CONTENTS 04_Lynch Mob 06_Praying Mantis 07_UDO 08_Dimino 09_Kelly Keeling 10_Symphony X 11_Skintrade 12_Reviews 15_Chaos Magic 16_The V 18_Tomas Bergsten’s Fantasy 20_Royal Hunt 22_The Murder of My Sweet Melodic Rock Fanzine The official Frontiers Music s.r.l. magazine Year #11 - Nr. 4 / Issue #69 Editor-in-chief: Elio Bordi Concept, Graphics & Design: Elio Bordi Writers: Bruce E.J. Atkinson, Duncan Jamieson, Barry McMinn, Vitale Nocerino, Rob “Ezy” Bone, Primo Bonali. Headquarters and general contacts: Frontiers Records - Via Gonzaga 18 80125, Napoli - Italy Tel: +39.081.2399340/7753 Fax: +39.081.2399794 E-mail: elio@frontiers.it Website: www.frontiers.it Facebook: facebook.com/frontiersmusicsrl Twitter: twitter.com/FrontiersMusic1 Editor and publisher: Frontiers Records s.r.l. Copyright©2015 Frontiers Records. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Printed in Italy.
Band: Lynch Mob
Interview with: George Lynch
Interview by: Duncan Jamieson
Question: After touring with a different line-up, you’ve got Oni Logan back in on vocals. Answer: We’ve been back and forth. You know we’re like a married couple that stay together for the kids! This time around all the past issues are in the rear view mirror now. It’s been a really enjoyable process. I’ve got to say he’s really comes into his own live as a front man recently too. The chemistry between us is still there, the actual flow of us sitting in a room writing. It was fun and that is reflected in the music. There were no time limitations outside of budget constraints. It’s not like ‘Wicked Sensation’ which cost half a million dollars. That doesn’t happen nowadays. There was about a month of pre-production which is kind of a lot these days. KXM was all done in ten days. For ‘Rebel’ it took a couple of weeks to track vocals and two weeks to mix. Q: Did you approach this record similarly or differently from previous Lynch Mob records? A: We’ve never started a song with a vocal. It starts with the guitars, then the drums and then vocal melodies. I was wondering about this recently. There must be lots of songwriters that start with the words. Q: You’re experiencing a prolific creative spell. A: It’s a practical matter. I’m not on the road as much, not travelling as much. When you’re travelling from one show to the next it’s not so easy to have ideas. Now I’ve got time and ideas to set all these projects up. As well as Lynch Mob I’ve got the Shadowtrain album coming out. It’s two CDs. I’ve put a lot of work into that. The second CD is actually the prequel to the first CD. I wanted people to hear the newer material first as it shows where the sound is now, more primitive. That second CD, the older material is more classic rock. Both CDs are valid. Then there’s The Infidels which is Angelo Moore from Fishbone, Panch Tommeseli of Tower Of Power, Sen Dog of Cypress Hill and Sal Rodriguez of WAR. It’s hard to describe but it’s like Faith No More and The Band of Gypsies.It’s been a beautiful journey and a departure for me. It’s jazzy, r ‘n’
b stuff and playing just for fun, just for the sake of playing. I add my firepower and horse power and it’s different from a compositional sense but my role of lead guitarist remains the same. I’m using a lot more effects on this one. I like the idea of creating recurring landscapes with the music. Q: Can you explain the Shadow Nation film you’ve been making? A: It started about five years ago with Dean Castra as a vehicle for a voice of change. He‘s an activist who’s been arrested for environmental and political causes. It’s a myopic look into human nature and how to make the world a more equitable place. It shows travelling with the band Shadowtrain, camping out as we tour all the way down to the Mexican border. We spoke to people like Noam Chomsky and at the other end Ted Nugent. Serj Tankian of System Of A Down speaks eloquently too. Q: What did you learn making the film? A: The main thing we probably learned was we went into this as bright eyed and idealistic and soon discovered there are a lot of grey areas. Change is not easy and there’s a lot of apathy out there. A lot of work people do on the left can be unrewarding. It’s easier for people working for the status quo; you get rewarded if you’re a newscaster on Fox or whatever. When you’re working to make things change it’s a hard bunch of work and you lose most of the time. You have to become detached. Success is transitory, and losing is for ever. For example if you don’t get a bill passed to unreserve a particular piece of land that decision can last thousands of years. Q: People sometimes use shredder to describe your playing but that seems inaccurate because it appears to be more about the groove? A: I’m more of a composer than shredder. Shredder is a bit of a limiting term. That whole need for speed is a young man thing. I’m not knocking that, that’s fine. I listen to other forms of music and I’ve gone back to things I grew up with. I’m not the player I should be. I can fake it up to a point but I’m making a concerted effort, applying myself to be a better player.
To expand your abilities takes dedication to get out of the way of doing things by rote. I’m inspired by those who make a radical change. It was transformative for Rush’s Neil Peart, already a great drummer, to push himself to new heights. I like the idea of reinventing myself. Some players evolve while some devolve. I’d like to take my playing to another level to surprise people. A musician’s affinity to a style can be driven by its commercial success. You hit on a formula and to try something different can be commercial suicide. In the past, the path was clear and you knew what was going to happen. You made an album, went on tour and the cycle continued. Nowadays, it’s less structured. With Lynch Mob back in 1999 I tried to move direction with industrial-esque, Killing Joke, Ministry type music. I wasn’t known for it but I wasn’t doing it just for the sake of it. The record ‘Smoke This’ had some hip hop on there, like Limp Bizkit with more depth. We got slammed for that record. I think my mistake was putting that disc out under the Lynch Mob name. I should have called it something else as I still like that album. It’s a very legitimate record. Q: Your recent records share a really solid production sound. How do you achieve that? A: The common denominator on those records is we’ve been in this game a long time so we know what we’re doing. It’s quicker than it used to be. We know the mic placement, the compression resolutions, how it’s mixed and we use the soul of the old technology with the new technology of pro-tools and old amps. It makes my skin crawl to think of those early days back in the studio when we’d be four hours late. Q: The recent Sweet and Lynch CD was recorded quite differently than that KXM album, wasn’t it? A: I never came face to face with anybody for that record. I sent the music to Michael and the guys who might change arrangements and add parts. Lots of the guitars for those demos stayed on the finished record because I liked how they sounded. I thought the finished record sounded fantastic. It has an old school, 80s bigness to it. We’re going to do another one. MRF | 5
Artist: Praying Mantis
Question: “Legacy” is the first album to feature newest members John Cuijpers and Hans in’t Zandt who joined in 2013, so how did the guys become part of the Praying Mantis family? Answer: Jaycee and Hans were playing at a festival where we were also playing as Mantis in 2013. We were blown away with their performances and wondered what it would be like if they were part of Mantis… We started chatting after the show and realised we had so much in common. So here we are today and believe it is the strongest line up Mantis have ever had. Q: What do these two guys bring to the band? A: They just have added a totally different dimension… I think till now we believed that we had to stay within restricting boundaries, however both Jaycee and Hans have just torn down those walls and there are now no limits. It is very exciting to see where it will take us… The key thing is we really feel that we have only just scratched the surface and there is a long to go! 6 | MRF
Interview with: Chris Troy
