SEITA

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELLEN VAN HEEZEN
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/seitaofficial
COUNTRY: Brazil STYLE: Metal / Death Metal / Hardcore

THE BAND IS STILL “YOUNG” IN MUSIC YEARS. HOW WOULD YOU SUM UP THE “JOURNEY” THAT THE BAND HAS BEEN ON SINCE MARCH 2008?

DOM MURA: Michel and me started to work end 2006, creating material. We invited Edson to join us in 2007 and when André came into the band the line-up was complete in March 2008. We started to rehearse the songs that we made already and worked on new ones. Then we recorded our MCD (own release) and asked our friend Danny O’Really for mastering and mixing. Right after this we sent it to a lot of magazines/e-zines and got positive reviews of most of them.

We had our first gig end of August 2008 and more gigs followed. The highlights were Zaans Metaal Festival at De Kade/Zaandam, Prilpop in Sevenum, our first performance in Paris and Germany, and coming 11 July we’ll play at Asia Metal Festival in Seoul (South Korea)...

LISTENING TO YOUR SONGS ON MYSPACE THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF BUILT UP RAGE THAT PROVIDES FOR THE INTENSE ENERGY IN YOUR MUSIC. WOULD YOU SAY YOUR MUSIC IS A GOOD OUTLET FOR THE LISTENER TO JUST LET EVERYTHING GO AND TO HEADBANG “EVERYTHING” AWAY?

Both!! If our music has this effect on people, this is great! Our lyrics are based on the power to overcome, the contradiction between life in Brazil and life in Europe or the world in general. There’s a lot going on what we try to express in our songs and if people recognize it and react on it, we did something good.

WHAT ASPECTS OF YOUR MUSIC DO YOU LIKE THE MOST AND WHAT DIRECTION DO YOU SEE YOUR MUSIC TAKING MOVING FORWARD FROM THE “IMPRINT FOREVER” EP?

The attitude and energy are very important in our music, because we express what we feel, but we take care every single day about how to integrate it the right way by giving serious attention to the composition and arrangements of the new songs. We believe thatby doing this our music will evolute, and we’ll be able to redefine our musical identity.

YOU RECORDED THE ‘IMPRINT FOREVER’ EP YOURSELVES AND IT WAS MASTERED BY DANNY O' REALLY (DEICIDE, BIOHAZARD, AND NAPALM DEATH). WAS IT JUST A CASE OF WANTING TO “HIT THE GROUND RUNNING” AND GET THE BAND GOING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE?

Because of our past experiences in other bands we wanted to start with quality since the beginning of SEITA, to make a first good impression and reach our goal to be a professional, authentic band. Michel knew Danny already from his previous band and had a good experience working with him, so we didn’t have to think twice to ask him to join us.

ARE ALL THE MEMBERS IN THE BAND INFLUENCED BY THE SAME TYPE OF MUSIC, AND WHAT WOULD YOU SAY EACH MEMBER BRINGS TO THE BAND THAT MAKES IT WORK TOGETHER WELL AS A UNIT?

DOM MURA: Not all of us have the same music taste. I’m probably the most ‘Metalhead’ in the band keeping an eye on everything new that comes out in the genre, but after years I became more eclectic. Michel is my mate since 15 years ago and we enjoy a lot of the same music. Edson has a wide taste and way to make and enjoy music and André likes rock, heavy, Brazilian music and other kinds of music as well.

We are different characters with different tastes in music, but what unites us is our Brazilian background and the struggle for our position since we put our feet on European ground.

I’VE BEEN ASKING BANDS THIS ONE A LOT LATELY BUT WHAT GEAR AND GUITAR TUNINGS DO YOU USE AND DO YOU HAVE THAT “DREAM INSTRUMENT” THAT YOU WOULD SPEND ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD TO BUY?

We’re simple guys. At this moment top gear is not inside our reach, so we work with basic equipment: Cabinets: Marshall 1960/peavey 6505 - Head Top: Randall/Peavey and 1 Valve King Peavey as step, Hartke Bass Cabinet, Drums: Fischer (Made in Brazil) Cymbals: Sabian, Guitars: Ibanez/esp - Bass Ibanez.

ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE WAY YOUR LIVE PERFORMANCES HAVE GONE OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO AND WHAT SHOW WOULD YOU SAY HAS HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOU AND MADE YOU BETTER MUSICIANS IN YOUR OPINION?

Until now the Paris show at Le Klub was a highlight. When we arrived we made a short touristic trip to the Eiffel-Tower, relaxed a little. People came in; the place was full with people eager to see this new band (us), a good vibe. And the next moment we played like never before and people were headbanging and going crazy. Our first tour, Beyond the Chaos (with in total 4 Brazilian bands), was a nice experience as well.

LISTENING TO YOUR SONGS ONLINE I CAN JUST IMAGINE HOW “BRUTAL” THEY SOUND LIVE. IS THE STAGE AND PLAYING TO AN AUDIENCE WHAT IT IS REALLY ALL ABOUT FOR YOU GUYS?

It’s the Power to Overcome!! We like to share our music with our audience, in the best case an energetic audience. It’s amazing to hear people singing our lyrics and seeing them headbanging on the music that we created! We’re really proud of our background and we share it with everybody that comes to the shows.

I SEE A FEW VERY POSITIVE LIVE REVIEWS ONLINE ABOUT YOU GUYS, BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK STILL NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR THE BAND TO OPEN MORE DOORS IN THE INDUSTRY SO YOU CAN PLAY BIGGER AND BETTER SHOWS?

It takes time before people know you, even in internet times. People have a lot of choices and until a big audience knows your band/music it takes months/years. We live in a numbers world, so before a big venue makes you part of their program, they want to be sure that the band attracts a certain quantity of people. We work hard to get ourselves known, so we hope our audience grows and we’ll be able to play at bigger or interesting venues/festivals step by step.

I SEE SEITA IS HEADING TO SOUTH KOREA IN JULY AND THEN PLAYING IN EUROPE FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR. WHAT COUNTRY WOULD YOU SAY HAS BEEN THE MOST “INTERESTING” ONE YOU’VE VISITED SO FAR?

We live in Europe (Amsterdam) and that’s a good location to reach all countries of Europe. We are interested in almost every country that’s willing to let us play and can’t tell exactly what’s the most interesting one. At this moment we really look forward to play in South Korea. Not so many European or Brazilian bands went there yet; it’s a quite new metal-country, so this will be a special experience.

BASED ON THE REACTION YOU’VE RECEIVED FROM AUDIENCES AT SHOWS DO YOU THINK HEAVY MUSIC WILL ALWAYS HAVE ITS PLACE IN THE WORLD EVEN IF IT’S NOT LIKED BY “EVERYONE”?

There’s an audience for every kind of music and there’s fashion in music styles as well. The reaction of audiences so far is good and people come back after seeing us the first time, so probably there is a place for our music and metal in general. Like you said before, heavy music is a perfect outlet to let everything go and if more people discover this, it’s gonna be crowded at metal-gigs and festivals the next years!

YOU GUYS HAVE A VERY COOL MYSPACE, HOW HAVE YOU APPROACHED THE MARKETING ASPECT THAT COMES WITH PLAYING IN A BAND AND BESIDES LIVE SHOWS WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE BAND IN 2009?

We searched for a talented web designer that could express visually what we stand for, what our music is about and we found Gustavo Sazes (from Brazil as well). He did a great job and created exactly what we were looking for. If a band, their visual identity and music together are strong, the result will be that the right people are reached.

No smart marketing tricks or something are needed then. Marketing can make numbers bigger, but we are who we are and our music is the way it is. 2009 is already successful until now and we will continue to work hard, do gigs and create our first full-length and grow step by step.

