Interview: Suzie Kyuss (Denial of Death)

For our readers who like extreme metal you will definitely like this interview. My guest is, in fact, an outstanding artist and guitarist, Suzie, from the band Denial of Death.

Hello Susi, how are you doing at the moment?

Hey, thanks for asking. I’ve got a lot going on at the moment; professionally, privately but that’s adult life 😉

You’re fresh of your latest release, “A Failed Exorcism”: how has the audience and the press welcomed you and this record of Denial of Death?

Denial of Death has a massive fan base in Brazil and arguably Latin America in general. For me, as a German, it’s pretty exciting to get to know the metal scene in other cultures. I personally have the feeling that the subculture is much more lively and intense there; in Germany, people are often a bit snobbish and way more conformist. You cannot shock people anymore with black leather jackets and black hair. 😉 For my participation as part of the live band, I actually only got positive feedback, which I’m very happy about.

Has there been a real-life situation that inspired any of your solos or melodies from “A Failed Exorcism”?

To be honest, I haven’t personally participated in any of the band’s recordings before. I only got to know Glauber Ataide, aka Haereticus, when he had already recorded a lot. Everything musical on the records comes mostly from Haereticus himself. I joined the band mainly for live performances, but who knows what releases are coming up in the near future?

Will you go on tour or play some shows to promote your newest record?

Live performances are definitely being planned in the foreseeable future, but we still need a few band rehearsals as a full band 😉

Awesome! Over the years, how has your practice technique changed?

Oh, that’s my sore point. I should be a lot better for the time I’ve been playing the guitar. However, I never had the motivation for crazy shredder solos, FuzionJazz riffs or ultra-complex licks because this kind of playing never appealed to me emotionally or even touched me. Of course, blunt practice is even more difficult. In the way I move, I’m probably quite good 😀

Did the pandemic affect your work as an artist?

Actually, even positive. I had a lot of time to finally find my personal touch and find out in which genres I feel musically comfortable. I don’t have to prove myself or play anything hot or trendy, just focus on what I really feel.

I’m sure that being a performer is very rewarding. Can you share with us the best feedback you’ve gotten?

Honestly, I don’t get that much feedback. This is probably due to my scowl and generally cooler demeanour, which can be off-putting. A few years ago, a full pro told me that my guitar playing was very hypnotic and unpredictable. I actually remembered that.

Is being a woman in metal more straightforward or challenging?

In times of social media, you see so many women in metal that you would never have heard of 10 years ago due to a lack of attention. I think this number has always existed; only the wide range was missing. Personally, I have never had the experience of being treated worse or better because of my gender. However, I tend to put pressure on myself to be able to play appropriately for a woman. Unfortunately, I only have the impression that you have to play flawlessly nowadays and look as perfect as possible, like a “Metal Barbie”, to get real attention.

Let’s play a little game: what mythical creature would improve the world most if it existed?

Tom Bombadil 🙂

Amen to that! Thank you so much, Susi, for taking the time to do this interview! Is there anything else you’d like to add to FemMetal’s readers?

I have to thank you for your interest 🙂