SINISTER REALM Interview - Entering the Realm with John Gaffney

SINISTER REALM come from USA playing classic Heavy Metal with Doom and Epic elements. After two albums, they're working on their third effort and we took the chance to talk with the brain of the Realm, John Gaffney. Enjoy the interview and support this great band now. 

Lets go back in time, where and when did Sinister Realm was created? 

Sinister Realm started around the summer of 2008, a little before that I was playing in a band called Pale Divine with our original drummer Darin McCloskey. I decided to leave Pale Divine and Darin called me and said that he liked some of the ideas that I had brought down towards the end of my time with the band and he wanted to work on them. When we first started it was just me and him but as things progressed we thought the songs were really good and that we should get a full proper band together. So we did... a demo followed and we landed up singing with Shadow Kingdom Records, two CDs later and here we are!

How did you get in touch with Shadow Kingdom Records for your first album?

I knew about Shadow Kingdom because I had ordered stuff from them so I thought they would be a good label for us as they specialize in classic sounding metal and doom releases. Darin was playing in Pittsburgh with Pale Divine and he ran into Tim, the guy who runs Shadow Kingdom, and gave him our demo. He really liked it and offered to release our full length debut album.

At the moment, you are recording your third album, so in which production stage are you now? 

Well... we are not really recording the album, we are recording a demo of 5 songs. We’re working with a management company out of Europe called Gabriel Management and they want to shop us around a bit so they needed a demo to do that. We really just finished the whole thing up a few days ago. Hopefully something happens for us and we can begin planning to record our next album, which at the moment is titled "World of Evil".

Your second album, “The Crystal Eye”, is less doom-y than the first one and more straight, so what should we expect from the third one?

I think the third one will be in line with "The Crystal Eye". There's a lot of straight up metal moments but I always like to mix things up. Just like on "The Crystal Eye" there will be some slow, epic doom-y songs. I don't really like albums that are all one thing whether it be all slow or fast, I like when things are mixed up a bit, to me that gives an album some flow.  

Do you have any further information for us? Some songs names, release date etc?

The title of the album, as I mentioned earlier, is "World of Evil". I've written 7 songs so far, "Dark Angel of Fate" which is a fast Angel Witch type song. "Bell Strikes Fear" which is a rocking NWOBHM style number, "World of Evil" which is an epic mid-paced one, "Cyber Villain" which is a fast Priest style number, "Call of the Night Wolf" a melodic mid-paced one, "Four Black Witches" a  long one with some tempo changes and cool harmony lines and last for the moment, "The Crown of the Fallen King" which is a slow epic mournful doom-y number. We’re putting our demo out there with the help of our manager Bart Gabriel, to see if anyone would be interested in releasing our next CD which I hope would be out early 2013 but a lot remains to be worked out for the moment.

The line-up remains the same with “The Crystal Eye”?

Yes, thank goodness! Switching band members is never an easy thing but sometimes it has to be done in order for the band to move forward. Thankful we have a great bunch of guys that are all on the same page and dedicated to moving the band forward. Each member adds their own voice to the band and it's everyone's contributions that make Sinister Realm what it is.

The galloping bass reminds of Steve Harris, music reminds of Dio-era Black Sabbath, so which are your main influences?

Those are definitely two of my big influences. From a writing stand point I would say Maiden, Priest, Dio solo and with Sabbath, the first 3 or 4 Ozzy albums, Mercyful Fate and Candlemass are my biggest influences. From a bass playing stand point Geezer Butler, Steve Harris, Bob Daisley, Roger Glover are some of my favorites and most influential. I've always liked bass players that add something to the songs so if you took the bass away the songs would not be complete, they don't have to be the fastest or most technical players, in fact as I get older I like that kind of playing less and less, I just really like bass players who play to the song and still add their own signature to it.

How did you get into Heavy Metal by the way?

AC/DC "Back in Black". I was aware of Kiss before that but I really flipped when I saw AC/DC on TV doing "You Shook me all night Long". The year was 1980 and I started searching for other bands like them. I used to listen to a college radio station, I don't know if you have that but in the States there are lots of them. The signal is not strong for the station but the DJs are college kids, so I would stay up late at night listening to the metal shows on this station and tape them on cheap cassette tapes. This is where I discovered bands like Priest, Accept, Maiden, Saxon etc. This was before the internet and I lived in a very isolated place, so I didn't have access to stores, I had no friends who liked metal so it was a real exciting thing for me to listen to these shows and discover new bands. It was there that my love for heavy metal was born and has never gone away.

Do your lyrics affect the music direction of your compositions and which are the themes you are dealing with? In your first s/t album there were more “demon”, “dead”, “damned” references and in “The Crystal Eye” more “swords”, “might” etc

I would say the music and the lyrics go hand in hand. Sometimes I'll start with a riff and if it has a certain sound or feels a certain way a lyric or two will jump in my head and that will set the mood for the song. Sometimes a song title comes to me and I'll sit down and try to write a riff that goes with the title or lyrical theme I want. As for what I like to write about, I usually write things that are a bit vague and use a lot of symbolism so the listener can put their own images to it. I like to play with imagery and words. Themes I usually like are the idea of searching into the beyond, the battle between good and evil in all of us, some of the things I see in the world or maybe my personal emotions towards people or situations. I think there was a bit more "Swords" and "Might" on "The Crystal Eye" because I was a bit angry at the time I was writing those songs, someone who was passing through my life was treating me rather badly so I guess my thoughts came out in some of the songs, at least symbolically.

In both albums your semifinal song is an instrumental with the band name in the title. “Enter the Sinister Realm” in the first album and “Battle for the Sinister Realm” (great track!) in “The Crystal Eye”. What’s the idea behind this?

