your words on Metalrage.com. It’s really early to talk about this actually, but I can say that for now the feedback from magazines and webzines is definitely good! The average is above 85/100 until now. Considering that we have decided to involve our sound with more violent structures, we can say that we are absolutely satisfied!
Did you expect the reactions to be like this? Why (not)?
Well, we recorded the album just in the way we thought we had to do it. It means that ‘Demo(n)cracy’ is more ‘difficult’ that the record we made 2 years ago. Our first album ‘Nothing To Play For’ was much more easy to listen, it was a little bit less powerful, less claustrophobic…The new album is “tick”, ‘Demo(n)cracy’ is a sane punch in the face of everybody that expected a cleaner sound and easy refrains from us.
How was the recording process for the album?
From my point of view the recording sessions have been strange. I used to live in Belgium during the period of preproduction, so I had to work on the songs on my own. I just went back to Italy for the vocal sessions and I hadn’t seen the guys for 3 months…in the end it went out not so bad, don’t you think?
Would you consider Kiju to be a studio band or more like a live band? Why?
Oh man! During live shows we are something far better, bigger and louder! I hope you can come and check us out live sometime, it will be a complete hell! And we love to be on the road, meeting people and having fun before, during and after the gigs. The stage is our natural dimension! And backstage is our 4th dimension.
Speaking about live, please tell us about your touring plans.
No touring plans: we are waiting for reviews, to see the results of the promotional process and wait for most of the reactions in Europe, then we will talk about shows.
About the Italian metalscene, how would you describe it?
Well, there are a lot of great guys working hard and playing very good, it is just a matter of time and a lot of great bands will come to tour in your country…
What goal would you like to achieve with Kiju?
150 big shows a year for 10 years long, is that too much? Oh well, I forgot the groupies…Well, let’s say 150 groupies a show for 150 shows and that 10 years long, ok now?
Ok, that was my final question, anything left to say to our readers?
Check out our website http://www.kiju.it and http://www.myspace.com/kiju
And see you soon everywhere in Europe!
Thank you very much for your time and hopefully I’ll see you guys soon somewhere in Holland!
Tot ziens!