…down time, we had to do everything from distance. We would meet on Zoom or Skype, just talking, when it would become clear that it would be nice to work together, we were meeting. It was instantly matching on a personal level with everyone. I was looking for great musicians who could really play their instruments, even more important for me is that the people are great. Dead Rhetoric: Now with Ambre Vourvahis on vocals, did you want something diff…
…merfall find favorable. We reached out to drummer Henrik Petersson through Skype recently to learn more about the evolution of the band’s sound, signing with SPV/Steamhammer and how that has improved their profile, thoughts on the heavy metal scene in general and establishing newer bands with their own take/style, artwork/video thoughts, plus future plans including more North American tour dates. Dead Rhetoric: What are some of your earliest memor…
…formation from vocalist/bassist Tom Angelripper. We reached out to Tom via Skype to get all the details behind the record, including song choices, the assembly of the materials for the box set, hopes to record a live album with some never performed Sodom material included in these new set lists, thoughts on the Ukraine/Russia war, the struggle for younger bands to make an imprint on a flooded metal scene, plus future plans over the next year or tw…
…the quartet. We reached out to bassist/vocalist Peavey Wagner recently on Skype for this quick update on the new EP, bonus tracks, playing live again, book plans, thoughts on physical/digital media, chart positions, plus future plans including more Refuge shows. Dead Rhetoric: Spreading the Plague is a special EP release for Rage consisting of three new songs and three bonus tracks. Can you discuss the thought process behind this EP – especially…
…different things. We did demos to a click track, and then the invention of Skype happened, making it so much easier. Facetime, and Zoom, and it’s so much easier to do things from afar. To Chaosmos, when we started in 2020, we did 70,000 Tons of Metal and in February we did 3 weeks of shows in Central and South America, co-headlining with The Faceless. In March 2020 we were starting to do an Operation: Domination tour, there were 35 dates booked an…
…ks, stirring melodies, passion, and enthusiasm. We reached out to Marco on Skype recently to give us insight into how this band came together, the songwriting and recording sessions, crowdfunding campaign success, thoughts on power metal and the old/new generation of followers, plus what the future holds for this act against the work of Temperance and Serenity. Dead Rhetoric: The seeds for Fallen Sanctuary began back in 2018 when Georg and yoursel…
…ainly is turning heads. We reached out to bassist/composer Eric Dorsett on Skype one afternoon recently, who was very happy to tell us the ideas behind the band, if they will play live or remain a studio project, talk of Voivod, Nevermore, and 80’s new wave artists, plus discussion on another traditional metal project and a final Dead Conspiracy tape in the pipeline. Dead Rhetoric: Tell us about your earliest memories surrounding music growing up…
…ch one of us would work on their own parts and we would regularly meet via Skype to discuss the progress and new ideas to improve the songs as they grew within the context of the whole album concept. We were a lot more focused on connecting the songs with each other so they would form a well-rounded entity (than we were when composing Irradiation). Everything was recorded right away so that we always had an up-to-date demo version (and pre-product…
…headliners. Fortunate enough to speak to all five members of the group on Skype one recent evening from their rehearsal room, you’ll learn more about the latest record, their choice to go back to a DIY release, moving to Vancouver and gaining a new drummer in the process, plus talk about thrash’s resurgence thanks to the internet, visiting Taiwan just before the COVID-19 shutdowns, and future touring/promotion plans. Dead Rhetoric: Silhouettes of…
…beknownst to many. We reached out to Mario (aka the Bavarian Lion) through Skype, and he gave us the whole story behind the vocalist change, the stories that inspired much of the lyrics for the record, thoughts on digital versus physical product support in metal, plus future plans which hopefully include more North American tour dates. Dead Rhetoric: Last year Serious Black went through a significant lineup change, losing vocalist Urban Breed and…
…Morgana Lefay mean something to your record collections. We reached out on Skype to drummer Tom Björn and bassist Johan Fredrikson to catch up on the latest release. We cover everything from the lyrical content, the slow and steady work ethic behind the band, their work with various record labels over the years, special memories from their careers, and talk from acts like Mötley Crüe to Opeth to Ghost among others. Dead Rhetoric: 1349 is the lates…
…uel that aural fire. We reached out to vocalist Samuel Nyman again through Skype, and he was very happy to converse extensively on the new record. We handle the topics of honesty through the band’s approach and output, the numerous singles/videos prior to the actual release and subsequent delays that occurred, special artwork designs, Judas Priest talk, and special memories touring that include gigs at ProgPower USA and Russia. Dead Rhetoric: You…
…ing, we were in the COVID-19 scenario, so we worked together with Zoom and Skype. He had some fantastic songs already, and he just showed me and told me to follow some of the vocal lines, but also write lyrics and if I had some ideas for different songs to do the vocal lines on my own. It was 50/50 for him having great ideas for the vocals and me having great ideas for the vocals. The lyrics, I did most of the lyrics. It was hard work, it’s not ea…
…nd the late, great Andre Matos. We reached out to Bill late one morning on Skype and he happily let us in on his journey from Brazil to America and the seasoning he gained on tour before starting NorthTale – as well as the work behind the album, favorite touring memories including headlining Wacken with Savatage/Trans-Siberian Orchestra, professionalism on stage, working with Nuclear Blast, and how Angra and Sepultura have helped give his creativi…
…e again, who thoughtfully handled my questions once again through a recent Skype chat. You’ll learn more about the extensive video work for the record that went hand in hand with the album creation, thoughts on songwriting, favorite composers, future goals/challenges to build the band, and plans for massive touring over the next few years. Dead Rhetoric: The third album from Beast in Black is Dark Connection. You freely admit that this record cont…
