22/04/2004 |
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DRAGONHAMMER
: interview with Max Aguzzi
organized by Mr. Max Aguzzi and GryphonMetal.ch |
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interview
by Boris "Azrael"
Witta ___ 20/04/2004 mail interview
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| THEY LOOK LIKE A BIT...DANGEROUS! |
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Boris:
First of all thank you for the interview, Max, it’s a pleasure and
honor for me because I really like your new album! In
the info-sheet of the label were some words about the story of your album.
Can you tell me more about the concept “Time For Expiation” is based
on? Max: The album refers to the protagonist of the story: the "Eternal Sinner". He’s a man who has been refused from death and sentenced from God. His pain borns from the fact he has to listen to all the stories of men living all their feelings without being able to put a word on them in any way... Every song is a story of a soul, of a life, in a exact moment: I’ve thought it was a good way to link different themes in a single idea. What
was the reason to leave typical Metal-themes like sword, dragon and blood
instead of a history-concept? We felt we wanted to talk about different things in confront to the past. We have treated more realistic topics but in a context somehow linked to our imagination. We touch themes of modern life like ambiental pollution, lost of a love, difficult to trust in someone, that produce the same feelings of hate and anger that we often feel... How
do you write songs? Are you sitting together or has just anyone a riff or
a melody or how does this go? Usually
I write the lyrics in the mean time I arrange the music; I think it’s a
natural way to proceed. I also do the mixing of
tracks and I work for the recording of the instruments.
I know what I want to obtain and I think is better to try to do the job on
your own to get what you had in your mind. From Italy, there are lots of Helloween-, Stratovarius-, Rhapsody- or whatever-clones. What do you think is the reason that there are so little origin bands from Italy? I mean, bands like Dragonhammer show that there are other ways to play Melodic Power Metal. Thanx!
I think the phenomenon
you’re talking about happens because in Italy we don’t have a proper
“rock culture” and it brings us to take inspirations, and sometimes
unfortunately to copy, foreign models. However I prefer not to enter in
the argument...I’m not in the position to judge anyone. Continuing
the last question, what would you say are your biggest influences or
inspiration? I think that’s interesting because I hear a lot of
different elements in your music. I was born as musician, like many of young
metallers in the 80/90’s, by a strong influence of bands like Metallica
or Megadeth, Ozzy and AC/DC... Growing up fortunately I had the
possibility to look “over” and I take attention about all that staff
that I think is good one, it doesn't matter who plays it. In the last
times I was studying virtuous single artists, changing my approach to
music and singing, Gae (bass guitar) is still strongly musically linked to
80’s bands, Alex and Raf (keyboards and drums) always listened, and
still do, old hard rock and prog. I suppose this difference among our
musical tastes is our strength and our possibility to go on with always
different attitude. I
read some reviews about your albums and mostly, “Time For Expiation”
gets better critics than the first one. Have you done something different
in contrast to “The Blood Of The Dragon”? And what would you say is
better than on the first album? “The
Blood of the Dragon” is different : marked influences and very fantasy
lyrics. Can
you tell me something about the Italian Metal-scene, I mean, is there a
good holding together between the fans, are there Metal-locations, are
there lots of concerts? Here in Switzerland, we have a big scene, but
it’s a lot more Underground than for example in Germany. From
the way you describe me Switzerland’s scene, I can say that it looks
like the Italian one. In the last years many interesting bands came out
and finally catched the possibility to have a contract with some label,
but unfortunately the most of Italian bands won’t have this luck. To add
unluck on unluck we have to remind that in Italy we don’t have so many
clubs that permit you to play live in good levels of sound and public
quality, and this really slow the process of growing up of
Rock Culture. But Rock and Metal are always too strong to be
stopped! What
were your best experiences of playing live? Unfortunately we
haven’t played live too much! The previous label really penalized us in this way, and we lost a lot of
precious time. We don’t have nice reminds about that particular moment,
but we’ve the intention to have back all that time with a new energy! What
do you think about Extreme Metal like Black or Death Metal? Do you like
any bands of these genres or is this just noise for you?
And which style of Metal besides of Power Metal is you favorite? Sincerely
I’m not really into Black or Death Metal, because I don’t consider
“growl” style a proper way to sing...even if musically many bands of
those genres are very interesting. Except about Power I really love old
metal, like Black Sabbath, Dio and Ozzy, and today I prefer listening to
virtuous musicians (Becker, Kuprij, Sherinian). Regarding Nu Metal,
well...just few names took my attention, someone like Korn and Nickelback
are really good. Usually I listen to everything can take my attention! No
prob what it is! Tastes are tastes! Are
there any plans for playing in Switzerland? Anything
already planned, but your country is one of those we want to
visit...fortunately we’ve many fans among your people! We’ve moving to
manage some live gig over there...you never know... Now
our typical GryphonMetal -last- question: the Game. To the bands we interview for the very first time
we propose the Game of the Tower: there is a very high tower, and on the
top of this tower 3 bands are waiting for you. You must kick down 2 of
them, saving only one. The 3 bands for you, Max, are: HammerFall, Marduk
and Metallica. Can I
kick down Metallica twice? J
Well...today’s Metallica of course....I respect and appreciate their
very old albums. If I’ve to save one of these three bands I’ll save
Hammerfall, even though Marduk are a band that knows what they do. Please
don’t tell them I’ve kicked them too....they look like a
bit....dangerous! J Thank
you very much for the interview and I hope you pass once through
Switzerland! Thank
you very much even from the other guys from Dragonhammer. We hope to play
live in Switzerland soon and to have the possibility to check your famous
cheese!!! We’ll bring some pasta and wine eh? J |
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