Interview with Marco by Heavy Metal Mania (GR) 1.9.2002
SLAINE Interview for Heavy Metal Mania Webzine.
Questions by Harry “Shadowcaster” Vlavianos.
Q. Hello Marco, how are you?
Hello Harry, oh, I’m feeling very well, thanks.
Q. Lets start the interview by giving me a small bio of your band.
Ok, Slaine started in the year of 1992 with our drummer Adi and our singer This. Short time later my brother Renato (bass) and I (guitar) joined the Band. We played only covers of Slayer, Paradise Lost, Megadeth in this time. Only in 1994 we wrote our first song: Tales from the Shadows. A year later Dani (guitar) replaced the old guitarist. And so were playing year for year. Due to our education (we didn’t have very much money) we recorded our first demo only in 1998: Portal. And now in 2002 we released the demo you received. A further change into bands formation in now in the air, but unfortunately I can’t tell you more at this time.
Q. I believe “Non” is your second demo. How did the press and the fans treat your first attempt?
That’s right, Non is our second demo. The press and the fans welcomed Non very warmly. But we weren’t so aware of that our style is so special. Nearly all of the magazines meant us to play a very different kind of metal, but I always believed it was Kick Ass Death Metal. It seems I was wrong, harharhar. No seriously I believe the kids feels the different influences of every musician in Slaine.
Q. Did the recordings of your new demo go as well as you wanted or were there any misfortunes?
Oh, it went well but had also lot of difficulties. At every recording session you’ll find ups and downs, I think that’s normal. But finally we’re quite happy with the sound (for a demo!).
Q. Walter Schmid is responsible for the mastering of your CD. Why did you choose him to do the job and not someone else? How is it working with him?
Walter was a good friend of the guy owning the recording studio. As Walter also worked for several Metal Bands (like Celtic Frost) we went to him. In Switzerland it’s very difficult to find good Metal Mastering-People, so the choice was limited, but in Walter we find a competent partner.
Q. What, in your opinion, are the differences between “Non” and your previous release? Do you think you have managed to create a more personal sound?
Oh yes, definitely! Non is more the raised sound of Slaine than Portal was. You may say, that Portal is more traditional Metal, maybe a little less complicated than Non. Of course I still love Poral, but Non is a step further. I look very forward to recording a new CD, I think Slaine is in a steady evolution of music and the direction match! hehehe.
Q. Intense and aggressive Death Metal is certainly your game and you play it well. Where does all this energy come from?
Wow, very good question! It would be very much easier to write good songs, if I’d know the answer. hehehe. But I think a important aspect of Slaine’s sound is the individuality of each member. Every one brings his influence into the composition, may it be a single riff or even a special tone in a existing lick! But the most important factor for our energy, is the sheer and intense love we feel for this music.
Q. I liked your music because it is energetic, powerful, aggressive, but it also has some groovy moments. There are also some complex guitar arrangements and some melodies as well. You combine a lot of things in your music, don’t you think?
That’s it! Take as example our basser Renato: He loves music from Primus and different non-Metal Bands. I think this influence is hearable. Our drummer loves the technical, groovy old school Death Metal-Style. I like the good feeling kick ass guitar and the other guitarist prefers the head-driven, precise guitar playing. And our singer completes Slaine with his Inputs. You see: it’s a compromise our sound, but it works!
Q. What would you say your influences are? What do you like most, American or Swedish Death Metal?
Most of the band definitely Swedish Death Metal! But the other guitarist Dani has some faves in America!
Q. I guess the lyrics follow the mood of the music. What do they talk about?
The lyrics tells in general about the mystic realm, the nature and the self. On Non we have a song about the beauty of the mountains (we have a lot in Switzerland, hehehe). Another song describes the fight of emotions and feelings inside a person after a emotionally shock. Another tells about old paths of death in northern sagas and another again tells about the brutal and aggressive fight against the Stream of society.
Q. What is the current status of the metal scene in your country? Is there any interest for the domestic metal bands?
In Switzerland are a lot of very good and interesting metal bands, which could easily take a important part into Metalworld. But unfortunately there is no subvention or something alike. That’s a fucking shame, because there are very great Metal Bands around!
So the people can’t concentrate on their music and get international. The second problem is that swiss people gains too much money, so that Metal Music never can give them the same income like a normal job.
Q. What are your expectations with this release?
The final target is of course having a fair label deal, but surely we aiming to bigger concerts, maybe big openairs. And we want to say “hello, here we are” and we’ll kick ass to the kids out there, hehehe.
Q. How do your live shows sound like? It must get very intense and brutal on and off stage.
Yes, you’re damn right! If not 10 kids at least were delivered into hospital, the show was not as good as it should, harharhar. Now seriously, it our definite goal bringing a huge party to the audience. Everyone should feel the emotions and the power of Death Metal. We want the people to party and band their head ‘till the neck breaks!
Q. So what are your plans for the future? More live shows I guess.
Oh no, not more live shows! For that we’re all working we had too much concerts last year. We Non we want to pre-select our gigs and the place were we’re playing. And a second goal is playing aboard Switzerland, as we did it in Czech Republic. This fall we gonna destroy Vienna (burnburnburn, heheheh)
Q. Well, I am run out of questions. Anything else to add?
Oh, I’m very curious about Greece and the Metal Scene there. A lot of peoples and magazines told me, that it must be hell (in the positive sense) playing there. Hope we will visit your beautiful country in near future!
And the most important (as “Die Apokalyptischen Reiter” says):
Fighting together side by side
Ready for the final battle
Only together we are strong
In the name of Heavy Metal
Support Metal, Support Underground, Stay hard!
Q. Thank you for your time. I hope we can talk again some day.
Thank you very much for this interview. Maybe we meet for a cool beer once! I gonna pay!
Heavy Metal Mania Webzine
http://www.heavy-metal-mania.vze.com
Sie sind hier:
Geschriebenes
Interviews