Hanna Tsepesh: Hello Jo! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you guys and how are the things doing with your concerts?Jo: Hello Hanna, Thanks to you for the support! Our first concert for promoting the new album will be this week end in Portugal at the Ilha Do Ermal festival in Braga… I am very excited about it… we are up to start a brand new season of touring and this is the first step.
Hanna Tsepesh: You are very welcome Jo! For those who do not know Nightmare could tell us a little how it all started?
Jo: the band exists since 1979 … the story is pretty long and from this time only me and Yves the bass player are still there… David was 7 years old and was our first fan, so he evidently took my place on the drums when I left it for the microphone 20 years after… the main hightlights from this old time was the opening slot for Def Leppard back in 1983… we have made two albums for cult British label ebony records : “Waiting for the twilight” in 1984 and “Power of the universe” in 1985… then we had a long break to finally come back in 1999 for a reunion show that was in fact a new start for a new career… from then we have released so far 5 albums and made several nice concerts… The band and their music evolved with their time with his line up so this can explain our long existence
Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics? The band writes the lyrics first or first the band creates the riffs and the melody to comply with the lyrics?
Jo: We use to work like your second proposition: the band creates the riffs and the melody to comply with the lyrics… The Guitar players offer us a riff and I try different vocal melodies and we change what we have to change after this Lyric is written at the end to match with the melodies. We give a big space to emotion and interpretation, to give the song a theatrical dimension!
Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any singer that you admire the most?
Jo: The singers I admire the most are powerful voices and vocalists who display lots of emotions I like a lot of singers but the mains are: Jorn Lande from Masterplan and Russel Allen from Symphony X, but also Ronnie James Dio…
Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any singing lessons or any other preparation? You have a fantastic voice I am very surprised with your work in this album! Congratulation!
Jo: Thanks a lot! I had lessons during 3 years at the beginning of my singing career with a teacher who does gospel music… it helped me a lot to strengthen my voice and to learn some technics… then over the years with hard work and perseverance and healthy way of life, the voice gets stronger over the years… now I am a bit lazy and I can’t say that I practice a lot!
Hanna Tsepesh: You have another project in hands or your time is only for Nightmare? You ever think of having another band or project? What you like to do when you have free time?
Jo: Nightmare takes me all the time I can give to music… Maybe I will be able to work for another project in the next life! (laughs)
Hanna Tsepesh: (laughs). The band has a new album called” Insurrection”. This album for me is the best of Nightmare, don’t you think? Is very powerful album and energetic…I really liked! I send my congratulation for the entire band for this great work and also when we listen to this album we can feel that you sing with a lot of passion! For people who don’t listen yet can you talk about” Insurrection “and what is the big different for you between this album and the previous one? Also, what the band want to accomplish?
Jo: Alex was the main guitar composer, and when he left the band, Franck took his place with success and determination. He had a big facility to propose to us real killer riffs, without forgetting to let space to the vocal melodies: it was easier for me to find melodies; I really took pleasure to sing on this album! The difference with this album is that we have more hooks when it comes to the chorus of the songs don’t you think? And that people can remember the chorus more easily…
Hanna Tsepesh: Yes i think the same! Everything went well at recording studio? It was an easy process? The band feels proud with the final result or you think that miss something?
Jo: We recorded this album for the first time in different places and we had more time to think about the songwritings… when you record a whole album in one take, you have often to hurry up at the end of the recording session and this let down the overall work on the album… but due to budget restrictions, sometimes you have no choice when you enter big studio with big producer… Everyone in the band had good condition ..; we finalized everything the way we wanted. Today, I wouldn’t change anything on it we have made it for the best!
Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the media and fans?
Jo: So far it’s a bit early to say so… we only had great feed back from the press conference of our label AFM records who presented our album at Wacken open air… also we had a 08/10 on rock hard Germany which gives a lot of promises to this album..; we are very happy so far…. We just hope now that the fans will like it !
Hanna Tsepesh: The art cover is very cool! How was the person behind this cool work? You think that the cover art transmit what” Insurrection” are?
Jo: For the second time we choose to work with Par Oloffson, a Swedish artist because we consider that his match with our music… he is really talented artist and we like his work a lot ! he was the artist who made the previous cover of “Genetic Disorder” also… if you look carefully the layout and the warrior with this dark sky and the space shifts, don’t you think of an insurrection feeling?
Hanna Tsepesh: Yes, I really like it! looks great! If one of our readers wants to buy your album safely, what they can do?
Jo: Go to the shop and buy it! (laughs)
Don’t download it because the lyrics need to be read and fits with the music and the artwork of the cover is important also…
Hanna Tsepesh: (laughs). what is your favorite music in this album and why?
Jo: I can’t choose one best song or one which is under the rest, I need more time to give my favorite, maybe after having played them live … maybe “Legions of the Rising Sun” is a very good song and one of my favorite chorus…
Hanna Tsepesh: You guys going to play in Portugal very soon (30 August at Ilha Do Ermal Festival). What can we expect from Nightmare? Jo: We are going to give our best! It’s the first time we play in your country and we want to make the fans happy after they have seen us… We are going to play a new song from “Insurrection” for this show and it will be a surprise! it’s the only thing I can say for now ! hope a lot of people will show up in front of the stage and that we can party together ! Remember 19:55 main stage on Sunday!
Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?
Jo: We will be happy to meet you at Ilha Do Ermal fest! And hope you will like us and buy the album after you have seen the show…
Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. THE GATES OF METAL wishes the entire band a big success with” Insurrection”! See you guys at Ermal.
Jo: Thanks a lot for the support! See you all on Sunday to make party!
Hanna Tsepesh: You are very welcome! thank you!
By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some more NIGHTMARE music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/nightmareofficial
www.imeem.com/nightmareofficial
www.facebook.com/pages/NIGHTMARE/8046134285
www.youtube.com/nightmaretv
*** This interview was made before the concert!
