Daemona are a fast rising East Anglian death metal band and a favourite on our extreme metal show The Altar. Host Hugh Williams asked frontwoman Nina ‘The Cuntess’ Piccrillo about gore, keeping fit and out of date Cokes…
Hugh – Il Demone Dentro is your current EP – The Demon Inside – any particular reason it’s in Italian, is there a concept behind it?
Nina – Il Demone Dentro came from our ex guitarist Simon. He took into account the fact that I’m Italian and chose a title which represented my venomous stage persona as The Cuntess.
It’s straight death metal – no bull but all balls – would you agree that this is what the scene needs now? Less of the “core” gash and more spite and venom?
Absolutely. Straight to the point Death Metal. Each to their own though. I am a massive fan of black, death and also thrash metal. It’s all about keeping it old school. Never alter the recipe when it works well.
I spoke with Bill Steer of Carcass recently and he reckoned the gore obsessed lyrics and cover art they used to create was cold dead a long time ago, rendered obsolete by the internet. Would you agree with this, gore in death metal is pointless in a world where anyone can watch a slow beheading on their phone? Or does it still work?
I think it still works if done tastefully. So many bands are adamant to write the sickest lyrics just to get a reaction. You won’t get a reaction if you try so hard. People need to find their own style and go along their own path to claim victory and success. Doing what other people have done, trying to follow their steps, just doesn’t work. I associate gore with grindcore more than any other genre. But that’s just me.
You’re a hard working band and you’ve gigged all over the place…what’s the maddest thing you’ve seen at one of your shows?
We’ve played some amazing shows, mainly throughout 2015, Wales has always been a crazy place. People are absolutely mad there and love their metal. We played Eradication Festival in Wales and when we were heading back to the car people were stopping us in the street wanting to tell us how much they enjoyed our set. We felt like celebrities. We also played there again in the summer as part of our mini tour with Merciless Terror, in the smallest of venues. The venue was rammed, people going mental, stage diving , pitting. Great atmosphere…. went out for a bottle of water after the set and me and Dale from MT went to the local to only find that it was totally normal for them to sell out of date cokes. It sounds odd… but come on Wales!!
You have a fierce live reputation, clearly you put everything into your vokills and stage presence, does it come easy? What do you hate in the world that you can spit back out at the pit?
When I’m on stage, I fully get into my alter ego. I’m full of hate and energy and nothing holds me back for the whole duration of the set. I see live performance as a test.. I have 30 minutes to prove to a room full of strangers that I’m worthy of being there and I put absolutely everything into it… The biggest reward is people coming up to me after and saying they’ve enjoyed it.. That’s when I know I passed the test and look forward to the next time. When I’m not The Cuntess, I like to think I’m an all round nice enough girl.
A lot of the female death metal fronts are big gym users too, is that a thing for you as well?
I am indeed very into gym and fitness in general. I don’t do any body building training , it’s not for me and I’m only petite. I mainly focus on shape and endurance. Needless to say, training improves your stamina.
Any future plans you can tell us about, any festivals or new recordings this year?
2016 is gonna be an exciting year for us. We plan to record our album this year and play as many good festivals and shows as we can. We recently joined wychwood brewery competition to win a slot for Bloodstock 2016. You can vote on the site daily and if we get enough votes we are in for a chance. Help us!
You’re known as The Cuntess…if you were married, would your husband then be “The Cunt”?
Haha. Yes I suppose so, sorry future husband.
Nina, thanks very much for your time!
You can read our live review of Daemona here.
