3RD WAR COLLAPSE

After releasing their 2nd album “Catastrophic Epicenter” last August, the Brutal Death/Grind band promoted it by touring Europe during the first part of September. As the tour passed through Paris and Lyon, we were able to see what it was like in concert and get blasted (see live report « Catastrophic Hecatomb - Euro Tour »)!
At the end of October, they shared the video “Lacerate the Rival” on YouTube, filmed during their stop in Charleroi, Belgium. So a lot of news, and the opportunity to question them in order to find out a little more about their journey and their objectives playing music.
Cris (guitar, vocals), Juan (bass, vocals) & Kalle (drums) answer our questions.

1/ For those who have not yet listened to your productions, can you introduce us to 3RD WAR COLLAPSE?

Cris : First of all, I would like to thank you for the interview, we appreciate the opportunity too much!
3RD WAR COLLAPSE is a band formed by Brazilian and Finnish members.
From the beginning, the band's proposal has always been to play what we call Death Metal or Brutal Death but as if it were a "Freestyle", which means that we can include any type of sound in the band, there are inclusions of Thrash Metal, Grindcore and even Hardcore, it doesn't matter what kind of guitar riff or drum beat we're writing, if we like it, that's it!
Talking especially about the lyrics now, we want to write about topics that we see before our eyes and that bother us, I mean... just based on real facts, problems and bullshits that happen and we live every day.

Kalle : It has blast beats, what more do you want... haha?

2/ You all already had experience in other bands…

Juan: We are, using an euphemism, kinda experienced. So we’ve had the opportunity to play in other projects and bands throughout the years. It’s a tough business but we don’t know any better!

Cris : Yes, but now my focus is just on 3RD WAR COLLAPSE.

Kalle : Yeah besides 3RD WAR COLLAPSE, I also play with INFERIA (Porngrind) and PLAGUEBREEDER (Symphonic Death/Black).

3/ We can read on Metal Archives that the creation of the band dates back to 2016, but also that the drums for the first album (“Damnatus”, at Guttural Brutality Productions) were recorded in October 2015. Therefore, this requires explanations…

Cris : That´s right! Me and Kalle formed the band at the end of 2014, we composed the whole album at home due to the distance and the drums were recorded first in Finland, in a short time later we recorded the rest in Brazil, the mixing and mastering finished in May 2016.

Kalle : I started rehearsing songs for the debut album “Damnatus” early 2015 so I guess the band was born in 2014.

4/ The other instruments as well as the vocals were recorded between February and May 2016, but the album was not released until 2021. What are the reasons why 5 years were necessary for the release? We also notice no posts on your Facebook page between May 2016 and August 2020…

Cris : We didn't find any interested record label because at the time it was just a project band, almost 5 years later a great friend called David sent me a message when we were in the pandemic, he asked to release the album via Guttural Brutality (his record label), at that moment I thought it would be a good idea and after a conversation with Kalle and Rodolfo (first bassist/vocalist) we said yes and the album finally was released.
There were no posts on Facebook between 2016 and 2020, for example because the band was dead...hahahaha

Kalle : We couldn't find anyone to release it, simple as that. And as the time went by, we kind a lost contact with each other until the guys found Guttural Brutality who wanted to finally release it. After that we started talking again and doing the second album. And here we are!

5/ What makes Rodolfo, the bassist-singer on the first album, no longer in the line-up?

Cris : He is focused on his personal life now and as he had no interest in touring with the band, he would not have been able to just record the album, he is a great friend, I always talk to him via WhatsApp and we wish him much success.

6/ He is credited as “guest session” on the 2nd album; what was his contribution?

Cris : He only participated in the track "Killing each other", there was no contribution to the composition of the album.

7/ I find that the bass stands out more on “Catastrophic Epicenter” than on the first album. Is this due to Juan's different playing style or other reasons?

