What are your Name's and what do you do in your band?
Maurício -  I’m Maurício Velasco, drummer, the other guys are: Dalton Castro (guitar), Rodrigo Dantas (bass) and Dennis de Lima (vocals).

Who are your influences?
Dalton – We have many, each one of us has one band in special. We like many bands of varied rock styles, but in main we have influences of 70´s and 80´s bands like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. We really hear a lot of things and also to not be equal to some another band.

What are the Reasons you choose the style your band plays over any other type of music?
Maurício – The reason is simple, we listen a lot of Heavy Metal! Ours influences are many metal bands from 80’s, hard rock bands, ... So, we would not be playing another style. It was something very natural, after all, Heavy Metal is a life style and we lives this intensely!

Why or How did your band choice the name of your band?
Dalton – “Herege” (heretic in English) is a term what means “the one who have his onw choices in social or religious terms”, and this have many to do with the style that we play, which is the Heavy Metal.

Who were your bands founders?
Maurício – I and Rodrigo were schoolmates and he invited me to “make a sound”, just for fun, like Ramones. Then later, I already knew Dennis, so I invited him to sing. After one week, we’re playing Motorhead, Iron Maiden and there it goes… (laughs). Selvino (other frind of us) was our guitarist at that time.

Where is your band currently located?
Dalton – We are liveing in at the South of Brazil, in the state of the Rio Grande Do Sul, in Cruz Alta, a small city and highly conservative (laughs).

What is your favorite song to perform? Why?
Maurício – Well, it can mien “cliché”, but I like all of them. But, if have that to choose one, I choose Die By My Hands, because it’s the intro of our show currently, it has a very good energy to start the show and to rock the bangers! Without speaking in the letter, that talks about a terrorist who find the disgusting George W. Bush walking alone in the street. So, he makes him your victim. This scoundrel is making a lot of shit for all the world!

 
What is the most enjoyable part about performing?
Dalton – The best part, without doubts, is the good reception of the public in the performance, but, obviously, to be in stage, with all that sound and all that energy is something very special too.
 
What's the best/worst experience you have had so far playing live?
Maurício -  The best experience is that you know many diferent places and people, you see the guys tanning your music, your work. It’s awesome. The worse was travel many kilometers inside of a van with 2 bands and the equipments! we already made this, and it wasn’t very pleasant.(laughs). But, in the end of that crazy thing, we really enjoy it!
 
Do you have any advice for people starting a band?
Dalton – Yes, I have. If you want to start something, only starts if you really know what you want, and make sure that is what you want to follow ahead. Then, don’t allow nothing or nobody make you change your idea. The “walk” is not easy, mainly at the beginning.

 How long have you been playing together in the current band?
Maurício -  We are since October of 2004 with this formation, but since May of the last year, we’re alone with the Dalton in the guitars, because Rui has left the band at that time. I believe this is the best Herege formation in these years. We have a good relationship, beyond band colleagues, we’re friends and this really facilitates the work.

 
What Instruments do you use? What brands do you prefer to use?
Dalton – I had many problems with instruments since that I started to play, in 1999. Now I have a little better equipment. The same thing happens with the other integrants of the band. All of us aren’t endorsers of some brand and the costs of the acquisition of instruments in our country are huge!

What do you feel your band brings to the scene?
Maurício - We are trying to rescue the spirit of the Heavy Metal of the 80’s, the true metal that seems to being forgotten. At the moment the majority bands wants “to innovate” and make poorly musics adding nonsenses instruments of their sound. Without speaking in those bands who only worry about the technique in your musics, without feeling or wishing to play, just to say: “Hey, I play much better then you!” and boast himself that his band are more technician of this or that band. We also give much emphasis in our lyrics, as in 80’s, running away from fantasy subjects as castles and dragons, darkness and mythology. The Herege approach real subjects and real things presents in the life of all headbangers, like critical in relation of contemporary world, the society and its values, keeping the essence of heavy metal in each note of our musics!

 
Describe your sound, as I'm sure your influences have a big part in it. Please explain more on that?
Dalton – Our music is very based on the Traditional Heavy Metal. Our influences are very visible. We’re following the style, but always placing something that characterizes as being the “our metal”.
 
Who are some of your favorite bands to play with and/or bands you would like to play with?
Maurício - Well, we’re huge fans of the bands from the 80’s, in general,  but Judas Priest influenced and influence a lot of our lifes. So, I really thing that I don’t have to answer this question!(laughs)

 
If you had to pick a band that doesn't get the respect or exposure they deserve, whom would you pick?
Dalton – I believe that a band who really deserves much more respect and exposition would be the Iced Earth, which we are great fans. We don’t see they play in great festivals and “giants” events in the world.
 

