BLAZING DEATH - The Flame Still Burns ! (France - Death/Thrash Metal - Interview with Wendel, Tony & Armageddon).

- Hello ! Can you introduce yourself and tell us how it all began for you - your encounter with this musical universe, what appealed to you, what fascinated you and what made you want to get into music?
Armageddon : Hello! We are Blazing Death. We're playing Death/Thrash Metal. We're a fresh band of five musicians. I'm the drummer. Here we have Wendel and Tony on the screaming guitars. There is also Thierry who is rumbling the low end with his bass guitar and finaly Stef who is the phenomenon doing the vocals.
So, what started it all for me? Well, I started listening to Metal when I was a kid. I think the first record I ever bought was Metallica's "Ride The Lightning". I had a bunch of school friends who were into Hard Rock and Metal as well, so we were sharing our discoveries and discographies. I remember blasting that Dark Angel's "Darkness Descends" tape on my cassette player and telling myself that was the most brutal music ever. That's in high school that I formed my first band. We were just doing shitty music in the guitarist's basement, but I was like "wow, this is so cool!". I never gave up and carried on until this day. I think you know the rest of story, don't you ? (hmmmm.. more or less, haha ! Yes sure ! Ed.)

- Tell me about the band... How you met - the current line-up - past experiences - and above all - WHY the need to form THIS band?
Armageddon : Well, you know I created this band "Surpuissance" with Black (ex-Excalibur) some time ago now, we hired Wendel as the second guitar player in that band. After two albums and looking forward keeping developing the band, we believed adding a second guitar player was the thing to do. But I think it did not suit Black who left shortly after. The Pandemic had already struck hard, you know, not being able to rehearse and to play live, etc... Things were not running very good anymore within the band. So, after he left, the three of us remaining, me, Wendel and the bass player at that time, had to choose what to do next. We wanted to continue all together and we decided to start something new. I wanted to go back to something a bit more edgy than Surpuissance which was some kind of Heavy mixed with Thrash Metal. So we started to work on that new project. That was a hard time! The bass player also left and Wendel and I were left together with that embryonic project. Anyway, we did not give up and we started searching for musicians. It took a very long time and multiple tries before having the current line-up, which I believe is great! Thierry came first, then came Tony and finally Stef.
Wendel : As Armagedon mentioned, after “Surpuissance” we decided to stick with metal but push it to an even heavier level. It took us years of searching — even though Northern France and Belgium are strong reference points for metal, it’s not easy to find the right players. 2024 turned out to be a decisive year, and everything came together quickly: we went from just a few songs and sketches to fully developed and recorded tracks.

- Describe your sound and explain why I should listen to YOUR band at all cost ?
Armageddon : I imagine each of us will have his own definition of our sound, so let me give my take on it. You guys will complement… I’m very much into Metal as it was done in the 80ies and 90ies. And that’s what I want to achieve. I’m quite old school in my approach, but with the means of today. Blazing Death was meant to be a Death Metal band, but at the end it’s also very tinted with other influences like Thrash Metal. What is important to me is the impact and the power of the music. It has always been and will always be. Metal is for headbanging. So is our music.
Wendel : Blazing Death is a mix of many different experiences and emotions from all of us. Despite all the heaviness and speed, you can still hear echoes of different moments and subgenres of metal music. We focus on always delivering impact without losing clarity in the songs. Even though we play Death/Thrash Metal, there are plenty of memorable passages that carry strong vibes or melodies that really stick in people’s minds.
Tony : As Armageddon mentioned, we all probably have our own definition of our sound. We all come from different places and backgrounds, but we agreed on one thing: : the impact on the audience. We want our music to be loud, fast, and packed with the same energy we put into playing it! As a relatively new member, I quickly felt comfortable with the way we compose… No bullshit, no ego trips, we just focus on the music. Everyone has a say in every decision, and honestly, it’s a really cool band to be part of!