Q: It’s been some six years since “Sanctuary”, so how long have you guys been working on the new album? A: In any album, you want it to be the best that it can practically be. Our view there is no point in releasing an album to formula just to satisfy for instance a possible contractual requirement. Hence we have released our albums when we feel the job has been done and the song writing and recording process is as strong as we honestly believe it can be. In addition Jaycee and Hans have only been in the band for a round 2.5 years and we have needed the time to adapt and embellish the songs to suit their styles. Q: You’ve described ‘Legacy’ as the best album the band has ever produced, so what makes this album stand out from the rest for you? A: We believe that this time around there have been contributions from everyone in the band and a result of this the album is varied throughout. Many times we have listened to albums and have felt there is no diversity on the songs and hence can be a bit boring Legacy we
Interview by: Barry McMinn
believe is one of the most varied albums we have ever done but has still kept the essential Mantis feel. Q: Rodney Mathews did the artwork for the new album, what made you decide to return to him for the new album artwork? A: Because quite simply his artwork is awesome and very much a part of the Praying Mantis Legacy. Q: The band is always associated with the NWOBHM movement but was around well before that era of rock, so is it always good to be linked to that musical style when you have always been a more melodic rock band? A: There are pluses and negatives associated with it… Did ever we really belong? Probably not, but as per the question we were probably too melodic and hence stood out like a sore thumb , but at the same time it gave us a lot of recognition at that time so in that sense who can complain! Q: The band played this years Frontiers Rock Festival, how was that? A: Amazingly well received… Would love to be invited back next year…
Artist: UDO
Question: First of all, who did come out with this idea to play this unique show? Answer: Actually Udo had this idea since a long time, and when we stayed during the Steelhammer Production in the North of Germany, we were invited to a concert of the Marinemusikkorps. As we had nothing better to do we went to this church with nothing in mind. But when they started playing, and don't forget it's a brass orchestra, we looked at one another, and said that's metal! No idea how to arrange, and how to go on, but the idea was born. Q: How did you prepare the show and how have you re-arranged the songs for the classical instruments? A: Two different things. First we had to find the people to convince, and as this is military, the ways were much longer. But in Mattes we had the perfect partner, not only in mixing our album. He is also involved in the orchestra business and had the connection points to the military. He was also responsible for the arrangements, and chose the right people to help him. Once all this was done
Interview with: Fitty Wienhold
(and not in one day... haha!). We had to understand and learn our songs in a different way! But it was fun! The rest was playing all together, and believe me you have no idea how loud they are! Q: Before you played the show, weren't you a bit afraid that your classic Metal sound could not match the symphonic atmosphere created by the orchestra? A: No. Because first of all we knew it from the rehearsal, and second, as it is a real brass orchestra, what means that the typical symphonic sound from strings is not there, we were sure that we're doing the right thing. Different from all the other projects with orchestras. But the most important point were the arrangements. It was like winning the Lotteria! Cause it was perfect with our sound and performance. Q: At this year’s edition of “Wacken Open Air Festival”, this unique musical collaboration could be seen again live on stage, this time with the German Federal Armed Forces Orchestra. What do you expect from this show? Do you think you'll intro-
Interview by: Primo Bonali
duce some news on the performance or will it be very close to the one released on “Navy Metal Night”? What can the fans expect from it? A: Well, I expect a lot of fun as I like always playing. The orchestra is much much bigger, and we have some surprises, and the GFAFO is THE orchestra in Germany. So, to say I am excited is not enough, and that this show will take place in Wacken... Yes it's more than just an highlight in my career. Q: Looking back to the past, which have been your highest “highs” and your lowest “lows” in your successful career? A: Pppffffffff... Actually when I look back there are no highs and lows. Everything i did was great at that time. It turned sometimes in a different way? Yes, but this is part of life. But when i will retire, I have time to choose my highs, cause lows don't exist. Q: Anything to add? A: Hope that all our fans in Italy will stay with us, cause without our fans we have to go fishing. So stay heavy, healthy and UDO. MRF | 7
Band: Dimino
Question: Why is the time right now to release a solo record? Answer: The time is right now because of the willingness on my part to do a solo project and the willingness on Frontiers part to allow me. I have always worked in a band environment. The thought of doing a solo project was a different challenge and I felt it might allow me a bit of freedom with the songwriting. Instead of writing for a specific band or genre it allowed me the freedom to just think about writing a good song. Q: There’s a great variety of material on the record. It sounds like it took some time to write and record. A: Luckily, Oz and I have been working together for a while and Jeff and I picked up right where we left off. When Jeff and I began writing, it started to come together pretty quickly. Once we had the arrangements down we demoed them at Oz’s studio. We started recording with Paul middle of December and we finished middle of February. After everything was mixed we sent the tracks to Maor Applebaum to be mastered. The masters were then sent to Frontiers. Q: Your voice still sounds really strong. How have you kept it in such great shape? 8 | MRF
Interview with: Frank Dimino
A: I started with vocal lessons at a young age, around 8 or 9 and I still apply the things that I learned back then to what I do today. I also teach vocals, so teaching my students vocal technique’s always reminds me of some of the things that I may have forgotten. Q: If someone asked you to describe this record’s sound, what would you tell them? A: I think it’s really well recorded by Paul Crook, who worked tirelessly to get the sound right for every track as well as the placement of all the instruments and vocals. Maor Applebaum who mastered the record did a great job as well. It’s a great sounding record with really good songwriting and great performances by everyone who appeared on it. Q: With members of Angel involved, would there ever be a chance of another Angel album? A: I think the answer to that is never say never. If the timing is right, there’s always a chance. If not, we will continue to play on each other’s projects. Q: How did you hook up with Frontiers? A: Ken Ciancimino was the point man on this. We had a conversation over din-
Interview by: Duncan Jamieson
ner about me doing a solo record. By the time we got to dessert, I thought it was a great idea. Ken called Serafino at Frontiers. Serafino asked me to send him a song. I sent him a song and we had a deal. Q: How did you get involved in supporting Cystic Fibrosis? A: It’s really important for me to get the word out regarding this disease. I became enlightened about the disease through Ken whose daughter has Cystic Fibrosis. It’s a debilitating disease that affects the lungs and as a singer when I hear Ken tell me that his daughter is currently at a 40% lung capacity, it just blows my mind, and the strength that she and the whole family has is unbelievable. A cure is around the corner and if we get the word out, hopefully more people will help and support “Adding Tomorrows By Curing Cystic Fibrosis”, the sooner Alexa and all suffers of this disease will be cured. The website is www.tpirc.org Q: Any chance of seeing you live over here in Europe? A: I’m currently trying to put together festival dates for summer 2016 in Europe, as well as some other dates that may come sooner than later.
