THE GATES OF METAL Webzine

SORTOKAUSI

2012-01-10T00:11:00.004+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hello Roope! Thanks so much for accepting this second interview. First of all: how are you guys doing? Long time since the last interview…

Roope:

Hi! Yeah, quite long time, but it´s great to do new interview with you! You know we are still playing together and there hasn´t been any line up changes in these past 4-5 years.. we are doing really great now, thanks!

Hanna Tsepesh: thats great! And about concerts? The public are responding well to the new EP?

Roope:

I think people are getting to know us better, especially in our hometown. When we´re playing in Turku, there´s been circle pit in the crowd and people are moshing, but if we are going to play somewhere outside Turku, it´s still hard to get audience for our show. Before we released "Maailman Synkällä Reunalla" we played almost every show in our hometown, but now we are getting request all over in Finland and we been playing there too, but still we aren´t that well know band that we could get big audience everywhere. That´s one reason why we don´t always go to play if someone been asking us to play.. We try to focus on our music more and waiting when it´s the right time to do more shows in Finland.

Hanna Tsepesh: What is the Theme behing “Maailman Synkällä Reunalla” and whats mean the title?

Roope:

It´s translated something like "At the Dark Edge of the World". This is quite hard question, because we actually don´t got any kind of theme with it. I think Marko, who made all the lyrics, he wants to put something really dark and heavy words in the songs. It´s quite hard to tell you, but I really like his lyrics when I read those and he tries to create something new words that doesn´t exist in these kind of music and there´s always sense in the songs.
Hanna Tsepesh: Roope, I must to say that I am very admired with this new EP, I know you guys since the first Ep and you guys now have a really mature sound in this new EP and also, Marko make a brutal job with guttural voice! I must to say that I really like a lot this EP. I send my congratulations for the entire band. Can you tell to us what is the big differences bethen this Ep and last one? You also think that the band have more a mature sound?

Roope:

(laughs) thank you very much! Sure.. We always try to do better songs and try to do something different also. Big difference with the old and new one is that we recorded our newest in other studio.. It´s been recorded at Ansa studio. We got much brighter and better sound and it was really easy to record in there. We could do there whatever we wanted to do and we felt ourselves really comfortable in there. We also spend more time with the new songs before the studio and we found new ways to produce. We record every song in our rehearsal room and every member was processing the songs.

Hanna Tsepesh: At the recording studio, did you guys face any difficulties? If yes, tell us which were and how did it affect the whole process? Are you guys happy about the final result?

Roope:

Yes, I´m remembering that we kinda did! At the first day we went to Ansa studio and when we got there, we start to load our stuff into the house and suddenly Jori our mixer asked from us "mm.. guys, where´s your drum set?!" And then my face was like: (O_o)?!? Of course we didn´t take our drums because we get used at the other studio where was drum set already.. Luckily, Jori got he`s old drums and we checked those out. We sweep all the dust off and bought new crash cymbals and we were ready to record.. haha! That was really awkward moment, but we got the EP finished and we are more than happy for the final result! I must say that everyone did good job and there wasn´t any problems with the recordings..

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the EP by the fans and media?

Roope:

Really good.. I wouldn´t say that we got any "Die hard fans" but like I said, people are getting know us better and we got some more listeners. And also "MSR" still sells and the record shop ask more cds, so that´s something really special! We are still talking about EP! "MSR" got good feedback from the reviews. Those compares us bands like Nicole and Suicide Silence.

Hanna Tsepesh: What about if one of our readers wants to buy your EP?

Roope:

We got everything in here and it´s also worldwide: www.recordshopx.com/artist/sortokausi/ We got t-shirts and cd`s of course at the shows too! But if there´s something you wan´t to ask concerning our merch you can contact us from here: sortokausiband@gmail.com

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any messages to the people who are going to read this interview?

Roope:

Thanks for reading this and go check out our songs! We got next gig in Turku at the big death metal festival called "Death, Slam & Gore III" and after that we head to Jyväskylä, "Loppu Tulee" -fest! Please support us every way like sharing the music with friends, buying cds and shirts and showing up to the concerts!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thank you very much for your answers and time. I wish the entire band big success with the new EP and a kick ass 2012! Hope to see you guys very soon in here…

Roope:

Thank you very much for the interview! Have a nice year 2012!
Moimoi!!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thank you very much Roope! for you too! Moimoi...

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some songs and for more information’s go to:
www.facebook.com/sortokausi
www.myspace.com/sortokausi

TALES FOR THE UNSPOKEN

2011-11-14T01:16:00.007+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Olá Guilherme and Marco! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you guys?

Guilherme: I´m fine thanks! We are glad to participate in this interview.

Marco: Hi Hanna, we are fine, thanks for asking. First of all thanks for the opportunity to be at “the gates of metal”, we’re very pleased.

Hanna Tsepesh: for those who do not know the band, could tell us a little bit about how it all started?

Guilherme: Nuno Khan, Miguel Gonçalves and André Lopes already were already playing together, and they were looking for a drummer and a bassist on web.
I answered the request and Sérgio Vaz joined the band shortly after me. We started playing together and making songs, after that André decided to leave and Marco Fresco took his place. At that moment for me, was when everything really began. Our music began to have more meaning and became stronger.

Hanna Tsepesh: Marco is new in the band… was it difficult to find someone for the vocalist position? In your opinion what you think that Marco brings to the band?

Guilherme: Today, I cannot say that Marco is really new in the band. He has been with us since 2008. Yes, it is very difficult to find a good singer. It needs to have a good voice, write good lyrics and melodies, be dedicated and be a front man on the stage.
He brought power to the music with guttural vocals, he knew how to interact with the public and is a great friend to everyone in the band, and he is a motherfucking drunk, just like me!

Hanna Tsepesh: Marco, was your integration in the band difficult? And what do you think that you bring to this group?

Marco: Actually was very easy from the social side because all the guys from the band are wonderful persons. The difficult thing was to get to a band that had clean vocals and try to put aggressive ones. In some songs we had to change all the lyrics. And there were some other songs that the previous lyrics were about things i think that the band should not speak about.

Hanna Tsepesh: You have a variety of nationalities in Tales For The Unspoken. You think that is like a “secret weapon” for the success and the different “ingredients” in your album? For me it was a great surprise when I first listened to “Alchemy” and found that same variety of sounds and styles…fantastic work guys, congratulations to the entire band!

Guilherme: Thanks for the praises! I appreciate that! But I do not see it as a secret weapon, because it was not something intentional. It just happened!
Of course we try to take advantage of it musically and attract people's attention. Because it is not a normal thing to see. And we want to explore it yet, but since it does not sound forced.

Marco: We only started thinking about that when we were composing “alchemy” because everyone began to bring new stuff from our own countries to the table and we thought that was the way that we should work in this album and at in that time start to be the trademark of the band.

Hanna Tsepesh: Also, you two are from different countries… Guilherme you are from Brazil and Marco is from Portugal. What kind of influences did you guys bring from your own countries into this album?

Marco: we try to do something different but that comes naturally, it was not something planed. we don't think like: “we are Portuguese, we have to put something Portuguese in the album”, the ideas just come when we discuss in our rehearsal room and we work just like this so i think we all brought something to the album.

Guilherme:
I bring that influence in “Makumba” lyrics, a song about black magic and maybe in a few parts of others songs. But I cannot say that is 100% Brazilian, because Brazil is a mix of African and European influences. My musical influences are more directed from old school thrash metal, and i like to bring this to our music.

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics and what kind of process did the band use to create the songs in order to comply with the lyrics? Could you tell us a bit more about the creative process of this release?

Guilherme: Usually we create the music first with a vocal harmony, and after that, someone writes the lyrics, and if we all enjoy the idea, the lyrics stay.
Some of the songs were already written when I joined the band. Once André came out, and Marco joined the band, some lyrics and songs needed a touch of evil and we all agreed. This process occurred with the whole band working together in the rehearsals. I think these changes inspired us all to keep working in the album.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? Do you have any musician that you admire the most?

Marco: I listen to a lot of death metal from Sweden it’s really hard to say because there are a lot of good bands. But musicians that really inspire me i can tell you Peter Tagtgren from Hypocrisy because he is an amazing musician and composer and another one is Mikael Akerfeldt from Opeth, for me they are two of the best metal voices ever.

Guilherme: As I have said, i like the old metal school, I grew up listening Black Sabbath, Kiss, Sepultura, Slayer, Pantera, Megadeth, I love heavy, thrash and death metal, but I never stop listening new bands and rediscovering others. Today I hear a lot Stoner Rock, Black Metal and Brutal Death. There are many musicians I admire, would be unfair to name just one!

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you have other bands or some future project?

Marco: In this current time i only have time for Tales for the Unspoken but in the future maybe I’ll work in some other project.

Guilherme: Not right now, but I intend to build a project someday, and play other genres inside the metal.

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if did you had or have any guttural technique lessons?

Marco: I never had, when i started listening to metal i was always thinking how the hell the metal singers sang like that, and i tried for a long time until my throat staredt to bleed. And then i discovered the technique to sing without damaging my throat.

Hanna Tsepesh: When did you start to play bass? Was it difficult to learn? Which brand do you prefer?

Guilherme: I started when i have thirteen years, some friends would like to form a band in that time and someone said I will be the bass player, and I said ok, cool! I take some lessons in music school near my old home.
To be honest with you, I wish I had more time to devote myself to the bass guitar. My favorite brand is the one I have money to buy, hehehe. But if any brand wants to sponsor me, I am available!

Hanna Tsepesh: Which were the highest and lowest points of your career as musicians?

Marco: The highest point i think of, was the release of the album. It’s something everyone dreams about, when they’re involved in a band. When we did it and with a record label and a worldwide distribution, it was really a dream come true. The lowest point is the everyday fighting to have a band in Portugal and every time there’s a problem we just learn from it for the next time we can do better.

Guilherme: The highest point was to have released three albums, to play in amazing places and to meet many incredible people through metal. The lowest point is the difficulties to keep a band with our money. But in the first place, we do this for passion.

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk more about the “Alchemy” album. To people who haven’t listened to it yet what can you tell us about this release?

Guilherme: It's an album one hundred percent honest, devoted much time, work and money. We did almost everything by ourselves. Some friends helped us to make this album come true. I think it's an album that needs to be heard a few times to be well digested. I'm proud of it. It was the first big step for Tales for the Unspoken. I hope people enjoy it!

Hanna Tsepesh: One little curiosity, what does “N'Takubawena” mean?

Marco: That’s the question everyone asks, (laughts), N’takubawena means “I will be punished”.

Hanna Tsepesh: At the recording studio, did you guys face any difficulties? If yes, tell us which were and how did it affect the whole process? Are you guys happy about the final result?

Marco: Only Guilherme had real studio experience because we had just recorded the demo that was in a homemade studio, so the difficulties that we had was only to adapt to a real recording studio. We are very happy with the final result and we hope that people that listen to Tales have a good time.

Guilherme: The difficulty, on my part, was dealing with the delays and lack of studio money. This caused some stress in the recordings sessions, but we tried hard to not pass this in to the album. In general, analyzing the conditions, I am very satisfied. We learned a lot from negative situations and it will help us on the next album!

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the fans and media?

Guilherme: In general we have received good reviews from the specialized critics. And many fans came talk with us about the album or after the concerts with compliments. It’s good to know our work has been accepted.

Hanna Tsepesh: What about if one of our readers wants to buy your album?

Guilherme: Enter in our website and talk with us in: www.talesfortheunspoken.com. Or also by with our label: www.coprodirect.com/products/tales-for-the-unspoken-alchemy

Hanna Tsepesh: Which is your favorite song from this album and why?

Marco: It’s very difficult to say but i think “Makumba” is my favorite is the most difficult one to sing but i think it’s the one with the better feeling!

Guilherme: “Possessed” is direct, fast and has a good groove. And the letter is evil too. But i enjoy “There you Stand”, “Take Over”, “Unto the Breach” and “Makumba”. The entire album is good for me!

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any messages to the people who are going to read this interview?

Marco: Keep supporting metal when you come to see us live in a near future!!

Guilherme: I hope you enjoy our music! And after the concert let’s drink some beers together!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thank you very much for your answers and time. I wish the entire band big success with this amazing album! Hope to see you guys very soon on stage…

Marco: thanks a lot and we are hoping to see you in the crowd as well.

Guilherme: Thanks for the opportunity to talk about our work! Cheers

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some songs and for more informations go to:
www.talesfortheunspoken.com

DARKTOWER

2011-11-03T04:05:00.003+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Olá Argos! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you since the last interview? Long time ago (laughs)…

Argos:
Hello Hanna!
It's me that appreciate the space offered by The Gates of Metal again!
It is an honor!
I'm fine! Focused in the band's projects, which is at full gas working on the last details for the release of our debut album!

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk more about your future album. The album have any title yet? What will be the big differences between this album and the previous one? I have to tell you I can’t wait for this new album! This new songs are kicking!!!

Argos:
Yes, the title is set. Will be called "... Of Chaos and Ascension." That's not a concept album, but some songs will speak about the ascension of the main character of a tale in constant writing process by the band, which is Anne. She is a formless entity whose goal is to recreate the universe through chaos and destruction and the album name came from this history.

The difference is that the previous releases were a demo and two singles, and this is the debut album. We'll bring songs from the past recordings, with the older ones re-arranged, but the main difference is that we will bring new elements to our music. Not that I can say more about this for now, but soon, according to our current experiments, we shall announce these new elements.

Glad you liked the new songs from our latest release, the single Retaliation! This work is achieving great reviews in the media and we are extremely excited and encouraged to launch the debut. You can be sure that a lot of good things are coming, so just you wait!

Hanna Tsepesh: At the recording studio, did you guys face any difficulties? If yes, tell us which were and how did it affect the whole process? Are you guys happy about the final result?

Argos: Well, the brothers Hanged (Bass) and Niccollo (Guitar) have a studio, the "PyroZ Home Studio," which has recorded and produced many great metal bands from the Metal scene on Rio de Janeiro, (our hometown), such as Hatefulmurder, Forceps, Ágona, Hellbreath, Mistrust, and also ourselves, and we all had great reviews about the quality of the recording and production, and beside this, our other guitarist, Makiavel, also has experience with recordings. So I can say that recording process was not our greatest difficulty. I would say that the greatest difficulty and what delayed our plans, were the band members' other responsibilities, such as work, school, amongst other things, but now we are focused and ready to launch the next act in the DarkTower's history!
We're not done with the process, but rather we are very satisfied with what we have until now, and we are extremely eager to put this stuff on the streets!

Hanna Tsepesh: When it will be the release? What is your future goal for DarkTower?

Argos: Well, we intend to release our debut album later this year, but there are many procedures to be closed, we have some ongoing negotiations with labels interested in launch the work, but we need to make sure we're doing the best for the band and because this, we can't give a specific date yet.
Our intention, therefore, is to have "... Of Chaos and Ascension" on the streets by the end of the year!
Our next step after the release is to play as much as possible and touring through almost everywhere in the world, including Europe, America, and Latin America, as many other places.
Where people may want us, DarkTower shall go!

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any messages to the people who are going to read this interview?

Argos:
I would like to thank all who support the DarkTower, all people who write us from all over the world, your support makes us keeping the project in activity and strong!

And I also would like to say that the album is sure to be a milestone in our work and we hope you all enjoy him, and also that the great and growing receptiveness continue as it has been with our releases!

And especially, I want to thank you Hanna and The Gates of Metal for the space and support you have given to DarkTower since 2009, when we was called for the first interview and the review for, at the time, our current release, the single Lord ov Vastlands. Thank you!

Hanna Tsepesh: you are very welcome Argos! Don’t need to thank me. Thanks to you, for your answers and time. I wish the entire band big success for the future album! Hope to see you guys very soon in Portugal…

Argos: I appreciate the votes, and look forward to the opportunity to play in Portugal and throughout all Europe! So if you are a producer and know our work and want us in your city or country, please contact us via the e-mail "contact.darktower@gmail.com"!
It will be an honor!
Hails to all!
See the rise!

By: Hanna Tsepesh

To listen to some songs and for more information’s go to:

www.facebook.com/darktowermetal
www.reverbnation.com/darktower
www.myspace.com/risedarktower
www.twitter.com/darktowermetal
www.youtube.com/user/darktowertv

Past interview:
http://thegatesofmetal.blogspot.com/2009/10/darktower.html

WEB

2011-05-09T22:50:00.003+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Olá Victor! First of all: how are you and how are the things doing with your future concerts? Any plains?

Victor:
Very good indeed now that the album is out and we are back to the shows!
We are totally focused on the album promotion with shows, interviews, reviews on foreign magazines and sites.
Next we will play XIV SWR Fest in Barroselas, Metal GDL in Grândola and Gaia em Peso all confirmed and more shows to be announced all over Portugal!

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “ Deviance” album. Can you tell to our readers what they can expect from this album? Did you think is maybe more heavy then the past album?

Victor:
Not only your readers but everyone can expect an album heavier than the previous one!!!
Deviance has a more updated sound and sounding more as a unit as all songs were written by the actual line up since 2007.
In the previous World Wild Web we had songs written in the '80ies, in the '90ies and some from this century!!!
Hanna Tsepesh: how as the whole process at recording studio?

Victor:
The recording process was very relaxing, fun and at the same time productive! Paulo Lopes at Soundvision Sutidos is very professional but he cans also create a very familiar atmosphere making us feel home!

Hanna Tsepesh: the album cover is very artistic. Who was the person to create this cover album?

Victor:
Patrick Boenher is the author of the original picture (ratpat13.deviantart.com) and then we made some adjustments with the help of Jorge Martins, who helped with the album artwork.

Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your album , what they can do?

Victor:
The album is available directly from our website directly from us or in mp3 format at
http://webmusic.bandcamp.com/album/deviance
The album is also availabel on music stores as Fnac, Media Markt, and several music stores.

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

Victor:
I like to hear Life Aggression. I think it is a very complete song with aggressive tunes, melodies, melancholy and also revolt.
I like to play House of Salvation because is a song that makes me more emotive with the essence of the song, and sometimes I even freak out!!! (laughs)

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the fans?

Victor:
Live the metal scene specially the Portuguese!!!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your time for this interview. I wish the entire band a big success for 2011! Hope to see you guys very soon on stage…

Victor:
See you on the Road!

By: Hanna Tsepesh

To listen to some WEB music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/webthrashmetal
http://www.webthrashmetal.com/

URBAN TALES

2011-03-09T23:45:00.005+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Olá Marcos! Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you and how are the things doing with the future concerts?

Marcos: Olá... Well things are going extremely well. Reviews are being over the top for this new album, and radios are giving massive air play to our songs, so great. About shows lets see what happens; we are always interested in invitations.

Hanna Tsepesh: for those who do not know the band, could tell us a little how it all started?

Marcos: All started in 2005. Urban Tales born as an idea I had for a long time. So I invited friends to work with me and then all things just happened. A demo and good reactions; the interest of a Label, a first Record and with that mega great reviews. A new work with the ALIVE cd, where we created the anthem for FEDRA (federation of rare diseases of Portugal), with that more mainstream exposure and then this new work – Loneliness still is the friend. Fast and simple right?

Hanna Tsepesh: Yes (laughs). What inspired you the most to create the lyrics and what process the band use to create the riffs, melody to comply with the lyrics?

Marcos: The inspiration for the lyrics, comes from everyday experiences I have or I see. Now the creation of the music, well, it´s all band gathered and then we show our ideas and see what can work better. We do create first the music, then we think on the lyrics.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

Marcos: The favorite bands from all the members are very different from one to others, which is good cause then it happens the urban tales sound.
I personally love RED, Paradise lost, Anathema (but not this new album). Also I´m listening different things such as Damien Rice, Counting Crows (their first works), Petter Carlsen, Silence 4 (the” only pain is real” album is magic), etc...

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any singing lessons or any other preparation? Your voice in this new album are much better! Congratulations!

Marcos: Thanks so much... Well, not anymore. I had for about 3 years singing lessons. I really think I should go back , but it´s difficult to manage time for everything.

Hanna Tsepesh: What was the highest and lowest point of your career as a musician?

Marcos: There aren´t lower points. All comes as experiences and learning for the future. As the highest , well there are several, but seeing how this new album is being so well received, is definitely an high point.
Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “ Loneliness Still Is The Friend ” album. What a excellent new album Marcos! I liked a lot and I have to admit that I am very addicted to this new album. You guys are much better then the previous album. Can you tell to our readers what they can expect from this album?

Marcos: 10 new songs, full of passion, rage, deception, loneliness, love, all kinds of sentiments. Also, people can expect an organic sound, more raw and more direct. This album sounds more as a band than the previous. At least I think.

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the fans and media? I saw some great reviews...

Marcos: The response is being superb. Media are really enjoying it. About fans, from the emails I have been receiving , all points for great great satisfaction.

Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your album , what they can do?

Marcos: Well from Portugal you can buy in several known stores such as Fnac, Corte Inglês, Media Market, and several others.
You also can order the new album through paypal, just check our new site or official myspace.

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

Marcos: Silent cries is my favorite song from Urban Tales. There´s no reason, but a feeling when I heard this song. Is really amazing.

Hanna Tsepesh: The band got a new video. Very cool! How was the shooting?

Marcos: The shootings took several days and nights., but André Cascais managed to do a great video. Although it was hard work, we did all we wanted in the video. It´s a video full of sentiment.
Good Final work...

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your big advice for a young musician?

Marcos: Well, in these times it´s very difficult to be a musician. My advice is to take music as a passion, cause if not, you will drawn in deception.
Never give up, but with your feet on the ground, knowing it will be a hard path to take. Then Good luck, you´ll need it.
Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview and for the fans?

Marcos: Yes thanks... First of all, try to get the new album... Then spread it to your friends. We really want everyone to know of the band and our music. That´s the most important thing. Hope you enjoy it...For the fans – Thanks to the support...Can´t really say more, but thank all of them...

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. I wish the entire band a big success with this fantastic new album! Hope to see you guys very soon on stage…

Marcos: Thanks for the opportunity and keep up the good work.

Hanna Tsepesh: You are very welcome Marcos and thank you.
By: Hanna Tsepesh

To listen to some URBAN TALES music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/urbantales
www.urbantalesmusic.net/index
www.facebook.com/urbantales

EQUALEFT

2011-01-30T21:00:00.006+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Olá Miguel! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome again to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you?

Miguel: Thanks Hanna, we´ve been promoting our new EP since last September , so at the moment we are happy as ever .

Hanna Tsepesh: for those who do not know the band, could tell us a little how it all started?

Miguel: Equaleft started 7 years ago and at the first 4 years we had a lot of line-up changes which slowed us down a lot. But since 2008 with the recording and release of our demo “As the irony prevails…” we haven´t stop playing live and also released last September the new Ep “…the truth Vnravels” .
Nowdays only I and Maglor(guitar) are the only the original members and since November we have a new member as a bass player Filipe Afonso who also is Gates of Hell Guitar.

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics and what process the band use to create the riffs to comply with the lyrics?

Miguel: I´m the one who writes the lyrics because it´s much easier to me to sing what I write , more natural .
What inspires me is everything that surrounds me, people, the streets, the city ; there´s no better inspiration than this world that we live in!
We always create the songs together, lyrics are done at the same time as the music so it flows better

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

Miguel: I´ve grown up listening to Pantera, Fear factory, Carcass, Slayer , they were the bands who made me listen to metal and to have a band. But I am Music addicted so I listen to a lot of stuff from Cynic, Meshuggah, Mastodon, Dillinger Escape Plan,Entombed, The Gathering, The Haunted and a lot of different genres inside metal.
The Musician I Admire Maybe Dimmebag(Pantera) for his great guitar work and his passion for the music .

Hanna Tsepesh: You have another band or some future project?

Miguel: I rather concentrate 100% in Equaleft. Out of Equaleft I´ve recorded as guest a song with our friends Gates of Hell and one as well with Suffochate for their EPs.
And because people know how much I love the stage and gigs, some of the bands that we are friends with once in a while invites me to do one song as guest vocal live , bands like Web, Ransack, Revolution Within, Gates of Hell, Hacksaw, Anonymous Souls,Coldfear, Suffochate (I thank them all)

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any guttural technique lessons? I have to congratulate on this EP because I listened to a voice well much more improved then the Demo!

Miguel: I never had or have any lessons, I just listen to a lot of stuff and practice as much as I can .
And drink plenty of water during practice and live, it´s the voice best friend .

Hanna Tsepesh: What was the highest and lowest point of your career as a musician?

Miguel: The lowest point was probably the first years of the band because we could never get the same Line-up straight , so for me it was hard but with our perseverance we´ve managed to rise from those complicated and crappy days.
The highest point it has been the last two years, played plenty of gigs with loads of different and great bands and hoping to carry on like this as much as we can
Anyway our EP Released Show, was a moment to remember, a night of great fun, music, together with our friends, families and other bands all united in one . Such a night will not be forgotten so easily

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the new “ ...The truth Vnravels” EP. It’s only me or your new work e darker than the Demo? Also the lyrics transmits me a lot of this...I have to say that I liked a lot this EP and will I listen to a new Equaleft on the future( A lot of different from the Demo)! Can you tell to our readers what they can expect from this EP?

Miguel: We see it as a more positive work rather than darker but I understand what you mean .
Musically speaking we are more aggressive than we were back in the demo despite that we have some more melody parts on this EP but I agree with you in some way
The lyrics are also more direct, optimistic and a little more corrosive , the intention is that the listener will unravel the meaning of the lyrics .
In the future will probably will be an “upgrade” from what we´ve been doing until now, we enjoy doing different things and we love challenges ,so let´s await for the next new Equaleft´s songs, will be chaotic than ever .

Hanna Tsepesh: The EP cover is amazing!!! I really love all the details! It was the same guy who work with your demo cover? For you, what artwork transmit to you? For example for me when the first time I look at this EP, transmit a lot for energy because all the colors...and also an EP that speaks about the human.

Miguel: Yes, it was Helder Costa the one who did the artwork for “As the irony prevails…” demo .
We are big fans of his work so he was our first choice again.
This time we gave him the lyrics, a few ideas and total freedom to create what he felt it would fit in our concept .
In the end we were very pleased with the final artwork, simple and complex at the same time ,with the color white dominating so it would make people curious and think of the concept as well as read the lyrics , that´s our goal music and artwork combined in one
Unravel what´s in our music.
Hanna Tsepesh: at recording studio, you guys faced with difficulties? If yes, tell which was and how as the whole process?

Miguel: When we went to studio, we knew what we wanted, everyone was ready for it , did some pre-recording before so it would be faster but the problem was that we didn´t have a lot of time to record it. We had 3 guests in the studio and decided our bass player was leaving the band then, so Veggy(guitar) had to recorded it.
It wasn´t easy but that´s how we all learn and will try to do better in the future.

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the EP by the fans and media?

Miguel: It has been great, we are getting to new people of different genres of music and a lot more coming to our gigs .The radios are playing some of our songs, and some singing the lyrics with us live so it´s starting to spread .

Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your EP, what they can do?

Miguel: They can send their address to our mail, myspace or facebook and then we will post it
It´s 6€ for a digipack

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this EP and why?

Miguel: It´s hard because they have all different vibes and sounds but I really got to love “Suffer no More” it´s very ecletic ,with a great message of strength and very powerful music live

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your opinion about the metal in our country (Portugal)?

Miguel: It´s growing more and more as I expected, more bands playing live, very good and young musicians and internet helping everyone to expand worldwide their music and for me it´s great.

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your big advice for a young musician?

Miguel: Play what they like and not just because of trends ,be themselves and enjoy as much as they can. Support your local scene and support other bands, along with others you will become more strong.

Hanna Tsepesh: Maybe is a little bit soon for this question but: you guys are thinking to release any album soon? Exist any plan for that?

Miguel: We´re already working on new stuff, so we are hoping at the end of 2011 or beginning of 2012 to record our new album .

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

Miguel: I hope to see you all at our gigs and having fun as well, headbanging, screaming, stage diving etc .

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. I wish the entire band a big success and a kick ass 2011! Hope to see you guys very soon on stage…

Miguel:
It´s us Equaleft who thanks you for the interview and all people like you helps promoting the bands!
Cheers
“My friend let´s prepare for the battle…” ( Equaleft “Denial”)

Hanna Tsepesh: You are very welcome and thank you again! all the best...

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some EQUALEFT music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/equaleft
Equaleft@hotmail.com

WATERLAND

2011-01-08T01:52:00.006+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Olá Marco! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you?

Marco: Hello Hanna and all readers of The Gates of Metal. I appreciate the interview. Responding to your question, I'm fine and you?

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

Marco: Firstly I wanted to mention that I like a bit of all musical styles. Some Portuguese and international bands. Only the band that launched me and I always liked and still like a lot are the oratory. Speaking at the international level had a penchant for stratovarius. Struck me especially at the beginning of my career as a singer, perhaps because I identified with the way that timo Kotipelto sang. I also like the attitude of them. Was marked my big moment when they play here in Portugal with stratovarius. It was also good to know them. Over the years we get to know other bands other vocalists that I also admire them. Some of them influence me. Interestingly all of the countries are cold. (laughs) Steve Lee of Gotthard and it was with great sadness that I known of his death. Swedish Samuel Jacob of the poodles and Norwegian Roi Knan of Kamelot. This is without doubt one of the best singers I know. These are currently those most identify myself.

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any singing lessons or any other preparation?