Do you have any professional releases? If so where were they done? Do you like the recording?
Maurício -  We have 3 singles recorded and one EP. Here they are: Rise the Fair, Fall of the Church - 2003; Metal World - 2004; Bang Your Heads - 2005 – (Single); Bang Your Heads - 2006 (EP). These works had been all recorded in our city, Cruz Alta. Well, the result of the records could be better, but all this records ware made by the fast way, in a weekend, because the records here in Brazil have a high costs. I think that it’s worth while, since all had a good acceptance of the public, in general, and also is a part of the Herege history.

If your not currently on a label what label would you choose to be on if you could? Why?
Dalton – I don’t have accurate a name in my head, but I’m sure that have great labels spread in too many countries. We would like, obviously, to be part of some cast of one who gives a professional support, with a good proposal. Then we could divulge our work in many places with shows or through the media.
 
What Band(s) annoy you the most? Why?
Maurício –  Annoy me some “false bands”, that make music just for the money or to catch some women. And bands who don’t make the lesser effort, that give up in the middle of the way, that don’t battle. This turns me crazy!
 
What venues do you like playing in most? Why?
Dalton – Generally we play in festivals in our region that are organized by headbangers in general. We really like to play in this underground places, it’s fun! But certainly that we desire to play in great festivals as the Europeans.

How's the public response to the band been in a live setting?
Maurício – Then, in all the places that we play, the reply of the public was very positive, I believe that we pass a energy very cool in our shows because we like make Heavy Metal and this guys feels that. We enjoy this! If you want to rock, you must go to our show!(laughs)
 

What do you do in you spare time when not playing Metal? Hobbies?
Dalton – When we aren’t playing metal, generally we’re organizing the things to spread the band. At the moment we’re preparing to record our first album, and this has been a great running. To be honest, we’re always involved with the metal! (laughs). At the moment, all of us don’t have another job. Before, we had to finance the expensive cost of the band (that are not few). But in this period that we’ll go to record, its really impossible to conciliate with some job. Rodrigo is the only who studies. He makes History College. Other things that we like are amuse,  tan a rock n´roll with the friends; drink; parties and women, surely. Nothing far away from this.
 
What's your feel on the whole mp3 or bootleg trading on the Internet?
Maurício - This question is very complicated, by the professional side the bands and recorders lose much money with this. But in the other side has the independent bands, as we, who must have the Internet as allied to divulge your musical work by the computer. It’s by this way how we make contact with people and have their recognition in a lot of places of the world. This is only my opinion.

Do you guys miss the old tape trading days as much as some other metal brothers do? any cool stories you like to share about those days?
Maurício – We feel that yes, something classic per many years, but the problem is that had low quality. I guess this is the why it didn’t remain until the present in the market. We have a fun history about this tapes: In some aftermoon, I was looking for a tape to record an attempt. In the tape that I found, was recorded one of our first attempt, playing musics that we don’t remember been playing. We heard per days this tape. But today I don’t know where is it.(laughs)

What's in your CD player? What do you and your band listen too most together?
Dalton – In my CD player doesn’t have nothing at the moment. I have something only in my LP player!(laughs). I have tanned the records of the Sabbath, that sound better then never if hear through the vinyl.
When we’re together, generally we hear rock of the most varied type.

Do you think cover art is just as important as the music? If so give some reasons why?
Maurício - Yes, without doubts the cover it´s very important, because it’ll be the first impact that the people will have with your work. This must to be something that calls the attention and represents what you want to be passed in the album!

Who does all the artwork and album designs for your band including flyers and any promotional stuff?
Dalton – Two guys make this part of graphical art to us. One is Rafael Wonsick. He makes the posters of ours shows, made the cover of the EP and probably will make the cover of the album also. The other guy is Maicon Benato who made all the art of our website, and is in charge for the virtual graphical part.

Does your band have a website or link so people can get more info or merch from the band?
Maurício - Yes, sure! Access our official website: www.herege.com ! There you will find everything about the band, musics, reviews, photos, discography, and another Internet links also about us. Well, we want to thank you for this Interview granted by the Necrometal, for the space in your website and also to all the readers!!!! See you on the road!!!

http://www.herege.com
http://www.myspace.com/heregemetal