Artist: Kelly Keeling Interview with: K. Keeling Interview by: Vitale Nocerino
Question: You are soon going to release a new album that will be the first solo album in 10 years since the “GIVING SIGHT TO THE EYE” album came out in 2005. In the first place how did it come about that you made the new solo album? Answer: Well, I originally signed a deal representing Baton Rouge with high hopes. I wanted to reunite the band, which happened, but we didn't quite get to the album stage together after some struggles on tour and disagreements. I was exhausted from just having finished the Red Zone Rider album and my voice was over worked. I needed a few days off, but did a solo show two days later, then right into rehearsal with Baton Rouge before the live Rex show recording, which I had to give it all I had again. I managed to pull off the first show, but I hurt my voice. The Red Zone Rider vocals were done really fast, all hours of the morning noon & night. I needed some time off. The label wasn't happy with some of the personalities and demands and Ponti didn't think we should reunite... after a few years, we were fed up, and after all the money spent, scrapped it. We just could not get on the same page. We did manage to record a live DVD with new material while on tour. We tried a different writing approach than we had in the past. Lance did the music in LA and I added vocals melodies. The label hated it. It didn't sound like Baton Rouge which had a very distinct sound. It took us 3 years to write and record & mix that first album and we were very focused and worked together with Jack Ponti and his writing partner Vic Pepe, who we hooked up with through MCA music publishing, who we had a songwriting deal with. We flew out a few times and had these great ambitious writing and demoing sessions of three songs each trip. Only two new songs had the style of “Shake Your Soul”. They didn't resemble the first album even though some really good material from Lance. So we started over. I had to honor the commitment. Q: What kind of album did you want to make in terms of musical direction? A: Well I wanted to do a Baton Rouge album for all the fans and was determined to give it my best shot. Q: What does the album title “MIND RADIO” represent? A: It's just something I say often. I hear music on my Mind Radio. It plays the songs that you hear on all the albums I've done. Some come to me in dreams, others play at random... On my Mind Radio in my head. And they had finally decided it was going to be a solo album. Q: Alessandro Del Vecchio (EDGE OF FOREVER) took part in the album as producer, composer and keyboard player. Was it “Frontiers Records” that introduced him to you, or have you already known him before? A: We met at Firefest X in Nottingham England at Baton Rouge's last show. We started talking and he seemed to really care and was a fan of my work. And he worked with Frontiers. He sent me some demos and song ideas and we got started...
Band: Symphony X
Question:Can you present us this new amazing album “Underworld”? Answer: This new one is about the song, Every element added was in service of the song, so the album flows song to song and becomes a total listening experience. Every song is to-the-point and fine-tuned, with us paying a lot of attention to the hooks, voices, riffs, and keeping the interest and the energy high for the whole record, so it can be listened to start to finish. You know, industry people have talked about how we'll never see a “Sgt. Pepper's” or “Dark Side Of The Moon” again, and that idea... I wanted to defend the reputation of the album, and really try to make “Underworld” an album worth listening to as a whole album. It's what I love about “Moving Picture” - great individual songs, but still an album experience. I don't want to sound like I'm preaching, but it was a point I wanted to make. It was about the flow of the whole record. It speeds up here and then it dips down here. It all makes sense together, it all works together and it all flows together. And that’s me, dude. - I still listen to whole records. Q: Is this a concept album? A: “Underworld”'s not really a concept album, but like the last couple of records, there's a theme that carries through, without it being storytelling. We try to find something to key in on and get the juices flowing, and here the goal was to find 10 | MRF
Interview with: Michael Romeo
something a little dark but with emotional content. I started looking at Dante, and Orpheus in the underworld, where he's going to go to Hades or hell to save this girl. So there's the theme of going to hell and back for something or someone you care about. So we could inject hellish imagery and at the same time there's an emotional quality to it, where you care about someone, you're going to go through all this, and yet trying to do the right thing. But it's an outline, not storytelling. We had a concept and we pulled back and at the same time made it more personal and less pretentious. We found some kind of parameters to work in, where both musically and lyrically it wouldn't be going overboard. Q: “Nevermore” is the first single of the album... A: Up-tempo, good hook, good playing all around, that was designed as an introduction to the album. The first song on any record is to establish the vibe of what the record is about. And “Nevermore”'s got the riffs, the hooks, the chorus, and some crazy solo stuff happening. Q: And the second single is the fantastic “Without You”... A: “Without You” on the other hand is a strident ballad but one full of rock events and vaulted arranging, light vs. shade, soaring harmonies, punch, power, and last but not least progressive time signatures. “That one's a bit mellower, with a big cho-
Interview by: Vitale Nocerino
rus and a sweeping feel. I don't know if I would call it a ballad, but it's a little bit softer, not so much about riff, but more the acoustic and electric interplay. Those two are good single choices, if you will, because they represent what the record is: it's heavy, but at the same time, there's some of these soaring melodic parts, as in 'Swansong' with its piano thing. That's an example of keyboards carrying most of the tune - Pinnella brought most of that one in. But those two address both sides of the record. And Russell, he's just a natural. When he first heard the songs, he had mentioned that he really wanted to sing more, even though the material was heavy. So we put a lot of emphasis on his abilities and making the choruses strong vocally. It just felt right. He knew too that it was the right thing to do, as did everybody in the band as soon as they heard the demos. Q: For “Underworld”'s cover art, you went with the established illustrator Warren Flanagan... A:Warren went with the masks, similar to the first record”, explains Romeo. “But when I discussed with him Dante and the underworld, he did his own research and designed a little symbol for each of the nine circles of hell. So there are these little geometric symbols that mean something. That's just what he does. He gets in there and finds these things that maybe no one really besides us knows what it means and yet it has meaning.