Marco: Yes I had some lessons, when I was recording the first album of oratory with Jorge Marques (Tarantula singer) and could not continue for personal reasons. I also had vocal lessons resistance short time ago.

Hanna Tsepesh: What was the highest and lowest point of your career as a musician?

Marco: Good question. I think this is what I'm living. This return to the metal and the fact that we have recorded 2 fantastic video clips. I now return to the stage to play with waterland. The lowest was when I left the Oratory.

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “ Virtual Time ” album. What was the theme behind this new album? For people who don’t listen yet can you tell to us about this album and what the big different between this album and the other one?

Marco: The theme is the continuation of the first cd, the history of the city of waterland that is immortal and the other people want to conquer the city. The differences between Virtual Time and the 1st CD are many. The most comprehensive choice of melodies and timbre appropriate, among other various things. It should be noted that these new themes to be easy listening but at the same time faster and heavier. I think what stands out most is how Miguel managed to handle the whole process around waterland. Voices and instruments.

Hanna Tsepesh: at recording studio, you guys faced with difficulties? If yes, tell which was and how as the whole process?

Marco: Yes we had many difficulties, for several reasons. Because we don’t have to much time to record because each of us have very busy lives. We were writing slowly, and composure, tried to put things in the best shape we want. It was a slow and lengthy process which caused a huge physical and mental wear. We try to give maximum quality to this new cd. I think the fact that we all understand each other musically and friends helped a lot to overcome difficulties.

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the fans and media?

Marco: The response has been very good. I must confess that are beyond my expectations. We're still in the beginning, I hope it continues ....

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

Marco: There are several. I will mention one might suspect it is a theme sung by me. It is simply because the Virtual Time since the first notes, the composition until the final product. is a song that leaves me with goose bumps every time I hear it. But there are others.

Hanna Tsepesh: Now you guys want to play alive, why that decision? You guys have any date and place for your first concert?

Marco: Look at the beginning was not to our intention. But as we have been having a good feedback from media and fans since the departure of the first cd. And now even more with the output of this new album. This makes all the difference we have a full training we are able to rehearse we play live and we pass the live cd. is something we want and we're working on it.

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

Marco: Yes, buy our new album "Virtual Time " and support us. I hope we found you guys in our concerts very soon.

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. I wish the entire band a big success and a great 2011! Hope to see you guys very soon on stage…

Marco: You're welcome. It was a pleasure for me to answer your questions, and wish you and The Gates Of Metal to continue to do an excellent work in here. Thanks and I hope we meet in a waterland concert very soon. Cheers!

Hanna Tsepesh: thanks a lot Marco and you are very welcome! All the best for you...

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some WATERLAND music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/waterlandband

COLLAPSE

2010-12-29T00:31:00.004+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hello Andre! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you and how are the things doing with your concerts?

Andre: Hi Hanna, I am very well thank you.
The concerts are going great, we got a fantastic reaction at festivals during the summer and things are feeling really positive. We are currently booking UK Tours and talking to promoters for European shows, it looks like we will be visiting Portugal in April too. We're due to play at InLive (Lisbon) and Metal Point (Porto), but if any of your readers want us to play anywhere else, they can get in touch via our Facebook page and we'll see what we can do.

Hanna Tsepesh: for those who do not know the band, could tell us a little how it all started?

Andre: Ok, the band started in 2009, founded by Andy (Lead guitars) and Duncan (Vocals). Scott (Drums) joined a few months later, Charlie (Rhythm guitars) and I joined pretty much around the same time. The plan since the beginning has been to make our sound honest and original and to try and give the fans what we would want to hear as fans.

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics and what process the band use to create the riffs to comply with the lyrics?

Andre: Basically we work 50/50 in different locations. We write individually at home, e-mail the ideas back and forth, and then we meet at Andy’s place to finalise the basic structure. Afterwards once the main idea is set, we learn it, take it to the studio and work around it and add or delete things, until we all feel comfortable with the direction it's taking. Lyrics wise, Duncan sometimes comes in with a whole set of lyrics almost complete from the demo stages, or he might write lyrics at the same time that we're arranging the song in the rehearsal studio . We hear him shouting in the corner of the room or with his paper & pen in hand! It's normally music first though.
The inspiration to write the music? Well it is basically our daily lives, all the things that go wrong, all the things that go right, anything and everything can inspire. Sometimes, being frustrated about being stuck on one song can inspire a whole other one, that's what happened with Forsaken from the E.P.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

Andre: Yeah definitely, I could be here the whole day mentioning great musicians but, recently I have been listening to a lot of Opeth and I have to say I really admire Martin Mendez (bassist). I am not sure if there are many people mentioning him but I really think he is a great musician, if you listen to their records and the bass lines he puts in, it is just amazing, they are so clear, precise and very catchy!
I also admire Dick Lovegrn from Meshuggah, for his unique sound and presence as I am sure that took a while to define that sound!
There is a band in the U.K that are doing quite well too, called Evile, check them out.
Favourite bands: I can say, Metallica, Opeth, Gojira, Meshuggah, Machine Head, Sepultura, Morbid Angel, Sabbath, Purple and so on and so on! I listen to a big variety of music, Classical, Flamenco, Jazz and Blues.

Hanna Tsepesh: When you start to play bass and why? It was difficult to learn? What brand bass you prefer?

Andre: I started playing bass around 2001. I was in the Conservatory of Lisbon studying for my degree in Classical guitar, I was already playing fingerstyle, so the bass was an instrument that caught my attention more than the electric guitars. I don’t know, maybe because there are too many Electric guitarists (laughs)?
Learning an instrument is never easy, but that's why it's so rewarding, you could pick up an instrument every day for 100 years and learn something new every time. I am trying always to improve my playing, always searching for new techniques, listening or reading about bass players experiences or opinions. It all helps but of course the main ingredients if you want to be a good bassist, dedication and passion.
My main bass is a Fender Deluxe Precision, which I can't say enough good things about, it's such an aggressive sounding instrument but in a very full way, the guys at Fender UK have been really supportive of me as an artist.

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “Scar The Silence” EP. For sure one of the best EP that I listen to this year... is really excellent! Congratulations for the entire band. Can you tell to our readers what they can expect from this EP?

Andre: Oh thank you very much, we're glad that you like it. Expect crushing brutality together with melody, but most importantly expect well written songs. We all come from different musical influences and backgrounds, these will naturally end up incorporated in the sound of the band. We try to keep our sound honest as possible.
Hanna Tsepesh: at recording studio, you guys faced with difficulties? If yes, tell which was and how as the whole process?

Andre: It's always a long process when it comes to recording, patience is the name of the game .
The drums were recorded in Cardiff, Wales then taken back to Andy’s studio in London to record the guitars, bass and vocals. Andy is not only a great guitarist but also a good producer & engineer. There weren't really any technical difficulties apart from running short on time, which is normal, unless, “do it again!” “nope, you can do it better!” etc can count (laughs). The important aspect is doing what's best for the band and the final product, the process is just a way of getting there.
The mixing engineer was Rohan Onraet, who previously worked with Machine Head & Slipknot, and the mastering was done by Hippy at Metropolis Studios.

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the EP by the fans and media? I read some cool reviews about this EP...

Andre: It has been really overwhelming; the press have caught onto the E.P. as something high quality that stands out from the rest. Thanks to people like you, the word is really getting out around Europe. Radio stations have been giving us airplay and we're always looking for more coverage.

Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy “ Scar The Silence”, what they can do?

Andre: They can be careful with their speakers as, the minute you play our EP, it will brutalise them!!!
The E.P. Is available digitally from all the usual retailers, i-Tunes, Amazon etc You can also get hold of CD's & T-shirts from our website www.Collapse.co

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this EP and why?

Andre: I would say Burn as One, as it's the most difficult song to play for me and it has very catchy riffs. And Forsaken, as well it's “punch in the face” type of song.

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

Andre: Sure. Have a listen to our EP, we're sure you'll love it. You can talk to us on Facebook/Myspace/Youtube etc all the links are on www.collapse.co, spread the word about us to your friends and the metal community in Portugal. Thank you! We will see you all in April, keep watching for more details about our Portuguese shows and we'll see you all soon!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. I wish the entire band a big success in this EP and for 2011! Hope to see you guys very soon in here…

Andre: Thank you very much Hanna for this interview and yes we will hit Portugal very soon!

Hanna Tsepesh: You are very welcome Andre! All the best...

By: Hanna Tsepesh

To listen to some COLLAPSE music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/collapseengland
www.collapse.co

OBSZÖN GESCHÖPF

2010-12-29T00:16:00.004+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Salut Remzi! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you and how are the things doing with your concerts?

Remzi:
I’m fine thanks . These times we have given some gigs in France to present the new album .
Of course I still would like to tour much but it’s very difficult to find place where play with good conditions because of the economic crise . But we will do an USA tour normally in March 2011 .

Hanna Tsepesh: for those who do not know the band, could tell us a little how it all started? Any reason for be just you in the band? And only have live members?

Remzi:
I wanted to create an electro-EBM -Industrial project cause i was very often in Electro-indus -gothic parties in the north of France . I listened this kind of music a lot at this period that’s how OG was born
The main influence of OG is the serial killers and the old horror movies .Actually i compose all the music before and then the lyrics . I compose bass and guitar parts with synthetic sounds and then my guitarist and my bassist play with real instruments at studio . In fact i compose the guitars but i don’t know how to play it .

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics and what process the band use to create the riffs to comply with the lyrics?

Remzi:
The main influence of OG is the serial killers and the old horror movies .Actually i compose all the music before and then the lyrics . I compose bass and guitar parts with synthetic sounds and then my guitarist and my bassist play with real instruments at studio . In fact i compose the guitars but i don’t know how to play it .

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

Remzi:
PANTERA first and then DIE KRUPPS, CLAWFINGER, WHITE ZOMBIE / ROB ZOMBIE , SKREW, LIMP BIZKIT, BIOHAZARD etc… for all their whole discography .
It’s difficult to me to give the name of only one musician cause like in for example: PANTERA all of the musicians were essential for the band .
Otherwise i have a big respect for Trent Reznor .

Hanna Tsepesh: You have another band or some future project?

Remzi:
I’m going to create a new project with my wife and the Producer Andy Classen . This project will called DEAD TEENAGERS .It will be more ELECTRO-TECHNO-ROCK sound .

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any singing lessons or any other preparation?

Remzi:
No need singing lessons to cream like a disembowel pig! (laughs)

Hanna Tsepesh: (laughs). What was the highest and lowest point of your career as a musician?

Remzi:
The best point is that i do the job i like .
I meet fans everywhere in the world and i have visited a lot of countries .
The lowest point is simply that i don’t win money .

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “SYMPHONY OF DECAY” album. This album is really interesting…we have a lot elements…and some different things to! I liked a lot this album! I am very surprised!

Remzi:
Thanks !!! I’m glad you like this album .
Actually i listen Metal and electro-indus for more of 15 years . You can feel that in my music . I have always like the crossover between Metal and electro industrial .

Hanna Tsepesh: at recording studio, you faced with difficulties? If yes, tell which was and how as the whole process?

Remzi:
There was no problem during the recording of the album at ( Stage one studio ) .
Andy Classen is a very good Producer , very Professional .
He had immediately know what i wanted for the album .
Anymore we get along so well that we have decided to create a musical project together .

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the fans and media?

Remzi:
Reactions of fans and media were good except some which were surprised by the metal and violent side of the album . But they have to accustom to listen it cause the next will be in the same style

Hanna Tsepesh: If one of my readers wants to buy your album, what they can do?

Remzi:
He can directly order this CD to me .he contact me by email or on myspace and i give him all the infos to order .

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

Remzi:
It’s very difficult to answer to this question.
It depend of the moment . Now i think my favorite track is « Bloody ice scream « because of it’s violence and for the color ( Blue and white ) that it’s emit, but that’s another story...

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your opinion about the metal in your country (France)? It is easy to get some support?

Remzi:
France is a country of shit for the metal and alternative music .We have a lot of bands but no support from the media ( TV,radio etc…) excepted from the specialized media .this has got nothing to do with USA,UK,GERMANY etc…

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your big advice for a young musician?

Remzi:
Young musicians in Metal? To study and find a real job?
But if he’s as crazy than me i recommend to really go into it and give all .It’s make or break .

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

Remzi:
First i thank you to have read this interview . And if you like violent Metal , electro-industrial with a pretty sick horror atmosphere , this album is for you!!!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. I wish you a big success for this new album! Hope to see you and your live members very soon in here…

Remzi:
Thank you for this interview. Yes i hope to play in Portugal very soon!
If there are a promoter among the reader don’t hesitate to contact me.
Long life to THE GATES OF METAL and stay crazy!!!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks so much Remzi and all the best for the entire band!

By: Hanna Tsepesh

To listen to some OBSZON GESCHOPF music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/obszongeschopf

SORROWS PATH

2010-12-14T02:40:00.004+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hello guys! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you and how are the things doing with your concerts?

SORROWS PATH: Hello Hanna! The pleasure for this interview is all ours! We are doing absolutely fine if you consider the fact that we just arrived back to Greece from Malta where we performed live on the well-known The Malta Doom Festival…Now we are preparing for two important lives more: Our release party-live show in Athens and a dream that came into reality, to play with two bands that we admire most, the two Swedish bands, ISOLE & EREB ALTOR!

Hanna Tsepesh: For those who do not know the band, could tell us a little how it all started?

SORROWS PATH: SORROWS PATH was formed in November of 1993, being firstly inspired by doom metal bands like Memento Mori, Solitude Aeturnus and Candlemass. They released two demos in 1995 and 1996 entitled “Sorrows Path” and “promo ’96” that made them known in the Greek underground as a band with truly personal and unique sound and influences.
There’s a really long story of misfortune and bad luck about our band. One of the two founders died by a serious brain disease and the other was almost paralyzed a few years later because of an after effect of a previous motorcycle accident. The result was that the band was inactive for the years 1998-2005, but when things got better about the injured founder the band decided to release their previous demos in a compilation named “Resurrection”, that was release by Greek Eat Metal Records back in 2006. After that, SORROWS PATH was back in full action. We have performed many gigs all over Greece since our birth and their rebirth as well, either supporting well known metal bands like Solitude Aeturnus, Memory Garden, Pagan Altar, Scanner, Crystal Viper, Wotan and Brocas Helm, or sharing the stage with some of the most popular Greek bands. On the 29th October our new album “The Rough Path of Nihilism” was out by German Rock It Up Records. It contains 12 brand new metal songs!

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics and what process the band use to create the riffs to comply with the lyrics?

SORROWS PATH: We wonder how man can save his mortal existence through sympathy and pain and by overcoming his vanity and his desires! We talk about the liberation of man from the chains of dogmas and meanings so that he can find the animal and child that are hidden inside. We also express sarcasm and contempt towards vanity, fame, money, power and to all kinds of addictions. In a few words, we refer to things that can restore the broken harmonies anywhere they can be found! Most cases, the music is created firstly, that is to say, riffs, rhythms, melodies, harmonies, e.t.c. The lyrics are the result of the overall feeling of music!

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

SORROWS PATH: All the members of SORROWS PATH listen to doom and heavy metal bands in general a lot, but we also listen to many other kinds of music like ethnic, progressive rock, jazz e.t.c... Now the years have passed and of course we don’t forget our mentors on this style, MEMENTO MORI, SOLITUDE AETURNUS and CANDLEMASS, but on the other side we ought to be mature and offer the audience something new, that is our one and only dream! There are many musicians we really admire, the list would be very long and so we prefer not to refer to names…

Hanna Tsepesh: Are you experienced on your instruments? Was it difficult to learn?

SORROWS PATH: Of course, we are quite experienced about our instruments! You see, we are not young people; the average of the age of the bands members is over 30 years old! But the main point in that is not the age but the dedication to music, something really difficult because of the fact that we have daily jobs, families and many more things to take care about…

Hanna Tsepesh: What was the highest and lowest point of your career as musicians?

SORROWS PATH: The lowest point of our career was something that we were not responsible of! The health problems, the death and the paralysis of the founders were much difficult to overcome! So, the comeback after all these events, supporting our mentors SOLITUDE AETURNUS, on our first live after 9 years was the best present from fate! What is more, some years later we managed to release a new album via the upcoming German label, Rock It Up Records.

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “The Rough path of nihilism” album. For people who don’t listen yet can you tell to us about this album?

SORROWS PATH: Our new album was recorded at Fragile Studios in Athens by Vangelis Yalamas as the producer. He has collaborated with Duncan Patterson-ex Anathema and Joey Vera, Ray Adler from Fates Warning, plays and composes for Fragile Vastness and Jazzment Day. All the artwork and photography for this album has been made by the most important of his kind in Greece, Seth Siro Anton (Kamelot, Paradise Lost, Moonspell, Soilwork, Exodus, etc). The first reviews are really stunning…all ratings are over 8/10 and the reviewers describe the new album as the ideal, unique mixture of epic doom with progressive elements, maybe some progressive rock and oriental stuff! Of course, we are not the right people to judge our own work, so we just tried to give you a direction about what you are going to listen…

Hanna Tsepesh: at recording studio, you guys faced with difficulties? If yes, tell which was and how as the whole process?

SORROWS PATH: There were some small accidents like the injury of our drummer on his work. That was a big obstacle at the beginning of our recordings! Another problem was that we all have daily jobs, families e.t.c., so we were not able to finish with the album quickly! Fortunately, the cooperation between us and our producer was ideal so we believe that this justifies the very good result of the album.

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the fans and media?

SORROWS PATH: As we have already mentioned the first reviews are enthusiastic! We are really glad and satisfied about that and we want to thank all the people that support SORROWS PATH, from the very bottom of our hearts!
Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your album, what they can do?

SORROWS PATH: Of course, there are many distributors all around the world but we we will just refer to the most certain! Please contact with our record label, the German Rock it Up Records here: www.rockitup.org/impressum.html
If you live outside Greece, you can also contact SORROWS PATH: info@sorrowspath.net , but there will be also sending with PayPal soon, so please stay tuned for updates: www.myspace.com/sorrowspathmusic
www.sorrowspath.net/

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

SORROWS PATH: Look, if you respect yourself as a band, you ought to love any song that you decide to record officially. On the other hand, any song on the new album has its own personal meaning, we hope that we really have something to say…Maybe, you should firstly check our official video clip “Empty Eyes and Blackened Hearts”, this is a song that includes most of the messages that can be found on “The Rough Path of Nihilism”.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYLr-sNI5HI

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your opinion about the metal in your country (Greece)? It is easy to get some support?

SORROWS PATH: The Greeks live and breathe for metal! Metal is a very dramatic kind of music and the Greeks are famous for their ancient Greek culture, their theatre of tragedy and stuff like that! On the other hand, metal is dynamic and enthusing, and so are the Greeks! The only disadvantage is that we are not supporting each other’s band; many Greeks are some kind of jealous and full of vanity! Let’s hope that we will become more mature in the near future…

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

SORROWS PATH: Thank you very much for your time! We need your support because we live in a difficult age about music. Last but not least, don’t be vain and help the others…never forget that doom rules eternally…

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks so much for your answers and time. I wish the entire band a big success! Hope to see you guys very soon in here…

SORROWS PATH: Our biggest and sincere greetings and thanks to you Hanna! You, keep going this holy way of dignity and high level! We hope to meet you and our Portuguese friends as soon as it’s possible!

Hanna Tsepesh: You guys are very welcome and thanks so much! We hope so! thank you!

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some SORROWS PATH music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/sorrowspathmusic

ANTICHTHON

2010-12-07T06:50:00.008+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Olá Diogo e Alex! Thank you so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! How are you and how are the things doing with your concerts?

Diogo:
Hello! Thank you for having us, I’m doing fine thank you! The concerts are going very well, actually they are blowing all my initial expectations away! In a positive way I mean! Lots of people seem interested in the band and in the album!

Alex: Greetings. It is yet too soon for me to speak confidently, but I expect all to go well in the future, should all be like our TTROD*-release concert, which was great.
(TTROD* - Through the Rupture of Dimensions; our first album)

Hanna Tsepesh: First of all I have a curiosity: how did the band name emerge?

Alex: I came up with the name “Antichthon” considering Philolaus’s (a presocratic Greek philosopher) astronomical theory. According to Philolaus, the Earth would orbit around a Central Fire which was, as the name implies, the centre of the Universe wherein all celestial objects revolved around. Yet for the Earth to maintain balance in its movement, Philolaus suggested that a Counter-Earth, Antichthon, would orbit the Central Fire on the exact opposite point in relation to the Earth. This concept was later adopted and fabled in Greek Mythology, which held that Antichthon existed to obstruct man from glancing at the Gods.

Hanna Tsepesh: For those who do not know the band, could you tell us a little on how it all started? You guys started very young, right?

Diogo : Yes! We were only about 14/15 years old. As where the band history is concerned I think, if I’m not mistaken , that all it started back in the year of 2006. Alex , Bruno and João were classmates in the same school , later they lost contact between them , but back in the year of 2005 they got all back together again! As where I’m concerned, I was introduced to Bruno and Alex by João which is my neighbor. They Introduced me to metal (gothic and black metal to be precise) and as the time passed we got together more and more frequently so we just thought: “hey lets create a band”, but none of us had any musical knowledge or anything, except for João which had a few drum lessons in the past. It all developed naturally from there.

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics and what process does the band use to create the riffs to comply with the lyrics?

Alex: All lyrics in Antichthon are epic tales that although fictitious may occasionally reflect some of my philosophical views (consubstantiated in the storyline). I was mainly influenced by books connected to “Magic the Gathering” and other fantasy literature, of which I must mention John R.R. Tolkien. However, mythologies of different cultures and times have influenced me as well. Concerning the writing process, the songs always precede the lyrics, as to enhance the synergy between music and lyrics and to avoid the risk of disproportion. Nevertheless, I invent and organize the entire concept of the album and respective songs beforehand.

Diogo: Well myself and João , when we started to write “Through the Rupture of Dimensions” we hadn’t any specific concept lyricalwise , but as we wrote it , Alex started to develop a concept of his own for Antichthon so he quickly kept up with the composition process. The last song of the Album ( The Evil Rising) was written to comply with the concept and the lyrics , I think it was the only one, apart from the instrumentals which were composed on purpose to comply with the lyrics. In the other songs some adjustments were made as well! To answer your first question, composing this kind of music having already a lyrical background is much easier than having no idea at all. From now on we will work this ways, concept first and music second. It’s much more logical this way if you want to do a concept album.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? Do you have a musician that you admire the most?

Diogo: Well as for bands, they are so many… I cannot just point you one or two, that would be narrowing what is music for me since there are so many …
As for a musician that inspires me, I have one in particular, and it’s not even in the metal world.
Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree since he innovates so much. For me, he stands for all that a musician and a producer should be.

Alex: I like a myriad of bands, as any metal musician does. Still only one band has managed to utterly penetrate ears and touch my essence, and that is Deathspell Omega. I am yet to find a band with more exquisite songs and technical riffs in Black Metal. Although I do not agree with the band’s set of beliefs (for being, according to some sources, theistic), their lyrics are profound and elaborate to a level no other metal band has managed to reach.
As for the musician I admire the most, I must answer Wagner. I shall even admit that, to a certain extent, my work in Antichthon shares the same prime essence and purpose as Wagner: to invent legends outstanding and fabulous enough to drive hearts and dreams, and convert them into equally striking music.

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you have another band or some future project?

Diogo: I have a side project with João and another friend, Existence:Void, more in the area of the avant-garde/experimental Black Metal. It gives me room to express my other influences and feelings. I also play as a live guitarist in the black metal band Imperivm.

Alex: Indeed, I have personal projects which have not yet seen the light of day. One of them is Lugh, which consists on simplistic Celtic Black Metal. The other one is Heldross, an avant-garde Black Metal experiment in which I intend to make music as sinister as possible, yet brutal, and yet ethereal. I have already recorded some stuff, and hope to post it online soon.

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any guttural technique lessons?

Alex: Not at all, and I do not think that one could ever get lessons on that matter in our Western Lusitanian Beach. I could have been tutored by another metal vocalist though, but it was not the case. I took classical singing lessons for some months though, which indirectly helped. Whatever the case, I urge all aspiring guttural vocalists to seek help from a more experienced vocalist, in order to avoid attaining a wrong technique that could ultimately lead to some nasty vocal chord damage.

Hanna Tsepesh: When you start to play guitar? It was difficult to learn? What brand guitar you prefer?

Diogo: I started to play the electric guitar at the age of 14.I went to a music academy and met my teacher which for my surprise was also a Metal Head! This enabled me to learn it rather quickly since he was constantly correcting me and giving me tips. We still remain big friends, it was he that recorded our album! Regarding guitar brands I currently use ESP Guitars exclusively.

Alex: I play guitar as well. Actually, I was supposed to play guitar on Antichthon, but do not due to the complexity to coordinate both the guitar playing and guttural growling. I was taught by the exact same teacher as Diogo, and took lessons at the exact same time. The first 6 months were most troublesome, but soon learning guitar became smoother and more pleasant. I use an ESP model, but have a crush for Mayones guitars.

Hanna Tsepesh: What was the highest and lowest point of your young career as a musician?

Alex: The highest point? I’d say it was the releasing our album, TTROD. The lowest point, I’d say, was the shortly after the birth of our band, when we were having a seriously hard time finding a second guitarist and a keyboardist to play live. As you know, Gustavo Lopes is our current live guitarist, although such role used to be occupied by Pedro Barros, and we use a sampler to play our orchestrations.

Diogo: That is a very difficult question since I’m having constantly high and low points, I tend to be a very bipolar musician (laughs). But careerwise the highest point was to play at Barreiro, in an awesome stage with an awesome audience and crew and also the satisfaction of releasing an album that was being delayed for so long! As for the low points I think the lowest was when he didn’t had time to mix the album and the band sort of stagnated.

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “Through the rupture of dimensions” album. I am very surprised with your talent guys...this album kicks ass! I liked a lot of elements that remind me of some old horror and war films! Congratulations for the entire band! Can you tell to our readers what they can expect from this album?

Alex: It is interesting how you mention that our songs are reminiscent of movies. There is a somewhat, one could say, cinematographic touch to our music, as I intended to make the plot progression in the lyrics accompany the intensity and ambience of each part of each song throughout the album, and João was also highly influenced by movie soundtracks. I hope that a listener of our album may experience a similar feeling as to that of watching an intense movie on theater!

Diogo: I think that the audience can expect an awesome adventure full of twists and turns!!

Hanna Tsepesh: In the recording studio, did you guys face difficulties? If so, tell which and how was the whole process.

Diogo: Well the whole process was very hard, mainly because we hadn’t any studio experience , and also because ourselves and the producer back in the day didn’t have the necessary time to sort all thinks at once, so the whole process took several stages to be complete and that was the worst thing, the constant wait! It is very frustrating believe me.

Alex: Our difficulty was mainly the time the mixing process consumed and our longing for its completion. It was however worth it and I don’t regret it.

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the fans and media?

Diogo: I think the response to our album has been astonishing! A lot of people seem interested, the album leaked to the internet in a matter of days and we had a lot of downloads. Since we release the album in a limited to 50 copies run, it is a great thing to know that its reaching more than 50 people. Many more actually!

Alex: Astounding. Everyone desired an exemplar of our album the moment it was released, and everyone liked it to date. But what was most notorious was the blast of popularity after our songs were leaked into the internet. Our myspace’s daily views multiplied exponentially and our songs are now everywhere – from the United States of America to the People’s Republic of China! The leakage was more of a blessing than a curse. Still I am not a supporter of intellectual property reform.Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your album, what they can do?

Alex: Contact us on antichthonband@gmail.com or www.myspace.com/antichthonband . They better get them quick because soon there won’t be any left!

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your favorite song in this album and why?

Diogo: Its very hard to choose only one, I like them all.

Alex: The Evil Rising I’d say, I like the riffs and it’s great to sing.

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your opinion about metal in our country (Portugal)?

Alex: Metal in our country? Metal’s a good thing, there should be a lot more. But Portugal is not a naturally metallic country for cultural reasons, unlike a country of Teutonic heritage is, for instance. Still we have some very good bands (which are for the reason mentioned above typically more popular outside) and I hope metal to gets a decent boost here in the future.

Diogo: I think that we have very good bands in Portugal but they are a bit underrated.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are the future plans/goals for Antichthon?

Diogo: Reach as many people as we can, maybe to get a record deal and start making a new album!!Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who are going to read this interview?

Diogo: Thank you for following us!
Hope you like our album!

Alex: Hope to see you among the ranks of The Wicked Legion next time we play live.

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. I wish the entire band a big success! Hope to see you guys very soon on stage…

Diogo: Once Again thank you for having us! Cheers

Alex: Fare well.

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to ANTICHTHON songs and for further information go to:
www.myspace.com/antichthonband

INDRAMA

2010-11-26T01:16:00.008+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hola Jesus and Selene! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you and how are the things doing with your concerts?

Jesus:
Hello Hanna! Great and very thankful for this interview and being with you.
The concerts are fantastic, a feeling hard to explain.
We try to do the best and transmit the emotions of our Songs.
Right now we are looking for a new drummer and we hope to play again soon.

Selene:
Fine, Thank you.
I love the concerts, It´s very magical...People…Music…difficult to explain with words.

Hanna Tsepesh: for those who do not know the band, could tell us a little how it all started?

