Paul: First thing’s first, as a huge fan, it’s a true honor to be speaking with you and I just wanted to thank you in advance for taking the time to do this interview.

James: Yeah, no problem man, thanks for the interview I really appreciate it.

Paul: So you guys are all set to release Unwelcome in a couple of weeks. How prepared were you to go into the studio, and how did the entire process play out in comparison to earlier Arsis albums?

James: Well, with Celebration of Guilt being our first album, we obviously had some demos out prior to recording, with a few of those songs actually being on the album. Even with Diamond and Disease and the second full-length, the way Mike Van Dyne and I used to demo stuff out was really super primitive. I would demo everything out on a full-track cassette recorder, then program the drums with a drum machine from the mid 1990s (laughs). So, it wasn’t high tech at all. Then I’d send it to him and he’d make boom box recordings of himself jamming along to my demos and mail it back to me. So by the time we got to the studio, I had an idea of what his drum parts were going to be like, but there were always some surprises that would turn out different than I imagined. But with the latest album, Noah and I actually demoed a lot of the stuff out at his place, went over and fine-tuned it, then sent it off to Shawn. Shawn would program pretty much exactly how he was going to play it, so we were actually super prepared to record Unwelcome.

Paul: Both you and Brandon are excellent guitar players, so how did you divide the guitar solos?

James: When we tracked Unwelcome, it was before we actually asked Brandon to officially join the band. Well, we had the idea that we were going to ask him to join; I had just never met him. The other guys had toured with him when he filled in for me. We did plan a lot of guitar solos for the album with the idea that he would be joining Arsis. If there was a song that I had planned two guitar solo sections for, I wanted him to have one of those sections, and then there are a couple songs when he had the only solos on the song. “Let Me Be the One” is all Brandon, and there’s a lot of rocking 80s kind of riffs. It’s a really weird progression harmonically at the same time, but Brandon loves 80s music and he really gets off on being able to play over weird stuff, so it was really a perfect solo section for him to take.

Paul: How did his joining the band come about given that he’s considerably younger than the rest of the band?

James: It’s working out great actually. Brandon is pretty mature for his age, he keeps a level head, and he’s actually taken quite a bit of interest to the business side of things. Not only that, but Brandon Ellis is THE best guitarist I’ve ever played with in my life.

Paul: I’ve just gotta say, isn’t it amazing how he’s only 20 years old? He’s a young player but the stuff he’s doing is incredible! I remember listening to him play for the first time and was just like, WOW.

James: Oh yeah, Brandon’s a very mature player. And he really plays like a man, y’know? I’ll be like “you’re beating the fuck out of your strings dude.”

 Paul: What struck you guys to do a cover of Sunglasses at Night? Did it just come about as a joke like when Children of Bodom covered Britney Spears, or did you guys actually put a lot of thought into it?

James: (Laughs) Noah and I… Noah especially had really wanted to cover that song, probably for 5 or 6 years now, ever since he joined the band. He’d just be like “let’s do a melodic death version of that song, it’d be so awesome.” We were finishing writing up stuff for Unwelcome when we went over to his house, and he had the intro and the first riff written out in death metal style, and I was just like, “that is fucking badass.” (laughs) And I just sat down and finished arranging the rest of the riffs in a death metal type context, brushed up on the vocals really quick and was just like, “hey, I guess we’re covering Sunglasses at Night now!”

Paul: I actually had no idea that it was a cover of an 80s song in the first place, but I was wondering why you were singing “I wear my Sunglasses at Night.” Then I was playing it in the car with one of my bandmates and he burst out laughing and was like dude, you know this is an 80s pop song right? Then he played the original for me and I felt like the biggest idiot. It was like, “I already wrote the review! Fuck!”

James: (Laughs) it fooled everybody. When it was being reviewed for production, the guy was like “I dunno about these lyrics James.” And I was just like, “It’s a cover!” (laughs)

Paul: Then I showed it to my mom so you can imagine how that turned out.

James: Oh my god, what did your mom say?

Paul: We come back to the house, and I say, “Hey Mom, have you ever heard of the song Sunglasses at Night?” And she’s like “Oh, yeah, that’s a really cool song from the 80s!” And I’m like, “yeah, well this metal band covered it.” So I put it on. And at first, she’s kind of getting into the intro. Then she hears “I WEAR MY SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT!” (laughs) and her eyes pop out of her skull.

James: (laughs) Oh man, that’s a great story, glad it’s shocking some people. Mission accomplished with that! I think we kind of made it our own though.

Paul: Oh, yeah totally! I never would have guessed it was actually an old pop song, because I never heard the original before. I just wondered, “Why is he saying I wear my Sunglasses at Night?”

(laughs)

Paul: Anyways, I know that you guys are really big on King Diamond. When I saw you guys open for Sonata Arctica, I remember seeing you wearing a Mercyful Fate shirt, while Brandon was in a King Diamond shirt. And I said to myself, “Hmmmm… I think this band really likes King Diamond.”

James: I’m sure you weren’t paying attention to this, but I was actually wearing a King Diamond belt buckle.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNDf5y9CU7Q]

Paul: Oh, awesome! But yeah, after listening to Unwelcome, I felt that the album drew a lot of influence from them. Would you agree?

James: Oh yeah, for sure. They were a really big influence on me when I first started playing guitar. Especially Don’t Break the Oath. It’s just so dark; I remember I was 13 years old when I bought it. I talked my mom into taking me to the record shop and bought Judas Priest’s Painkiller on cassette and Don’t Break the Oath as well. I fell asleep listening to Don’t Break the Oath and realized that this is what I wanted to do. After that I’d just take money my relatives gave me and bought King Diamond albums, and it all went downhill after that (laughs). But yeah, we’re definitely influenced by King Diamond, Brandon really loves Andy LaRocque. Big time.  

 Paul: More specifically, who are some guitar players who have inspired your sound? I’ve heard that your taste in music is rather diverse, so I’m especially curious to know.

James: Growing up as far as learning guitar, well, we talked about King Diamond. And I was a big fan of Paul Gilbert, especially his stuff on Street Lethal with Racer X. Also, Cacophony with Marty Friedman. Then after that I got into the more brutal stuff. Like Carcass and Dissection. Stuff like that.

Paul: I’ve noticed a lot of diminished arpeggios in your playing, which gives it a cool neo-classical kind of flavor. Are you classically influenced or trained?

James: Yeah, I guess so. My first instrument was violin, where I was taught a lot of theory and stuff like that. I was never really a classical guitarist though. I could never get into finger styled playing. And of course I like Yngwie Malmsteen.

