When talking about metal and underground, the most obvious styles come up to our minds quickly, and usually we don´t consider the most extreme area.
It´s a fact that inside rock there are styles more backed to niches that take the other part of the audience, the one inserted in a more underground net, much more underground then what we understand by this word, actually.
In the search for new horizons and space without prejudice to the heavy rock existent styles, I decided to research and understand more about the extreme music world and have to say I was surprised by some kind of parallel dimension with its own marketing, very well done niche strategy and a very big market.
There are several other extreme styles worldwide admired, very high level international events all over the planet, besides constant releases that vary from careless to extremely professional. Well done CDS with complete and very well made covers. Several releases are also made in vinyl and K7. Yes!!!!! In the extreme world, K7 releases have a huge number of fans and collectors.
Making Hard Blast grow up is a main goal as well as being a reference for all rock & metal fans, for this, very soon we will be opening a column dedicated to the extreme metal fans. It´s coming soon but now I would like to call your attention to a very nice work backed to this area: the one Guillotine Productions does, made by the producer and musician from Bahia Alex Állen (Forsaken vocalist).
Guillotine Productions gathers several styles into metal such as Heavy / Thrash / Death / Black / Grindcore / Gothic / Crossover / Progressive / Doom / Folk / Viking / Simphonic / Dark Ambient... The main goal of the company is to disseminate the underground metal scene all over the world through an alliance with bands and partners, introducing very good releases and quality from how they choose the artist to the promotion of the released material.
Everything started in 1998 and according to Alex:
“ within the time, the repercussion of the projects I develop in the underground scene (Production & Design / Visual Communication), pushed this already latent desire into my mind: gathering great bands and disseminate this storm. However, I wanted to do everything the best possible way when structuring the production company in order to guarantee big releases in an organized way an values each band really deserves.”
To get to this point Alex bet on compilations as the first step and the result was quite good.
Guillotine Productions has been improving with expertise in this area and the main concepts used are: selection and straightening, they are fundamental to develop the projects. All this work has been growing up and because of it, new partnerships have been studied to specific one-band-releases.
Chatting to Alex Állen I decided to do a small interview and all those interested are able to know a bit more about his work here. At the moment, Guillotine is searching for new talents and if you fit on the profile, send your material. Take a look at their page on myspace and get to know all you need: www.myspace.com/guillotineprods
I hope you like it.
Stay rock!!!!
Maila: Guillotine Productions concept is undoubtedly important to artists and bands who invest their careers on heavier styles in the metal world. What´s the criteria to select the bands?
Alex: There are two fundamental points in the choice of the bands: solo projects and another fact that depends exclusively on the artists:
1. We do not accept white, Nazi or any other segments out of our work environment! It isn´t worth to insist!
2. I search for bands with a good quality recording result cause Guillotine cares about the final product.
IMPORTANT! Another fact which isn´t explicit but should be clear when the band subscribes in each one of our releases: honoring the word of the deal when selected to the CD. It requires respect, I mean, I search for professional bands committed to a serious work.
Maila: Tell us about your most recent work, the compilation “TUNNEL OF DEATH”.
Alex: At the moment we´ve been 100% focused on "Tunnel of Death", which comes in a double CD box shape. There are 36 tracks on the compilation, over two hours of the most pure metal and a colored cover, Brazilian and international bands from England and Portugal, but we also have in the market several design works and visual communication ones.
Maila: Have you got sponsors?
Alex: No. The only help Guillotine Productions has are those who support the work who together try somehow to disseminate the released projects.
Maila: How do you promote the released material?
Alex: The process is very specific based on a very concentrated press assessory in a very professional way from the very beginning. Our press strategy has been working very well and the repercussion in the scene has been taken very good proportion. Criticism in the specialized media has also been great, which demonstrates the work gets recognition.
Maila: What´s going on in relation to national and international acceptance that shows this recognition?
Alex: Besides several contacts and partnerships, promotion in lots of myspace pages, fotologs and blogs from several bands from Brazil and other countries, the company has been promoted in many different sites, magazines, webzines, distros, recording companies and radios part of the rock & metal scene. To mention some of them, Roadie Crew, Whiplash, Hard Blast, Rádio Vertical, Metal Clube, Gore Grinder, Extreme Metal Webzine Rádio, Rock Post Webzine, Metal Militia, Novo Metal, Metal Rock, Hell Gates, Fly Kintal, ReiDjou, Hard Rock Radio (USA) No Bullshit Zine (UAE) MetalMorfose (Portugal), Rádio Popular FM (Portugal), Demonium (Portugal), Metalicidio (Portugal), etc.
Maila: What about international partnerships?
Alex: With our partnerships we intend to cross the boundaries so by now we´ve got a radio in the USA, a website in the Emirates, radios, blogs and sites in Portugal. The intention is to expand this idea to as many countries as possible so that bands can get a real exposure and then, this universal language – the music in its different ways of exposure – will get its path.
Maila: Do you intend to focus the company only in the heaviest styles or intend to open space to other ones?
I intend to open it to hard rock and some experimental styles inside rock, however, these releases will be independent from the extreme area we work with not to mix or saturate the involved bands. We intend to act with respect concerning all those who get involved.
Maila: Talk a bit about the name of the company and the slogan you use: Guillotine Productions – fell the power of this heavy blade.
Alex: The name Guillotine is deeper than it seems to be. It reminds us of a mortal instrument. Blade is associated to heavy metal. This killing machine is sharped as well as the riffs and the music of each band associated to the production company. You need only one action to lose your head and this is why the slogan is Feel the power of this heavy blade!
Thanks, Alex, for this great partnership and interview. Hard Blast wishes you all the best.