I've always liked instrumentals, I think they add something different to an album so when it came time to write the instrumentals I wanted the titles to sound like a movie title, I was specifically thinking of "Planet of the Apes" the way each one of those sequels used the "Planet of the Apes" part… so thus "Enter and Battle for The Sinister Realm". I also designed them that they would flow into each other if someone were to play them one after the other.

What Doom Metal and Classic Heavy Metal mean for you and where do you place Sinister Realm?

I think of Doom Metal in the more classic Candlemass sense, it needs to be heavy, slow, epic and emotional. I'm not really a follower of all the various sub genres of doom like funeral doom so that's what "Doom" means to me. "Classic Heavy Metal" for me is 1980-1984. The seeds for metal were certainly planted earlier than that in the 70s but to me it all came into focus in 1980. Think about the album that Priest, Maiden, Sabbath, Ozzy, Saxon, Motorhead and others put out in 1980, it's like Heavy Metal really came into it's own that year. I know a lot of people refer to Sinister Realm as a Doom Metal band but to be honest I never considered Sinister Realm to be a doom band, I always saw us as 1980-1984 Classic metal. If you look at an album like "Heaven and Hell" or "Diary of a Madman", both those records have some slow heavy dark songs on them but I don't think anyone would consider them "Doom" records. So that's kinda the way I view Sinister Realm. We're a classic sounding metal band with some fast, slow and mid-tempo stuff. I think what happened on the first record was that we had two songs that were faster that didn't make the record for various reasons. If those songs had been on there maybe people would not have thought of us as a doom band, who knows though... it's all metal in the end, right? 

I believe that your main fan base residents in Europe, so how are things for traditional metal in the States?

Well, there are people that like traditional metal and it really seems like it's starting to spread to the younger generation. I see more and more kids when I'm out wearing Maiden and Priest shirts and I think they’re really starting to realise where the roots of metal came from. Metal still lies far out of the mainstream and metal core and stuff like that is probably what's most popular here. There is a legion of traditional metal heads in the States though, that guard the flame and keep it alive. Europe is great for their support of metal and Germany in my opinion is the metal capital of the world.

I saw you last January at Metal Assault festival in Germany and your performance was great. What do live shows mean for you and how difficult is for a band like you to arrange a tour or individual and separate shows?

Live shows are what it's all about for me, that's where you get to really learn your craft and interacting with the fans and metal heads is always awesome. I go to shows all the time as I just love the live environment. Here in the states it's not hard to get a one off gig and where we live on the East Coast we don't have to travel very far to play out of town. Getting over to Europe is a bit more challenging for a band like us, we haven't quite been around long enough to make certain things happen but were really hoping that we will be back to Europe and do a proper tour and that would be totally awesome!! So if anyone out there reading can help... drop us a line.

Thanks for the interview, cheers to the rest of the boys and I hope to see you live again and soon.

Thank you for your support of Sinister Realm and for helping keep Heavy Metal alive. We hope to be back in Europe in the not so distant future and we can all bang our heads and have a drink together... Long Live Heavy Metal!!!

 Official SINISTER REALM Site

Discography:

Sinister Realm (2009)

The Crystal Eye (2011)

 Line-up 2012:

 Alex Kristof - vocals
John Gaffney - bass, guitar, background vocals
John Kantner - rhythm & lead guitar
John Risko - lead guitar
Chris Metzger - drums

Upcoming Tour Dates 2012

30-06-2012 - Warriors Of Metal Open Air Festival, Ohio, USA
20-07-2012 - The Dirty 'OL Tavern Lancster, Pa. USA
21-07-2012 - The Pub on Main Macungie, Pa, USA
04-08-2012 - Private Party, USA
11-08-2012 - O'Reilly's Pub 2672 Coral St Philadelphia, PA, USA
18-09-2012 - The Pub on Main Macungie, Pa, USA

Dennis Stratton interview - British words of Iron & Harmony

Dennis Stratton is a legendary British guitarist known to many from his appearance in the first IRON MAIDEN album and for the few, by his long great course with PRAYING MANTIS. The last years he is active bringing the spirit of early Maiden in the new generations and he was kind enough to talk with us about his life in music all over the years.

How did you start playing music? Did you have any influence from your parents on that?

No, I didn’t have any influences from my parents. I started playing because a friend of mine who was in a band decided to sell a guitar, so I bought the guitar and started to learn the basics notes and chords. I used to go and watch in a pub a band called Power Pack, in the early days, at the age of 17. So I learned different notes and chords and then I joined the little band were I bought the guitar from. We were all friends, it wasn’t much of a band, and we just did a couple of rehearsals in a hall upstairs in a pub.

Which ones are the first albums and bands you’ve heard and loved back in the 70s?

The first bands I listened to, have to be The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. I was sitting in the bedroom playing “Whole Lotta Love”. So that’s how it all started, staying in the bedroom playing Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple albums.

Most people don’t know that you played music since the early 70s. With Harvest from 1970, with Wedgewood from 1972 and Remus Down Boulevard until the Iron Maiden days. What do you recall from that decade? How were things for music in England back then?