ANY COMMENTS/ADVISE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

First of all SEITA would like to thank the projectrfsezine and you (Neil van Zyl) for the opportunity to present ourselves to the South-African audience, to Danny O’Really, who refined our music and understands us. He’s a very nice person to work with, to Ellen van Heezen, our photographer and right hand and last but not least to all people that come to our concerts and believe in us.

Check our sites and become our friend or subscribe:

www.myspace.com/seitaofficial for songs, (live) pics, blogs and merch!
www.youtube.com/seitaofficial for videos!
www.twitter.com/seitaband for recent news!

Thanks,

Dom Mura – Michel – Edson – André
SEITA – Brutal Brazilian Metal from Amsterdam!

SIX ARMS OF CHAOS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SIMON SUBROSA
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/sixarmsofchaos
COUNTRY: South Africa STYLE: Death Metal / Metal

YOU ARE LAUNCHING YOUR EP ON THE ELEVENTH OF JULY, HOW MANY SONGS ARE ON THE EP AND HOW MANY ARE NEW AND HOW MANY ARE OLD SONGS?

There will be 5 songs in total. We might still add an intro. Two songs are old and 3 new ones.

ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE MUSICAL DIRECTION THE BAND HAS TAKEN SO FAR AND ARE THERE ELEMENTS OF YOUR SOUND THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO MOVE AWAY FROM IN THE FUTURE?

We are very happy with the style of music we produce. We’re trying to be different from the rest and create our own unique sound and we feel we have succeeded with that.

AT ONE POINT THERE WEREN’T MANY METAL BANDS MAKING USE OF SAMPLES AND ELECTRONICS BUT IT HAS BECOME MORE “ACCEPTABLE” OVER THE YEARS FOR SOME REASON. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF HAVING SOMEONE LIKE CHAPPY - VOX / ELECTRONICS AROUND WHEN WRITING NEW MUSIC?

Well it takes the band to a whole new level, the sound is definitely fuller with the synth and loops, also the extra vocals help a lot to create our own unique style.

THINGS ONLY SEEMED TO REALLY GET GOING FOR YOU GUYS IN 2008, WHAT WERE SOME OF THE HARDEST OBSTACLES YOU FACED AT THE START?

The band started off with a different drummer and vocalist in late 2006, things were going well the band decided to record their 1st EP in early 2007 but by the time the EP was done both of them decided to leave the band. We made a comeback in February 2008 with Russel Jay & Chappy. The old EP was never released.

YOUR VOCALIST COULD NOT PERFORM AT A SHOW ON THE 30TH OF MAY BECAUSE OF FOOD POISONING BUT YOU GUYS STILL PERFORMED WITH VOCALISTS FROM OTHER BANDS FILLING THE “GAP”, HOW DID THAT GO?

We didn’t know what to expect because it was a last minute thing. We played a six song set with 6 different vocalists switching up and down 2 at a time doing 2 songs. It went down really well and the crowd loved it.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU PLAY LIVE BECAUSE THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY VENUES IN PE WHERE BANDS CAN PERFORM, AND HOW “ACCOMMODATING” ARE VENUE OWNERS TO “HEAVY” BANDS IN THE AREA?

We try and play at least two shows a month in PE all the venues and owners are really helpful, we had a issue once where we were suppose to headline at this biker rally show, when we got there, there was this back track singer doing Kurt Darren covers and when the opening bands started playing the bikers started booing and the metalheads started moshing the organiser had to cancel us because he had found out we are much heavier and ask us not to get on stage although we were keen on it. At the end he paid us and we had an open bar tab.

PE SEEMS TO REALLY HAVE A “BROTHERHOOD” OF BANDS THAT DON’T MIND TO HELP EACH OTHER OUT, IS IT BETTER TO WORK TOGETHER AS BANDS TO HELP THE SCENE TO GROW IN YOUR OPINION?

It’s always better for bands to work together. PE is a small place and everyone knows each other although its small, the scene is growing fast.

WHERE HAS THE MOST “INTERESTING” SIX ARMS OF CHAOS GIG TAKEN PLACE?

Probably our first out of town gig at The Asylum in JHB, the crowd went insane we met so many new people the owner was really impressed and even gave us a free bottle of Jack Daniels. Slamfest II was also fun even though after the Asylum gig they stole both of Rudi’s guitars and all of Chappy’s equipment we still managed to play an awesome set without the samples & synth.

DO YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME REHEARSING OR DO YOU KNOW YOUR SONGS SO WELL AT THIS POINT THAT YOU COULD PROBABLY PLAY THEM IN YOUR SLEEP?

We try to rehearse as much as possible we have a lot of tempo changes and technical parts but we probably can play it in our sleep by now hehehehe

WHAT KEEPS YOU GUYS MOTIVATED TO PICK UP THAT MICROPHONE, KEYBOARD, BASS, GUITAR AND DRUMSTICKS AND JUST PLAY THE MUSIC?

Each member has his own taste in music and style of playing. We do a lot of individual writing so at every practise there is always a new exciting riff or loop to work on but most of the writing we do as a band in the jam room we work really good together as a band when it comes to writing songs.

WHAT IS LEFT ON THE BAND’S “TO DO LIST” FOR 2009?

After releasing the EP we plan on touring South Africa we also still want to make a music video this year.

ANY COMMENTS/ADVISE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

We would like to thank all our fans for supporting us through the good times and the bad times. All the PE bands we always gig with and to all the people who plan on buying our EP and merchandise.

SEPARATIST

WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/separatist
COUNTRY: Australia STYLE: Death Metal / Metal / Progressive

EVERYTHING ON YOUR MYSPACE LOOKS GOOD; FROM YOUR BAND PHOTOS TO THE BAND LOGO REALLY CONVINCED ME TO HAVE A LISTEN TO YOUR SONGS. HOW BIG OF A ROLE DOES “IMAGE” PLAY IN MUSIC TODAY IN YOUR OPINION?

JAMES: Thanks a lot! We think that image plays too much of a role on music today, we’ve seen a lot more bands these days that use it their music across. Music should be about the people behind it, not so much about what their hair/make-up looks like. As a band we don’t really believe too strongly in the use of any get-up, we hope to entertain people enough without needing a costume.

YOU RELEASED YOUR DEBUT ALBUM “THE MOTIONLESS APOCALYPSE” AFTER THE BAND HAS BEEN GOING FOR FIVE YEARS ALREADY. I GUESS THE QUESTION IS WHAT TOOK SO LONG?

SAM: We basically didn’t have any ambition or drive to push for an album with the band’s older line-up. We were just a band that got together and played gigs for fun, it’s amazing to reflect on what we’ve done over the last year with that in mind!

“THE MOTIONLESS APOCALYPSE” HAS BEEN RECEIVING GREAT REVIEWS SO FAR, ARE YOU PROUD WITH WHAT YOU HAVE ACHIEVED MUSICALLY WITH THE ALBUM?

SAM: Yeah, definitely. It’s awesome to be getting so many positive reviews from recognised sources and we’re still being contacted a year after its release to be interviewed! It’s amazing how much support we’ve been getting, it’s really motivated us to work harder as a band.

DID THE BAND FACE ANY “CHALLENGES” DURING THE RECORDING PROCESS?

SAM: Learning how to record the instruments and getting the sound right was tough, though the main challenge came when I realised I had to record the whole thing myself.

A BIG PIECE OF THE METAL PUZZLE SEEMS TO HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TO TAKE THE “METAL” SOUND AND MAKE IT YOUR OWN, HOW WOULD YOU SAY SEPARATIST HAS DONE THAT WITH “THE MOTIONLESS APOCALYPSE”?

SAM: I listen to a lot of different bands from varying genres, so I guess I wasn’t as bound to the strict metal way or writing when I was making the material. I just wrote what sounded good to me.

YOUR SONGS HAVE A VERY “EPIC” SOUND TO IT. WHEN YOU GUYS WRITE NEW SONGS DO YOU USUALLY HAVE A GOOD IDEA WHAT DIRECTION YOU WANT TO TAKE WITH THEM OR DO YOU JUST LET THEM DEVELOP INTO SOMETHING AND THEN WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS?

