INTERVIEW WITH ATROFIAMIENTO

From the cadaveric depths of the South American Underground emerge the putrid odors of ATROFIAMIENTO originating from Argentina. I have the honor of introducing you to this band that does not adapt nor intends to give up its identity, remaining faithful to its putrefied ideologies where the nauseating purposes that ATROFIAMIENTO assumed in its origins remain intact. With this interview I intend to introduce one of the most active and permanently decomposing cadaver in the Argentine Underground. I am pleased to publish this interview where he will reveal a little more about his projects and where we will be able to get to know a little better his activities with ATROFIAMIENTO, OVERLORD MAGAZINE, MIGHTY FORCES MAGAZINE, PYROMANCER RECORDS and much more. Let the funeral rituals begin where the infamous Lucas Rimaudo will expose and reveal a little more about his cadaveric activities.

C.N. - HELL-o perverted brother Lucas, I would like to welcome Atrofiamieno, a band that was born in 1995 in the deep bowels of the Argentine Grind Noise, can you tell us a little more about the origins of the band and what led you to create this band?
ATROFIAMIENTO: Hello, thank you for your interest in the band. ATROFIAMIENTO started as a project called ANTRO VAGINAL, which was meant to be two separate bands. ANTRO VAGINAL would focus entirely on Grindcore, while ATROFIAMIENTO was intended to be Death/Doom. I was born in a very small city far from Buenos Aires, and there weren't many bands around. Influenced by the underground Death Metal scene of the early '90s, I wanted to do something similar. Between 1994 and 1995, ATROFIAMIENTO began. Initially, the people involved were just friends and nothing more; they weren't truly interested in creating music long-term.

C.N. - The band has faced some difficulties since its beginnings, which have prevented it from maintaining a stable line-up. Would you like to tell us about this and what differences have caused these constant changes in line-up? Could you also introduce us to the current line-up of Atrofiamiento?
ATROFIAMIENTO: There is no formal lineup these days—just me and session musicians who help out. I've always had unstable lineups because people either didn't find this interesting or didn't take things seriously. Honestly, it doesn't bother me much, as it gives me the freedom to do whatever I want. In fact, it has helped me be more creative.

C.N. - In 1996 the band released their first demo in cassette format, which was released independently at the time and was re-released in 2014 in CD-R format by Grinder Cirujano Records, which is entitled "Primer Mutilación: La Invocación De Las Bestias". This demo was also included in the split you did with the Chilean band Human Butcher and which was released in CD format by Desagüe Anal Records. Would you like to tell us a little more about this demo?
ATROFIAMIENTO: Besides being part of ATROFIAMIENTO, I was also friends with other bands at that time. Some had a Thrash band, and they told me they'd help me develop this project. I tried and tried to make them understand my vision, but they just didn't get it. One day, we recorded the demo. Frustrated that no one understood my ideas, we made Noise instead. I didn't plan for that demo to get noticed, but the drummer made copies without my permission. Since we were the first extreme band in our town, everyone ended up knowing about ATROFIAMIENTO. Later, I moved to another city, and the demo became cult material. Years passed, and I recorded something in 2002, then again in 2008 and 2010. I was never entirely satisfied; I recorded just to keep ATROFIAMIENTO alive. In 2014, the first drummer told me, "Hey Lucas, here's the demo," as I didn't even have copies of it myself. I edited it casually, just to remember that moment in my life. Grinder Cirujano Records from Argentina decided to release it, and then I started getting requests for copies from Japan, Russia, Canada—even offers for a tour in Brazil and Chile. It surprised me. Even now, when people realize I'm the vocalist of ATROFIAMIENTO, they mention the split with Human Butcher. It makes me happy that people are as crazy as I am. All I can say is that I'm grateful to the labels and distros that keep circulating the material I release.

C.N. - Atrofiamiento also participated in the compilation "Grindkaos Vol 2" released in 2021 on cassette by Exxeso Distro. What can you tell us about this compilation?
ATROFIAMIENTO: You're asking about "Grindkaos Vol 2," released on cassette in 2021 by Exxeso Distro. Well, the guy from that label contacted me and asked if I was interested. I said yes, and it sold very well. People even wrote to me asking if I had copies, but I didn't. Still, it worked out great, and that's what's most important.

