AFTER FOREVER - Sander Gommans (Guitarist) ( 9 September 2006 )
(Interviewer: Suzanne Smaling (www.rockpics.nl), Wamel, The Netherlands)
After the After Forever gig at the Appelpop festival on 8th and 9th September (After Forever played the 9th) I had the chance to interview Sander Gommans of After Forever. I talked with him about the gig, the new CD, about record companies, their Drummer André Borgman etc.
Enjoy reading!
SUZANNE: First of all I want to say that the gig was absolutely awesome!! It was a very good show.
SANDER: Yes, thank you, it really was a great gig.
SUZANNE: How was it for you guys to play here on Appelpop after a couple of years?
SANDER: It was very cool. Currently we are busy in the studio, a complete different world. We are busy with complete different things. Then you don't have any idea where you come and what you can expect. I didn't expect that it would be this big! That is a big surprise. So it was really, really cool!
SUZANNE: The last months/year a lot of things happened in the After Forever camp, you've been through a lot, drummer André Borgman was very ill, you left the record company 'Transmission', how is André doing and of course the rest of you?
SANDER: André is doing very well, as you have seen and heard on stage. He is practically all better and I think that especially André gave everything a very positive turnaround. And I think that you can hear that too. Because we also could leave our old label. We are all very positive about the future and I think that we all are stronger then ever!
SUZANNE: You just started recording in the studio, with producer Gordon Groothedde, how is it going??
SANDER: Good, at this moment we have the drums on tape. And, we had a very good pre-production and we worked out everything very detailed.
And, yes, I think that you can hear and see it too on stage. Because I hear old elements, new elements. I hear everything! Everything sounds like it should sound. You will hear a very enthusiastic band.
SUZANNE: Yes, I noticed it during the show too. You all are very enthusiastic on stage!
SANDER: That is absolutely right.
SUZANNE: Can you already tell us something about the new songs?
SANDER: Yes, the new songs will, of course, link up with what the fans are used to hear from us. But we also want to let everyone hear something new, nothing will always be the same. There will always be a difference. And I think it will be especially cool to hear us with the orchestra, you will hear a special orchestra. A big orchestra this time, but the other elements will sound different this time, and it will sound different in the way of sounding extremer. I think that that was a very clear choice of us and thereby you hear some very, very modern elements. So I think that it will be a surprise for everyone, but on the other side also very recognizable. But you will definitely hear it when the time is right.
SUZANNE: Once in a week you post a short movie on the website to keep the fans updated with the things you are doing. These movies are recorded by the whole band and edited by you. I think that is a nice initiative. What kind of reactions do you get from fans?
SANDER: We are currently going to a complete new process, because since we have left are label, we are allowed to do these things! As a band we always wanted to do such things. But just weren't allowed to do it and I think that it is completely normal that you try to involve your fans by what you are doing. Fans are a part of the band. A band can not exist without his fans. And that is why we really would like to show these things to our fans. The fans are curious of what they will hear and I'm curious to their reactions. That is an interaction.
SUZANNE: But the reactions are very good?
SANDER: Yes, the reactions are very good, I didn't receive even one negative reaction.
SUZANNE: I understand from your story that the whole band is happy that you left 'Transmission', can I say that?
SANDER: Yes.
SUZANNE: Currently the band is searching for a new record company, in which phase are you guys with that at this moment?
SANDER: Let me put it in this way, we received several offers, so we are actually in a very luxurious position and that is very cool! Now that we have left the old label we notice that there are much more labels who are interested and that is really awesome.
But that is also pretty striking, because we are already recording in the studio, but we didn't made a decision yet. We really want to make a good decision and that needs time.
SUZANNE: I'm very curious which record company you will choose.
SANDER: Yes, so am I!
SUZANNE: You had a fanmeet in Heerlen (The Netherlands) in the summer after a gig. Floor (Jansen, vocals) & Joost (van den Broek, piano/keyboards) played some acoustic songs. How was this evening for the band? Was it a special experience?
SANDER: Well, to be honest I have to say that I wasn't there. Because during the gig before that everything went wrong. And at the end of the gig I just played a couple of songs because of all the trouble. And that was really annoying, so I decided to not go there. But I know that the rest of the band really liked it and that we want to do this more often. But to organize, that really everyone can come, is pretty difficult. But we really want to do this more often.
SUZANNE: In October you're going to South-America for a short tour, this must be very special for you all. Are you more famous there then here The Netherlands? And how is the vibe there?
SANDER: I think that we, you have to see this way, we are as famous here as over there, but much more people inhabit South-America. People over there are so enthusiastic and they really live for the music and then you really have an over-enthusiastic audience.
That just gives us a huge kick!! Standing there in front of all that over-enthusiastic audience. Before we arrive at the gig, we have to make a detour and you drive through an incredibly excited crowd before you get there. And then you feel, for some reason, a bit special. It is very cool and awesome and fun but I'm always happy to go home again.
SUZANNE: Well today it was a bit the same. Lots of people came especially for After Forever. I was here last night too and the tent were you played hasn't been as full as during your gig this afternoon.
SANDER: That is very good to hear, really awesome!! I hoped a little that it would be like that. Because the numbers of Metal shirts walking around here is very big!! But it is really cool to hear!!
SUZANNE: After Forever is playing on just about all big festival in The Netherlands and Europe, you're playing in all big and smaller venues in The Netherlands and abroad, you're touring South-America, supported f.e. Nightwish. What has been the most special gig so far and why?
SANDER: Pffff…. That is hard to say. Because it depends mostly on the fact of how the gig is going. Will you play in Ahoy' (Rotterdam, The Netherlands), but the sound is terrible or you're having musical problems, then it sucks and it will not be a special gig. But when we play in a little venue were you can barely put in 200 people and you are playing the stars from heaven and everything is going like it should be going then I like that gig much mire then the Ahoy' gig. It is just very hard to pick one gig.
SUZANNE: But, if you are still to name one?
SANDER: That is really hard to say! I don't know. There are more gigs that went just really good. But a very special gig was last year on 'Fields of Rock' (festival, 18-06-2006, Nijmegen, The Netherlands), that was the first gig with André joining us after his hospital- and recovery period. So yeah, that was for me a very special gig.
SUZANNE: What is the planning for the next following months/year? What can we expect from After Forever?
SANDER: I think that you can expect a band who decided to go for the music. And we really want to go and tour a lot! We want to go for music for the full 100%! And you will see that on our website, during the gigs, you will see it in us, the music etc. In everything you will notice that we are going for the full 1000%. And it is going to be amazing.
SUZANNE: Can you already say roughly when you are expecting the release of the new CD?
SANDER: No, not really. As said before we don't have a label yet. So the CD will be completely finished before we can release it. But I think that you have to count on March/April 2007.
SUZANNE: Is there anything that you would like say or add to this interview?
SANDER: Thanks for the interview!! I really had the idea that the fans felt that this would be the last gig before the studio period, and that we and the fans wanted to go for it just one more time for the full 100%. And then wait for the new period. It was just so cool.
SUZANNE: Thank you very much for your time and I wish you a lot of success in the future!
SANDER: Thank you very much to you too, really cool!
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AGENT STEEL - Bruce Hall (vocals) & Juan Garcia (guitar) ( 11 March 2005 )
(Interviewer: Stan Efraimov, New York, USA)
STAN: Bruce, how are you and how have you been?
BRUCE: I'm well. I decided to clean up my lifestyle and start excercising and
taking my instrument more seriously and it's working out very well. I
feel good, have more stamina, and have lost a ton of weight; 60 pounds
at last count. I am at a very comfortable 180 lbs. now at I feel
really good.
STAN: Juan, how have you been lately?
JUAN: I've been good; a bit busy but staying focused and preparing for the upcoming AGENT STEEL tour which begins in a few weeks; getting my guitars, and gear ready for the metal attack!!!
STAN: Bruce, how was the response to your performance at Blue Meannie Records
in El Cajon?
BRUCE: It's was fun. We were a bit rough around the edges for sure but the
energy carried us over the mistakes very well. George Robb from the
Skeptics days joined us on stage for Agents and he kicked ass. As
usual, all Agent Steel shows are full of energy. I don't know if we've
ever been perfect but we're always full of juice and power. That's
what Agent Steel live is all about, energy, passion and enthusiasm. We've
all dedicated our lives to playing music and we do it with all the
heart in the world. We are very sincere.
STAN: Juan, you mentioned that you enjoy listening to new bands such as Chimaira. Do you get influenced by bands like these to write similar music for Agent Steel?
JUAN: I like listening to new bands to see what is going on with the metal scene; and also because I am a metal fan as well, but as far as being influenced and writing similar type music for Agent Steel; I don't think it would work out; We have our own style and we'd like to keep it that way.
STAN: Bruce, I understand you knew Bernie Versye for a while before you got the
job to sing for Agent Steel. Did you work with him on any projects before?
BRUCE: Yeah, after he left AS back in 1987 we played together in a band named
Sybil. It was named after the schizophrenic character from the book
because we couldn't decide what we wanted to be. We had a lot of
different styles and ideas happening. Unfortunately, probably due to
lack of a concrete direction, we never made it out of rehearsal. The
main riff from Destroy The Hush was a Sybil song.
STAN: What is the current status on your new album? How many tracks will be on it and how much of it have you recorded so far?
JUAN: All the songs to the new album have been written as of December, 2004; all together there are 10-11 songs ready to go. We had to take a brake from writing to prepare for our upcoming tour which will be promoting the "live @ Dynamo Open Air" DVD. After the tour we will review the songs and rehearse and do some pre-production before recording the new album.
BRUCE: It's basically finished being written. I still have a few verses to
finish but its essentially done. When we get home from the tour we'll
start pre-production and then get into the studio as soon as possible.
I hope we can get it out by the fall.
STAN: Is Bernie handling production duties on the new record?
