You could probably gather from their previous 5 albums and numerous live shows that there’s either a lot to love or hate about Belgium beatdown pack NASTY, a mixed style rap tinged metal/hardcore hybrid of a brutal, ferocious, very direct and boastful nature. On their newest full length offering “Realigion” the band seems to manage to meander between the extremes of hardcore and metal even better, while retaining their charismatic catchiness and bounciness. We caught up with frontman Matthias Tarnath and asked him a number of questions about “Realigion”, the band’s touring plans, as well as their huge investment in the band. See the full interview below.
“Realigion” by NASTY is oout now on Beatdown Hardwear label. The band is on tour this November, alongside LIONHEART and GET THE SHOT.
Interview conducted in mid-Summer 2017.
Hey guys! Thanks so much for taking some time with us. We’re pleased to finally have a chance to talk to you and learn a little of what makes you tick, especially in this exciting new album situation. How are you? How’s this Summer been treating you so far?
Hi, I am fine so far, thank you. Just very tired. The Summer has been very busy..
Tell us more about this pre-release phase. What has the preparation been like for this record?
We took some more time to write and record the Album. We recorded at Nemesis Studios and then mixed and mastered at Pitchback Studios.
Sonic wise, did you have a certain goal in mind? The record seems to be even more influenced by metallic sound? Compared to Shokka, was there something you wanted to change this time?
Not really, we wanted to top Shokka and tried to write the songs a little more catchy and more agressive.
Lyrics wise, was there something in particular you needed to get out?
Yes, we planned to have an more “positive” approach lyricwise, but through recent personal and private events in the last 2 years most of the songs became the opposite.
What inspired the title Realigion?
Everything happening around us. To have something “Real” to believe in and taking influence from..
What’s there something that inspires you and makes believe?
I think daily life and the the people that sorround me inspire me the most. Everything I see and I can learn from.. good or bad..
Your fans seems to be very loyal and dedicated. What do you think it is about your work that gives you such a die hard fan base?
I cannot speak for other people. We just do what we do and are thankful for the support we get.
You’ve already premiered three different videos in support of the record. Do you enjoy the visually creative side that comes with a new release?
Yes, we do a lot. working on visuals to transport your music to the world is something we enjoy to do.
Alright, so you’re hitting European roads with LIONHEART and GET THE SHOT this November and December. Tell us more about this trek. Are there any specific places that you particularly want to visit this time?
Not really. We already visited a lot on tours in the past. Mostly if we visit places or do sightseeing it comes spontanious.
How about teaming up with LIONHEART and GET THE SHOT? Have you known the guys?
We know LH sice we teamed up for the Taste of Anarchy Tour. Get the Shot we di not know in person yet but heard a lot of good things about them.
After wrapping up this upcoming trek, where will the road take you next? Can you tease some shows overseas?
We gonna Tour Japan soon and there are maybe plans for Australia and South East Asia. Also we’d like to tour Southamerica in the future..
Speaking of shows, were there any NASTY gigs that stood out for you iver the last couple of months?
In the last month we inly played a few fests.. Ieperfest, Destruction Derby and With Full Force have been crazy.
Have there been many sacrifices you have had to make in order to pursue such a busy schedule with NASTY?
Yes. We all did quit our main jobs and have no chance for a “Career” in those anymore. Also we sacrifice a lot Familywise, relationshipwise etc. But we don’t want to complain. We are thankful to be able to do it the way we do now.
What are your top tips for young bands who are all into the idea of making their band a full time gig?
Be yourself and be prepared to eat a lot of shit. We never planned to become a “full time band” we just did what we love and did not stop. Somehow people like what we do so we are where we are today.
What current bands and perhaps artists from other fields inspire you these days?
Hard to tell, we never thought about other bands writing our music. We are all into Hip Hop and Rn’b so maybe that was an influence on our Videos.
Ok, so what does your future hold? Where would you like to take this band?
We never had real plans where we wanted to take this band. We are just thankful to be where we are right now and gonna continue doing what we like. We will see then what the future holds for us.
Lastly, how would you describe your photowork with NASTY in just three words?
Aesthetic, Playgirl, Mens Health :)
Thanks for your time buddy. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Thx much for the opportunity to say something here in your magazine.
Hope you’re all fine and see you soon.
Thanks, cheers from Warsaw!