Yea, you’re right. Most people didn’t know that I played in different bands before Maiden. Harvest and Wedgewood were sort of pub bands that did mainly covers, and that’s how we did get improved, by going at the pubs and playing for hardly any money, next to nothing. And then around ’73 we finally got a gig at the Bridge House (where we first watched Power Pack) with Wedgewood and there was another band playing there, with Dave Edwards, and we decided to get together and join forces and then came along Remus Down Boulevard (RDB). There were great times. Remus Down Boulevard started playing bigger gigs and we were signed by Quarry management which managed Status Quo and Rory Gallagher. We played in the Marquee and Jonathan King signed us who had a record company at that time and we recorded a live album at the Marquee around 1975. The biggest step was to go on a tour with Status Quo, because we were signed to the same management and we did a huge European/Scandinavian tour. That was unbelievable and we learned a lot in a short space and time, going from the clubs to a huge tour. And then, when we came back we had a line-up change. We had a different drummer and bass guitarist. We kept playing, but punk scene came along and there wasn’t many bands signed at that time…  

So, in 1980 you joined Iron Maiden. How did this happen and what the Stratton’s diary writes for that year?

Steve Harris and Dave Murray used to come every week and watched RDB at the Bridge House. I didn’t know they were in Iron Maiden, but they were familiar faces. Then I got a telegram that they were looking for a guitarist that would also do backing vocals. Someone with a recording experience and also a touring experience, so I fitted straight in. When I met Steve, Dave and Rod we had a little chat and they gave me a cassette and said to listen to them. I think it was a bit of a surprise to Steve and Rod, because being in a two guitar line-up for most of the bands I’ve worked with and listening to Wishbone Ash and other harmony guitar players, it just came natural for me to pull harmony guitars unto the early Maiden stuff, “The Soundhouse Tapes”, or whatever I was listening to the cassette, “Phantom of the Opera”, “Iron Maiden”, “Prowler”. It just came natural for me to fill out the guitar parts with harmonies. I think it took them by surprise because the harmonies did seem to work. Well, it did work, ‘cause they still using them now!  

It went very well and they asked me to join the band. At the time there were only three of them who signed to EMI because they didn’t have a drummer. I knew Clive from the early days and we were mates. I told him I joined Maiden and took him to the studio where he did a few rehearsals and then they asked Clive to join, so the band was then complete.

I worked only in the earliest stuff because that’s what we wanted to record. Signing to EMI lifted Iron Maiden out of the run of the mill bands that played in England at that time. You know, it was very hard for bands at these days, especially with the punk era coming in, a lot of independent labels opened up and put all these punk bands into singles, EPs and 4-track EPs, so Maiden signing to EMI lifted them out of that and became bigger. With the album coming out, the fan base of Iron Maiden was huge. They’ve done their homework, they did their groundwork, they constantly giged in the early days, so they did have a big fan base. In 1979 I was working with Maiden and in 1980 we carried on. We did some tours, with Judas Priest, Metal for Muthas tour – that’s where I met Tino and Chris from Praying Mantis where in the later days I ended up join them. It was a great year. The biggest thing was when we went to do the KISS tour.

What kind of man was Steve Harris back then?

Steve always knew what he wanted and he run the band with an iron fist. He knew exactly what he wanted – right or wrong - and he always knew that Iron Maiden will be big.   

  

How were things during the recording of the first Iron Maiden album? I know that Steve hates the production of that record but it has a few of the best maiden songs ever, like “Remember Tomorrow” and “Prowler”.

Steve didn’t like the production but you know, in them days it was all a big rush. The album was recorded very quickly. Luckily, I already had recording experience, so I did many guitar parts on my own with the engineers. It was recorded very quickly because there was the Judas Priest and KISS tour waiting. The KISS tour was very good and there I met Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. That’s were the crack started…  

So, why did you part ways with Iron Maiden?

It was just musical taste differences. I like to listen to soft songs when I’m not playing. The best way to relax is to listen easy listening songs and Rod seem to think when I was listening to The Eagles or David Coverdale singing “Soldier Of Fortune”, one of my favourite tracks, that I wasn’t into Heavy Metal or Iron Maiden and the argument started. He tried to keep the whole band together all the time, but everyone needs a bit of space. So the crack started to appear… 

How important do you consider the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement?

You already had Heavy Metal bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, but what the New Wave of British Heavy Metal did, was to bring out younger bands that were watching all these big bands all their lives, grow up, got their guitars, they rehearsed, recorded, doing the pub scene and it just gave them the opportunity to show what they can do. Unfortunately a lot of the bands didn’t get through and somehow disappeared after fighting a while. But other bands like Saxon and Def Leppard really make it. With Lionheart we did some amazing gigs with Def Leppard. So, some bands make it, some not.      

Do you remember Rob Loonhouse? The photographer of Iron Maiden and Praying Mantis? The “myth” says that he was the one who invented “air guitar”.

I remember Rob Loonhouse, he wasn’t a photographer, he use to dance around the dance floor with an imaginary guitar and he use to have competitions of who could do the best air guitar and Rob used to win a lot…

Which bands back then in England stayed in obscurity and deserved more popularity?

As I said before, the good bands made it, but there were some bands that I thought they had bad timing. One typical example of that was Lionheart…

You played with Lionheart, so give us a brief bio of that time.

Those were great times. Me, Steve Mann and Rocky Newton we wrote loads of songs. We used to do lots of sessions for people who couldn’t play or couldn’t sing. Unfortunately we did all the hard work but we did never deal, so that was how we use to earn their money. Lionheart recorded the album in Los Angeles and it took us 4 years of hard work to get us a deal with CBS. In these days, in the 80s, in 1984 you know, the AOR stuff… I thought Lionheart was a great band. It was a shame that when we came back from America, everything we were promised like tours, they all seemed to fell through. Bad timing, I don’t know, but Lionheart wasn’t given a chance after the album was recorded, to go on a tour for that album. We could go on a tour with Kansas, Journey, Foreigner, any other band alike.