Band: Skintrade
Question: The new record is a brilliant balance of bruising hard rock and great melodies. Answer: Thank you. That´s exactly what we wanted to achieve. Q: It follows close on the heels of last year’s ‘Refuelled’. Has getting back together resulted in a creative spurt? A: Absolutely. We were so full of ideas for songs after finishing the last one so we just kept going and wrote new songs for this one. I am constantly writing songs so there´s no shortage of ideas... Q: There’s a surprising cover of Katy Perry’s “Wide Awake”. How did that come about? A: I was listening to it a couple of years back and I really liked the harmonics and chord structure of the song. I was playing around with it and recorded a demo to fit Skintrade and took it to the band. They all loved it not even realizing it was a cover song! I think we managed to make it a Skintrade song... Also, in a way we wanted to pay respect to one of the most successful songwriters in Sweden, Max Martin, who is a rocker at heart and likes
Interview with: Matti Alfonzetti
Skintrade. Q: Is the person you’re singing to on “Lay With me” about someone in particular? A: Ha,Ha! That´s for me to know and for you to find out! But it just might be about someone in particular... I won´t say anymore! Q: How is it different for you as a band now compared to the first time round? A: It´s different in so many ways... First of all we are older and hopefully wiser and I think the songs reflect that. Our ego´s are not so huge anymore so that makes it a lot easier to get things done. There´s no bullshit and arguing about who has done what and stuff like that. We are a democracy now! Everyone is in the band because they love it and we share everything! No,not the women... That wouldn´t work. Q: Do you feel you were unlucky first time round as a band in terms of timing in the mid-90s? A: Not so much unlucky, but a bit sad that we did not see the potential of this band back in the day. There´s was a lot of arguing about
Interview by: Duncan Jamieson
songs, direction and to be honest we too young to realize that we had a good thing and should have taken better care of it. Q: There’s “Scarred For Live” and “Leave A Scar” on the record. Do you feel scarred? A: Sure, we are all scarred in some way, are we not? If you live, love, play and drink, then you are bound to have scars. Otherwise what kind of boring life would would it be? But also music, playing and dedicating your life to music leaves you scarred... For life... Q: Can you tell us how you start to play music and your major influences? A: I guess when I was about 18. I played the bass in my first band, and was playing around with the other guys trying to sound like Paul Rodgers and they all thought that my singing sounded better than the vocalist we had! He was sacked and I took over the mike... My main influences would have to be Paul Rodgers. Otis Redding, David Coverdale, Paul Carrack, S Wonder, Elvis Presley (not kidding!) Joyce Kennedy (MF), Marvin Gaye,etc... MRF | 11
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YES “Like It Is – Yes At The Mesa Arts Center” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) Recorded live at the Ikeda Theater in Mesa, Arizona on the twelfth of August 2014, this new live album has a more poignant feel than ever, with the recent announcement of the passing of founder and bassist Chris Squire. Yes as a band have been around now for the best part of ten decades and along with the likes of Pink Floyd, Genesis and Emerson Lake and Palmer, became pioneers the whole Prog Rock genres. This new live album follows the highly successful “Like It Is – Yes At The Bristol Hippodrome” and sees the bands 1971 ‘Fragile’ album and the following years ‘Close To The Edge’ performed live in their entirety, with the likes of the 19 minute epic “Close to The Edge” and live favourites “Roundabout” and “And You And I”. This is a must buy for fans of the band and genre, in the words of Squire himself… “Like It Is’ brings the music and wonderful music of that evening to fans everywhere, and we’re sure they’ll enjoy listening to it as much as we did performing it”. BM (99/100)
CHAOS MAGIC “Chaos Magic” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) What do you get when a vocal force from Chile collides with an extraordinary Finnish composer and guitarist? Pure Magic! The result Caterina Nix and former “Stratovarius” axeman & composer Timo Tolki. Signed to Frontiers, Caterina is launching her solo career with “Chaos Magic”, teaming up with Timo and producing another break-through recorded Work! The symphonic arrangements and compositions of Timo totally envelope this Soprano and in turn-mesmerizes the listener! The body of music is well suited for the magic spun by Caterina’s voice and at times we will experience an almost spiritual uplifting! As we journey through this debut, we come face to face with power & strength and then whisked away on silky vocal passages that just wipe away any tension we may have! Together, Caterina & Timo create magical movements, some which are just breathless. From “I’m Alive” on through to “The Point Of No Return”: this debut establishes Caterina Nix as a force to be reckoned with! “Chaos Magic” should become the instrument that establishes this female vocalist in the higher echelons of singers! And one of international stature! BA (90/100)
KELLY KEELING “Mind Radio” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) “Mind Radio” is the long awaited new solo album from former Baton Rouge frontman Kelly Keeling. I say long awaited as his last solo album “Giving Sight To The Fire” was released some ten years ago. So has the decade of waiting been worth it? To be honest, yes. Keeling returns with a solid Hard Rock album. No, he’s not reinvented the wheel, but what he has done is taken his years of experience, teamed up with the multi-talented Alessandro Del Vecchio to produce an album that more than stands up against the rest of the hard rock albums out this year. From the opener “This Love Our Paradise”, Keeling delivers the goods a fine opening barrage, which quickly is followed by the excellent “Isolated Man”, a towering slab of melodic AOR. The album continues to rock big style with the likes of “Written in Fire”, “No Mans Land” and my personal favourite “Monkey House”. Interwoven between the rockers there are some great mellower moments like the full on AOR fuelled “Frozen In Time” and “Sunshine Over Me”, all in all “Mind Radio” is a great album and well worth tuning in to. BM (89/100)
THE MURDER OF MY SWEET “Beth Out of Hell” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) The third album for the Swedish symphonic, melodic rockers is their most ambitious. A concept album with a theme of apocalyptical love running through it, it has a cinematic in scale. The symphonic elements in their music are more to the forefront than beforw and the keyboards create an orchestral background that swells with the emotions in the narrative, underpinned by chugging metal guitars. Angelica Rylin’s voice is still a potent force, a mix of hard rock and West End musical diva. There are a few big melodic hooks on songs like “Always The Fugitive” and ‘The Humble Servant’. Daniel Flores’ arrangements suggest he pulled out all the stop for this one and really let his creativity juices flow unbridled. Sometimes its ambition is more impressive than the tunes with the concept piquing your interest but not necessarily capturing it. If you’re already a fan then you’ll applaud their willingness to push boundaries. This definitely puts them more in the symphonic rock sphere now than the straight ahead melodic rock camp. DJ (90/100)
