VITAL REMAINS: 16 Songs Written For Next Album

Rádio Evil conducted an interview with VITAL REMAINS guitarist/mainman Tony Lazaro when the band played at Carioca Club in São Paulo, Brazil on December 15 with KRISIUN and MALEVOLENT CREATION.

Asked about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's long-awaited follow-up to 2007's "Icons of Evil", Tony said: "We are working on the new album. Actually, I have, like, 16 songs written. We've been working on it before we did this little, mini tour in Brazil. Things are going really killer. The new stuff is sounding really fucking brutal and evil and dark. And we're looking forward to recording the new album and having it out next year — in April/May. It's been long enough."

Regarding how he manages to maintain the VITAL REMAINS musical identity after going through so many lineup changes over the course of the last 20 years, Tony said: "First of all, as most fans and people know, I am the founding member of VITAL REMAINS. I've been writing the music for 23 years — since the beginning. I write all the music. So they know that I'm the engine, I'm the force behind this band called VITAL REMAINS, and no one person makes the band. The band is about the music. It doesn't matter who's here today and going tomorrow. Most people will know, any band that's lasted over 20 years, many people will come and go. It's hard to keep the original lineup as you get older. But for me, I love the music. That is why I am on this earth — to play this fucking Satanic, evil music called death metal that I play. It's my purpose in life. This is what I'm here for. This is what I love. So I will never give up, and the fans know and they believe in me. And that's why, though different people that have come and gone and lineup changes, it was all part of keeping the band alive, keeping it going, but with me as the center pushing always everyone: 'Hey, we've gotta keep working hard. We've gotta keep writing the best I can write.' In life, sometimes, in the beginning, they can do this, [but] as they get older, they get families, they think different things, jobs… but for me, it's always been priority to play this music in the band. So I just know that, in my mind, I keep it going for the fact that the fans, when they come up to me, what fuels me is when they say, 'Don't give up, Tony. You've been there since the beginning. Keep the fight. Keep playing the music you love.' And this is what fuels me. When I have those days, like, 'Oh, man. What the fuck! I'm still doing this. Why? Why?' And I'm, like, 'Because I love the music.' I love the underground. It's what I love. It's where I live."

Restrain Records in 2007 released a high-quality double-vinyl presentation of VITAL REMAINS' latest abum, "Icons of Evil". The set includes 'brutal blasphemy spread over three sides, with the fourth side bearing an engraving," according to the band. "Comes in a gatefold cover with printed lyric sleeves!"

VITAL REMAINS' DVD, entitled "Evil Death Live", came out in 2007 via Metal Mind Productions. The disc includes footage of VITAL REMAINS' performance at the Metalmania Festival 2007 on April 24, 2007 in Katowice, Poland as well as an interview with Tony Lazaro (one of the band's founders) and Dave Suzuki, live bootleg material and many other surprises. Also available is a limited DVD+CD swing case edition, featuring a bonus CD containing songs recorded at the Metalmania gig.