From that time and on, you always had a more melodic approach in music, despite the raw Heavy Metal of early Iron Maiden. Which are the things that influence you in music?

I’ve always been in heavy rock bands and not so much into heavy metal. By joining Praying Mantis, that gave me the chance to show more of the harmony guitars and harmony vocals that I like doing.

In 1989 Paul DiAnno, while he was in Battlezone, he was approached by a Japanese contact to put on a show to celebrate 10 years of NWOBHM. So, if I am not wrong, then he contacted you and Tino Troy. “Live At Last” is the live album that followed under the name Praying Mantis & Paul DiAnno, Dennis Stratton. That whole thing had big success in Japan and Praying Mantis was established again as a band, and you became a full member, along with Bruce Bisland on drums, Chris (bass) and Tino Troy (guitars), while you and Chris shared vocal duties in the new (back then)  Praying Mantis album “Predator In Disguise”. This nostalgic NWOBHM celebration gave birth to a whole new music beginning in your career, right?

In 1990 we were approached by a Japanese company, Pony Canyon, to do three gigs in Japan to celebrate 10 years of New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Chris said that we can do it and they ask us if we could speak to Paul DiAnno and see if he was interested in doing it. Then we got Bruce Bisland on drums and later Clive Burr because Bruce felt from his bike and couldn’t play. We did the three shows and recorded it for “Live At Last” and I stayed with Mantis for many years.

You knew the Troy brothers since 1980, right? I really love Praying Mantis, but back then you had success mainly in Japan, and not at the rest of the world. Why do you think this happened? Which are your strongest memories from these years?

I know the Troy brothers since 1979 when we did the Metal for Muthas tour. I think we recorded some great albums and it is my kind of a band. Harmony vocals, harmony guitars, it’s not too heavy, and these were good years.

We were very successful in Japan, I think we did about 7 or 8 albums with Pony Canyon and sometimes I and Chris used to share some vocals. Again we had vocalist problems and we keep changing vocalists. That was a huge problem.

Which are the “Best Years” you are referring to the same titled song from “Forever In Time”?

It is about my early days, around East End of London, running around with a gang of kids and playing on sites where the houses were bombed in war and that was a part of the best years of my life that I just wanted to put into a song.

Later you parted ways with Praying Mantis. Why did this happen?

Pony Canyon had some problems and we were basically doing nothing. I spoke to Chris and Tino many times on the phone but nothing was happening. Tino went back into work, Chris was always at work but I wanted to do something different. Out of Mantis it was the first time, since probably my first gig, that I wasn’t contracted or wasn’t playing with a full-time band. I was basically on my own and that gave me quiet a lot of freedom, so I was contacted to go to Germany, Italy… In Italy, I am going the last five years and we are doing some Iron Maiden festivals there with different bands from Germany, Holland, England, all over, and these are great shows. It gives to children the opportunity to hear the songs of the first Iron Maiden albums.

I saw you in Keep It True festival in Germany this year with Roxxcalibur. You really enjoyed playing the old Maiden songs. What does this means for you?
 

We did three songs in Keep It True but when I go to Italy for the Iron Maiden conventions, there is a band, The Clairvoyants, one of the top tribute bands in Italy, or I would say in Europe for Iron Maiden, and they go on stage and play sets of early Maiden albums. And then I go on with them and do a 45 minutes set of the early stuff like the “Prowler”, “Remember Tomorrow”, “Phantom of the Opera”, “Running Free”, “Iron Maiden”, “Transylvania”, we go through the whole stuff and I am loving that at the moment. I am going back to Italy to play on the end of June and then I will go back over there in August and September. 

Somehow, I’ve lost your traces the last years… So, what have you done lately?

I am still working very hard in England with three bands so I am constantly working. It is a busy time at the moment with all the festivals coming up. We’ve been in Bulgaria, South Africa and there is lot of stuff on YouTube and Facebook showing clips of us on stage doing the Maiden songs.

  

Knowing the mistakes of your past, what would you change in your music career?

I’ve made lot of mistakes in the past and I am still making them now!

Thank you Dennis! I wish you all the best from the bottom of my heart! West Ham is back in Premier League, also. So, good luck!

Yes, go West Ham! 

Ok Andreas, it was lovely talking to you. Everyone there in Greece, God bless you.

 Dennis Stratton Official Facebook Page

FORTUNE, HARLAN CAGE and L.A. stories - Interview with Larry Greene

Larry “L.A.” Greene’s music career has spanned decades. Song writer and singer, he has performed most notably with the bands FORTUNE and HARLAN CAGE. In his long music career he has written and performed songs for movies like “Top Gun”, “Over The Top” among others, and television series. Crystal Logic speaks with Larry about his past bands, music and other interesting things. Enjoy.

How was the Los Angeles music scene back in the 80s, during the Fortune years?

The LA music scene had a unique heartbeat in the 80's. There was the Sunset strip Mötley Crüe - nail your bands fliers to the telephone poles outside of the Whisky a go-go crowd - right along with the back alley sex and drug groupies chasing the Guns and Roses sound-a-likes. Then there was the Toto, Steely Dan crowd engulfed in a much diversity as you could still call truthful. It was a crazy energetic time. It was also the peak of the recording labels glory - of course they had there own set of demons, but that’s probably a question for another day.

Along with Roger Scott Craig, you contribute a lot at the recordings and the final result of the famous “Fortune” album that was released back in 1985. This album had great impact in the music scene of that time, but after that you split. Let us know all the details behind the recordings, the promotion, the problems you had with your label, and eventually, the reasons of disbanding.