Cris : Yes, Juan is a very talented bassist and certainly contributed a lot to the new album, this time we decided to record in a better studio so that the final result would also go further, especially because now we are more focused than before.
I believe that with better production and also because we are a power trio this time it would be interesting to give more space to the bass which is an instrument often forgotten by Death Metal bands and I no doubt that the biggest difference is the fact that Juan is a bassist and not a guitarist who is playing bass.

Juan : I’d say the difference is more related to what I expected of the tone. I like the bass a little bit more crunchy with that “brick in the face” feeling, so I kinda bugged Cris and the sound technician a lot to find out that tone.

8/ As for the guitar, it sounds very North American Brutal Death (SUFFOCATION, DYING FETUS…) and Thrash at times. What are your main inspirations?

Cris : Thanks for the comparisons because they are bands that live in my heart...hahahaha
I grew up listening to Thrash Metal and I try to bring some of these influences to the band, as well as Death Metal from the 90s and Brutal Death Metal from the late 90s and early 2000s.
I love Grindcore too, it's hard to say names but I'll name each style that I mentioned that influences me: SEPULTURA (Old), SUFFOCATION, DEEDS OF FLESH, NAPALM DEATH.

9/ Is it a difficulty to be 2 in Brazil and to have Kalle, your drummer, in Finland? How do you compose?

Juan : Technology is our greatest ally in this case. We keep passing tabs, riffs, videos, lyrics, among ourselves and eventually we say “yeah, that’s a song”. We were a little bit concerned about our live chemistry since we cannot rehearse, but everything clicked so well since day one that we can rest assured that we were made for each other.

Cris : Juan simply defined the whole process and today it's much easier, we made two albums without ever doing a rehearsal, I mean... like a band locked in a studio and playing together.

Kalle : Basically Cris sends me a demo of a song with programmed drums, I listen to it repeatedly, trying to think different ideas and bring some me into the song, then I go to my rehearsal place, play it a few times, trying different ideas and when I think it's ready, I film it and send it to the guys and they make comments. If they think it's good then I move to the next song. It's a long process to make a full album but this style works for us.

10/ Speaking of Kalle, I find the sound of the drums now blends in better with the rest of the music than on the first album; what is this due to?

Cris : I´m glad you liked of the new album!
I believe that now we have found our best way to play together, we know each other better as musicians and it makes the composition process easier.

Kalle : Better mixing I guess... haha I don't know! I still like the first album very much, but the mixing would have been better.
I'm extremely happy with the sound of the new album.

11/ Kalle impressed the audience at your concert in Paris and I even saw members of the public take out their phones to film him specifically. What is his secret?

Kalle : I rehearse a lot!

12/ Among the 10 dates of your European tour, which was your favorite? How was the NRW Deathfest?

Juan : NRW Deathfest was a great experience, but if I have to pick a favorite I’d cheat a little bit and pick two: Paris and Nürnberg. The energy of the audience in these two gigs was beyond belief! In Paris I was taken aback because it was a Monday, and I really did not expect that turn out! I’d never be that brutal and energetic on a Monday night.

Cris : NRW Deathfest was really good for all of us even though it was an opening band, we were really lucky because it was our first tour together and the gigs were all really good but I also loved the gig in Paris and I would say Postojna/Slovenia was also really nice because it's a small country and many people came from the capital to see us and we had a blast there!

Kalle : Paris hands down! We didn't have lots of expectations since it was a Monday night but we were totally blown away by the audience!
NRW Deathfest was great too, we played first so we had lots of time to have some beers and watch great bands. The Deathfest crew were also very cool and professional!

13/ Any comments on the (French) bands who played with you?

Cris : Great bands and really cool guys, it was a great pleasure to share the stage with GRIND-O-MATIC and SERPILLERE, I hope to soon have the chance to see them again and share the stage, it will definitely be really cool! I love the French scene, the bands are fucking brutal, I really like WARFUCK, PROUDHON, WHORESNATION and DEADFUCK that we had the time to meet them in Lyon and share the stage too.