Paul: Rising Force is one of my favorites.

James: Yeah man, that’s good stuff.

Paul: What do you guys do to pay the bills when you’re not on tour? I read somewhere that you’ve worked with hair. Did you go to cosmetology school or anything?

James: I did. I don’t work at a salon anymore. Right now, I’ll be a parks operation coordinator for a couple months at a time. The way it works is that I’m on call, but it’s a pretty cool job.

Paul: Do any of the guys balance the band with school?

James: The only one who I think is taking classes right now would be Noah. I know he works as well; he does stuff with audio visuals. Brandon I think just shreds for a living. Shawn… what does Shawn do? I think Shawn is the manager at a grocery store.

Paul: How much metal do you listen to nowadays? Is it stale now that you’re playing it every night alongside a bunch of other metal bands, or is it still fresh and exciting to you?    

James: Some metal is still fresh and exciting. I don’t listen to it as much as I used to, I’m not gonna lie, but we still listen to a fair amount of metal. If we listen to metal on tour, it’s usually going to be 80s metal. Or even glam rock. You know, the fun stuff. But yeah, I still am a metal fan.

Paul: You’re magically thrown back in time and can play in any band from the 70s or 80s. Which would you pick and why?

James: Wow, that’s a good question. Let me think… any band?

Paul: Any band, it doesn’t even have to be metal.

James: (long pause) Man… that’s a really good question. (More silence) I’m thinking hard about this one actually. I’m wrestling between artistic value and popularity. I would say King Diamond. I think they made money too, back in the 80s. They also had that glam imagery I really loved in the 80s, just darker.

Paul: As I mentioned before, I saw you guys back in December with Sonata Arctica. How did that tour go? What were those guys like?

 James: Oh, they were really nice. Everybody was really spot-on every night too. Tony really is an incredible singer. I know it seemed like a weird package to a lot of people but I had a good time. I mean, I know a lot of the fans weren’t as receptive to our style as I would’ve liked, but it was a good tour to get back into the swing of things. It wasn’t super long… We had a great time, we really did.

Paul: When you guys are touring, how do you guys make most of your money and how is it distributed?

James: Well, you sell merch of course, and have a guarantee from the venue every night. So what happens is we first pay off our dues, and then we just split the rest four ways.

Paul: Is it something you can make a living with while on tour?

James: Yeah, to be honest with you we’re smart about the money. We don’t order merch that we can’t pay off immediately, so we never have debt hanging over our heads. After we pay off everyone we need to, the rest is all profit and we keep our spending very minimal. It’s actually equivalent to what I make working my day job 40 hours a week so I can’t complain about that.

Paul: Plus you love what you’re doing, so that must make it even better.

James: Yeah, exactly.

Paul: Well thanks again James for taking the time to do this interview, it was great talking with you.

James: No problem man, thanks a lot for the review!

 Paul: Anything else to say to the fans?

James: Thank you all so much for the support, looking forward to seeing you on tour soon!

Catch Arsis on tour with Hypocrisy, Krisiun, and Aborted!

05/01 – Gramercy – New York, N.Y. *
05/02 – Palace – Stafford, Conn. *
05/03 – Foufounes Electriques – Montreal, Quebec *
05/04 – WreckRoom – Toronto, Ontario *
05/06 – Reggie’s – Chicago, Ill. *
05/07 – Station 4 – St. Paul, Minn. *
05/08 – The Zoo – Winnipeg, Manitoba *
05/09 – The Exchange – Regina, Saskatchewan *
05/10 – Pawn Shop – Edmonton, Alberta *
05/11 – Republik – Calgary, Alberta *
05/13 – Rickshaw Theater – Vancouver, British Columbia *
05/14 – Studio Seven – Seattle, Wash. **
05/17 – The Vex – Los Angeles, Calif. **
05/18 – 910 Live – Tempe, Ariz. **
05/20 – Trees – Dallas, Texas **
05/21 – Korova – San Antonio, Texas **

* with Starkill
** with Autumn’s End

The post Interview | James Malone of Arsis appeared first on Der Metal Krieger.

The US doesn’t see that many Australian metal bands come through often, however, you seem to have quite the following in the western states.  Why do you think your influence carries overseas?

Lee: I actually have no idea haha!
CJ: yeah, not really sure why, but all I know is that we a super stoked about it, we hope to come to US asap, so we can crush a load of shows and meet the people who’ve been supporting us since day one!

Brendan Van Ryn was your vocalist up till 2008, his lyrics seemed to be particularly popular amongst fans.  Was there difficultly adjusting the songwriting after his departure?

Lee: That was a long time ago. The whole band contributes to the lyrical content so no. 

This particular genre is characterized by crushing beats and grueling riffs.  In order to work harmoniously, every musician needs to be on the same level.  What drew you to choosing Chris McMahon as your new vocalist?

Lee: Again, this was 5 years. Ancient history in today’s world. CJ was a friend of ours who we had played heaps of shows with. He has always had a brutal voice! So it was a no brainer to get him on board.

In addition to Van Ryn, you’ve changed guitarists in the past.  With these lineup changes, do you think your sound is at its final stage, or is there room for evolution?

Lee: Those lineup changes were a while back. It’s natural for that to happen with young bands, I reckon a lineup staying solid is the exception not the rule. I think the band is as solid as we have ever been! We’ll keep growing with every new release as our abilities grow.

Your current album, titled Hate, will be releasing in the United States on April 5^th via Nuclear Blast Records.  How has the response been back home?

CJ: The response was massive, we had no idea that it would blow up as it did, we are really happy that it has done so well

Speaking of Nuclear Blast, how has the addition of the largest independent metal label in the known universe been beneficial for the band on an international level?

CJ: It has been amazing, they have really got behind us in every way possible. We visited the head office in Germany, they treated us like family. We never thought it would be possible to be part of that label but it happened, it’s wild. The Nuclear Blast team in the UK were great people, we’ve had a great time working with them, same with the US team. Nuclear Blast are truly the best at what they do.

The road to international appeal isn’t met by just successful releases which I’m sure you all know.  What are your current touring plans, if any, and where would you like to play?

Lee: We have an Australian tour with Cattle Decapitation in June, Then we are back over to Europe for some festivals and a few shows with Between The Buried And Me in June / July. We are up for the Summer Slaughter tour in the opening slot voting competition (you can chuck a vote on Facebook). We’ve got Asia, more Australia and more Europe for rest of the year!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=47Plg93oJ1M]

Your name, Thy Art is Murder, seems to be a bit cliché.  Is there any particular inspiration?

