Chuck, we have heard you are working on covers of songs by Kiss, Slayer and Possessed. Should we expect a cover album?
To tell you the truth, that was the idea of the Relativity staff, but it all happened at the last minute. I prefer playing my own stuff, but it's fun to improvise Kiss' stuff once in a while.

Andy LaRocque's influence on the Individual Thought Patterns album is evident, specially on the solos. What is the difference between working with Andy and working with Craig Lo Cicero?
Look, they're exceptional guys. Musically they have different and personal styles, but they are both extremely melodic. Touring with Craig has been fun. He's now working on Forbidden's new album. I'd also like to tour with Andy. Many people usually ask me about him after the shows.

The sound of the band has been evolving year after year. Will there be special experiments for the next album, for instance, synthesizers?
There will surely be new things on the next album. We are about to enter the studio and we expect to finish working within a month. In fact, I have had a great time using slightly synthesized sounds in a couple of songs. For the chorus of "Mentally Blind", for instance, the synthesizers are very important to give it a special atmosphere.

What do you think of Pantera and Sepultura's success? Why are those bands more famous than DEATH, considering your band has kept a true heavy-metal sound without selling out?
I think it's great those bands work well. I think it's a situation that might open many doors. Unfortunately, we have been victims of miserable promotion all these years. I hope things begin improving for the next album. Our new material is killer! It means all that we feel and it's a step forward that comes naturally. We are sure our fans won't be disappointed.

DEATH is a band of exceptional musicians, the most creative and technical ones ever. How can you live together?
I consider myself very lucky and I'm glad to work with the people that surround me now. I've always admired Gene Hoglan and Steve DiGiorgio's ways of playing and I've known Andy by means of his work with KING DIAMOND. Without a doubt, there's a strong relationship among us. Something special happened since the first day we got together.

What is the thought pattern of DEATH?
To keep Metal alive!

To tell you the truth, I would have expected an answer like that from Joey De Maio (MANOWAR). Anyway, Gene Hoglan was the mastermind of DARK ANGEL, he was in charge of all the lyrics. You are the mastermind of DEATH and you've been writing the lyrics so far. Will you work together on the lyrics
For the time being, I think I'll still write all the lyrics on my own because it's a good way to express my feelings and thoughts. Besides, Gene told me he wouldn't have any problem working only on the drums, so he'd concentrate on his instrument. When we started rehearsing I told him to play what he felt 'cause I knew it'd be great. Gene has a lot of good material written for a future project, he's left his mark on all the bands he's worked for. Anyway, everything he played for me was killer!

Now that we know you will still work on the lyrics, would you tell us what the lyrics will be about?
The lyrics still focus on reality, the experiences I've lived and people's experiences too. I feel happy when people write to tell me they identify with my song's lyrics. I think it's wonderful to get in touch with other people's emotions.

Can you tell us about your first concert in Italy, which took place in Florence? Is there any chance to see DEATH in our country again?
We were very excited about playing in Italy, the support of the fans was encouraging, all the people were very nice. We'll go back to your country on the next tour. (July 27th in Milan)

What do you think will happen in the Death Metal scene? Where is all this heading?
As long as people remain open-minded, Death Metal and Metal music in general, are destined to grow and consolidate more as time goes by. If no boundaries are set in music, no one will decide how far it will go. We want to keep composing and let our music be known in new levels.

What do you think about the Scandinavian scene, especially the Norwegian Death Metal scene? I'm really confused about some people's behavior; I don't understand what music means to some of those guys.
I just want to say that people sometimes lose contact with reality. I think that music is to make us happy and it shouldn't be accompanied with torture of animals or human beings.

What do you think about the war in ex Yugoslavia? The guys of MORBID ANGEL declared that they don't care about anything but music.
To me, it's very sad to hear that people are fighting somewhere, in a war. I don't think that war is an answer. Killing only causes pain. We care about many things in life and not only music, which is obviously important. However, these are the things that surround us and we try to put them in our songs.

The great Chuck! A ten-year career is an envious accomplishment. Do you feel the same enthusiasm as you used to? I suppose you have gone through hard times. In my opinion, you're the godfather of DEATH METAL; you deserve a monument. What's the characteristic you most hate about musical critics?
When I look at the material we've done so far I know I've never been more excited about the band before. I've always done it all for the music. To me, Metal is very important and I'll never turn my back on it. I use the negativity of people as fuel for my musical creativity. I do read what the critics write. What I hate is that they think they can write whatever, positive or negative, and don't care if they hurt people. I hate the ones who intentionally write bullshit just to sell more or to hurt the bands they don't like. Unfortunately it happens to many bands of any musical genre.

I'm really grateful for this interview. Would you like to add something else?
I'd like to thank the people who support Death's music. Also, we read all the letters you send to us and we'd like to thank you for the your positive messages. Once again, playing in Italy was fantastic.