JUAN: We have not finalized who will produce the new album; although Bernie did an amazing job on "Order of the illuminati". We still need to go over details and find out what we are going to do for the new album.
STAN: Will you decide to have 2 covers made for the new album, just like with Order of the Illuminati?
JUAN: I think it would be a good idea to have 2 different covers again; but this time I think the covers will be more similar in styles and theme; what happened on "order of the illuminati" was that the European distributors wanted something more interesting and the original cover was more plain, so we went with different cover for Europe and decided to keep the original cover artwork for the U.S. release, but for the new album I think it will be 2 different covers but real similar; just minor detail changes.
STAN:Bruce, tell us about your previous band. I heard that you played a
similar style to Pantera.
BRUCE: My last band was often compared to Pantera but it wasn't particularly
intentional. We were around in the very early 90's breaking past what
metal had commonly become. We didn't want to be aggressive just for
the sake of aggression because we wanted to have songs that were memorable
but at the same time we were very anti-glam, anti-establishment,
anti-everything. Because we were a metal band with a punk rock
attitude and a bald headed singer we were labeled as similar to Pantera but the
truth is we were both out there doing the same thing at the same time.
They got famous and we made a lot of enemies in record companies.:)
After 5 years of sold out shows and lots of local acclaim but no major
record deal the band fell apart. Shame because we had something very
special that anyone who ever saw us would acknowledge. My big mistake
was talking too much shit about corporate America and record companies.
It cost us our future because we were unwilling to play games and suck
ass.
STAN: Bruce, here's a curious question: Have you ever met John Cyriis?
BRUCE: I met John at an after party in the Reseda neighborhood where the
Country Club was back in 1985. We talked for quite a while about weird
shit while all these other dudes were trying to pick up chicks.
Perfect when ya think about it. Two dorks wasting their time talking about
spaceships and armageddon when we could have been getting laid. Never
again did I come across him but my experience was positive. I'm glad
that he has heartily endorsed our version of his band. Like I
mentioned earlier, we are very sincere and maintaining the integrity of the band
and concept is paramount. I think, ultimately, when it was all said
and done, he understood we mean well and that we aren't in this money or
some ulterior motive. We'd be retarded if we were.:)
STAN: Juan, everyone wants to know what happened to John Cyriis. Last we heard, he had a band called Stellar Seed. I heard a sound clip of one of the songs, ''Godz of Men'' which sounded pretty good. The band's [cryptic] website has disappeared. Do you still keep in contact with him and is Stellar Seed active?
JUAN: John Cyriis is a very private person and we have ultimate respect for him and his family and his projects/workings. Me and John have communicated and everything is on the positive and he endorses what we are currently doing. I have no further details; we've talked and things are good; which I am thankful for.
STAN: ''Order of the Illuminati'' was such an outstanding album. It's a
half-concept album which speaks about a group, the Illuminati, who
are said to want total control of our planet. It is very original of
bands to talk about this stuff, seeing as how most take the ''death and
destruction'' path. When did you first get interested about the
Illuminati and related topics?
BRUCE: I've been curious about the manipulation of humankind since I was a
teenager. I felt like we barely had control over our thoughts because
of advertising, money and religion. When I became aware of The
Illuminati about 12 years ago it all clicked and I realized there
really was a machine behind all these coercive agents. The only way they can
be defeated is through acknowledging their existence. Their power is
directly tied to their secrecy.
STAN: I'd like to ask if you can tell me what is the story behind the
song, ''Human Bullet''? My guess that it's maybe ...mind control (?)
BRUCE: Absolutely. It's all about using the mind through hypnosis and
installing triggers activated by either, audibly, with words or,
visulally, using symbols. These experiments have been occuring for the
last 50 years. The actual idea for the song came from a very cool (and
I know this is hard to believe because about half his books are crap)
Dean Koontz book called Night Chills. That and Dark Rivers Of The
Heart are two books all fans of our band should check out. Since they are
"fiction" they are pretty easy to read and digest as opposed to some of
the manuals I've recommended and they'll really get you started
thinking about the resources those in control have and the frightening
possibilities.
STAN:Some of your lyrics are influenced by David Icke. Do you like to
read his books to gather information for your lyrics, or do you come
up with your own concepts and ideas?
BRUCE: I definitely appreciate David Icke. A lot of people think he is nuts
to the point of hatred but I think that is to be expected when you are
dealing with such radical thoughts. People hate to accept the
possibility that they are sheep, that there is an elite group on earth
manipulating us all. It's hard to swallow. My own concepts are
certainly more fictional, like taking Arthur C Clarke's idea of
igniting Jupiter, twisting it, and using the new sun as a symbol for a world
leader like we did with the first half of OOTI. For the most part I
don't want to spend my voice on pointlessness. There are many fine
people who are working very hard for your freedom like Icke, William
Bramley, Jim Marrs, Alex Jones. Zecharia Sitchin and many many others.
They are doing the work and finding answers. I am just using my voice
to get their conclusions heard by more people. That is my small
contribution.
STAN: On the next album, will you discuss more about them
[Illuminati] and go even more into detail, or will we expect
something different this time? And do you have an album title that you are
thinking about?
BRUCE: There's a little bit more alien influence in the new lyrics because
Niburu's prophecized return is imminent. If you're unfamiliar with the
concept do a quick search for Niburu and Planet X on the internet and
read Sitchin's The 12th Planet and Earth Chronicles for more
information. There are still a few songs about the New World Order but
I see them as directly tied to the whole idea of the Nefilim and the
course our planet has taken. It's all interconnected.
STAN: The response to your previous album, ''Order of the Illuminati'' was positive all the way. Did that put any pressure what so ever on you, as to what to do on your next album?
JUAN: I am glad that the response was positive for OOTI (order of the illuminati); because we worked very hard on that album. The new material we got I think is even better, but that is just my opinion; the pressure has been lifted because the songs have been written; all we need to do is some pre-production and recorded it and mix it.
STAN: You're soon departing for your European tour. It's already known
that you will play the entire ''Skeptics Apocalypse'' album at the
Keep-It-True festival. Will you play the whole album on other
European dates as well?
BRUCE: I suppose that really depends on demand. If the crowd is large,
willing, and unable to be denied we will play it. We're reserving it
for the truly deserving.:)
JUAN: Perhaps so, I think for the Hardenburg, NL show at the Podium we will perform the whole "Skeptics Apocalypse" album as well.
STAN: Will you perform any new songs on your European tour?
JUAN: A lot of the new songs require different guitar tunings, so on this tour we will hold off on performing new songs live until the album is recorded; but perhaps we will work in one new song somewhere in the tour. We debuted a new song entitled "Wash the Planet Clean" at the Dynamo Open Air '04 for the fans.
STAN: Is your live DVD near being completed and ready for release?, and
apart from your show at the Dynamo, will there be any bonus stuff included? Your live DVD was said to be released in late March, yet so little information has been given about the contents on the DVD. What will be included besides your live show at the Dynamo?
BRUCE: You should ask Juan. I think there is some stuff from the Effenaar in
Eindhoven on it but I've never seen any of it. I have no idea about
the DVD. I'm much more interested in audio than video.
JUAN: The full concert from Dynamo will be included; at first we thought about editing the set a bit that we performed because a few songs had guitar drop outs and a few songs were not up to our standards, but after further review we decided to procee d with the full concert and not edit anything, and infact we decided to keep it raw, live with no overdubs. The DVD will include 4 bonus songs; 2 from the Dynamo Pre-Party show at the Effenaar, and also 2 other songs from the "Bonded by Metal Exodus" tour; also included will be a photo gallery section; the DVD should be released by March 21, 2005 and we encourage fans to check it out.
STAN: Juan, do you ever plan on doing a re-union with your previous band Evil Dead in the future?
JUAN: Not really, those songs are hard to play live!!!! just kidding. I speak to some of the members of EvilDead and although we have talked about it; I don't think it will happen because I am busy with AGENT STEEL and keeping things moving forward; if there's any other type of reunion it would be ABATTOIR before EVILDEAD.
STAN: Bruce, what music/bands are you currently listening to?
BRUCE: On my IPOD I have Alice In Chains, Angel Witch, Anthrax, Ark, At The
Gates, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Beyond Twilight, Black Sabbath, Cage,
Crimson Glory, Def Leppard, Destruction, Dew Scented, Exodus, Faith No
More, Freak Kitchen, Handsome, Heavy Pettin, Iced Earth, In Flames,
Iron Maiden, John Arch, John Norum, Kate Bush, Killswitch Engage, Lamb Of
God, Legs Diamond, Loch Vostock, Megadeth, MSG, Montrose, Motorhead,
Nevermore, Nine Inch Nails, Pat Travers, Psychotic Waltz, Queensryche,
The Quill, Rainbow, Riot, Sanctuary, Saxon, Scorpions, Sepultura,
Shadows Fall, Slayer, Steel Prophet, Testament, Thin Lizzy, Tool,
Tygers Of Pan Tang, UFO, and Y&T. That's pretty much what I am listening to
right now.
STAN: You recruited a new drummer, Rigo Amezcua. Now from what I heard on ''Order of the Illuminati'', this guy can deliver such an awesome performance. Where did you find him and was he in any previous bands?
JUAN: Me, Rigo and Karlos (bassist) were working together in a prior band before AGENT STEEL. What happened was that AGENT STEEL had a live appearance scheduled and Chuck Profus (original drummer) got injured and we got Rigo t o fill in for the show, then later Chuck decided to just retire from music all together; although I am hearing rumours that he is playing drums again in a punk band. Rigo did a fantastic job on the tour and also on Order of the illuminati.
STAN: Chuck Profus has retired from the music industry. What made him decide to do that? Was it the arm injury that made him call it all quits?
JUAN: Well, like I mentioned; originally it was a hand injury and then he just got tired of the music business and just wanted out. I spoke to him the other day and he is fine and I heard he is playing drums again in a punk band.
STAN: Juan, you and Bernie are an amazing guitar duo. When writing songs, who usually comes up with the main riff?
