One of the best things about metal festivals is discovering new bands you’d never heard of. These days my musical tastes are pretty much all over the shop and I’m pretty content with that, but I’ve definitely always had a soft spot for thrash metal.

So I’d like to share one of the killer bands I saw at Into the Grave with y’all, and that’s Chemicide hailing from San José, Costa Rica. Having formed in 2008, their first EP Radioactive Annihilation was released in 2011, shortly followed by Episodes of Insanity, their first full-length release in 2015. 

Their latest album Common Sense debuted in 2022 and it’s groovy as fuck. You can throw this one on and thrash around the living room, hoping these guys will make it out to Australia one day. 

Of course the metal community is small, and we’re all connected somehow. I reached out to them while at the festival and got to meet Frankie, their lead vocalist and guitarist. We got chatting and it didn’t take long to realise these guys are just about to conquer Europe this July with Australia’s own thrashers, Hidden Intent for the Reverse Colonisation tour alongside UK’s Shrapnel. 

I asked Frankie if he’d be happy to answer a few questions about Chemicide’s appearance at Into the Grave, and he was more than happy to oblige! Check out the Q&A and gallery below. 

How did it feel to play your first show in Europe?

It was something that we’ve been working on for 15 years now, so it’s a dream come true for all of us. 

What was the crowd like for your set at Into the Grave vs shows back home?

Well, I would say that every country has their own style. We are an underground band coming to a whole different scene, so people might not know what to expect when they see us live, so it’s always exciting. Back home, everyone knows the band and they’ve seen us multiple times so they feel more comfortable with us singing and stage diving, so I would say that it’s about keep coming back.

You guys had a meet and greet too – what was that like to meet some of your international fans? 

That was very surreal, to be honest. We didn’t expect the warm welcome and excitement that we felt from all the people that showed up to meet us. It was very humbling for us.

What did you like most about Into the Grave Festival? 

It was such a well organized festival, everything was well planned, the staff were amazing with all of us and of course, the crowd was always on point.

Did you get to see any other bands over the weekend? 

Angelus Apatrida, Municipal Waste and Vintage Caravan were by far my favorite bands to see live.

Personal highlight of the festival? 

I think the whole experience of the festival was the highlight, just being there and enjoying the crowd and their energy.

What’s next for Chemicide? 

We’re playing more shows in Europe this summer and closing with MetalDays in Slovenia, so we’re super excited. Then we come back home and continue to tour through Latin America, while we finish writing the new album, so pretty busy for the remainder of 2023.

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