- Lyrical and musical inspirations/influences ? How important are the lyrics for you ? Are there any specific messages or thoughts you try to develop and share through your lyrics ?
Armageddon : So many influences! Especially among all of us. Mine are in Heavy, Thrash, Black and Death Metal. Mostly bands from the 80ies and 90ies era. Think Possessed, Death, Sepultura, Kreator, Destruction, Bathory, Venom, Slayer, Mercyful Fate, and so many more... I wrote most of the lyrics and, of course, this is an important matter. To me, lyrics are an important part of what the listener will remember. That’s why we need a strong voice and good lyrics. I write lyrics with rhymes to have that singing vibe and to be easy to remember. As I wrote many times in the past, I like to describe Metal being to music what Horror is to the cinema. This genre is to shock, scare, or whatever strong reaction it provokes. Not for the faint of heart. So, I write about death and murder, about war, about horror, darkness, all that shit you know... Also, having named the band “Blazing Death”, a common theme is fire. Fire in all its forms : from cities burning to the flames of hell, and the fire that burns within men’s hearts…
Tony : Well, I think we all share the same core influences: Sepultura, Slayer, Death, Entombed… but each of us also has our own secret garden. I’m into some newer stuff too, like Decapitated, Gojira (yeah, not that new, I know), Gorod, etc... Armageddon wrote almost all the lyrics, and the main theme is fire. I see it as a reflection of everything that’s wrong in this world, a will to purify, without any toxic or vile ideology behind it. I really hope I’ll get to contribute to writing lyrics in the future!

- About your latest release ?
Armageddon : Our first eponymous album “Blazing Death” has been recorded mixed and mastered by our own means. That’s something I do since the times I was in LORD. Damn, that’s more than 20 years ago now ! So I have quite an experience doing that. I’m quite happy with the result here by the way. Each album I do, I feel I get better. Anyway, it’s a ten track album, with a great cover art by mister Mario Lopez, which is already available an all digital platforms. At this time, we’re in the process of searching for a deal with a record label, for the physical release and distribution. We chose to release it digitally on our own and not to wait for a record deal because we needed to get out of the dark and keep moving on. I’ll give you the links so your readers will be able to reach the songs and bang their heads on our music!

- Future plans ?
Armageddon : First, I would say it’s playing live and touring. That’s the best thing about being a musician. It’s been so long since the last time I was able to get on stage that I was starting to forget this! Until we had our first show and the beast was unleashed again! Haha !
We also need to have that album released and distributed on as many physical formats as possible. Making a video for a song or two will be a nice thing to keep on developing the band impact. And, of course, we need to keep creating new songs for the future.”
Wendel : Writing music and playing is great, but the real goal is always to reach an audience — especially the Metal crowd, which is where we come from. That scene has always been intense and full of energy. In the short term, our plan is to get the word out, have fun, and promote the Metal scene wherever we go. I’m sure that for each of us — and for everyone who shows up at an underground metal gig — this is something essential. It feels amazing to be on stage supporting Metal and celebrating it together with everyone.
Tony : Yes I agree, we’ve just released our first album, so the main goal now is to play it live. Getting more experience together on stage and gradually getting ready for the second record.

- Your most insane dream with the band would be ?
Armageddon : To have multiple successful albums and tours. To last for a long time and remain a cohesive group of musicians delivering powerful Metal. Being in a band is a strong human experience, that’s not always easy. Getting along with all band members, having fun and making good music is not an easy deal. Starting it all, over and over again, is a long and painful journey. I’d like we last long.
Tony : Playing concerts, gigs, festivals… just having fun with it all!
Wendel : I really plan to take this project as far as possible. Generally we aren’t that old and our Back to the Begining might be still very far away.

- Your BEST & WORST concert - as a band - and why ?
Armageddon : We’re a brand-new band you know! So far our first release has just been unleashed, and we only had one gig as Blazing Death just recently. So, the answer is easy. That gig was the best one, just because it reminded me how great it is to be on stage, pounding drums furiously while people are banging their heads in the front row ! Come back to us in a few years and ask again, I hope we will all have many memories to share with you.
Tony : Yes, we’ve played live altogether only once so far. But it was an amazing experience, sharing the stage with renowned bands. Definitely something we want to do again.

- Next live-appearance(s) ?
Armageddon : Nothing scheduled right now. Contact us! You won’t be disappointed!

- Some words on your local scene - bands you're friends with and you'd like to name ?
Armageddon : I have no friends I’m a sociopath! (laughing).

- Last word is yours..
Armageddon : OK, so first, thank you Fabien for your time and interest (You're very welcome - a pleasure to have you in ROUGH TIMES ! Ed.). We need people like you. You are the underground as much as we, the bands, are. All hail the Metal Maniacs all around the world! We do what we do for all of you! Thanks a lot. We’re looking forward to meeting you all in sweaty concerts everywhere. Cheers!

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