Mendel bij de Leij Interview – Guitarist for Belgian Death Metal band Aborted. Interview May 5, 2014.
1. What’s new in the world of Aborted?
Mendel: Lot’s of eating and playing video games. We also tour supporting our new album, and eat a lot of guacamole.
2. How was it recording The Necrotic Manifesto in the studio?
Mendel: It was a very convenient experience, it’s good as a band to all have the same vision of how an album should sound like. Therefore the recording process went very good, and was a lot of fun. Everybody put in their best, which is always a good thing.
3. Compared to the last Aborted album did anything change in the song writing process?
We wrote everything together 100%, ego’s left out for the best result. We basically had 3 months to write and record the album and spend 4 days together in Groningen at Jb’s place for pre-production and finalizing the material before heading to the studio.
4. Where is the band playing this summer for tours?
Party San, Summer Breeze, Kaltenbach, Metal Camp, Destruction Derby, Bloodstock Open Air.
5. What would be some of the craziest stuff you’ve seen on tour?
Almost dying in Japan because the driver fell asleep, SM horse chick naked in public at Obscene Extreme, Crazy stalking US chick, Sven getting his foot nearly smashed under an cargo elevator (lot’s of humor).
6. How is the music scene in your area nowadays with the economy?
Mendel: main music scene is Spotify and YouTube streaming in living rooms, most metal heads though still buy some cd’s at local cd stores. Where I live (Friesland province, Netherlands) there are quite some metal bands but not any high quality stuff.
7. What would be some of your main influences today?
A lot of classical music, thrash metal bands like Slayer, Destruction, The Haunted, Dead Shape Figure and Death metal bands like Hate Eternal, Aborted, Vader and to much 80’s neo classical shred. And Muse, that’s my main influence.
8. What could we find interesting in your music collection at home?
Bach collections, Chopin Collections, Malmsteen cd’s, and to much Melodic metal with skank beats (At the Gates, The Haunted, Dead Shape Figure, Soilwork).
9. Could you describe what goes on in a day in your life as a musician on tour?
I eat a lot of Ben & Jerry’s and play the games Super Meat Boy and I wanna be the guy. Hard platformers for maximum pleasure!
10. Where do you see metal going in 100 years from now?
21 string guitars and breakdowns at -49 bpm.
Extra questions for Mendel bij de Leij
Life without music would be: Cool, you would still have ice cream.
Favorite movie: The Exorcist or Return of the Jedi, or The Dark Knight.
Favorite sport: Eating Ben & Jerry’s.
Favorite food: Four Cheese Pasta, and Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked.
Favorite drink: Ben & Jerry’s Milkshake.
Favorite saying: “Do you have Ben & Jerry’s?” or “ I’m gonna puch you in the dick!”.
Favorite car: Ben & Jerry’s mobile.
Favorite book: The life of Mendel: Where is my Ben & Jerry’s?
Favorite band: Muse
CD or Vinyl: CD
Star Wars or Star Trek: Star Wars of course, lightsabers and incest.
PC or Mac: Mac, dare I say it.
Check out Aborted online https://www.facebook.com/Abortedofficial
Coffin Upon Coffin Official Video