…for the audio onslaught, we caught up with all four members of the band on Skype at the tailend of 2019 to get the low-down on the band’s origins, their upcoming release on Napalm Records (PRE-ORDER HERE), and some of their inspirations. Dead Rhetoric: How do you best describe the sound of Konvent? Sara Helena Nørregaard: Heavy, slow, and a simple formula with a twist. Heidi Withington Brink: We don’t use a lot of really expensive gear. We have th…
…e effort with “Surrender”. We reached out to vocalist Gus Monsanto through Skype – and after a few misfires, technology ended up working out to have this discussion. You’ll learn more about the latest producer working with the band, how they are able to work together considering the cross-continental positioning of Gus compared to his bandmates, and healthy discussion on some of his favorite musical moments in his lengthy career. Dead Rhetoric: Yo…
…guitar elements when called for. We reached out to guitarist Dean Wells by Skype and had a solid discussion of the man’s roots, the development of Meshiaak, thoughts on the Australian metal scene, his outlook as a songwriter/producer, and some frank discussion about his worries and concerns for the world that we live in today. Dead Rhetoric: What are your earliest memories surrounding music growing up – and how did you eventually gravitate towards…
…f the world, such as Brazil or Japan – and you want to live there and make Skype music. That doesn’t work with Moonspell. We have family values. I’m always the guy to try proximity instead of distance. I think it influences our music, our behavior, our mindset – I wouldn’t see Moonspell in any other way. This involves having dinner and hanging out when we are not on tour. We are also now all dads and godfathers of each other’s children. I believe…
…ishing to get caught up to speed on the record, I reached out to Mats’ via Skype. We also talked about his past, his time with Yngwie, Therion, and Candlemass – plus how he balances out his professional singing and family time. Dead Rhetoric: Tell us about the genesis of Skyblood – and why now was the right time to develop this solo project after all your previous work in the hard rock/metal landscape? Mats Levén: I’ve been in the works of doing a…
…their sound. We reached out to vocalist/guitarist Erik Mårtensson through Skype in the midst of their headlining European tour – and he was happy to bring us up to speed on everything from lineup changes to songwriting, video making to craft beer – plus thoughts on arena rock and the state of melodic hard rock/metal today compared to the glory days of the 80’s. Dead Rhetoric: Can you fill us in on the recent lineup changes within Eclipse, as you’…
…ing in the modern world. We reached out to singer Stephan Dietrich through Skype to bring us up to speed on how Turbokill developed after his departure from Alpha Tiger, the concept behind the cover art and some of the lyrical content for the record – how the band views the art of the live performance, and thoughts regarding a very emotional final performance last year with Alpha Tiger. Dead Rhetoric: Turbokill started in 2016 shortly after you le…
…We reached out to Ray while he’s home in Spain, and after a brief blip in Skype connection we got down to learning the players assembled for the record, what he wanted to accomplish in the songwriting, beyond a lot of talk regarding Fates Warning and his thoughts on the ever-changing music consumption model. Dead Rhetoric: What the Water Wants is the first solo album of your career. Tell us why now seems like the best time to create this material…
…nsport itself from the studio to the stage. Reaching out to Sascha days on Skype, you’ll find he’s very excited to discuss how the ideas and musicians came to be for this effort – as well as tackle his musical career, some specific memories regarding projects/albums that are special to him, and thoughts on how he views his varied roles through the years he’s had as a producer. Dead Rhetoric: This project finally came to life after four to five yea…
…any, and Povorock in their home country among others, we got the chance to Skype with Damna about the varied songwriting process this time around, the visual / image components that enhance the output, the importance of The Pagan Manifesto to realigning the band’s style, and thoughts on the Italian scene plus the state of the metal industry today. Dead Rhetoric: Tell us your thoughts on the recent summer festival run for Elvenking – how was the re…
…that. We have a friend who is a professional photographer, so we had some Skype sessions about what to do with it. We wanted to show a person, for me who is kind of a goddess, who slowly disappears. We were somewhat inspired by the show American Gods. To me, the cover is about a goddess who will be forgotten. With less people worshiping her, she begins to be forgotten and disappears. That’s my take on it – to be forgotten. Dead Rhetoric: What are…
…back in the hopes of attracting a fervent fanbase. We reached out through Skype for this conversation with vocalist Alex Richichi and guitarist Nishad George – who were happy to discuss the lineup changes and recording of Home, what they’ve learned working with seasoned professionals, their determination to become road warriors, and genuine reflection on the trials and tribulations they’ve taken on and overcome even at this point in their careers…
…ir previous output. We spoke with main composer/guitarist Luca Turilli via Skype, and he was very enthusiastic to let us in to the reunion of Fabio, the thought process behind the album, the crowdfunding success, and a little insight into the relationship he’s reestablished plus what the fans can expect when they tour behind the record. Dead Rhetoric: The album Zero Gravity (Rebirth and Evolution) represents a fresh outlook considering your time w…
…ded songs with hooks and melody throughout. Reaching out to Constantine on Skype, he was very thoughtful about his musical history, ideas on what he’s working on as a guitar player, the freedom he gave the singers when it comes to the work on Aftermath – as well as solid discussion on the Greek economic collapse that impacted his livelihood and what the future holds. Dead Rhetoric: What are some of your earliest memories surrounding music growing…
…out to vocalist Sarah Ann, guitarist S. Vincent, and bassist Adam Blake on Skype while fulfilling more mail order sales for the band, you’ll gain the opportunity to hear their thoughts on their surprising rise through the underground – their sense of gratitude for their followers, and so much metal talk about other bands, festivals, and business acumen that its easy to see that these musicians are as much metal fans as they are delivering the good…