Kalle : Deadfuck was really cool! And the guys in the band were super nice and really helpful!

14/ Do you have any anecdotes related to this tour?

Juan : Our very first show of the tour was in Halle (Germany) and we were able to rehearse, for the first time ever, in the day before for a few hours. I said this on stage and afterwards one guy went to talk to me on our merch stand and said that it was impossible that we’ve never rehearsed before and that we were saying that “line” in every gig. It was impossible to convince him otherwise. But, if he left unconvinced, at least he left with a CD and a shirt from the band also!

Cris : I really done some bullshits, I'm a little clumsy....hahahahaha
I'll tell you just one of them....hahahaha
At the end of the show in Lyon, DEADFUCK's friends took us to the hostel and each of us went in a different car because of the backline, Chris, DEADFUCK's guitarist, left me at the wrong hostel.
I stayed there for 15 or 20 minutes at the back entrance of the hostel and when I realized what had happened, I thought: I'm fucked! hahahahaha
I was so tired that I realized after about 5 minutes that I was in the wrong place, luckily the guys came to get me.
Now thinking calmly, I think all Chris is a bit clumsy...hahahahaha

15/ With the name of your band, its logo which contains two rifles or even samples of battlefields (“Third War Collapse”, “Lacerate The Rival”), the theme of war seems to be important. Can you tell us more?

Cris : I want to explain that we do not support any type of war, unfortunately we live in a stupid context where power has more value than anything else.
The band's name is inspired by a possible collapse that would happen if there was a third world war, today I see that the word "war" has become a common word because everything is a reason to hate the other, the impression I have is that it doesn't we are more "equal" and rather "rivals", people kill for nothing, any kind of prejudice ends bad...bullshits such as xenophobia, racism, homophobia, religion or even a different point of view about anything is a reason for hatred and war, the name was inspired by this sad reality that human beings have become.
Today the world defines itself in just one word “intolerance”.
We like to express our point of view in all the lyrics we write about war, I believe it is a topic that will always be within our context.

16/ The intro of “Fomites” seems to be a sampler from a movie about contamination. And many other of your songs like “Pandemic Nescience”, “Catastrophic Epicenter”, “Legion of the Infested”, “Coffin Shortage” or “The Last Hecatomb” show that another theme (the most important one now I feel) revolves around viruses. The Covid 19 effect?

Cris : Exactly, as I said before, we wrote about what we see, when "Catastrophic" was composed, we were inside our homes waiting for what would happen, unfortunately there wasn't much to think about and what is the endemic situation after the pandemic, I believe that it was natural to write almost the entire album on this topic, besides, "The last Hecatomb" is more directed towards a natural catastrophe, climate changes and something like that.

17/ By the way, did you make enquiries about contagious diseases to be able to write the lyrics of “Catastrophic Epicenter”?

Cris : Yes, I did a little research to write the lyrics since they were made by me, people don't give a fuck about reading or understanding Death Metal lyrics but as we have to write, so it's better to "try" to do something well.

18/ Are social issues (inequalities, freedom, corruption, etc.) still present in your mind? What’s the situation in Brazil?

Juan : In Brazil we have to deal with a huge wealth gap and corruption. We know people from around the world have to deal with these issues in different degrees, but for us it is not possible to avoid thinking about them since it’s the expression path chosen for 3RD WAR COLLAPSE. Of course, we are not naïve to think that problems as complex as these can be impacted by our music, but we like to think that we can at least raise awareness to them.

Cris : Juan said it all!
Anyway, in my point of view, poverty, corruption, and social inequality only increase and for me there is no honest government, they are all the same!

19/ A word about your album covers which are very elaborate?