Jesus:
It was basically listening to three albums in the mid and late 90s; Tiamat´s “Wildhoney” and “A Deeper Kind Of Slumber” and Pat Metheny Group´s (Jazz Guitarrist) “Imaginary Day”. As well as listening, in the early 2000 to The Gathering´s “Souvenirs” and to Anathema´s “A Natural Disaster”.
My main influences have always been Sepultura, Machine Head, Kreator and Slayer. But listening to those albums I mentioned, they went straight into my heart for all the feeling and depth they expressed, and gave me, musically speaking, more freedom when it came to creating.
After years of reflexion about myself and music, I decided to start the project in 2008.
And this doesn´t mean I stopped liking Thrash, Machine Head´s “Through The Ashes of Empires” is a masterpiece.

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics and what process the band use to create the riffs,melody to comply with the lyrics?

Jesus:
All songs have to tell you a History, an Experience, good or bad…
I Believe that before you write a song, you need to have a reason for writing it.
Both, Sometimes we create the Lyrics first and then the Melody or we create a
melody/Riffs And then the Lyrics to finally add some Arrangements.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

Selene:
I like all Music Styles, Specially Heavy Metal, Celtic Music, Arabian Music.
My favourite bands are Blind Guardian, Hednigarna, Alanis Morrisette and specially
Lorenna Mckenit. I Love Original Soundtracks, specially Bram Stoker´s Dracula
Is amazing.

Jesus:
My Favourite Band has always been...And Will Be Sepultura (Until Max Cavalera Left Sepultura).
Currently my favourite bands are Anathema, Machine Head, Mary Elizabeth Mcglynn and Pat Metheny.
And I love the voice of Vincent Cavanagh from Anathema, Robb Flynn From Machine Head and specially the voice of Mary Elizabeth Mcglynn (OST Silent Hill) and Specially Pat Metheny for his compositions and the sound of his guitar….Amazing!!!

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any singing lessons or any other preparation? You have a fantastic voice! Congratulations!

Selene:
Thank you very much Hanna.
Curiously I had never been in a band before and I had not received singing lessons.
I must say that I had already been involved in many musical projects as a dancer.
Because I am a Belly Dance Teacher and this can be seen in her performances at InDrama´s concerts.
From a young age has always been singing but only for me. I also got piano lessons and
Gave me some knowledge of singing.
Now receive singing lessons to improve and reach all my potential.

Hanna Tsepesh: When you start to play guitar? It was difficult to learn? What brand guitar you prefer?

Jesus:
I started to play Guitar when I was 16 years old. It´s very difficult to learn because
Not only you have to play well but you also need to express emotions, feelings…
Many brands, I play Gibson (Les Paul Custom)I love its sound, But I Love Also Grestch for example.
Each Guitar Has its charm.

Hanna Tsepesh: What was the highest and lowest point of your career as a musician?

Jesus:
The Highest point is Indrama.
The Lowest point….live in Spain…(laughs), Our style of music (and others) are not well known in Spain.

Selene:
The Highest point is Indrama. I Love it and the lowest point didn´t start before.

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “ Timescapes” album. For me it was a really refreshing album! I really love it and also the melody's! For people who don’t listen yet can you tell to us about this album?

Selene:
Timescapes is like a magical spell translated into Music.
Its Atmospheres, Sounds, Melodies, Downtempo,
Harmonic construction with the ambience make you relax and enjoy.
When you listen Timescapes I believe that Peace is inside you.

Jesus:
Thank you Hanna!!!
Timescapes is a perfect debut-album
Poetically Speaking:
It´s a journey through the emotions, a gift for your feelings, with a heavenly voice (Selene) And Personal Experiences that are transferred to the Music of Timescapes.

Hanna Tsepesh: at recording studio, you guys faced with difficulties? If yes, tell which was and how as the whole process?

Jesus:
No specially, too much time. it´s made with lots of care

Selene:
Following the words of Jesus
The final result also comes from listening to other great works from other bands and producers.
Then we just try to carry it out in our album.
We start by creating beautiful voice melodies to later wrap them up with the rest of the instruments.
This is done very carefully in order to create a good dynamic and a result that ends up being as harmonic and sweet as possible.

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the fans and media?

Selene:
Timescapes is having a very good reception, people are liking it and is spreading even beyond our expectations. In countries like Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Chile or Mexico is being placed and enjoyed according to what we see in myspace, facebook or lastfm.

Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your album, what they can do?

Selene:
Visit our website: www.indrama.tk
There You can buy the album via paypal or credit card.

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

Jesus:
………Maybe Tonight or Unreal…I couldn´t tell you which one.
Both are so beautiful

Selene:
Unreal because Music and Lyrics take you to another level

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your opinion about the metal in your country (Spain)? It is easy to get some support?

Jesus:
The metal in Spain is acceptable and very difficult. Our style is not only metal….in fact, we mix various styles and we received little support…None Really.

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your big advice for a young musician?

Selene:
Simply Enjoy the Music.

Jesus:
Persistence and specially Enjoy the Music

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

Jesus:
If you like Atmospheric Sounds, Melancholics Lyrics,
Enter and discover Timescapes and let The magic, Fantasy and Imagination transport you out of reality.

Selene:
Like Jesus.

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. I wish the entire band a big success! Hope to see you guys very soon in here…

Jesus:
Thank you very much for the interview Hanna
Its been a pleasure being with you!
Greetings!

Selene:
Thank you very much Hanna and see you live soon!!!
Cheers

Hanna Tsepesh: You are very welcome! All the best!

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some INDRAMA music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/indramaband

LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE

2010-11-09T03:54:00.004+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hello Rob! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you and how are the things doing with your concerts?

Rob:
Hey there!
Well, things could be better! We had to cancel our first America tour 'cause the US promoter told us that he has to claim bankruptcy due to divorcement! So everything is a little bit chaotic right now but hey, that's the business! you never know what you're going to get.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

Rob:
Well, I love loads of bands! I don't have a favorite kind of music.. Let's say it's a big mixure. I really love the old HIM records but on the other hand I really love Jeff Buckley and stuff like that. So yeah.. it depends on the mood I guess. From Cradle of Filth to Johnny Cash!

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any singing lessons or any other preparation?
Rob:
No. I always hated that lesson thing.. You know the thing is I'm not able to read music and I don't like people saying you have to do it like this or you have to play it like that.. I prefer just to do it! If you know what I mean?!

Hanna Tsepesh: yes I know. What was the highest and lowest point of your career as a musician?

Rob:
Well there are always up's and down's in a band! With the last record, The grandiose nowhere per example we had loads of troubles. We toured our asses off and no one was able anymore to see each others face. Anyway we managed it to release a "grandiose" record! You know a band is like a relationship. You can, no actually you should learn from your mistakes and hope for the next time to do things better. Now we know: Don't tour for about 4 weeks before the studio . Fantastic Moments in 2010 was the Mera Luna Festival, the tour with The 69 eyes and our Headlinergig in London 3 weeks ago! You see, in the end the good experiences outweigh the bad so altogether, I'm happy!

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “The Grandiose Nowhere” album. Congratulations for this excellent album, is one of my favorite albums in this year for sure! Can you tell to our readers what they can expect from this album? For you, what is the big different between this new album and the previous album?

Rob:
Well the big difference between the grandiose nowhere and the previous album was the recording process. Oliver sent me his demos and we work together for about 5 month, till we were satisfied with the whole vocal lines! Christopher and other friends are helping us out if we had no idea! So, yeah, I had much more time to work on the songs. Last record was just finished when I joined the band. So it was like: Sing this, do that.. It was not that studio work I've expected. This time, in spite of tour stresses and strains I took the time I need to arrange the lyrics, vocal lines and synth melodies just perfect. I never wanted to do the same record twice, because this is as boring as sex with the lights off! With every record we open our eyes for new influences like buildings, cities, movies, art or whatever! Its great to see, that were able to compose a matchless epic melancholic rock album without bathos and hokum! All happens very naturally like the first kiss, the first sex or the first mouse! Laughs! I think for the people out there, to explain the record, It's the hardest, dirtiest and absolutely honest record we ever did! so far ... Something like the drunk brother of “HIM” with bikerboots, nobody wanted at the family celebration, or the sweet sister of “The Cult” who has a sideline at the tabledancebar next door!

Hanna Tsepesh: at recording studio, you guys faced with difficulties? If yes, tell which was and how as the whole process?

Rob:
Its always hard to work together with John as producer and Oliver Nikolas as Bandleader! Everybody has his own vision of the Song! Oliver is our maincomposer and John is one of the best Producers in the world, if you ask me! At the end ever fight was its worth, cause we filtrate the best parts of both worlds.

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the fans and media?

Rob:
The Fans love it, the media is always a Good and bad cop thing! Its always the same! We got 10 out of 10 points in the important magazines and great reviews in some mags we never expected and sometimes we got bad reviews from people we never expected. But that’s the bizz! I don´t read the most of the reviews, because I give a shit to the opinion of others to something I created! No carpet layer would discuss his work with the whole world, so why should I?

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

Rob:
It's always hard to say witch baby you love most, you know?
If I should choose though, I'd take Dead Heart Serenade!

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

Rob:
Hey everybody! I'd like to thank everybody who supports us during our ROCK'N'SAD time! You guys are great! I really hope to see you out there on a next show! Thanks to EVERYONE who bought THE GRANDIOSE NOWHERE Album! You are a part of the lacrimas family. You are more important than ever and accountable that we can continue! Stay dark, cheers and of course ROCKnSAD!
Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks so much for your answers and time. I wish the entire band a big success! Hope to see you guys very soon in Portugal…

Rob:
You're welcome!

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/lacrimasprofundere

DEAD SHAPE FIGURE

2010-11-09T03:31:00.007+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Moro Galzi! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL!

Galzi: Morjens! Thanks for beng interviewed, this is the first time in The gates of metal I believe!

Hanna Tsepesh: Yes It is Galzi! First of all: how are you and how are the things doing with your concerts?

Galzi: We`re all ok in Dead Shape Figure right now, just (finally!) got the second album out and now we`re just busting our asses off to get into a decent tour. It makes much more sense to get a few good support-slots and to do a long tour than to do a short weekend-things all the time. We`ve just learned that after our previous support slots during The Grand Karoshi album and now we`re just dying to get DSF on the road again!

Hanna Tsepesh: for those who do not know the band, could tell us a little how it all started?

Galzi: Well, there`s only me and Juhani (our guitarist and a songwriter) in the band from the really really original line-up. Seven years and an endless getting nowhere fast-mentality really eats you up I guess! But the thing is, we made a couple of demos before we got the first deal. After the first deal things started to move a bit faster and no matter how you convince yourself in the rehersal room to do whatever it takes to get the band forward, it still surprises you when the time comes to take the time off from your dayjob every once I a while to do the band things more.
Musically, DSF started as a really aggressive thrash riff-machine I guess, though we`ve never thought DSF as a pure thrash band. There`s much more variety in our stuff now than when we started. We`ve got a lot of very positive feedback already how The Disease Of St. Vitus-album sounds so very different than The Grand Karoshi and to be honest it really surprises me! It doesn`t sound that different to us as a band, but I guess we`ve had time to adapt ourselves into it..
That has been our leading thought from the beginning: we want to do as much music as we can under DSF, the only thing is it has to be right to be tight!

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

Galzi: Everybody in our band are into a totally different stuff..The only mutual stuff is propably our own shit! Me for instance, i`m into a lot of singer-songwriters, very fucking old and heavy stuff from Delta blues to early nineties hip hop..just stanrted a book about Howlin` Wolf. My three latest vinyl-purchases has been Robert Plant, George Clinton and Sick Of It All.
The musician I admire the most right now would be Nick Cave. He`S done a stunning career and still keeps on doin` and altering it every way. Also I got to mention the first finnish doctor of music Aija Puurtinen, she`s actually paying a visit on my acoustic solo next year which is a huge honour!
From the metal field I got to mention a few obvious all-time favorites of the whole band: Dark Tranquillity, The Haunted, Moonspell, Samael and Septic Flesh. Just to name a few.

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any guttural technique lessons?

Galzi: Cheeze, don`t know about that, we should get Juhani and his all time guitar licks to be added here but you can check them on Youtube!
Well, actually now that I got my brain over this term guttural, the lesson for vocalists as a short goes like this: Take a singing lessons and listen to the teacher. The when he/she tells you you`re allright to sing in a choir, you know you`re ok with the technic. Then get back to rehersal room and try to cope with that technic when the boys are blasting their Marshalls like a motherfucker. Doesn`t work. That`s when you`re in the beginning of creating your own shit to serve the damn band! Don`t give a fuck! Just give it a fucking go!

Hanna Tsepesh: What was the highest and lowest point of your career as a musician?
Galzi:
Highest: Every time to find out there`s still a band going no matter what bullshit we`ve been through.
Lowest: On a totally black road in the desert of Ukraina with all the cases and a dead cell phone waiting for a bus that never came. It`s a miracle that we`re not still there!

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “The Disease Of St. Vitus” album. This album is amazing! Very energetic album… Can you tell to our readers what they can expect from this album?

Galzi: Thanks! I really appreciate you dig it! We sorta love it ourselves too!
What to expect…it is totally broad experience to what we`ve spent our time on last year.
Like I said earlier on this interview, The disease of St. Vitus is a natural step forward from what we did on The Grand Karoshi. Now that it`s ready and out, it really feels that we couldn`t have done it any different. We`re fucking excited about its variety. Though you`ll recognize DSF on this for sure, I want to believe this`ll give a hit of where we`re going in the future!
If this is the first time fore someone ever to hear DSF, I recommend you`ll check this out first and after that see what we did on our debut. It`s going to be much more interesting to see the difference that way between the albums yet to discover the interfrace.
The lyrical side is being adapted from Finnish to English. The original text was written by a poet called Panu Tuomi and I asked his permission to use the texts on our album and in co-operation with him and one other English professional we translated the poems for me to arrange. The only lyrics not from Panu Tuomi but Friedrich Nietzsche can be found on Idiopolis and Face on the nails.

Hanna Tsepesh: at recording studio, you guys faced with difficulties? If yes, tell which was and how as the whole process?

Galzi: This time in the studio(s) were actually very easy for everybody. Though our bassist just split a few months before the studio, there were no actual problems of any kind. We recorded the drums, guitars and the bass in one place. The guys lived in the studio for a month I guess and did nothing but fucked around when not played their parts which took more time than it would have really needed. The vocals we did later on in the center of Helsinki and wanted to play a little as if it was a real job for me to get in the studio and do nothing else in a week as well..

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

Galzi: My personal favorite is a song called Shrouds. It being a totally, even arrogantly different than any other stuff this far plus a guest vocals by a finnish all star director-actor-producer Jussi Parviainen, the song is nothing but a star! Also Cities of the plain is something I wouldn`t wanna have missed!

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your big advice for a young musician?

Galzi: Do not want everything right away, all the time and at any price.
Do something else as well than just be a musician, it`ll broaden you a big time, believe me!
Also leave the arrogance and do not hide when you do/play your music. The coolest dudes are the most openhearted and –minded and not the ones with the most B.C. Riches on their wall!

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

Galzi: You red it, you bought it! Meaning, if you feel like checking the St. Vitus or any other album or artist out, do listen a few songs from Spotify or from wherever but after that, buy the actual album! That`s for now the only damn way to support a labels and bands to keep doing what the do.
Hope to see y`all live somewhere, that`s going to be 100% when we do!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. I wish the entire band a big success! Hope to see you guys very soon in here…

Galzi: Thanks! And like Mike Muir said: Remember, cool is only three letters away from fool!

Hanna Tsepesh: you are very welcome!

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some DEAD SHAPE FIGURE music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/deadshapefigure

QUELONIO

2010-10-19T01:46:00.004+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hola Luque! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you and how are the things doing with your concerts?

Luque: Hello! We’re glad to talk with you. We´re in transition time between any shows and the new album composition. We’ve decided put the energy in composition because is a bad time for the rock shows now in Spain. Just two concerts coming soon.

Hanna Tsepesh: for those who do not know the band, could tell us a little how it all started?

Luque: In short words are doing a combination of classic metal and touch of power metal, and don’t forget the rock and roll essence. About lyrics the personal experiences are our inspiration.

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics and what process the band use to create the riffs, melody to comply with the lyrics?

Luque: there is not a rule for the composition, but I prefers write lyric after music cause otherwise occasionally when we try to engage lyrics with melody have to change something and loose the primary means.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

Luque: Our favorite bands are Iron Maiden, Hellowen, Baron Rojo, Led Zeppelin, Europe, Guns n’ roses and musician Steve Harris, Kai Hansen, Gary Moore and Steve Vai.

Hanna Tsepesh: When you start to play guitar? It was difficult to learn? What brand guitar you prefer?

Luque: I’ve started play when I was sixteen years old.
All instruments required hard dedication and a few hours day to practice.
My Parker!

Hanna Tsepesh: What was the highest and lowest point of your career as a musician?

Luque: Inside our possibilities a good moment was last year because I enjoy in the “Vicio y Virtud” record and promo, with a lot of show and successfully reaction on people.

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “Vicio Y Virtude” album. For people who don’t listen yet can you tell to us about this album?

Luque: It has a great personality, powerful, direct and fresh. Was conceived for metal lovers. Listen!

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the fans and media?

Luque: General we’re received good critical from everybody, reason why are happy and give us energy for work now and in the future.

Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your album, what they can do?
Luque: The album is available now in www.myspace.com/queloniometal, www.myspace.com/redrivetrecords and people can visit our Facebook for know all news about the band.

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

Luque: “La cima de la eternidad” is my favorite track because is talking about my feelings with my little daughter, musically I think is the most complete song.

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your big advice for a young musician?

Luque: work work work and don’t stop dreaming!

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

Luque: They have to keep listening, buying and enjoy on shows, and rock and roll keep alive.

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. THE GATES OF METAL wishes the entire band a big success! Hope to see you guys very soon in here…

Luque: Thank so much for your interest for us, you have to keep working as good as you are doing.
More drugs, more sex and more Rock an Roll brothers!
Best wishes for you!

Hanna Tsepesh! You are very welcome and for you too! All the best...

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some QUELONIO music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/queloniometal

MACHINERGY

2010-10-07T00:50:00.006+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hello Ruy! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you?

Ruy: Hello Hanna! First of all, thank you so much for this opportunity! It’s a pleasure and I must say THE GATES OF METAL will be the very first zine to interview Machinergy! So… this is historic, (laughs)! Things are all ok with me and with the rest of the guys. At this moment, we’re broke but we are ok, (laughs)!

Hanna Tsepesh: That is so cool! Thanks a lot and you are very welcome! How are the things doing with your concerts?

Ruy: Machinergy is actually working on its promotion with some concerts in Portugal. We finished and already released our debut album “Rhythmotion” in the 1st of September 2010 and now we’re on the road to promote it and, most of all, enjoying every single night at the venues with our friends and bands we play with! Our concerts have been cool and we enjoyed them a lot! We would like to have more public at the venues but… in a way, nobody knows us, we’re still, in a certain way, perfect “strangers”! Also, we’ve done, recently, a mini-tour with a Brazilian band called Uganga, where it performs, on vocals, Manu “Joker”, ex-drummer of the legendary band Sarcófago, and it was very, very cool! We did three dates from south to north of Portugal and it worked for us as a small lesson for a medium/bigger tour in the future, something we want and I believe will achieve. We learned very much with Uganga by hearing their stories and how they went in their European Tour from Poland to Portugal and all the situations around it. I must say: Guts! Above all, that’s what a band needs! And then… money!

Hanna Tsepesh: for those who do not know the band, could tell us a little how it all started?

Ruy: That’s a big old epic story, so to say (laughs)! Really! I’ve known Helder (the drummer) since the late 80’s and the first contact between us, I think it was already to start a band. Helder heard in the school I was “recruiting” members to play (although we didn’t have any instruments besides the school book notes and a pencil where I would write the constantly changing line-up’s) and talked with me if it was possible to enter the “band” (laughs)! We live in a village called Arruda dos Vinhos and, by that time, we were only four or five guys who would listen to heavy-metal so we made the “band” and then some of us bought the instruments to give light to Mortalha, the very first metal band in Arruda. I think I was the last one to buy the instruments! Then we started to do some noise, always under the fire view of locals, (laughs)! The embryonic Mortalha later split-up due to Helder and Nuno had joined Imunity from Vila Franca de Xira, a city near Arruda. Imunity was the first death-metal band there and had some reconnaissance all over the country. Later, I entered the band and it was already a band’s wish, it started to sound more thrash. We recorded some demos, did some shows and then split-up, already under the name Groundustry, in the year 2000. We follow different ways and we entered other projects but in 2006, Helder convinced me to start a new project. I had a certain “trauma” from the past, because we always wanted to achieve better things such as an album recording and, because of this, because of that, girlfriends, bla, bla, bla, we didn’t. So, we started to play together again and the chemistry was instantaneous! But this time we swore: “This is no bullshit, this time is for real!” And, it was. Here’s “Rhythmotion”.

Hanna Tsepesh: Yeah, is a really big old epic story (laughs). What inspired the most to create the lyrics?

Ruy: I’m the one who writes the lyrics. I write the lyrics mainly because it’s something I will have to sing too. So, I have some difficulty in singing words and even some points of view or opinions written by someone else. You know, it’s very strong, eventually the most in a song, the power of words and the right way to sing it and express it. I like and can write about almost everything, from something more abstract to real and direct issues. In Machinergy it’s a 50/50 term, so to speak, a kind of hybrid. It’s a natural thing. But when has to be raw, raw shall be! When it has to be lame…! No shit!

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

Ruy: First of all, I like and hear everything! I’m into every kind of music and I’m not a radical listener! I like to discover new bands (old shit and modern ones) and not only metal bands. (And it’s not because of my age. As far as I remember, I always loved music and I don’t have a tradition in my family. I loved Agent Steel but still listen to “La Bamba” [laughs]!!) Then, I do my own selection, my own play list. But, the main roots, as a listener and as a musician, are in the late 80’s in the thrash-metal scene. It was when we started to discover heavy-metal and this passion that will remain for life. The most important bands to me were – definitely – Sepultura (the band that made me buy a guitar and wanted to start a band), Sodom, Slayer, Metallica, Kreator, Anthrax, Exodus, Overkill and Megadeth. The core of thrash-metal! As inspiring musicians, Mr. Frank Blackfire is the man! He truly inspired and still inspires me in the creation of riffs and that energy he puts on it, fuck… that’s real astonishing! I must say “That right hand… man, that’s perfection!” Other musicians as Max Cavalera (old Seps era) and Mille Petrozza, make the perfect trio and these last ones were a big and crucial influence, because they played guitar and sang. Max was the model to follow in attitude but Mille was and still is the men live! To me, he is the perfect frontman!

Hanna Tsepesh: You have another band or some future project?

Ruy: Yes. I and Helder do some extra exercise in-between Machinergy! Actually, we have a couple new projects, not with the importance of Machinergy of course, but to embody some ideas we thing good and to fulfill other things that don’t fit in Machinergy. We have Bicéfalo, a grindcore project in the vein of Terrorizer and we released the promo-track “Tank Child (Homework In The Crossfire)” in 2009. This project is like an homage and tribute to Jesse Pintado, the grindfather. We have some new songs to record and maybe will release a demo with three or four songs in the future. But it’s a studio project. Also, we have Miss Cadaver, a punk/crust act in Portuguese. This is no shit! Straight to the point, fuck off and die! It’s a good way to express in our language and write about all the shit we’re seeing nowadays! We released a homonym demo k7 with four tracks this year and we’re planning to release the album “Manifestvm Raivus” ‘till the end of 2010 or in the beginning of 2011. Maybe this project goes live.

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any guttural technique lessons?

Ruy: No, not at all. I usually say “I don’t know how to sing!” And it’s true. I don’t. I think I started to “sing” a little better and my voice evolved a little bit more with an industrial project called D2A2N, where I was the solo singer. Back then, I tried a lot of stuff like different vocal pitches and effects. But because I played guitar, and it’s a common error, I always putted the singing part for second plan and it was a big mistake! HEY! Young people that are reading these lines, if you want to play guitar/bass and sing, do it all together, ok?! It’s hard in the beginning but it will be much easier after and especially when you perform live. I have a friend of mine that already invited me to have some lessons with her vocal teacher, to try out. But, sincerely, although I know it’s important, so far I don’t see me in a class doing some stuff like that. Sorry, my friend! I’m so lazy!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks for the advice for the young people out there! When you start to play guitar? It was difficult to learn? What brand guitar you prefer?

Ruy: I start in 1990, I think. I bought a small amplifier and a cheap guitar, both of the same trade, Samick. It was a special pack (laughs)! Those times were really great! We learned to play by viewing VHS tapes, watching the details in concerts and things like that. It was and still is a self-learning process. I remember that I and the bass player of Mortalha, we went on to have some theory but the guy put us learning some acoustic shit but what we wanted was heavy stuff, power chords (laughs)! We then said… “Fuck! This is not metal! We want metal!” I remember seeing the first power chord in my life. Power chord is the basis of heavy-metal and I remember it was on the store in Vila Franca de Xira where we went to see the records and buy the instruments. It was revolutionary! A whole new world (laughs)! Actually, I use Gibson Flying V. It was my second guitar and now I’m married with that shape (laughs)! I have two, the black and white “Cabramacho” and the red and white “Caveirão” (laughs)!

Hanna Tsepesh: (laughs) Good one! What was the highest and lowest point of your career as a musician?

Ruy: “RHYTHMOTION”!!! For me and I think also for Helder, this is the highest point ‘till now! Definitely! It’s an album of, not officially four but 20 years of struggling since the beginning and, most of all, it’s like a dream coming true! It means a lot to us. I’ve done other things with other bands but “Rhythmotion” is so far the most important. It’s like a newborn child!

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “Rhythmotion” album. I have to say that, I am really surprised with this album! For me is one of the best metal albums in this year! I liked everything on this album and also the cover album is very simple. I send my congratulations for the entire band for this amazing work on “Rhythmotion”. Also, I saw that the songs titles are very short! Very interesting thing and once again very simple and direct… Can you tell to our readers what they can expect from this album?

Ruy: This album is the product of two friends and, more or less, four years of hard working. So, people can expect honesty, simplicity and the best of us, right in this moment. Simplicity may be the fundamental adjective to classify this record, from music to artwork, etc. We wanted the main focus to be just the music, people to concentrate just in the power of the music. We decided not to put photos or images in the album because of that. We even thought not including the lyrics in the inlay but, in the end, we did it. It’s a kind of an old feeling/trauma exorcised (laughs)! In the 80’s, we had the LP’s and a lot of them didn’t have the lyrics! It was a kind of a game where you had to devour the music to understand the meaning, lyrics, etc. We’re traumatized people (laughs)!! The fact the song titles are formed just by one word was a detail. We had three or four songs like that in the beginning and then we agreed to continue and in the end it stayed like that. We also love to cross words and create new ones (laughs)! I think people who listen to different kinds of metal and even other genres such as punk, may like this album. It’s direct, simple and powerful! We are satisfied with the final result, we think the 10 songs are all well connected between them and we like them all. We don’t feel there are fillers or bad/weaker songs. These were the chosen ones; we worked hard on them and gave the best to achieve this final shape.

Hanna Tsepesh: at recording studio, you guys faced with difficulties? You guys also worked with Daniel Cardoso. Why the band decided to choice him to mix and mastered your album? It was good to work with him? Did the band learned new things with him?

Ruy: We recorded the album in our micro-studio. Daniel only mixed and mastered. We invested in soft and hardware and did the recordings, step by step. That’s why we took almost four years to conclude the album. Ok, two years were for song-writing! It’s a nice way of making things. You have time to do it the right way without the studio stress (God, I hate that!), to listen the songs, re-record some parts, etc. The other side is you take more time for that and, in a way, that’s not totally good. But we still didn’t have enough experience in mixing and mastering, so we decided to search a producer. We talked with Tue Madsen in the beginning and he would be our choice but then we thought that a Portuguese producer would be better because of proximity and those things. We knew of Daniel Cardoso and he’s now an experienced producer and since he had a slot in his agenda (by summertime), we advanced. We didn’t want to lose more time and the album had to be released in 2010. About working with Daniel and this kind of work relation, well, we took some conclusions. First, we did everything by mail, so, Tue Madsen would be ok too, (laughs)! We only met with him two times, in the beginning and in the end. We thought it could be other way, with more personal contact in order to express some opinions in loco, that was our wish. About the final result, it was not easy to achieve. We had in mind a certain type of sound for the scenario. Not like some productions, polished to the bone and polluted with medium frequencies and highly saturated. We didn’t want that. We searched a powerful sound but also a little raw and natural. We gave him some references, like Metallica, Sodom, Obituary, Kreator and even Rammstein or Fear Factory, mainly old stuff shit, some to understand the kind of guitars, other for the drums, etc. In the end, we think we achieved some of what we wanted but I think it could be even better if the method was a little bit different. I usually say, “Rhythmotion” is a good first record, a good presentation for the band. But the second will be even more consistent, destructive and powerful. That I assure you! Get ready!

Hanna Tsepesh: In the music “Godus” is one girl singing. Who is she? She has a cool voice. I liked a lot because she brings another feeling in this music.