…ck/ blasting measures in the drum department when called for. Setting up a Skype interview with vocalist/bassist Magnus Winterwild one evening, we felt the need to catch up on the five-year break between studio albums, their signing to Ram It Down Records, memories surrounding a tenth anniversary show celebrating the band’s debut album, and the man’s new found confidence in his singing. Dead Rhetoric: End of All Hope is the seventh Axenstar album…
…a dependable metal platter. We reached out to bassist Jan Bünning through Skype recently to catch up on the activities of the group. You’ll learn more about the band’s refinement from demos to rehearsals to recordings, their outlook on recording in the studio, thoughts on the metal scene, and a bit of talk on new music in the genre versus legacy bands. Dead Rhetoric: Controlled Demolition is the latest Paragon album – the 12th studio record of th…
…primal execution. We got ahold of guitarist/vocalist JB Christoffersson on Skype – his measured responses very thoughtful and insightful. Prepare to learn more about the unique recording experience for Wolf God, thoughts in regards to their twenty years as a band, his ideas relating to cover art, plus viewpoints on live shows and imagination/experiences transmitted in their lyrics. Dead Rhetoric: Wolf God is the ninth Grand Magus record. Where do…
…d, we wanted him to do the artwork and the video clip. I talked to him via Skype, and I explained the lyrical concept behind the record. He was intrigued by it, we definitely had to have our mascot, the masked dude, featured on it. I sent him the lyrics, and explained the whole thing – I went a little more in depth in each song. He came up with a few ideas, and we arrived at the artwork pretty quickly. The masked dude, he’s in a straight-jacket an…
…e days in metal. Let’s waste no more of your time – this 45-minute talk on Skype with Christian delves into all the lineup changes, securing a new label, plans for a future instrumental record, and a whole host of thoughts on the industry. Dead Rhetoric: Eternity’s End is back with a new album Unyielding, featuring a few new members this time around. Tell us about the changes and reasons behind the specific players that appear on this recording –…
…cky enough to grab a few minutes with vocalist Dianne van Giersbergen over Skype to discuss everything about bringing Chapter 2 to life. We also talked about International Women’s Day, working with producer Joost van den Broek, and even some jest about her lack of free time. Dead Rhetoric: What drew you towards Anastasia [Romanova] for this second chapter? Dianne van Giersbergen: It was actually our keyboard player who came up with her story. I wa…
…, bringing to mind everything from Nevermore to Evergrey. Reaching out via Skype to Glen, you’ll learn more about the lengthy process and vision he has for Walls of Blood, plus a healthy amount of discussion about guitar technique, lessons learned in Eidolon, and if we could expect some road work to support this project. Dead Rhetoric: Your newest project Walls of Blood assembles some powerhouse singers across the board – from acts like Pagan’s Mi…
…rs and vocals that sing to the sky as you join in unison. Reaching out via Skype with guitarist/vocalist Heri Joensen, we tackled the reasons behind the long delay between studio records, thoughts on crowdfunding, social media use, favorite memories – and of course his insight into the most recent protests of Týr tours far and wide. Dead Rhetoric: Hel is the latest Týr album and first in six years from the band. Outside of the band member changes,…
…main songwriter/ guitarist Carl Delius, the enthusiasm bursts through our Skype chat. Prepare to learn a little more about the man’s musical development from adolescence to picking up a guitar, thoughts on working with Seeb of Orden Ogan and the professionalism of their new record, memories of Manowar, and the changes in the underground from the 1990’s to the current scene. Dead Rhetoric: What are some of your initial memories relating to music g…
…a Rosellini’s potent vocals. We were able to grab Rosellini for a round of Skype one morning just after the album had been released. We collected her thoughts on the new album, the band’s evolution, her other projects, and her recent degree in veterinary medicine. Dead Rhetoric: How has the response been to The Frozen Throne so far, as it just recently was released? Nicoletta Rosellini: It has been a great response. We got a lot of nice comments o…
…wers can easily bang heads while hoisting fists high. Reaching out through Skype, guitarist Michael Stützer appeared eager to inform us about the making of the new record, their relationship with long-time producer Soren Andersen, the newer goals the band has set to play in even more countries than ever before, as well as letting us know more behind the upcoming band documentary. Dead Rhetoric: In learning about the making of this album The Face o…
…eir thoughts. Singer Philly Byrne of Irish thrash act Gama Bomb starts our Skype conversation chuckling at a recent review he came across regarding his band- which according to him states ‘Municipal Waste are running out of inertia … Gama Bomb, another band who haven’t hit the same caliber of popularity, have even less of a reason to exist.’ He follows it up by telling me, ‘if you couldn’t laugh at it, you’d be in the wrong business. You give up a…
…terfully written as anything else they’ve accomplished. Sitting down for a Skype chat with vocalist Elize Ryd, whom this scribe has had the honor and pleasure of chatting with on multiple occasions, the opportunity arose to go a bit deeper than the norm. Some talk of Helix ensues, but there’s also some honest talk about the stresses of finding a new vocalist, Ryd’s thoughts about Avicii’s suicide and how changes are needed within the industry, hav…
…lives for the genre and loves playing for his fans. Reaching out to Udo by Skype the week after this album’s release, we catch up on the work of the record, the contributions of producer Jacob Hansen and Udo’s son on drums Sven, where Udo sees the state of heavy metal today, and the possibilities of documentary/autobiography work down the line. Dead Rhetoric: Steelfactory is the latest U.D.O. studio album. Given the three years since the last reco…
…ou have the makings of a power metal effort for the ages. Reaching out via Skype, vocalist Andy B. Franck appears quite excited to discuss this latest effort. We tackle everything from how Seeb was the perfect choice for producer to the quest for the perfect take, special memories surrounding changes in sound during the Memorial Roots and On the Spur of the Moment records, and a bit of talk over how festival organizers struggle to let some of the…