Lee: The vast majority of band names are stupid clichés, especially in metal. What do you expect a bunch of 15 year olds playing death metal to pick as their band name?! Pissing off mum is job number 1.

 Hate displays very bold album artwork.  Does it have any particular reference to the album?

 CJ: We got the designer to do what he thought when he listened to the record and he made the art work perfect. We are stoked with it, it’s mental.

 Music is great an all, but you have to have hobbies outside of the world of brutality.  What are some of the things you do for fun?

 Lee: I dont mind heading up to the pub to watch the footy and the occasional round of golf

 Lastly, do you have any final words for Der Metal Krieger and your fans across the world?

 Lee & CJ:  Cheers to anyone that’s supported us over the years! And cheers for the interview. Vote for us to open the Summer Slaughter if you want to see us in the USA soon!

Order Hate!

Order Hate!

Nuclear Blast USA

The post Interview | Thy Art is Murder from the Land Down Under appeared first on Der Metal Krieger.

Tell us a little about the history of the band. How did everything come together?

Cat: Ben and myself began collaborating online. It was all based on instinct so we ran with it and before we knew it Rise of Avernus had already written our first song ‘Forbidden Sin’, this was all before our first face to face meeting so we had a strong feeling that the partnership would only grow from there. Since the release we’ve had some very gifted musicians jump onboard to help us bring this vision to the life.

Matt: I became aware of the band when I found their Facebook page in it’s early stages. I listened to the Forbidden Sin demo and thought it had a really interesting mix of styles and a clever structure, so when I saw they were looking for a guitarist I sent a message through to Andrew (who I already knew as our other bands have played together and we have a lot of shared musical interests). From there I met up with Ben and we had a jam, got along great and found we were very much on the same page.

What musicians/bands have primarily inspired your music? If you could tour with any two bands around the world, who would you tour with and why?

Cat: This is a tricky one, we draw inspiration from so many different styles of bands, some of our favorites include Portishead, Enslaved, Gojira & Paradise Lost. In regards to touring, My Dying Bride and Katatonia would probably be my hot picks purely because they are both amazing live bands who have this uncanny ability to tap right into depths of one’s soul.

Matt: My interest in music lies in the bizarre, unique and absurd. Outside of RoA a large portion of what I do is much more light hearted, so to get in the RoA headspace my bands of choice are Agalloch, Katatonia, Anathema and Theater of Tragedy (who shockingly, the rest of the band is not familiar with!). Big shout out to my biggest influence Frank Zappa though. As for touring, I think we would fit great on any bill featuring Katatonia, Paradise Lost, Anathema or Opeth.

Rise of Avernus has a very unique sound. You effectively mix doom metal with progressive and ambient elements to produce a very interesting result. How would you as the band classify your own music?

Cat: At this stage we find it easiest to describe ourselves as ‘Progressive Doom Metal’. Our sound changes vastly from song to song so its hard to pick just one sub genre.

Matt: I think the biggest unifying feature of the music is the atmosphere –while the texture and tone of our music alters from quiet and melancholic to bombastic and aggressive, I feel we maintain a consistent dark-yet-optimistic atmosphere which really ties it altogether.

What is the musical background of Rise of Avernus? Has anyone in the band received musical education? Any weird or unusual instruments that any of you guys know how to play?

Andrew: I dabble with the Jews Harp.

Cat: I know Ben began drumming lessons from a young age before migrating to guitar. As for myself I started learning classical piano when I was 8 then much later I discovered I could also sing when I had to participate in theatre productions during my Senior years at High School, I was incredibly shy so the idea of singing in front of an audience absolutely mortified me.

Matt: I had guitar lessons from about mid primary school to the end of high school. From there I went to University for composition and kind of got more interested in that side of music, but now find myself practicing alone late at night trying to master these ridiculous riffs Ben is coming up with.

Forbidden Sin is a very beautiful song. If you don’t mind me asking, did anything in particular inspire you to write it? Is there a story behind it?

Cat: Now we get personal haha, you will find many of our stories are based upon real life experiences, sometimes we take liberties in order to make the stories more theatrical but I think it’s best we leave it to the imagination.

Is a full length album in the works? I’m sure I’m not the only one eager to see a whole albums worth of material from Rise of Avernus. What is a difference between the E.P. and the full length that fans can expect?

Cat: We have already begun pre-production for the first full length album, it’s a lot more intricate and intense with the 5 of us are working together to take the concept beyond the parameters of the EP. We are pushing the extremes further in the spectrum of sounds we utilize, to simplify you can anticipate anything from funeral doom to symphonic death metal.

How easy or hard is it to promote the band in countries abroad? What is the reception like in your home country?

Cat: Even with internet promotion booming it is sometimes difficult for Australian bands to create interest overseas without label representation, we live on an isolated land mass so we can’t just jump on a tour bus to visit neighbouring countries whenever we have a CD to promote. We don’t like having so much distance between us and our fans in America and Europe but it is nothing that some careful planning and budgeting can’t resolve. 2012 was a big year for us, we were stoked by the genuine interest in Rise of Avernus right from our very first live performance. I think we underestimated how many closet doom fans can be lured out of the woodwork especially now that there are some really strong live acts in the Sydney scene such as The Veil, Myraeth, Rituals of the Oak & Lycanthia just to name a few.

Touching a little more on Australia, what’s the metal scene like over there? I imagine it must have its own niche over there given the increasing number of bands coming out over the years.

Andrew: The metal scene throughout Australia is quite resilient, we work together and support each other to reach a common goal. Every sub-genre imaginable is represented throughout the nation, creating many diverse sounds and styles. Regardless of the perils and difficulty of Australian touring, many bands are still willing to go above and beyond in order to get their music to the furthest corners of our huge country and it’s very widespread cities. No tour is complete without at least one vehicle breaking down in the middle of nowhere.

Australia is known for many great theaters and venues. What has been your favorite to play in so far? Where would you love to play most? What was one of the craziest concert or festival you’ve ever played at?

Cat: The Metro and The Factory Theatre are right up there with my favs but I’m yet to play the illustrious Enmore Theatre which I hope to rectify soon. The Hi Bar in Sydney was definitely the craziest, we were supporting Apocalyptica from Finland, it was their first tour in Australia so the venue was packed with enthused punters across two levels.

Matt: The Hi Fi was definitely a step up in venues for that I have played. Having our own personal backstage room wasn’t too shabby either!