Ruy: The singer in “Godus” is Célia Ramos, most known for her career in Portuguese gothic/metal act Mons Lvnae. She is a friend of mine and since we started to record the album that “Godus” had a kind of “calling” to her voice. First of all, the lyrics are heavy stuff and were inspired in a friend of mine. He died a long ago but suffered a lot during years straight. I felt an immense anger and still do and this music is like an exorcism, not only about that particular person, but also a kind of homage to some of my friends that suffered so much before dying and were a few. No one deserves that. So, we’re searching for a voice somehow like a whispering angel, transmitting a kind of ascendancy to something better, a voice that could create certain equilibrium for such words. And I think we achieved it. The final result couldn’t be better and even now, I don’t believe we made such an epic song! It gives me the creeps when I listen to it!

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the fans in your concerts and reviews?

Ruy: We started working on the album’s promotion recently, so there are only a couple of reviews and they were good. We are in a first phase, contacting the media here in Portugal and the second phase will be Europe and rest of the world. It’s by degrees. The people seem to like Machinergy’s sound and the most curious is the fact opinions are someway different from person to person. I’ve heard some but the nicest one was that my voice remembers Cronos from Venom, (laughs)! That was very funny! About the live shows, I say it every time: “A good show is 50% band and 50% public”. It’s completely different when you have people in front of you headbanging or saying shit, it’s the best feeling! When that’s not possible we still enjoy and try to give the best. All I can say is: “Wait energetic, raw and interventive shows!”

Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your album, what they can do?

Ruy: Well, we have the album and other merchandise available in our concerts. But you can go to machinergy.com, myspace.com/machinergy or writing us a mail to machinergy@gmail.com. Simple as that!

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

Ruy: Well, I think it’s “Godus” because of the feeling, meaning of the lyrics and, obviously, the final result with all the beauty created by Célia’s voice. I never thought we could achieve such type of song.

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your opinion about the metal in our country?

Ruy: It’s completely different from the 80’s in terms of concerts, bands, quantity, quality but, in the end, we still need to work harder to develop and project our bands to the outside and even here. First of all, the culture in this damn country is buried! Dead and buried! There’s no place for different proposals. There’s no space for these bands besides the underground, there are no incentives, what so ever. It’s a D.I.Y. or die! It’s very hard but what I can say is that bands must sweat even more their shirt, have guts and confidence, fit capacity and learn to suffer because nobody will give you shit! Anything! So, this means war!!

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

Ruy: If you read this interview until here, thank you very much! You are a patient and good person, (laughs)! Seriously, I hope you can discover Machinergy and enjoy our record. We’re very pleased with the album so I think you may like it too. Seat back comfortably and hear it some times, preferentially loud! There are many things to discover in this album, from words to their meanings, from the band’s message to the sound itself. Believe me!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. I wish the entire band a big success! Hope to see you guys on stage very soon.

Ruy: Thank you so much and we wish the same success for your initiatives! It was a pleasure and remember… this was the first one!

Hanna Tsepesh: (laughs) I think it was great for the first interview! Thank you so much for this interview (and also very funny too)! All the best…

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some MACHINERGY music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/machinergy
www.machinergy.com/

Ruy MySpace page:
www.myspace.com/rui_vieira

PERDITION NOW

2010-09-15T20:27:00.004+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Moro K.Tormentor! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you?

K.Tormentor: First of all, pleasure is entirely by my side, so thank you for doing great job with THE GATES OF METAL. I truly appreciate your work. I have been quite busy and also little bit tired last couple of days struggling with schedules between my current job and school I went in recently (yes, I am a hairy adult and I don´t even know what the fuck I was thinking of) meanwhile giving some concentration on music too. Actually I have given myself a permission to take couple of next following days totally off and just relax, though already feeling guilt. But don´t worry, maybe I can live along with that, (laughs). That´s just the way I am. Total work-a-holic crook. Hope this rhythm does not lead to early cardiac arrest. This is actually pretty good time to do this interview, because there is a certain compulsion to have this little break, sit down and blow out a little steam.

Hanna Tsepesh: (laughs) I think you can live with that and thanks to take your time for this interview. For those who do not know the band, could tell us a little how it all started? You are searching for more band members?

K.Tormentor: Perdition Now is actually consequence of long-term musical vision I have been planning for a long time, born years ago. Active work with music and birth of this musical concept were given last December 2009. I started to invest money in recording equipment and better instrumental tools again since I spent approximately five years of total musical break while not touching a single instrument. The oldest stuff is made up decade ago or something like that, while I was playing with my former band. Music is absolutely natural creation mixed up with metal genres I favor the most like old way of thrash metal, old way of technical death metal and that little hint of more “blackened” music. I did not have any particular need to use MIDI-things, but once I tested things, it sounded exactly that complicated and “deranged” as I was dreamt about for a long time. This first one (release) contains only marginal amount of MIDI-things because I just wanted to create some certain atmosphere with those things and nothing more. I have always been in love with atonal, eerie and confusing melodies and Perdition Now is all about stirring powerful and hammering guitar tunes with spooky melodies. I have never stricken through an option to have other permanent members in line-up too. In fact, I tried to have some members in the beginning but soon find it difficult to meet someone with clear dedication and required interest. This is just dedication for music and only for music itself without any secondary values. So I made up my mind to go by my own. Maybe there will be some guest appearances in the near future, but if someone really is willing to have a permanent place in PN, there must be extremely strong engagement for the music and nothing else really counts. For example, playing skills are not so significant measure for me as I choose people around to work with. Everything starts from passion and helps with many things if man is filled with attitude.

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics?

K.Tormentor: I have never been too complicated with the lyrics. Too unclear and twisted metaphors create unclear vision about the song, I think. If song is a heart, then lyrics are a head. Sense and explanation for all what you take in and process. I have always tried to be clear with this part without having any trouble to use English language. I guess things behind my songs are more clear with lyrics spoken out with easy expression as music itself is very complex and maybe too dissonant for some listeners. Lyrical themes are all about weakness of humanity and our lost opportunity to have “real paradise”. I take my biggest influences from common daily living, by reading daily news for instance, reading magazines, following dumb acts of people around. From the real and existing things if you see what I mean. The second big influence is psychological side of humanity. For example, envious and greed character, Egoistic way to see the world, opportunism to have always some benefit out of so called “friends”. Release is all about getting juice squeezed out from someone and then simply take trashes out. Who wants to be a toy for one play really? We are also very willing to label everything around us. If some highly educated fag sees you are crazy, then he signs an official document about it and no one asks you ever again what you really are. That´s the point around Diem Perdidi. Human fate of that story is locked out and labeled insane without possibility to prove anything against that “official” statement. Those things are and will be the main issues inside my music. I think no one expects “beautiful” melodies with those lyrical themes. I have never been attracted toward things that are distant and unfamiliar. That´s why there´s no any lyrics about explosions, massacres or killing, for instance. I want to be closer with my music and lyrics and “live inside songs”. Though music (in some ears) might be categorized as black metal, I want to underline that PN has nothing to do with that genre. I´ll never write about relations between god and satan or about other substances concerning religions, If there was no some other point of view why I end up writing something which can be linked in that subject. But still I want to make it clear that I don´t give a fuck about religions at all.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

K.Tormentor: There´s plenty of excellent bands. It would take about one century to figure out every band I really like representing very various styles of metal and rock music. For instance, I really love Katatonia´s new album. That gray shade of music to describe depressive things. Atmosphere on it was really something I liked a lot. Then I usually listen to old thrash and death metal bands like Slayer and Kreator. “Coma of souls” kicks really some ass. Still Sentenced is my very first and the biggest paragon. I was very shocked about Miikka Tenkula´s early death. That man was a genius with the guitar and I wish him the best of sleep somewhere there above our cognition, rest in peace man. Luckily I had an opportunity to see them playing during their funeral tour. But that´s the man I greatly admire. Remarkably outstanding musician. Anyway, I respect metal musicians having true dedication with music itself but that´s one individual above the others for me. I am happy Sentenced is buried with honor without any comeback-things. I am totally sick of this trend of “comebacks”. It is a straight lie towards fans around the world if you first announce “we quit” and then next year you do a tour or record a new album. Sometimes I even think it´s a trick to increase sales and nothing more. Old crooks are missing more their lost profits and not missing the music itself. But of course that ´s just what I think. Let´s just say I admire the people in these circles having greater values than money.

Hanna Tsepesh: And I also agree with you! So, we are two and I think more people think the same away! I would like to know if you had or have any guttural technique lessons?

K.Tormentor: Did it sound like I had one? Well, I have never ever taken any particular lessons. I think it´s a mix of natural form of throat and some learnt things like breathing right and storing some air in the middle of throat. I started to growl at age of 14, I guess. I growled in my first recorded demo when I was sixteen years old. Then there was almost ten years break without growling. I rehearsed only classic singing and thought it leaves me more options with music if I could handle both growling and clean singing. My goal was to have sharp and cutting but still depressed sound with vocals in promo. Actually, I did vocals pretty much in one row. Thus I wanted to have a natural expression instead of clean, overproduced and contrived shit. Listeners are of course the ones to tell me whether I succeeded or not. I think rehearsing growls would cause plastic, soulless and industrial-sounding result. So, I want to stay as natural as possible.

Hanna Tsepesh: Is not that (laughs) some people have some kind of training or something. Can you tell to our readers what they can expect from this promo?

K.Tormentor: It´s not easy material. I think some things may take some time to open up to listener. Anyway, it´s better off not to expect common structure in songs. Also, I have a feeling that promo is not at its best for those insisting beautiful, predictable and balanced melody lines or “guitar hooks”. Still these songs are quite simple and in some rational shape, so songs are not just fifteen consecutive riffs wandering aimlessly. So it´s easier to expect something odd and moody having still good touch of old thrash/technical death metal. Damn, how difficult it is to tell what to expect, really. Just clear your mind, turn off the lights, close your eyes and press play. That´s the way Perdition Now serves itself in its best. Was this expressed uncleanly enough?

Hanna Tsepesh: Can you tell to us how as the whole process to recording this promo? You do everything on this cd, it was a difficult process for you?

K.Tormentor: I found it pretty simple to work by my own with songs and recordings. I was very happy that nothing really rushed me during the sessions. I didn´t have any schedule at all. I kept reminding myself that nothing and no one is expecting this, so I have even one lifetime to do required things with required quality. Of course I wanted to draw the line for myself somewhere and thought I am satisfied if promo is recorded and produced before the beginning of autumn 2010. I did not want to have clinical and lifeless result, so my will was not at any point to have entirely groun and polished surface that sounds overproduced. I think scratches and even little technical mistakes is part of thrashing metal music as long as they don´t disturb entirety. Just think how fucked up album for example “and justice for all” would be without its stuffy and shredding sound? Think “Seasons in the abyss” without its angry and rebellious sound. I hope you really understand what´s my point in this. Anyway, I began to record guitars on march taking little steps ahead slowly but sure. Actually I have planned to track up total of five songs. In fact, I did track two more songs up but decided to drop both out from actual record later. Another song was actually good song but I was stricken with a feeling it ´s not honest enough. Another song was left behind in the end of productive work. I started to feel song is not good enough to be released and I couldn’t ´t release something that I don ´t stand behind one hundred percent. Even my friend that also designed artwork said that song is not good enough as he compared it with other songs. So I ended up working with three songs only. I am sure I made just right decision. Mixing and mastering sessions were my very first ones. Yet in this part I did last solutions with arrangements and basic sounds. I have to tell you it was not the easiest piece of this cake to rub elbows with those same fucking riffs every single day during the process. Sometimes I sat down for entire day gazing those fucking annoying waves from my computer ´s screen almost around the clock repeating exactly same lines hundreds and hundreds of times without any satisfaction. It took about two-three weeks to work with basic sound. Vocals took most of my time since I did all this work at my home and surroundings to create living sound were not the best possible ones. Then at the door of the hottest summer I made some test versions and sent them to my friend asking his opinion too. It was relieving to have other point of view and, by that move, perceive better direction I am dragging sounds to. Mastering was pretty much with the same formula. Having an exact and “pedant” mixing result, it was way more easy to move on for mastering that CD. Sound processing was ready in the middle of July. Artwork was ready too pretty much at the same time. Actually, if I want to be precise I did not work completely by my own because arts of record are a fine hand print of my graphically skilled friend. I told him what I am expecting and it took nearly one morning from him to take care of the rest, (laughs). That was not so long-term project at all. In fact, logo of band was born that same morning. I am glad he had no life that morning, (laughs). To sum it up, recordings were fun and processing the sound was not so fun, but I don´t see I had any particular difficulties. Maybe I am made for playing and not for knobs.

Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your promo, what they can do?

K.Tormentor: unfortunately, readers can’t do anything if reader wants to buy this. First of all, there´s no need to buy, because all the songs can be found online, including cover arts. If someone prefers more CD, then just go ahead and download the songs. Promo was literally meant to be uncommercial window for public relations. As it name also tells the same, promo is for promotional work only. I did not want to have the first touch to listeners with something that costs money, because I hate business-oriented thinking with arts, and I see music is a great shape of art that belongs to everyone who wants to enjoy it. I personally don´t give one single fuck whether I made a dime or two with this as long as I am entirely free to decide how these things go. I am just glad if I can offer a pleasure for someone by this art and I think I don´t show any disrespect to my music though I am not asking any money for it by now. I am not the servant of money. I have only three copies of original CD left in my closet and maybe I can give one copy to someone who really is willing to have it. So, I could maybe have a little competition for one copy through this interview. So readers: Send me your full physical address and hit me with couple of comments about my music via e-mail: perdition.now@hotmail.com . Most dedicated answer will receive an original print and I contact the winner personally. Remember, I respect sincerity, so you don´t have to praise the music. If you think music is shit, then explain clearly why.

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this promo and why?

K.Tormentor: I can´t classify those songs, because it would feel I have to rank my own children. I am proud for everything in promo and, as I said earlier, I did not want to release anything unpleasant. I stand behind everything I´ve done. Maybe it´s someone else´s job to rank them. I think this is quite usual answer you receive when you ask this.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are the future plains for PERDITION NOW?

K.Tormentor: Well, I am already composing new music. It´s too early to enlighten the musical direction, but I think I´ve pretty much found that style that pleases me the most. That´s a fact that next one will be produced with different tools and next time there is more than three songs. I have dream of having a full-length album as PN´s next release but time shows what´s coming up. It is more likely to have something self-financed and self-produced out. So, I am not chasing a record deal with blood and teeth. If I wanted to sign one, I would want to be sure label is dedicated to music. Of course I´ve approached some labels, but only those clearly having passion to right things. Now I am promoting my current release and waiting feedback. Then we will see how all things go.

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your opinion about the metal in your country (Finland)? It is easy to get some support?

K.Tormentor: I think we have an excellent scene and great future. Lots of talented bands around with very many-sided styles. Of course people around the world know our big heavy metal names the best, but then there ´s excellent death metal bands, some excellent thrash metal bands, some great black metal names too. I think we have very good communities for little names and excellent work with so called “underground”. It is simple and easy to stay updated with national scene. I think simple and in-your-face styled things are most popular things here in Finland when it comes to metal. Then there ´s some names doing little bit of more “disturbed” art and having a great support at the same time. But I see our metal scene is doing very well. Getting support depends on how much work one is ready to do to get support. If you stay active and maybe already know some people inside these circles, it is lot easier to get support than if you stay passive without an extra effort and don´t know anyone. This kind of one man´s inventions may easily be seen as a joke, so you have to convince that you are serious with things you do. There´s always a little doubt with things that are “new” and “odd”. In the end, you get that much support you deserve. I am not personally taking any pressure out of it.

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

K.Tormentor: I think I´ve said quite much about the band. Check out the band and let the music speak. all feedback is very welcome and every feedback gets response too. Long live madness and metal!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. I wish you a great success and I hope I can interview you about your first album in the future.

K.Tormentor: Thanks for having me here. I wish you a good luck too and keep up doing your excellent work.

Hanna Tsepesh: Thank you so much! All the best for you and you don't need to thank me, it was very cool to interview you.

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some PERDITION NOW music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/perditionnow
www.reverbnation.com/perditionnow

DECAYED

2010-08-18T22:11:00.008+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hello W! Thanks so much for accepting this second interview. First of all: how is your balance about the concerts so far?

W: Well, this year has been great so far, we started with a concert in Madrid, organized by our label, with great bands like Graveyard and Dishammer. One of the best concerts these last years, I think. The place was full, some people even had to stay outside. The after-party was great also, the temperature was below zero, but who cares?
Still in January we played in Colhões de Ferro metalfest, lots of people there too, lots of friends. Anyway we had to decline some concerts to the end of the year, because we are preparing ourselves to our 20th anniversary gig, in October, so we need time to it.

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “Chaos Underground ” album. Can you tell to our readers what they can expect from this album? In your opinion what is the differences between this album and the previous one?

W:We always say that “this album will sound the old days, this one is to our older fans, bla bla, bla…”, I won’t say something different now. Some people were missing the old ways of Decayed, that ugly kind of sound for example; I think this is the biggest difference between this and the previous one, the sound itself. There’s only one guitar in this album, instead of two in the other one, we had some more keyboards that we didn’t had in the other one, we had female vocals done by Célia of Mons Lvnae, our dear friend in this album also…

Hanna Tsepesh: Also, "Black Funeral “song and is one cover from Mercyful Fate. There is any particular reason for the band chosen this song and band?

W: This is funny, we were working on a WASP cover, we really wanted to play “Fuck Like a Beast” in the album, but after some rehearsals this wasn’t going like the way we wanted, I don’t know what we were doing wrong, cause this wasn’t sounding good for any of us, so J.A. told “let’s forget this, let’s do Mercyfuls Fate’s Black Funeral!”. J.A. told that Decayed was supposed to play this cover already back in the 90s, so we thought that it would be suitable for us to play now. So we did. Also I was quite excited with it because I wanted to try something different with my voice, and play it live also. We all in Decayed grew up with the 80s heavy metal, so this is something that we all can be identified with.

Hanna Tsepesh: The album cover is so cool! Who was the person behind this work? You think that the cover transmit what the album is?

W: The cover is awesome! It was done by the same guy that draw the TBMF cover, Johan from the extinct Belgian band Suhrim. That cover (like the TBMF cover) was originally draw as an oil painting, before it was scanned and converted to a CD cover, so you can imagine that one with real size and all those details.
I think nowadays bands worry too much about the visual details … bands love to have great artistic jobs on the cover of their albums. We don’t give a shit about it, back in the 80’s the LP Metal covers weren’t any better than this, and still those were the days of Metal!
The cover transmits exactly what you can expect from the album: that fucking demon, coming out of a vortex, running your way, ready to cut your throat and eat your entrails. Just press play and you’ll see what I mean.

Hanna Tsepesh: (laughs) that is so cool! how as the whole process at recording studio? Everything went good?

W: We wanted that our 20th anniversary could be remembered with a classic release, we tried our best to sound the way people wanted us to sound like. First step was changing studio and producer, not that we didn´t liked the job of Hugo Camarinha in “Brugo” studio in both previous album, but we were all missing the “dirty and raw” production that always was the trademark in Decayed albums. Where could we get the essence to release an album like that? In the “Hell Mayhem” studio of course! After we recorded the drums in “Crossover” studio, we spent most of our days in J.A. bedroom working in the album. It’s good not to have the pressure of time, money spent and all that crap. We spent the time we wanted there, we could record something and record it again if we didn’t liked it, I did the vocal session in more than one day, just because we had the time to do it slowly, so why had we to do it fast?
After J.A. sent the master CD to Blackseed, we thought that we still could do some changes, so we sent an e-mail to them, to abort the whole process, we took one more week to do some improvements, and we sent the CD again. You see what I mean? We prefer to work within ourselves, managing our own time and money.

Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your album, what they can do?

W: The usual. I won’t say that it’s better to buy it in one of our concerts, because we only have two more gigs till the end of the year, and after it there is no more Decayed (but that’s another story).
So if you want one, just e-mail J.A. through Chroan@netcabo.pt or buy it on Ebay a couple of month’s later (laughs) .

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

W: Like I said before, you have a great diversity of sound in this one; I can say to you that you can’t find two music’s looking the same. I think “Cry Wolf” rules! It makes me feel like I want drink some beer, grab some chairs and break them on other people’s heads… “Cry Wolf” it’s the real Thrash Attack!
Hanna Tsepesh: Well…now I know you want to say one very important thing to your fans....now is the moment, for you tell to us what and why?

W: Well… most of people don’t know, but Decayed is dead in the end of this year. Twenty years are enough, and we are proud with what we did for the underground. J.A. always said that Decayed would always be an underground band, and he payed the price for that. Decayed always playing in small places, with few people (there were exceptions, of course), most of the times spending money from our own pockets … if I am in Decayed for four years and I’m tired of it, imagine J.A. …
No one gets rich with this, but still there are people who think it’s possible…
There are too much things to say, but it’s worthless right now, because people don’t care about the reasons, all they wanna know is if Decayed will be here next year or not, so the question is answered.
J.A. is getting out of the country; I’m going out of the country also with my family. If J.A. wants to continue to record albums (I’m sure he will), I’m 100% available to help him and do the vocals, with all these internet and technology stuff today, why not?

Hanna Tsepesh: Is really sad to hear that but, is there any possibility of returning to hear you in another band?

W: The place where I’m going there is no metal scene at all … I’ve searched already about it. Not that I care, you know? I’m planning to get some musicians there and play some different stuff. I really would like to make a Social Distortion’s kind of band… or play some of their covers just to have fun, nothing that much serious. Social Distortion is what I listen to for the last 4 months, I identify myself with them, musically, lyrically. Let’s see what the future brings to me.

Hanna Tsepesh: Yes I really understand! Do you want to send your last thanks for the fans out there?

W: I would like to thank all the real fans of Decayed who kept this flame alive for the past 20 years, it may sound cliché, but it’s obvious that if it wasn’t for you, this never could be possible.
If you never saw Decayed live, don‘t complain, you had 20 years to do it. We will do a last concert in Linda-a-Velha, to celebrate our 20th anniversary and we will record it live! This will be in the 9th of October, so be sure you’ll show up!
A few weeks ago I was reading an interview with Rob Halford and he said “One of the important things about being in a band, is to be able to realize this isn’t a fucking cure for cancer, this is a good night out!”
This is what Metal is all about after all!

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some DECAYED music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/decayedlusitania

First DECAYED interview in here:
thegatesofmetal.blogspot.com/2009/07/decayed.html

ATTENTION:
JA send me an email today (9-9-2010), to tell me this :
"What is going to end is the current formation, Decayed will never end, as long as I'm breathing. The next album is almost done and there is new material to be released next year."

I am very happy to know that DECAYED will not end and I'm sure the fans out there are very happy to! :)
All the best for them and thank you JA for telling us this.
Hanna Tsepesh

HEAVEN GREY

2010-07-27T00:28:00.006+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hello Vyacheslav and Verons! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL!
First of all: how are you guys?

Verons & Vyacheslav:
Hello, Hanna! We are fine, thank you! We just came home from the Metalcamp festival and feel tired a little bit, but still very good and looking forward for the upcoming gigs here in Baltics.

Hanna Tsepesh: Can you guys tell little bit about your experience in there at MetalCamp? Did you have fun in there?

Verons:
Yes, it was a great event. We’ve got a nice experience to participate in such kind of a festival, met many amazing people from different countries and many musicians from different bands.

Vyacheslav:
We’d also like to say special thanks to the stage personnel at Metalcamp! They really did a very professional job at a very high level.

Hanna Tsepesh: for those who do not know the band, could tell us a little how it all started?

Vyacheslav:
It all started in 1993, when “Heaven Grey” was formed after 2 other Latvian underground bands – “Disgorged” and “Scaffold” - split up. Some musicians from those 2 bands formed “Heaven Grey” original line-up. We began as a death metal band, then moved on to gothic/doom. We have recorded one demo and two full length albums in 1990s : "Memory River" in 1996 and "Northwind" in 1998. They had lyrics both in English and in Latvian. Then the band broke up in the late 90ties. Band's lead guitar Sigvard Blazhevich died in 2004. The leadvocal of "Heaven Grey" Ansis Melderis died on 24th September, 2005 in the motorcycle accident. Remaining members of Heaven Grey – Vjaceslav, Ervins and Ernests has re-united with friends Andrejs (bass) and Vladimir (guitar) to make a commemoration concert for their passed-away colleagues on 31 March of 2007 and decided to return back to active rehearsals and shows shortly after that event. It was a time when a new page in "Heaven Grey" history was started.

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired the most the band to create the lyrics and what process the band use to create the riffs to comply with the lyrics?

Vyacheslav:
Usually we create riffs first and then Verons writes lyrics.

Verons:
The lyrics are mostly inspired by the life I see around every day. Feelings, thoughts, experiences that I have – they all inspire me to create the lyrics.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

Vyacheslav:
My all-time favourites are “Paradise Lost”. This is the band which most of us have grown up on and they inspired us very much when we started.

Verons:
Generally speaking, I like many different genres of metal – black, death, doom etc., but my last time favourites are Sentenced, Poisonblack and Carach Angren.

Hanna Tsepesh: You have another band or some future project?

Verons:
I still have my first band “Catalepsia” active, where I play lead guitar and do lead vocals. This band is 5 years old already, and it has gone through different line-up and genre changes during these years. We are playing death/doom metal there and this is something different from “Heaven Grey”.

Vyacheslav:
No, “Heaven Grey” is my only project.

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any singing lessons or any other preparation?

Verons:
I graduated from a music school and sang in a choir when I was a child. But now I’ m planning to take additional singing lessons to make my vocal range wider.

Hanna Tsepesh: When you start to play guitar? It was difficult to learn? What brand guitar you prefer?

Vyacheslav:
I started to play guitar about 20 years ago. It wasn’t difficult at all, because I liked to learn and I liked to play guitar very much. My parents went mad sometimes that time, because they had to listen to metal riffs for 3-5 hours every day, it was a real challenge for them.
I prefer Jackson and ESP guitars.

Hanna Tsepesh: What was the highest and lowest point of your career as a musician?

Verons & Vyacheslav: The lowest point for “Heaven Grey” was the period when we split up in the late 90s, but regarding the highest point for our band – we are sure it is still in the future.

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “Falling Mist” album. I liked a lot this album and is really interesting album to listen to, because have a very interesting elements. I liked a lot the melody on the music “Life”! Congratulations for the entire band! Great work guys! For people who don’t listen yet can you tell to us about this album?

Vyacheslav & Verons:
Thanks a lot, we are very glad to know that people appreciated it! To our mind, the album came out as a set of catchy melodies with a little dose of depression, anger and fear. It’s quite neutral and we think it fits different generations and subcultures, it’s even not for metalhead audience only.

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the fans and media?

Verons:
The album is out for only some weeks at the moment, but it was already warmly accepted by both the fans and media here in Baltics. We hope that the international response will remain good as well.
Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your album, what they can do?

Vyacheslav:
Our album can be bought via cdbaby.com (www.cdbaby.com/cd/heavengrey) or it can be also ordered directly from the band - simply send us an e-mail to heaven.grey.band@gmail.com and the CD will find you!

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

Vyacheslav:
As for me, it’s “Life” – because we made an experiment with the second female vocals there and I like the result very much!
Verons:
“Driz”, “Zudusi Dziviba”, “Regret” – they all sound very good live!

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your opinion about the metal in your country? It is easy to get some support?

Verons:
Since in Latvia there’s no much audience for the metal and for underground music in general, it’s extremely difficult to get support for such kind of music here. There always have been many talented bands here, but only very few of them stayed alive after 1-2 years of existence, because mostly it’s all based on the musicians’ own enthusiasm and finances.

Vyacheslav:
I totally agree with Verons, but we hope that the situation will change and metal community will rise and grow!

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

Verons:
Listen to our album, come to see us live! You are the ones we are making our music for!

Vyacheslav:
Keep the spirit of metal alive!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. THE GATES OF METAL wishes the entire band a big success! Hope to see you guys very soon in here…

Vyacheslav & Verons:
Thank you for your interest and a very well-done interview! It was really very interesting for us to answer your questions. “Heaven Grey” wishes a good luck and a huge success for “THE GATES OF METAL” webzine! Keep on rockin’! Hope we’ll meet soon in Portugal!

Hanna Tsepesh: You guys don't need to thank me! Thanks a lot for your words and all the best...

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some HEAVEN GREY music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/heavengrey

AREA51

2010-07-15T23:54:00.006+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hello Kate and Yoichiro! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you?

Kate: Hello Hanna and readers of THE GATES OF METAL. We are fine!

Yoichiro: Hello, thanks for your interest in us!

Hanna Tsepesh: for those who do not know the band, could tell us a little how it all started?

Yoichiro: AREA51 started out in the year 2003. In the beginning, it was just the first singer and myself, making demos together. I gathered members and we started playing as a band, but it was not easy finding the right singer. Kate joined, finally making it possible to realize the sound I was pursuing, which led to the first album Ankh, which was released in 2005.

Kate: My first encounter with AREA51 was on the web, the band was looking for a singer. Back then I was seriously looking for an opportunity in a band with capable musicians and well established material. AREA51 definitely had everything I was looking for, which is why I went to audition. I wasn’t sure if they would accept me, but to my pleasant surprise, I was given the offer right after I finished singing. The funny thing is, I didn’t realize AREA51 was a metal band until after I joined.

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics and what process the band use to create the riffs, melody to comply with the lyrics?

Yoichiro: We usually start out with me composing. Most of our songs develop from a certain riff or a sequence phrase. During this demo phase, I actually work on most of the arrangements, and hand it over to Kate after I have a good idea of the song’s direction. She then listens to the music and start writing lyrics.

