Category Interviews

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Bildades under 2006 med målet att skriva ny intressant musik, inspirerad av all möjlig musik som de själva tyckte om. Fem år senare har Wasted Shells hittat sin nisch i modern thrashmetal, otaliga spelningar inför tusentals personer har gjorts och våren 2011 släppte de sin debutskiva ”The Debt”. Bandet fortsätter hela tiden att utvecklas men ambitionen är fortfarande densamma som när man en gång startade bandet; Att köra fullt ös medvetslös och samtidigt ha så roligt som möjligt.

Festivalphoto:
Berätta lite om debutskivan ”The Debt” som kom våren 2011. Har den fått det mottagande som ni önskat?

Wasted Shells:
Absolut! Vi är förbannat stolta över den och recensionerna som kommit in har varit väldigt bra...

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German dark power metal band BRAINSTORM have been around since the late nineties, releasing no less than nine full-length albums, and a bunch of other outings, including a DVD and a Best of. I may not have been euphoric about the previous effort, ”Memorial Roots”, but as their forthcoming ”On the Spur of the Moment” arrived for review I positively shiverd.
The new album has that something that is so hard to describe but is crucial to succéed in th music business. What is the secret formula…the headline may be a spoiler… Who better to describe the band, and their rejuvenation than guitarist, founding member and interview caretaker Todde. Bitte sehr meine Herr!

FP: How would you describe the new album? Not least in comparison with its successful predecessors...

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”Newcomers” COSFEARACY aim to set a new standard, mixing German metal with the US counterpart. The band consists of lead vocalist Brian O’Connor (ex-VICIOUS RUMORS), guitarist Fabian Schwarz (THE NEW BLACK), bassist Günter Auschrat (THE NEW BLACK, ABANDONED), guitarist Ira Black (ex-VICIOUS RUMORS, LIZZY BORDEN, METAL CHURCH) and drummer Timo Weis. Most of them being well-renowned musicians with loads of relevant experience. But the questions as to the time limits, other engagements etc also arise. Let´s get some clarifications!

FP: Please describe the new album.

Consf: – The record consists of all types of metal genres from thrash, power, tech, classic and death metal overtones. We wanted to make this record a real worldwide collaboration. American metal meets German metal.

FP: What ca...

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There are some new bands that stand out. Every year I get a lot of music for review, and I tend to think I´ve heard it all before. But every now and then a new band proves me wrong.
THE ANDROID MEME hails from Toronto and are not prone to standard solutions. The bow to bands like RUSH, of cause, but also to the likes of MUSE, SKINNY PUPPY and TOOL. The mix and freshness is enough to get me raving on about them for ages. But who better to tell the true stories behind the band, their hidden meanings and various layers than vocalist Stefano Amelio.

Hi Stefano…what about…?

1/Please elaborate on the album, the theme, the influences, the creative process etc…?

– The album was recorded in stages over a year and half...

Posted in Interviews

Festivalphoto recently interviewed Bai Bang singer Diddi Kastenholt.

Festivalphoto: Hey Diddi… You’ve just released your new album, “Livin’ My Dream” on AOR Heaven. Can you tell us a bit about the songs on the album?

Diddi: Hallo to you Anthony! Well, we started to write songs almost right after the last album ”Are you Ready”, and it’s been a good journey!!! We wanted to do an even better album than the last one if at all possible? We had a lot of good reviews all over the world for ”Are You Ready”, but we knew we could still improve...

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Festivalphoto interviewed Kreator founder and frontman Miland ’Mille’ Petrozza shortly before they played the main stage at this years Bloodstock festival.

Festivalphoto: You started writing new material for a new album to follow the 2009 ”hordes of chaos” album earlier this year. Will you be recording the album in live conditions as you did with ”Hordes Of Chaos”?

Mille: We’ll see, I mean we definitely want to get in one room together to do the basics. Yeah we talked about it with our new producer Jens Bogren and we’ll see what happens – whatever is best for the music...

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Festivalphoto interviewed Elize and Olof from Amaranthe at this years Bloodstock festival.

Festivalphoto: First of all, well done on a great set on the Jaegermeister acoustic stage earlier.

Olof: Thanks for being there and watching the show.

Festivalphoto: OK, first of all, for the benefit of anyone who hasn’t heard of Amaranthe yet, can you tell us a bit about the band?

Olof: The main thing that people keep asking us about is the main thing about the band – we have three vocalists, which is one female vocalist – Elize, one male clean vocalist which is Jake and one growler which is Andy so that really contributes to creating quite a unique sound but for us its definitely not a gimmick – ”oh look at us just because we have three singers”...

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Festivalphoto interviewed Byfrost shortly before their UK debut at the Bloodstock festival.

Festivalphoto: OK first of all for anyone not familiar with Byfrost, can you tell me a bit about the band?

Byfrost: OK we’re a three piece metal band from Bergen, Norway. We play the kind of music that makes your head spin and throw your horns to the sky really.

Festivalphoto: You started as a four piece before changing lineup and becomeing a 3 piece band?

Byfrost: Yeah it wasn’t any good as a four piece.

Festivalphoto: There aren’t really that many three piece bands in metal.

Byfrost: Well there are some worth mentioning, you do have Motorhead, Venom, and Immortal.

Festivalphoto: Why do you think so many black metal bands come from Norway?

Byfrost: Well they thought of it...

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Festivalphoto spoke to Exodus bassist Jack Gibsonshortly after they played the main stage at Bloodstock 2011.

Festivalphoto: Firstly congratulations on a great set tonight. How did you think it went?

Jack: I think it was good and bad you know, as always with a live performance we had some technical difficulties, but in true Exodus fashion we just got mad and played through it.

Festivalphoto: …and destroyed the crowd.

Jack: Absolutely.

Festivalphoto: With 10 albums of material to choose from, how do you pick the setlist?

Jack: Man its a fucking fight every day. Man I have to tell you that’s a really good question. We fight about it every day, you know what I mean. I mean its a good fight to have, it could be worse, fighting about material, too much material is always good.

Festivalpho...

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Festivalphoto spoke with Snowy Shaw, vocalist with Therion shortly after their performance on the main stage at the UK’s Bloodstock festival.

Festivalphoto: First of all congratulations on a great show tonight – my favourite performance so far this weekend.

Snowy: Ok thanks, that’s wonderful to hear.

Festivalphoto: You started as a death metal band and moved to symphonic metal. How did the change happen – was it gradual or a sudden change?

Snowy: That’s really quite interesting because I know happened is this...