…Twenty years ago to do interviews was different. Now we have Zoom, we have Skype, we have email interviews. This is something that changed. Money rules the world, and it’s not easier than before. When you have to discuss the money for the production and all this stuff. The label may not have as much patience. If you don’t do as well after the first or second album, they will drop you. The business is hard, everything is not a surprise that it’s ab…
…c to be in the same room, you know? We did everything over Zoom, Facetime, Skype, Whats App, over the conference calls, and then we would change things here and there, wait for a link, listen to it, make the changes. It was a little bit more time, and not normal for us. The main recording in the studio, we were only allowed to have two people at a time in the studio. The engineer and one musician. Normally I am in there the whole time, watching th…
…healthy, safe manner. We reached out to vocalist/guitarist Nolan Lewis on Skype and had a very enthusiastic conversation about the genre of metal that we know and love. We also talked about Kryptos, the scene in India, his appearance in Global Metal, what it was like meeting/hanging out with Iron Maiden, plus his time meeting cricket star Rahul Dravid, and future touring plans which include hitting many new territories. Dead Rhetoric: Force of Da…
…akes for long-lasting appeal. We reached out to vocalist Andy B. Franck on Skype and had an enjoyable half hour discussion on the new record, thoughts on guest performances from Peavy (Rage) and producer Seeb Levermann (Orden Ogan), what Seeb has done as a producer to make these last two albums so special, thoughts on the changes over the past couple of years in metal during the pandemic, and also honest thoughts on what success means to the band…
…ers to scream and shout in approval. We reached out to all four members on Skype to bring us up to speed on the history, songwriting, views on heavy metal, insight into DIY touring, favorite metal albums and concerts, plus future plans. Here is my talk with bassist/vocalist Stephen Behrendt, guitarist Blake Toltzmann, lead guitarist Jacob Baneck, and drummer David Miller. Dead Rhetoric: Your latest album Nightmare Eclipse is the band’s second full…
…n the process. We reached out to guitarist Christian Lindell once again on Skype, and he was happy to bring us into the world of this latest record. You’ll learn more about what Portrait wants to achieve with their music, thoughts on the dynamics of an ideal heavy metal record, the ties in cover art between their last two albums, and how the pandemic has helped Christian gain a bit more insight into the political framework and discussions that occ…
…the 80’s thrash movement. We reached out to drummer Matthias Scheuerer on Skype to learn more about this quintet. You’ll hear how the band signed to Metal Blade, their impressive video work for the new record, thoughts on the German scene and support, best shows/underrated bands, plus hopes for the future when it comes to tours and festivals. Dead Rhetoric: Give Us Life is the third album for Space Chaser – and your first with Metal Blade Records…
…ed Where the Light Retreats, and we were able to have a chat with him over Skype the day prior to release. We dug into many topics, from the album to his love of mountains, to the range of experiences he had had with different bands and being a producer himself. Dead Rhetoric: What do you like about releasing your own, solo material as opposed to a band release? Hannes Grossmann: There’s advantages and disadvantages at the same time – I don’t get…
…n the proper capacity. We reached out to guitarist Sascha Gerstner through Skype and he graciously gave us insight into the reunion, the songwriting and performance outlook for the record, video work, thoughts on his time within Helloween and Freedom Call, plus his views on the status of the band, the metal scene, and what the future holds. Dead Rhetoric: Helloween is the new self-titled record for the seven-piece outfit, and obviously highly anti…
…Victory followers treasure. Perfect time to catch up with Herman again via Skype and his humorous, engaging personality made this talk flow very quickly. You’ll learn more about the lineup changes, his thoughts on modern production, catchy riffs/melodies, what younger guitar players/musicians should think about in establishing their own style/voice, as well as the wild world of touring once things return back to normal in 2022. Dead Rhetoric: Two…
…decided to grab guitarist Iivo Kaipainen for a quick round of questions on Skype. We discuss the new album, evolution of the band, duets, and more. Dead Rhetoric: What are you most proud of with Vultures Die Alone? Iivo Kaipainen: I’m really proud that it is pretty far from the original sound we used to have when we released our first two albums, which were more power metal. I’m not saying power metal is bad, but this album sounds much more modern…
…ast Records. So there was much to discuss when we sat down for a talk over Skype with both vocalists. You can check out their thoughts on the new material, utilizing both of their vocals on the record, the pros and cons of a more unique sound, and more. Dead Rhetoric: Since your last full-length, I know you’ve put out some shorter releases and done some touring, but what has the band been up in the last 10 years? Paul Green: We went through a patc…
…e norm. We reached out to guitarist/main songwriter Markus Ullrich through Skype, and he happily gave us solid time to discuss the new record, fresh record deal, cover art, his songwriting approach with Septagon and Them, plus loads of discussion on the German metal scene, festivals, and what touring may look like once the pandemic fades away. Dead Rhetoric: We Only Die Once is the third and latest Septagon album. Where do you see the major differ…
…s innovative and remarkable. We reached out to all three members through a Skype chat – vocalist/guitarist Laurens Houvast, bassist Frank te Riet, and drummer Marco Prij. You’ll learn everything from the transformation of Distillator into Cryptosis, signing with Century Media, the challenges of the new direction, their impressive video work, and how the mellotron came to be an additional focal point for the sound of the band. Dead Rhetoric: Crypto…
…hine this deep in his illustrious career. We reached out to Ronnie through Skype and he was happy to let us in on the unusual way of composing and recording this record, thoughts on how he’s handling his cancer diagnosis, changes within the music business, regrets with specific contracts during the Pretty Maids / Future World heydays, and memories surrounding Ronnie James Dio. Dead Rhetoric: One Shot is your latest solo album – discuss the framewo…