Kate: I am always writing lyrics. Sometimes a complete story, sometimes only fragments, the inspiration comes in many different forms, and I choose stories that fit the image of the music. Then I fill in the missing spots, and complete the lyrics of the song.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

Kate: I was very much into Madonna and Michael Jackson as a child, which came naturally because I was cheerleading and taking dance lessons. I also love the rhythm and groove of R&B and pops. I listen to most everything except for HIP HOP in the Japanese music scene.

Yoichiro: Yngwie was my very first encounter with Metal. Everything about him had a very strong impact on me, so there was a definite influence for sure. Also, IMPELLITTERI and STRATOVARIUS have both influenced me, as much as Yngwie did. IMPELLITTERI really inspired me in how to structure guitar solos, harmonies, rhythm guitar, etc., so I think I learned more as a guitar player. STRATOVARIUS, on the other hand, influenced me more on the song writing side, and how a band should sound. There are many other influences, but I’d also like to mention Symphony X / Rhapsody of Fire / Royal Hunt / Vitalij Kuprij, just to name a few.

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any singing lessons or any other preparation? You have an amazing voice, congratulation for your work in Area51!

Kate: Thank you very much. I didn’t have much training as a child, other than singing in the school chorus. However, I did spend hours in my room, singing songs of artists that I loved. If the singer could hit very high notes, I would keep singing until I could, too. Perhaps my training method was to imitate every expression possible.

Hanna Tsepesh: When you start to play guitar? It was difficult to learn? What brand guitar you prefer? Your riffs are very cool! You are a fantastic musician!

Yoichiro: Many thanks. I started playing guitar when I was sixteen years old. I was a fast learner, since I did play the violin as a child, and took many music lessons as I was growing up. It wasn’t easy, but I never thought of it as a burden, either, since I was completely immersed in practicing. Of course it was always a continuous trial and error session, lots of studies and research. My main guitars are ESPs. I also have Fender Stratocasters, but I need Floyd Rose bridges and 24 frets, so I my main guitars are the ESPs.

Hanna Tsepesh: What was the highest and lowest point of your career as a musician?

Yoichiro: The lowest point was probably before I started AREA51. In the early days, before the band was really rolling, finding members with good motivation was not easy. I have fond memories of those days, too, but overall not being able to create music the way I wanted to was a purely frustrating experience. I always strive for the highest level possible, so I’m never really satisfied. At the same time, when I look back I realize I was actually able to work with Rob Rock and Jens Bogren, which was a truly inspiring experience. In retrospect, those moments were in fact highest possible points. Nevertheless, I believe there is always more to be achieved.

Kate: I don’t really think in those terms, so I don’t have an answer to that. I am always grateful to have opportunities where I can sing.

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “Goddess” album. For people who don’t listen yet can you tell to our readers what they can expect from this new album and what are the differences between this album and the previous one?

Yoichiro: The biggest differences between the previous albums are the fact that we’ve really enhanced the quality in all aspects, and that we did our best to musically create wider and deeper variation. The first album was really a struggling effort, we didn’t know many things we needed to. A lot of work was put into it for sure. Our fans really love it, since it’s full of a special kind of energy. When we got to the second album, though, we were really able to sit down and go through the process with less stress. As a result, we were able to create a wider variety of songs, and with Rob Rock on board, were able to gain a little more international recognition. For the third and latest album, we really wanted to create an album with which we can approach the world. To further enhance the quality in every direction, we needed the help of Jens, who is globally recognized engineer with true skills.

Kate: With every album we make, there is an increasing degree of freedom. At the same time, the real core of our music remains the same. I think we were able to achieve this balance with our latest album.

Hanna Tsepesh: at recording studio, you guys faced with difficulties? If yes, tell which was and how as the whole process? How as to work with Jens Bogren?

Yoichiro: When I finish creating demos, most of the arrangements are usually done. I first give these demos to our drummer You, who then joins me in the recording studio. When he shows up, he is typically 99% prepared and perfect. The remaining 1% needs to be discussed on the spot with him. Then, everything works out great. He does such a great job, it’s really stress free. After that, I fill in the guitar and keyboard parts. I have a simple studio, so there’s lots of freedom in recording vocals and guitars. Other than a few songs which require pre-production, there’s actually no solid plan prior to the actual recording itself. That goes for both rhythm and lead guitar. I try to come up with cool ideas that work, as the recorder is in action. I am not a big fan of pre-production, to be honest. You lost that fresh sense if everything is worked out beforehand, and only focus on technically playing it well. After that, I send the data to Makoto, who records the bass. We rely on data transmission here, and don’t always get together, since he’s always busy with multiple albums for other musicians, too. There’s no issue with the way things work out, and he always manages to provide much more than expected. Finally, we record the vocal tracks, which I think Kate should explain. I tend to be rather stoic and am not easily satisfied, so the recording could turn into a very tough challenge, but I am fortunate to be surrounded by trustworthy musicians.

Kate: I usually decide on the approach or feeling of how I should sing, before actually going to the recording studio. Whatever I have in mind is proposed prior to the recording, and in most cases we end up deciding how I should sing based on the first impression. From time to time Yoichiro and I have to talk about points where we don’t agree, but it’s really not a stressful experience, it’s very much constructive and productive.

Hanna Tsepesh: One little curiosity: In your previous album “Daemonicus” your vocal guest was Rob Rock, so I want to ask the same thing…How was to work with him?

Yoichiro: This was such an exciting event for me! I’ve been an Impellitteri fan ever since I started playing the guitar. Especially albums like “Answer to the Master”, “Victim of the System”, “Screaming Symphony” are like text books to me. Ever since I started thinking about a 16 minute long song, I always wanted to have a male guest singer. With no expectations of his agreeing, I approached Rob, who appreciated our music, and agreed to sing for us. He was extremely professional, with tons of great ideas regarding the lyrics and melodies. He understood how to bring the overall song as close to perfection as possible, without us having to explain things in detail. We recorded Kate’s vocals afterwards, but since Rob’s recording perfectly captured our intentions, the rest of the recording went smoothly like magic. Among all the musicians who must want Rob to sing for them, I am so grateful and happy that we actually made it happen. I cannot thank him enough for what he’s done for us, and I am extremely proud of the outcome.

Kate: Due to schedule conflicts, I only had three days to come up with the chorus arrangements for Rob’s main lines, memorize Rob’s lyrics, and actually record everything. Doesn’t that seem rather risky? The end results was definitely something to be proud of, but I wish I had more time to work on the English. Either way, it was a great privilege to be able to work with such a legend. I can’t be more thankful.

Hanna Tsepesh: back to this album (laughs): How has the response been to the album by the fans and media?

Kate: People seem to be very into the album. It’s like bubble gum that doesn’t lose flavor.

Yoichiro: I get great vibes here in Japan, and hear people say it’s AREA51s best album to date. I’ve only started approaching overseas media, but the reaction has been very positive so far.

Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your album, what they can do?

Yoichiro: First, our album is available on CD Baby, at www.cdbaby.com/Artist/AREA512 The next option is iTunes. If your country has iTunes, our album is available. Finally, you can also purchase our album on our online store. Please check our Myspace page for that.

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

Kate: That would be VANITAS for me. Second place for me is Begins of Dissolution. I absolutely love the feeling, worldview and melody.

Yoichiro: I’ve struggled with this question for every album, which is natural since I love all the songs. Nightmare, Sincerity and UTAKATA are very AREA51-ish songs which is great. Begins of Dissolution and VANATIS have broadened our style, offering a new taste, and were wonderful challenges. The ballad Miss You is great, too. I guess all of them are!

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your opinion about the metal in your country (Japan)? It is easy to get some support?

Kate: I don’t think metal bands can receive sufficient support from a business viewpoint in Japan today. We do have a lot of fans, though, who are into Visual Kei music, so our music is not necessarily limited to metal fans. We may have it better compared to other metal bands nowadays.

Yoichiro: The Japanese metal scene is quite unique. I think it’s a great place for foreign metal bands. Good CD sales, tour after tour. However, for domestic metal bands, it’s very tough.

Hanna Tsepesh: In our country (Portugal) we don’t know Metal bands from there; can you guys name some Japanese metal bands for us? What we can expect Area51 on stage? You guys want to play in here some day? I really hope to get a chance to see the band on stage…I think will be very cool show!

Yoichiro: Anthem and Loudness are more famous and popular Japanese metals bands with long careers. Onmyo-za and Galneryus have been around for some time, too. Of course we as a band would love to play in Portugal some day, and potentially tour Europe! Again the market here in Japan isn’t that happening, so we don’t do much touring, we only do shows from time to time. We are much more interested in playing overseas if possible.

Hanna Tsepesh: You guys know anything about Portugal and some Metal bands from here?

Yoichiro: Actually, I didn’t know much, but the band Waterland that you suggested was very cool!

Hanna Tsepesh: Great to know that! What is your big advice for a young musician?

Kate: I don’t consider myself an accomplished musician yet, but I also think that feeling that way is important. Also, trying to consider something is done, or being too conscious of deadlines only lead to monotonous results. It’s always important not to fear change, whatever people might say about it.

Yoichiro: Believe in yourself! Performing music and playing in bands will always have difficult challenges, but you have to believe that things will work out. Also, becoming an accomplished musician takes lots of self discipline, and you should try to enjoy being that way.

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

Kate: Metal is a truly wonderful style of music. There are lots of fans in Japan, but there is much room for improvement in terms of recognition of metal bands. There are less and less opportunities like this interview, which proactively show our existence to the world. I feel very fortunate that people who are reading this will have exposure to many different metal bands.

Yoichiro: Thanks for reading to the end. I really hope you have the chance to listen to our latest album. I also wish we can see you over there some day!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. THE GATES OF METAL wishes the entire band a big success! Hope to see you guys very soon in here…

Kate: Thank you so much. I also thank god for giving us this opportunity.

Yoichiro: Your very welcome. Thanks for giving us this opportunity.

Hanna Tsepesh: You guys are very welcome! All the best and thank you!

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some AREA51 music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/area51web
www.area51-web.com/

Yoichiro Ishino MySpace:
www.myspace.com/yoichiro51

Kate Cain MySpace:
www.myspace.com/katecainarea51

OBLIQUE RAIN

2010-07-08T00:28:00.005+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hello Flávio! Thanks so much for accepting this interview; I know you are little bit busy at the moment! Long time ago since the last time we Spoke. How are you?

Flávio: Hello Hanna, yes it´s been a while, anyway I feel fine and enjoying the summer…not on vacations yet…but soon I will be!

Hanna Tsepesh: Now the band has a new Bassist and drummer. I want to ask you, to tell to us what is your opinion about Guilherme and Marcelo work so far?

Flávio: Guilherme has been in the band for about two years now, he replaced Daniel Botelho who had to leave the band because of his studies in Castelo Branco. Guilherme is a very dedicated bass player, composing is a very enthusiastic thing for him and brought a completely new dimension to our sound spectrum, don´t get me wrong Daniel Botelho is an excellent bass player, they are just different and it show on the album.
It is a pleasure finally having an official drummer in the band, Marcelo is a prodigy and it will be very exciting to write music with him when we decide to produce a new record…so far couldn´t be better!

Hanna Tsepesh: Flávio, now you have some other project in hands?

Flávio: Yes I´ve started witting for a new project called “Dark Radio”, so far it only involves me and a producer, Daniel Botelho will feature as a bass player and I plan to invite different people to complement my writing , it is a bit different than Oblique Rain , at least in its concept , when I write for it I think about landscapes and that´s why it probably is not so heavy…but dense anyway! Check it out on www.myspace.com/darkradiostation
On other hand OR plans to start producing a new record on the second half of the year, so I´ve better be prepared for it. It will take some time to produce it, but as you well knows us we won´t release anything unless we decide it is good enough to do so!

Hanna Tsepesh: Flávio let’s talk about only the lyrics in this album. What was your inspiration to create the lyrics for “October Down”? When I was listening to the lyrics I felt it is like a chapter end in your life or something, is that right? We can feel a lot of emotions like sadness with a little revolt, Can you tell to us little bit about the lyrics…?

Flávio: yes, I was concentrated in writing about some events that happened with me in the past…sometimes it is good to write to exorcise the problems and it felt like it on October Dawn. You can almost feel sometimes the emotion when I sing on Soul Circles , Out there but mainly on Darker Woods. As you said it was a chapter that ended…and it couldn´t end better with an album like October Dawn.

Hanna Tsepesh: About the new album “October Down”, I have to say that this album is mature then the other one! For me is a new chapter, like you guys discover yourself in this album! We can feel that the sound is more improved, the voice is much better, I think you guys work a lot in this album in very detail way. You guys show to us a true Oblique Rain essence! For me the first music has little of the other album and then we start to discover Oblique Rain and see the real differences, I think that the more we listen, more we found things in this album. My favorite music’s are: “spiral dreams” and “down” because we real can feel the different emotions! For people who don’t listen yet can you talk about “October Down” and what is the big different for you guys between this album and the previous one?

Flávio: we can´t dissociate October Dawn from Isoyhet…it is like a continuation. We´ve decided to create like a collection type of work, where anyone can sit confortably on the sofa and play both albums one after the other. Even on the cover you can see that continuation, of course we wanted to correct some mistakes that we thought we did on Isohyet but we also wanted to create music that anyone can relate somehow to…. October Dawn it was a special thing that came out of another special thing: Isoyhet…at least for us….(laughs)

Hanna Tsepesh: the album have great musician guest too, can you guys tell to us about who he is and if you like to work with him? Why you decided to invite him?

Flávio: We decided to invite Nuno from WAKO , first because he´s the best growler I know from Portugal and second because WAKO is like a twin band for us. We really do well together and we wanted to have his contribution on the album…witch is great as you can hear. There´s no proper growler on the band, I´m a singer and I will always be so Nuno was a logical choice for us!

Hanna Tsepesh: Everything went well at recording studio? A lot of hard work right?! Can you guys tell to us about the studio process and if the band feels proud with the final result or you think that miss something?

Flávio: Well a studio process goes through lots of fases , you always start very excited , then you get frustrated , tired and on the clouds by the end. Yes it takes a lot of work , specially recording guitars. As you can tell our guitar parts are very elaborate and all had to be perfect! For me it was very quick, I recorded the vocals in just 2 days…I prepared myself very well for it and also to sing on top of such music it is a pleasure…

Hanna Tsepesh: The album cover is fantastic! Who was the person behind this cool work? You guys think that this cover transmit what this album are?

Flávio: The same lovely Marina Soares , she is a very talented designer that was able to produce in no time every aspect we wanted to see on the cover. We wanted to transmit a more natural sound and different than anything we see on a rock or metal record because they tend to be mainly dark… October Dawn is dark as well…but natural…for me it transmits a lot of hope!
Hanna Tsepesh: The band is thinking about recording a video clip of the single?

Flávio: yes we recorded a live concert in Teatro Helena Sá e Costa in Porto witch we hope to see the light of day anytime soon… we will see what happens!

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the fans and media?

Flávio: Couldn´t be better , we´ve been getting the best possible reviews from all over the world and that´s always exciting , specially because it leads us to try to make something better next time! The fans are always very kind to us also!

Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your album safely, what they can do?

Flávio: You can buy the album in any record store of through Major Label Industries web page, where you can also check some of our other products too.

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

Flávio: Without any doubt Darker Woods, because it captures the real essence of the band. Darker Woods came to us so naturally as magic, it seemed like the song was begging to come out instead of us trying to write it! When I was recording it on the studio it was so emotional that almost toke me to tears when I finished it, it seemed like everything was perfect on that song, music…lyrics..feeling!
Hanna Tsepesh: The band is thinking about a European tour?

Flávio: We are always very busy with our professional lives and that doesn´t allow us to do much of touring but I´m hoping to play some interesting venues in the future, in and outside of Portugal!

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

Flávio: To keep listening to good music, don´t stay focused in one particular style of music or feeling, try to understand all kinds and select the best…and of course stay Oblique!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. THE GATES OF METAL wishes the entire band a big success with “October Down” and see you guys in Vagos Open Air…

Flávio: It was a real pleasure to answer t your questions once again Hanna, I´m hoping to be able to write you again but now with Dark Radio or by the time when Oblique Rain releases the third record!
Thank you very much…cheers!

Hanna Tsepesh: I hope that too Flávio! All the best and thank you again…

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some OLIQUE RAIN music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/obliquerain
www.obliquerain.com/

OUIJA

2010-06-25T03:34:00.006+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hola (Hello in Spanish) Midgard! Long time ago since we spoke. Welcome back! How are you?

Midgard: Hola Hanna everything is ok here thanks, a pleasure for me to answer your questions again.

Hanna Tsepesh: Since I interview you about your other band I want to know, how are the things doing with Spellcraft? Any plans for the future?

Midgard: Currently we are working on new material for our next album that will be released at the end of this year.

Hanna Tsepesh: What has the reasons for Ouija return? What you expect about the future with this band and musicians?

Midgard: The return of OUIJA has been something natural when I listened the new songs of MAP; I found a lot strength and darkness in them, for this reason, together again we decided to return with a new project.

Hanna Tsepesh: could you tell to us how it all started, for people who don’t know yet Ouija?

Midgard: In 1994 from the ashes of LEVIAL (our old Death metal band) we decided to form OUJA because we needed another way to communicate our feelings and the different changes about the concept of our music in that moment…so OUIJA was born.

Hanna Tsepesh: what will inspire the most to create the lyrics, riffs, etc.? Who is going to make lyrics and all the stuff?

Midgard: At the moment I am a responsible for all the lyrics, the main creator of the sound is our founder and guitarist MAP. Our inspiration comes from different sources…but always full on antichristian hatred.

Hanna Tsepesh: You guys will record a cd, right? Can you tell to us little bit about that? Also, the band have any idea what will be the theme?

Midgard: The next autumn our new mini-CD entitled “Adversary” (with four songs) will be released under the Spanish record label XTREEM MUSIC. It will be a preamble of our full length which will be available in the first months of 2011.

Hanna Tsepesh: Now the band have Spanish Record Company XTREEM MUSIC to work with you guys. How is the feeling to work with them? How everything happened?

Midgard: The boss of XTREEM MUSIC is an old colleage, we signed with him in our first work “Riding into the funeral paths” when he was the owner of REPULSE Rec. So it was easy to take that decision; it’s the most important record label of extreme metal in Spain and they are a extremely professional with your bands.

Hanna Tsepesh: The band is thinking to play live shows with the old music’s for now or you guys are waiting to have new stuff?

Midgard: OUIJA is going to play a few times just in carefully chosen festivals. We will fuse our old songs with the new stuff so that our fans enjoy also of our legendary hymns.
Hanna Tsepesh: What fans can expect from Ouija in live show and in the future?

Midgard: First of all you'll find only true metal of death in our concerts, we enjoy with our new material a lot and also we want people to join us in our live concerts to get together a totally dark atmosphere and aggressive at the same time; all of us, together, will open the gates of hell…

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your big advice or a young musician?

Midgard: They must work hard and believe in themselves so the good results will arrive sure, the first steps of a band are something which always mark the future. When you are young you must enjoy that to the limit just it’s once in the life; it's very pure and without alterations.

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

Midgard: I hope that you like our new stuff, keep the black flame burning; it’s the only way to keep alive… in this war the casualties aren't admitted.

Hanna Tsepesh: Once again, Thanks so much for your answers and time. THE GATES OF METAL wishes the entire band a big success and hope to talk with you soon about the new album! Hope to see you guys very soon in here…

Midgard: Thanks so much for your interview and support, I hope meet soon in a concert in Portugal it would be great; HAILS TO ALL PORTUGUESE BLACK METAL HORDE…THE BLACK BLOOD JOINS US.

Hanna Tsepesh: I hope the same Midgard! Thank you so much and you are very welcome. All the best...
By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some OUIJA music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/ouija1997

MIDGARD MySpace:
www.myspace.com/spellofmidgard

SPELLCRAFT (previous Midgard interview):
thegatesofmetal.blogspot.com/2009/07/spellcraft.html

STEEL HORSE

2010-06-25T03:22:00.005+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hola (Hello in Spanish) Jorge Cortés! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you and how are the things doing with your concerts?

Jorge Cortés: Hi Hanna and all THE GATES OF METAL readers! Well, I’m fine thanks! And very excited about our tour as we are unfolding it gig by gig. People are responding great to our call and that’s something thrilling to us. We’ve done very important gigs this year, and had the honor to play in great festivals such as Metalbats, No Hay Tregua Fest (Metalmeria)… we’ll been playing at the Pounding Metal Festival in Madrid alongside bands like, among others, Hirax and Metal Inquisitor and then, a great date for us: Leyendas del Rock Festival in Murcia (Spain). We even had the chance to play outside of our home country: Belgium (thanks to Music Minds Memories) and Greece (thanks to our friends from BattleRoar).
I think that’s a pretty good balance for a starting band!, specially considering that Wild Power hit the Spanish stores on November 13th 2009.

Hanna Tsepesh: for those who do not know the band, could tell us a little how it all started?

Jorge Cortés: Steel Horse was formed in Madrid by June 2007. Willy and I just left Dead End Road as it split up and he, Willy, decided to build up a brand new band. A classic Heavy Metal band. So he called me immediately and asked me if I would like to join. “Of course!” I said [laughs]. Then we had the luck to have Ricardo Lázaro (drums) a week later, so we could start the rehearsals by July. Javier Endara (bass guitar), joined by the end of that year, conforming the very first Steel Horse line up. Our first show was on 20th January 2008 at Gruta 77 (Madrid).
Javier left before the recording of Wild Power as Ángel Muñoz came in. Ricardo quit some months later, but both Javier and Ricardo left Steel Horse due to they had other musical projects that demanded 100% of them. They’re still great friends, and now the band line up is closed as follows: Rubén “Burren” Salvador (drums), Ángel “Choco” Muñoz (bass guitar), Willy Gascón (lead guitar) and myself (vocals).

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics and what process the band use to create the riffs to comply with the lyrics?

Jorge Cortés: Willy is the main composer of the band. I mean, he creates every single riff and makes the song “preview” without voice line and lyrics. Then, sometimes, I add voice line and lyrics, but we’ve found out that Willy and I make a great team so for the second album you’ll probably see this tandem more often, not just in vocals and lyrics, but also riff ideas I started to share with Willy.
Regarding inspiration… well, we look very deep inside of ourselves to extract things that move us. And in the end you realize that those are universal feelings that affect many people out there. Those things I’m referring to are, for instance, a love that is gone, a treason, an injured pride… but above all, our songs talks about hope even in the darkest times and how to surpass the difficulties that life throws in your way every single day. “If life fucks you and makes you fall… stand up, keep your pride, and fight!”.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

Jorge Cortés: I feel I got lots of influences during my life, in metal and out of metal, but my favorite metal bands are our main influences too; Judas Priest, Iron Maiden… but of course, as a singer, I also have others such as Rob Halford, Freddie Mercury, Bruce Dickinson, Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin, Dio…. In fact Dio should be considered an example of attitude against the difficulties in life. Always there, always fighting, always in great shape. Maybe he’s the one I really do admire the most right now.

Hanna Tsepesh: You have another band or some future project?

Jorge Cortés: Not yet. I’ve been contacted for some projects but Steel Horse is currently my only band, and I hope to continue this way for lots of years. I’m very happy with my friends-band mates. Maybe, in the distant future, I will be starting something up by myself, but no plans at all!

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any singing lessons or any other preparation?

Jorge Cortés: In fact I received singing lessons for three years, but quit in 2006. My teacher, Andrea Lahora, thought me to control my voice, breathe, acquire skill… and maybe the most important thing: self-confidence. That’s a keyword. Anyway, she showed me the ways of rock ‘n roll, but no-one thought me how to scream and sing Heavy Metal. That’s something I had to figure out by myself by listening to records! And of course practicing!

Hanna Tsepesh: What was the highest and lowest point of your career as a musician?

Jorge Cortés: My lowest point… my first piano concert with 11. I was very, very nervous. My highest point, well Hanna, let me dream about it is yet to come! [laughs]

Hanna Tsepesh: (Laughs) Let’s talk about the “Wild Power” album. Great album, I liked a lot! I think is impossible for a Heavy Metal fan don’t like this “Wild Power”. Congratulations for the entire band!
For people who don’t listen yet can you tell to our readers what they can expect from this album?

Jorge Cortés: Thank you for your words!. Well, Wild Power is energy, a pure energy shock split into nine classic Heavy Metal pieces. Very fresh songs too, not too long not too short, but I think is a record you can listen to one time and another and always go back to the beginning for having another listen. It is also a record that tries to recover the lost spirit of the 80’s in Heavy Metal. For some people that is not very original, but is what we love, our style. And, fortunately, many people think the way you do. So thank you once more.

Hanna Tsepesh: at recording studio, you guys faced with difficulties? If yes, tell which was and how as the whole process?

Jorge Cortés: Fortunately all the recording process went great. M20 Studios had great professionals at that time. We took two weeks for the whole recording of the nine tracks plus another two weeks for mixing and mastering, and that was fairly enough as in order to make this process more agile, we took two things into consideration: lots of rehearsal, once the set for the album was closed, and recording a demo. The best thing we could have done, and we did, is record our EP Raise Your Fist before going for the recording of Wild Power, as it showed up our weak points in the very beginning of the band. It is in fact something highly recommendable for new bands in the search of a first recording: do a demo even if you already did one in the past. That’ll make you ear how you really could sound in a studio, and that’s because working at the studio is not the same as working during a rehearsal; all your defects and possible lack of technique comes out in the studio because, as you’ll probably know, all effects are added once the track is recorded, and sounding raw during the process is tough and stunning the very first time. Frustrating sometimes.
Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the fans and media?

Jorge Cortés: To be honest our expectations were lower, but media rated our album very high! 8-9 averages are great for a debut album! And also we received an “Album Of The Year” award in an Spanish webzine! We are thankful.
Regarding fans, lets call them friends better, we are proud to see how they are coming in growing numbers to our gigs. Bit by bit, but they do. And we are also proud to had our first “sold out” this last weekend in Santiago de Compostela (Spain)!

Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your album, what they can do?

Jorge Cortés: We currently do have a distribution agreement with Avispa for Spain and Andorra at local retailers, though we are selling worldwide through our official e-shop at www.steelhorse-heavymetal.com. Thanks to the e-shop we have reached countries such as Portugal, UK, USA, Australia, Japan, Germany, France… etc. And I can also advance that we’ll have other ways of having the chance to buy Wild Power. Quite soon in fact.

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

Jorge Cortés: I would say… mmmh, let me think… can I choose two pieces? [laughs]. Well, the most important and favorite tracks for me, and is my personal opinion, are “Run to Survive” and “Burning Soul”.
“Run To Survive” because it reflects my progression and growth as a singer. It has a wide register, and choruses are done in natural voice (not falsetto). I’m very proud of it.
“Burning Soul” because it contains the very first lyrics I’ve ever written for Steel Horse and because it, somehow, talks about a personal state of mind.

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your opinion about the metal in your country (Spain)? It is easy to get some support?

Jorge Cortés: GREAT support!!!! And very devoted too!!! But though I wish Heavy Metal were music for the masses it is not. But the truth is there are many bands and a lot of talent struggling to be heard in Spain and outside.Hanna Tsepesh: Nice too know that! Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

Jorge Cortés: Show us if you liked it! Come visit our MySpace to let us know you want us in your town rocking the place! We’ll be glad to share with you a Heavy Metal night everywhere in the world if possible!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. THE GATES OF METAL wishes the entire band a big success and a great 2010! Hope to see you guys very soon in here…

Jorge Cortés: Thanks to you Hanna and all THE GATES OF METAL readers. Keep on metal!

Hanna Tsepesh: You are very welcome! thank you and all the best...

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some STEEL HORSE music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/steelhorsemetal

SIRENIA

2010-06-15T01:04:00.009+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hola (Hello in Spanish) Ailyn! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you and how are the things doing with your concerts?
Ailyn: Hello Hanna! Thanks to you for your time . I’m fine and very happy. Everything is going perfect with the band and with our concerts.

Hanna Tsepesh: Can you tell to us little bit about you and your background? You have any singing lessons or any other preparation? I take this opportunity to send you my congratulations for your work on this album and saying that you have a beautiful voice.

Ailyn: Thanks for your words!! I started singing when I was 12, I think. I have always sung all kind of genres, from pop to R&B, classical, metal…In 2007 I auditioned for a musical TV reality show and I was selected. I was off the competition the 5th week and from there I had been searching for opportunities to continue singing. Being Sirenia’s singer wasn’t planned, in fact it was a surprise. When I was 15 I went to a musical school, but personal reasons made me be there for just one year.

Hanna Tsepesh: In your opinion what you bring to Sirenia? It was easy for your integration?

Ailyn: I really don’t know to answer this question, I've never liked talking about myself. I think my integration with the band was really easy, they are very very good people and they helped me at all times so that I could feel comfortable. They are my friends, we work together, but the most important thing is that they are like a family to me.

Hanna Tsepesh: In the future, you think to write some lyrics for Sirenia?
Ailyn: I never composed music, because I don’t play any instrument, but I really like writing, I have some lyrics somewhere secretly kept. In fact I never thought about any of my lyrics being used with Sirenia, I love how Morten composes…Who knows, maybe in the future… But I think we all love to hear and enjoy his lyrics.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

Ailyn: There are lots of bands I like and of course their vocalist…if I say all the names I’d never end!

Hanna Tsepesh: You have another band or some future project? You are open to new challenges?

Ailyn: No. Right now my future plans are to continue for many years with Sirenia.

