INTERVIEW: Don Melanzani – Insanity Alert

If you’re a thrash fan, then chances are you’re familiar with the ridiculousness of INSANITY ALERT. The Austrian four piece are going on a crazy run of excellent shows and are also hot on the heels of their new record 666-Pack, so we decided to sit down with drummer Don Melanzani of INSANITY ALERT to find out about the parties that formed the band and also the importance of silliness. 

How was the writing process for the new album? 

Don: It was very good and fun, Dave (guit.) came up with a lot of riffs and ideas, we put them together with my drumming ideas and created most of music. Then Hevy Kevy came up with crazy ideas and lyrics. Lot’s of fun, tons of beer….

What is your favourite track off the new album? 

Don: Puh, hard to say, Why So Beerious and The Body Of The Christ Is The Parasite.

What is about thrash metal that made you fall in love with it? 

Don: METALLICA, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and SLAYER! The ‘fuck off we don’t care-attitude’ of their early records totally got me, musically and lyrically.

What is the closest thing to thrash perfection? 

Don: To me: METALLICA – Ride The Lightening. Aggressive, fast, offers a lot of variation, great voice, remarkable sound.

What is the best party INANITY ALERT have ever been too? 

Don: I don’t remember THE best party, cause we really have a many great parties after the shows with crazy maniacs. But we had wild parties before the band started, when we met and changed ideas about playing together and starting INSANITY ALERT, very important parties!

What is the best show INSANITY ALERT have ever played? 

Don: Hellfest 2017 – Warzone Stage, around noon, playing for 10,000 people, huge circle pits. great after party, great festival. So happy to return to Hellfest this year (playing on the Main Stage with so many great bands – crazy).

Is there ever the urge to take the band a bit more seriously? Or is it all party all the time? 

Don: The concept was just to play some music, to party and to have fun. INSANITY ALERT is about celebrating the positive parts of insanity and this comes together when we play a live show: it’s about playing loud, heavy and aggressive music as well as honouring the joy of stupidity. We like to make people headbanging and laughing at the same time. The world is very serious, we need and like (more) stupid jokes and heavy sound.

What does 2019 have in store for INSANITY ALERT? 

Don: First the new record 666-Pack will be out on Jan. 25th via Seasons Of Mist, really excited about it! one week later we’ll start playing headlining shows and big festivals in Europe. Hellfest, Obscene Extreme, Dokk’em Open Air, Jera On Air and many more to be affirmed! We also hope to return to the UK soon, had a fantastic show at Damnation Festival last year!!

What do you prefer, American shows or European shows?

Don: Unfortunately we haven’t played in America so for now the answer is European Shows! But we are absolutely ready to play on different Continents – Japan, America, let’s see what’s gonna happen in the near future!

66-pack is out now via Season of Mist. 

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