After waiting patiently (and resisting the urge to send reminder emails every other day), I finally got the answers from Capò of NEID!
It’s safe to say the grindcore world can be hectic, but Capò was kind enough to share some thoughts about the band’s history, influences, and what’s next for these Italian grindcore legends. Jump in!
In a few sentences, if possible, tell us about NEID.
NEID was formed in the city of Viterbo (1 hour north of Rome) in 2007 from the ashes of previous hardcore projects like TMD, FLOPDOWN and MANIFOLD, active since the mid-90s. So far, we have played around 500 shows across almost all of Europe (including Russia), America (USA & Cuba), and Asia (Japan, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia), supporting bands like BRUTAL TRUTH, INCANTATION, RATOS DE PORÃO, POISON IDEA, NEGATIVE APPROACH, MDC, ACCÜSED, etc., and participating in many extreme European festivals such as Anti-trend (CZ), Flesh Party (SK), Brutologos (E), Grind The Nazi Scum (D), GoFest, and DLB (I). We have about 15 productions to our credit, often released through our own RA Records, including 2 full-length CDs (one on Sliptrick Records), 4 mini albums, and about ten splits, including a 7″ with Agathocles in 2013.
NEID members were active in more or less famous Italian/punk bands during the nineties. What made you form NEID in the mid-2000s and start playing more aggressively?
NEID was born from the desire to be the first extreme band in our town. (The name comes from the German word for envy, resentment, bitterness… common feelings among the 5 founding members). We started as a rough, generally fastcore project, and by 2010, with the release of our first full-length and a significant lineup change, we radicalized our sound towards a grindcore heavily influenced by brutal & death metal.
In March you have released EP with covers from those bands, as well as a couple of Italian bands that influenced yours. It was released on Time To Kill Records. Do you play some of these songs at concerts?
Yes, it seemed like the right tribute to a generation of bands (the Italian 90s HC) that was very important to us and the entire local scene in general. The only live excerpt from the record at the moment is “Rebels Today” (COMRADES).
Can you describe the band’s songwriting process? How do you develop your songs from initial ideas to final tracks?
The process is very simple: the guitarist (Angelo) is responsible for writing the songs, after which the rest of the track is completed with lyrics and drums.
What inspirations and influences have shaped your sound and lyrics? When can we expect your third full-length album?
Both musically and lyrically, the influences of NAPALM DEATH / LOCK UP are quite evident, although we basically listen to a lot of DIY stuff (from anarcho-punk hardcore to black metal!). We would like to start writing a new album between tours, and if all goes well, we will try to start working on something in 2025, then we’ll see…
Italy has a pretty good extreme scene and labels. What is the situation like with grindcore bands? How difficult is it to book a gig? Do you have a booking agency behind you, or do you look for clubs and promoters yourselves to play as much as possible? How do you approach the marketing and promotion of your music?
The situation is quite positive with historic bands still active like TSUBO, REPULSIONE, VERANO’S DOGS, DYSMORFIC, TERROR FIRMER, DOUBLE ME, GUINEAPIG, and more recent ones like PLAGUE BOMB. At the DIY level, meaning in squats and occupied houses, booking is quite smooth, in clubs or venues a bit less, but we still manage. We handle concerts, marketing, and promotion ourselves through our RA Records & Booking, active in Italy since 1996.
Grindcore and extreme music in general are often associated with provocative, sometimes really sick artwork. How important is visual art to your music? Who is in charge for that?
Well, yes, that is more a prerogative of the goregrind or pathological death metal section. For us, the image has always been very important, having entrusted the covers of our records over the years to illustrators like Giorgio Santucci (Bonelli Editore), Arif (WORMROT) and Michele Rech (Zero Calcare).
How much has the internet helped in the band’s work? Do you rely on any music platforms?
A lot! At least for us, in organizing various international tours. We have had good experiences with YouTube and Bandcamp, a bit less with Spotify.
What is the most difficult part of being in a grindcore band?
Probably the live part, which is always quite challenging both in terms of sound and physical performance.
What was the first show you ever played?
At the Libero Pensiero Fest in Perugia (a city between Rome & Florence) on June 8, 2007.
Is there a gig you wish you had played?
Probably every edition of the Maryland Death Fest 😊
Any new bands worth mentioning?
Absolutely, here in Italy. FROM ONE DAY IN FUKUSHIMA (our new split CD with them is out now, available through RA Records / Wrong Disk) death/grind from near Naples, MISOPHONIA – harsh/noise from around Milan, and YBUTTEROY, powerviolence / fastcore from near Rome.
You just came back from UK tour. How was it? Where can people see NEID play in the future?
The UK tour went great: we received a lot of positive feedback from both the audience and merch sales, with 8 great gigs from Kent to the Midlands, passing through Wales. For the summer of 2025, we have some proposals to evaluate, meanwhile, in the immediate future, we will return to play in France (Marseille) in September.
Where do you see NEID in the next five years?
I hope we continue doing what we have always done in these almost 20 years, namely national and international tours and new records.
Top three Italian beers?
For me (Capò), definitely Ichnusa, Peroni & Moretti!
Final words or message for the fans and readers?
Thanks for reading, always support underground extreme music! And one last thing, if you want, follow us on our channels:
Bandcamp: http://neid.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/neidhc
Instagram: https://instagram.com/neid_grindcore_official/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3kPioo9cRrDrl9dsikkrVq
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/neid666vt