What do you consider the staple of Australian cuisine? I really want to try one of those meat pies.

Cat: Meat pies with tomato sauce are an essential part of the Aussie diet so is Vegemite on toast but if you are going to try it, do yourself a favor and use lots of butter and only a hint of Vegemite, if you spread it on like it’s peanut butter I guarantee you will never touch it again.

Here’s a personal question: I actually went to Sydney when I was a kid and remember digging out onions out of the hamburgers (back when my taste buds were still developing). Is it custom to mix the onions in with the ground beef?

Cat: It’s not uncommon for parents to sneak finely cut vegetables into their homemade hamburger patties, whether it’s layered on top separately or hidden in the meat onions are a must for any self-respecting Aussie hamburger, as is pineapple and beetroot.

Finally do you have any parting words for your fans here at Der Metal Krieger?

Matt: Thanks for the interest and stay tuned as our debut album is sure to kick unimaginable amounts of ass!

Thank you very much guys, good luck with everything and we hope to hear more from you soon!

Follow the band on Facebook!

The post Progressive Aussie Doom, Rise of Avernus – Interview appeared first on Der Metal Krieger.

Hey guys this is Gabe here with another amazing unsigned progressive folk metal band called Troldhaugen coming all the way from Wollongong, Australia!  How are you guys doing today?

Reventüsk: Hey Gabe. I’m good now that my university course is finished!

Döesbürg: Hello Gabriel. I’ve been Better.

What inspired you guys to create the band name Troldhaugen and explain the journey on how you guys all meet and decided to create such an interesting and unusual band?

Reventüsk: Well, Meldengar (guitar) and I had known each other for a long time and had been jamming and writing music for a few years. In early 2008, we started getting into folk metal through YouTube and internet forums. We got exposed to bands like Finntroll, Otyg and Lumsk and we liked what we heard. One day we thought “hey, let’s try write a folk metal song”, basically just for the novelty. The first songs we wrote were raw but fun and we decided to write some more. At this time we also decided to get more acquainted with Scandinavian folk music and history. This is where we discovered Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. He has a lot of music related to folk tales, trolls, nature and also employs a lot of darker elements and is great at creating an atmosphere. Through his work, we came to learn of his Troldhaugen estate in Bergen, Norway. We liked the sound of the name and thought Grieg’s work fit nicely with the attitude we were going for, so it stuck. From there we wrote more music over the course of a year or two, developing our sound. We then we put a live band together in early 2010 consisting of friends in the area (we were extremely lucky that there were like-minded musicians around that were keen to join our band of trolls!), the live energy changed our sound again. We released our self-titled EP in late 2010, then throughout the next two years we all started to think a lot of folk-metal sometimes sounded quite same-y, so we started listening to much more varied music and our style changed again due to our new influences. We then released our debut album RAMSHACKLE this year and now here we are today!

I’ve been listening to your new album (hopefully getting my physical copy in the mail soon!) and you guys blend so many different styles into your music.  You can hear folk, power, Viking, black and a couple of very different things I haven’t heard before in the folk metal genre, what help you guys to create such a distinctive sound?

Reventüsk: Your CD is on its way as we speak! The blend of styles and the other different elements we add are result of always wanting to do something a bit different to what people are expecting. Though we can’t really ignore where our original sound came from, we don’t really listen to a lot of metal any more. While the elements you mentioned are still there to some degree, our influences now mainly come from other styles of music (ragtime, funk, ZEF), as well as films, cartoons, video game music, and music theatre.

From listening to your debut album, you can defiantly get this vibe that you guys are a crazy fun and wild band live, could you guys describe one of the craziest live performances and describe it a bit in detail?

Meldengar: The show that immediately comes to mind is a show we did in the middle of a forest. We got approached by a branch of Venturers to play a show at one of their gatherings, which turned out to be in the forest. We were set up in an outdoor eating area and as soon as we began playing, it started pouring down rain. Döesbürg (mandolin, backing vocals) kept getting zapped every time he sang into the microphone, all the while everybody is dancing and jigging, turning the dirt into a nice swampy pit! Afterwards they treated us to a nice big feast- it confirmed that the forest is TROLDHAUGEN’s optimum venue.

Now Ramshackle was a very uniquely different album, so distinctive that I can’t really compare you guys to any other band, what bands do you guys listen to help to inspire and create your incredibly diverse music?

Döesbürg: I listen to a lot of hip-hop from the Cape Flats in South Africa (Garlic Brown, Jack Parrow, MaxNormal), they have a really unique approach to keeping their music fresh, which I dig. Also I listen to a lot of Atmospheric Black Metal in particular Summoning who know how to build a massive atmosphere through their orchestrations playing off the melodic instrumentation.

Reventüsk: My favourite artists/bands are They Might Be Giants, Kate Bush, Frank Zappa and Primus, if that says anything.

Now you guys are from Wollongong, Australia which is somewhere I have personally wanted to travel to but haven’t had the money to travel yet, what is the local folk metal scene like up there?  How would you compare the metal scene in Australia compared to the American metal scene?

Döesbürg: In a word? The Australian Metal Scene is Apathetic.

Reventüsk: I agree with Döesbürg, there are quite a few metal bands, but there’s not enough support in the scene as a whole for those bands to get anywhere. I can’t really compare it with the American metal scene as I’m not too familiar with it.

What was your childhood like up in Australia, what got you guys into the metal scene and also folk metal?

Reventüsk: Most of us grew up on the Australian East coast, so childhood was often going to the beach and playing video games. Pretty normal stuff. When I first met Meldengar he had been learning guitar and was quite into Metallica and then got into Dream Theater, so I got into metal through him, and yeah, as mentioned, I suppose heavy/thrash metal and prog-metal became the gateway into folk metal, at least for me.

Döesbürg: I grew up in the Netherlands.

Now when I listen to you music, I can picture a crazy fun carnival, what are the carnivals like up in Australia and if you haven’t been to one what is a carnival that you’ve always wanted to go to?

Döesbürg: I think we have more of a fair environment over here where communities put on a fete for themselves rather than a travelling carnival. Australia is such a huge intermittently populated country; I don’t think carnivals really work. We used to have a travelling boxing tent in Queensland where local tough guys could take on travelling fighters and try to win money by beating them, that’s about it. Personally I’ve always wanted to go to a travelling circus like the ones that would travel around America in the 20s and 30s, sideshows filled with oddities and tattooed men and bearded half horse midget mermaids. That would be cool.

