*When did you really get involved into music in general and into metal specific? Who was responsable for your interest in (metal) music?

Somehow, a tape of Metallica´s master of puppets came into my hands, I was 8, then at 13 I saw my first band at a live show, in school, heavy metal style of Rainbow, and I was learning drums, it was exciting for me, couldn´t help having goosebumps when listenning to a distorted guitar.

*Which artists or bands did influence you the most?

I would say Metallica of course, I listened to a lot of heavy metal, very fan of a band from my country, Colombia, named Kraken, and after that I just fall into the sounds of Graveworm, Dimmu Borgir, Old man´s child and the master of everything, Ihsahn, I would to mention also I spent quite long time digging System Of A Down Toxicity album, Arch Enemy´s earliest records and Death´s full discography.

*Which instrument do you play and how and when did you learn to play? Did you had lessons in school or private lessons? If so, was that because your parents expected that from you? Or did you learn to play the instruments by yourself? Do yo still follow some lessons?

I learned drums at 12, but I wanted to do so long long ago, since 5, but never got the chance, I was in piano lessons because of my mother, but I always hated groups of people, other kids were fooling around, and I got distracted. When I started studying at school, bachelor, I had the chance to learn, becuase there was an old drum, I remember it has no legs to stand, so it was just a bass drum, big ball going rounds, I learned by seeing older boys, at 16 I got my first drum teacher, he is a very friend of mine, and at 22 or so, I had some lessons with Derek Roddy in Florida for some weeks. I still follow some lessons, I play guitar, piano, bass, oboe, I am music teacher now.

*Do you follow other or are you interested in other styles of music beside metal? If so, what is the music you prefer to listen to?

Absolutely, I love classic music, Beethoven, Bach, I like jazz, Miles davis, Chick Corea, and I am very fan of 80´s rock (adult oriented rock), bands like FM, Bad English, Aviator, many more.

*Is music a full time job for you now or do you have a job beside music? If so, what kind of job are you doing? If you would be really succesful with music, would you quit your other job?

I have done many things before, I have worked as a waiter, help kitchen, construction, busboy. But I work as a music teacher in a Foundation for kids, drugs prevention and stuff, I do some music therapy related.

*If you could start a band with other musicians on other instruments, which artist would you pick for wich instrument and why? (Something Like an “All Stars Band”.) Would you still go for a blackened melodic death metal band? Or would you do something completely different?

I think I will still do death metal, maybe playing drums, but I will play with my friends Juan and Alex, we did our first rehearsals together, it was very fun, sometimes you commit and plan to do so many things, that you forget to enjoy it.

*If you had been banned to an uninhabited island and you may pick 5 albums to listen to, wich albums would you choose and why?

I will have to pick ‘Losing You’ by Joe Lynn Turner, ‘Master Of puppets’ (Metallica), ‘Death Cult Armagedon’ (Dimmu Borgir), ‘Spiritual Healing’ (Death) and ‘Universo Inverso’ by Kiko Loureiro, ahhh, I will loss some good records, but those five are fine for me on an island.

*Every new album (or ep) of a band or an artist is the best one, that’s what they always say. So here is a chance to promote the album. Why should a music lover buy your album? What are the standout tracks for you on this new album and why?

Well, sometimes artists, they develop a lot of variations and thru that, they change their interests, sometimes they reach their best record and then just try to do something different, for me, this album is what I have been trying to do since I was 15, it has a pre paration, and a very suffered history, transition, melodic death metal from the 90´s many think its in the past, but I think there are things, we can still explore with death metal, I recommend the tracks ‘The Red Door’, ‘The Adverse Side’ and ‘She The Void’ all three different songs with the same vein of Eshtadur. I have always feel depressed when something great disappears, for instance, the weird and underground food that somehow is delicious but then they decide to make it viral, so they modify everything in order to be good for a mayority of people, I think, if you like music, exclusive music, you will find this album enjoyable.

– See “CD-Review” for a review (written in Dutch) for the new Eshtadur album ‘From The Abyss’ (Blood Blast Distribution) –

*I suppose you will promote this album through live concerts (when of course everyting is getting back to “normal” after the Covid 19 disaster). If so, would you prefer small clubs or big festivals? And is there a chance we can see Eshtadur in Belgium?

We have played many club shows, and we love them because of the mystic with people, you can engage with everyone and its so exclusive, it is great for me, however, we have done 2 or 3 big festivals, I really would like to play for a huge crowd, to feel that immense thrill, I dream with that. And, Belgium seems to be for me a beautiful land, I have visited and played in Gent, very nice people, it was a very fun night, so I will definitely want to come back.