Interview with Kaivs (Italy)

Questions by Sandi Mujanovic & answers by Kaivs members
(2024/03/03)


I have come to know that you are the vocalist of Kaivs, which death metal singers influenced you the most in your style or would you say you are unique compared to others? Do you train your vocals a lot or it comes by itself?
Max "There are so many singers around who kicks ass and the list is long even between those who died: David Vincent, L.G. Petrov (R.I.P.), Kam Lee, Brett Hoffmann (R.I.P.), John Tardy, Chris Banrnes, Tom Araya, Mike Van Mastrigt, Jan-Chris de Koeijer and Glen Benton just to name the first who comes to my mind".

Who are your heroes in the death metal scene from the past, can you name 8 bands?
Max "Aside from Slayer that is something peerless and without any comparison Morbid Angel, Entombed, Necrodeath, Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Massacre, Pestilence, Death and Obituary obviously of the early days!".

Tiziano "Entombed, Dismember, Grave, Asphyx, Autopsy, Bolt Thrower, Bloodbath and Unleashed".

What are your favourite music styles besides death metal? You listen traditional stuff too?
Tiziano "I use to listen a good amount of doom metal, a bit of black metal and other genres quite far from metal like post punk and stuff like that. So I don’t define myself a traditional one, at least much less than others".
Max "Iron Maiden is the top for heavy metal with early Queensryche, Dream Theater, Fates Warning of "Parallels", Led Zeppelin, Alice In Chains, Misfits, Danzig, Annihilator, Ten Years After led by one the fastest guitarist ever Alvin Lee (R.I.P.). Then we have Queen, Genesis, all the 70's/80's pop from Tears For Fears to Duran Duran, disco and dance as Donna Summers and Michael Jackson with many original soundtracks too like Platoon, Apocalypse Now and Top Gun".

Has Kaivs ever played live? If yes, can we find some footage on YouTube maybe?
Max "Maybe there're some clips here and there on the web!".
Tiziano "Yes we got some live performances in February and November 2023, there is nothing but few pictures, no footage unfortunately".
Max "Something like that is on our social medias!"

What do you think of Italian bands like Bulldozer and Death SS, you know and like them?
Max "They fucking rule! "Heavy Demons" is one of my favourite ever, surely Bulldozer too with "The Day Of Wrath" and "Alive... In Poland"! I suggest you also Extrema with a record named "Tension At The Seams" great thrash from early 90's! There're a lot of Italian undiscovered talents, who maybe had great songs and unfortunately never recorded into demos! Lost and found... oh shit!".
Tiziano "I like Death SS a lot, a band that should be an inspiration for us all".

I saw your band has a Bigcartel shop for merch, you sold a good amount of cds to fans already? What about shirts?
Max "Normal numbers I think, as we're not Metallica hahahh!".

Is there a good metal scene in Rome? Any interesting record shops tourists can visit?
Max "Transmission, Radiation Records Pink Moon and Ace Records are the best and well supplied even with good rarities without, sometimes, expensive prices!".

In a review I compared your band to Malevolent Creation, do you like them?
Max "Shit! What an honor! One of the best bands ever who made "Retribution" absolutely monstrous, even for "The Ten Commandments" too! Both have suggestive artworks from mighty Dan Seagrave! Anyway, we're Stockholm death metal, with the exactly guitarsound like early Entombed and Dismember only and nothing to to with the American side! But thanks anyway!".
Tiziano "Quite much and I thank you for the comparison with them, it’s very satisfying for a still not well known band like we are!".

Have you ever experimented with psychedelics? Smoked weed maybe?
Tiziano "I do not smoke weed or just simple cigarettes but I have any kind of prejudice about that, I’m ok with people who embraces this kind of fun and I’m glad they can do it freely. After all, I’ve been into stoner/doom music for many years in the past and I always respected and approved the free weed legalization message carried forward by bands like Sleep or Bongzilla. Maybe I will give it a shot when I will find myself out of inspiration to make new songs!".
Max "Oh yes, so many years ago! At school or in the park! Useless shit anyway, I consume adrenaline by now not fucking Ganja!".

What are the future plans for Kaivs, will you start recording again soon?
Max "No! We've to release "After The Flesh" and to rehearse for playing live! The rest is only in store! Present day, no future or past!".
Tiziano "Our next plans are concerning about live activity following our first LP release, we worked hard to make it real and we are still doing all the best for that, so we are not gonna stop for any reason".

Who made your logo? It looks good.
Tiziano "A very skilled Indonesian artist".
Max "Harrizz Ullian, isn't it?".


Have you ever been in trouble with the law or police? What happened?

Tiziano "Not at all".
Max "I killed thousand christians in one day! I have a very clean criminal record, as you can see, ya know! Hahahhh!".

What is your top 3 bands that impressed you live in concert the most? You can name more than 3 if you like and finish the interview with some promo and links to social media for your band.
Max "I remeber only gigs of the golden age of these bands: Slayer, Helloween, Carcass (seen with Ken Owen and Daniel Erlandsson on the drums in two different tours!), Paradise Lost, Ancient Rites, Napalm Death, Vomitory, Prostitute Disfigurement, Cradle Of Filth, Defiled, Mayhem, Entombed, Grave, Unleashed, Dismember, Obituary, Malevolent Creation, Rotting Christ, Labyrinth, Hour Of Penance, Sodom, Testament, Morbid Angel, Sadus, Cannibal Corpse, Immolation, Horrid, Vader, Arch Enemy (with Johan Liiva on vocals!), Krisiun, Type O Negative, Misfits, Agent Steel, Hate Eternal, Iron Maiden and Megadeth".
Tiziano "Actually, the most impressive liveshows I saw that come to my mind are only Cathedral and Possessed, but I surely forget others!".


LINKS
www.kaivs.bigcartel.com
www.instagram.com/kaivsband
www.youtube.com/@kaivs
www.facebook.com/kaivsofficial
www.kaivs.bandcamp.com

LINE-UP
Max Foam: vocals
Tiziano Mortician: guitar
Jacopo Simonelli: bass
Leonardo Sastro: drums

DISCOGRAPHY
Horrend (2023)
After The Fesh (2024)