We started recording “Fortune” at Sound City in the San Fernando Valley just north of LA. By the time we finished we'd used several studios just trying to stay ahead of the craziness that seemed to follow us around. Kind of like dancing on the edge of a very sharp razor - if we didn't keep moving we'd bleed out. I think we finished at Village Recorders in Santa Monica about six weeks after we started.

We were with Camel records at the time. They were a subsidiary of MCA that was run by Bruce Bird and some of his gangster friends. Just after the release Bruce’s brother, Gary Bird, was busted for some kind of shady payola on the East Coast.  When MCA heard of it, they immediately terminated their association with the Camel label. That was the beginning of the end for us. Along with the bands Giuffria and Night Ranger (we were the only 3 bands on the label at that time), most of the other labels around town were afraid to touch anyone associated with that payola thing. It was a big deal at the time and something totally out of our control - kind of like descending into a bad dream you didn't know was out there.

What was your music background before Fortune?

I started playing and singing professionally before I could drive a car.  When I was 14 I signed with Capricorn Records in a band called Odyssey. We didn’t make much money, but the school girls thought I was real cool. And just as mania always seems to have the wind to its back, I went full speed ahead, eager to go pissing in the tall weeds with the big dogs - if you know what I mean.

I toured with several bands when I first got to LA.  I had just signed with RCA Records in a band called Teaser when I met Richard Fortune. It was about a year later when I joined Fortune with Richard, Roger, Mick and at that time David Deleon on bass before Bobby Birch came on board. 

After the departure from Fortune, you create Harlan Cage with Roger. What have you done until the mid-90s, when “Harlan Cage” was released? Let us know about your collaborations in movies’ soundtracks.

I met Giorgio Moroder in 1984 while I was still with Fortune.  I sang the song “Reach Out for the Medal” for the Olympic Games that year. Michael Dilbeck, the music supervisor for CBS at the time, called me about the possibility of singing a few songs to get Kenny Logins interested in performing on the much anticipated film “Top Gun”. When I sang “Through The Fire” I didn’t really think they would use my version, but Giorgio liked it and he had the final say. Then “Over The Top” came along. That gave me two songs to brag about.  Even though the film wasn’t very popular at the time, it's got a weird semi-cult following now - especially in Japan. I sang a song on the film “Mystic Pizza” a year later - Julia Roberts' first. Then on to many more lesser known.

Until early 00s, Harlan Cage had significant success mainly in Japan. Which ones were your most memorable moments of that course?

The first 3 Harlan Cage CD’s on King Records did really well. We got nice numbers on their Burrn! magazine charts as well as interviews, pictures and airplay on the rock stations. I’ve always loved the Japanese for the music they like. They’re real a diverse lot and really passionate. When the tsunami hit we contributed a H.C. song called “Sinners Grove” for the “Rock for Japan” CD released in Germany and throughout Europe. Hopefully that helped in a small way. 

What the name Harlan Cage stands for?

I got the picture of Harlan Cage as an American folklore character - beggar, thief, preacher man - around the time of the US civil war. Teethed on a crucifix - cradled in the delta – somewhere between a profit and a liar - I honestly don’t really know what’s true and what isn't.  I just liked the way it sounded.  Like Jethro Tull or Leonard Skinner (Lynyrd Skynyrd). A band of another mans name.

What AOR means for you and which ones are your favorite bands?

I never cared for the tag AOR, or any other name pinned on us. I knew we were compared to a lot of other bands, especially with Fortune, but it seemed a real drag that the record companies felt like they had to label everything just to get airplay. I hated it - but I actually think I liked most of the melodic rock bands back then - Foreigner, Journey, Guns and Roses. Bands like Foo Fighters are right where we left it off. I guess sometimes what’s good, bears repeating.

How easy or difficult was for a melodic rock / AOR band like you to create this kind of music in the United States of the mid 90s to mid 00s?

I think most of us who weren’t ultimately successful with the bands we started out with, pulled away from live performing in the 90’s and 00’s and went behind the consoles as engineers and producers. Survival pushed me once again into post-production films and television. I guess I already had a head start with the films I had done earlier, so it really wasn't too hard of a transition. Sometimes I feel like I'm walking on a rubber floor that keeps bouncing me back no matter how many times I fuck up.

Do you think you had a missed chance for bigger commercial recognition with Harlan Cage or you meant to stay for few but tasteful listeners?

We wanted to reach as many people as we could with Harlan Cage. I think both Roger and I really enjoyed busting out that kind of music when no one else was doing it. I guess by the time we put together the first few CD’s, the melodic rock scene was all but dead in the US. We became an export only band – a couple of illogical lunatics trying to make sense of it all.

I’ve always believed that if more people would listen to bands like Harlan Cage or my beloved Praying Mantis, our world would be better. The positive aura and the feelings of your music are capable to relax the mind and soul. From where all these bittersweet emotions that flow from your music and lyrics are coming from? It is summer now also and I remembered “98 in the Shade”… All these love stories and broken-hearted tales are coming from your reality?

I'm glad to hear our music touched you. Thanks for the compliment. There’s always been a little slice of life in the lyrics I write - although I must admit sometimes I just make it all up. I think I heard Tom Waits say “people don’t really want the truth as much as they want to be amused”. That said - there are a number of exceptions. The song “As You Are” about a relationship I treasured for what it became and not for what is was supposed to be, is definitely one of them. There are others too - “One New York Morning” was all of that. 

What’s your daily occupation?

I’ve been blessed being able to make a living in music and in the music business. It’s changed from the way it used to be, but non the less satisfying. I've recently written and performed songs for HBO, FX, AMC, and lots of others I can't remember. I'm also writing for other artists and still working on films that come my way.