JAMES: Before we started writing the second album, Sam and I came up with a “library” of riff ideas with different feels and techniques, trying to find what we thought would be a good sound.

SAM: When I’m putting together the songs I’ll pick up riffs from the collection, or even pull apart old songs that I’ve written and not released. Often I’ll have an idea of what I want the song to sound like but it’ll always change as the process goes along.

I MUST ASK WHAT GUITAR TUNINGS AND GEAR YOU GUYS USE TO GET YOUR SOUND?

GILBO: We play in Drop C tuning; we use ESP guitars, Ernie Ball strings and Line 6 pedals for both recording and live.

DOES THE SETUP OF YOUR GEAR CHANGE MUCH BETWEEN RECORDING AND GOING ON THE ROAD?

GILBO: Not really, when we record we go through the same pedals, only with the addition of PODfarm, which rules.

READING YOUR BAND BIO I SEE YOU’VE PLAYED WITH SOME REALLY GREAT BANDS, WHAT ELEMENT OF LIVE PERFORMANCES DO YOU LOVE AND HATE THE MOST?

JAMES: The stage presence that a band holds is really key to keeping my interest in them live, and I don’t mean a gimmick, seeing bands like Dismember and Malevolent Creation slam out on stage was awesome, they were more active than most of the bands we’ve played with – it’s how metal is supposed to be played!

IS THERE A LIVE SHOW THAT YOU WILL PROBABLY NEVER FORGET FOR A PARTICULAR REASON?

GILBO: There are far too many memorable gigs, at each one we’ve had something go wrong, James has missed about 3 planes so far, we almost lost our money box from a gig in Brisbane when we were on tour... there’s heaps, things just never seem to go our way – which is hilarious! But the crowds and the people who have taken us in and looked after us usually make up for all our fuckups haha

JAMES: We’ve met a lot of cool people through all of our gigs, there’s no way any one stands out from another, we just love to play the music and drink beer!

HOW HARD IS IT TO ALWAYS GET OUT TO AS MANY VENUES AS POSSIBLE TO INCREASE YOUR FAN BASE WHILE KEEPING YOUR EXISTING FAN BASE HAPPY AT THE SAME TIME?

SAM: It’s not very hard for us at the moment, since the furthest venue from where we are is a massive 3 hours drive away. We’ll do interstate gigs maybe once every 2 months or so, just playing here and there to familiarize ourselves with the scene.

NOW THAT THE WEIGHT OF RELEASING A DEBUT ALBUM IS OF YOUR SHOULDERS, WHERE WILL YOUR ATTENTION BE MOVING TO NEXT?

JAMES: Complete the second album and then straight onto touring, we really hope to sign to a good label and tour internationally, assuming that the new material goes as well as we hope!

ANY COMMENTS/ADVISE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

JAMES: Welkin Entertainment, Truth Inc. Records and the guys at CMI! I’d like to thank everyone that’s come to a show, helped us take the next steps in our journey and especially to those of you who are reading this now [check us out!].

The harder you work, the luckier you get.

GILBO: My advice would be to play what you wanna play and what you wanna listen to, to do it harder than everyone else and dedicate yourself to it a hundred percent. I’d like to thank all the people who have let us into their homes and helped us out while we’ve been touring. I’d also like to thank all the people who paid to see a bunch of sweaty smelly dudes windmill and those that had a beer with us afterwards. And a massive shout out to Nath and the Internal Nightmare guys for being the kindest badasses I’ve ever met.

Thank you beer, your influence has made me the musician I am today.

SAM: Well the other guys have pretty well summed it up, I just want to say a huge thanks to anyone who has helped us out and looked out for us, especially in the last year or so, those guys have been integral to us getting where we are today, and will undoubtedly play a part in us hopefully taking this thing to new levels with the release of the next album too! Thanks heaps guys, we really, really appreciate it!

FOKOFPOLISIEKAR

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LIAM LYNCH
WEBSITE: www.fokofpolisiekar.co.za
COUNTRY: South Africa STYLE: Rock

Interview Answered by Francois van Coke

A SHORT WHILE BACK YOU COLLABORATED WITH DIE ANTWOORD FOR THE SONG “DOOS DRONK” HOW DID THAT COLLABORATION COME TOGETHER AND WILL YOU PERFORM IT AGAIN IF DIE ANTWOORD IS ON THE SAME BILL AS YOU GUYS?

We have been fans of Max Normal for a while. They were fucking amazing live. Waddy(Ninja) came to me and said he wrote a chorus for me, that I have to sing. We spoke about it briefly and we got Johnny on board. He made the beat and I went to sing the chorus is his studio. That was it. If we have the chance to do it again we will, definitely. It was great performing the song with them at Ramfest this year.

HOW BIG OF AN IMPACT DO YOU THINK ALL YOUR SIDE PROJECTS WILL HAVE ON THE “SOUND” OF ANY FUTURE NEW MATERIAL THAT YOU WRITE FOR THIS BAND?

Fokofpolisiekar will stay Fokof. Johnny and Hunter is the main writers and when they get together it will be Fokof.

IF ONE LOOKS AT HOW YOU GUYS ARE HERE AND THEN THE NEXT MOMENT YOU’RE OVER THERE DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT MUSICALLY HOW HAVE YOU KEPT THE BAND “ALIVE”?

We established Fokof when we did that full time for the first couple of years. All of us are friends and it is like a family reunion every time we get together. Obviously we like making music together.

IN APRIL YOU DREW A CROWD MADE UP REPORTEDLY OF A RECORD 1400 PEOPLE AT THE KLEIN LIBERTAS THEATRE. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE BIGGEST CROWD IS THAT YOU HAVE PERFORMED FOR SO FAR?

Probably at Oppikoppi main stage or at the new year parties in Pretoria. It is difficult to say, maybe there was more people when we opened for Metallica, but the sun was still out.

BECAUSE THE BAND IS POPULAR ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS IT HARD TO REACH ALL YOUR FANS ON A REGULAR BASIS WITH LIVE SHOWS AS MUCH AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO?

Yes, because we only play bigger shows or festivals we hardly ever get to Durban or Natal as a whole. We would like to go there more often.

WITH THE RELEASE OF THE "FOKUMENTARY" COMING CLOSER AND CLOSER THE SPOTLIGHT WILL BE SHINING BRIGHT ON THE BAND AGAIN AND YOUR FANS WILL DEFINITELY FEEL NOSTALGIC AFTER WATCHING IT. DO YOU THINK THERE WILL BE RENEWED “PRESSURE” ON THE BAND TO RELEASE A NEW FULL LENGTH ALBUM IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE DOCUMENTARY?

Hopefully the documentary will lift our profile even more, but we have been planning another full length album since we finished ‘Antibiotika’. We will focus on that sometime next year.

NOW THAT I ALSO FEEL NOSTALGIC AND ONE THINKS ABOUT IT YOU GUYS REALLY HAVE DONE IT “ALL” IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN MUSIC SCENE AND THERE WILL PROBABLY NEVER BE A BAND LIKE FOKOFPOLISIEKAR AGAIN, BUT ARE THERE CERTAIN GOALS YOU WOULD STILL LIKE TO REACH WITH THIS BAND?

It would be great to tour oversees again in the future and hopefully klap some of the European festivals. But, we would love to make another great album.

YOU MUST HAVE SEEN THE DOCUMENTARY ALREADY; DID IT LIVE UP TO YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND IN WHAT WAYS DOES IT SHOW THE BAND IN A DIFFERENT “LIGHT” THAN WHAT WE ARE USE TO SEEING?

I think the documentary looks great and we laughed a shitload when we checked it. In some of the behind the scenes footage we are very young and it is quiet embarrassing. Maybe our parents will be shocked, we were quiet crazy when we were younger.

