Illustres précurseurs du métal extrême transalpin tombés en disgrâce et dans l'oubli, SCHIZO renaît de ses cendres avec un deuxième album, "Cicatriz Black" sorti au printemps dernier, 18 ans après leurs débuts discographiques. L'occasion pour moi de questionner Alberto Penzin sur l'histoire du groupe et sur l'évolution d'un genre.

VS - So SCHIZO is back with a new album. Are you back for good or is it just an ultimate boundaries?
Alberto - It was just a natural thing, nobody forced us to do a new album. And nobody will force us to record another one too. I can tell you that as long as S.B. Reder is into the idea, and as long as we keep on having fun the four of us all together, we'll keep it going for sure.

VS - How did you decide it was a good time for SCHIZO to rise again? Does it have something to deal with S.B. return? How was it to work and compose again with your old partner?
Alberto - Absolutely. He was the main reason for our proper come-back. Even if we never did split up, despite many years of virtual non-activity and hiatus. At the end of 2005 I simply got in touch again with S.B and everything clicked like the good old days. The rest is recent history...

VS - “Main Frame Collapse” has been re-released last year by Avantgarde Music. I guess you’ve been consulted before this but I can’t explain myself why you didn’t release this famous the second unreleased album. Is there any chance to hear this record onc
Alberto - The re-release of ''M.F.C.' was something we planned soon after the return of S.B. into our ranks. And the first label we had in mind for that job was actually Avantgarde Music, considering their previous reissues of cult stuff from Necrodeath, Bulldozer and Death SS. Finding an agreement with Rob Mammarella was an easy task and here you have it then. As simple as that. That other unreleased album you are talking about [''Artifice of Reality #1'] is a completely different matter. It was actually just planned, there were no proper recordings / master tapes, just demos for that. Plus we're no longer into that kind of material, so amen.

VS - To be honest, I had no idea SCHIZO was still active during the 90’s. How do you explain the fact SCHIZO turned into a more confidential popularity while you’ve been so famous during your demo days?
Alberto - We surely kept a very low profile indeed. The scene is over saturated with new bands coming out from everywhere nowdays, I think a comparison with the past in sheer terms of ''popularity' is almost impossibile. On the other hand we're getting quite a large number of feedbacks with this new release, even from younger kids, so I do not complain at all at the end of the day. The cult status seems to be alive and it is just fine with me.

VS - SCHIZO was one of the first italian extreme metal band with NECRODEATH and BULLDOZER. However, it seems the young metalheads generation has no idea about your cult status and the impact you’ve had in Italy and even Europe 20 years ago. Is that someth
Alberto - I have to tell you that frustration is a ''no-no' in our world, in spite of the tons of setbacks and bad luck we had in our history. After all, I am into the music first and foremost, so all of the above is of relative importance to my eyes. We indeed left our little footprint onto the extreme scene, so I am surely more proud than disappointed…

VS - What kind of memories do you keep of the “Violence at the Morgue” days? Any nostalgia about this time where extreme metal was fresh, inspired and played with guts?
Alberto - Nostalgia is not the appropriate term here in my vocabulary, but those were glorious days no less, the spirit and the attitude, the atmosphere, were so true and exalting that cannot be described with common words. That is something I will always remember, but this is 2007 so we gotta live the present…

VS - Let’s talk about this new album. I have the feeling you kept the real SCHIZO vibe including more actual elements...
Alberto - Not many but yes, I do agree here. We are not like old dinosaurs I hope! I have also read the review of ''Cicatriz Black' published on your pages, but my command of the french language is pretty poor, so now please tell me what you think of the album itself, instead of me going over it song-by-song… ;)

VS - Visiting your official website, I’ve noticed the only lyrics available from the new album are “MG 1942” ones. Why especially this song? Is it just to prevent some possible misunderstanding? And by the way what do you think about the fact a part of me
Alberto - Not quite. We simply liked that one and put it on the splash page of our site, lyrics included, since people always ask for that too. I also believe that music should not deal with political matters, no matter if left or right wing. And ''M.G. 1942'' is dealing with history matters only infact.

VS - Tell me more about this Ennio Morricone cover track. Is that a tribute to the soundtrack composer or a tribute to your origins? How did you feel this cover experience? Some bands are actuality composing their songs like soundtracks. Is that something
Alberto - No. We liked the music first. We just wanted to do our own heart-felt rendition and even talked about that / asked permission to the maestro Morricone himself, who turned out to be pretty cool and amicable. We retained the original theme and basically changed most of the rest, trying to be as "untight" and "dirty" as possible… We succeed, I guess!

VS - Talking about future, how do you see SCHIZO in the next few years? What about your next plans? Any work in progress with S.B.?
Alberto - Unfortunately I am not a master of the art of divination, so I don't have a definitive reply to your question. [Pardon me the rhyming there] I would like to resurrect the Mondocane project in the following months, that would be fun for sure! We are actually talking about that right now…

VS - In a recent blog, Tom Warrior wrote something about the lack of innovation in metal nowadays. He thinks metal is no more anti-conformist. As a real pioneer, is that something you feel agree with?
Alberto - Tom G. Warrior is a person I have the maximum respect for, therefore I have to agree with him. But repeat - rewind - recycle - revive must be the name of the game here to bring back innovation. Going back to our roots to induce introducing something new, to some degree.

VS - Before finishing this little interview, I wonder the kind of music your listening these last days. What’s your actual playlist? (not especially metal)
Alberto - Uhm, talking of Celtic Frost, ''Monotheist' is possibly the album I have been spinning the most on my CD player in these last few months…
If it's not metal it's still heavy stuff like old hardcore for me here. Or the occasional New Order, Bauhaus [their 1999 ''Gotham' dvd is a must see] or Clock DVA. I hear a lot of new stuff / releases as well but not much impresses me I have to tell you…

VS - Is there any chance to see you on a french stage in the next few months? Any tour booking in progress ?
Alberto - Nothing is impossibile into this world. No specific plans at the moment but we never know. Talking in general, we're supposed to tour this fall together with our mates Necrodeath, which are issuing a new album in october. Then, we will see…

VS - Thanks a lot for your answers and your time. Any comments for our readers ?
Alberto - Thanks for the interview and interest. Keep that obsession for metallic transgression very much alive.

Liens relatifs :

http://www.schizo1.com/

http://www.scarletrecords.it/