Hanna Tsepesh: I see some nice pictures with a very known metal musicians on your MySpace. From all the musician that you know so far, what was your favorite one and why?

Ailyn: All of them!!! It’s always nice to meet musicians from other bands. I think I got nervous with all of them. I am a shy person, so whenever I meet someone I get nervous!

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “The 13th floor” album. For people who don’t listen yet can you tell to us about this album?

Ailyn: I think that “The 13th Floor” is a very interesting album musically, the compositions are very well done, it’s a melodic and powerful album. The songs on “The 13th Floor” have a lot of energy, I think it’s a mix of former albums and that’s great because you can hear a little bit of each thing you like of each album.

Hanna Tsepesh: at recording studio, you faced with difficulties? If yes, tell which was and how as the whole process for you?

Ailyn: The recording was very important to me ‘cos it was my first recording for something so big like Sirenia. Was really easy and I had so much fun!! At first I was a bit nervous but to work with Morten is really nice, he knows exactly what he wants. He trusts me at all times and that made me feel calm.Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the fans and media?

Ailyn: We are really happy with the response. At the beginning I was a bit worry because I was the new singer and I didn’t knew how people would respond.

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

Ailyn: It’s really hard to pick just one, because I love them all. Now I’d say one name, and in some minutes maybe I’d change my mind. But I can say that from the moment I heard “The Seventh Summer” I knew it would be my all time favorite or one of them. I can’t say why, I think this song is perfect and also “The Seventh Summer” really fits my voice .

Sirenia - The Path to Decay

Hanna Tsepesh: The band have a new video called “The Path Of Decay”. Did you have fun to shoot the video? What was that experience for you?

Ailyn: The filming was really great! I was very nervous. But Patric and all the crew were really kind to me and I got calm soon. Before going to Sweden, I asked Morten what kind of clothes I should take. I had no idea what the video was about, so I didn’t know what was better, trousers or skirt, and when we did the photoshoot for the album booklet I had a dress. Morten told me to take the same clothes and something else in case Patric wanted to change clothes. At first I was going to be just in my black dress, but when I told Patric I had another white dress, he liked it. The make up for the white dress was totally different; I really looked like a bride (laugh). And when Patric saw me he said “Uhmmm…do you mind if we try something different? Would you mind to look ugly?”. I told him ‘no problem’ and when I saw myself on the mirror I scared me (laugh). But, I loved it and I think it really suits the video. There were long hours of filming and at the end you get tired, but while filming you don’t realize… it’s at the end when you get how much tired you are, but it doesn’t matter because it’s worth it. We heard the song so many times that after filming we didn’t want to hear it again for some days (laugh). I can say it was a unique experience and I want to repeat it again soon.

Hanna Tsepesh: (laughs) yes, the video is really cool! What is your opinion about the metal in your country (Spain)? It is easy to get some support? Can you tell to us some Spanish metal bands that you like?

Ailyn: Well, actually I don’t know many bands. There are many good metal bands in Spain, but I think here is a bit difficult to get support.

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your big advice for a young singer?

Ailyn: Well, I don’t know if I'm the right person to give advice but maybe I can say that always have to fight for your dreams. I know sometimes is difficult, but we must not give up.

Hanna Tsepesh: Sirenia, will play on 18 July on CAOS EMERGENT OPEN AIR, what fans can expect from you on stage? What you know about Portugal and you know some metal bands from here?

Ailyn: We’re going to give everything we can for people to enjoy our music. I know a little about the history of Portugal . And about the music one of my favorite’s bands is Moonspell.

Hanna Tsepesh: great! Do you want to send any message for the people around the World, who going to read this interview?

Ailyn: As always I want to thanks to everybody by the big support. It’s always a pleasure for us to visit all the countries and meet new people. Thanks for being always with us!!! Hope to see you soon!!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time, because I know that you are very busy at the moment. THE GATES OF METAL wishes the entire band and you a big success and good luck for your future concerts! See you guys on CAOS EMERGENT OPEN AIR…
Ailyn: Thanks to you for your time!! It’s a pleasure for me to make the interview. See you in July!! All the best!!

Hanna Tsepesh: You are very welcome Ailyn! Thank you and see you very soon…

By: Hanna Tsepesh

To listen to some SIRENIA music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/sirenia
www.mortenveland.com/sirenia/

Ailyn MySpace:
www.myspace.com/luzailynmusic

PSI-KOTICA

2010-05-28T03:36:00.003+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Olá(Hello in Portuguese) João Brito! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you and how are the things doing with your concerts?

João Brito: I’m fine thanks! But to answer to the second question I have to mention the history of the members of this project.
We are three old members of a 90’s garage band with several music styles influences, but with a favourite one, the dark metal of the 80’s and before that (Bathory, Celtic Frost, Black Sabbath,…).
The 90’s project finished also in the end of the 90’s with some live appearances and almost 10 years later we had the opportunity to come out with what we consider a mini-studio project, recorded by our own means, due to the fact that the tasks of the three members are actually:

João Neto – design & artwork
Ricardo Silva – bass, composition and production
João Brito – voices, guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, composition and production.

So, when our minds started to play notes in front of our eyes again, we made “The Comet” (demo-2009), warming up the engines.
During this year we finished the 2º demo “The Lords of Lies” and started to feel that we must go forward in a different way due to the fact that are only 2 members playing.
The idea is to join to the music some recorded video scenes and the stage performance of some Psi-Kotic friends of us and of art, in order to achieve a nice live performance of this project.
But we have to fight a natural enemy living in our habitat (South of Portugal – The Algarve), people here like, our pretend to like the fashion empty fucking retarded music, so there are almost no places to make a live performance of dark metal.
But we are preparing animated videos of some songs to put in our page and in youtube and a first live performance with this project is a main goal.

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics and what process the band use to create the riffs to comply with the lyrics?

João Brito: We are big fans of music, it’s a part of our lives since the beginning of the 80’s, and we had some instruction in music achieved during that period, so the question is simple, if you got the opportunity to have the material to play and record, and if you have time, the inspiration is like the air we breath, first the guitar riffs start to appear, then we add the rhythm section (bass and drums), followed by some keyboards and finally the lyrics naturally fit the music!

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

João Brito: The three members of this project listen to several music styles, although metal is like their homeland! It’s the blood that runs through their veins! They listen to many different bands like Bathory, Celtic Frost, Arcturus, Dead Can Dance, Bauhaus, Black Sabbath, Death, Dimmu Borgir, Immortal, Iron Maiden, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Voivod, Kreator, Metallica, The Mission, Moonspell, Paradise Lost, Satyricon, Skyclad, Summoning, The Young Gods, Tool, Type O Negative, Watain, Venom, Amon Amarth, Draconian, Finntroll, Killing Joke, Joy Division, The Cure, Queens of the Stone Age, The Strokes or Sonic Youth!

Hanna Tsepesh: You have another band or some future project?

João Brito: In terms of art, no!!! Only João Neto have is main project, that is design and artwork, he is a good one, believe me!!

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any guttural technique lessons or any other preparation?

João Brito: No, no, there are no lessons, only feeling and will to express in the right way the spirit of the riffs and of all that composes the instrumental part, with our limited resources!

Hanna Tsepesh: What was the highest and lowest point of your career as a musician?

João Brito: Simply the fact that we live in a fucking society, with rotten rules, rotten habits, rotten way of living, and if you do not have some “luck” besides your willpower, you can not survive making music, loving music, breathing music.

Hanna Tsepesh: Is a really truth and sad truth! Let’s talk about the “ The Lord Of Lies” Demo. For people who don’t listen yet can you tell to our readers what they can expect from this Demo?

João Brito: This is the second demo of the actual project, after ten years without playing the ideas flow very quickly but the engines need some time for warming, so the second its more solid and defined than the first, and we hope that the third work will sound better than all the others before. So that’s it, we try to put our best and proper feeling in the sound that we made, releasing our energies and as we kept on playing and pleasing someone out there, we will be pleased too and consequently free our minds!!

Hanna Tsepesh: You make the most things in the band and in this album…is a difficult process for you?

João Brito: There are not so many people in my shinny tourist region that like or understand this kind of sound, so it’s difficult to find someone to play with you and consequently understand and sympathize with your ideas!! Due to that fact, when we love music and if we got the opportunity (chance to acquire equipment) to play it, even if we are one or two, just let the music flow, compose and play all the parts that we need to record some songs with beginning, middle and end.
Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the Demo by the fans and media?

João Brito: This is a young project and with little exposure to date. There are others fanzines making reviews and two or possibly three metal programs on radio that intent to pass some of our music. But unfortunately the music do not pay our bills, and we all have normal jobs, but we will make our best to spread the message and our sound, as long we have all our fingers and we kept on breathing we will continue to make music!!

Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your demo, what they can do?

João Brito: Just send us a message to psi-kotica@sapo.pt, we’ve got demos in cd with a nice artwork done by our member João Neto. It’s true that this work as the first one are available for free download in some sites, but it reflects our intention in present us to everyone and show our kind of sound. With the next work we will have a different attitude, and only the fanzines, record labels or radio programs will be able to get free demos in cd or free access to download our music.

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this Demo and why?

João Brito: Almost all the songs in this demo were recorded maximum at the second take, so you can imagine how spontaneous it was, but one of my favorites is “Hell is Here”.

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your opinion about the metal in our country (Portugal)?

João Brito: The Portuguese metal scene in terms of bands it’s better than what we can imagine due to or small country. We’ve got one of the best metal bands in all planet earth, Moonspell, but the country in himself have few good places or with metal feeling, specially in our south, to perform a dark, different, extreme, whatever you call, METAL band!! The majority of the people are in a different frequency!!

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

João Brito: We hope that our music tell to you something like it does to us and thanks for all your support and friendship, because when you see that someone like your work or is in the same frequency, you know that you have the opportunity to grow, and of course consequently it will be better to all the parts. Psi-Kotic Hails to everyone!!!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. THE GATES OF METAL wishes the entire band a big success! Hope to see you guys very soon on stage…

João Brito: Thank you Hanna and continue to do your nice work, supporting and keeping metal alive! A big Psi-Kotic Hail to you!! Metal Rules…

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some PSI-KOTICA music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/psikoticaband

ELYSION

2010-03-08T22:44:00.008+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hello Christianna and Johnny Zero! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you and how are the things doing with your concerts?

Christianna: On behalf of all Elysion, hi to everyone and a huge thanks for having us! At the moment we are all very excited about our forthcoming tour, which is bound to begin after the summer of 2010, so we simply cannot wait to make a live date with you all!

Johnny Zero: Hello from me too, it’s great to be given the opportunity to talk to you and discuss a bit about Elysion. Like Christianna said, our concerts all over Europe will start in the second half of the year, so until then we will take the time to tour our homeland to honor as many cities as we can for all the great support we have been enjoying in these very first steps of ours!

Hanna Tsepesh: for those who do not know the band, could tell us a little how it all started?

Johnny Zero: It started by me and Maxi, Elysion’s former singer in 2006.We invited Petros Fatis ,our drummer,and FxF ,our bass player on board and began composing and rehearsing right away. We very soon had the chance to throw a number of gigs with an awesome feedback, and as soon as our demo was recorded we managed to sign a record deal with Massacre Records. Christianna joined the band in 2008 ,when we were recording our debut album,Silent Scr3eam,which was released a couple of months ago.T hat pretty much sums it all up…

Hanna Tsepesh: Christianna, It was easy your Integration in the band and what is the feeling and all the experience for you in the band so far?

Christianna: Actually, it was quite easy because I was no stranger with Elysion, as in past we had shared the same stage a number of times, not belonging in the same band of course, so I was very much familiar with their sound and they were familiar with what to expect from my voice. I certainly had some anxiety to make sure I respect the original atmosphere of the songs but to also blend my personality as a singer to the outcome, but the process was more of a thrill. So far I can only say I feel 100% blessed for all that I am experiencing ,I get to do all I ever dreamt of and I’ll be forever grateful to the rest of the guys for trusting me.

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics and what process the band use to create the riffs, melody to comply with the lyrics?

Johnny Zero: Well, the main inspiration for both the music and lyrics of Elysion is a strongly emotional platform, a celebration of the human soul as we call it, in all its times of weakness or grace. In Silent Scr3am,I was the main composer but I always like to leave enough space for everyone else to express their musical identities, I have great faith in us all! The most common process for me is to get up in the middle of the night with a riff pounding in my head, and while I sit down to record it things slowly develop and I pretty quickly have the whole structure of the song before me. Right after that I invite everyone to take a listen and share their thoughts, while I usually leave the vocal melodies for the singer…

Christianna: …that would be me J! Johnny provides me with the perfect platform to best be able to express my approach of singing, I can say that his composing is so atmospheric that it gets me in the mood right away and I instantly know what I want to do with my voice. Lyrics are usually written after we have an overall idea of the song’s character, we want the music and lyrics to be a perfect match for one another, but also be as simple and straightforward as possible. After all, the most beautiful things are always spoken with the simplest of words.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

Christianna: We are all very openminded about our musical influences, so the list of artists we admire could go on forever!I always find myself admiring artists from totally different backrounds, especially when it comes to singers I am always ‘’jealous’’ of opposing vocal techniques coming from all genres of music. Since when I was growing up this all ‘’female fronted’’ outburst in the scene had not yet occurred, my influences mostly came from male singers, so some of my all time favorites are Bruce Dickinson, Eric Adams, Freddie Mercury, Eric Clayton of Saviour Machine and Messiah Marcolin.

Johnny Zero: Same here, I listen to all sorts of different things because I think it is very important for someone to have an overall understanding of music, after all nowadays most boundaries and limitations in any kind of music have collapsed. My most treasured legend band will always be Iron Maiden, I cannot believe that after so many years I still find new things to amaze me in their music, even after having listened to the songs for a billion times..Christianna here makes fun of me by saying that if someone asked me to choose my way to die I would most certainly choose to be eaten by Eddie…J

Hanna Tsepesh: You have another band or some future project at the moment?

Johnny Zero: Well I always find myself involved in all sorts of music projects, actually I’ve somewhat lost the count! However, at the time we are all cutting down all our extra activities to a minimum, due to Elysion’s increasing demands, because we want to be 100% devoted to what we do and give the band all our energy. Side projects work mostly as a way of relaxing my brain, one of them for me is N.I.M.A, a very active Greek rock band fronted by Nikos Mixas.

Christianna: Like Johnny said, we are all involved in side projects but all this works in a completely mind relaxing level, as Elysion is absolutely top priority in our lives! For me, I feel very lucky to be able to express my different approaches of singing in Elysion, so my need to try a variety of things is fulfilled and that is one of the things I have always looked for in a band.

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any singing lessons or any other preparation? I take this opportunity to send you my congratulations for your amazing work on this album and I really liked a lot your voice, you have a lot of talent!

Christianna: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your kind words, they honestly mean a lot to me…I actually have been singing ever since I can remember myself, my dad was an opera singer so my childhood memories are full of notes and melodies..i took piano lessons and studied music for some years, never took any singing lessons, but I did try to give myself some! Once I found out that this is what I want to do with my life, which was when I was 15 or something, I began to study like crazy, all sorts of different vocal techniques, anything which sounded good to my ears. Like I mentioned above, at that time women in the metal scene were very few, if any, and that was partly good because I had to struggle to find my own voice and not have anyone to imitate, even unconsciously, or copy from. That lack of a female metal figure as an influence helped me a lot to develop my very own approach, of course I admire many female singers now and always find myself learning new things…

Hanna Tsepesh: When you start to play guitar? It was difficult to learn? What brand guitar you prefer? Also, congratulations for your work on this album, I really liked a lot!

Johnny Zero: Thanks for all your observations! i began to play guitar when I was 15,it all started when my parents gave me one as a present for finishing junior high. I very soon fell in love with it and started playing for endless hours, I cannot even remember if it was any difficult for me at the beginning because my lust to play was so great that it this all I can recall…I have tried playing with almost all different brands and find different things that appeal to me in each one of them, still my most favorite ones are: Gibson standard, Fender Stratocaster, and Ibanez Universe .However, I believe that any guitar sounds differently when touched by different fingers so it is the player that makes the guitar and not the other way around…

Hanna Tsepesh: What was the highest and lowest point of your career as a musician?

Christianna: I guess my lowest point has to do with my psychological condition and mood, there were times in the past when I had to struggle with so much to keep on following my dream that I felt disappointed or frustrated but luckily, I never gave up. Things were not always easy…but in music, they never are. It is a constant battle to not let go of your dreams, but today I feel a lot more strong and confident. Definitely, my highest points so far have been all the times that I have performed live with Elysion, regardless of what the event was or whether we headlined or not. Playing live is my greatest reward ,I treasure each minute on stage because I get to look in people’s eyes and know we are connecting,it is the time when music makes sense.

Johnny Zero: I don’t think I had much of a low point ,things have constantly been difficult but stable for me, without any serious surprises. Of course, there are always times when things are harder and problems come up, but I wouldn’t characterize them as low points because this all is what a musician’s job has to deal with. As for my highest points, as the ‘’father’’ of Elysion one of my happiest moments was to see the band sign up with Massacre, because I knew that we would finally have the chance to work hard and see our music reach out to people.

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “Silent Scream” album. Can you tell to our readers what they can expect from this album?

Christianna: They can expect simple but powerful music ,a mixture of atmospheric metal with rock, gothic and electro elements. Basically, we never labeled what we play so we wish that they will just listen to something beautiful. We did our very best in the album, we gladly had a lot of material to work with but we think we have chosen the very best for Silent Scr3am.To us, the concept behind it is what each of us would like to whisper or cry out to life itself, hoping to be heard. We didn’t follow any recipes, nor tried to sound over technical, we just put our feelings down to melodies and celebrated beauty throughout simplicity.

Johnny Zero: Listeners can expect 11 varying musical suggestions, all different in music influences but same in the dark atmospheric platform behind them. We expect everyone to find a little piece of himself in the songs, relate to what he hears and simply sink into the music. Silent Scr3am to me is a ray of light sneaking into a dark room…

Hanna Tsepesh: at recording studio, you guys faced with difficulties? If yes, tell which was and how as the whole process?

Johnny Zero: Well, we all feel totally grateful in all aspects concerning Silent Scr3am,not only did we not come across any difficulties but on the contrary, we got to experience one of the most creative and exciting times ever! We owe a great deal of this to our producer, Mark Adrian, who besides being amazingly talented on what he does he is also a great psychologist, knowing exactly how to handle musicians to bring the best out of them. The whole recording process was very emotional to us because every day we got to see our feelings and ideas shaping up their final form ,which was totally thrilling.

Christianna: We still cannot believe how lucky we were! our collaboration with Mark Adrian, like Johnny said, eased all our fears and worries of what the outcome of the album would be, as we were very self conscious about wanting our debut album to sound as strong as possible. Many dreams came true for us during that time, one of them being to collaborate with Ted Jensen for the mastering of Silent Scr3am.Having the musical genius who mastered Iron Maiden, Slipknot ,Madonna and so many other huge names of the global scene work on our debut album was more than we could ever pray for, and the outcome was exactly what we had wished it to be: a totally balanced production, emphasizing not on any instrument but on the beauty of the songs itself. As for me as a singer, the entire recording process was a liberating time , a true moment of genesis.

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the fans and media?

Christianna: Although the release of Silent Scream is quite recent, we have received an amazing feedback both from local but also international sources ,and I cannot describe what great strength this all has given us! We cannot thank everyone enough for embracing us and giving us a chance to reach their hearts, especially in times when the competition is tremendous! We are very down to earth about all positive feedback and know that we are ready to work even harder to present something beautiful to all those who have trust in us. Silent Scr3am was a step towards the right direction for us, but it was just the beginning of a long , difficult way before us. All we know is we will serve our dreams to the end!

Johnny Zero: Everything has been amazing so far! It has overcome our expectations, to now arrange a European and American tour so quickly after our first release and we owe this all to everyone who supports us. It is difficult not to sound corny but Elysion honor each one, individually, who comes in a show to see us, because it is each person independently that makes what we do meaningful. We can only promise that we are truly hardworking in what we do and try to become better everyday. I hope we will get to do all we have in mind for the future of Elysion, and thereby give something back to all who took the time to ever get interested in us.
Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your album, what they can do?

Christianna: Well, apart from paying a visit to the nearest music store, anyone can also buy Silent Scr3am online, for instance by visiting Massacre website’s online store ,or www.amazon.com, or even itunes. We have Massacre to thank for our worldwide distribution, so I think by the time this interview is uploaded Silent Scream will have been released almost everywhere, with an exception of Japan, where our release date is the 7 nth of April.

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

Johnny Zero: This is very difficult to answer since I am emotionally attached to all of the songs for different reasons…I have a deep connection to all tracks, they all strike a different chord in me so iam not the most objective person to answer this…

Christianna: I tend to listen to a specific song more according to my mood. When I am rather energetic I tend to get even higher with ‘’killing my dreams’’, when I am rather melancholic ‘’erase me’’ makes me cry…there are all sorts of different shades of feelings in the album and that is one of my favorite things about it.

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

Christianna: …Instead of a message, I will quote something from Dreamer, our opening track and address it to everyone as a reminder of the fact that we should never let go of what we believe in:’’…always a dreamer.., always fighting for more than I can have…’’

Johnny Zero: Once again, an honest thanks on behalf of all of us for all your kind support…We invite you to take a listen to Silent Scr3am and maybe find something beautiful in it. We keep our fingers crossed that we will very soon be able to make a live date with you in Portugal and get to share all this magic live energy with all of you!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. THE GATES OF METAL wishes the entire band a big success and a fantastic 2010! Hope to see you guys very soon in here…

Christianna: It was our pleasure to get in touch with you, we promise to soon see you from stage and get to realize once more that no matter what the hard times the world is going through,music will always unite us all !

Johnny Zero: see you in a live show the soonest possible! up the horns!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks so much and you are very welcome! All the best...

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some ELYSION music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/elysionmyspace

THE SPEKTRUM

2010-03-08T22:29:00.008+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Olá (Hello in Portuguese) The Spektrum! 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? I saw you guy’s a couple of times and you guy’s are still very humble and very nice and talkative to the public! I hope you guys never lose that…

Zouza: Olá Hanna! First of all, thank you for the interview opportunity. We are fine, concerts are going well, we've made lots of friends everywhere, awesome.

Engraved: Olá Hanna! The concerts are going well, lots of beer, awesome public in the concerts and many great bands to play with!

Dyrion: Olá Hanna! How are you? Hope everything’s great, and thank you for this opportunity. Well everything is going great, the shows are being better and better as we play and people are loving it. We are still the same crazy guys; we love to hear some good metal and drink some beers, and we usually talk and hang out with everybody, unless someone’s too drunk to talk (laughs).

Hanna Tsepesh: I am fine Dyrion, thanks for asking! For those who do not know The Spektrum could tell us a little how it all started? In the beginning you guys start to play Thrash, why you change the music style?

Zouza: The Spektrum started on October 2005, with a different line up, we were 6 members. We started playing Thrash cause of our drummer, he was a Thrash fan, but, all changed when Samnu (originally as the keyboard player) arrived to the band with his “keyboard” influences, we decided to work on music’s with keyboards and leave the Thrash influences behind.

Engraved: Lulu was, with no doubt, the trash head that strapped us there, even more, we couldn’t develop our sound, because he couldn’t keep to our evolution. That became a problem, generating a bad ambience in the rehearsals. I started composing more “technical” (more advanced that before) causing him to stop attending the rehearsals and always complaining. Eventually he decided to get off the boat, which turn to be good, cause we, Zouza, was about to fire him. Samnu integration in the band was with no shadow of doubt a major step towards our today’s sound. Our first music in the style we play today (similar, more raw)” Shadows”, the keyboard was made by him, its that gives the “doomsdays” ambience, sadness. And we were all happy with that result, making that our road!

Dyrion: We felt that we needed to do something strongest and definitely darker, we wanted to create obscure ambiences, and Lulu didn´t fit in our vision what the band should be. After his departure we started to work in that kind of material, and faster, we started to record our demo in July (2006); we composed technical/heavy dark stuff, finally we could use keyboards as we always wanted.
We played a lot in 2006/2007, we shared stage with a lot of great bands, we played in Spain, and we took a few contests, it was great.
In that time we’ve discovered a lot of new things, it helped us growing as mans/musicians, we are always discovering new things, like everybody, I think in that time we found our path, and for shore we will explore many ways in this dark journey.

Hanna Tsepesh: How did the name of the band come from?

Dyrion: I remember when we discuss the name, it was 2 weeks before our first show, we didn’t know what to call ourselves, I wanted some obscure, enigmatic, that makes you think and imagine things in your mind, something that you could not touch, but something that it is always there, an obscure presence that walks right beside everyone; it is difficult materialize everything in one word or two, and I think The Spektrum is the better expression to define us.

Hanna Tsepesh: I have a big difficult question for you guys (laughs). What is The Spektrum music style? Some people say: Death/Gothic, Black/death, etc. So, for the people out there that are lost in what The Spektrum are, what is your answer for them?

Dyrion: (Laughs); it is very complicated to answer that question, I think we don’t know the right definition for our music style, we love a lot of different metal things, I don´t know if we ever can classify our music, in the future when people hear our music we want they to say this is The Spektrum . We want to play brutal stuff with dark/epic ambiences, that makes people think about their existences, we do not concern about a specific style, we concern about our own music, it is the most important part, I think future releases will help people to identify better our sound, not a specific music style, but as The Spektrum, we are trying to make some difference, it’s our goal.

Engraved: That is with no doubt a difficult question to ask, seeing that many people have classified us and there are so many classifications. We’ve been classified as Death Gothic Metal, others Medieval Heavy Metal, Black Doom Metal. I think we have a little bit of various things, making it difficult to be classified in these words. “Being forced to choose a style” I think I would probably pick the Death Melodic Metal, I think that is what we have more, in Daemonicus Awakening.

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics for The Spektrum?

Dyrion: Well, mostly life, everything that surrounds me, I write almost every day, different kind of things, usually very dark stuff (laughs), and I don’t need to be depressed or something, just let the feelings come, I write poetry, almost everything in Portuguese, and mostly every day I gather new ideas for The Spektrum, it makes me think a lot and explore new worlds, which I love. The other part of the inspiration come from the riffs, I am a big fan of Engraved way to compose music, many of his riffs inspired me, and I work the lyrics embracing them in the riff/ambience of the music, so we can have everything gathered as one unified piece.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands?

Zouza: I started listening Rammstein, and I think is still my favorite band, I also like Moonspell, Tiamat, Bathory, Ramp, W.A.K.O, Switchtense, etc. I listen to loads of bands, especially Portuguese bands.

Dyrion: Well I don’t know, good music inspires me, when I was a kid, Rammstein, those guys are crazy, and Zouza got me addicted to them, (laughs), Moonspell it was a band that helped me a lot to walk among the shadows, Monotheist from Celtic Frost is an authentic masterpiece, I love it, all it´s ambience, the riffs, the delays, and mostly the lyrics, it really elevates my mind, Tom is a genius, he’s unique; Quorthon it was another genius, I love Tiamat ambiences and the lyrics are awesome.
I love Emperor, Marduk, I heard a lot of progressive German black metal, bands such as Farsot or Secrets of The Moon, lately I’ve being heard a lot of grind/brutal death bands, Nile, Anaal Nathrakh, oh and I was about to forget Anathema, Antimatter, it makes really fly (laughs), and in Portugal, I already refer Moonspell, we got a lot of bands which is great, and really all of them inspires me a lot, because we all are in the same boat, we got to take the right path we got here so much good bands in such different music styles, and I think we are in the right way to take Portugal to another level in the metal scene in Europe, to become a reference in the world metal scene.

Engraved: As Zouza, it was Rammstein that brought me to the “metal planet”. That’s why I know, every album and music from them, so its one of my favorite bands, but not the favorite. I hold on the top Moonspell and Dimmu Borgir my two top favorite bands. Also I like Emperor, Bathory [fav. cds: Hammerheart, Destroyer of Worlds, Twilight of The Gods), Septic Flesh, Old Man’s Child. These are my tops; but there are many more bands.

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk a little bit of you guys. First I would like to start with Dyrion: Do you have any singer that you admire the most?

Dyrion: You want it you got it laughs, they are so many, Ihsahn ( Hails to the mighty Emperor , laughs), Fernando Ribeiro (Moonspell), Tom G. Warrior( Hellhamer, Celtic Frost, Triptykon), Dave Hunt (Anaal Nathrakh), Till (Rammstein), Mortuus (Marduk), Alan “Nemtheanga” (Primordia), Vincent Cavanagh ( Anathema), Dany Filth (Cradle of Filth); well I’m definitely forgetting someone, fortunately there are so many.

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any singing lessons or any guttural technique lessons? I don’t know if you agree on this with me, but do you think when your band started to play Thrash metal, it helped you to have more technique in your voice?

Dyrion: No I never had any lessons of anything, I learned everything for myself, as I am still learning now, it is an long process of evolution, I think about some ideas in my mind and I practice until I got minimally satisfied. Everything we’ve done helped me in my singing, every rehashed, the bands that I listen, and me (laughs), I am trying to get there, to get close of my own perfection, we learn experimenting things, it’s a work for a life.

Hanna Tsepesh: Engraved, do you have any guitar player that you admire the most? When you create the riffs and melodies what is your big inspiration? When I listen to some melodies in this album they remind me the old terror movies.