Cris : Thank you, my friend!
We don't think 100% the same about this topic within the band but I still think that a good artwork can catch the attention of a new listener, not only the cover but the logo, the name of the band, everything influences a person who doesn't know your music to discover it if you somehow attract it.
Our covers are based on the concept of the album and the initial idea is always to try to bring elements that represent the lyrics.
The album "Catastrophic", for example, is an idea based on viruses, religion, the end of a decadent society, well... themes that are within the album in the lyrical part.

20/ How did you end up on an Italian label (Lethal Scissor Records)?

Cris : We sent some digital promos to some labels, but as we had a tour scheduled for September and little time to discuss with a label. I tried some possibilities first, we received a proposal from a Brazilian record label and another one from Italy before Lethal Scissor, but as I already knew that Lethal Scissor has the owners Ycio (Ex-VOMIT THE SOUL) and Stefano (VOMIT THE SOUL) I decided to send our promo because they are guys who know the Death Metal scene very well and the label is completely focused on this style too.
Besides, Ycio was the owner of Permeated Recs. for a long time too and he definitely knows how the underground scene works out.
We are very happy with L. S. work because it is a record label made by two lovers fo Death Metal that doesn't have many bands in their cast and that way it is much better for us because we have more opportunities.

21/ Where was this 2nd album recorded (I think at the Kolotila studio in Helsinki for the drums but the rest?) and are you satisfied with its production?

Cris : Yes, that's right, that's correct, the rest of the album was recorded at Dharma studio in São Paulo, which is the city where we live, we are satisfied with the result, I think it's much better than “Damnatus”, the album was mixed and mastered at Dharma too and honestly I really liked the production, this was the best option we had within our conditions.

Kalle : Very much satisfied with the album! Yes the drums were recorded in Helsinki and the rest in São Paulo.

22/ What about Kalle’s involvement in INFERIA & PLAGUEBREEDER and Juan in AKINEROPSIA ?

Juan : So far, it’s been easy for me to concilate the expectations of AKINETOPSIA and 3RD WAR COLLAPSE. The guys that play in AKINETOPSIA with me are Cris’ friends also. What I hope is that the two can share the stage one day. It'd be awesome!

Kalle : I divide my free time with these bands including 3RD WAR COLLAPSE. My rehearsal place is basically my second home... haha!

23/ How is the Brazilian scene at the moment? Any bands to recommend?

Juan : Regarding metal music, and extreme metal in particular, I think the Brazilian scene is one of the most prolific in the world! I know it’s a cliché to say that, but it is hard to point out just a few. Nonetheless, off the top of my head, I’d recommend INFAMOUS GLORY (Death Metal), PESTA (Doom/Stoner) and MIASTHENIA (Black Metal)

Cris: There are many good bands here, the scene is very big, but I recommend ESCARNIUM, QUEIRON, ROTBORN, QUESTIONS and WORST.

24/ The tracks of your 2nd opus “Catastrophic Epicenter” are a little longer than those of the 1st and it ends with “The Last Hecatomb” which – with its 4'17 minutes – is the longest of the album and of all your compositions. Furthermore, the 3rd third of this track “The Last Hecatomb” is very different from what you usually play: it is a calm instrumental passage with the sound of the storm in the background. Does this portend a certain evolution in your sound (with ambiances and more variety) to be found on a 3rd album ?
We’ll let you conclude this interview.

Cris : We don't know yet but playing slowly is not part of the plan....hahahahaha
There will definitely be surprises because we are not prisoners of any style but it will always be brutal, I have no doubt about that, it is always good to evolve but never leave behind what you like to play, 3RD WAR COLLAPSE will always be a band that likes to play fast and violently, but whatever influence we can bring without distorting our music will always be welcome.
Thank you very much for the interview and for all your support!
We loved playing in France and hope to return as soon as possible!
Stay brutal!

Juan : Thanks for the opportunity and I hope to hit you guys on the road in the future!

Kalle : Keep on blasting in the free world!

Thanks to Chri$ for his participation in preparing this interview.