SorrowStorm is a Black metal band from Panama. Phil Diez is the main factor behind this band.

JesusMetal: What brings you in the mood for writing music and what bands have influences on SorrowStorm?

Phil: Well, I am always in the mood to write music. I always have riffs in my head... I am a moving, walking, music generator. Sorrowstorm has been influenced in the past by Arcturus, Lord Belial, Emperor, Dark Funeral, Marduk and Infernal.

JesusMetal: On the SorrowStorm homepage you said you started with SorrowStorm because you thought the Christian Black metal scene needed more strength. Do you feel you’ve achieved this or do you think you’ll need more time on this?

Phil: Oh, I have definately achieved some of this, and greatly strengthened the latin american scene, but I am just beginning. God is helping me do this all, I'm just a walking piece of flesh and bones and muscle that generates riffs and music.

JesusMetal: Now, 3 years later, christian Black metal bands are rising, some people even say there are too many and too few who
actually have potential, what are your thoughts on this?

Phil: How can there possibly be too many Christian Black metal bands? We need more, more, more, good ones. What I think you are referring to is there are a lot of ones that are mediocre, or that outnumber the Christian Death metal ones. Many of them have potential, it's just that not too many people are 100% serious about what they do, and they put other priorities above music. I even put music over dress. For a long time, I put on the same clothes every single day, because my wardrobe was composed of like 5 items. Why? because I was spending my money on pressing records. Does that make me cool? No, it just makes me Phil.

JesusMetal: SorrowStorm isn’t the first band with the idea to strengthen the Christian Black metal scene, Horde was the first Christian Black metal project releasing a full-length. What are your thoughts on the album Hellig Usvart?

Phil: It's a great and legendary album. I don't think Christians are as serious as they should about this kind of music. Many wimp out and go secular or change their style, or quit the band because of "lack of interest".

JesusMetal: You’re from Panama, while most of the Black metal comes from Scandinavia, how is the scene there and how did the people receive SorrowStorm?

Phil: The scene here is mediocre, and this is why Christian bands have the ability to outperform the secular bands. It's really really uncanny. People complained about SorrowStorm being Christian. But they received us very well. Now everyone keeps silent about our faith, or they may be out there performing voodoo rituals against us, which might explain the fact that right now, there is a floating head beside me, trying to make me shoot lightbulbs out of my fingertips. Just kidding.

JesusMetal: The EP Funeral Oath just went out of print, will there be more prints or will the people who were to late have to take enough with the mp3’s which are available on mp3.com?

Phil: They will be available only at http://www.mp3.com/sorrowstorm.

JesusMetal: Why did you choose to put the songs on mp3.com?

Phil: Much more exposure. I allow people to Pirate my music. Arrrr.

JesusMetal: With the demo Caverns of Grieve you lost money, how about Funeral Oath, are you satisfied with how it sold?

Phil: Nope. We lost money on that one too. We give away a lot of albums to poor people.

JesusMetal: You do the vocals and the drums, as Black metal drumming takes a lot of energy, how do you do that live?

Phil: It takes a lot of energy. I had trouble with it in the beginning, but now it is getting easier with time. You just have to practice like a madman.

JesusMetal: Christian Black metal bands often have trouble with satanic people saying Black metal can’t be christian, did SorrowStorm also had this trouble?

Phil: It's very annoying. I feel like throwing cold water on their faces. Yes, I've had trouble with this since I entered Christian metal. It's more annoying than having to go to college. To all you readers out there, God bless. Visit http://www.sorrowstorm.com Thank you Max!

JesusMetal: Thanks for the interview Phil