Engraved: My favorite guitarist is Tom Rune Andersen [Galder] from Old Man’s Child and Dimmu Borgir. I admire his work in his band, especially the “Revelation 666 - The Curse Of Damnation” and “Vermin” albums, he is a reference!
Now about inspiration: First there’s a crucial element for inspiration (when composing) to appear, creativity. I think I was “blessed” with such (laughs) Inspiration surrounds us. It is everywhere, you get it through your eyes, through you ears, trough every sense. The mood is also an influential element in inspiration, whether your sad or happy, if you’re with rage or peaceful. I myself am an adept of composing drunk (laughs).
Take, for example, “Nenphilis”, what a night (laughs).. I had arrived at Nazaré, in the summer, not to go to the beach, but to get drunk. I took my guitar and a pc. At night I started drinking Port Wine. After a whole bottle a riff came to me, so I recorded it not to forget, this is because I have a faulty memory, I forget things very easy. Then I went to a bar to have some beers (my favorite beverage), after an “indicated” amount of that I returned home. The inspiration stroke me again, and from that I recorded the entire music. I’m quite happy with the result. It has happen with other music’s too, all related with wine or beer, or even both (laughs)
A mood influence is for example “Eternal Fear” was when I was upset and kind of nostalgic. I compose it all in the same day. Started by the keyboards, then moved to guitars, that’s the why the keyboards, to me, are the highlight of the music!
About the “old terror movie” sounds, those are my favorite’s movies (laughs). Hail Hellraiser! You’re the first to relate our sound to it, it is good. I’m remembering old terror movies to have awesome dark ambiences, and suspense!

Hanna Tsepesh: Also I know that you have another band project, right? Can you tell to us about that? You guys have MySpace or something for the listeners out there add your band and listen to some stuff…

Engraved: I have something like four (laughs) but two of them are currently stopped, being “Mortis Causa” a Death Metal project and Shadow Sun Gothic Metal, but are currently on hold and Thrones of Astaroth, which I founded to play black metal, but in the way others styles come in (laughs)! You can take a look at www.myspace.com/thronesofastaroth . We’ve finished the 5 music’s, plus an intro, we’re going to record on our EP. We are too here seeking for others members, being, the bassist, drummer, and perhaps keyboarder, and also looking to get a female choir to record in our EP and a female solo voice.

Hanna Tsepesh: Zouza, You have any bass player that you admire the most? Any reasons for you pick this instrument? It was difficult to learn?

Zouza: I´m a fan of Jeordie White, he is a great bass player, and, thanks to him, I discovered B.C. Rich basses about 14 years ago. The reason I choose to play bass it was because the first band I had I was playing keyboards, but we were not able to find a bass player, so, I decided to buy one bass and start playing bass.. Was it difficult to learn?? I still don’t know how to play bass.

Hanna Tsepesh: (laughs) Good one Zousa! The band has a new album called “Daemonicus Awakening". My god what can I say about your album (laughs), we have a lot of things to discover in this amazing album! I liked a lot the melodies and all the atmosphere that the band create in all the music’s some of them remember me the old movies(like I already told to Engraved), I send my congratulations for the entire band for this great work! My favorite music’s are “Lost in Time”, “Drowned in sadness” and “Eternal Fear”. For people who don’t listen yet can you talk about “Daemonicus Awakening” and what the band want to accomplish?

Dyrion: Thanks a lot, our main goal was creating something unique, something unified, like I said before, we wanted to do an album that touch people, to make them think about their existences. We worked a lot for having a whole album that would touch people; to make them think about their existences. Like I said, we worked a lot for having a whole album intimately connected itself; the music, lyrics, among the illustrations.
It is a conceptual work, all the music’s are fables, and all of them are connected, unifies the whole concept, it is like a movie, divided in 10 chapters; you can listen the tracks separated, but if you listen the whole cd among with the lyrics, you will understand it much better; it is when everything is really connected, when you do that you will realize that this opus it’s much bigger and epic that it seems. I think our main goal was achieved; we wanted to breach our own borders and we did it, we are very satisfied with ourselves.

Hanna Tsepesh: How was working with Dikk (WichBreed) and Ares (WitchBreed)? You guys learning something with them? Also, everything went well at recording studio? It was an easy process for the band?

Zouza: It was great to meet and work with Dikk and Ares, two Portuguese metal masters, we’ve learned a lot with them, as persons and musicians, we had great time with them as professionals and friends, and I hope we can repeat the experience soon, I even got the pleasure of recording “Daemoncius Awakeing” with the ESH bass that toured with Moonspell back in the “Irreligious” album. All went well and fast, we had some problems, but nothing special, normal things I think, except the mastering of the album, which went missing for about 2 months on the way to Portugal from Germany.

Dyrion: Well, what can I say, it was a great experience for us, we never worked before with someone with such experience. It is never easy to record an album as you know, but we went to studio almost 90 percent prepared; one of the most important things was that we worked almost without pressure; we did everything we wanted to do and much more. Ares and Dikk were awesome; as the whole Witchbreed crew, we felt at home, and that is the most important thing in my point of view. It is a natural process, while someone was recording the others were drinking, laughing and working on other aspects of the album, like the photo session or the artwork.

Engraved: As for my experience, like Zouza said, it was an incredible pleasure to work with Dikk and Ares. Very patient and with awesome personality. Also, Dikk was a fundamental key on the recording process. In all areas he gave his ideas on which to make it sound better. The guitars were improved in some parts due to ideas he gave. Also in the keyboards, he put his hands to work, and done some amazing things! The recording process was “hard” it self, two days to records the guitars from the whole album and overdubbing them! It was intense (laughs) In the second day, which was the one where I recorded for more hours straight, I got to a point where my hands desynchronized one from the other, but then a glass of wine put it back together (laughs). Overall it was a great experience which I intend to repeat!

Hanna Tsepesh: In this album you have 2 Guest vocals: Ruby (witchbreed) and Peter Slaughter (Echoes of the Fallen Messiah). How was working with them? Can you tell to us what are your opinion about their contribute on “Daemonicus Awakening"?

Dyrion: It was great, Peter is a friend for a long time and it was a kind of natural, he did a great job; Ruby has a great voice, she can do almost whatever she wants, and while we recording Ares suggest her contribution, we needed a female voice and she is awesome, so it was natural to, she took the role of a nymph Hamadryad in “Drowned in Sadness”, and in "The Awakening" she does the voice of conscience, we are very satisfied with their contribution, they’ve done an amazing job.

Hanna Tsepesh: The band feels proud with the final result or you think that miss something?

Engraved: I’m proud of it, for what we had ended up in a great opus in my way of view.

Dyrion: We are very proud of the job we’ve done, I think it is a very powerful album, very compact, full of great details, and it marked a specific time of our lives, it is not an perfect album, nothing is perfect, but there is nothing to change there, if we need to change something we work that for future releases, we learn with our mistakes and if we need to change anything it is a good signal, it is because we are in the right way, it is evolution, and you put that in practice for further releases, because if we pass our lives try to get one perfect album, we didn’t record anything.

Zouza: Yes, we are proud with the final result, of course that we think we could of done something’s better, but, thinking that way, the album would never be finished, there always something better that should have done.
Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the media and fans?

Dyrion: Great, people are loving it by the reaction we’ve received, every day we collect new fans, It is a difficult job; the market is full field o new great bands every week, and it take a lot of time and hard work to reach many people as possible; yesterday a friend of mine call me and say, “men your new video clip it’s amazing”, and I thought for me, this video has a year, in the end of this month we will record another video, you see, it took a year for him to see the video, it is a long process. We had received great reactions from Europe, South America, and the US and Canada of course, and lately we had a lot of good reactions from Asia, and it is because of them that we will record this new video, in the past few months Eternal Fear had been heard thousands of times, and people talk a lot about that music, and it is one of our favorites, we will record this video to show respect for our fans for everything and it marks a new Aeon for us to.

Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your album safely, what they can do?

Zouza: They can buy the album at our label website www.noiseheadrecords.com, or visit Locomotive Records, www.locomotive.es (our distributor in Spain and Portugal) website to find where to buy our album in Portugal.

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

Dyrion: All of them, I’m proud of my babies, (laughs), each one in a different way, there are some parts that I prefer more than others, it is normal, every music and every lyric has something very special to me, it depends of my mood, I love to play all of them live.

Zouza: Lost in Time is the oldest music from the album, and still one of my favorites, The Angels Set our Future Appart, I love this music and I love to play it live, and the melodic Eternal Fear, is such a great music, can take us to suicide, I think is the best music from the album.

Engraved: It’s hard to say, “every music has its moment”. But I would go for Eternal Fear, I think it’s the more complete song of the album. It has great ambience, a good melody, a great “feeling”
Hanna Tsepesh: The band is thinking about an European tour?

Dyrion: Yes, of course, it is very hard to go on tour for a young band, without any kind of support, this market it’s fuck up for young bands, and usually the small bands have to pay this costs to the bigger ones, it’s complicated, we already received a few proposals, and 2 of them were very tempting , but back in that time it was impossible for us to go on that tour, if anything went wrong it were catastrophic for us, we have to plan it very carefully. But just to answer again to your question, touring is our dream, is that what we wanted to do forever, and soon or later it will happens.

Hanna Tsepesh: I know that is very soon to ask that but, the band is thinking about other album? What are the future plains for THE SPEKTRUM?

Dyrion: Yes, and I think it is not so soon, we had a lot of new material, almost ready to record, Engraved had composed some of that material while we were at studio, we all go a lot of new ideas, and I think this next further release it will be much more characteristically, it is natural evolution, I think we will be ready to record during the second semester of this year; just like Zouza and Engraved I want fresh blood to.

Zouza: I feel ready to start working on a new album, we recorded “Daemonicus Awakenging” at the end of 2007, and it was only released on 2009, for fans is a “fresh” album, for me a very old album.

Engraved: Well I started creating new stuff even before we went to studio (laughs). I got dozens of music’s, I’m always trying to compose new stuff, I don’t like to be stopped, unfortunately the time isn’t enough and I end up forgetting things. I’m anxious to enter studio again.
Hanna Tsepesh: What is your feeling to have NOISE HEAD RECORDS as your label? The entire band is happy with N.H.R work so far?

Dyron: Yes, we are, they are helping us with our own publicity, and I have to tell you, after we got signed we have a lot of work, we learned a lot of new things, that will help us a lot in the future. It is hard, because we work at distance, but it is normal like you know, your job is similar (laughs), and the internet help us a lot to communicate, it is an recent label and they have a lot of records on the market, they are growing, so as we, sometimes it is hard to get 100 per cent attention, because they have a lot of bands, but I think that is a great thing to, because they spread their/our word in different regions of many countries, and that’s awesome.
Hanna Tsepesh: What is your opinion about the metal in our country (Portugal)? Do you think that the metal bands are supported in here by Magazines, Radios, places to play, etc.?

Dyrion: Well it is growing a lot really, every week we heard about new bands, the hole community is growing and you can see it by the number of shows last year, and by the shows already booked for this year, there are a lot o people working in the right direction, but still are many to do, we all need more support and recognition for all our work, I’m talking for the all Portuguese metal bands, many promoters and bars earn a lot of money exploiting bands, because bands need to play, many times we pay for play, it is very hard to get good conditions, but fortunately there are good people, personally, and for example we love to play at Side B Lounge Live Club, in Benavente, it is a fantastic place to play, and to go to see a live show, people are amazing and they only care about the music, and we have more examples, last year we had great festivals, and I think this year it will be better, and by the way my deep regards and respect for Alex & Bigdog Prod, for Caos Emergente Open Air among other events, and of course the other fantastic festivals like Swr Barroselas, Vagos Open Air, and Ilha do Ermal, they are the living proof of the capability of what we can do. And by the way, last year when we played at Caos, we were treated like everybody else, we had fantastic conditions to work, the sound was amazing, so as everybody, I’m telling you this because unfortunately it is not usual, many magazines and radios, etc, disrespect our work when it is compared to our foreign friends, I’m not talking only for us, but for almost every Portuguese bands, and many promoters don’t care about the sound and the conditions for the Portuguese bands, they only care about the foreign ones, but fortunately this is changing, I think we all are in the right way, you know why? Portuguese metal bands are getting better and better.

Hanna Tsepesh: I agree with you and you are totally right! How does the band deal when people say bad things about your work?

Zouza: I like to hear / read bad things, I don’t answer, but I think on them and work to improve the “bad things”.

Dyrion: I like it (laughs), we had an album, many people like, many don’t, it’s normal, in my case I am the front man, I get used to it, hear it is normal people to say good and bad things about us, I don’t care about that bad things, you know why? Because they already listen to our music and that is our main goal, people listen to our music, well if they say bad things and they didn’t listen to our music, I cannot talk about that, it’s ridiculous. History already teaches us, those who gather more attention, are the most loved and hated ones, you cannot be loved by everyone, even Jesus, the savior (laughs), supposedly he was the promised one, loved by humanity, and men crucified him, he got out of lucky. (laughs)

Hanna Tsepesh: (laughs)

Engraved: I share Zouza’s opinion, if it is an opinion, a review, etc, as long as it is founded. Like, if a person says “they suck” just because they feel too, well…It’s not a very appealing comment, if a person doesn’t like she doesn’t like, it’s normal, it’s a taste. But when they make shitty comments just to try to take the band down. (laughs)

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?
Dyrion: Thank you for your patience (laugh), for those who had been taking the same path as us thank you so much, we owe you everything, for those who don’t know our music, listen to our album, visit us on MySpace, youtube, our label, etc, but make shore that you come to one of our shows, you won’t forget that soon, and this year we are stronger than ever and we will rock live, that is for sure.

Zouza: Listen to “Daemonicus Awakening”, buy the album, or just download it (we aren’t able to fight that) and make sure you go to our shows.

Engraved: Listen our music and, especially, support all metal!
Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and for your time to answer this big interview. THE GATES OF METAL wishes the entire band a great success with “Daemonicus Awakening" and good luck for your future concerts! See you guys very soon in live concert…

Engraved: It was a pleasure being here! Thanks, Hanna, for the interview, you’re awesome! Great Work!

Dyrion: Thank you so much, it is always a pleasure, best luck for you to, you have been doing an amazing job, really; hope to see you soon for some beers and metal. Awwwghhhh!!!

Zouza: All the best for you and THE GATES OF METAL, it was a pleasure, see you live. Cheers and beers

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks so much guys for your words! All the best...

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some THE SPEKTRUM music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/thespektrum

URBAN WAR

2010-03-08T22:22:00.003+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Olá (Hello in Portuguese) Nelo and Bobby! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and with you guys a great 2010! First of all: how are you guys?
Nelo: Great!

Bobby: I’m a little sick… but no worries!

Hanna Tsepesh: Before we start to know more about Bobby (The new vocalist), I want to ask you (Nelo), what happened with the previous vocalist?

Nelo: He stayed with Urban War for almost 3 years, but he had to leave due to some personal issues that were affecting him and the band.

Hanna Tsepesh: It was difficult to find Bobby? And in your opinion what he will bring to Urban War?
Nelo: It was not easy to find him because our style is not only about guttural vocals. The new Urban War member had to have some good singing as well, good attitude and, of course, lots of power.
I’m sure Bobby will bring (and he’s already bringing…) lots of new ideas, power, awesome attitude, good melodies and he’s a good friend too. He is getting along very well with the guys.

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk with you Bobby. What is your feeling to be on Urban War? What fans can expect from you? Also, you have other band or some project, or only Urban War at the moment?

Bobby: It feels great to be working with these guys! The music is great and I’m getting along very well. The fans can expect all that Urban War has already showed them and a lot more! Some new stuff, real power, great melodies and excellent attitude. I try to pass a message of peace and self discovery.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

Nelo: I love all that is good music and good drummers. Since the beginning I’ve been influenced by Igor and Dave Lombardo.

Bobby: I’m into many musical styles besides Metal. I admire those musicians that don’t do this for the money or fame. I don’t have “favorites”, but right now I’m more into “thrash-core” bands.

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any guttural technique lessons or any other preparation?

Bobby: No. It all came from passing from one band to another and learning by myself.
Fortunately in Urban War I have the help of Espinha (Guitars / Back Vocals) that helps me create the lyrics and melodies, and also showed me some techniques.

Hanna Tsepesh: When you start to play drums? It was difficult to learn?

Nelo: I have been playing for 13 years now. It wasn’t difficult because I always felt that the rhythm was “inside” me. I never took drumming lessons.
Hanna Tsepesh: Now you guys will be on tour, to show the new vocalist and some new music’s, right? So, you guys are feeling nervous about that? Tell me the truth guys… (Laughs)

Bobby: Ok. Maybe a little nervous because it will be my first time getting up on a stage as a frontman, but no worries, I will have a great crew watching my back on the shows!

Nelo: No. Not nervous at all. I would say we are very anxious to get on tour again and spread our music!

Hanna Tsepesh: The band have some plains for a new Ep or maybe an album? Who will be the guy that will create the lyrics?

Nelo: Bobby and Espinha are the lyric writers. I hope soon we can think on a new EP or maybe even an album. It would be great… but right now we are putting our mind and all our effort on live shows. Despite that, since Bobby entered the band, we have already 3 new songs, so let’s see what the future reserves to the Urban crew…

Bobby: I hope to be recording a few new songs sometime in a near future, just to let the fans listen to my voice and the new Urban War “era”.

Hanna Tsepesh: hummm, Nelo I have a little curiosity: Now with a new member you feel that is like a new start for Urban War or something?

Nelo: Bobby it’s very different from our previous vocal. He is giving a new and different energy to Urban War music. It’s not a new beginning. It’s more like an evolution. The continuity of the good work we have always been doing until this day.

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

Bobby: Yeah! I’m here to bring a new concept to the Urban War Music, new message, better attitude, strong and powerful vocals and good melodies. My voice is not yet on record or on Myspace, but soon people will be able to judge by themselves my vocal skills. I’m sure that people will enjoy a lot mote the new Urban War 2010!

Nelo: Urban War is back in 2010, we’re better than before and stronger than ever! We have new stuff, new songs and many surprises, so check out our shows. We will be rocking throughout the country this year promoting out new material! See you guys out there!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. THE GATES OF METAL wishes the entire band a big success! Hope to see you guys very soon on stage!

Bobby: Thank you for the interview! We are looking forward to see you in our shows…

Nelo: Thank you!
Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks a lot guys and wish you the best luck!

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some URBAN WAR music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/urbanwarmusic

NOXIUS CORP.

2010-03-08T22:09:00.006+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hola (hello in Spanish) Lord Dan! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you and how are the things doing with your concerts?

Lord Dan: Hello Hanna! Thank you for your devotion and dedication to the metal world.
Well now I’m recovering from a knee injury that made us cancel some shows some time ago, but I’m quite better now and we’re rocking the stages once again! We’ve started a good 2010 for that matter because we have some very interesting shows on view. We’ll be playing with Kells when they come to Spain in their European tour and we’ll be featuring in the third edition of the Metal Femmes Festival with other great emerging bands. But it doesn’t end here because we’re about to close some more gigs. We’d also love to be able to play in your country, that’d be amazing!

Hanna Tsepesh: For those who do not know the band, could tell us a little how it all started?

Lord Dan: NoXiuS Corp. is created as we know it in 2009 with our current formation: Laura Espejo on vocals, J. Monfu on guitars, Luka Gómez on drums and myself on bass, growls and synth programming. Founded by Miky Vega (ArboreA) and me, it’s originated on 2007 when it was called just NoXiuS and the line up was quite different. We released then a demo called “The Dying Earth” and the video clip for “Slavery”
But after some line-up changes, the band has now found stability and has evolved to what can be heard nowadays, the “Grey Shades” EP and the first LP that will see the light late this year.

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics and what process the band use to create the riffs, melody to comply with the lyrics?

Lord Dan: We don’t actually close any door when writing, but the truth is that usually the roots of our songs come from the instrumental side more than the lyrics one.
When I write usually the work comes form a rhythm base that leads to everything else. I believe that a good instrumental job it’s essential for the vocal line and for a good song. Once the musical base is finished we focus on lyrics and vocal lines, keyboards and finally the last arrangements to close it properly. When writing the lyrics our inspiration comes from things that happen to and around us. Some other times we just try to listen to what the music tells us or just create a little story that fits with it.
The general idea for the band it’s not just having a good vocal line with emotive lyrics to make the world believe that we are very, very sad or very bad ass. We think some bands take that role too seriously and that it’s the typical “cliché” of female-fronted metal bands... for that stuff there are lots of bands out there that do it better than we do! (laughs)
Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?
Lord Dan: The answer is hard and could be endless but well… I’ll try to be as tight as possible!
I love all from Mikael Akerfeld & Opeth, they’re one of my biggest influences and it’s the band I’ve seen the most live (on our new LP you will be able to check their influences, specially in one concrete song). I also love the “renewed” Dream Theater, I believe they’ve found a way to bring progressive music to everyone, and speaking ‘bout prog I can’t forget Porcupine Tree. Turning into more extreme metal stuff there is Strapping Young Lad (I strongly believe that Devin Townsend is a demi-god), Dark Tranquillity, Katatonia (who seem to start to get the popularity they deserve). Then there would be Samael, Queens of the Stone Age, Sybreed, Muse, Senteced & Charon, Chuck Berry, Diablo Swing Orchestra, Skindred, Stollen Babies, Fear Factory... I also got into some rock-related (or not) bands such as No Doubt, Mindless Self Indulgence, Portishead, Mr. Bungle (God save Patton), Zombina and the Skeletones, Goran Bregovic... and so I could write for hours but no-one would read. Actually everything depends on the season, the day, the mood, the moment...
Hanna Tsepesh: You have another band or some future project?

Lord Dan: From some years now I’ve been also playing in ArboreA
ArboreA stands in different ground, it’s music was more to do with progressive while extreme metal and pop music walk hand in hand with experimental stuff (which sometimes is close to psychedelia). In three words : Alternative, Fusion, Metal
We’ve edited some promo CD’s and the first LP is predicted for late this year (like NoXiuS Corp)
Those who are curious can and will check our stuff at our myspace (www.myspace.com/arboreaband) and on Facebook. Check it!

Hanna Tsepesh: When you start to play bass? It was difficult to learn?

Lord Dan: I got my first bass as a gift when I was 16, but real intentions of playing seriously started some time after that.
As self-taught, I would say that learning process is always more difficult and slow than when you’ve got someone giving you their knowledge, guiding you and making you have a discipline. Nevertheless, I believe you never end studying an instrument because there are always new things to do, to learn and play.

Hanna Tsepesh: What was the highest and lowest point of your career as a musician?

Lord Dan: I believe the lowest point of my career (and I believe it’s common to most of the musicians out there) it’s when i’ve been almost defrauded by promoters who haven’t promoted on their careers, club owners who want to own your money and managers who couldn’t even manage their live... all those people who doesn’t love music and the only thing they care about is to steal some money to the musicians and make profit out of their dreams. I believe that all bands should get serious with those people and kick them out, all together we can make them see that we don’t need they. That’s really the cancer of the underground scene, at least in our country.
Luckily, not everyone’s that way and you can always find some people who loves music and wants to do his job as best as he can.

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “Grey Shades” EP. Can you tell to our readers what they can expect from this EP?

Lord Dan: What they can expect is what we've tried to show! Modern metal that doesn’t forget or obliterates the past but at the same time is coherent with the year we live in, sweet, clean, crystal voices suddenly march with some filthy, desperate and visceral growls; a strong rhythmic base very tight on drums, bass and guitars, some keyboards and samplers to add textures and a lot, and I mean a lot of metal! (laughs)
Grey Shades merges different rock styles such as industrial, progressive, metal core, gothic, heavy and death metal… among others. (Warning: advertising ahead) So don’t forget to listen to it when the interview it’s over... or even better, don’t wait boys and girls! Check our MySpace or look for us at Goear and let our music play while you read this! (laughs)

Hanna Tsepesh: at recording studio, you guys faced with difficulties? If yes, tell which was and how as the whole process?

Lord Dan: Not many, really. My team is very capable and strong, everyone’s a great musician and person besides good friends, so the only musical difficulty was just to find and choose the right arrangements and really getting satisfied with every single section. Luckily most of them were in our minds before recording so everything went great

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the EP by the fans and media?

Lord Dan: Oh the response has been awesome! The underground specialized media are helping us a lot and we’re obtaining really good reviews from all around the world. Just check our MySpace and you’ll see that almost every week we’ve got a new review or we’ve featured in some radio show.
We’ve have had some major response from the fans, a lot more than we expected! People has bought CDs from some parts of the world, Japan, Russia, Canada, France, South America... besides what is downloaded in the web that, on the contrary of what labels want us to believe, it’s always a great helping hand to these bands, specially from the underground!
The truth is we’re very thankful to all of you and your support is decisive. You’re the fifth member of the band!
Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your EP, what they can do?

Lord Dan: It’s very simple and you’ll be always in touch with the team for any question or doubt that might come out.
You just have to send a e-mail to noxius@noxius.net asking for a copy of “Grey Shades” and specifying your data (name, address, etc.) and there you’ll receive more details to get your CD as soon as possible!
We’re also working on an e-market (an online store) for our web page. From here I want to thank our web-mistress all the hard work she’s doing for us.

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this EP and why?

Lord Dan: Though it’d be very difficult to tell, I’d say my favourite is “I Hate the World” because of it’s rawness and viscerality. Every arrangement has been taken care of, the music is frenetic and lyrics have that spot of insanity that makes it interesting.

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your opinion about the metal in your country (Spain)? It is easy to get some support and places to play?

Lord Dan: I believe that there are very good bands both on the main-stream and on the underground, the problem is that there is too little support beyond the top 10 of best known (national) bands and the underground scenes doesn’t work at all on our country. There’s no tradition of going to the local club where you drink your beer while every night a new band plays (like happens in other countries), on the other hand it must be pointed out that the locals charge abusive amounts of money for bands to play and the government organizes witch hunts against locals and clubs, and that doesn’t help to the fact this is not a majoritary music on our country.
So as you can see the support in general is something to fix in Spain. The huge rental prices for locals and clubs (whom many times have no legal validation to hold live music) work against culture reducing it to the most capitalist and market-focused part of it, so the result is the ouroboros (snake biting it’s tail). At the end of the day, the musician remains a pariah, without rights, money and being robed everywhere always worthless. Nobody seems to care but what’s happening is that they’re killing music and underestimating the role of the musician.

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

Lord Dan: Yes, I’d like that everyone who reads this interview and becomes curious about us to enter our MySpace, listen to our songs and give your opinion! We love to hear your opinion, it’s great for us and helps us to do our job better every time!
We’d love to play in Portugal, so the more support and fans we get there, more possibilities of playing there! To all of you interested on doing street team, you just have to get in touch with us.
Don’t forget to ask for NoXiuS Corp. On your local radio and thank you so much again for the support. You are the reason for all of this!
We’ll try to answer everyone who gets in touch with us.

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks so much for your answers and time. THE GATES OF METAL wishes the entire band a big success and a great 2010! Hope to see you guys very soon in here…

Lord Dan: Thank you Hanna and the Gates of Metal team! We appreciate very much all your work and support. I hope it’ll be a great year for all of you to and we can soon meet!

Hanna Tsepesh: You are very welcome and thanks a lot! All the best...

Lord Dan: And search for NoXiuS corp fan club on Facebook, Vampire freaks and twitter!

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some NoXiuS corp music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/noxiusmetal
www.goear.com/listen/885ed54/Grey-Shades-noxius-corp.
www.noxius.net
www.noxiuscorp.com (coming soon)

MEHIDA

2010-02-01T06:49:00.008+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hello Mikko and Thomas! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you and how are the things doing with your concerts?

Mikko: Hello and thank you for inviting us to do an interview with you. I’m doing fine, despite freezing here in this midwinter coldness. Lately I’ve personally been recovering of the busy year with all kinds of music productions. We haven’t done any concerts with Mehida this year, because we’ve been waiting for an opportunity to do more concerts than just once in a while.

Thomas: Fine thank you! A lot of work these days before Christmas. Like Mikko said we did not do any concerts this year but hopefully we will play again soon!

Hanna Tsepesh: for those who do not know the band, could tell us a little how it all started?

Mikko:Our career began as a project in 2006 when I had a bunch of songs composed and we recorded them in a weird manner, all working by ourselves in many different studios. We actually met first time together after the record was finished and we were supposed to take promo pictures for the album. We met Thomas in the Helsinki harbor, where we went to pick him up as he was coming by boat from Sweden to Finland. After that we went to local McDonalds to have a meal, and there we also met Jani our guitar player who had came from Gothenburg, Sweden by plane. So that was what I would call our humble beginning. We have all worked as session musicians in different productions, so we are somehow used to weird situations but everything went quite smooth in my opinion and since then it has been fun.

Thomas: Its a little funny, I think I got a mail or a phonecall from Mikko. He asked me and I said yes. I did not had the time to go over to Finland then so I did all the vocals in Stockholm myself. All I had was a demo with some very "Free" guide lines sung by a girl. The first time we met was actually for the coverphotoshoot in Finland. After the album was mixed and done.

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics and what process the band use to create the riffs, melody to comply with the lyrics?

Mikko:Mostly the lyrics I write are from faith, because for me it’s the thing that completely changed my life. I’m not talking about belonging to some church or any dead religion or wearing some certain clothes and speaking some certain language preventing to be a good human. I’m talking about the living God who is alive today and who wants to forgive our sins set us free.
So far the composing process has worked like the following: I write the songs with keys and computer (the basic harmony and melody lines with lyrics and sometimes some riffs and basic rhythms.) Then we arrange the basic rhythm sections with Markus (the drummer) and after that everyone will put their own dressing on the cake by arranging their parts with their ideas.
I usually have the basic songs up there first and after that I write the lyrics.