JUAN: Depends who writes the idea main riff; it's a team effort, but Bernie is an amazing guitarist; he can take my idea and push it to another level; not to mention his solos are out of this world.
STAN: And my final question is, are you planning to do a complete U.S.
tour anytime soon?
BRUCE: No plans but we are willing when the right offer comes up. It'll
happen. I believe.
JUAN: That is a great question and I wish I can answer that one, but I don't know. The U.S. is a difficult market and for a band like us to properly tour the U.S.A. we would need to go out and support a bigger band. I don't know maybe some day a band like SHADOWS FALL, or JUDAS PRIEST perhaps will ask us to be join them as special guest; that would be awesome both of these bands are really great and I enjoy them a lot. One of these days we will finally properly tour the U.S.A.
STAN: Bruce, thank you for answering the questions. It is such an honor for
me. Have a great time on tour and take care!
BRUCE: Touring is always a battle for the singer but I will do my very best
and I will try to enjoy myself as much as possible. Thanks for the
interst, Stan. We all appreciate your support.
Bruce
STAN: Juan, would you like to add anything else?
JUAN: for more information and band updates visit www.agentsteelonline.com and a big thanks to metal fans worldwide!!!
I want to thank Bruce and Juan for the interview, and of course Mario, for arranging this all. MASTERS OF METAL - AGENTS OF STEEL!
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ALCHEMIST - Adam Agius
(Vocals/Guitar) ( 1 February 2006 )
(Interviewer: Stan Efraimov, New York, USA)
STAN: Hey Adam, what are you guys up to at the moment?
ADAM: We are writting for our new album, its coming together very nicely and we are rehearsing for the second leg of the Embryonics tour in Australia.
STAN: Tell us about the history of the band. How did you first come together?
ADAM: We first came together officialy in '89, we were a technical thrash band looking to forge our own style. We started experimenting with psychedelic sounds mixed with the thrash. We think it took three albums to get our style developed. We have had Australian record deals for the first 4 releases and in 2000 signed to Relapse for our first international deal, we toured Europe for the first time in 2004. We were teenagers when we started the band and originally it was myself , Rodney our drummer and a different guitarist and bassist, we have had the same line up since 1992. Our first album was "Jar of Kingdom" in 93, "Lunasphere" in 95, "Spiritech" in 97 , "Eve of the war" in 98 , "Organasm" in 2000 and "Austral" in 2003, all the pre Organasm titles have been condensed into a double album for the rest of the world called Embryonics released on Relapse
STAN: What sort of lyrical themes do you tackle in your songs?
ADAM: Anything from Astronomy to enviromental, scientific, political and personal believes. Sometimes we are very electric but we are writing very straight forward lyrics at the moment basically about the way we feel right now.
STAN: In the liner notes of Austral Alien, you wrote that the record almost killed you
to make it, LOL. You wanted to record the best Alchemist album at the point, I guess?
ADAM: You got it mate and it was very difficult, I dare say that this one is proving just as hard, I guess I have learnt not to beat up on myself so much now and just to keep my head down and not let any shit riffs get through.
STAN: I noticed that if you say Austral Alien a bit quicker, it sounds like ''austrilian.''
Was this something you guys planned or kinda realized afterwards?
ADAM: Yes this is somthing we planned, we liked the play on words, we also liked the fact that Australia is so far from the rest of the western world and that we are alienated from the scene, by geography and musically
STAN: You are in songwriting mode right now. How are the new songs coming along?
ADAM: The songs are coming along great, its a heavier sound than Austral, very headbangable. I guess its a reaction to Austral, we really like Austral but its about as mellow as Alchemist can get, the new material is very dark and heavy sounding, cant wait to record it and tour the states if anyone will book us.
STAN: Alchemist truly has a very unique sound. How would you classify your music?
ADAM: Its metal with some world music, electronica, pschedelic twist , its proggy but its extreme prog not wailing Iron Maiden type.
STAN: How did METAL FOR THE BRAIN come about?
ADAM: Our friend Alec Hurly tried to break up a fight outside a club in 1990. He was pushed over and received bad brain injurys leaving him in a vegeative state that he still remains in today. The concert was held with 8 local bands to raise money and has grown to a 35 band event, its the best show an underground metal band can play in this country.
STAN: How has the success been with your new Double CD, ''Embryonics"?
ADAM: Its been great in Australia but its not released anywhere else yet, we tour again in oz in March. Its been great for all the new fans to be able to buy those old songs that they hear live all the time and great for the old fans to get some of the rare tracks on it.
STAN: Are you planning any shows this year, particularly in the States?
ADAM: We will play anywhere in the world. The problem is no one wants to book our shows or offer us an opening or support slot on their tour, sucks actually, we want to tour the world thats for sure, I guess it comes down to having a small profile.
STAN: Are their any upcoming projects you're planning to release soon?
ADAM: Yep, our new album will be released this year so look out for that one. Im in a grind band called Grind Pony and we are looking for to record this year as well, hopefully Relapse will pick it up and release it.
STAN: Any final words to all our readers?
ADAM: Hey guys if you want hear Alchemist goto www.relapse.com or www.alchemist.com.au for some free mp3s and video clips!
Take care and love your music, care for artists by buying their releases and have fun at their shows.
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ANGER AS ART - Steve Gaines (Vocals/Guitar) ( 22 December 2005 )
(Interviewer: Mario van Dooren, Berkel Enschot, The Netherlands)
MARIO: Hello Steve how are you doing lately?
STEVE: Hi. I cannot recall the last time I have been this busy. I am literally going 10 directions at once. And you, as a new father, you know what I mean, right? Except in this case, my child is my music!
MARIO: Your latest solo album was titled "Anger as Art" but now you decided to call the band that same name? Is there a particular reason for?? How are the reactions to this album so far?
STEVE: Well, it is a long story. I don't know if I could answer properly right here. But here's how it went. When I started working on it, the idea was that it could be the next Pagan War Machine recording – but with a new lineup. The idea was to call it NEW WAR... but when it became clear that PWM was finished, I realized that it was time to start over. The lyrics to the song Anger As Art are somewhat personal. Just the process of converting the anger that you have in your head into a form of art. The following thought was "hey, if a band grows out of this, that is what I will call it."
MARIO: Who are in the band at the moment and where did you get these guys from? Do some of them also play in other bands?
STEVE: In no particular order – I have known Mars for years – I first met him when I was in Bloodlust back in 1983. We did goof around playing cover tunes a few times, but really got to know him when he joined Dreams Of Damnation when I worked for that band. I always knew that he was the guy I wanted for a drummer. Mars was supposed to be the drummer for Pagan War Machine, but we could not make the schedule work out, so it never happened. And the bassist is another from way back in the Bloodlust days – Javier. He came along the first time Mars and I jammed on the AAA stuff, and fit perfectly. Guitarist William Rustrum was from a local LA band, but made a name for himself in Hangar 18 – the Megadeth tribute band. He plays the role of Dave Mustaine, and very well, I might add.
MARIO: What are the futureplans for Anger as Art? Any new albums or maybe a promotional (European) tour?
STEVE: Mario, you have no idea how much we'd love to play Europe. But, being realistic, I don't think it will happen any time soon. It may be a year away. We just signed with OSM records – they are re-issuing the AAA CD, and we start recording our 2nd album in January. Also are being offered some tours here in North America – will have answers on that soon.
MARIO: How did you get in touch with the Old School Metal Records label?? What is special about this label and what was the main reason you signed with them?
STEVE: I had known the CEO for a few years. He asked me to send a CD to him, and really seemed to enjoy it. Well, he asked us if we wanted to play at Thrash Against Cancer – a metal Festival in San Francisco earlier this year. When you stop to think how many bands wanted to get on this show, and he gave it to us – we were very humbled. So we stayed in contact over the following months – one thing leading to another, and before you know it, we were signing with them. But we didn't shop for a deal. It was a freindship / relationship from which this grew.
What is special about OSM is the fact that they love metal for the same reasons that we do. We are comitted to the same golas and work ethic. I know it is not a huge label with unlimited budget, but we all believe the same thing. I believe that we are in the best hands possible, and that together with some hard work, we will have great results.
MARIO: Are you still a member of the legendary Abattoir, Bloodlust, Pagan War Machine, Tactics & Dreams of Damnation? What is the status of these bands? Did they disband or are they still alive?
STEVE: Let me go down the list – Abattoir is still together, but not working at this time. We do plan to release that long awaited album someday, and also plan to do one last show ever with the VA lineup – this includes Juan Garcia – and release on video / DVD. But schedules conflict too greatly.
Bloodlust is still enjoying a nice rebirth – but we again have scheduling conflicts – one member lives about 2000 miles from the rest of us, and it is hard to get everyone together at once. But when we do, the band sounds better than it ever did.
Tactics disbanded in 1999 – we had a long solid run, but we literally took the band to its end. It is my biggest regret that I did not market the band more actively in Europe – as it would have been huge. I remain good friends with all members, but the band is done. Good memories.
As for the other 2 – let's just say that I will not be working with Jim Durkin anytime soon.
MARIO: You did record a live-CD with Abattoir a few years ago but that one is hard to find in Europe these days. Will there ever be a new studio album?
STEVE: We did do a studio album, but went through hell trying to finish it. When we had a rough mix, the whole thing was lost in a computer snafu. So all we have is a rough mix, and all of the different songs and demos going along with it. That kind of disaster really took the fire out of some of the guys. I wouldf like to belive that the rough mix will be available someday, and I never say never to another studio recording, but am not counting on it. Ideally, I would like to see Abattoir is a state of readiness to go out and play at festivals whenever we are asked. Abattoir will always be around, but not really functioning on a day to day basis.
MARIO: How is the metal-music scene in your area these days? Is traditional heavy/speedmetal still popular in the US these days?