HOW MANY HOURS OF FOOTAGE WAS THERE FOR THE GUYS FROM “FLY ON THE WALL” TO USE, AND WERE THERE DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN YOU AND THEM ABOUT WHAT YOU WANTED THE DOCUMENTARY TO BE LIKE OR DID YOU LEAVE IT ALL UP TO THEM?

They followed us around for about a year just before we took a break for a year and we gave them hours and hours of behind the scenes stuff to work through. So, there is great footage. You can’t make a doccy about yourself, so we left it up to them.

THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BIT OF CONTROVERSY AROUND THE BAND, DO YOU THINK THAT THOSE TYPES OF “FIRES” WILL SLOWLY START BURNING AGAIN IF “SOME PEOPLE” SEE THIS DOCUMENTARY?

Maybe, but we heard that Christians really enjoy the doccy and that a pastor wants to show it in his church.

IN A PREVIOUS INTERVIEW YOU SAID THAT YOU DID NOT CONSIDER FOKOFPOLISIEKAR TO BE “COMMERCIALLY” SUCCESSFUL, BUT WHAT WOULD YOU SAY HAVE BEEN THE BIGGEST PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SUCCESSES YOU’VE HAD WITH THIS BAND?

That is difficult to say, we don’t have a gold album. The first Afrikaans song to be play listed on 5, first Afrikaans nr1 on 5. I think we just achieved some things that was thought impossible, before we were around.

SOME SAY BAND NAMES DON’T PLAY SUCH A BIG ROLE IN A BAND’S SUCCESS BUT DO YOU THINK THE BAND WOULD HAVE COME AS FAR AS IT HAS IF IT WASN’T CALLED FOKOFPOLISIEKAR?

The name was a very important thing for us and it is a great name. We knew it was going to have a impact initially, but we also knew we had to be a great band with great songs to back it up.

ANY COMMENTS/ADVISE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

Thank you for the interview.

FOR BETTER ENDINGS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RUEVEN TAN
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/fbecore
COUNTRY: Singapore STYLE: Hardcore / Metal / Rock

YOU WERE SIGNED TO A MALAYSIAN BASED LABEL CALLED GEGEY MUSIC A WHILE BACK; IS THIS THE OPPORTUNITY YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR TO TAKE THE BAND TO NEW “HEIGHTS”?

We have been blessed enough to be signed by Gegey Music which has only brought us to a better place here in South East Asia. The people in the label have become close friends of ours and they have been doing everything they can to push us as far as possible.

We are just so proud to be apart of the Gegey Music family, we never thought the music we have been writing could bring us such opportunities to travel and play to new faces.

WHEN DID YOU GUYS FIRST GET INTRODUCED TO HEAVY MUSIC AND WHAT ASPECTS OF IT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST?

We all got into the music when we were way younger and before any of us were actually friends. Regardless, the idea of something being an alternative that can be rewritten in any way that we want, to express ourselves is reason enough to fall in love with it.

YOU ARE RE-RELEASING YOUR DEBUT EP “VARIATIONS” THIS AUGUST. IS IT THE WAY FOR THE BAND TO INTRODUCE NEW FANS TO THE ORIGINAL FOR BETTER ENDINGS “SOUND” AND ARE YOU WORKING ON A FULL LENGTH ALBUM?

We are re-releasing the EP for the people that have not gotten it so far and it will be distributed worldwide for fans across borders and oceans. It will include 2 new songs that will be in the full length. We are still in the writing process of the record and we should be done with somewhere mid or early next year. We are pushing our boundaries as a band with the song writing and arrangements, trying our best to give listeners a new take on the tired genre.

MUSICIANS PROBABLY NEVER STOP WRITING; DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE SONG IDEAS “FLOATING” AROUND AND HOW MANY OF THOSE IDEAS USUALLY BECOME FULL SONGS?

Damian and Shaun are constantly writing new drafts for songs and we would come together as a band to rearrange riffs, structures to make things work. A draft would normally start with 6 riffs that will eventually become into 13 completely different riffs that normally ends up as the final song.

WHAT TYPES OF MUSIC INSPIRES YOU GUYS TO WRITE THE MOST AND WHAT PARTS OF YOUR MUSIC WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPERIMENT WITH A BIT MORE?

We all like really different sort of heavy music, be it Story Of The Year or Converge or The Bled, we take exactly what we want from each of these influences as guides to our songs. For example like having the melodies of Story Of The Year with the intensity of Converge to the riffing of The Bled.

In our current song writing process, we have been experimenting with the way we have been writing our guitar and drum parts. We also have been working on a lot more slower and cleaner passages.
YOUR BAND BIO READS, “OUR MUSIC ABOUT SUMMING UP THE COURAGE TO SAY OR DO WHAT YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO. OUR MUSIC IS ABOUT CARRYING ON.” WOULD YOU SAY YOU’VE DONE EXACTLY THAT WITH YOUR MUSIC, AND WHAT INSPIRES YOU GUYS TO CARRY ON?

What we want from this band is to do whatever we can to help listeners through their struggles. Haven’t we all at one point escaped our demons through our favourite bands and records? We just want to let them know that they are not alone going through whatever they are facing. That is one of the reasons why our lyrics lean towards to the positive side.

It is really difficult being in a band in Singapore, where the scene is really small and most bands here get disheartened by the constant uphill battle to break to out of the endless cycle. Where there is little or no chance for bands to make it elsewhere, we have taken this to be one of our biggest inspirations because it is stupid to think that barriers can’t be broken and bars can’t be set higher for the rest of the bands. We hope to be an example for other bands to push themselves as hard as they can and have a chance to share their hard work with the world.

I SEE THE WORD “REVAMPING” IN BRACKETS ON YOUR MYSPACE. WHAT ASPECTS OF THE BAND ARE YOU REVAMPING?

We are the revamping the Myspace page with a whole new layout, merch store and new tunes. Any means to make us easily accessible for foreign fans.

YOU’VE PLAYED SOME OVERSEAS SHOWS AS WELL; WHAT DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST ABOUT PLAYING WITH BANDS THAT ARE IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT “SCENE” AND WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED THROUGH THOSE EXPERIENCES?

It is really amazing to play in a room of complete strangers, trying our very best to win over as much hearts as possible in that 30-40 minutes we are given. And you get see to what is going on in that scene like who are the upcoming stars and who totally dominates that scene, there is politics everywhere. It is always an insightful thing to learn new things from new bands that we get to see on the road. Any experience at all is a blessing for us.

WHAT IS THE ONE THING THAT YOU’VE SEEN OR DONE THAT HAS HAD THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON THE WAY THE BAND APPROACHES LIVE SHOWS?

We have seen too many bands really “rocking/freaking the fuck out” and it gets to a point where it is so fake and staged? And they tend to miss their cues and parts due to it.

We too used to go into a room with the intention to get peoples attention by having really crazy stage antics and stuff but we have toned down a lot. We are more focussed on playing tighter sets now and giving each show everything we’ve got.

ARE YOU GUYS HAPPY WITH THE EQUIPMENT YOU HAVE AT THE MOMENT AND WHAT DO YOU USE?

We definitely need better gear for better sound, any means to enhance our live shows. Alex and Lee are endorsed by Gibson and Epiphone guitars and bass. And Damian proudly uses the Singaporean based Craftsman guitars.

THE BAND IS PERFORMING AT BAYBEATS IN AUGUST, IN WHAT WAYS ARE YOU TRYING TO GET THE BAND TO FEATURE IN BIGGER SHOWS AND BETTER TOURS?

We try our best to get into as much local and regional shows as possible through emailing or messaging various bands and labels on Myspace. We also managed to get a stronger following here in Singapore and we hope get more opportunities to open for more touring bands like we did with the god-like Misery Signals.