SKINTRADE “Scarred For Life” (AOR Heaven) The second album since the mid 90s band’s reformation and like last year’s return “Refuelled”, it’s a corking mix of Stefan Bergström’s hard rock guitar and memorable melodies courtesy of Matti Alfonzetti’s blues soaked voice. He really is an excellent vocalist who has impressed in all his numerous bands (Bam Bam Boys,Boxer, Jagged Edge, Alfonzetti, Impera and Red, White And Blue) and among the hard and melodic rock fans he is just like an hero! Tougher tracks like “Scarred For Life”, ‘Lay With Me’ and “Love / Hate” are the best examples of their muscular yet melodic sound while the ballad ‘Broken’ shows they can still hold your attention when they slow it down. There’s a surprising cover of Katy Perry’s ‘Wide Awake’ that gets a hard rock makeover which works and manages to fit in but their own material is more compelling. It has a modern feel thanks to the crunchy riffs, frantic drumming and angsty lyrics but the melodic hooks owe a debt to classic rock too so it’s an album that deserves to attract a wide rock audience. DJ (94/100)
LYNCH MOB “Rebel” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) The creative juices of guitarist George Lynch are in overdrive at the moment. Oni Logan is back on board and his distinctive voice over the top of Lynch’s big, dirty riffs creates the Lynch Mob magic. It’s bluesier than their last for Frontiers ‘Smoke And Mirrors’ in 2009. Grooves are one thing but you need the melodies over the top to create great songs and there are a handful of cracking songs on this record. The paean to the love of music ‘Automatic Fix’ sets out the band’s mission “I put my headphones on and turn the music loud”. ‘Pinetree Avenue’ is a bluesy stomper, reminding me of Badlands, that tells of their early beginnings in music. ‘Jelly Roll’ has some dirty bump and grind and ‘Dirty Money’ is aided by a champion chorus. Only the two slower tracks, the psychedelic ‘The Hollow Queen’ and ‘The Ledge’ fail to leave a lasting impression. It’s got a fat, well produced sound with the groove rattling your teeth. It’s a good time to be a fan of George Lynch. As Oni sings “Hear the soul in the heart of our music…Can you feel it?” the answer is a resounding yes, we can. DJ (92100)
UDO “Navy Metal Night” (AFM Records) The collaborations between Heavy Metal / Hard Rock music and the Classical orchestras are becoming more and more frequent, with some great results like Metallica' "S&M“ and Kiss ”Symphony-Alive IV". But, honestly, I would have never thought to see the traditional, powerful, rough Heavy Metal of U.D.O. to be played by a Symphonic Orchestra, like the German Navy Orchestra (called “Marinemusikkorps Nordsee”) in a special sold-out show! Released as DVD/2CD, "Navy Metal Night“ brings us the magic of that unique event, in 18 tracks. The symphonic sound of the orchestra mixed with the epic choirs and the pompous arrangements give most of these songs a total different vibe; more bombastic and less Metal. A bit bizarre, to be clear. Check out, for example, “Count Me Out” off the “Holy” album: a traditional Metal-hymn transformed into a Funk-song with a relevant brass-section and horns everywhere! Very nice result to my ears, although I'm not sure all the Metal fans will be totally happy about. Definitely something different from your usual dose of Heavy Metal, still the perfect soundtrack for an overnight drive or to relax after a stressful day. PB (85/100)
ROYAL HUNT “Devil’s Dozen” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) It’s finally here! The new “Royal Hunt” album ‘XIII-Devil’s Dozen’ and it will not disappoint! For the life of me, I couldn’t fathom this group getting any stronger, but they have! This, the group’s thirteenth release smashes every boundary “Royal Hunt” has set in the past! Opening with “So Right So Wrong”, they set the musical stage with pure muscle and melody! “Royal Hunt” gives us brand new perspectives on what Hard Rock should be, and manages to give us some surprises in the effort! “May You Never Walk Alone” rips it up! Everything from D.C. Cooper’s singing to Andre’s keys, to Andrea’s bass explosions to the six-string flourishes of Jonas’ and the unbelievable pounding pulses and runs of Mr. Johansson’s drums, this one song has it all! On “Devil’s Dozen” we have eight selections that are pure driving Rock! Each are awesome, and when listened to together, yeah! You guessed it, just off the scale!! For an absolute ocean of sound, full of sophisticated under currents you only need to pick just one track, but picking them all will give you a sonic experience seldom heard! “Royal Hunt - XII Devil’s Dozen” this is what Hard Rock is all about, and then some! BA (93/100)
THE V “Now or Never” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) “Now Or Never” is the solo debut of “Benedictum”’s premiere vocalist. Opening up with “Again”, this effort shows a side of Veronica that we all knew she had but really never heard. The vocal chops are razor sharp, gutsy and ballsy! The title cut “Now Or Never” continues with this type of vocal, and of course, music to match. This whole album is a showcase of these new vocal styling’s, where Veronica is singing to the max. A more melodic but still hard-rock sound, this singer can sure belt them out! There is not a weak song on this debut, even the more “poppy” numbers are sung with muscle. Always a fantastic singer---and an individual that understands that her Voice is her instrument, we hear on “Now Or Never” she is playing like never before! As said, there is no weak song on this debut, but “Love Should Be To Blame” is a prime example of how Veronica has mastered her instrument! Don’t miss out on this one, Veronica Freeman is an absolute force of nature, and “Now Or Never” is hopefully just the beginning! BA (95/100)
DIMINO“Old Habits Die Hard” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) The ex-Angel frontman impresses with this high energy solo release. Angel is a band that was discovered by KISS bass player Gene Simmons. After the band’s demise, Dimino went on to work with UFO’s Paul Raymond and worked as singer for Soundtracks, He’s in great voice (just listen to his scream at the end of “The Quest”) and he’s created a very eclectic disc. There’s a 70s vibe part Kiss, part Alice Cooper on “Never Again” and “Rockin” in The City’ but there’s also a more 80s metal feel to tracks like “The Rains About To Fall” and “Mad As Hell”, which have an almost Saxon-like power to them. Good arrangements and varied songs suggest Dimino has taken some time to craft this album. Throw in a couple of ballads and guest performances from his former Angel band mates Punky Meadows and Barry Brandt and what you have is a record that is a must for Angel fans and indeed for anyone who likes American70s hard rock. DJ (90/100)
PRAYING MANTIS “Legacy” (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) “Legacy” is the much anticipated tenth album and follow up the acclaimed “Sanctuary” album. This new album is the first recording to feature the two new members, Jaycee Cuijpers and Hans in’t Zandt on vocals and drums respectively. From the off it’s clear to hear what John Cuijpers brings to the band, his vocals are just tremendous and with the twin guitars of Troy’s Tino and Chris, you can feel this is Praying Mantis at their very best. The opener and single “Fight for Your Honour” gets the album off to great start. Yes the band have always been linked to the NWoBHM movement, but for me they have always been a Melodic Rock band and with “Legacy” your going to have to agree with me. Check out the massive “Believable”, the excellent “All I See” and the sublime “Fallen Angel”, if you doubt my words. It’s great to hear a band with a rich heritage delivering great albums like this, as they keep not only their own, but the British Rock Legacy alive. BM (90/100)