STEVE: There are some good bands, and what scene exists is healthy. But it will never be like it was back in the glory days. Funny – AAA just played in the Midwest last week, and the scene is vibrant and booming in places like Salt Lake City, Utah. But in Los angeles – it exists on trends – and thankfully this kind of metal is not trendy enough. I like it thqat way. At least you know that what exists is the real deal.
MARIO: I heard that you are also a member of Bitch? Is that true and will this band ever do any live shows again in the near future?
STEVE: That story got let out too fast. It never came to fruition. What happened was that Bitch was approached to do some shows, and they didn't have a bass player. So Dave Carruth asked if I would learn a set, and be ready. So I learned their music, but the call never came. It is my understanding that they may have broken up. For the record, I was never a member – I would have been a 'hired gun', so to speak. But that would have been a ball to do. I have always been a fan of them, and friends with them.
MARIO: I reviewed the Pagan War Machine demo several years ago and i was very excited about that one; Are there any plans for recording a follow up to this demo?
STEVE: The logical follow-up for Pagan War Machine would be Anger As Art. And in fact, the reaction worldwide to AAA has been stronger than it was for PWM. But you have to understand that my co-collaborator with PWM Jim Durkin simply stopped – with no explanation. We'd ask " what's going on, Jim?" And the accusations would fly. Marcelo was his enemy, and I was his new Eric Meyer... anyone who isn't with him is against him... fucking whatever. He burned a lot of bridges with fans of this band around the world, damaged relationships within the band between myself and the other members, and created such a sense of ill-will that there will be no way I will ever work him again.
MARIO: I noticed that the PWM & Abattoir websites are offline?? What is the reason for this??
STEVE: Yes. Both came down to simple mistakes - people (not me) changing credit cards, or server accounts - and therefore missing the need/notice for updating the account. To buy the web domains back is cost prohibitive.
MARIO: Last year they told me that you would play the Headbangers Open Air festival in Germany in 2006. Is this still going on because i cant find any confirmation on the HOA website?
STEVE: feel free to post this on your site, or anywhere
Are you ready for this? For whatever reason (I assume it would be to generate ticket sales) , they wanted Bloodlust to play an additional 30 minute set and call the band Abattoir. I found this to be an insult on par with asking Dave Mustaine to have Megadeth play a 30 minute set of Metallica tunes, and call the band Metallica. I explained that it was a stab in the back to both bands, and more importantly to the fans who would have been there. It literally would have severed friendships that in some cases took years to rebuild, and I wouldn't do it. It would have been a sure destruction of my credibility, and the fans would have been pissed.
I was only the voice for Abattoir, the band was most assuredly myself with Mel Sanchez and Mark Caro. I would not damage my credibility. I told them repeatedly that it was non negotiable, and please do not bring up the request again. So they came back with an offer of 200 euro more (this requires more explanation). I told them that I absolutely refuse to sell out my friends, and fans of both bands for 40 dollars ( Bloodlust is a 5 piece band - splitting the money evenly).
With this they became insulted, and said they needed to re-evaluate their offer. After this, we never heard from them again.
To begin with, this trip would have costed Bloodlust approximately $15,000 to do. About $3000 each member. We had agreed to do the show knowing that we would have to pay our own expenses. But to offset the loss, we needed to add additional dates in other regions in Europe, and we would need their help in finding a promoter to secure additional dates. They refused to help - stating something about having the exclusive Bloodlust date in Europe. Next we asked to be paid for the appearance - the original request was that we do the show for free - which we would have agreed to do if we had additional dates. They came up with an agreement for $500 euro - merely a gesture of goodwill, but would have gone nowhere to offset our losses. We asked to be put up in lodging - any hotel or home of someone, and they refused. When looking at maps and realizing how far away the festival was from Hamburg airport, we asked for someone to pick us up at the airport, and return us to the airport. At first they agreed, but used this as an excuse when they decided to re-evaluate their offer. A ride to and from the airport changed their minds?
When bands come from America to play in Europe, it is less expensive for a band from the East Coast to go than a band from California. It is an additional $1000 per person to fly across North America, before changing flights. Bands on the East Coast - Attacker, October 31 and the like already have that $1000 advantage over us. Even with that , they'll take a huge loss. We were going to make tremendous sacrifices to do this show, and when we finally made agreement to do it, they sprung the Abattoir thing on us. It was wrong, disrespectful, unethical, and chicken-shit. If they wanted Abattoir they should have contacted Abattoir, and never dealt with Bloodlust.
Metal fans, this is what happens behind the scenes. This is the ugliness and the reality of negotiation. Bloodlust was ready to go - and ready to take that financial hit to do HOA in 2006. I hope we do not come across as Prima donnas - but let me ask you - put yourselves in my shoes, and what would you have done? Not just for metal, but from a business standpoint? Could you afford to take that hit? Were your requests unreasonable? And as a fan, how pissed off would you have been if you went expecting to see Abattoir, and instead Bloodlust never walked offstage, just stayed in place and played cover songs? And who would have the finger of blame pointed at directly? I rest my case.
I do not question anyone on HOA's staff's dedication to putting on a great show, or their dedication to metal. They are good guys, but I think they were thinking with their money, as opposed to reality. They saw an opportunity to pad their ticket sales by including Abattoir on the bill without actually providing Abattoir. The fans would have hated me for doing it, and them for trying to sell it.
It is my belief that they did not realize what kind of position they were putting me (or themselves) in. I wish them a succesful show this year, and hope that HOA continues to grow. I would like to believe that someday I can work for them at HOA, but am doubtful that it will ever happen.
MARIO: Anything you miss in this interview that should be told to the MMM readers?
STEVE: Part of what happens when you answer questions honestly is that you end up looking like a whiner. I hope I don't come across that way. I put a lot of work, and effort into everything I do. And you have to choose your 'horses' carefully. Many times you work with someone who on the surface appears to be the 'perfect fit'... but you find out after you are too deep into it that there are some serious problems that cannot be rectified.
That is why I chose to do the AAA album entirely by myself. After being involed with 4 bands at once, and having all of them implode at the same time, it starts to look like you arte the cause. After all, I was the common denominator in all of the bands. I wanted to prove to the world and myself that I can do this with no one else to blame. And I am so thankful that it worked out. Now, there are 3 guys who believe in me as much as I believe in them. And that is the strength of Anger As Art – the work ethic, and dedication to to what we do. Trust me, I will not be breaking up the band, hopping on a plane in the middle of the night and going home. Not in my fiber. I will stop at nothing to give you the best I've got with everything I do. And thanks for your support.
I do not bullshit anyone. I do not say anything that I cannot or will not back up. We are dedicated here in AAA – I can honestly say more than any band I have been involved with in a long time. And that is refreshing. I hope the fact that there are no emotional basketcases does not become boring here. But that is not what we are about. We are about the music – first and foremost. I hope that comes across honestly in the music.
If we do a cover song by Abattoir, it will be AAA doing it. I will never bullshit anyone and try to pass this off as the new Aba-lust, or whatever. My integrity is everything to me, because it is all I have with you guys.
Okay, I am rambling... but thanks again for your support. Watch for the new Anger As Art album later in 2006. It is going to rule. METAL...........
MARIO: Thanx a lot for your time & honesty!
Mario van Dooren
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ASTRAL DOORS - Patrik Johanson (Singer) ( 19 April 2006 )
(Interviewer: Wim van Grunsven, Veghel, The Netherlands)
WIM: How have the reactions to "Astralism" been?
PATRIK: Very good so far. They are the best we have been extremely good, obviously. Definitely the best we ever have had. I guess you know that we have released three albums now and I really hope that this can be. I am really sure that this one can bring us be one step up the ladder against the start.
WIM: Well it should do, because it is a very strong album. Stronger than anything you have done before.
PATRIK: Yes, I really think so too. I think the songs are better overall on this one. That is why we are extremely happy with it. The media reactions have been overwhelming so far.
WIM: Did you change anything in the songwriting to make this album better?
PATRIK: Actually no. All the guys in this band live in the same small town here in the middle of Sweden and we meet each other almost every day. That is how we also write our stuff. When we write our stuff it always starts with a riff. The guitar players then create instrumental demos which they send over to me. I then create the vocal lines and afterwards I write the lyrics to it. When I have my part ready I just go into the studio and record my vocals. We have worked the same way on all of our albums. So I think we haven't changed anything, not really. What we might have changed is the guitar riffs. Our first album "Of The Son And The Father" was pretty much influenced by Black Sabbath and Rainbow. Our second album, "Evil Is Forever", also went in that direction, although it was a bit more modern. On this new one I think the guitar players have looked more at themselves. I think they have found their own style more. I think that it's great and that we are coming more and more into our own style.
WIM: : I also think that the power of the songs has never come out as good as it has on "Astralism".
PATRIK: You know, I think that especially the guitars sound very powerful. My vocals too, I wanted to give the world my best performance ever on this album. I really think I did a swell job. You could say that we are extremely happy with the result.
WIM: Do you think that the "Astral Doors" EP of last year gave you just that bit of extra attention which was profitable for the new album?
PATRIK: I don't know. I hope so. The EP we released in October 2005 does contain "Raiders Of The Ark" and it contains some songs that before were only released in Japan. One song on that record ("Easy Rider") had never been released before, it was a left over from the "Evil Is Forever" sessions. The reason we released it was because we wanted to have something just for the fans, we didn't want them to have to sit there and wait for new material. That is why we brought this as a little gift for the fans. I don't think we are going to make any money on it or so, but it was just a treat for them, for people that like Astral Doors. Also I know that "Raiders Of The Ark" has become a bit of a radio hit, so that's great.
WIM: You are a singer that will never be able to escape the comparison with Tony Martin and Ronnie James Dio, but on "Astralism" you have finally succeeded in putting your own mark on them, so that people do hear that these vocals are definitely sung by Patrik Johanson.