I SEE THAT YOU ARE NOT SHY TO POST LINKS TO OTHER BANDS WEBSITES THAT YOU HAVE PLAYED WITH ON YOUR MYSPACE BLOG. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT “GOOD” MUSIC AND MUSICIANS THESE DAYS IN YOUR OPINION?

We wish to help spread and promote great bands we come across as much as possible. It is not too much to take a little effort to put a link on a blog that might help another band win over dozens or hundred more fans. We just hope that more bands would help each other out rather than cut each others throats.

ANY COMMENTS/ADVISE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

We really want to thank Gegey Music and everyone that has stood by us all this while. We also want to thank Neil for giving us to opportunity to share this with whoever’s reading.

Please don’t stop believing.
For Better Endings

THE BROKEN RESULT

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGELA SCHLABITZ
WEBSITE: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Broken-Result/47549825503?ref=ts
COUNTRY: South Africa STYLE: Metal

YOU POSTED THE SONG “MENDING THE DEAD ARMY” ON YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE MONTHS AGO, EVERYBODY WOULD PROBABLY LIKE TO KNOW WHEN WE CAN EXPECT AN ALBUM OR EP FROM YOU GUYS?

BRAD: At the moment we’re just finishing up the guitars on a few songs and then its just vocals. So we should be looking at a date around September.

LOUIS: The first “Mending the Dead Army” we posted was from a previous recording that was going to be our album sound. As the album is being recorded at my studio “Burning Tone Studios”, all the recording files reside on my pc, which harddrive crashed at one point. This led to us having to start over which I think was a good thing as the new sound came out alot better.

It also gave us more time to decide which songs we actually want on this cd, and up to this point we’ve eliminated 26 that was written over the last 2-3 years. This is because we’ve developed and grown into our own style over time.

I DON’T KNOW WHO IS GOING TO ANSWER THIS SO THIS WILL PROBABLY BE IN THE THIRD PERSON BUT HAVING LOUIS HENN IN THE BAND WHO IS RUNNING BURNING TONE STUDIOS WITH ALOT OF RECORDING EXPERIENCE PROBABLY HAS HELPED WITH FINDING YOUR SOUND?

BRAD: It definitely has been an advantage for us, in that he knows exactly what we want and what we’re striving for with regards to guitar tones and overall production quality and I have to admit that his high standards in the studio have resulted in us leaving the studio as better overall musicians than when we walked in. This applies to all bands, especially guitarists, who work with Burning Tone.

LOUIS: I’ve been recording since 1999. I’ve never studied sound engineering funny enough. It’s just been years and years of training my ears and messing and experimenting around with sound. Burning Tone Studios was started to try and find an equilibrium in our local scene (especially the metal scene) and the international scene as everyone seems to always WANT to buy overseas artist cuz they’re “better”.

Well, in my experience the only thing that’s better is production. We can’t listen to most local bands cuz their recordings sound like something out of an 80’s garage. Take all those bands and give them a proper recording and production, and already people’s opinions will change. I’m not nearly as good as I’d like to become, I’ve learned alot in the last 3 years and will continue to do so. I want to thank Dual Entertainment and all the bands that’ve had faith in Burning Tone Studios! Together we’ll build our empire. Betray the Emissary, Infanteria, Reverse the Sands, White Collar Kiss, 21st Century Tragedy, its an honor working with you guys.

WESLEY: It’s awesome. What more could you ask for?

THERE WERE ALSO A FEW LINE-UP CHANGES EARLY ON IF I’M RIGHT, WAS IT JUST A CASE OF FINDING “THE RIGHT PEOPLE FOR THE JOB”, AND IN YOUR OPINION IF MUSICIANS DON’T GET ALONG WELL ON A “FRIENDSHIP” LEVEL BUT THEY WRITE GREAT MUSIC TOGETHER SHOULD THEY STAY OR LEAVE A BAND?

LOUIS: Not at all, the first ever members in addition to me and brad was half of Betray the Emissary. Because of their already busy lifestyles, a side project was not possible. Dane stayed with us because of his undying passion for drums and an almost lifetime long friendship since the days of my first band My Shade. The whole friendship thing is entirely up to the band personally. I’ve heard of bands whose members don’t get along, but play together in a band because their personalities “meet” on a musical level. This also works. Me and Brad were the founders of TBR and responsible for all the material to this date. We had many discussions over Mxit over what and who we want in TBR.

So the long search (2 years) started. We were looking for personality above all else. Musical requirements and skill could be worked on once the right person was found. I guess one could say we were looking for mature musicians and not someone who just wants to join so they can say “I’m in a band bru”. ;-P It was vital to find musicians that would enjoy playing our style of music as this adds to the overall energy and presentation on stage. And that’s exactly what we got. We all love and enjoy what we do, on and off stage. TBR Jirre Jaaa!!!

HOW ARE YOU APPROACHING THIS PROJECT/BAND DIFFERENTLY THAN ALL THE OTHERS YOU’VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH?

BRAD: First and foremost, we see TBR as a creative outlet. In the past and with most young musicians, one tends to do it for the wrong reasons, fame, money etc. This time round we’re doing it purely for the love and enjoyment of playing music we all enjoy. We definitely have a “No Strings Attached” approach to it and it’s resulted in us wanting to work harder, rather than feeling as though we’re forced to.

LOUIS: I’ve had my past experiences with bands and their politics. After my last band, I was not keen to start another one because I thought it’ll all be problematic in the end. But I decided to give it another shot and approach it differently. But yes, I’ve to agree with Brad that it’s a creative outlet. We’re very laid back this time around. And thus far have had no politics apart from the occasional “F*ck You!” as we rip each other apart in a game of Call of Duty 4. For me personally it’s about enjoyment and not getting carried away with this whole “Seriousnessnessness” crap.

DANE: It’s the most care free approach that I have had in my musical endeavours so far. We have so much fun with the music. There’s no need for egos, just good music and great times!

THE BAND SEEMS TO BE HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY CLASSICAL MUSIC IN THE WAY YOU ARRANGE AND WRITE YOUR SONGS, HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON THAT APPROACH TO YOUR MUSIC?

BRAD: Louis and I both have an immense amount of love and respect for classical music, even though neither of us have any formal training and when we started writing together, we noticed how our classical backgrounds were creeping into our writing style more and more and basically we took it a step further, in that we started writing with specific structures and movements in mind.

LOUIS: It was something that came to me on a day waking up with an amazing morning glory dreaming about Beethoven wielding a 7 string guitar and rocking out. Haha. I have an immense classical history. I played piano when I was a little sh*t. But I grew up in a family that’s heavy into their classical music. And I never used to like it that much until I listened to it closer one day and realised how f*cking talented someone must be to write a song using trillion instruments doing different things and sounding BIG.

Now a metal band can never sound like an orchestra, apart from the Metallica attempt on S&M which was good. But we decided to draw influence from the actual style, not just add violins and strings to our already written tracks. Certain progressions, scales, arrangements, and movements throughout the music are the most we can do now as we experiment on this new ground. And as Brad said, we both love classical music which just surfaced one day.

I’VE READ MANY BAND BIO’S THAT SAY SOMETHING IN THE LINE OF WHAT YOURS DOES; THEY DO NOT RESTRICT THEMSELVES TO A SPECIFIC GENRE OF METAL”, BUT AS MOST PEOPLE GET USE TO “A BAND” SOUNDING A CERTAIN WAY AND THE BAND CHANGES IT’S “SOUND”; THINGS LIKE THAT ARE NOT ALWAYS MET WITH POSITIVE CRITICISM?

LOUIS: For sure, not a lot can be said about this topic. We just decided to mention it as were sick of all the different metal genres out there and how they get labelled. It’s almost as if the genre of metal is more important than the band and their music. I disagree with this because in the end, it’s Metal. I don’t understand the need or reason to subdivide an overall “sound”. They’re all distorted guitars, bass, drums and vocals singing or screaming about something.