SYMPHONY X “Underworld” (Nuclear Blast) Four years since the band's last album “Iconoclast”, Symphony X mark their return on the scene with their ninth chapter entitled “Underworld”. With the usual, incredible line-up comprising of Michael Romeo, Russell Allen, Michael Pinnella, Jason Rullo (luckily back from the heart-failure in 2013) and Michael Lepond, the band delivers another great example of technicallysupreme, heavy and epic Progressive Metal. Recorded at Michael Romeo own “The Dungeon studio”, equipped with the latest tricks in technology, “Underworld” sounds updated, production-wise, with great arrangements, magnificent symphonic parts and some incredible instrumental passages. Symphony X has nothing more to prove to the Metal world, as we all already know how awesome they are as musicians; with “Underworld” the band has tried to focus more on the songs, as part of a long musical journey. From the intricate yet melodic tunes (“Nevermore”, “Charon”) to heavier stuff recalling some US melodic Thrash (“Kiss Of Fire”), passing for the great semi-ballad “Without You”, they've managed to release a monster-album that will definitely please all their fans. Welcome back. PB (91/100)
KADAVAR “Berlin” (Nuclear Blast) This young German power trio has been forged by fire, what with a spat of misadventures endured while touring a couple of years ago. But thankfully they seem to be unstoppable, and have put forth their third effort in “Berlin”. The recording is old school! Three excellent musicians playing live in the studio and capturing every rocked-out moment! The band’s sound is also old school, primitive… Solid rock being jammed out and exploring musical plateaus that we haven’t heard for years. A heavy bottomed out sound that is accentuated with growling guitar and a deep haunting yet melodic voice! “Kadavar” is made up of Vocalist / Guitarist Christoph Lindemann, Bassist Simon Bouteloup, and Drummer Christoph Bartelt. “Berlin” is a musical set of twelve unforgettable musical jams that at times touches upon hard rock genius! Raw and Pure in performance, “Kadavar” stretches their limits on each and every piece, and are rewarded with discovering new and precious gems. Most of what we hear flows seamlessly into each other, creating a spacey musical atmosphere that is not only energised, but smoldering and fluid! An album that just keeps gushing great music! Look out for “Kadavar”, they will be playing on a stage near you and you really don’t want to miss out! BA (95/100)
ORCHID “Indestructible” (Nuclear Blast) “Sign of the Witch” is the latest EP from San Francisco Doom Metallers Orchid, and once again the Californian quartet bring their Groove filled 70’s stylings to the table with four tracks that are without a doubt Orchid through and through. The bands sound could easily be compared to ‘Masters of Reality’ era Sabbath, but there is more to this quartet then being a Sabbath wannabe, they bring that 70’s Dark Metal feel slab back up to date, as they have more hooks than a fly fisherman’s tackle box. The EP opens up with ‘Helicopters’ and instantly that 70’s dark mystical feel is felt. Think a modern day Arthur Brown meets early Sabbath, before the tempo is picked up dramatically with “John the Tiger”. This is where the groove filled sound comes to the forefront a big guitar drive monster that just rocks. The up-tempo vibe continues with the heavier bass ridden title track ‘Sign of the Witch’, before the EP comes to a close with the extremely dark almost folkish tones of “Strange Winds”. If you like you vintage rock with a touch of modernism, then Orchid is the band for you. BM (80/100)
NEWMAN “The Elegance Machine” (AOR Heaven) Since 1998 UK singer / guitarist / songwriter Steve Newman proved to be one of the most prolific artists in the Melodic Rock scene with 12 albums (including the “Another Step Closer-Live” and the 2014 re-recording of the first album) released up to now. “The Elegance machine” is the brand new brilliant opus, 12 songs written over the past two years that could definitely please all the Melodic Rock lovers as well the Newman fans. The band’s style might recall bands such as Harem Scarem in primis ("Don't Stay Lonely", “Halo”), TNT and Giant; huge melodies, great guitars, awesome songwriting and briliant vocals, with a good mixing and production, make this album a must-buy CD, to stay with you in this bloody hot summer. A natural follow up to "Siren" the album delivers a harder edge than its predecessor, but without losing the emphasis on strong hooks. Steve has always been known for his thoughtprovoking lyrics, and "The Elegance Machine" is no exception with subject matter ranging from corporate business greed (The Suit), through domestic violence (She Walks In Silence), and even onto the space themed (Prayer For Apollo). Very '80s/'90s oriented, but with a more contemporary edge, “The Elegance Machine” proves that Melodic Rock is still alive ad kickin' in 2015. Recommended. PB (88/100)
Band: Chaos Magic
Question: First, if we may, let’s talk about your background and where you are from. And I understand that you started singing at an early age… Answer: I’m from Santiago, Chile. I lead quite a normal life I have a day job (I’m a lawyer) but my true passion is music. And yes, I’ve been singing since I can remember! It has always been a natural way for me to relax and express myself. When I was younger I was always involved in the school’s choir and participated in several bands and contests. I can’t conceive life without music. Q: Back in 2008, you actually started your recording career with a band called “Aghonya”, and actually wrote all of the lyrics to their album “Oxygen”! A very ambitious feat! Where do you get your inspiration in the writing department? A: Just from life itself… the lyrics I wrote for that particular album are very personal, like a photograph of my life at that time, my opinions about the world, relationships and modern times. I like my music to have content, to own an intricate beauty, even if it speaks about how sick the world is, or about painful feelings. If I need a little extra inspiration or need to focus on a particular idea, I go lie on the grass, connect with nature, and reach that transparency of being one with your surroundings. That helps me a lot. Q: Let’s talk about your meeting with Timo Tolki, how did that happen and two things—were you already signed to Frontiers, and was your meeting with
Interview with: Caterina Nix
Timo expressly for his Avalon project? A: We met many years ago, at a meet and greet for Stratovarius here in Chile. I stared talking to the guys and they were all really nice and approachable. Timo seemed happy to talk to the fans and we talked about life and music for a while. We kept in touch and I sent him my material because I wanted to know what a professional musician with his personal history had to say about it. So, he liked my voice very much and the idea of working together was born, but it didn’t materialize until Frontiers picked me for this project and gave me this chance. Q: Now, turning to “Chaos Magic”, you have again collaborated with Timo— how has that been constructed. Have you written or co-written the material we here on this debut? A: The songs and lyrics were all written by Timo this time, but if there’s a second album, I’ll write a few songs for sure. For Chaos Magic, I only came up with the concept, the name of the album and a few names for the songs. I changed a few lyrics here and there, but nothing major. All the rest was created by Timo, although we talked about how the project should sound like and drew a few guidelines for the context. Q: Who else is involved with this project? A: Timo wrote and produced the songs and played all instruments except for the drums, which were played by Jami Huovinen. Timo is like a machine! He can do everything.