PATRIK: Thanks a lot, I appreciate that. I think you are right, because on the first album we wanted to do an album in the same league as the old classics like Black Sabbath's "Heaven And Hell" and stuff. On the second album we had found ourselves a little bit more and on this one, especially on the vocals, it has worked. I have never tried to steal anything from the people you mention, I have just been influenced by them. Of course those influences are still strong, but I think I rose onto a new level on "Astralism". I am glad you mentioned it, because the stuff I do is on very high level. I actually don't think that either Ronnie James Dio or Tony Martin could pull off what I have done on "Astralism". This is the best thing I have ever done on an album.
WIM: At least you are very self confident, which is an important aspect for a vocalist.
PATRIK: I have to be. What I do is pretty high up in the pitch, you know. If you really sit down and compare my stuff to that of Dio you will find that I sing a lot higher. As I said he is a very important influence, my all time favourite, but my vocals are much more aggressive, much more powerful.
WIM: I know you have a great voice, because I have also seen you perform live, at Sweden Rock 2004. Astral Doors was very good, then, and you especially impressed me. When will you be coming to show everyone what you can do?
PATRIK: Wow, you have seen us live? And I impressed you? That is a compliment. Thank you very much. The cool thing about Sweden Rock is that is was only our second live performance ever, so for you to tell me you liked it very much is very rewarding. We did one festival before that, but Sweden Rock was our second show. The third one was Wacken Open Air in Germany, so that is a list of shows to be very proud of. We don't only do big shows, but also do a lot of club gigs. I think we are best suited for big arena gigs. Our music does suit those venues perfectly. We play rock-'n-roll music and it is pure fun to do that.
WIM: Living in a small town, you have always been close together. Does that mean you were always friends, even at a young age?
PATRIK: Actually, drummer Johan Lindstedt and me have been playing together for many years now. The rest became friends as soon as Astral Doors started. That was when Johan and guitar player Joachim Nordlund got together to play music. I don't know how the hell they met, but they decided to get together and start writing some songs in old, classic hard rock style. They needed a singer and Johan said: what the hell, we should just call Patrik and do some vocals to this. That happened and we became very good friends. Now we hang out almost every day.
WIM: Did you know you had a good voice before you started with Astral Doors?
PATRIK: I have been around in the local scene for many years. I used to sing in a band with a local guitar player called Eric Bojfeldt, who has played with Glenn Hughes on his albums "From Now On" and "Burning Japan Live". We used to have a Deep Purple cover band. We called ourselves Purple Rain, just because we only played songs from Deep Purple and Rainbow. We did stuff like "Stargazer", "Long Live Rock-'n-Roll", "Speed King", "Burn"(obviously) and stuff like that, so I already knew I had a voice that was suited for the hard rocking music. To keep up with all of it I have to train my voice a lot. I have always been training so hard, because when you scream like I do and then have to out on tour, it is very important for the voice to be as strong as possible. I have to prepare myself properly, Have to train and practice a lot to make my voice stronger. That is also an advice I always give to young singers: practice and train your voice properly. Take care of your voice. Stay away from the whisky. I'm not saying lay off the alcohol, because I do drink the beers, you know. Beer is okay for me, but not the whiskies and so.
WIM: You are still growing with Astral Doors. How far have you come in your growth?
PATRIK: Patrik: That's a really tough question. I don't have the answer to that at all. I think that if you look at what we have done so far and who we are, I would say that we have the talent, the songs and the albums to become a big band. For the rest it's up to the people to like us and buy our stuff, so that we can keep on growing. Of course we can go all the way, but we need the support of the music lovers, and a bit of luck. The thing is that we have to tour a lot. That to me is essential. That's the most important thing we need to do; face the fans. Show ourselves on the stage, let them know what we stand for. It is a long hard road, but as long as we think it's fun we are going to do it. If you haven't got the heart to do it, you just can't go on.
WIM: Will you be coming out on the road soon?
PATRIK: This spring we are doing club gigs here in Sweden, just to promote the album. In the summer we're going to do some festivals. We are booking a few at this very moment. In the fall we will be touring Europe as the special guests of Blind Guardian. That will be a gigantic chance for us to meet new fans and we are really excited about it. We're going to do at least 30 shows with Blind Guardian,. Visiting 15 countries. We will be doing Holland as well and it definitely will be a big thrill for us. (29 September in 013, Tilburg)
WIM: When you tour, how do you keep your voice sharp for such a long time?
PATRIK: I have never been on a tour this long, so I'm not sure how everything is going to go. It will be interesting for me. I have done a tour of 14 gigs in 14 days before, but this is different. What I do is I just rest, as often as possible. After the gigs I rest my voice. The next day while waiting for the show I rest my voice as well. I am just drinking a lot of water and before the show starts I make sure that I warm up my voice by singing up, or however you say that. I'm like an athlete, so I have to take care of my voice.
WIM: Well, I would like to thank you for your time and effort and hope to see you on the tour.
PATRIK: Thank you and good luck to your webzine!
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AXEMASTER - Joe Sims (Guitarist) ( 5 August 2006 )
(Interviewer: Marco van Empel, Tilburg, The Netherlands)
MARCO: Your band is started in the year 1985, is that right?
JOE: Officially yeah. Actually, I first used the name Axemaster a few years earlier when I was 16 as the name of the first recording project I ever did, it was a solo thing on a 4 track with me doing everything but drums. But it was 1985 when we first formed as a true band with the lineup that did our first recordings.
MARCO: Can you tell the European heavy metal fans something about the history of your band?
JOE: We recorded our first demo called "Slave to the Blade" in 1986. That got us a deal with Azra Records and with them we did the album "Blessing in the Skies" and 2 shaped picture discs called "The Vision" and "Crusades". After that, we changed the lineup, got a new singer and bass player. That lineup did "Death Before Dishonor", a tape of rehearsal and 4 track recordings that was put out by a promo company in Belgium and a manager we had in France. A year later we changed singers again to record "5 Demons". We ended up getting a couple new members and changing the name to The Awakening. That band did 1 CD and broke up in 95. Unisound Records did a couple re-releases of our stuff on CD in the early 2000s, and that brings us to now. We officially started the project again in March of this year. Since then we have been mostly writing, doing promo, and talking to record companies - getting things ready for a full scale assault!
MARCO: Axemaster is still one of the most legendary cult heavy metal bands from the states, why did you never change your style? I'm sure your a big heavy metal fan by yourself too?
JOE: Thanks! Oh yeah, I love metal, it's all I listen to. I'm a HUGE fan of bands like old Metallica, Black Sabbath, old Savatage, and Iron Maiden. Metal is more than music, it's a way of life. I'm a 100% metalhead. That's why I never changed the style of music I play. I would never play anything but metal, I'm not into doing anything else.
MARCO: You are recording a new studio album, still in the old style again?
JOE: Like I said,we will NEVER change our style!!! Axemaster is pure metal, that's it, always has been and always will be. Right now, well, at the time of this interview, we're getting ready to record 3 new songs to shop to record labels. We're ready to do a full length album, just need label backing. There are a couple companies who are interested in working with us before even listening to our new stuff because of our name and reputation, but even if one of them works out right away we still need to record and have something for people to check out right now so everybody knows that Axemaster still has the same style and sound that what we always did.
MARCO: Do you have planned some tour days yet and when ae you guys coming to Europe?
JOE: We haven't gotten into planning a tour yet. We want to get a CD done with a record company first. That's the most important thing. We want something new to support on tour! We have some offers to play some festivals over there!!!!! We also have a couple people from different parts of Europe who want to book some shows for us. That doesn't even include what a label would do.
MARCO: Anyway, your first demo tape was out in 1986. Why have you decided to use the "Josef Stalin" intro...? - How do you remember recording session of the "Slave To The Blade tape?
JOE: Josef Stalin was something we threw in at the end just because we thought it was cool and fit with our sound. It was a sort of poem that I wrote for a college class, the music came later. The keyboards weren't even meant for those words, they were just something I was messing around with. I ended up experimenting with some different stuff, put the 2 together, and an intro was born! We've always been into using intros and sound effects that are interesting and work with the overall mood of what we're trying to do. The sessions for "Slave to the Blade" were great. It wasn't totally planned out. Chris just called one day and said he booked us in the studio, we had no idea it was coming. It was just like, okay, fuck it, let's just do it. None of us had ever been in a real studio before so it was definitely a learning experience. It let us know a lot of what to do and what not to do in recording. It's funny to think of us back then, a bunch of new guys running around not knowing what the hell was going on but having a kick ass time doing it! It ended up being the best thing we ever could have done, it really got us started on the right track.
MARCO: Did you never need a bigger label to get more fans in the underground scene?
JOE: We would have liked to have gotten together with a bigger label to back us, it definitely would have helped get our stuff around. But even though that didn't end up happening we still got a big underground following worldwide. Since starting the band back up we really found out how big the following is and it's just getting bigger! Tons of people from all over are getting in touch and telling us how psyched they are that the band's back together, and others who are just now checking us out and digging the stuff we did. Anyway, because of that following we hope that we can land a deal with a bigger company.
MARCO: What actually came out first - the "Crusades" single, or the "Blessing In The Skies" LP?
JOE: To tell you the truth I didn't know for sure until a couple days ago! I just found out that "Blessing" came out 2 years earlier. Azra wasn't totally truthful with us and put out the "Crusades" disc without even bothering to tell us! I ended up finding out about it in like 2000 from the internet!!!!!! I had to get my copy off ebay, they should have at least gave us some free ones!!!!!!
MARCO: Who got the idea about the one track shape single?
JOE: Azra did. There were actually 2 songs on it, one from "Blessing" and a bonus live track. Azra specialized in doing shaped picture discs, I think they got some kind of world record as the company who did the most of them. Anyway, we thought it was a cool idea so we went for it. I'm glad we did, it's something kind of different that not everybody does. Plus it gave us the chance to use the extra live song that we probably wouldn't have used on a regular album. I'm pretty proud of the record, I definitely still like to show it to people.
