Malice Divine (Canada)
T: How did you decide to create the band and why?
R: I have always wanted to have a solo project. Complete creative control with music has always been something that I yearned for. When I was in my previous band Astaroth Incarnate, I was working hard on writing what would be my first solo album. After they kicked me out of the band, I had more free time to continue working on the album and to decide on a band name for my upcoming solo project.
T: Why the name Malice Divine? Any special meaning?
R: I wanted a name that reflected both the music and the lyrical content of the music. The music is aggressive, and the lyrics combine the themes of inner strength, resilience, revenge, and confrontation with themes of a more “spiritual” and “abstract” nature. After contemplating numerous band name ideas, it was clear that “Malice Divine” fit the music and the lyrics the best.
T: What influences did they have from the beginning?
R: Do you mean what influenced Malice Divine from the beginning? My influences include Dissection, Immortal, Watain, Death, Kreator, Slayer, Destroyer 666, Behemoth, etc.
T: How much time do you dedicate to music in your life?
R: I dedicate a huge portion of my time in my life to music. I teach guitar for a living, so automatically I spend a large amount of time outside of writing my music playing guitar. Music is my biggest passion by far, and I have dedicated my life to it.
T: How has the process of recording your CD."Everlasting Ascendancy" been?
R: It was enjoyable, but quite challenging at times. Some of the parts were more demanding on a technical level, so overall I’d say it was a little more challenging to record than the first album. Fortunately, there weren’t any delays with the recording of “Everlasting Ascendancy”. There was with the self-titled debut album because of the pandemic.
T: What are your musical influences? What is the music you listen to the most?
R: The influences that I already mentioned are still strong influences of mine. Black metal, death metal, And thrash metal is my favourite, and what is what I listen to this most. Lately it’s been bands such as Bathory, Necrophobic, Ninkharsag, Blasphemy, Archgoat, Lord Belial, Absu, Sodom, Kreator, Immolation, Cannibal Corpse, etc. I also listen to a lot of the “classic” metal bands such as Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, etc.
T: Ric it is very difficult to play all the instruments in a band to make the band work, how do you do it?
R: I played most of the instruments, not all of them. I hired a session drummer by the name of Dylan Gowan to perform the drum parts that I wrote. Dylan played drums on both albums. However, I did perform all of the vocals, guitars, and bass.ss
T: How much time do you dedicate to the composition and structure of an album like CD."Everlasting Ascendancy"?
R: I dedicated the majority of the year 2021 to the composition and structure of “Everlasting Ascendancy”.
T: Your band's sound is very special with extreme sounds and old school sounds or how would you define it?
R: I would define it as a melodic combination of black metal, death metal, and thrash metal. With that said, I don’t care much for labels.
T: What do you think about the current underground metal scene in Canada?
R: I think the current underground metal scene is strong. There are lots of bands that are doing very well for themselves and have seen a considerable amount of success.
T: What do you know about the South American underground metal scene?
R: I know that the South American metal scene consists of many classic bands! Metal is alive and well in South American.
T: What is the band preparing for its immediate future?
R: Right now I’m preparing the 3rd Malice Divine. I’m working towards being able to start recording the next album very soon.
T: Thank you very much for your time and I ask you to greet your followers of The Legion of TchorT 'Zine, thank you very much.
R: You’re welcome and thank you for the interview! Cheers!