Saying we’re Death Metal or Black Metal or Power Pop Metal would just limit us subconsciously to what the music should sound like, this is against our classical influence in which the songs flow where they must and even without the lyrics or vocals, the song is able to tell a story. Subdividing metal for me is like saying some whore is getting f*cked by different penises. All different. Purple, yellow, green, orange, blue, red, short, long, gargantuan penises. In the end, she’s still getting f*cked.

WESLEY: Fuck the sub genre bullshit, what is metal = It’s about not giving a fuck and doing what you want.

I DON’T KNOW IF THIS IS STILL THE CASE BUT YOU LIST MICHAEL GILL AS CO LYRICIST ON YOUR MYSPACE. IS IT IMPORTANT IN ANY PART OF SONG WRITING TO SOMETIMES ALLOW SOMEONE ELSE TO HAVE A SAY AND INPUT ON A CERTAIN IDEA OR PIECE OF MATERIAL?

LOUIS: Michael (Hidden 6th) Gill is an amazing mind. An author in the making if not already. After a mighty drunk discussion about our song stories and discovering his unique word usage, we decided to take him onboard to help with the lyrical content. He can truly bring an idea to life using words. One thing needs to become clear is that there’s no one that has a say or input. We are “the say”; we are “the input”. TBR is a bunch of gears that work together to produce an overall idea/theme/song.

WHEN WRITING LYRICS WHAT SUBJECTS OR STATE OF MIND DO YOU FIND USUALLY HELP TO BRING THAT EXTRA INTENSITY AND EMOTION TO YOUR SONGS?

LOUIS: Lyrics can be written about anything which is the case for this first album’s lyrical content. We’re tapping into various topics and ideas. The next album’s ideas are already surfacing and once again were growing into something more original than politics, hate, failed relationships, bad parents etc. that still seems to be doing the trick for most bands today. I suppose one could say were going into a more storytelling concept.

NOW THAT THE BAND IS PASSED ITS FIRST PERFORMANCE, HOW WOULD YOU COMPARE THE BROKEN RESULT LIVE WITH THE PREVIOUS BANDS THAT YOU HAVE PERFORMED WITH OVER THE YEARS?

BRAD: I mostly played with Hard Rock bands in PE and I’d have to say, playing with TBR is way more intense live and a whole lot more fun. The general atmosphere is enthralling and invigorating and when getting off stage with TBR, I can’t wait for the next time we get back onto a stage together.

LOUIS: It’s definitely more fun. We’ve played 3 shows thus far and it left us wanting more. It’s just so worth the long wait. For the first time I know, everyone in the band is happy playing the material we have and like I mentioned before, this makes being on stage such a different experience. I know for me personally I crave the next show.

DANE: TBR is a perfect combination of all of our personalities being converted into music. Its music that we love and we are playing it with awesome musicians.

YOU HAVE DANE CANTERBURY WHO IS THE VOCALIST FOR THE BAND BETRAY THE EMISSARY PLAYING DRUMS FOR THE BAND. IS HE HAPPY WITH THE FACT THAT HE MIGHT HAVE TO DO DOUBLE DUTY AT SOME SHOWS PERFORMING WITH BOTH BANDS ON THE SAME NIGHT?

DANE: The first three shows have all been double duty. I think it’s just an assumption now. Hahaha!!! It’s ok but I can’t do it too often. It takes its toll. The first 2 shows that we played were a day apart and I did double duty both nights. I had to get used to the standard very quickly.

BRAD: Dane Vincent Canterbury is a born drummer and personally there was never any doubt that he could pull it off. All the shows we’ve played so far he has performed for both bands and even being sick couldn’t slow him down.

LOUIS: If there’s anyone that can pull this off, it would be Dane. The last show we played was Death Fest organised by Thorn Rose (Thanks Guys). Dane was sick but still managed to pull of his duties for both bands.

WESLEY: His a machine, he loves what he does and never has a problem with doing double duty, and when he gets up on that stage, whether he’s with us or Betray he always puts his heart and soul into it, this nigga always comes to the motherfucking party y’all.

ARE YOU GUYS HOPING TO PLAY OUTSIDE OF CAPE TOWN IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

LOUIS: We would like to play shows anywhere our wallets allow us. But yes, in the future definitely the rest of South-Africa.

DANE: We definitely want to hit Jozi soon but it’s all about the cash situation.

THE CONTROVERSY AROUND THE DEVIL DRIVER TOUR LAST YEAR SHOWED THAT THERE ARE STILL SOME PEOPLE WHO REALLY DON’T KNOW WHAT THE METAL CULTURE IS ALL ABOUT, DO YOU SEE THIS CHANGING ANY TIME SOON?

BRAD: Ignorance has been and will always be around and thus, Metal will always be shunned upon.

LOUIS: I agree with Brad. Although one would hope once the old traditional way of thinking and believing has died off, one could hope for a positive more mature world. It’s only a choice. Until that day, Metal will still exist and will never seize to exist. It’s a talent first and foremost, and deserves the same respect as someone playing an African bongo drum. One thing those people need to understand is that it’s because of them, that we will continue doing what we’re doing. One thing is certain and that is those people who would go to the “end of the world” (which is bulls*it anyway) to make life miserable for us, clearly does not embrace individuality.

WESLEY: I agree with Brad as well, ignorance is very bliss when it comes to Metal, but hey, It’s ok for hip hop artists to rap about killing Niggas, bitches and drugs and its ok for some pop stars to sell sexuality, I guess that’s ok, can someone please help me understand the contradiction.

DANE: As soon as people see that metal is just as violent and vulgar as the pop music being played today, Metal will be understood.

ANY LAST COMMENTS/ADVISE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

LOUIS: I’m not Dr. Phil, Opera Winfrey, Jerry Springer or any of those who think they can give advice. You have a mind and a heart. It contains all the advice you need. Thanks to everyone who took the time to read our first interview. You are legends in the making. Jirre Jaaa!!!

WESLEY: Thank you to everyone that has supported us. I like panda bears. Advice? If you can’t deal with it kill yourself, if you can then go and fucking get it.

DANE: Keep true to who you are as a person and you can achieve anything. Also, become fans of bands now to hopefully play with those musicians in the future. Hahahahaha, Louis!!!

BRAD: I’d like to thank photographers, Carla, Leigh and Angela who have been supporting us and helping us with their unique talents. Great Work Gals! The Dead Army, Mees, Wilfred, Malan and all the other Nam veterans. Brother Gav for being of such sound mind, always willing to whip out the Neuro Linguistic Patterns to get us on the straight and Narrow. All the nigga’s who’ve been supporting us thus far. Neil, for this interview and supporting the Metal scene. Louis, Wes “10-0” Robb, Arno, Dane and Gavin Clyde Marchbank... I’ll meet you all on the frontlines any day.

DAY TURNS NIGHT

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANJA BLOM
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/dayturnsnighttheband
COUNTRY: South Africa STYLE: Metal / Death Metal / Hardcore

YOU GUYS MANAGE THE BAND YOURSELVES, WHAT HAVE BEEN THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF DOING EVERYTHING THE INDEPENDENT WAY SO FAR?

When managing/doing everything yourself, you know shit gets done and you have the prerogative over how stuff turns out, but ... YOU WORK YOUR fuckin ASS OFF! We have in different situations, environments and different areas of technical expertise, tried to secure some personnel to alleviate the workload, but the balance between quality, cost and commitment is fickle and has left us unaided. We are however very proud to take our Dutch buddy Joop, as roadie, on tour with us this year!

IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2007 YOU RECORDED AND RELEASED YOUR FIRST EP, ANOTHER DAY IN HELL. IN WHAT WAYS WOULD YOU SAY THE BAND HAS “IMPROVED” MUSICALLY SINCE THEN?

We have definitely expanded on our musical 'palette'. More scales, chord progressions, drums, guitar and vocal techniques in our arsenal now. We have also written music above our capacity at the time, with the intention to better our playing in the process. And it has worked very well. We are still practicing relentlessly for the tour, but everything is starting to take shape.