Thomas: I did not write anything (yet) for Mehida. Maybee I came up with some melody ideas during the recordings. When I come to a Mehida recording everything is already done. And its done very good so I never have to worry. Otherwise when I write music I can be inspired by a special moment or movie or whatever. But I dont sit around and wait for inspiration when I shall write something. Sometimes you are and sometimes you dont. I almost always write the music first and then the lyrics. The music always give me pictures and "movies" in my mind. And from them comes the lyrics.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

Mikko:My favorite bands or artists at this moment are: Metallica and Tori Amos. I like Jens Johansson as a musician the most. He is my all time favorite keyboard player. I really like the way he has the freedom and creativity in his way of playing.

Thomas: My Favorite bands are KISS, QUEEN, ABBA, ALICE COOPER. Why?? Because they have so many good songs. And they are not only musicians they are also entertainers and thats very important for me. Amongst singer I cant pick only one but to mention a few: Freddie Mercury, Rob Halford, Michael Bolton (Yes, he is great despite what everybody says) Ronnie James Dio. I also just discovered the guy from Rhapsody. he is REALLY good!

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any singing lessons or any other preparation? And how are the things doing with Therion?

Thomas: Mostly Im self-taught. My father was an Operasinger and he gave me some advices and showed me some stuff. One important thing he said was to have fun with your voice and with your singing. It has to be lustful to sing. He also taught me very early that even if this is funny this is also a job, a profession. I remember he was at a party and the guy who hosted the party said: Hey Sven Erik!! Sing something! Entertain us a little!! My father did. The next time they met it was in my parents holiday house on my fathers birthday. My father came up to him with brushes and a roller and a big bucket of wal lcolour and said: Hey!! Paint the house for me! Make it shine!This guy worked as a painter.
With Therion everything is going just fine! We are about to finish our new album and after that we go on worldtour. I cant wait!

Hanna Tsepesh: When you start to play keyboards? Was it difficult to learn?

Mikko: I began to play keyboards at the age of four with the assistance of my grandfather. There have been a lot of difficulties on the way. I don’t consider myself to be the kind of person who is typically considered to be musical. I have disqualified in many tests in music school and also later on in conservatorium, but I have my own weird way of doing music. It’s more graphical than conservative musical.

Hanna Tsepesh: What was the highest and lowest point of your career as a musician?

Mikko:Well, one of my highest points of being musician was to be able to tour together with Jens Johansson in year 2000 when we did almost a seven week tour together with Stratovarius and Rhapsody. It was a great and taught full experience. The lowest points have been trying to play an improvised blues solo in the workshop taught by a famous finnish jazz musician Severi Pyysalo in conservatorium. I was so struck, that I couldn’t play anything but some notes that didn’t fit to the scale at all and with terrible rhythm. So that’s about blues. Also I have messed up many times publicly when trying to accompany somebody from the notes. (I’m not that good at reading notes.)

Thomas: Hard to say...I think Im at my peak now really. I have most fun now. Commercially my biggest success was with my first band Talk Of The Town. It was a huge hit here in Sweden. The lowest point must have been when I made a throat surgery and was not able to sing for a long long time.

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “The Eminent Storm” album. This album is amazing! I am very surprised! Is a little bit different from what I was expecting. Excellent work! Congratulations! Can you tell to our readers what they can expect from this album?

Mikko:Thanks for encouraging feedback. The album is surely a different kind of album. You can think of it as a lonely shooting star in the music world. It’s melancholic and melodic; it sounds raw in the terms of production, but it’s energetic. I think the slower songs are very emotional, and the harder ones kick down the walls with their high level energy.

Thomas: I think that Mikko described that perfect. In my ears and heart this album is much better and interesting than the first record. We also worked tighter together with it. I spended a week in the studio with the guys in the middle of Finnish nowhere. But we had a blast!

Hanna Tsepesh: at recording studio, you guys faced with difficulties? If yes, tell which was and how as the whole process? The album was produced by you Mikko, right?

Mikko: Yes, there were some difficulties, mostly technological. One example was that our hard drive broke and we didn’t have backups of the files, so we had to re-record the drums, basses and some keys, which was a lot of work. Yep, I’m responsible of the production together with our drummer Markus and his brother Niklas who is the owner of the Drum Forest studio where we did the album. The whole process was very time consuming and hard both physically and mentally, but now it’s done and it’s good.

Thomas: Its ALWAYS hard to record with Mehida. Because the music is very complex. But its also a lot of fun. Mikko is great to work with. But from recording to release it has been a loooooooong time! Maybee a world record??
Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

Mikko: I like a song Until the Day Breaks a lot. It’s a very special song to me. Sometimes I have shed a tear listening to this song (for example in the studio when we were recording the vocals, luckily Thomas didn’t see it…). Other my favorites on the album are the Masquerade which is as I remember the one of the first songs I have ever written in my life and the song called A Block of Wood.

Thomas: I can't pick a single favorite song from this album. They are all very strong.

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your big advice for a young musician?

Mikko:Play and experience with your instruments like a little baby. Without thinking that this is not right to play like this etc. Just play with full power and energy and enjoy finding new sounds and let them inspire you to experience even more.

Thomas: Have fun, dont be afraid, and most important NEVER let go of your dream and dont listen to so many advices!
Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who are going to read this interview?

Mikko:There’s an eminent storm rising, so remember this when you’re in the storm: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” Says the Lord of hosts.

Thomas: I hope that you will like our new album and that we can see each other soon somewhere on tour. Maybee with Mehida or Therion. Portugal is one of the few European countries I never visited so far so I am very exited to see it! Also I wish everybody a happy 2010!!
Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. THE GATES OF METAL wishes the entire band a big success and a great 2010! Hope to see you guys very soon in here…

Mikko: Thanks a lot. Would be more than great to visit your beautiful country, and meet you people.

Hanna Tsepesh: We hope that too, thanks a lot!

Thomas: See you everybody! And keep on rocking!

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some MEHIDA music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/mehida

FACTORY OF DREAMS

2010-02-01T06:38:00.007+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hello there Jessica and Hugo! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you guys?

Hugo: Thanks Hanna, pleasure to be here! Busy, busy with lots of promotion now to promote our album and videos, so, really cool.

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics for this album?

Hugo: The need to exercise my brain started it all. I wanted to push my imagination to certain levels you know, and try and convey into music and lyrics these Strange Utopian Worlds that I had in my mind. Apart from this main drive, my inspirations usually come from watching movies and TV and some sci-fi reading, so, everything contributed to the final lyrics and concept.

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if in this album you had any singing lessons? Your voice is much better! Congratulation Jessica!

Jessica: Thanks, I'm glad you think so! I did not have any singing lessons, but on the other hand I had some problems with my voice a year ago. Since then I've been trying to polish my technique as much as possible in case the problems were due to wrong techniques. I did go see a voice teacher but only once and just to see if he noticed something wrong about the way I use my voice, which he didn't. I had loved to take frequent singing lessons though. The bad thing about that is that it's quite expensive.

Hanna Tsepesh: What was the highest and lowest point of your career as a musician?

Hugo: I don’t have a lowest one, making music is what I enjoy doing, so, it’s all just highs for now.

Jessica: The lowest was definitely my voice problems. The highest must have been all these previous cd releases that I'm a part of, plus the music videos with Factory of Dreams, all these things have been awesome and something I've never even imagined I would at some point do.

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “A Strange Utopia” album. Is fantastic how you can surprise me with another album Hugo! Your albums is really surprising and a free air for me! This album is little bit fast, don’t you think? This album is really fantastic because we also have fast music’s and a calm/relaxing sound… is really nice. For people who don’t listen yet can you tell to us about this album?

Hugo: Thanks Hanna. Well, It’s a faster album then Poles, definitely, much more diverse, more complex than the first work… I basically grabbed the previous album’s main style and decided to provide more progressiveness and heaviness to it, so it’s more complex in terms of performances and structures. You will still find the Poles’ sound there, but with a much more open and epic feel to the music. But, you’ll also find that atmospheric sound, such as in Slow Motion World or Sonic Sensations’ tracks. This album was also a good opportunity to work with a few people that I wanted to work or a long time.
About the album’s concept, "A Strange Utopia" is a collection of those bizarre worlds I mentioned. Call them Utopias or sci-fi essays, some of these worlds are indeed good but some are very dark, so, pretty strange utopias.

Hanna Tsepesh: On this new album you have some cool guest like Zara from your other band! Why you decided to include her and the other guests? Also, what you think about Zara work, Jessica?

Hugo: Because the scope of this album was bigger, wider. It has many different layers of sound that required more diversity, so, on a few sections, additional musicians were invited to provide that diversity. Poles has 47 mn of music, A Strange Utopia has 74 mn! There are several long instrumental passages, so, a real violin was incorporated with big performances by David Ragsdale from legendary band Kansas.
I also invited Tadashi Goto. He’s amazing on the keyboards and he performed some absolutely mad solos there. Shawn Gordon also did a killer solo on "Dark Utopia".
Gaby Koss was also invited, did many parts of "E-motions", plus Cheryl Childs on Inner Station with her warm voice for operatic choirs. Antonella is very powerful, Zara-like, but high up there and did a nice work on "Dark Utopia".
Zara appears in "Chaotic Order" and Inner Station, and the idea was for her to provide stronger backing vocals on specific parts, and we got the job done quick and easy.

Jessica: I definitely think Zara did a brilliant job, the parts she recorded adds so much to the tracks. She has a very lovely voice and it fits very well along with the music Hugo writes. And I definitely like all the guests on this cd a lot.

Hanna Tsepesh: at recording studio, you guys faced with difficulties? If yes, tell which was and how as the whole process?
Hugo: The usual I’d say. Not that many difficulties. Starting by the composition process, It all started with some ideas I was playing on the keys. These first melodies kind of clicked. That was a good indication, so, began developing those ideas, structuring the songs. Then the whole guitar and bass recording process began, and once I had quite a cohesive structure I started sending the songs to Jessica so she could start thinking of vocal melodies. The difficult part was to create a really steady rhythmic section, so, the bass and the guitar had to be rehearsed a lot before any recordings. Also, the drums…I took great care of those, so, I spent lots of time refining drums.
Main recordings, of keyboards, guitars, acoustic guitars, drums and bass were all done at my personal studio and vocals were recorded at Jessica’s, and then guest musician’s all recorded in their private studios too.

Jessica: I did not face any difficulties as far as I can remember. This time around it was easier to work with Hugo because we have gotten to know each other a lot better since the last album. I had also gotten to know his music better and was more prepared for what kind of vocals this project required.

Hanna Tsepesh: The cover album is very cool! And you Jessica look very pretty in the pictures! Who was the person to make this art cover?

Hugo: It was handled by Artist Paul Gerrard. Paul has some incredible and nightmarish yet beautiful work, and he is also very detailed while creating the images. For "A Strange Utopia", he had to abandon a bit his usual style, since the whole album concept demanded that, even though the art depicts a blend of all his styles. Wonderful imagery really.

Hanna Tsepesh: Also you guys have 2 news videos that I really LOVE! How was the shooting process for you guys and what is your favorite video and why?

Hugo: It was a great experience. Everything was just so cool, I’d do it again and again. Director is exceptional and I like his style very much. He implemented a very dream-like imagery on both videos.
I love cinema and video, and making this type of art along with the music is just a way of complimenting everything, so definitely adds a whole new dimension. Since Jessica worked more on the first one, she can reveal a bit more.

Jessica: It was definitely one of the nicest experiences so far. Before the first video I was very very nervous, because I don't like video cameras at all and even still cameras make me very uncomfortable. As soon as we began shooting though all nerves were gone, I didn't feel shy in front of the camera at all and everything just felt very natural. The director did a great job, definitely. I felt very comfortable with him. It was great to work with him again for the second video. Of course I was nervous before that shot too, but I felt I would be able to handle it which I wasn't so sure of before the first video ;)
I can't really pick a favorite video, I like them both in different ways and I probably like them equally much.

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the fans and media?

Hugo: Hard to tell just now, since it’s pretty early, but Fans seem to like the new cd, media is also promoting the album and the videos, so, really cool for now, but it’s still early.
Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your album, what they can do?

Hugo: Go to any store look for it, and if he doesn’t find it order it. Or, they can go to most online stores and buy it. Examples:
www.progrockrecords.com
www.amazon.com
www.tower.com
www.cdwow.com
www.rskentertainment.co.uk
www.kinesiscd.com/storeframe1.htm
www.caerllysimusic.co.uk
www.fnac.com
www.cdinzane.com
www.rockyroad.nl
www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8022269
www.theomegaorder.com/FACTORY-OF-DREAMS-A-Strange-Utopia

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite song in this album and why?

Jessica: Garden of all Seasons because of the chorus that kind of hits you in the face, and I do like the ending parts of that track. Inner Station because of the atmosphere there in general, and the beautiful violin should be mentioned too, just like in Slow Motion World. And of course I have a special relationship to Broken, that I've written the music for back in 2006 and that Hugo made a new arrangement of for this cd.

Hugo: Voyage to Utopia, Inner Station and Slow Motion World are my favorite songs, because they are very strong and very cohesive. Slow Motion is truly progressive, starts off with a beautiful Violin melody and slowly adds vocals, and ends with frantic synth solo and bombastic features, plus a reprise of the first cd’s Factory of Dreams’ song!
Inner is really a prog metal driven song, full power on the guitar and bass interaction and catchy choruses. Voyage is a killer track that really starts off the engines of the album.

Hanna Tsepesh: I have a little curiosity (laughs): What is your family opinion about your work in Factory Of Dreams? They support you guys and liked the album so much as we like?

Jessica: My family supports me a lot in all aspects when it comes to music, although not all of them really enjoy this music style. They still bought the album though because they want to support me/us, and my father liked the music very much and so does my brother.

Hugo: Yeah they’re mildly interested in the music, they’re not big fans of symphonic prog metal, but they’re interested and some ordered the album or asked for it as a Christmas gift.

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your big advice for a young musician?

Hugo: Runaway from music as fast as he can lol… unless he (the aspiring musician) is really really REALLY in love with music, purely for the fun and feeling and prepared to spend some bucks making it unless he’s such a lucky bastard, that he could immediately find funding. Ok, ok I’m being nasty…or maybe realistic, why? Because nowadays even though you have easier means to do music, there’s loads of stuff out there, so either you’re really talented and make something original or there are little opportunities…Plus, piracy, that’s a big big issue. Internet is great, oh yeah, couldn’t have done half of what I’ve done without it, but piracy must stop, it’s killing the music, truly killing it.
Advices? Be true to yourself, try do be original, use your resources to the fullest, don’t copy or try to do what others already do.

Jessica: Do your thing, and don't care what people tell you or don't tell you about your music, keep doing it if it makes you happy. You don't have to sell a lot of - or any, for that matter - albums in order for the music to make you happy, right. So just keep the music up and see what may happen along the road, and if nothing happens, well, what should matter most is keeping that passion for music up. No money could, or should, ever affect the way you feel when creating music.
Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

Hugo: If you enjoy our music, buy our albums, it’s the only way to help us and music in general. Don’t download it, besides being illegal, it’s unfair for someone that spent more than a year producing the cd, producing music videos, etc… Hope everyone and the Portuguese audience will like the album! So, come on and grab one!

Jessica: Keep listening, and Happy New 2010!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. THE GATES OF METAL wishes the entire band a big success and a great 2010 for the both of you!

Hugo: Thanks Hanna, always a pleasure!

Jessica: Thanks a lot, definitely a pleasure!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks so much!

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some FACTORY OF DREAMS music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/projectcreationv
strangeutopia.com/

PURGATORY

2010-02-01T06:30:00.005+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hello Freshly! Welcome back to THE GATES OF METAL! Long time since our first interview! First of all: how are you and how are the things doing with your concerts?

Freshly: We’re fine. About our concerts Every body enjoy and fun with us.And have more support us. Thank you so much to all that guy.

Hanna Tsepesh: What was the highest and lowest point of your career as a musician?
Freshly: We’re think the highest ‘s we have to play gig and release our album. It’s feeling good and very happy when we’re playing gig or listen our song .hee hee. And the lowest maybe you feeling unhappy when you playing. If you feel like that every think will so bad maybe ‘ll have the terrible in your band.

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “Part1- The Earth” album. Great album once again! I liked a lot your voice (like you already know since the first interview). I think you have accomplished a fantastic album! Congratulations I love it! Can you tell to our readers what they can expect from this album and what is the theme in your new album?

Freshly: This album ‘s the first part of the trilogy.This part ‘s the beginning of all. The story of one child. This ‘s the short story of this part : Once upon a time, an innocent child was born. He didn't know how his life would be. But everything that he heard wasn't as he expected it in his childhood; it made him suffer over and over again. It slowly consumed his conviction. Where is that beautiful world that he experienced as a child? Or is this his wicked destiny that was sent straight from hell. Was it forged for him from the very beginning? And that voice that whispered in his ear: “Kill them, all those who looked down on you and despised you.” What's that voice? Or is he the way to stop that suffering that they inflict on him? They who despised and bullied him. “Yes we have to kill them. So it can finally end. Death is the only fitting punishment for them.” He starts to enjoy it, his lust for killing doesn't arise from the need of revenge anymore but out of addiction. “My way to satisfaction” “Kill them! I'm watching you! Kill them! This the way you chose!” Time passed and that free and innocent child now thinks of the horrible things that he let come to pass. Imprisoned in a cage the only thing that awaits him now is the final judgment.

Hanna Tsepesh: at recording studio, you guys faced with difficulties? If yes, tell which was and how as the whole process?

Freshly: We’re recording drum at Recording Studio and recorded guitar, bass and vocal at Bundit ‘s home studio. We’re have a terrible with drum line. At Recording Studio recorded drum so signal low level It’s make our drum so not clear.

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the fans?

Freshly: It’s good. Every body have more support us. And the metal shop that we ‘re sold some metal shop ‘s sold out now. We’re want to say big thank you to all guy.

Hanna Tsepesh: The album cover is very cool! It was you that made the art cover, right? What inspirations you use to make it?

Freshly: This picture drawing by Mr. Beer. The concept ‘s the story of this album.

Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your album, what they can do?

Freshly: You can send cash by mail at : Mr. Bundit Ruckveratham 205/35 moo.5 Nakhontong 2 Prakasa Maung Samutprakarn 10280 Thailand E-Mail : purgatoryth@hotmail.com, www.myspace.com/purgatoryth , www.purgatoryth.hi5.com Tel : (+66)84-317-5894, (+66)83-888-6005
Prize : 10$ or equal your monetary.
Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?
Freshly: I like “Execution” because it’s very cool song. I can growling like self-confident. Bundit , Yottapon and Sittichai like all song but if the favorite ‘s “The Way Of Attain” because

Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

Freshly: Thank you all guy to support us. We’re make this album so extremely. Hope you like it. You can try to listen at www.myspace.com/purgatoryth , purgatoryth.hi5.com and watching our gig at www.youtube.com/user/purgatorythai

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. THE GATES OF METAL wishes the entire band a big success and a great 2010! Hope to see you guys very soon in here…

Freshly: Thank you so much Miss Hanna Tsepesh for this good interview and good relationship. And all guy to reading. All respect.

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks so much for your kind words! All the best and you are very welcome!

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some PURGATORY music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/purgatoryth
purgatoryth.hi5.com

TENSION HEAD

2010-02-01T06:20:00.006+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hello C.P.Rossio! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you and how are the things doing with your concerts?

C.P.Rossio: Thank you Hanna! Just getting over a month long nasty cold, I hate being sick (laughs)! The shows have been full of energy as usual, actually just played a sold-out gig with All That Remains a couple of weeks ago, it was badass!

Hanna Tsepesh: for those who do not know the band, could tell us a little how it all started?

C.P.Rossio: Well, in 2003 I decided to create a project that would hopefully grab a few people from every kind of race, genre, gender, etc. by making music that almost anyone into having a good time would enjoy, and I think we’ve accomplished this task…now, it’s time to take on the world, why the hell not!

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics and what process the band use to create the riffs to comply with the lyrics?

C.P.Rossio: When I write lyrics, I like to use my imagination as much as possible, but sometimes I throw truth in as well, your never know what is real and what is not, because it all seems very possible in many individuals lives…most of the time the lyrics are done before the riff/drums are laid down, we find this the easiest and smoothest way to writing material.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

C.P.Rossio: Favorite bands, wow, I like a little bit of everything, but bands, let’s start with my favorite classic rock bands…AC/DC, ZZ Top, Ted Nugent (He’s the Michigan boy I grew up listening to the most, he’s Uncle Ted!) I could go on and on…Metal bands, Pantera, period!

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any guttural technique lessons or other preparation?

C.P.Rossio: Not really, the way I sing is not preferred by voice teachers, I sing with my throat, a big no no in the bizz, but for some reason I can pull it off over and over, can sing 4 – 5 nights in a row on tour and it holds up just fine, BUT, I do have to baby it a little more than more singers…I gotta drink a gallon of water every morning, almost OD on Ibuprofen, and stretch the shit out of my throat and neck muscles.

Hanna Tsepesh: What was the highest and lowest point of your career as a musician?

C.P.Rossio: Highest was opening for HELLYEAH 2 years ago in Detroit, MI. @ The Fillmore in front on 2,000 people, Chad the singer even went as far as to ask everyone in the crowd to give it up for local boys TENSION HEAD, it was the best feeling ever! The lowest was when a previous drummer was so drunk, we didn’t even get through the 1st song of our set, when we all decided to leave him on stage, ho fucking embarrassing…and I don’t get embarrassed, that’s how bad it was!

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “Do Or Die” album. For people who don’t listen yet can you tell to us about this album?

C.P.Rossio: Well, if you actually believe that there is a full cd worth listening to all the way through anymore (not just 1 or 2 songs, shit, we don’t have any hits, they all just rock), this is it! Plenty of music for you to get your heart beating a little faster while driving a little faster (laughs)! If you like to move your head to good beats at the very least, I think you’re going to enjoy!

Hanna Tsepesh: at recording studio, you guys faced with difficulties?

C.P.Rossio: Not really, it’s all business when we get in there, after all, time is money…we just make sure our shit is together before we enter!
Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the fans and media?

C.P.Rossio: The thing I hear most is that people just can’t take it out of their cd player or it’s the top of their ipod, etc., and I do hear a lot of people telling me that they know all the lyrics by heart all ready, and many of them sing along to all the songs at live shows, it is a very cool feeling! Oh Yeah!

Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your album, what they can do?

C.P.Rossio: They can go to our MySpace page: www.myspace.com/tensionhead
Or to www.myspace.com/therevolutionmusicllc
For a hard copy…if they want it digital, we’re on i-tunes, shockhound, amazon.com, rhapsody, napster, and pretty much all the big internet music stores!

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

C.P.Rossio: I like’em all, but I’d have to say “Brawler”, it’s about fighting off those who dare to get in your way of achieving your goals and fighting to get what you deserve! Plus: it’s a great tune for fighting for sport which is something I have always been a big fan of, I Support MMA 100%!
Hanna Tsepesh: What is your opinion about the metal in your country (United States)? It is easy to get some support?

C.P.Rossio: Hell NO, Metal is actually one of the hardest markets to break into…in the US I’d say from the Top to the bottom of genre’s it would start with Country (which is what my mother says I should just go by a cowboy hat and go solo, and then I’d make it big and make millions, then I always have to tell her, Mom, it’s not about the money never has been, never will be!) Pop, Rock, Hip Hop, then finally Metal…there are shitload of Metal bands over here, way too many, and yes, many of them shouldn’t think about quitting their day jobs (laughs), that’s reality! It’s a small market and only a select few do it for a living, don’t be fooled by the Rock Star status, many of the National Metal bands out there, still have to work a day job when they get home from a tour…We know Europe loves Metal, and that’s why we’re doing everything to get our asses over their ASAP!

Hanna Tsepesh: What is your big advice for a young musician?

C.P.Rossio: Big/best advice I could give to a young musician is take every opportunity you get, no matter what! Play every show that comes your way, even the free ones, benefits, etc., but never pay to play (don’t sell tickets, I NEVER have, you will never recover from it and most promoters will never respect you as anything more than a band that pays them at the end of a night, truth!) If your material is good enough for you and a few, believe in it 100%, and if promoters feel the same about your stuff, they will be contacting you soon, that’s respect earned! Oh Yeah!!!
Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

C.P.Rossio: Yeah, we know that we can’t make this any farther without more T.H. Fans/Friends, so with that in mind, we thank each and every one of you for your Support; it’s almost TENSION HEAD Time! Oh Yeah!!!

Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. THE GATES OF METAL wishes the entire band a big success and a great 2010! Hope to see you guys very soon in here…

C.P.Rossio: …likewise Hanna/ THE GATES OF METAL

Hanna Tsepesh: Thank you so much! All the best

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some TENSION HEAD music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/tensionhead

VEKTOR

2010-02-01T06:14:00.005+08:00

Hanna Tsepesh: Hello David! Thanks so much for accepting this interview and Welcome to THE GATES OF METAL! First of all: how are you and how are the things doing with your concerts?

David DiSanto: I’m stoked about everything right now. So far we’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback at shows and the excitement about the new album is awesome. We’re seeing a lot of new and old faces in the crowd, so I guess we’re doing something right.

Hanna Tsepesh: For those who do not know Vektor could tell us a little how it all started?

David DiSanto: Vektor emerged from a subspatial realm after the fabric of space was ripped apart by the destructive actions of humans in the year 2483. We traveled back in time to melt people’s brains into a soupy paste with our music, thus redirecting the flow of time and the fate of the universe. Our primordial bodies were sent to an arid region of the U.S. at Earth’s latitude 34.23 and longitude 111.33 (Phoenix, Arizona) in the year 2003. We didn’t recognize each other in our human forms so it took a while to find each other and complete the lineup.

Hanna Tsepesh: What inspired you the most to create the lyrics? The band writes the lyrics first or first the band creates the riffs to comply with the lyrics?

David DiSanto: The music always comes before the lyrics for me, although I usually know what the song will be about before I write it. Sometimes I’ll have a song sitting around for months or a year before I write any lyrics for it. You can’t force inspiration to happen, so I don’t worry about it and just wait it out.

Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands? You have any musician that you admire the most?

David DiSanto: Voivod and Destruction are probably my top two metal favorites. I like all types of genres and bands though. I hate listing all my favorite bands though because it just seems like I’m trying to look cool or something.

Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to know if you had or have any singing lessons or any guttural technique lessons?

David DiSanto: (laughs) Hell no! My voice sucks! The only technique I’m trying right now is smoking less. I guess it’s just a voice that you’ll love or hate, but those are the voices I like. I don’t like pristine clear vocals because I think they lack personality. The same goes for if it’s too guttural as well. I like a lot of 80’s metal and classic rock because the voices were more unique. Whether a person can hit notes or not doesn’t matter as long as it’s radical.

Hanna Tsepesh: When you start to play guitar? It was difficult to learn? What brand guitar you prefer and why?

David DiSanto: I started playing guitar when I was twelve or thirteen and haven’t progressed since. Punk rock probably slowed my learning curve quite a bit. I like my Jackson guitar now. There’s definitely better guitars out there, but fuck if I can afford one.

Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk about the “Black Future” album. I am so surprised with your album! I liked a lot…I really don’t have anything bad to say! Congratulations for the fantastic album! For people who don’t listen yet can you tell to us what we can expect from this album?

David DiSanto: I can see the brain melting has already commenced for you. It is only a matter of time before you lose all of your cognitive functions. I think the album is a good balance of thrashing and epic journeys into the unknown. Three of the songs are over ten minutes long, so all the art rock/prog rock fans should like it as well as the metal heads.
Hanna Tsepesh: Everything went well at recording studio?

David DiSanto: Everything went good. Byron Filson recorded us and he did an awesome job. It was more of a party than anything.

Hanna Tsepesh: How has the response been to the album by the fans and media?

David DiSanto: We’ve been reading the forums online and have gotten some really positive feedback. Obviously we like our own music, but it was a little of a surprise to us all that the album has been received so well.
Hanna Tsepesh: If one of our readers wants to buy your album, what they can do?

David DiSanto: They can stop by the closest intergalactic trading post. It should be available at most record stores or online at Heavy Artillery, iTunes, Amazon… etc. Nobody has an excuse not to buy it because it will be everywhere.

Hanna Tsepesh: what is your favorite music in this album and why?

David DiSanto: It’s a toss up between “Forests of Legend” and “Dark Nebula.” Both of them have a deep personal meaning to me. I’m proud of everyone’s contribution in the songs. I’ve written most of the songs in the past, but everyone in the band had more to do with the writing process in these two songs.
Hanna Tsepesh: What is your opinion about the Metal in our country? It is easy to get some support?

David DiSanto: There’s a lot of potential in the metal scene right now and it’s going to be a good time. Most of our support has come from local bands and I think that’s really important. It’s better when bands work together rather than against each other.
Hanna Tsepesh: Do you want to send any message for the people who going to read this interview?

David DiSanto: Think for yourself and keep an open mind.
Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks o much for your answers and time. THE GATES OF METAL wishes the entire band a big success! Hope to see you guys very soon in here…

David DiSanto: Thanks for asking. It’s a big compliment to be asked to do any interview.

By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some VEKTOR music’s and for future information’s go at:
www.myspace.com/vektor