1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
IN-DEFILADE is the extreme metal brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Jon Vesano, former frontman of the bands DARKMOON, DEMONIC CHRIST, and most notably, NILE. Contributing to his crusade are myself on bass and backing vocals and Erik Schultek (formerly of NARCOTIC WASTELAND) on drums. “Militant blackened death metal” is the term coined to suit our sound most concisely, and that's exactly what it is.
2. So far you have released 2 albums; how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings, and also, how do they differ from each other?
Crushing. Barbaric. Molten. Wartorn. And it somehow feels modern yet oldschool at the same time. On both Rulers of Famine and Elude, but even moreso on Elude thanks to having Schultek behind the kit and console (as he also mixed the album) and special guest Dallas Toler-Wade’s (NARCOTIC WASTELAND/ex-NILE) face-ripping solos violently dive-bombing in and out throughout. Universally, the previously established ante was upped in every department. The vocals give you laryngeal cancer just hearing them, the drums sound like multitudes of tanks rolling into (and through) town, and if solar flares could be played as instruments, that's what the guitars and bass sound like.
3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Post-apocalyptic survival; betrayal/defilement/infanticide and the murderous vengeance that results; eradicating oppression wrought by theocratic rule through personally killing every last party responsible for perpetuating it.
4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'In-Defilade?’
Enfilade and defilade are concepts in military tactics used to describe a military formation’s exposure to enemy fire. A formation or position is “in enfilade” if weapons fire can be directed along its longest axis. A unit or position is “in defilade” if it uses natural or artificial obstacles to shield or conceal itself from enfilade. Impenetrability. Strength in stealth. Gaining the upper hand on
attackers through martially utilizing symbiosis with the earth and/or surrounding environment.
5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years, and also, how would you describe your stage performance?
At this point in time we have yet to enter the live arena with IN-DEFILADE, but hope to eventually. Rest assured, though, that when the time comes, our stage presence will embody the bestial, blood-frenzied nature of our material more than fittingly. Anyone who's ever seen Vesano fronting NILE or me with my other band SERPENTIAN can safely come to that assumption.
6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
None as-yet set in stone, but stay tuned.
7. Currently you are unsigned. Are you looking for a label or have you really any interest?
We have not received any label interest as of yet, and no, we are not actively looking for one. However, if one happens to come along and offers us a deal that we’d be fools to turn down, we wouldn't and welcome it.
8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
So far it's been nothing but positive all across the board. We offer a savagery that I believe is safe to say’s been missing from both black and death metal for the better part of the past decade or longer, and the fans seem to welcome it with open arms. Unanimously.
9. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
This is a band that will continue to strive for progression but not at the expense of integrity for the sake of it. We write (brutally) honest music that pours out of us naturally and translates into basically, a blend of all of our respective pedigrees, the tastefulness of which is a testament to our creative chemistry. The bar will be set higher for ourselves with every new endeavor, and that's not only promised but proven when comparing Elude to Rulers of Famine.
10. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what you listening to nowadays?
DEAD CAN DANCE + BOLT THROWER x NILE / MARDUK = IN-DEFILADE. Over the past year I’ve been on a folk/ambient/world binge: WARDRUNA, HEILUNG, QNTAL, NEBELHEXE, HAGALAZ RUNEDANCE, PALEOWOLF, SEPHIROTH, DANHEIM, NIYAZ, OSI AND THE JUPITER, etc. ROTTING CHRIST’s Rituals and DESTROYER 666’s Wildfire have been huge for me as well.
11. What are some of your non-musical interests?
Cultivating integrated strength through the practice of martial arts and the pursuit of fitness; immersing myself in nature and engaging in outdoor activities with those I’m tribally entwined with; paleontology; the rare occurrence of discovering practical effects-driven 80s horror/sci-fi films I’ve never seen.
12. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram (@in_defilade_official), and subscribe to our official YouTube channel [where you can check out lyric videos for “Will to Survive,” “Fearing the Worst,” “Apparent Adversary,” and “Contaminating the Waters (in Which You Swim)”] to keep up with the killing. Elude and Rulers of Famine are available for purchase from Amazon, iTunes, GooglePlay, Spotify, and Bandcamp. Support appreciated; stay brutal!
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