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Interview with Drummer Witchhammer by Patrick Schroeder late May 2012…

After six years of silence the masters return with a new release that masterfully mixes old-school thrash / black metal but also mixes in some mid-paced rock 'n roll guitars that are catchy and mixed very well in the bands metal style. The drummer does a great job on this release of keeping up with the changing tempo's going from faster beats to the more mid-pace rock styled ones. These hymns ring in your head long after the cd is shut off. This metal gem possessed me to contact the band and talk about Vengeance is Mine and all things Witchtrap!

Metal hails Witchhammer! Thank you for taking the time to fill out this interview. Please introduce yourself to the readers?

W/ hey Patrick thanks to you for giving us this space to spread our Metal sound and thoughs to your readers, well, I'm Hugo “Witchhammer” Uribe, Founder Drummer of the Colombian Heavy Metal band call Witchtrap from 1993, a fucking Metalhead to the core.

When did you first discover metal music? Who were some of the first bands you listened to? Who are some of your "current" favorite bands to listen to?

I discovered Metal in 1987 doing a homework for the high school, after that I realized Metal will be my passion til the end of times, my very first band I istened was Metallica “Kill'em All” then I discovered Exciter, Iron maiden, Destruction, Kreator Sodom, Slayer, and the Mighty Venom, after these days I realized Metal was a huge world that I need to know to the bottom, there are millions of bands and amazing people and unimaginable ways to thing of each person and that's the best thing I have discovered into Metal. And old Venom keeps going the band I listen today, of course I hear many bands as well from the undeground scene but they are many to be named here.

When did you and the other members of Witchtrap meet? Was it long until you decided to form Witchtrap?

B. A. Ripper and me we're brothers and both have the same sound Metal taste that's why we fit perfect to compouse and write Metal. Actually we have never thought to start a band but in early 90's after we knew the mighty “Masacre” from Colombia got more spreading out side of Colombia, we realized we can do it as same as they did, so my brother and me played accoustic guitars a lot and we used to play some Hellhammer, Venom and Sodom stuff cause that was easy to play their songs and do it only by ears you know, so after “Masacre” I told you above we took an idea to start our own band, together “Enforcer” in our very first band before “Witchtrap” called “Dark Millenium” in 1991.

What is the "current" line-up for the band? How would you describe Witchtrap's music for the readers who have never heard it before?

The current line up is: Burning Axe Ripper: Vocals/Guitars; Enforcer: Bass; Witchhammer: Drums.

Witchtrap plays Dynamic Power Black Metal, it's a pure Metal wihtout any modern shit contamination keeping in save the real roots of Metal, just like when Metal was Metal, with some NOBHM tastes and the fury and power of Metal sound as we get hoocked on Metal in 80's I eman the glorious age of Metal that nobody has couldn't do it in nowadays.

The band recently released it's third cd "Vengenence is my Name" through hells headbangers rec.how long did it take the band to write and record the songs for this release?

All the songs were written long time ago I think they were written after the No Aneshtesia was pressing, but the recordings sessions took around a year to be recorded, mixed and mastered in our home studio “Dirty Sound Studios”, I mean we started to record the session on December in 2010 and it got be ready in early January 2012.

Are you and the other members happy with how everything turned out?How has the response been from the press and fans?

Absolutely, we're totally happy and at last we have found an excellent sound quality, is that we wanted to have in all our recordings from the begining, unfortunatelly we hadn't the economical resources to do it in those days.
We are surprised with the response of the fans cause they have found something raw and excellent sound that they like, even there are some Metalheads that likes other early albums from us, but the critic of press have been very good, more than we were expecting.

Are their any upcoming shows/tours planned in support of Vengeance is my Name? Where are some places the band will play?

Well, recently we have played by very first time in Chile we did some shows in that country and we had a terrific response from the Metalheads in there, now we have got some proposals to play in the United States, Ecuador and Brazil, but before that, we need to see what deal have the promoters because in early times promoters in Europe wanted that we spent money from our budget to pay plane tickets to travel to Europe and then they will fix our tour, something that we found impossible because we are poor people and we haven't this big amount of money to do that. Of course we would love to play in whole world with Witchtrap for sure.