But now, everything is different. "Moribundo" represents the beginning of what I truly wanted to do from the start. It's a demo that narrates the death and agony of a person trying to escape the cemetery but failing because their flesh is rotting.

C.N. - Now talking about the sound of Atrofiamiento, which currently presents itself in a style that fits more into Old School Death Metal with a funereal atmosphere that also fits into a more Doom Metal style. How would you describe the sound of Atrofiamiento today and do you think that the constant changes in the line-up had an influence on the change from the Grind Noise that you did in the beginning to the Death Doom Metal that you do today?
ATROFIAMIENTO: In the past, I experimented more with extreme and noisy sounds. Now, I have better sonic capabilities, professional musicians, and clearer ideas. This allows me to do things much better. ATROFIAMIENTO is now Funeral-Graveyard Death/Doom. It's more theatrical, dark, and depressing, handling a concept of death that is also shocking.

C.N. - What message does Atrofiamiento intend to convey in its lyrics? Why do you express your message in Spanish?
ATROFIAMIENTO: I speak English very well; I'm a journalist and fluent in four languages: German, English, Italian, and Slovak. But I chose to do this in Spanish to make it more extravagant and unique. Words like "cemetery" or "I'm dead" sound rawer in Spanish than in English.

C.N. - I know you are also the mentor of the respected Overlord Magazine in the cadaverous Argentine underworld. Would you like to tell us a little more about this project that is faithfully dedicated to supporting the true Underground? Could you tell us a little more about this project?
ATROFIAMIENTO: As I said, I'm a journalist. I've been doing this since 1990. I'm the youngest Argentine Metal writer, as I was just 10 years old when I wrote my first piece in 1990. In 1995/96, I created this magazine, but it changed its name when I founded PYROMANCER RECORDS, which is dedicated to publishing zines and magazines. In fact, I'm about to launch MIGHTY FORCES MAGAZINE, the most US Metal '80s magazine you've ever seen, and DISEASE Zine, a gore/horror comic zine. I'm also working on other projects I can't yet mention because they involve reissues of old cult zines, translated into Spanish exclusively for Spanish speakers. I also founded DEATHROW Publications, a classic horror publishing house. With it, I'm releasing old-school photo-novels, comics, and realistic paranormal horror magazines covering occultism and Satanism. That's why Thundersteel Magazine is now called OVERLORD MAGAZINE. It's still just as cursed and focused on real Underground Metal, but with an ultra-tomb aesthetic. It will be released in both Spanish and English.

C.N. - What can we expect from Atrofiamiento? I know you're working on new songs for a split as well as your first album? What can you tell us about Atrofiamiento's plans for the future?
ATROFIAMIENTO: At the moment, I'm recording two songs for the split, with four tracks coming from ATROFIAMIENTO. I'll also release singles titled "Mazmorra" and "Estoy Muerto," with accompanying music videos. As for the album, it's in progress. I'm still working on what will be a conceptual, morbid album set in a cemetery—a dark and eerie story.

C.N. - Before closing this interview I would like to ask you how you see the Underground in Argentina today, do you think it continues to be cohesive and promising, which bands and projects do you suggest to us and which you think deserve to be highlighted for remaining faithful to the true essence of what the Underground really is.
ATROFIAMIENTO: I might not be the best person to answer this question because I've never taken Argentine Metal seriously. To me, it's boring, lacks value, and there's very little true Underground here in terms of ideas and life philosophies. The audience here is more Rockstar-oriented. True Metal is in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Colombia. Here, there are only starving people pretending to be Rockstars. I'm not interested in what's done here; my projects are focused abroad.

C.N. - We have reached the end of this interview, so I would like to leave this space open for you can talk about something relevant that has not been addressed in this interview and where you can say thank you or just tell anyone to fuck off...
ATROFIAMIENTO: Can I tell someone to go to hell? Haha! I don't waste time on stupidities. I make music and express death through my books and horror magazines. ATROFIAMIENTO is like the theater of the living dead. I'm writing two albums that will manifest this horror. I want to make tombstone-shocking vinyl and CDs—something so impactful that, just by listening, you can feel death. Thank you for your support, but above all, for staying in the Underground. We're not here for money; we're here to be true curators of the Underground. To hell with this crappy world. See you in the cemetery!