MARCO: How do you think, in how many copies "Blessing In The Skies" was actually pressed? Currently it's rather hard to find this one!
JOE: Again, Azra never bothered to tell us. It was practically impossible to get a straight answer from them about anything. We just kept getting put off and never got any of the info we were looking for, just a lot of bullshit double-talk. It wasn't easy to deal with. Hell, if they never told us how many were pressed, we DEFINITELY have no real idea of how many they actually sold. Our licensing agreement was over in 1990 and Azra wasn't supposed to press any after that. Whether they actually did or not I have no idea. It looks to me like they sold out all they had so it would be hard to find a new copy. That's one reason that we want to re-release it.
MARCO: 1988 Azra released next shaped picture disc single... Why? Weren't they interested in doing second full length album?
JOE: Actually, WE didn't want to. Like I said, they weren't honest with us so we decided we'd be better off on our own. They gave us a lot of headaches and we weren't into dealing with them anymore. I think it was probably the right decision, you can only take so much bullshit. At least they helped get our name known internationally, that was a really positive thing to come out of it. It definitely makes our working with them a lot more worthwhile. But it's really too bad, it could have been a majorly kick ass partnership if they just would have just been up front and honest with us!
MARCO: Did you still got other offers since you splitt with Azra?
JOE: Yeah but nothing we wanted to go with at the time. After what we went through with Azra we were being really careful, well, more like paranoid about who we worked with and what kind of deal we got into. I think we might have been a little too careful and possibly missed out on some opportunities. I wish the stuff from "Death Before Dishonor" could have been done in a studio and released on a label. There were some great tunes on there but the recording, distribution, and packaging didn't do them justice. At least the material was put out and got around Europe, the 2 places we worked with on the release did a lot more than what we could have done alone. But it would have been a lot better with a decent label. But hey, it's easy to look back and second guess decisions you made, it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. We might end up recording a couple of the songs again for a new release so they can be done right.
MARCO: The Five Demons tape from the year 1991 sounds great! Was it hard for you those days? Grunge was very big those days.
JOE: Thanks! I think it's some of the best guitar work I've done in the studio. It was VERY hard in those days, the 90's sucked, especially here. Heavy metal was at its very lowest point and that release was maybe the heaviest one we did. It got great reviews from metal mags, but the overall metal fan base was weak so it didn't reach enough people. If it would've come out a few years earlier or now I think it would have done GREAT. It sucks, but it was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. We're gonna make up for that now!
MARCO: The year 1995 was the end of Axemaster but also heavy metal was dead those days. Do you also hate the mid 90's so much?
JOE: I hated the 90's scene more than you can ever know! I don't think metal was ever totally dead, but it was in really bad shape. It was almost impossible for underground metal bands to find any kind of success, especially here. I'm glad that decade is long gone!
MARCO: What did you do in the years without Axemaster?
JOE: I played in the bands The Awakening, Reign, and Dream or Nightmare. They were metal and we did some pretty cool stuff, but nothing that compares to Axemaster. They lacked something special. I can't tell you what it is, just a feel and an energy that this band has that those didn't. This is the band that I was born to play with and that will never change. Especially after going through the stuff I've been through I realise that there's something special here that can't be replaced.
MARCO: How do you think, where Axemaster could be now, if you wouldn't stop to play back then?
JOE: I've thought about that, it's really tough to say. I should have worked to keep it going since it's what I'm really into doing. But there's no use dwelling on it even though I do wish that things would have went different. The most important thing is that we're back and ready to kick some ass. It's GREAT to be playing this music again, I missed it.
MARCO: The Greece label Unisound released a best of, how did you choose songs for this album?
JOE: I took the songs I liked the most that had studio recordings. There were some other songs that I would have liked to include, but I didn't have the rights to them at the time.
MARCO: 2 Years later you released "Death Before Dishonor" album on CD, are you happy with them?
JOE: Yes and no. I'm glad that they got our music around, it's really helped keep the band name alive, gave us great promo, and got us a lot of new fans. Unisound definitely did a good job with that. At the time we did those discs I was in Dream or Nightmare and never imagined that Axemaster would come back. I had no idea that keeping the name alive would end up being so important. I was just happy that the stuff was finally on CD and that more people were able to check out what I did in the past. So I was happy with Unisound for a while, until I learned that they were keeping money that should have been ours. They didn't end up paying us any royalties!!!!! They definitely owe us some cash because I KNOW they sold a lot of those discs, we definitely got ripped off. So it was a good news, bad news sort of deal.
MARCO: How many unreleased Axemaster tracks from the 80s you still want to release?
JOE: There are just a couple with good recordings that we want to include on a re-release of "Blessing in the Skies". But there are a lot of different unreleased songs that have bad sounding recordings of us at practice or that I did on a 4 track. Too bad, there's a lot of good stuff there that I wish could have been released. Who knows, at some point in the future we might end up doing a good recording of a couple of those tunes.
MARCO: In 2005 I heard the great news about Axemaster's reunion...So, I hope that this mean that we will finally see and hear the original "Blessing In The Skies" on CD as well?
JOE: Yep, definitely. Like I said, it'll probably include 2 unreleased bonus tracks and 3 songs from the album that have never been on CD. Who knows, we might throw some video on there too. It'll definitely include a cool booklet with a bunch of pictures and liner notes. We have good offers from a couple different companies right now, so I know it will be out there, probably by the end of this year at the latest.
MARCO: Joe do you want to tell the fans something I'll forget to ask?
JOE: You can get in touch with me at AxemasterInfo@aol.com, feel free to write if you want more info. If you're interested in keeping up to date with what the band's doing, let me know and I'll put you on our mailing list. Our site for now is our Myspace page at www.myspace.com/thebandaxemaster. And I'd like to give a shout out to all the fans of the band from over the years. You guys kick some serious ass, we wouldn't be anywhere without you and we will never forget that. You're definitely the best fans any band could have!!!!!! KEEP IT METAL!
MARCO: Thank you very very much for the interview !
Looking forward to hear new stuff of Axemaster !
Good Luck & Heavy Metal Is King !!!
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BENEDICTUM - Veronica Freeman (Singer) ( 1 April 2006 )
(Interviewer: Wim van Grunsven, Veghel, The Netherlands)
WIM: Hello Veronica, how is everything been going since the last time we spoke?
VERONICA: It's not going so very good. I have just started a new job and am constantly running around, working 10 to 12 hours per day. That means I do not have enough time to relax, let alone for the band and that is very frustrating. The worst part of it I am creating a whole new store and it is not even for me. It that was the case, it wouldn't bother me to do so much work, but it's not, so I do! I would rather be working for myself and I certainly would rather be working on this music.
WIM: Getting to the music. You're coming over to Europe!
VERONICA: I know! We are so looking forward to coming and I do need some chocolate.
WIM: Well, you are in the right place when you get to Belgium!
VERONICA: I can't wait to come over. I am really overwhelmed, because on a personal basis, for me, this is what I wanted for at least ten years. I thought about it every day and it has been in my head every living minute. Finally it is happening and I am really scared and excited at the same time. I am very nervous about the Gods Of Metal show in Italy. We still have to work out a lot of stuff, as in travelling arrangements, lodgings and so forth. I am the only girl and I have to figure out how and where I am going to change, how I will do my hair. It is part of my image, so I need some space for all my gear to make sure I can maintain that image on stage. It sounds silly, but I got to have what I have to have. I also know how nervous I get, so I am hoping that we can get there a few days early, so we can get over the jetlag. Then I am sure I will be in top form. It is in June, so it will be hot and also outdoors. Especially the last bit is that over which I concern myself so much, because we have never done that before, at least not on a scale like this before. There is going to be a ton of people and I don't know what to expect. As to the club venues, I am really looking forward to that, but I have mixed feelings about it, because I have never done back to back shows like that. I know it is going to be tasking on me, especially if we have to travel far from one day to another.
WIM: Well, I am coming to see you in Eindhoven and Vosselaar, and those two are only about 50 kilometres apart.
VERONICA: Thank God. I don't know how everything is going to pan out. I mean, we have never been the headliner before. That means that it is all very different. Also exciting, but mainly different. I am just hoping that we get a sound check and I have enough time to get ready for the shows. I can't wait.
WIM: Back to the album. How have the reactions to "Uncreation" been so far?
VERONICA: I would say beyond my expectations. Part of me was actually hoping for it, but it has been fabulous. I am still behind on my written interviews. I still have a lot of them to finish, but not enough time to do so. I have also done loads of telephone interviews, and yours actually was the first one from Europe! I am now also staring to get the magazines over from Europe, so thank you everybody for sending them to me. It is very good to see everything in print. It looks so far so good. Also the American press has just started. My first phone interview was with someone from New Jersey, and that was kind of cool. It was for an online magazine or something like that. I am also receiving many requests via our American promotional company, and that is great. So it is all starting to happen and the reactions so far are very good, so I am thrilled. We all are! Through the website we are getting more and more fan mail and stuff, and that is totally incredible. When I see and read all those great reviews I get extremely humble and grateful. I can't speak for the rest of the band, but for me this is something that I have always dreamed about and it kind of funny when the reality hits home and I am very relieved. I really didn't expect all of this. Others, like our producer Jeff Pilson and Craig Goldy, our good friend and guest guitar player on the album, did predict all of this. They told us it would really take off and emphasised that we were certainly going to get noticed. My thoughts when they said those things was that I thought it would be nice, but I absolutely did not expect all to happen that is happening to us right now. We have never had so much feedback as we are getting now. I still get nervous when I read a new review and then I look at the rating. Sometimes I am disappointed, because it ts lower than I expected. But then again, I have been getting such high ratings that I am very privileged. It is incredible and I just shake my head, because I am blown away.
WIM: What you just said sounds a bit like a paradox. You guys created this sound, this music. Why are you then so humbled if the response is the same as what you yourself think of the music. Is it not a good thing to see that the people rate your music just as high as you do yourself?