Do you guys have any crazy drunken stories that you want to share?

Meldengar: One time I had a sip of beer. TROLDHAUGEN is quite atypical (especially for a folk metal band) in that none of the guys are massive drinkers. To be honest I think this is a good thing as the five of us in one room sober is already too much for most people.

Reventüsk: I don’t mind a drink here or there, but yeah, in regards to the band, we don’t really drink all that much, if any. There’s already enough folk metal songs about ale and rum so it’s never been something we’ve focussed on. We’re already big enough idiots when we’re together even before any sort of alcohol is involved.

Döesbürg: I spewed all over my school principal’s bedroom once…. It’s a long story and not fit to publish.

Now I’m assuming that in Australia there are a lot different holidays that are celebrated there then in the U.S., what is your favorite Australian holiday and why?

Döesbürg: Queen’s Birthday. R.I.P Freddy Mercury.

Now your debut album “Ramshackle” was released on August 31 of this year, how has the success been since the release of your album?

Meldengar: Given that we are quite a small band, the response has been beyond what we were expecting. We have already sold out of our first pressing of RAMSHACKLE, which is crazy considering our album is streaming for free on our bandcamp. All the reviews and comments so far have been overwhelmingly positive which considering the album we are surprised and pleased with.

Reventüsk: RAMSHACKLE is quite different to our older material, so we weren’t sure at all how people would respond, but yeah the feedback so far has been great.

You cover a song made by the famous Scott Joplin, who wrote many different ragtime songs, what inspired you to cover a song like that, how has he inspired your music and what got you guys into ragtime music?

Meldengar: The idea came about because Grådenøk (drums) always plays Joplin on the piano so I thought it would be funny to do a trolling arrangement of it. I sent it to the guys and we were all jokingly “haha that will be great on the album” and never spoke of it again. Then it ended up on the album.

Döesbürg: Our live show often incorporates weird cover songs played in our own unique style which never make it on to recordings, but they sometimes appear on youtube….

Now you guys use many different instruments on your debut album, some of which I never even heard of before, could you talk about some of the instruments you play and what is personally your favourite instrument and why?

Reventüsk: I sing and play Jew’s harp on the album. A lot of the software orchestrations you hear on the album have become integral to our sound although nobody in the band owns these instruments, let alone are able to play them. That being said, I would say marimba and tuba are my favourite instruments on the album.

What is one band that you always dreamed of touring with and why?

Meldengar: I think stylistically, an ideal fit would be either Finntroll or Stolen Babies, but personally (and Döesbürg will agree with me on this one), a Die Antwoord/ Manowar/ Troldhaugen tour would shake the earth.

Reventüsk: And split the ground.

Wrapping up, what are your future touring plans for touring, do you have any type of tour planned for the U.S.?

Meldengar: While we currently have no touring plans in the works, we are trying our hardest to build up contacts that can lead us to international touring (hopefully sooner than later!).

Do you have anything to say to your fans at Der Metal Krieger?

Meldengar: Thanks a lot for the interest and support- hopefully we make it across for a blistering tour sooner rather than later!

Reventüsk: Cheers for the support!

Döesbürg: Vote Early, Vote Often.

Thank you so much for doing this interview we really appreciate it!
Please go give them a like on their Facebook!
Go buy their debut album “Ramshackle” on Bandcamp!  You can get in both digital and physical forms!
Did you have any questions about the band?  Do you have any questions or comments? Got any cool bands you would like me to do an interview with?
Email me at: gabe@dermetalkrieger.com
Keep it brutal!
Gabe

The post An Interview with Troldhaugen: An Incredibly New and Innovative band appeared first on Der Metal Krieger.

I would like to thank you guys for taking your time out of your busy schedule to do this interview, we really appreciate it!

Evan: No problem at all, thanks for the opportunity!

First off, I want to congratulate you guys on the upcoming completion for your debut album, “Olden Tales & Deathly Trails”.  How did you guys all come to meet each other and form Wilderun?

Evan: Thanks so much; we’re really excited to get the music out there.  Wilderun has been sort of a band in the making for a while now.  Over the years, I had been writing music for this project on and off in my spare time, but only recently was Wilderun fully realized.  After a couple years of demos and different incarnations of the group, this particular band came together around the beginning of this year. We’ve all been friends/fellow musicians for a good while here in Boston, so forming the band felt very natural.  I first came to Wayne [Ingram, lead guitar] with the proposition at the end of last year.  Since Wayne is not only a great guitarist, but also a skilled orchestrator, I really wanted to collaborate with him to help get this project off the ground.  When Dan [Müller, bass] and Jon [Teachey, drums] joined in, the band immediately felt complete.

What was your first exposure to folk metal and your personal opinion on how it has affected the mainstream metal scene in the U.S.?    

Wayne: My very first exposure to folk metal was with a good friend of mine many years ago. We had grown up learning guitar and listening to power metal.  I remember one day we were in his car, and I heard this amazing metal song with accordion and fiddle in it.  It turned out to be “Sahti-Waari” by Turisas.  I had never heard anything like it and had to find more. I knew about Blind Guardian and was familiar with their music, but it was Turisas’ arrangement of metal and folk instruments that captured me. I bought “Battle Metal,” then shortly after discovered Nightwish, which was the first band I found that combined incredible symphonic elements with folk instruments. I never looked back, and it quickly became my favorite genre.

I have to say that I’m not sure how folk metal affects the metal scene in America. It’s so different on each coast. I’m from Southern California, and in my hometown the only people that listened to folk metal were a couple of friends and I. It’s not very big out there. On the East coast however, it’s a big deal and there are tons of die-hard fans, probably because the European bands have an easier time getting there for shows. You’ll find way more folk metal oriented bands on the east coast.

I noticed that you guys incorporate a ton of unique instruments such as the mandolin and the hammered dulcimer.  First can you tell me what inspired you guys to use the hammered dulcimer?  It’s such a fascinating and unusual instrument to use!

Evan:Well, I suppose simply the fact that we had one was inspiration enough!  But we just wanted to use some unique folk instruments that would not only bring a specific, new flavor to the music, but that would integrate folk instruments historically used in American history.  Even though we’re certainly not a strictly “American” folk metal band, and we definitely take a lot of influence from many different countries, we really wanted to explore these sounds, just as we explored folk songs from our country on this album.  Utilizing one’s own culture and musical history is one of the most exciting and interesting aspects of folk metal as a whole, and we try to embrace that, while still crafting our own sound and not being restricted by it.  Not to mention, so much of what you hear from American folk tunes/instruments originated in other countries in the first place, so it’s only appropriate that our music does become sort of a melting pot of sounds and ideas.

