Hailing from Brazil, Torture Squad is a highly respected Death Metal band with a long and storied career. For the past eight years, the band has been enriched by the formidable talents of Mayara Puertas. Recently, Torture Squad dropped a new live album that showcases their unbridled energy and uncompromising sound. In anticipation of what’s to come, we talked with Mayara to discuss the new release and the band’s plans for the future.
Hello, Mayara. I’m happy to be talking with you. How is 2023 treating you so far?
Hello! It is a great pleasure to be here. Torture Squad is doing very well, we have a full schedule of shows until April in Brazil and planning international dates. In the second semester, we plan to release a new album.
Brilliant! You lately released a new live album ‘Tortura en La Iglesia En Vivo’. How are you feeling about the way your fans reacted to it?
It’s the first time we bring something like this with this lineup recorded at a show and released in CD format with full merch, so this made our fans very happy. The CD also has an unreleased song, a little bit of what’s to come on our new album.
What was the experience like recording a live album and how does it differ from recording in a studio?
Well… recording voices live, for example, is difficult to do when you are singing with other instruments being captured simultaneously in a concert hall… and the audience doesn’t always know that this happens when there’s a live record. But overall I like the energy of the live records as you can feel the emotion and dynamics that interact with the audience.
Can you tell us about a particularly memorable moment from the live performance that was captured on the album?
We recorded some testimonials from fans who were in line at our sold-out show, and this compilation generated an interactive clip of the song “Possessed by Horror”, and that makes it special. I really like the performance of this song live, in the studio recording (with the former vocalist) it sounds like thrash but live with my voice it comes with a style that is close to prog death metal/djent.
That’s amazing. In order to get to know you better and from a different point of view, how about playing an imagination game? I will set a scenario in an alternate universe with new rules and see how you’d react to the different situations. Ready?
I really like to play with my imagination…let’s do it!
In a universe where you are the queen of a country, what would be the first law you’d make?
Studying music in Brazil is not a reality for the unprivileged. So I think it’s a good idea to start there: free access to music education for everyone
In a universe where humans can choose either to be able to teleport from one place to another or travel back and forth in time, which superpower would you pick?
Definitely teleport! It would be a lot less tiring to tour, the most exhausting part of being on the road with a band is the long journeys…
Great thinking! In a universe where you’re the statue of liberty, what object would you be holding instead of a torch?
I would be holding a microphone and making horns with my hands! Raise your horns!
haha! Nice m/ In a universe where money does not exist, but instead, people pay for things by making other people laugh, how rich would you be considered?
I think that in my mind I already live in this world….I consider myself very rich because of the experiences that music has given me with people throughout my career and that makes me very happy.
In a universe where the senses of taste and hearing are mixed up together, what food would you imagine Torture Squad’s music would taste like?
It would taste like Pizza Marguerita, our favorite after-show food! Accompanied by a very cold Jack And Cocke!
In a universe where a theme song plays whenever you wake up announcing the start of your day, what would your song be?
“Rainbow in the dark” with all those epic strings and the voice of our king Ronnie James Dio announcing that an amazing day is about to begin!
Nice! Thank you for playing, Mayara! I hope you enjoyed this!
We live in an era where social media became essential for musicians to reach fans and promote their music. In your opinion, what are the cons and pros of social media having all that power in the music industry?
Today it’s much easier to promote your music with the help of the internet, and you can also easily find musicians who can start a project…You can study music, learn to use software, this has allowed many musicians to start their independent career. I don’t see many negative points, we live in constant adaptation, hatters can be a bit annoying, and you have to find a way to adapt without becoming hostage to the platforms or feeling pressured by them… this is a constant challenge. I like to be informed and take advantage of the best that technology has to offer to create and promote my music.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful ideas! Have you ever faced any kind of sexism in your professional or personal life? How would you deal with sexist behaviour and what advice would you give young people around the world who face any kind of discrimination?
We are in 2023 and fortunately, we live in a world that favors evolution. Today we speak openly about sexism and fight it, and it was not common years ago. I’ve faced so many bad situations, on so many levels over the years, I’d like to say “Oh that doesn’t happen anymore” but I would be lying. It happens maybe a little less, but we still deal with sexism and other horrible things like homophobia and racism within the scene. My advice is that you can use your networks and even make music to promote dialogue and create awareness in people that negative attitudes should not be tolerated.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, and thank you for giving us this interview, Mayara. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Thank you so much for inviting me to participate in this interview, and I would also like to thank the readers who voted and gave me the title of second place as the best brutal vocalist of 2022. Thank you for supporting us and believing in our work
Being a feminist has been normalized as an irregularity through our patriarchal society, so I'd rather be called a "decent human" than a "feminist man". I breathe Metal and Rock and have a screwed-up sense of humour.