What’s the status of Harlan Cage? Is there any chance for a new album?

I can’t really say about another H.C. album. It would be tough for Roger and I to make the time right now for the labour of love it would take for an honest CD we could be proud of, but with that said, I’ll always leave the door a jar.

Thanks for your time!

I hope you found this interview informative and thanks again for all of your support and encouragement throughout the years.

Larry Greene Official Site 

HARLAN CAGE discography

Harlan Cage CD - 1996

Double Medication Tuesday CD - 1998

Forbidden Colors CD - 1999

Temple Of Tears CD - 2002 

HOUR OF 13 - Interview with Phil Swanson

Hour Of 13 is among my favorite bands of the last years and their occult heavy rock / metal with doom elements seduces me. At the end of the month, their third album "333" will be released from Earache records and I took the opportunity to speak with the great singer and person Philip Swanson about the band and other interesting things.

What is the status of the upcoming album and what should we expect?
 
Album is done and at pressing as I type for a May 29 release. It actually is streaming now online at the Soggy Bog podcast in its entirety. You can expect a much more mature effort both vocally and lyrically and musically more dynamics I would say.

So far you have a solid presence as a band, twisting around heavy rock, old British metal, doom and the occult. Where do you thing Hour Of 13 stand for today’s metal music?

As for modern metal music we are quite primitive in comparison. We are obviously treading in familiar waters and living much in the past but in a current relevant present with the doom leanings that are so popular at this time.

What is your inspiration and influences for the Hour Of 13 lyrics? I know there is a lot of underground cult and horror cinema beyond your words. Even the cover of “The Ritualist” is from a scene of the old Swedish/Danish film “Häxan”.

Originally as the idea for an occult band was virgining I had in mind inspiration from most importantly Angel Witch but also Christian Death as well as Coven (thrash), Talon (aka Sedition) and Satans Massacre. I just used those influences to form the template then went in my own direction of realizing satanic panic of the 70s and 80s which I guess works so well due to the fact the music is so influenced from those eras.

We both share great respect and love for Black Sabbath and NWOBHM. Which bands of today do you think stay true to such a state of originality?

There allot that do and allot more that say they do but don’t at all. But as I type I am listening to Lord Vicar and they most defiantly stay true also I think Northwinds, Touch the Spider, Horrors of the Black Museum, Year of the Goat, Steel Mammoth, Grand Magus to name a few. To me you have to have a certain rawness to have the NWOBHM appeal and a special progression to carry the Black Sabbath flag honorably.

Atlantean Kodex is another one band I totally support and admire. What do you remember from your days with Manuel and the rest of the guys? Until now, “The Hidden Folk” remains the landmark song of this band that represents the whole essence of Atlantean Kodex.

You make it sound so long ago hahaha! What I remember most about working with Manuel and Florian was their patients with me. I am very one dimensional in comparison. They both had very strong ideas and I tend to myself and the fact we were able to get as far as we did was an accomplishment in itself. It was a huge honor for me to have that chance to work with a foreign band and really paved the way for me. I learned allot from that experience and since made a very conscious effort to be patient enough to be the kind of singer they wanted at that time. Now I have my own resume I am much more comfortable takeing on the role as a session singer or as I would describe it an “instrument”. I don’t do it with Hour of 13, Seamount or Vestal Claret and I do write all my own melodies but Ive allowed myself with Briton Rites and Lords of Triumph to sing other peoples words now and on a more recent unheard project even allowed some melody coaching. I mostly now want to do that to add some variation to my bands and there has become so many.

Seamount, Vestal Claret, Briton Rites… how do you manage to work with all these bands? And by the way, in which development stage are you with Howie Bentley and the upcoming Briton Rites album?

Its all about my mood, usually when I'm stressed or frustrated I turned to writing to escape my ordinary life much like some would turn to drug or drink. So I mange my music much like an alcoholic or drug addict I guess? Over indulgently and out of control. Howie had just emailed me the other day actually and we have four songs written and planning four more, I hope to have it done by years end. I'm not as anxious as I used to be so whenever Howie's ready I am.

What is your personal perspective for religions, today’s society and world?

I find it obsolete actually unless is more scientific or spiritually unknown. The only problem I have with religion is its insistence of trying to define God or something obviously undefinable or unexperienced.

What kind of person is Chad Davis and how it is working with him?
 

Chad and I get along great when together but that’s a rarity we are more involved in a professional relationship. We live completely different and separate lives and work independently of each other on our parts to Hour of 13. There is really no input from either side, just allot of faith and trust in each others individual talent.

Five years after the great self-titled debut of Hour Of 13, how do you see it now and which are the most memorable moments of this journey to the occult?

A long difficult and seldom rewarding road. Getting that concept completed that appeared on the first record was a very difficult turbulent time. Looking back it makes me proud that it has paid off from a simple whim of an idea to what it has become today. The single most memorable moment that will stand the length of our career I think Chad and I would agree is our live debut at Dublin Doom Days fest, just an incredibly surprising moment.  

Discography

Hour Of 13 (Shadow Kingdom Records - 2007)

The Ritualist (Eyes Like Snow - 2010)

Possession / Darkness - single (Svart Records 2010)

The Rites Of Samhain - EP (Yersinia Pestis 2010)

333 (Earache Records 2012)

EVIL-LŸN INTERVIEW - The sound of battle cry in the night of delusions...

Evil-lÿn is definitely one of the best newcomers in the Heavy Metal world for this year. Hailing from Finland, their recent debut release is a mini CD entitled “The Night of Delusions” and after their stunning appearance in Up The Hammers festival in March 2, I had to interview the band and present it to you. So, have a sit, press HERE if you haven’t heard anything from Evil-lÿn yet, read the detailed interview with Anssi Salonen (guitars), Marko Niemi (bass), and Johanna Rutto (vocals), and then go and grab “The Night of Delusions”.