What other instruments have you learned to play, and why did you decide to learn them? I don’t know many people in the US who would say, “You know,  I want to start playing the autoharp!”

Dan: Well I grew up in a German family so from a very young age I was exposed to German and Bavarian folk music. I’ve played instruments like the autoharp, the hammered dulcimer, and various other folk instruments around the house for as long as I can remember. But it was only since I was a teenager that I got into folk metal and had a desire to learn these instruments. It was kind of inevitable!

Your first big gig was at Paganfest in March of 2012 alongside Turisas, Arkona, and Alestorm.  What did you have to do to land such a big festival as your very first show? With such big names in folk metal, were you guys at all worried or nervous of how the crowd would respond to you guys?

Evan:  That show was a great time.  We were naturally all a bit nervous, having never played the material live before, but I think our general excitement overruled any other feelings once we were on stage.  The crowd really seemed to dig our performance.  Considering all the well-known folk metal acts playing that night, we were really playing for the right crowd.  They responded to it pretty quickly, and I think we made a good deal of fans by the end of it.  Hopefully there will be more shows like that in the future!

You guys are based in Boston, Massachusetts, describe to me what it was like growing up as a kid and what music you were into and what you teenage to early adulthood was like?

 Dan: My childhood was relatively normal. I hung around with friends and family, played video games, and travelled with my family a lot. My parents had me take piano lessons when I was six years old and when I turned 14, I got into playing bass and kind of stuck with that for a while. It’s actually not until more recently that I’ve been picking up the piano again. I like to think that it keeps me well rounded as a musician.

Your debut album was released on September 21. What song would you guys say you had the most fun writing?

Evan: Each song was a pretty unique writing experiment for me, but if I had to choose one, I’d probably say “The Dying Californian”.  Working in the traditional melody and lyrics into my own material was a really gratifying, albeit challenging, task, and I think I felt most accomplished after that one was completed.  Although, some of those riffs in “Vaunting Veins” were damn fun to write.

Wayne: Since Evan already wrote most of the songs when he and I started working together, it was basically my job to compose all of the symphonic elements and arrange them along with the folk parts. For me, “Suncatcher” was the most fun to write.  Not only did I get to write a huge orchestration, which is my favorite thing, but also it’s a great song because of its melodies and variations on themes. The best part about orchestrating is how you get to use the same ideas but in different parts of the orchestra to create a variety of moods and colors.  “Suncatcher” has the most of that in there, and so it was really rewarding to work on.

In the spirit of drinking and partying, what was your craziest drunken experience?

Evan: Well, a good buddy of mine once ripped the divider between urinals in the bathroom clean off the wall.  I think that’s up there.

What do you guys do in your spare time when you’re not writing music?

Dan: I really enjoy playing video games whenever I get the chance. It really takes me out of my daily life and lets me escape for a while. I also love brewing beer. I’ve been doing it for a couple years now and it’s a really rewarding process (especially when the rewards are delicious!). Aside from that, just spending time with my lady and hanging out with friends.

What is a random fun fact about each of you?

Dan: The band that actually got me interested in playing bass in the first place was “Weird Al” Yankovic. I actually wanted to play upright polka bass but was handed an electric bass by the music store I was taking lessons at and everything just sort of fell into place.

Evan: I have a map of Middle-earth on the wall in front of my toilet.

Wayne: Get me two glasses of Delirium Tremens and I am amazing at pool.

If there were three bands that you would hope to tour with, what bands would they be?

Wayne:  There is this amazing, newer band from Australia called Troldhaugen, who kind of sound like a metal version of “Banjo-Kazooie”. I would love to play a show with them. Finntroll is next on my list cause their music is so fun and memorable. However, it would be a dream come true to tour with Dimmu Borgir. The way they blend orchestral elements with metal was a big influence on how I went about writing all of the symphonic parts for this album. Plus, maybe we could use their orchestra and have our stuff played live!

If there was one place you would love to travel, where would it be and why?

Dan: Definitely New Zealand. Ever since I saw “Lord of the Rings” I knew that’s where I had to be. There’s just so much wondrous, vast open space. And mountains. I live for mountains.

Evan: I think I just want to hug a panda.

Wrapping up, what are your future plans for the band?

Evan: Right now, we’re just trying to get the album heard by as many people as we can.  There are really no specific plans beyond that, but we really want to play more shows soon, and hopefully do some sort of tour in the near future.  And of course, there will eventually be even more music to come.

Is there anything that you guys want to say to your fans, any exclusive information you’d like to share?

Evan: The response so far, even in only the few days following our album release, has been phenomenal.  Thanks to everyone who’s grabbed a copy of the album, or simply listened to it.  Wherever you are, we really hope to come play for you soon!

Wilderun’s debut album Olden Tales & Deathly Trails is currently for sale at www.wilderun.bandcamp.com, where both physical copies and digital downloads are available.  Thank you so much for taking your time out of your schedule to do this interview!

The post Wilderun Interviewed, A Look at the American Folk Metal Perspective appeared first on Der Metal Krieger.

Bloodred Hourglass is a thrash-metal band from Mikkeli, Finland. Band was born in 2005, and it has done for many shows with amazing attitude and energy.

The band consists of five musicians:

Jarkko Koukonen – vocals
Jose Moilanen – bass
Jarkko Tiilikainen – guitar
Antti Nenonen – guitar
Jarkko Hyvönen – drums

Bloodred Hourglass (BRHG) has released a few demos, which of ’Deviant Grace’ is mainly claimed the group a lot of attention. In 2011 band compeleted the recordings
for the debut album called “Lifebound”, and in April 2012 they signed a record deal with Spinefarm Records.

Now, I have interviewed the band’s figurehead and singer, Jarkko Koukonen.

S: Right at first, you could tell debut album-making process. What was it like and what kind of vibes did you go out to work on the album?
J: This has always been a relaxed and groovy job for us. Songs were ready and defeated the lock for about three months before the studio. A familiar man was working on it with us and we had a familiar working environment.We have performed out even a little bit earlier than we expected.

S: If you had to say something about this album and its texts, what would you tell me?

J: Well, the lyrics speaks of life, its profit and loss. I have never wanted to give a direct story to any song, because so many of favorite songs is sometimes ruined when you have went to read that what it’s about. However, it is very down to earth stuff, in certain mood created text. Sometimes in part ”look at yourself” approach.