VERONICA: That is because I have been doing this for quite a while now, and up and until "Uncreation" the recognition has only been local, without any further consequences. Or I get told that I have a very distinctive voice and it sounds very different from anything they have heard before. But that's how far it goes, not an inch further. Therefore it is really strange to finally see the reviews we are getting now. When this happens you can only hope you are going to get a good reaction. The reality of it is that this is really humbling for me. It is also really cool. Yeah, of course you always dream about it, but the reality is sometimes different than the way I see it. Now it is finally going the way we always hoped I am really anxious to get over to Europe and play for all of you. The reactions were and are so very positive that it makes you want to come over and play. Over here "Uncreation" was only released a couple of weeks ago, so now hopefully the same is going to happen on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. But for now we want to go out and support this thing and see how far we can push the envelope. That is what frustrates me, because I can't be there to help boost ourselves all the time. It makes me look at my regular day job and think: "I wish that I could quit this boring job and be there, spend all my time to the music." Also I don't know whenever these set of circumstances will come into my life again and I want to take full advantage of the momentum we have going at this moment in time. I am in the midst of making some other arrangements in my life so I can afford to take a lot more time to fully join the promotion of our album.
WIM: As you said yourself, you have a very distinctive voice. What do you do to train it?
VERONICA: Not a damn thing. Absolutely nothing.. I get asked that a lot and I think that when I first started singing metal it was suggested that I take some lessons as to train my voice. So I did and most of the vocal coaches I went to were like: "If you're going to sing this kind of music you're not going to last long. We have to totally change your technique." But by changing that it also changes that power I need for my metal voice. The most I learned is from a professional opera singer, who saw my voice as a wild animal that needed to be tamed. He is the one who taught me the most, but he was very expensive, so I couldn't afford him. Even he was like WOW when it came to my voice. You've got to remember that almost no one was into this kind of music, so they just were not ready for someone like me to come along. So I don't take a lot of care to my voice. On the other hand I do take a lot of care in my health over all, because the voice just does it's own thing. I know my voice can come over kind of rough and even male if you like. That is also why our producer and friend Jeff Pilson was very adamant to put some softer stuff on "Uncreation". That would give people the chance to hear that I really am a woman. "Valkyrie Rising" and "Mysogyny" do that, I mean, I definitely sound like a woman on the last one, don't I?
WIM: You definitely do.
VERONICA: You know, that comments of me sounding like a man used to upset me at first because I just didn't know how to take it. But then my band members would tell me to let them think that, because it is actually great to catch the people unaware when we come to play for them. It just makes it stand out that much more. I love the angelic voices that singers like Sharon and Tarja can put out, but it is not me. Although I must admit that I am actually contemplating putting just one little piece of my version of the high pitched voice on the next album, just to show people I can. Not much, just al little bit hahaha.
WIM: Last time we spoke there was the possibility of Craig Goldy coming along to Europe with you guys. Is that still going to happen?
VERONICA: I don't think so. He said that if we would do just festivals for the summer he would definitely come with us and play on stage, but on this tour we are doing club gigs and outdoor shows mixed, so I reckon he is not coming. Even more important for him, I have just been told that Dio has asked him to participate in some new material, so he should at least have some good work coming his way now. The same goes for Jeff Pilson, because not only is he a good friend of us, but we also want to find out if and when he will have time to produce our next album. I definitely want to stick with him. I know you think that the production of "Uncreation" was just on the edge of being overproduced, but I am sure that that is exactly the sound that Jeff wanted for us. We gave him a complete free hand to do the production and he came up with a sound that is so in your face that it makes it melt. And yes, you are right, if he had gone just that little bit further it would have been too much. Now it is just perfect. Now we can duplicate the feel that is on the record, if he had gone over the top that would have become impossible. That was always my concern in the back of my mind. As it stands now, we can do it. Let's put it this way: It was produced to the max, without going over the line. I am really happy with that.
WIM: How often do you rehearse?
VERONICA: That will always be three or four nights per week. I know I am in Phoenix now, but that is just for the weekend to be with my loved one. During the week we all are in San Diego. I am very grateful to have everything I have at the moment. I just get a little bit stressed out when things are not going as I want them to, but I know everything is going to pan out in the end. That's what I keep thinking of when the panic sets in. I am so worried to come over to Europe unprepared, and it freaks me out. That would be my worst nightmare, to come over without the right preparation and the feeling that we are ready to kick some European ass! I am already planning the packing of my suitcase, am trying to wrap stuff up at work and that sort of stuff. I just want to go with a nice and clear mind, because that is paramount for me. I want us all to maximise it and make the most of our time there. I want it to be a wonderful experience for us, because you never know if you're going to get this chance ever again. That goes for everybody individually and as a group. I hope we can give the fans all they are hoping for and then some more. I have no idea what it's going to be like but we're definitely going to make the most of it
WIM: Having only done one album, how are you going to fill a headlining spot? Does it mean we might hear some Malady stuff live?
VERONICA: How we are going to fill the spots depends on how long the sets are. We do not have a lot of stuff of our own, so we will be have to be going for the quality of the songs instead of the quantity. We don't have enough songs to fill two hours a night. That would be very awkward. We will not be playing Malady songs, because that was just guitar player Peter (Wells) and me. The rest of the band were not part of that, they are Benedictum, and that's what we will be playing. What I would like is for every individual musician to finally have the chance to do a proper solo during the tour, because that has never been possible up and until now. We are not the kind of band to improvise on stage as to prolong a set. Don't forget we don't have a lot of live experience under our belt with this line up. I can tell you that we will be playing a new song when we come over.
WIM: How many new songs have you got? When you recorded "Uncreation", you had to write fast, because the Locomotive deal came on so fast.
VERONICA: Well, we are still in the midst of the writing process. After we made the demo that got us the record deal Jeff Pilson went over all of our songs and pointed out what the strengths and weaknesses of them were. He rearranged them with us and told us what to look out for in the future. That is also why all the songs on the album are so strong. It is also the reason for us taking our time right now, because we want to do it right from the word go. Yes, we had to hurry with "Uncreation", because just three months after the demo we were asked to do a whole record. Who knows if this will happen again? It will depend on the schedule of Jeff and on our ability to write good songs. The lyrics will not be a problem, because they all come from my mind. They all are about things that concern me in one way or the other. They are my way of dealing with those issues. Some of them are personal, others are not. It is at least very therapeutic for me to write down my thoughts and through this medium get rid of any skeleton that might be hiding in my closet. But to get back to the question, it is going slow. We have some frameworks done, but only one of them is finished far enough to take out on the road with us. We are going to keep on writing in our own pace and make it sound like clockwork instead of trying to throw together a lot of ideas in a hurry. You will just have to wait for the result. We always look at the live set, because that has to be filled with good songs that have a certain quality and that can really wow the audience, rather than using some fillers to prolong the set. That just doesn't work.
WIM: Thank you to Veronica for taking the time on her day off to speak to us!
Metal Wim
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BEYOND FALLEN - Joe Karavis (Vocals) (10 August 2007 )
(Interviewer: Kostas Kounadinis, Athens, Greece)
KOSTAS: Congratulations on your new album.
JOE: Thank you!
KOSTAS: Please introduce the band to our readers and share some biography notes with us.
JOE: Well we got together in 2003, in the summer. I was not doing anything in a band, but perhaps looking to get involved in something. I had some songs that I
wanted to record and was strictly looking for guys for a studio project. Steve and Mike came after me to try to get me to try out - I did not take them very
serious because they were in my town and said they played real, or what is called true metal. I could not believe that. They were into stuff I was into. I was
worried at first that the material was not going to go over very well here, as not enough people here care about metal to support a band like ours. I went,
checked them out, and thought they were ok... saw some potential. They got me in, and we were banging away at some cover songs. We eventually did
our own stuff, a demo, and started this long journey to where we are now. It was not easy, but as time went on the band developed our style and we got
better gigs and once our stuff started getting heard in Europe things started to look much better. We kept at it, and got some good shows with bigger
bands. Then we got signed to Melissa Records and invited to play in Germany at the Headbanger's Open Air. So it kept moving along and now we are
considered one of the newer coming metal bands in the scene that play a classic true metal style. Europe, and in particular Germany, has been great for
us. It has been a long road but we keep moving forward, and every year gets better and better for Beyond Fallen. We think good things are in the future for
the band.
KOSTAS: Joe, I know that you have a rich musical background with participation in other bands. Please give us some info on your previous ventures and your band mates as well.
JOE: I was in many bands, but none really got of fthe ground like Beyond Fallen has. Anger Reign was one of the better ones, off and on in the 90's. We opened
for Over Kill, and Motley Crue to name a few. Did a few demos, but never got signed. Most of the early years the internet was not an option like it is today,
but had it been I think we could have done more with the band. I was in Unleashed Power, did a few demos and that was great stuff - but I wanted to be
able to put my own stamp on the band's music and have creative input - but I did not, so I eventually left. There were several bands that never did much
due to members not having teh head for what it takes to be in more serious metal band. The other guys don't have much past experience with bands, and
have done nothing very serious.
KOSTAS: How would you describe your sound to a man who has never listened to any of your material?
JOE: It's metal. There's no question when you hear it. We try to work hard at keeping the music getting better, and you can hear that when you listen. The
reviews have been very good. I think if you like classic or true metal, power metal, thrash, you will enjoy it. You can't please everyone. Some people only
like high-pitched singers, some only like screaming or growling style. So we just do what we do - and the response from the real metal fans has always
been positive.
KOSTAS: Are you completely satisfied with the result on the new album or is there something that you would like to change?
JOE: You always think you can do better. I think we can do better than Mindfire, but we are proud of it and the metal fans have loved not only the album, but
when they see us live too. I am happy so many people are getting into the album. Now our next one our intention is going to be to blow this one away.
We'd like work with a producer who really knows metal, we are open to that, and I think that might bring it to a whole new level. We'll see.
