Merel Bechtold is the lead guitar player and founder of Purest of Pain, a death metal band from Hilversum, Netherlands. Since the release of their 2011 EP, Revelations in Obscurity, Purest of Pain has played many high profile shows, festivals, and awards events in the Netherlands, and their bright future has more in store for them, including a headlining tour in France this October, 2012. We are stoked to interview Merel for QueensOfMetal.com!
QueensOfMetal.com: Purest of Pain has been together since 2008. How did it form? Merel Bechtold: Well, I founded the band in 2008, but the real Purest of Pain in its current lineup was formed in August 2010. We have had a few lineup changes and got rid of the old songs. Purest of Pain was reborn.
QueensOfMetal.com: Purest of Pain has been nominated for and won awards in the Netherlands, including a nomination for Best Live Act Award by 3voor12, Gooise Goden, and Clash of the Titans 2nd place winner. Can you tell us about these experiences? Merel Bechtold: Our first show with the ‘new’ Purest of Pain was at the Gooise Goden, a local band competition, in September 2010. We won out of 5 bands which was a great and very encouraging start for us. It was a sold out show in a pretty big venue! Then we participated in the Clash of the Titans during the winter of 2011. It was competition between 60 bands, none of which were metal bands. It were all great bands in this competition though. At the finale, sold out also, we ended second, because the other band made lovely indie rock which of course is ‘better’ than metal music, haha. Although we were a bit disappointed, we received great reactions. In May we struck again in our home town and won the ‘Grand Finale’ of Gooise Goden. In the period of autumn/winter 2010 and spring 2011 we have played many shows. Mostly with other small bands, but it was a good way to get some stage-experience. Then, in August, we played our first really big show with Unearth, Evergreen Terrace, Bane and Nasty. From that moment on it really started rolling. We played Occultfest with Onslaught (UK) and a support show for Torture Squad (BR). In December we got an e-mail that we were nominated for the 3VOOR12 Award ‘Best Live Act’. In the Netherlands that’s one of the biggest platforms for music journalism and criticism, so that is something we are very proud of.
A young musician from Madison, Wisconsin, Sarah Longfield has two self-recorded albums out and a hefty internet following. Here is a playthrough of a song from The Fine Constant‘s new album. Enjoy! \m/
So after taking my sweet time to edit Emi’s footage of my interview with physiotherapist Grace Cheung, it’s finally here: 4 videos, about 5 minutes each, on how to take care of your body while playing guitar. (Actually, I have 3 metal projects and a life, so it was more about cramming it in somewhere between practicing and work. Sweet time? what sweet time?!).
But I learned some basic video editing in the process, got to write some fun riffs and try my hand at programming some drums, and after listening to Grace promote stopping and stretching over and over and over, I’m pretty sure I’ll never have a repetitive strain injury again. Which is why I wanted to make this — (did I mention that?) Fast thrash-riff-picking-induced constant pain sucks!! I hope you never have it. If you follow Grace’s advice, you may be in the clear from that little piece of hell.
