Interview Phantom

J.C García, the guitarist, and vocalist of PHANTOM, shares insights into the band's debut album, 'Handed to Execution.' From studio choices to influences, challenges, and celebrations, discover the sonic journey behind their old-school steel unleashed on October 27, 2023.

1. Congratulations on the release of your debut album, " Handed to Execution "! How does it feel to finally have your music out there for the world to hear?

Hi man!! Thanks a lot! Well, we’re stoked about it, we FINALLY did it!! 

2. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the title " Handed to Execution "? What does it represent for the band and the overall theme of the album?

Well, it’s one of the most violent songs we have, so we just thought that the name was fitting as a title for the first record because it’s all the band’s vibe put in words, a sonic, sharp, loud and raw execution 

3. The album was recorded at Nehtron Studios and produced by the band. How did the choice of studio and the hands-on approach to production contribute to the sound and vibe of " Handed to Execution "?

Well, we choose this studio first of all because of the price, we are all very young guys and we can’t afford something really fancy for the moment, but still that’s alright because we didn’t want anything over produced, we were looking for a very 80’s classic thrash sound and vibe and i think we got it!! Also the studio guy, Hector is a really experienced and cool guy who knows how to work professionally, he makes it seem so easy when what he is pulling off it’s an immense task.

4. " Handed to Execution " features 9 tracks of old school steel that are fast, loud, and lethal. What specific influences or bands inspired the sound of this album, and how did you bring your own unique twist to it?  

Our main inspirations for the music we make are the classics and gods from the golden era like Motörhead, Venom, Kreator, Razor, Sepultura, Sodom, etc, we were a speed metal only band at first but as we were writing the stuff for the album we just made a mix of all the stuff we like!! Metalpunk, Deathrash, and speed metal all combined in one record. A love letter to the ages of glory of Metal music. Our twist to it is precisely this mix we do! Most bands just stick to one subgenre but in this frankenstein you find a 300 miles per hour deathrash song and then something that sounds like Running Wild the next one, i think that could help us to don’t get stuck and overall to have more creative freedom but still keeping it old school.

5. The recording process spanned from May 2023 to October 2023. Can you share any memorable moments or challenges you faced during the creation of the album?

The whole process was a challenge because it was our first time making an album and recording professionally, we’re all teenagers so it was expensive, we’re still in school so also finding time could be considered a bit of a pain in the ass, and also accidents, Harel hurt his shoulder really bad in the middle of the year when we were still working on this, so i had to multitask and get the job done for all the guitars and even some bass tracks we didn’t have the chance to finish properly on rehearsals, we practically went on hiatus and i just went for it solo to be able to finally achieve releasing our album.

6. Hector Northen handled the engineering, mixing, and mastering of " Handed to Execution ." How did working with him contribute to achieving the sonic intensity and quality you were aiming for? 

Hector is an absolutely great guy and he knows what he is doing, we directed the sound and idea of what we were aiming for and he nailed it, he helped us achieve exactly the “”aura”” we wanted for the album relatively easily, he has years of experience backing him up and he was the best guy we could have hired to do the job. 

7. The album was released on October 27, 2023. What was the significance of this date, and how did you celebrate the official launch of " Handed to Execution "?

We released it on the 27th because it was near Halloween BUT NOT exactly in Halloween because that day was gonna be packed with releases by other bands, and we celebrated the release with a party at my house! There was even a slam pit in my garden hahaha.

8. For fans who haven't listened yet, what can they expect from the overall experience of " Handed to Execution "? How would you describe the journey or emotions they might go through while listening? 

Total Death, neck pain, maybe nostalgia. 

9.  How has the band evolved since its formation, and what do you hope listeners take away from the progression showcased in this debut album? 

Well, i started the idea when i was like 15, I had always wanted to play in a metal band so i just went for it, called a few friends, somehow got it together without knowing a lot about writing, rehearsed and managed to make the first songs for a whooooole year, then finally starting getting more serious after our first demo release “Hellspeed Death”, from then on we changed our bassist, started rehearsing more, played some GREAT shows packed with people, and when we saw the reactions we started with the album right away. Now that it’s out we are even more surprised with the reach it had in just a few weeks! We’re very happy, and we’ll keep delivering.

10. With " Handed to Execution l" now out, what's next for PHANTOM? Any upcoming shows, tours, or new projects on the horizon that fans can look forward to?

We are getting ready to unleash our music live next year after months of not being able to play because our other guitarist Harel broke his shoulder, i (J.C) finished most of the guitars both lead and rythm on the album, thankfully he has recovered and he’s ready to play live again!! We’d like to start touring next year (we’ll see how that goes…) Hopefully keep making new music and spreading around the material that’s already out!!

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