First of all, what does Evil-lÿn means?

Anssi: Haha, well, Evil-lÿn is a character in Masters of the Universe comics / cartoons / movie. An evil sorceress. I am huge fan of Masters of the Universe. At first it seemed weird to name the band after a female character, but then again names like Alice Cooper and Lizzy Borden work like charm.

Let’s go back in time. What’s the story of Evil-lÿn?

Anssi: Well, we started as a hard rock band. Me and Lasse have been in the band since the beginning. We played at the garage for a few years which were a bit problematic during winters. We also went through quite a many line-up changes. The nice part was that with each change we moved forward. Of course there were times when it felt like we were going nowhere, but you just have to keep your cool and work hard. With the current line up, things clicked right away.

-How old are the songs of “The Night Of Delusions” and when were they recorded? Do you have other compositions?

Anssi: 2-3 years old. We recorded the EP last summer (summer of 2011). Jani Niemelä, our drummer, did the engineering, recording, mixing and so on. We used outside help only for the mastering. Yes, we do have some other compositions and I think we will put one older song on the first full length; 13th Hour, the one that has been opening song of our shows.

You came in touch with Iron On Iron Records from Greece to release your first official album (a mini CD). Did you have any demo recordings before that and how did you come with this deal?

Marko: Yes, we did record a couple of songs back in 2009 with intent do create a demo and send it to record labels and gig promoters etc. But after all it didn't go as planned, since we were doing it ourselves without proper knowhow (and time) and we never finalized it properly. Things changed a lot when Jani joined the band in the beginning 2011. He is experienced and talented in recording, editing and mixing. This time we had better material so started to record five songs with a purpose to select three best fitting songs for demo. This time we put some raw versions of “Four Horsemen” and “Last of my Kind” into MySpace and our webpage. And instantly we got attention from some record labels. Iron On Iron wanted to release all five songs as MCD and we found them fitting for us, so selected them.

In March you played at Up The Hammers Festival in Athens. Which are your impressions from the festival?

Marko: It was awesome! It was so great to notice that even if the crowds didn't know our own music beforehand, they took us well. They were banging their heads, making a lot of noise and stage diving throughout the show. Excellent audience and excellent opportunity for us to play! We had the best time over there. People were so open, polite and helpful all the time and we got a lot of new friends out there. From the other bands, but from the crowd as well. Memory of that trip will stay in our metal hearts forever.

Anssi: Amazing festival and amazing audience! I really liked the atmosphere and the setting; small club in the middle of the city. For me it was probably the best festival experience besides my first visit to Keep It True. People at the UTH were very friendly and open minded, I made a lot of new friends, which is always nice!

Johanna: Up The Hammers was an amazing festival! It was our first gig outside of Finland, and I was really surprised how the audience was so involved. You won't see
that kind of energized audience in Finland so often. Best gig I've been this far!

I saw you guys with t-shirts from Sortilège, Stormwitch and Crimson Glory in your last concert. Which are your main influences?

Anssi: Hard to say, there's so many. Mercyful Fate and King Diamond have shaped this band a lot, but their influence might not be that audible anymore. Maiden and Running Wild are two pretty obvious, but there's so many. Some of the “Maiden-influences” actually come from vanadium etc. so there's a lot influences and they're mixed in mysterious ways. This is actually a topic of which I could speak for hours, but let's leave it here. If someone is interested I'm always happy to chat about this subject at festivals etc.

Marko: I think the main influences are still bands like Iron Maiden, Manilla Road, King Diamond/Mercyful Fate, Judas Priest and Running Wild. There is still a punch of other bands that we listen to. Even if I like to wear my Maiden/Trooper or Running Wild T-shirt, I sometimes like to put something else on.

Johanna: Our songs are mainly written by Marco and Anssi, so the influence in our music comes mostly through them. I think many of our fans can hear sounds of
Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and many others 80's heavy metal legends. Personally I can't name my influences particularly as a singer. I like to listen very extensively
Heavy Metal, and it does not really matter if it's singed by female singer or not. Strong voice and good spirit is the most important things for a vocalist and of course great charisma on stage. One great example of great female fronted bands is Finnish Battle Beast.

You step in the band in early 2011. Did you participate in another band before and how did you join Evil-lÿn?

Johanna: I've been singing in many projects over the years before I joined in Evil-lÿn, last of them was doom/sludge band called Slug Lord. I moved in Tampere in summer of 2010, and after a few months I talked with Lasse over the internet, and he told me that they are looking for a new singer for their band. After I told that I've singed in a few bands before I moved in Tampere, he asked me if I would come to their rehearsals and sing some of their songs, and of course I said yes! After rehearsals guys decided to take me for their new lead singer.

And that was a great choice! Which are you other memorable moments from your live shows until now?

Johanna: Most memorable gig this far is of course our show in Up The Hammers festival because of the things I listed before. But after that comes our gig in Metal Warning festival in Finland last autumn. We played on same stage with so many great bands. There were lots of energy and the audience was great. Our show was energetic, and we played our gig by full throttle, even though I had terrible sore throat. I was sick but it didn't matter, because the atmosphere was so amazing. I also like to remember our first bigger festival gig at Jalometalli festival in northern Finland last summer. There were also big names of metal like Sepultura, Sodom, Napalm Death, Oz, Evil Dead etc

Anssi: “Heavy Metal Angels” at UTH! Best moment ever. Each time someone in the audience is singing one of my songs is a memorable moment for me. Also the little things can be quite memorable; at one Finnish festival, Jalometalli, I was going to switch on my amp before our show, but the festival staff had already switched it on and also bought towels and water on stage. That was weird for a small band like us and as such was quite memorable; a little taste of the bigger circuits, haha.