KOSTAS: What about the feedback on the new record and the band in general?
JOE: It has been great, and we are happy about that. I think we are accomplishing what we hoped for with this record. The fans especially in Germany really seemed to like us. I hope that we can get even more support to be able to come to Europe again soon and do a more extensive tour.
KOSTAS: You signed a contract with a record label for the first time. Why did it take you so long? Are you satisfied with the collaboration with Melissa Records?
Good question! We just did not get the chance until Melissa records came along, and let me tell you this label works hard and is everything a metal band wants. We are thrilled with this label, and I think they are indeed one of the big up and coming labels in the European metal scene. I'm really delighted to have them be our partner in this adventure, and we hope that our relationship continues.
KOSTAS: What are the differences between your new album and your previous works?
JOE: The music is the same style, but we upgraded the guitar sound a bit. The songs are very strong, and the lyrics forceful. This one also has the lyrics, which Lost In The Shadows did not. It's juts a better package all around. That's not taking anything away from Lost In The Shadows because we are very proud of that album as well.
KOSTAS: What do you think about heavy metal in the States? Any new bands worth checking out?
JOE: It's hard here. We play shows and sometimes nobody seems very excited out there. There are good bands, but they get disgusted because the music scene in teh USa is pretty poor right now. I did get to see some fantastic US bands who played the Headbanger's open air with us - Taunted, Wretch, Halloween to name a few. These bands are worth checking out. Our label has some good ones too - Seventh Calling and Ancient Creation - so there is some great talent. Seventh Calling will be coming to Germany next summer, so the fans will get another dose of the Melissa Records bands. I think all of us metal bands in the USA want to come to Europe.
KOSTAS: What are your plans for the future?
JOE: I think we have a lot left in us, and we hope to do some more dates in Europe. We are ready to book some more of the metal festivals so hopefully that will work out. Based on how well we did in Germany when we were there I think the fan base is growing by the day. There are people all over Europe that want to see the band and ask when we are coming back. We're going to finish up 2007 with a lot of gigs here in teh USA and then hopefully start writing the next album.
KOSTAS: I know that the band enjoys touring and entertaining live audiences. Any great bands you shared the stage with or would like to do so in the future?
JOE: Well all the great bands from all over the world we played with at the Headbanger's Open Air Festival. In the past here in the USA we got to play with Metal Church, Over Kill, WASP, and Joey Belladonna of Anthrax. We like meeting and playing with other bands. Again, we want to do more European festivals so that will be exciting to meet the other bands.
KOSTAS: Have you played any shows in Europe and if yes, please compare the European with the American audience.
JOE: Yes, again, we played with at the Headbanger's Open Air Festival and in Hamburg - the crowd was incredible both of these. Sometimes the USA crowds are good, but not as good as in Germany. I don't know how anyone could sit down during our set, or stand in the back. With all teh energy and power we put into playing live it is strange that people in teh USA can'r get more excited sometimes. European crowds just kill - they are the best!
KOSTAS: Who writes the band's lyrics and what are they about? Are you into politics and what do you think about your country's policy?
JOE: Well I write the lyrics and come up with the concepts. Sometimes the politics come into the lyrics. If you get the new album you can read all the words inside. My personal opinion of our country's policy - I am disgusted by most of what I see. It is a shame. There's a lot of propaganda and lies being forced on the people. We have many problems here, but our Government seems to care more about other places. I'm ashamed of what the government is doing... but I am proud to be an American because I believe we have many great and talented people here, and some wonderful things. We just need some major change, or we are going to be in more serious trouble.
KOSTAS: What are your main influences both as a person and a band?
JOE: I am influenced just by what happens around me... history, sci-fi. I grew up listening to Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden etc. The guys share these influences too... a little Iced Earth, Rush, Dream Theatre... even stuff liek Pink Floyd, Slayer, old school thrash... lots of stuff. We bring a lot of influences together and try to do our own thing.
KOSTAS: Would you disband Beyond Fallen if offered a spot in a band you always admired?
JOE: I think it would depend on the situation if I were to do anything outside of this band. It would have to be something really big that my heart was into. But no I would not disband Beyond Fallen. I worked hard the last 4 years on this band and it would not be fair to the fans to just quit. Beyond Fallen is going to be around for a long time!
KOSTAS: Thank you for this interview. The last words belong to you.
JOE: Well I thank you and everyone. Hopefully you all get the new album and let us know what you think. Also, tell everyone that you want to see Beyond Fallen back in Europe to play live! We can't wait to come back!
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BEYOND TWILIGHT - Kelly Carpenter (vocals) ( 10 April 2005 )
(Interviewer: Suzanne Smaling (www.rockpics.nl), Wamel, The Netherlands)
SUZANNE: Hello Kelly,
Thanks a lot for your time, how are you doing?
KELLY: Hi Suzanne, I'm fine...Hope you are well :-)
SUZANNE: How long are you busy in the fascinating world of music.
KELLY: I have been singing in bands since I was about 19...it's been a long road getting here...glad to be here!!!
SUZANNE: What are your plans for the future?
KELLY: In the immediate future I look forward to the release of Section X and playing for the fans.
SUZANNE: How did you came in contact with Beyond Twilight?
KELLY: That's sort of an interesting story...I was at ProgPower USA watching a band called Ark.I really liked their singer...I didn't know who he was at the time. I approached him and told him that I loved his voice and also asked him if he had done any really dark heavy music...he wrote down "Beyond Twilight" on a bar napkin. I got the disc and was blown away by everything on it...what a band, what an album!!! A while later My band Outworld signed up with Intromental Management which is also Beyond Twilight's management...Claus (Director at Intromental) told me that Finn really liked my voice and that he might ask me to do the album...I said "sign me up!!" I was really honored just to be considered for the job... it's the best thing that ever happened to me.
SUZANNE: Did they ask you to join the band or did you do an audition? How did it go?
KELLY: Finn asked me to write melodies and interpret the songs in my own way and to record some demos to see how everything would work out and luckily all the guys including Finn really liked what I came up with for some of the songs.
SUZANNE: Are you still active in the band Outworld and what are the future expectations of that band?
KELLY: Yes-We are recording our debut album in May...we hope that people will connect with what we are doing, we call it "extreme metal"... hopefully it will be out on Replica later this year and after that we have plans to do some touring in Europe.
SUZANNE: Jacob Hansen (ex-Invocator) is also new in the band. How were you two taken into the band?
KELLY: As far as being accepted into the band, I think we both got a really warm welcome from the rest of the guys...they all have a great sense of humor and are really easygoing.
SUZANNE: One can find in your biography that your favorite bands are "The Beatles", "Black Sabbath", "Dio" and "Iron Maiden". Which singer or band influences you the most and why?
KELLY: I guess The Beatles had the biggest influence on me...they opened up the door an really expanded the musical landscape for the world. Ronnie James Dio is really my favorite singer...he has it all...power, beauty, melody and great skill with language...he's the man!!!
SUZANNE: Finn Zierler is the founder of the band, does that mean that he decides everything that the band is going to do, what happens etc?
KELLY: It really isn't a dictatorship. Every member has a lot of input...Finn is the principal writer but it is really a band...not a project. For instance, I wrote quite a bit of the melodies and lyrics on Section X and the rest of the guys put a lot of themselves into this album.
SUZANNE: Who writes the most songs for Beyond Twilight? Do you contribute to the songwriting as well?
KELLY: See above...he he he :-)
SUZANNE: The new album (Section X) is a lot heavier then the first album, is this a wittingly choice?
KELLY: I think it was just a natural progression not really a mindful choice.
SUZANNE: Are there any plans for an European tour?
KELLY: Yes - Sometime in October...nothing solid yet but absolutely...we can't wait to play for the fans.
SUZANNE: Four years ago the first album (The Devil's Hall Of Fame) came out, why did it take so long before the second album was released?
KELLY: Finn really destroys himself mentally and physically during the writing and especially in the recording/production phase... this time his parents had to make him go to the hospital and get treated for exhaustion...he slaves over this music...so I think he needs time to rejuvenate himself...he's crazy man...one of a kind!!!
SUZANNE: What is your favorite Beyond Twilight song and why?
KELLY: I can't say I have a favorite song...but I really love "Sleeping Beauty" for many reasons...it's the oddball song... I also love it because I sang it with Truls from Circus Maximus, we do some soulful trade-off wailing...so cool!!!
SUZANNE: What do you think of your Beyond Twilight predecessor Jorn Lande?
KELLY: I think Jorn is one best singers who ever lived...he's truly one of the all time greats.
SUZANNE: Thanks for this interview and your time is there anything that you would like to say to your fans?
KELLY: I want to thank all the fans for the warm welcome and the overwhelming response to Section X...it's more than I or any of us in the band could ever hope for!!! You guys are the reason we're here...we can't wait to play for you on stage!!!
Thank You Suzanne :
Kelly Sundown Carpenter.
SUZANNE:
Stay heavy!
Greetings, Suzanne Smaling
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BITCH - Betsy (Singer) (25 March 2007 )
(Interviewer: Steve Gaines, USA)
It doesn't seem that long ago, but Los Angeles in the 1980's was a different time, and place. There were new bands finding their way into the underground metal scene – and for the first time, some of the harder edged metal bands featured women – who beyond their beauty proved that they belonged right along side their male counterparts. That it was okay to be a musician first and foremost. In Los Angeles, THE band to see was BITCH. Fronted by the controversial Betsy Weiss a.k.a. Betsy Bitch. The band's stage show is legendary – and in the early Reagan era – it scared the hell out of people. But, once the shock wore off – what you had was a really solid metal band with a vocalist who absolutely commanded every stage she stepped on – and a voice that is stronger than it ever got credit for.
I have known Betsy for 23 years now… and thought it was time that you got to know BETSY BITCH – the woman, the myth, the legend…
STEVE: Betsy, before we start… I want to know this – you're voice is still amazing. In fact it may be better |
