Bloodgod Interview
Interview with Pete Devine of Pete’s Rock News and Views (http://petesrocknewsandviews.com)
All Photo credits: Lisa Raisa Ferrari / lisaraisaferrari.com
PD. What type of artist are you?
BG. Bloodgod is a metal band hailing from Utrecht, the Netherlands with a basic rock ‘n roll line-up consisting of Daan Douma on guitar and vocals, Frank van Boven on bass and vocals, and Johnny Derechos on drums. Based on the guttural vocals you might describe us a death metal band although we like to add some elements of thrash and black metal, as well as a pinch of 
groove metal a la Pantera, or Lamb of God.
PD. Tell us the brief history of yourself.
BG. Bloodgod was initially formed in 2011 as a side project of Nuestros Derechos guitarist/vocalist Jerry Herrie, along with ex-Warchitect guitarist/vocalist Mike Schoemaker, and me (Johnny) on drums. We had a handful of songs, enough to do some gigs, but suffered from a series of lineup changes due to various reasons.
Nowadays I’m the only original member left. When Daan joined we decided to start over with a clean slate and new songs. We just kept the band name and logo, both courtesy of Mike. He allowed us to continue using both after he departed, which was a generous gesture.
After Nuestros Derechos broke up and Frank joined in late 2012, Bloodgod transformed from a side project into my main band. Our debut EP ‘Pseudologia Phantastica’ was released in 2013. It was recorded and mixed by Quintijn Verhoef at Studio Independent Recordings (Incarnate, Led Astray, Terzij De Horde, Divine Sins, The Fifth Alliance, etc.) in Utrecht.
And recently we released our second EP ‘Catharsis’, recorded and mixed at Mass Audio Studio, an collective of three enthusiastic and highly skilled sound engineers with a love for classical music and heavy bands. ‘Catharsis’ was mastered by Grammy nominated engineer Jacob Hansen (Aborted, Mercenary, Volbeat, Pestilence, etc) in Denmark.
And recently we released our second EP ‘Catharsis’, recorded and mixed at Mass Audio Studio, an collective of three enthusiastic and highly skilled sound engineers
PD. Who are your musical influences?
BG. We all have different musical influences, although we share certain preferences. Daan is fond of aforementioned bands like Pantera, and Lamb of God but essentially is an omnivore when it comes to music, including deathcore and grindcore. His playlists contain the most bizarre songs, hahaha.
Frank likes thrash metal bands such as Anthrax, Megadeth and Annihilator, but also has a weak spot for bands that are brutal, technical and melodic at the same time such as Death, Allegeon, and Arch Enemy. Besides, he performs in a Slayer tribute band called Player so that should speak for itself.
As for me, the 90s wave of death and thrash metal was a huge part of the soundtrack of my teenage years. Think of Scandinavian bands such as At The Gates, Entombed, and Edge of Sanity, as well as Florida death metal acts like Death and Malevolent Creation, plus thrash metal icons like Kreator and Testament, and the occasional punk/hardcore band.
PD. Who writes your songs, what are they about?
BG. Usually Daan comes up with the music including suggestions for bass guitar and drums. We may change some details after jamming it a couple of times in our rehearsal room. Once the instrumental song is more or less finished, we add lyrics.
For our last release, ‘Catharsis’, I wrote the lyrics. They deal about various topics, but I tend to cover more ‘real-world’ topics rather than dive into esoteric or fantasy subjects. Sometimes Daan or Frank suggest a subject, most notoriously for the song Hammerite. They requested a song about rust which is in a way the equivalent of watching paint dry. Try to write something epic about that, I dare you J
For our last release, ‘Catharsis’, I wrote the lyrics. They deal about various topics, but I tend to cover more ‘real-world’ topics rather than dive into esoteric or fantasy subjects.
PD. How do you promote your band and shows?
BG. Mainly through our website and major social networks such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. However, the best way to promote music is by winning over one metal head at the time with a convincing live performance. We believe real-life experiences where you enjoy a metal show or festival will make a longer lasting impression than another smooth band image or video in the overabundant timeline feeds.
PD. What do you think about downloading music online?
BG. When music was only available as a physical copy, it sort of invited people to collect it. You did not just get music, but the release also included artwork and lyrics you know? It was a package containing elements that reinforced each other.
Now you can enjoy music without actually holding something tangible. The upside is that it has become so much easier to discover new music. The downside is that through the abundance many bands have become interchangeable and it is less clear what the value of their music is.
Maybe that perspective is an old way of thinking, maybe it’s out of date. I see a similar shift where younger people do not necessarily need to own a car. They just want means of transport. Private lease can also offer a satisfactory solution. The same goes for many other things 
including films, tools, and housing. From that perspective downloading has become obsolete because a streaming service would do just as good.
PD. What are some of your pet peeves?
BG. Would you believe Frank gets weak in his knees from the two bunnies in his household? He built a giant cage with multiple floors against the wall of his living room and even made his garden rabbit-proof so they can stroll freely outside.
As for me, I’m a male version of a crazy cat lady with two felines rescued from the animal shelter and countless photos from these hair balls on my phone.
The upside is that it has become so much easier to discover new music. The downside is that through the abundance many bands have become interchangeable and it is less clear what the value of their music is.
PD. Tell us about your next show and why we should be there.
BG. If you’re in or near Delft, Netherlands on August 21, please feel free to drop by and say hello. We’ll be playing at OJV De Koornbeurs. As usual, we’ll be putting our heart and soul in it, sweating our asses of on stage. You’re most welcome to check out how we sound and smell in real life, and share some drinks and laughs with us. Horns up and stay metal!
All Photo credits: Lisa Raisa Ferrari / lisaraisaferrari.com
Bloodgod links:
Band location – Utrecht The Netherlands
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