Interview by: B. Atkinson
Q: “Chaos Magic” is a very strong debut, and the perfect vehicle for your voice, you must be totally satisfied with the end result! A: I am! I’m very pleased with the final product and for me it was a delight to bring these songs to life. Timo wrote the songs with my voice in mind and that helped me show different aspects of it. On top of that, the songs are beautiful, relatable, and catchy and have powerful and vulnerable moments. I believe this is a very complete album, yet the sound is simple and approachable. Q: Are there plans for future music within the vision of “Chaos Magic” and are you planning to assemble a performing unit for touring? A: I really hope people like the project! If it is a successful endeavour, there’s definitely the possibility of releasing a second album and maybe book a tour. For now, I’m organizing a few gigs here in Chile (without Timo), and just doing my best to get the album out there. My hopes are high. Q: As is my tradition, I like to leave our readers with words from my guest, so please-Caterina would you share with us some thoughts? A: It may sound cliché, but dreams are there for a reason. Follow them, because if you don’t, you’ll never know if you could have fulfilled them. I really hope you like this album, I participated in it thinking about the fans and with the intention of bringing something beautiful to people’s lives, I hope you enjoy it. MRF | 15
Band: The V
Question: I will begin with the statement taken from your press release, “Veronica Freeman has stepped out of her comfort zone…” so let me say, that no-one would know that-as “Now Or Never” is just mind blowing! You must be so proud of this recorded Work… Answer: I am even more proud now that I read this! I won’t lie to you, the idea of doing a solo project and the process of actually doing it, were two distinctly different things. I had always, in the back of my mind, wanted to stretch myself a bit. I have had many fans ask me if I would ever try something “slightly different” and I had always wanted to but when it came down to defining what that “something different” would be, and when it came time to deliver vocally, it was really interesting to see and hear how invested I have been in my approach up to that point and how hard it was to relax and just let my other side come out. Q: Now, I realise this is your first solo album. So being initially titled “The V”, is this the start of a new band fronted by yourself? A: That’s a great question and I indeed wanted to leave the door open for that a new band a new start but actually a new concept. To play all of the music and put on a great show embracing both the new stuff and the Benedictum tunes. Something that would allow me to do these tunes and also my first love which would be the Benedictum music. And the secret reason is this… Most people for one reason or the other, just can’t remember my name. I get 16 | MRF
Interview with: Veronica Freeman
called Virginia, Victoria etc etc. So I would go around and say “just call me V I will answer to it” and so there it started. But you must know how much I laughed until I cried when one of the first reviews I read, which was quite glowing I might add lol, was a diatribe about how great and wonderful Vanessa Freeman was. OMG…. How funny is that? I loved it! Q: Who is involved with this recording? A: Pete Wells, Jimmy Durkin, Garry Bordonaro, Peter Tentindo, Jeff Pilson, Mick Tucker, Mel Brown, Michael Harris, Tony Martin, Leather Leone, Meliesa McDonell, Kenny Lewis, Michael Sweet, Derek Kerswill, Rikard Stjernquist, Aric Avina, Mike Lepond, John Herrera… ya feel me?? Lots of folks… And I thank them all so much! Q: How did this solo effort come about? A: Mario and Serafino from Frontiers were in Los Angeles a few years back and I wanted to meet them in person. While there they asked if I would want to do a solo record and I was thrilled to say yes. The rest was a long, long, long journey, but usually those are the most rewarding kind. I have to give a shout out to the many people on kickstarter who helped me to complete this passage because there was a point where I couldn’t. Q: Being that “Now Or Never” is being promoted as your solo debut, are we to assume that you will also continue with Benedictum? A: You know how tough it is I am sure, so I can only speak for myself at this time. For me personally I plan to continue flying the
Interview by: B. Atkinson
flag of Benedictum so I guess that is the answer in a way. I am not sure what the specific line up will be since that will depend on who wants to do what… but I for one am all in. I love the music and plan on keeping it going whether through new music or getting out there and playing that which exists. Q: Now, if not, what can we expect from “The V”… A: If for some reason a straight out Benedictum line up isn’t realized I plan on including that music in whatever else I may do live to some extent. Would be a fun show. Q: Now, let me go back to the actual album. Did you write all the material or team up with someone else? A: Pete Wells and I wrote quite a bit of the material, but there are quite a few great writers whose music we were proud to play. Nigel Bailey, Michael Sweet, Age of Evil and a few more. Q: With exploring new ground, is there anything you have discovered about yourself as an Artist? A: So many things, more so as a person than as an artist. That is how personal this all is to me. My strengths that I didn’t know I had. That sometimes forging ahead is warranted and other times just let God and the Universe do its thing.. I just have learned to tell which is which! To trust my gut a little more and trust some people a little less. To be willing to realize that I may not be able to please everyone but I MUST allow myself to be happy. Not as easy as one may think!
Band: Tomas Bergsten’s Fantasy
Question: In the last issue of MRF, I reviewed the second installment of your trilogy of Fantasy…if I may ask, what prompted you to undertake such an immense project? Answer: I and some of the original band members often talked about that some of the songs we wrote back in the 80’s were really good and that they deserved to be recorded professionally to make the best out of them. But life went on and not until Janne Stark (writer and guitarist) found our 1989 vinyl single in Japan back in 2011 I got the energy to kick off this project. He said he would include us in the “Heaviest Encyclopedia of Swedish Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Ever” and that gave me the confidence to dust off my Gibson Les Paul and start singing again. Q: Regarding the current release, “Nightwalker”, is it correct that you have re-written some of the lyrics as well as rearranged some of the music? A: Yes, especially some of the lyrics were really bad and wouldn’t be appropriate to release on a professional production. Some of the songs also got new arrangements since they were not entirely completed and most of the songs back then lacked keyboards. Q: So how much of what we hear has been altered from the original compositions? A: I would say for the Nightwalker album all songs have been re-arranged to some extent but “Help Me” and “Just You and I” sounds more or less as they did back in the 80’s but with minor changes only. “Killer” and 18 | MRF
Interview with: Tomas Bergsten
“Nightwalker” are also pretty much the same but with keyboards added and better lyrics. Also if we would have recorded the songs on a CD back then they would have been far worse I reckon. Q: For this ambitious project, you have gathered some first-rate musicians. Please tell us who you have teamed up with… A: I realized in the beginning that some professional musicians would take the songs to a higher level and I even thought of replacing myself as the lead-singer but changed my mind since I wanted the songs to be sung like they were back in the 80’s. For the first CD I asked Janne Stark (Grand Design) if he wanted to participate since he said he liked our old single from 1989. And when he said yes I got the confidence to send requests to my guitar heroes Ace Frehley and Bruce Kulick. Ace never replied but Bruce did and I was both surprised and proud that he wanted to play lead guitar on that album. He did a great job by the way. One of the better solos I’ve heard from him. For second CD I contacted several musicians and finally Robin Beck showed interest in my project and then I got James Christian inside as a bonus also. Pontus Norgren (Hammerfall) is a friend of Mats Hallstensson (House of Shakira) who mixed the album so that’s how he came into the project. Q: Being that this music has existed for some years, were you aware that it simply was ahead of its time? The versions we hear on “Nightwalker” can be described
Interview by: Bruce Atkinson
in the same way. What is it that drives you to compose such excellent pieces of music? A: I have never thought that my songs have been ahead of their time so I thank you for saying that. Such nice words inspire me to continue. The main inspiration for songwriting I got back then was while listening to Kiss, Europe, Asia, Toto, Journey and Rainbow. But there were so many bands that influenced me so I could probably mention a whole bunch more. In the 90’s my influences widened to include more sorts of music and one of my favourite guitarists is e.g. Pat Metheny which is quite far away from the music I play and write. Q: Obviously, you have a vision for all of this, please share your vision, and what can we expect from the next installment? A: First of all the vision is to record my older material and there are songs left for 1-2 full length CDs. There’s going to be at least one more to be released in 2017 and the title will most likely be “Oceans of Time” which is a song I wrote back in 1983. The song was never fully completed but now it is. I will continue to include some first rate musicians including maybe one or two lead-vocalists since I feel somewhat limited myself. The style will be similar to what has been recorded so far. If there will be a fourth CD or not we will see. Since all of the remaining old songs might not keep the higher standard some entirely new songs will have to see the light in that case.