YOUR FIRST FULL LENGTH ALBUM TITLED “FALLEN LEGACY” WILL BE OUT SOON, I GUESS WHAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD PROBABLY LIKE TO KNOW IS HOW SOON?

I'm not too sure when this interview will be published, but we have our first album launch on the 19th of June at Klein Libertas. We are looking to have it available to purchase online from that date as well. From there on we'll hit as many venues, clubs and shops as possible across the country to make this available to everyone that's interested in buying it. (Expect online updates on all this soon).

WOULD YOU SAY THE BAND WAS MORE CONFIDENT TO TRY “NEW THINGS” DURING THE WRITING PROCESS BUT CAREFUL NOT TO LOSE ALL THE ELEMENTS OF YOUR SOUND THAT LISTENERS OF YOUR MUSIC HAVE BECOME USE TO?

It seems these days you have pro- and anti- breakdown listeners/bands. Some genres rely on this in the majority of passages in their music, where others use it to 'break' from one feel/tempo to the next. How you use them, sometimes cleverly disguise their 'presence'. I think especially in the live scenario, we have been seen as one of the breakdown bands.

And sure, we have a couple of them (haha) but I think we've built on that quite a bit and have used them creatively during the album. Also, worth mentioning, the oldest song on the album, Two Coins, was still written by our very much missed, previous guitarist Izan. That song is already two years old. Whereas the newest song was written in February. So this album should showcase the progression in our music pretty accurately.

WHERE DID YOU GUYS RECORD THE ALBUM AND WHO PRODUCED; PLUS HOW MANY TRACKS DID YOU FINISH FOR THE ALBUM?

We set out, initially to record about 13 - 15 songs for the album, and then choosing 10 'best' or something of the sort. We started preproduction when we had about 9 songs. During this stage we started looking out for keywords or themes in the album, a collective idea rather. At the time we found the concept and title, 11 songs were written and we found we have lyrically included all the aspects around this ideology. We just needed to 'start' and 'end' the album properly.

So track 2 to 12 are full songs, where Track 1 kicks off the story and Track 13 is a instrumental ending. Are we supposed to say all that now? Haha. It was recorded at our rehearsal space that is also setup up as a studio and was produced by ourselves.

DID YOU EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS AND GUITAR TUNINGS AND HAVE YOU GUYS ADDED ANYTHING NEW TO YOUR “ARSENAL” RECENTLY?

We have blasphemed against the metal gods on this album. OH SHIT! Spare us ... (pleas in the background...) We have called on our friend from another playing field, Jaco König, to add some pads/synths, and effects on the album. One or two other surprises you will have to wait for as well. Also Sarge has started backing up Karel on some vocal passages. We are concerned his beard might get caught in the microphone live, so we might only introduce his vocal abilities publicly, gradually... We play in C#, quite uncommon if I'm not mistaken. And we've stuck with that for this record.

I MAY BE WRONG BUT I REMEMBER READING SOMETHING MENTIONING THAT THE ALBUM WAS MASTERED IN THE STATES, IF SO ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE WAY THE SONGS HAVE TURNED OUT “SONICALLY”?

It has yes. Actually it was re-amped, drum-sampled, mixed and mastered there, by Zack Ohren, of Castle Ultimate Studios. Sometimes it seems like some bands keep hidden new recipes and formulas, which is definitely important in certain aspects, but we have been very transparent concerning most aspects of how we approached this album from start to finish. It's helped in the sense that we've gotten feedback from bands, that we respect and has been in this longer than us, and gave us very good advice. I think we may have in the process helped out other bands look beyond the tried, tested, but maybe not so effective ways as well. It just seems that if you applaud your friends and learn from them as each band pushes a new boundary we are all moving forward. For instance, we know Facing The Gallows are gonna release a music video soon that's gonna tear your faces off. And with the best natured-jealousy we're gonna stand in front of our tvs and headbang full blast to it when released. Hell yeah!

Back to the album, ... We are not making this State thing out to be the be all and end all to a good sounding album. Even though the sound is essentially created on Zak's side, every little thing we do here influences that HUGELY. The plectrum you use, the gauge, brand and age of strings, the velocity settings and the actually velocity the drums are recorded at. The vocal performance to a huge degree. So, as always, shit in... shit out... To answer your question, listening past irregularities accomplished musicians will notice, we are very happy with how it's turned out yes!

IMAGERY ALSO PLAYS A BIG ROLE IN RECORDING AND RELEASING AN ALBUM, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE ALBUM COVER WILL LOOK LIKE WHAT THE ATMOSPHERE IS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE THE ART TO CREATE AROUND THE MUSIC?

We met up with our designer dude, Connie Myburgh, when we started tracking. We all swopped ideas and came up with a visual concept that fits the album. A lot of work went into this as well and we hope, reflects what we're trying to say.

Basically, the majority of lyrical topics on the album are universal scenarios through the history of mankind. So the artwork is a period piece. An era synonymous with issues addressed in the main theme of the album. The whole idea ties a lot with a song on the album called "The Order of the Orphans".

I SEE ON YOUR MYSPACE YOU ARE PLAYING GIGS ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY IN JULY. WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF PLAYING OUTSIDE OF CAPE TOWN EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE?

Home town crowds are weird man. Three weeks ago we played with Haste The Day and we were almost celebrified after the gig, kicked in the face by a rowdy crowd in front of us while playing kind of thing. The next week, we played another show at the same venue, played very good and this time round almost kicked the crowd in the face-type performance, but they were a lot quieter.

We actually kinda understand the logistics behind it, but yah, to answer your question; it's most rewarding to win over new fans. Especially in an area where you expected not to. But then returning to you home town crowd and having them still putting a stamp of approval on your performance is the cherry on top!

DO YOU GUYS GET SONG REQUESTS AT SHOWS ALLOT, IF SO HOW DO YOU BALANCE THAT WITH THE REHEARSED SET LIST?

Drifting off the topic for a moment ... I'm sure every organizer that has worked with metal bands in South Africa knows how much we can complain! The Monitors! The Backline! Bla bla bla. Actually our concerns are very valid. Sonic inconsistencies can be excused in a lot of genre's, not hindering the performance or even the sound for most other bands. But due to the pace at which metal is played, there is not really room for errors. Moreso with some genres of metal. I think our music, in environments where the sound is sometimes compromised (due to a lot of factors), the songs are not as 'recognized' as they should be.

The songs that have been recorded in some way or form are usually the ones people acknowledge more. Our set lists are usually quite in tune with this and as such requests don't come often. We hope with the release of the new album our fans get to know our songs better. With that said, the sound at gigs have improved A LOT in the recent year and we are very pleased with the people we are working with these days. (Hint hint, nudge nudge Sean).

FROM WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN, HOW MUCH SUPPORT DOES “HEAVY MUSIC” HAVE IN THE VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COUNTRY WHERE YOU HAVE PLAYED?

It's very hard to monitor as at least two areas in South Africa are quite divided. With different groups attending different venues, gigs with predominant genres, etc. Durban is a very welcoming crowd, PE and Bloemfontein go absolutely crazy, Cape Town is very dynamic and Joburg still seems to show the biggest support in numbers. We are very proud to be a South African Metal band!

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF SOMEONE SHAVED OF THEUNIS 'SARGE' CILLIERS’S (GUITAR) BEARD WHILE HE WAS SLEEPING?

In the (somewhat altered) words of the Dead Will Tell "If dumb actions (words) could kill, you'd witness MUUR-DEEEER!!!"

ANY LAST COMMENTS/ADVISE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

To bands: WORK HARD, and if you think you do, work even harder! And think outside of the box and don't accept NO or IT CANT BE DONE as an answer.