Who are some bands that Witchtrap has played/toured with over the years? If you could set up a dream tour who are some bands (past or present) you would love to tour with?

We have played with many bands in Colombia, Ecuador and Chile, we have played in Colombia with some very named bands such as: Gorgoroth, Destruction, Kreator, Sodom, Sadus, Testament, Hirax, Samael, but actually we haven't a special band that we would like to play with, but of course Venom would be th best if we'd play together in 1984 but it can't be possible, hehe. From nowadays there are bands that we like to play with such as: Power From Hell, Desaster, Masacre, Nunslaughter, Bullet, Witchgrave, Nocturnal etc, there many to be named here.

The band comes from the colombia,south american underground scene.south america has a legendary metal scene,so i was wondering what is your opinion of south america's metal undergound metal scene?

My opinion about South American Metal Scene, first of all it's the most extremely Metal scene around the world, second we are the forgotten Scene from the big media and now they are putting their eyes in us because I think Europe and North America scene it's falling down. About South American Scene it's more passionated and aggressive, but we need to professionalized our sound and productions, and that's exactly that all bands in South America it's working for long time ago.

It's funny to see how Europe and North America bands want to sound raw, right? And almost all South American bands want to sound with high quality sound.

Who are some of your all-time favorite colombian/south-american bands? Are their any new bands you think the readers should check out soon?

My favorite band from Colombia is Astaroth, then Masacre and Blasphemia, but I have to confess that Savage Aggression it's the best one of all times, yet knowing they are from nowadays.

Bands from nowadays you have to put an eye they are: Savage Aggression, Esquizofrenia, Dirges, Runner Hell, Hellworld, No Mercy, Legacy, Alcoholic Force, Sobibor, Yog-Sothoght, Blasphemer, Revenge, Profecia, among others.

Besides Witchtrap do you or any of the other members play in other bands/projects? If yes please tell us a little about them.

Yeah, I played til last year in “Nightmare” together with Enforcer and B.A.Ripper, they are a pure Raging Heavy Metal from the lungs of Hell, (NWOBHM). Enforcer plays in other band calle Hellworld, it's a Death Metal with rabid feeling and atmosphere.

In your opinion what is the best and the worst thing about the underground today? And what does the term "underground metal" mean to you?

The best: all Metalheads into the undeground loves to keep in save Metal roots.

The worst: some stupid guys that thinks they are only the true ones, and there are many reasons to be one of those stupid guys, I say: all of us we're one underground scene and we need to be United as one, to be stronger than the false ones.
Underground means Metal, no influenced by strange cultures, or trendy, we need to keep in save our real roots because if we keep leaving new trendy in our Metal culture we are going to destroy the pure of our sound and way to live: “Free as the Wind” (Anvil).

You handle the drums for Witchtrap, when did you start playing the drums? Are you self-taught or did you take lessons?

I started in 1990 by self taught and I never took lessons, only today I have taken some musical lessons but not for playing drums. I think to play Metal no needs to be learn it, because it comes through the veins and blood.

Who are some of your influences/favorite drummers? Do you play any other instruments?

AAARRRGGGHHH, my main influences on drums are: Robb Reiner, Dan Beehler, Abaddon, Steve Priestly, Tommy, Lombardo, and Lars Stupirch(hahaha). Yes I do, I play Guitar and Bass too.

We have reached the end of the interview,thank you taking the time to fill this out do you have final comments for the readers?

Thanks to you Patrick to give a chance to spread the Metal sound of Witchtrap to your readers.
Witchtrap's Metal is: Unfit music, Nasty music, Aggressive music, Noisy music, for the ears of our parents!!! No More Beautiful Music in Metal!!! If you want to be thrashed, go to listen Witchtrap!!!