Marko: Meeting guys from the bands, like for example Metalucifer, Pagan Altar, Oz and having fun with them is one side of the coin. And the other side is how audience has taken us. We have had memorable moments (before Up The Hammers) on stage for example in Jalometalli, Sauna Open Air festival after party last year, Metal Warning IV festival in Helsinki. Some other smaller shows where the crowds did go wild, maybe supporting Helvetets Port in Tampere last November needs to be mentioned. The rest of the shows have been fun as well, but these listed, have been the most memorable shows. But, Up The Hammers festival topped this list instantly and clearly. I still can't fully believe it happened for real, it was so awesome show and great journey to Greece in all!

How are things in Finland for Heavy Metal music? Does it get publicity in more mainstream or commercial media?

Marko: Heavy Metal is getting a lot of attention in Finland. Heavy Metal music is getting a lot of radio play, there are solid printed media for Heavy Metal and we have a lot of metal festivals if you consider the population of Finland. But we also have highest density of Heavy Metal bands in the world. It means one smaller band like us don't get much attention. But our direction is good at the moment, so I can't wait seeing our picture in the front cover of the Inferno magazine some day, haha...

Johanna: There're lots of metal bands in Finland, and that’s why it's pretty difficult to get publicity for that kind of music because of the oversupply. I could say that there is almost every day some kind of metal gig in some part of Finland, and more gigs at weekends in biggest cities. Most of the metal bands are playing death metal, thrash metal or other melancholic style metal, but there are not so much bands that play old school heavy metal, like we do. It's still pretty rare to hear metal in commercial media, although there are few exceptions. Anyway, Heavy Metal and its by-products are commonly acceptable. There're lots of heavy/rock oriented bars, clubs, record stores, clothing stores etc. so there's no any problems to find other metalheads in Finland.

Anssi: Well, the mainstream metal does get attention. It's a bit complicated; stuff like Nightwish is huge in Finland, even in the mainstream media and gets played in radio, supermarkets, wherever, but stuff like Crimson Glory doesn't. It's a shame. There are so many mainstream metal bands and so much exposure for mainstream metal that a lot of people don't feel the need to dig and find great bands on their own, that's why lot of classic underground bands don't have that great following in Finland although bands like Maiden can sell out stadiums! In a country with only 5 million people… That's crazy.

You have a new mini CD out and maybe it is early to speak for near future plans, but I saw the spark in your eyes, so which are your future plans?

Anssi: Oh yes, we have already set our sights on forthcoming full length. At the moment we are writing and rehearsing new material. I think we will soon start the pre-production; you know, do some demos, see what works and perhaps fix some bits and pieces. Hopefully we can start recording the actual full length this summer.

Marko: Our future plans contain a lot of new songs to be written and starting the recordings for the full length album during the summer 2012. Actually, we have already about 7-8 ready for the album. And both Anssi and I have some other unfinished new ideas that we haven't played with the band yet. So, stay tuned. We have a new release coming. Cannot say any dates yet but maybe the release will be out next winter.
We are taking some time off from live shows on purpose, in order to get that release out. But of course we are willing to do all the festival shows that we are offered, and especially those that are abroad. We have played a lot in Finland, but only once abroad. So, all the shows abroad are welcome. Some are on the plate already but I can't yet tell more about them. And on top of that, we have been discussing about signing a management deal with one European management company that seems to be willing to do a lot work for us to get us a bigger name. While I'm writing this we are just considering about the cons and pros, but it seems that there are no lines on cons side.
So yes, if you saw us hungry for more that is 100% true. We want to feel the same spirit like in Up The Hammers many more times in future. I think our UTH show was what playing in Heavy Metal band is supposed to be about, throw yourself fully in and get something in return from the audience! The best feelings ever... I need more of that adrenaline.

Johanna: We have made some new songs and I can't wait get to record them, and playing them live. We don't yet have precise schedule for the record sessions, but it starts probably in next summer. All five of us are much exited to make a new record, and we wish to get lots of gigs. Hopefully we get some of them in foreign countries also, because Up The Hammers festival showed us how great it could be.

Thank you guys, hope to see you again in Greece, soon.

Live photos by Mika Saloranta.

Evil-lÿn official site 

Evil-lÿn – The Night of Delusions

Iron On Iron Records (2012)

The last years there are lot of bands that return to more traditional heavy metal paths. Some of them return to the glorious days of New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and 80s metal, sounding like Tokyo Blade, early-Iron Maiden and other acts of that time, while others are playing like Mercyful Fate/King Diamond. Evil-Lÿn is definitely a band that respects these names and seems devoted to the real Heavy Metal sound, but they sound fresh and not just a replica of an old famous band. The vocals of Johanna are powerful and fit perfect to the music. They are far from all these boring operatic and symphonic female singers, and are closer to the likes of Leather Leone (Chastain) or Marta Gabriel (Crystal Viper). Apart from the vocals, the rhythm section is solid and works perfect but the element that takes you by storm, is the guitar riffs and solos. They are simply amazing. Just listen to songs like “Four Horsemen” and “Last of my Kind”. It seems that these guys have listen (and study) very well the music of early Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, King Diamond, Stormwitch, Running Wild and Omen. All the great aspects we love in Heavy Metal are here, with crystal clear production, very well constructed compositions, passion and inspiration.