S: If you had to mention one of the already existing band, what would be the biggest influence?

J: There are so many that it is impossible to respond to that, but if I have to say one source of inspiration, it must be Pantera.

S: What future plans do you have?

J:  Well, the cards is divided. Now we are watching where debut album takes us. Target is through Europe around the globe. We are not going to stay only in Finland, that’s for sure.

S: If you have to say some place where you would like to have gig with your band mates, what would it be and why?

J: The first that comes to mind is of course large European music festivals. A large crowd does it. Who doesn’t want to play for a large amount of people? But the biggest thing for me in this work has always been that you get toperform impressively.

S: Where did you guys get the idea to do this album right now, and how heavy process it had been?

J: The album making went to its own weight. We didn’t have any pressure. After ‘Deviant Grace’ we felt that we are ready for the band full-length album, and with that we are taking a record deal. End of fucking story.

Lifebound Track List:

1.     We lived Like Kings

2.     Above All

3.     Speed Superstar

4.     Arcadia

5.     Castle Ashtray

6.     Ghost Wounds

7.     Scapegoat

8.     Leverage

9.     The Conquerer

10.  Of Regret, Fear and Forgiveness

11.  We Die Like Heroes
Music videos:

Speed Superstar - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq-5DSj0vb0

Above All - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jo7-uewjjM

ORDER ‘LIFEBOUND’ NOW: http://www.recordshopx.com/artist/bloodred_hourglass/lifebound/

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/bloodredhourglass

Site:

http://www.brhg.net/site/

The post Bloodred Hourglass Interviewed appeared first on Der Metal Krieger.

Your latest album, Manala, was just released and I had the opportunity of giving it a solid review.  I have to say that it’s what I’d expect from Korpiklaani, a fun blast of the most danceable metal around, all while upholding your Nordic woodsmen lore.  How are you able to constantly release fantastic albums without running out of musical energy and lyrical content?

Korpiklaani has always loved to write songs and get them recorded as soon as the ideas occur to us. It is also a big pleasure for us to be able to play new songs live each year. We love our job and we have a high work ethic. We want to be as productive as possible. When we have time to write songs, we do write songs, which results in recording albums that we release at a pace that many other bands may wonder, but which is entirely normal for this band.

“Metsälle” was the first single to appear off the album back in 2011, followed by “Rauta” a few weeks ago. I couldn’t help but chant “Iske! Iske!” throughout “Rauta”.   Both songs offer a different musical personality, but if you had to choose just one, which would you prefer?

I clearly prefer Metsälle, because it is a lot more versatile, whereas Rauta is pretty okay for such a simple song.

I reviewed the standard edition of Manala which featured Finnish lyrics throughout, what made you decide to record a deluxe edition with English tracks included on a bonus disc?

Many fans have been willing to understand our lyrics better. Some of them have asked us to record an entirely English album. We also wanted to do it out of curiosity, because it turned out to be an interesting experiment. It was challenging yet rewarding to translate the lyrics from Finnish into English. However, it made us realize that Finnish will always remain our main singing language, because it clearly fits the band best.

Manala is the Finnish variation of an underworld if I’m not mistaken, why did such a dark location serve as the album’s namesake? Does that explain the deeper and more dramatic atmospheres found on the album?

At least three of the songs on the album directly deal with the Underworld. Those are Sumussa hämärän aamun (In the Mist of a Dark Morning), Kunnia (Honor) and Tuonelan tuvilla (At the Huts of the Underworld). The overall feeling of the album is pretty dark and gloomy. A good example of this is the song Synkkä (Dismal/Dark Side). However, this was not a conscious choice and such developments can happen easily, as we release such a great number of albums.

I noticed Manala didn’t have any alcohol titled songs.  Did you run out of booze to sing about?

The song Petoeläimen kuola (The Predator’s Saliva) deals with the birth of beer, but is no direct drinking song. We write drinking songs when we feel like that. The latest album without a drinking song whatsover was Korven kuningas in 2008.

You also have a new violinist, Tuomas Rounakari.  What happened to Teemu Eerola after Jaakko left the band?

Teemu Eerola left the band during our North American tour last year. We saw it was the best choice possible for both him and the band.

Soon you’ll be embarking on yet another North American tour with Moonsorrow, Týr, and Metsatöll. Are there any North American cities that seem to bring the most energy?

Almost every city in North America has definitely given us a lot of good energy and we are certainly looking forward to playing in all of the cities again.

During Paganfest 2011, I heard you guys made a “special” drink.  1 part Jägermeister, 1 part Baileys, and 1 part Vodka right? Do you think this Korpiklaani Coffee should catch in local taverns and bars? It should if you ask me.

Korpiklaani coffee is such an ultimate piece of drinking art that no-one can help falling in love with it.

Thank you for your time.  The Der Metal Krieger team will be at your Southern California shows partying hard in your pits/dance floors! We wish you the best with the release of Manala, and we hope we can share some “coffee” with you soon. Cheers!

Thank you a lot for the interview!

The post Interview with Korpiklaani, Manala and the North American Tour appeared first on Der Metal Krieger.

Scarlet Anger is a Luxembourgish Thrash Metal band which was founded in 2007 by vocalist Joe Block and guitarist Fred Molitor. The band plays thrash metal with remarkable melodies and choruses to scream along

After a demo and two EPs Scarlet Anger signed a deal with the label ”Dust On The Tracks“

Their second EP “Kill The King” was able to achieve some great notes such as 8/10 on metal.de, 5/5 on Unitymagazine.net or 4/5 on stormbringer.at. Moreover they appeared in magazines like Metal Hammer, RockHard, Legacy and Heavy.

Their first album “Dark Reign” was released on May 11th 2012. After all songs have been recorded and mixed at „Scarlet Anger Studios“ by guitarist Fred Molitor who created the artwork as well, the mastering was done by Jeff Waters from Thrash Metal legends Annihilator in “Watersound Studios”.

via Scarlet Anger Official Website

Simon interviews Vince Niclou, the bassist of the band.  Simon is Der Metal Krieger’s German correspondent, making us officially international.

Simon: Lets start with the beginnings of Scarlet Anger. How was the band founded?

Vince: Hi! The band was founded in 2007 by Joe Block and Fred Molitor. They have been friends for a long time and played  together in other bands before Scarlet Anger. But then the time came to start a real metal band – that was how Scarlet Anger was born. Right now, the lineup is: Joe Block as vocalist, Fred Molitor and Jeff Buchette as guitarists, Alain Flammang as drummer and me, Vince Niclou, as bass guitarist. We are playing with this lineup for 3 years now.