Band: Royal Hunt
Interview with: Andre Andersen
Interview by: Bruce Atkinson
Question: Andre, congratulations on another suburb effort! When did you actually gather everyone to record this your thirteenth album? Answer: Thank you very much. I´d say the writing started about 6 months ago – more or less usual for our albums – and the last couple of months were spent on the actual recordings. Q: Now, did you approach these sessions with a set of music pieces already written, or did it develop over the period of the sessions? A: Usually it goes like this (and last year was no different): I got home after the tour, had a couple of weeks off, went back to the studio to see how many bits I had in store from previous sessions, canned most of it, got the main idea from the book I read ages ago and here you go – an album in the making. Slowly the musical ideas came along, the general sound / atmosphere materialized, guys started coming by to criticize the hell out of it and next thing you know – you´re recording! It´s that simple, really. As far as the sound goes I´ve been toying with the idea of bringing some “modern” production technique / sounds to the party and – in combination with classical instruments – the album ended sounding more contemporary than our previous releases yet still containing all the trademark elements of Royal Hunt. We´re very fortunate to have a recognizable, signature sound today – we worked hard to achieve that… even during the times when it was not to our favor. But after a bunch of years we kind of “crystalized” that uniqueness throughout songwriting, arrangements, production… and most importantly – a special atmosphere on each release. Q: With “Show Me How To Live”, and “A Life To Die For”, there was a definite theme… Is that the case with “Devil’s Dozen”? A: There´s a story behind every album... So in this case: some years ago I read a novel (the title escapes me, unfortunately) about man buying an abandoned house in England, around 19th century. A chain of unfortunate events change his life for the worst and one day, while he restlessly walks around the house, he stumbles
over a chest full of letters on the attic. Letters from people he never knew to a previous owner of the house whom he never met. Day by bay, as he gets more and more intrigued, the stories from letters starting to take over his life… Of course, with some mystical and dramatic ending. While working on songs for our new album I remembered the story and tried to write lyrics just as these letters: from one unknown person to another, stories without a beginning and – most of the time – without a definitive ending. Kai Brockshmidt – our graphic artist – started working on the album cover with “13” in mind (it´s our thirteenth studio album after all) so I suggested using an old idiom (13 = Devil´s Dozen) which resonated well with somewhat mystical story my lyrics were based on. So here´s the result: the guy´s burning with a huge XIII behind his back, letters flying everywhere – a strong, almost apocalyptical image that compliments both the lyrical concept and the musical content which – this time around – is quite diverse yet (as usual) large sounding". Q: DC Cooper’s voice is so strong, does this fact allow you to have more leeway in how you arrange and write…what I’m asking here is simply with each album that you create, you seem to push the envelope, and everyone-not just yourself and Mr. Cooper, but everyone seems to meet all of those challenges with ease!? A: I strongly believe that an artist has to evolve – it´s not something you can easily pre-program, it should come naturally… yet you have to have a specific mindset. I love pushing the envelope with each of our releases and feel privileged to work with such a bunch of great musicians – Andreas Passmark, DC Cooper, Jonas Larsen and Andreas Johannsen – who all have the same mindset as me: we never settled for a “good enough” result, we always pushed it to the point where we technically/physically couldn´t make it any better… and then 2 weeks after the release we´re all bitching about how we SHOULD have done it better. That´s the greatest thing of being a part of this band – everybody´s
obsessed with getting better so your work is never getting stale. Q: In previous interviews, we talked about your inspirations; however I never have asked you about your influences. So, who are your influences? A: As for keyboard players it´s been Jon Lord, Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman… giants in my book. Producers/mixers: Peter Collins, Terry Brown, Chris Lord-Alge. In general: I´ve always stated my main source of influences being Classic Rock (Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Queen), Progressive (Rush, Genesis, Kansas) and Classical music Q: So here we are with album number thirteen and the obvious question is when can we hear this grand music live? A: We´re working on tour dates as we speak, but only some festival´s been confirmed so far: ProgPower USA (Sept 12th), LoudPark Japan (Oct 10th) and Rockingham UK (Oct 25th). But tour we will – come hell or high water … keep an eye on any of our pages for dates: Visit Royal Hunt's Official Site http://royalhunt.com/, Like Royal Hunt on Facebook: facebook.com/royalhunt, follow Royal Hunt on Twitter: twitter.com/royalhuntmusic and listen to Royal Hunt on Sound Cloud soundcloud.com/royalhuntmusic. Please subscribe for the Official Newsletter. Q: Although a “Royal Hunt” show is an event all unto itself, but do you have something different in mind, as far as the performance is concerned? A: Plenty of ideas as always, but a surprise wouldn´t be a surprise if I told it now, right? Q: In this day and age I know how difficult it can be with setting up tours and the like, however are you looking at possible places where either you haven’t been yet, or haven’t visited in a long time? A: In recent years we´ve been able to add a few “new” territories to our tour schedule every time: last year we visited Taiwan and Ukraine for the first time… so let´s see how the next tour will look like, looking forward to visit more countries. MRF | 21
Band: The Murder of My Sweet
Question: From the release of the last This is your most ambitious album to date. A: Yeah, after almost 3 years in the making, you are right this is it. Q: What made you decide to make a concept album? A: It was time. We've always had these small concept stories in the last two albums and we felt we needed to explore that style further. I had done progressive metal concept albums before and felt we actually could put Something like this together, especially if I could concentrate more on the music than on the story which Angelica was handling. I wasn’t expecting to fall down a rabbit hole of how to make a musical with a metal band. It was a torture of themes, key changes and arrangements far from what I could arrange at the time. To be perfectly honest, we had to develope much more as musicians if we where to pull this off, hence the three years in the making. Q: Can you tell me what the concept is about? A: It depends how you look at it. To the naked eye it could be a love story between and Arch Angel and a fallen angel. To me its a fight between good and evil. Also, I love the fact that the protagonist is not a 22 | MRF
Interview with: Daniel Flores
heroin, she is tortured soul and she is constantly craving for the one thing she can’t have. I’ve always been keen on telling a story about the enless craving we humans have for that next best new thing: "If I could only get that thing or that woman or that amount of money, then, then I’ll finally be alright". We are built so we can never ever be satisfied with what we have, thats what this album is about for me. Q: It’s got an almost cinematic feel. A: Sure, it was always our intention to make the sound of the environment and setting sound like a movie. Even to an extent that you would forget it’s a music Cd you are listening to. I stopped listening to normal music a while ago and today Im much more moved by music in films and games. Not to take away anything from great albums but mixing metal and film scores is a rather unexplored territory as for now, and as far as I know no one has ever taken it this far at least. Q: There’s a lot going on musically and production wise. What was the recording process like? A: A couple if years ago Jesper Strömblad (In flames) and I did a movie score for a film called Ice Dragon (Isdraken). I learnt alot through that
Interview by: Duncan Jamieson
process and thought it would be cool to implement that working process in our music. So, we wrote the story first, then we wrote all the music. Sort of like writing music to a book or film. Then we recorded the band in the most traditional way. Its alot of work to record an album like this, I do this for a living and I could only compare it to making 3 albums at the same time. Every song needs its own tone and every arrangement needs to be custom made for the lyrics. The story is king here and takes twice the amount of creative force to write music for an already written story. Not only just music, it needs to be exiting creative music. We have actually made a "the making of" film about how we went about to create this album. There is behind the scenes footage and studio sessions in this film. Stay tuned for a release date! Q: Are you likely to take this concept on the road? A: The music is perfectly doable live. The problem would be that the album is 70 min long and festival gigs are everything from 35 to 50 min long. But if there is a festival that wants us to play this music live we would love to come. Let’s hope the fans love this album as much as we loved making it.