And thanks: Richard, Tracy, Derek, Marcus, Connie, Jaco, all our friends and girlfriends that has put up with our shit for the last 5 months, everyone that contributes to a growing South African metal scene, and to you that have taken the time to read this and inspires us to do what we do. Metal greetings! \m/

CHROMIUM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS PREYSER
WEBSITE: www.myspace.com/chromiumtheband
COUNTRY: South Africa STYLE: Rock / Metal / Other

THERE IS ALLOT OF TALK ABOUT YOU GUYS PLAYING OVERSEAS, HOW IS THE PLANNING TO PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER GOING SO FAR?

HANNES: Better to ask our Manager, but as far as I’ve heard, We are getting some venues in place for UK, then we’ll move on to USA.

JARED: Well, myself, Chris from Knave & Duncan our manager went to the UK to meet with some of these people and it’s really opened our eyes to just how hard it’s gonna be. But we’re up for the challenge and dates are being booked as we speak!

SHAUN: We are hitting up the UK in August and a US tour is in the pipeline for 2010…

YOU TOURED THE COUNTRY EARLIER IN THE YEAR WHICH ENDED WITH THE ALBUM LAUNCH OF YOUR SECOND ALBUM "CONFESSIONS OF A HERO"; DO YOU THINK THE BAND HAS BEEN “BATTLE TESTED” ENOUGH NOW THAT YOU ARE HAPPY WITH YOUR LIVE “SHOW”?

HANNES: I’m happy to an extent with our live performance, but there’s always room for improvement.

JARED: There is always room for improvement, but we are confident now and super comfortable on stage. This is our dream, we’re gonna hit it hard!

SHAUN: I think Chromium has a very intense live show which involves the fans from the back of the club to the front. Playing live definitely improves the tightness of you’re performance but the energy and passion should come from somewhere deep inside of you.

IS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO PLAY LIVE ON A REGULAR BASIS AND ALWAYS BE “AROUND” AND STAY IN THE BACK OF EVERYONE’S MINDS?

HANNES: If you want to be a tight band, you got to play live (a lot). And yes, the more you’re out there… the better.

JARED: Yes and no… we wanna be AROUND yes to play to those who have stuck around since the beginning, but we also have to make thoughs who haven’t quite converted to a FAN, miss us, u know?

SHAUN: From a band’s perspective it is very important to play live regularly but also to benefit the local music scene by sticking to it and supporting it.

WOULD YOU STILL PLAY A SHOW IF THERE WERE ONLY TEN PEOPLE IN THE CROWD?

HANNES: Yes! We don’t play just for the crowd. We play for ourselves because we love it. But… the more the merrier.

JARED: Yeah have… and we would, if there’s 10, we play to those 10 and we make them know it!

SHAUN: We have many times! :) And it is still worth it…

HOW LONG DID THE WRITING PROCESS TAKE FOR "CONFESSIONS OF A HERO" AND DID YOU RECORD THE ALBUM YOURSELVES (JARED GUNSTON) OR DID YOU BRING IN SOME OUTSIDE HELP?

HANNES: Difficult to say for the writing process, because there we’re riffs that we wrote 2 years back, and some in studio. We didn’t bring anyone from the outside in, just Chromium.

JARED: Album was done by myself, we were writing material since before the release of Intro Spectre. The actually recording process took around 7 months.

IF MY HEARING IS OK IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU USE SOME VERY LOW GUITAR TUNINGS, HOW DO YOU STILL GET EVERYTHING TO STAND OUT AND SOUND SO “CLEAR”?

HANNES: Because of the drums :)

JARED: Hehehe, practice? Naa I’m kidding! The correct picks with the correct String Gauge, EMG pickups and Hughes & Kettner Amplification.

SHAUN: Hats off to the amazing Hughes&Kettner!

YOU GUYS USE SOME REALLY COOL EQUIPMENT, DOES IT ACTUALLY HELP TO INVEST IN THE EXPENSIVE STUFF OR CAN ONE STILL GET GOOD RESULTS WITH “CHEAPER” GEAR?

HANNES: Cheaper gear does tend to lack a few things. There is also cheap stuff that sounds great, so it’s kind of a 50/50, but you can get away with cheap equipment if you know how to get the good sound out of it.

JARED: You can get a result from cheaper gear, I mean our Vortex heads are not pricey, BUT you can’t buy them anymore! If you want quality you need to put in a little bit of dollar!

SHAUN: Higher end equipment will always be the best option no matter which way you look at it… It’s understandable that starting bands sometimes can’t afford expensive equipment and you can still get the most out of a smaller combo and certain pedals, but having higher end equipment is essentially cheaper in the long run because of reliability and low maintenance and of course it creates an overall professional image.

THE BAND HAS ALSO SECURED A FEW ENDORSEMENTS. HAS THIS PROVEN VITAL IN PEOPLE TAKING THE BAND MORE SERIOUSLY WHILE TRYING TO OPEN DOORS FOR YOURSELVES IN THE INDUSTRY?

HANNES: It does! It also helps getting the good equipment for a lot cheaper than the store sells it for.

JARED: Definitely, to have names such as Hughes & Kettner, Music Connection & Jagermeister, it definitely proves that we are doing SOMETHING right! Hehe – let us know when u figure it out exactly though…

SHAUN: Definitely, Jagermeister have been great in sponsoring the band’s merchandise without which life would have been a lot harder and then of course Hughes&Kettner for promoting the band all over their website and endorsing us!

WHERE CAN PEOPLE GET THEIR HANDS ON YOUR MUSIC?

HANNES: Our live shows, there is a bunch of music stores around South Africa. A lot of online stores to get it. Best is to go to www.chromium.co.za and check there.

JARED: Stores around the country, Kalahari.net, itunes.

SHAUN: Most local music retail stores, if they don’t have it ASK FOR IT!!!! :) And then online stores such as iTunes and Kalahari.

YOU GUYS DID A REALLY COOL VIDEO FOR THE SONG “THE LAST TIME”, WHAT WAS THE CONCEPT BEHIND THE VIDEO AND ARE YOU PLANNING ANY MORE FOR THE FUTURE?

HANNES: In a nutshell, someone would doesn’t realise she’s dead.

JARED: Yes we are planning a follow up video to be filmed shortly. The Last Time is about taking those in your life seriously, respecting them, cause you don’t know when they’ll be gone. The video shows you just one angle of who that can be lost.

WITH THE RELEASE OF "CONFESSIONS OF A HERO" YOU HAVE STARTED TO GAIN SOME MEDIA ATTENTION AS WELL. WHAT HAVE BEEN THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO YOUR “SUCCESSES” SO FAR IN YOUR OPINION?

HANNES: Having an awesome manager. Social networking. And some TV appearances.

JARED: Showbiz, ETV and MK have defiantly help push our awareness. Our manager Duncan has helped us grow to a more “professional” level. All the sponsors for taking us around the country, merch, etc… but most importantly Word of mouth!

YOU ALSO HAVE A PROFILE ON EVERY MAJOR SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE, BUT WITH THE INTERNET THAT HAS GIVEN ANY BAND GOOD OR BAD THE CHANCE TO PROMOTE THEMSELVES HOW DOES ONE STAND OUT THESE DAYS?

HANNES: Anyone can record a nice sounding album, or even a demo. Being a good live act is what separates good bands from “kak” bands.

JARED: Very true, and difficult to answer, I’d have to say, just keep contacting with your fans, be friendly, you are never too big you are never BIGGER than them, and keep ego and attitude out of it!

SHAUN: These days it’s very easy to make anything sound good recorded… That’s why I still firmly believe that a band or artist should be heard or seen live. With a great live show the rest will go without saying.

ANY LAST COMMENTS/ADVISE OR PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK?

HANNES: Play from your fucking heart.

JARED: Advice… live life for now, paranoia is a replication of the past, hold on to all that you have, and… it begins…. here!

SHAUN: Just thank you to every single fan and individual that have helped Chromium to rise up and let go! :)