Simon: What band influences you the most, and how would you describe the band?

Vince: That’s hard to say. We’ve all been metalheads since we were kids and it’s hard to limit it to just one band. However, Scarlet Anger should be classified a classic Thrash Metal band.

Simon: Recently, you have released your first Full-Length Album. How did the press and your fans react?

Vince: The reaction was very good! Almost daily, we get new reviews, from online fanzines and from the biggest real metal magazines. I think the fans share their opinion. Of course its great to see how the hard work in the studios and with the song writing is appreciated. We all hoped that we will have success with the Dark Reign Album, but we were really surprised in a positive way with all those top-reviews we got.

Simon: What do you do in your spare time, except for making music?

Vince: Except for making music, I really like to drive with my motorcycle, that’s really good to unwind. And, we try to stay fit with sports. What succeeds more or less… and, of course, we like to party. With lots of beer, as is right and proper.

Simon: Are there any funny or remarkable moments, you’d like to share with us?

Vince: A concert can be a long day, and there are many strange situations we had. Just recently, our vocalist Joe sat on the toilet, when suddenly he heard a strange rustling and then noticed how a big fat rat came climbing up the toilet. When he ran to us with lowered pants and told what just happened, we almost died of laughter. Very awesome.

Simon: For what band would you like to open for?

Vince: For any bigger band. You gain a lost of experience when you are on stage with guys whose music you listen to for years. Personally, I’d like to open for Iron Maiden. They are my favorite band. But if there would be the chance to open for Metallica, Kreator, AC/DC etc., we would be available.

Simon: Soon, you’ll share the stage with Rage and Overkill. How does that feel?

Vince: Sadly, the Out Loud Festival was postponed for different reasons, but the new date will be announced soon. But how I said, you gain a lost of experience and motivation when you share the stage with great bands like those. You feel approved with your work.

Simon: What plans do you have for your future?

Vince: Working hard! And to play on as many concerts as possible, of course. We want to grow bigger and get many new fans. We already started to work on new material. Our singer says: “Standing still would be death. ” I think he’s right with that. End of this year, Scarlet Anger will hit the recording studio again. For 2013 we planned a new CD. You can be curious

Simon: Any last words to our fans?

Vince: Metal fans are the best fans! Thanks for your support, we hope to see you on our concerts. MAXIMUM METAL, OUR FRIENDS!

You can check out Scarlet Anger on their Facebook page.

The post Interview with Scarlet Anger (English) appeared first on Der Metal Krieger.

Simon: Lass uns mit den Anfängen von Scarlet Anger starten. Wie kam es zur Gründung der Band?

Vince: Hi! Die Band wurde von Joe Block und Fred Molitor 2007 gegründet. Beide sind seit jeher befreundet und hatten auch schon vor Scarlet Anger ihre Spuren in Bands hinterlassen. Allerdings wurde die Zeit reif für eine richtige Metal Band, und so wurde die Band Scarlet Anger gegründet. Momentan  besteht die Band aus, Joe Block am Gesang, Fred Molitor an der Gitarre, Jeff Buchette an der anderen Gitarre, Alain Flammang am Schlagzeug und mir Vince Niclou am Bass. Besetzungswechsel gab es  zwei, einen an der Gitarre und der andere am Schlagzeug. Die aktuelle Besetzung besteht seit 3 Jahren.

Simon: Wer und was hat die Band am meisten beeinflusst, und wie würdet Ihr die Band beschreiben?

Vince: Das ist schwierig zu sagen. Wir sind allesamt von kindstagen Metalheads und es ist schwierig sich auf eine Band zu beschränken. Scarlet Anger jedenfalls sind dem klassischen Thrash-Metal anzusiedeln. Es ist schwierig Bands zu nennen die uns beeinflussen, allerdings wird unser erstes Langeisen oft mit Kreator verglichen, was uns natürlich sehr ehrt.

Simon: Vor kurzem habt Ihr euer erstes “Full Lenght Album” rausgebracht. Wie war die Reaktion der Presse und der Fans?

Vince: Die Reaktionen waren allesamt sehr sehr gut. Uns erreichen fast täglich neue Rezis, sei es von den wichtigsten Online Metal Mags als  auch von größten physischen Metal Mags. Ich denke die Fans teilen deren Meinung. Natürlich ehrt es einen sehr wenn man sieht dass die anstrengende Arbeit im Studio und beim Songwriting Früchte trägt. Wir haben natürlich gehofft dass Dark Reign Erfolg haben wird, aber dass es dann mit solch TOP Kritiken überhäuft wird hat uns natürlich im positiven Sinnen sehr überrascht.

Simon : Was macht Ihr in eurer Freizeit, mal abgesehn vom Musikmachen?

Vince: Konzerte können lange Tage sein und da kommen viele komische Situationen. Letztens saß unser Sänger Joe auf einem Konzert auf dem Klo, als er es rascheln hörte und bemerkte wie ne fette Ratte das Klo hochstieg, als er dann mit halbherabgelassener Hose zu uns eilte, und uns schilderte was passierte, bekamen wir alle einen Lachkrampf. Schon geil

The post Interview mit Scarlet Anger appeared first on Der Metal Krieger.

Talvi: If you could open for any band, who would it be and why?

Gabriel: In Flames…They’re one of the bands that although they may not be a direct influence on my playing or songwriting, I can always listen to and enjoy their music.

Talvi: I know you are headlining Shredfest in Baltimore. Is this your first headlining show? Nervous or excited about it?

Gabriel: It’s not our first headlining show. We are picky about when we headline a show, it has to be the right show. Nervous? No, we are always ready to play a show, that’s what we are working towards doing fulltime. And hope to some day have more production and theatrical elements to really give the audience a great time.

Talvi: What plans does Fallen Martyr have for the future? Any talk of a major tour?

Gabriel: Currently, getting SHADOWS as much exposure for the next year is priority #1…that will help with touring opportunities. Later this year, in the Fall most likely, we should be announcing some stuff for Overseas. Currently everything is just in Planning mode.

Gabriel: Thank you!

If you haven’t picked up your copy of Shadows yet, swing by their Facebook page, and grab a copy and a shirt! Don’t forget to come check them out at their headlining show for Shredfest on July 13th!

https://www.facebook.com/fallenmartyrofficial

The post Talvi Interviews Gabriel Luis From Fallen Martyr appeared first on Der Metal Krieger.