Interviews

Interviews: Puya

Puya are undeniably one of the best bands to hit the American heavy metal scene in quite some time. The band's mixture of Caribbean sounds intorwoven with the metal style have won crowds over around the world. LochNessPimPster recently got the chance to talk with drummer Eduardo Paniagua about the band's latest album, Union. Paniagua discussed the new album, as well as their recent album success and even a situation that occured between a porn magazine centerfold and their percussionist while on the Evolution of Revolution tour with Fear Factory.

Smother: This question may seem a bit dated, but for those who haven't been able to keep up with everything that has happened with Puya, what has the band been up to the last couple of years, how has it been both off the road and in the studio since releasing Fundamental?

Eduardo Paniagua: Well, We've been touring relentlessly since Fundamental came out. We did tours such as OzzFest 99, the South American leg of the Californication tour with the Chili Peppers, Iron Maiden, Snow Core 2000, Sepultura, Type O Negative, Watcha tour, and the list goes on. We also recoded a new cd called UNION with producers GGGarth Richardson and Andrew Mudrock. This is our latest record. We invested a lot of time and hard work into this record and we are very proud of it. It is the best representation up to date of what the band is live.

Smother: Union seems more "Americanized" than Fundamental, yet also manages to hold the strong Caribbean sound that has become the signature Puya style. When the band started working on the album, what was the mindset? What did you want to accomplish with Union that would set it apart from Puya's earlier material?

Eduardo: As far as the English, it was something we always wanted to do. Before Fundamental we had a bunch of English songs but somehow very little of it made it to that cd not necessarily the band's choice but there were to many cooks in the kitchen if you know what i mean. Going to record UNION we had Fundamental under our belt and we were more focused and we knew what we wanted to get out it. Also we coproduced this record. This gave us more power in the decision making process. This is all we wanted. Sounds a lot heavier and we explored more with the percussion as opposed to the horns like in Fundamental. Don't get me wrong, we love Fundamental and Gustavo Santaolaya is a really good producer but UNION is just a better representation of who we are as a band and what we sound like at a live show.

Smother: Union entered the Billboard Hard Rock charts at #10, becoming the highest Latin debut ever. What was that like, to see the album have such an impact?

Eduardo: We were really surprised by that but then again we worked so hard on that record that all the recognition that it is getting is well deserved. We have been a band for eleven years now and we have been through it all. That is our biggest accomplishment. Standing the test of time and just beating any obstacle that gets on the way. We are hard-headed like that and we dont like people telling us, you can't do this or you can't do that just because it has never been done before.

Smother: You've been on the road with Fear Factory for the last couple of weeks, how have the crowds treated you? Any humorous stories from the road?

Eduardo: The shows with Fear Factory have been really good so far. We are big fans of them and i think the feeling is mutual. Most of the venues, we have played before, but we are going to a lot of new places which is always good. We've had a lot of fun so far and we have another month to go until August 6. This is the first time we shared the stage with Primer 55 and Dry Kill Logic which are two great bands and a lot of fun to tour with. The other day some chick came to us with a porn magazine claming she was the girl on the center fold, when we looked at the picture and then looked at her it was pretty obvious it wasn't her or if it was, then computers have come along way. Anyway, she wanted us to sign her picture so we did and sure enough i saw her the next morning coming out of our percussion player's room with cab fare. If it was her or not it will always remain a mystery but at least our 20 year old percussionist had his little fantasy for one night and has a story to tell his friends back home.

Smother: Listening to Puya's records, one gets the sense that there is a genuine musical appreciation amongst all four members, something that you don't hear on a lot of the albums released lately. What drives the band to perform and thicken this trademark sound?

Eduardo: Just the love and passion for music. This has been our whole lives since we were very young and it's all we know. We grew up listening to bands like Sepultura, AC/DC, old Van Halen, Jimmy Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Pantera, SOD, Kiss, Rush, The Police etc. So it's really a wide range of music and we appreciate it all as long as it's done with integrity and genuinely from the heart.

Smother: Over the past few years America has been consumed by the spreading Latin sound, which Puya seem to get lumped into although you have been around for years now. Have you noticed a more wide spread acceptance to Puya's music in the US due to this sudden rebirth of music, or have the crowds always stuck along with the group?

Eduardo: We have been very blessed with the opportunities that we have been granted and we always stayed true to what we do. I think this reflects on the people that see us live or listen to our music. We embrace and appreciate every single opportunity and every single fan that we have and I think they know that by now. They are all that we have and they mean everything to us. As long as they appreciate what we do we'll keep doing the best music we can come up with.

Smother: Who did the artwork for Union? The cover certainly stands out from other albums on store shelves. What does the artwork represent, or is it just for visual effect?

Eduardo: The image in the middle is a type of sea urchin common in Puerto Rico, in Spanish it is called "erizo" like the 3rd track on the cd. As you can see it is full of sharp points which is one of the meanings for PUYA and they all unify on the center of it. The blurry picture behind it is a little town called La Perla in old San Juan. One of the oldest and most classic spots on the island. Besides this we thought UNION was the prfect title for this cd because it's the same in English and Spanish and this record having more English it represents the union of these two worlds. And this is only the tip of the iceberg as far as the meaning of this cover. You really have to absorb it and listen to the songs and the lyrics to really get it. It has a perfect relationship with the contents of the record.

Smother: What newer bands on the scene would you like to play some shows with, or do you follow modern music? I know Nonpoint have mentioned they consider you to be inspirations and would love to have the chance to tour alongside the band, how's it feel to know there are bands out there that admire Puya and are influenced by your work?

Eduardo: It is an honor and yes we follow a lot of the new bands such as Nonpoint which are old friends of ours and bands like System of a Down, Slipknot, 40 Below Summer, Hed pe, etc.

Smother: What is currently in your cd player?

Eduardo: Hatebreed, one of the best bands in the world as far as i'm concerned. And definitly the hardest working band out there. A lot of fun to tour with too.

Smother: If you met a fan who introduced himself as "Carbomb" what would your reaction be?

Eduardo: I've heard a lot weirder things than that, in fact Carbomb is pretty normal. As long as he did not earn his name according to his farts.

Official Puya Website: www.puya.net