INTERVIEW WITH BLOODSHED WALHALLA: DRAKHEN

by Salvo Russo

Bloodshed Walhalla - CD "The Battle Will Never End"

The Italian label Fog Foundation was born  to give voice and to support  underground artistic reality. One man band Bloodshed Walhalla has released through this label a CD, "The Battle Will Never End", inspired by Bathory, which attracted the attention of the Metal Press all over the world. Reviews by many webzines about this album are still running and got uploaded online. From the moment that Fog Foundation is based in Caltagirone (Sicily), it was quite natural for our Sicilian and Italian editor Salvo Russo to investigate. Drakhen, the artist behind Bloodshed Walhalla, speaks with our Salvo about Fog Foundation, epic ambient, Edda, Voluspa , Bathory, and much more. In our Game of the Tower, Drakhen will save then ...

Viking sound that only Bathory proposed.

Let’s start talking with Drakhen…Please, can you present us this one man band…Why ..one man band?  Is there a particular reason in this choice?

First of all i say hi to you all and i say thank you previously for the chat we are about to have .For me it's really important knowing that for bw is not possible to perform on stage. The only way to let bw appear is by media and by playing the music for all the people who is appreciating my music. Bw was born in 2006 by my mind.At the beginning the idea was being a Bathory's cover band,then after some troubles,I changed my mind doing all by myself.I start finding new sounds,passion,and starting by Bathory's cover band,i begun playing my music that so many people likes.The reason of the one man band is just because ,you know, i'm almost 40,and i didn't wanted to restart everything with a job and a family to care for!This way i can spend all of my spare time to work on my music and we all know that with a real band it's not possible.

In the Bio, I read about all the troubles before the exit of this release…Could you tell us about this project in details and the short story of this album?

The problems that can arise when you play in a one man band are obvious. I play all the instruments and I am not using  sound technicians or experts in the audio industry, I own a mini studio, home-made, where do vent to my creativity and where I spend entire nights to find the right combinations to give a face more or less professional to my band. that like its predecessor was created in a single week. put on cd but in about six months .. not easy to do everything in complete solitude, but then when you get to the finished
product and and you feel very but then when you get to the finished product and you feel very gratified
for me to sell 10 or 10,000 copies a day is not important how much you and do what you love and you've always wanted to do.

You’re known in the from South Italy metal scene …we both know, how difficult is the metal scene here …are there rooms for a better future ?

Well it seems weird but bw are played the most out of Italy, thanks to the Fog Foundation that produced and promoted  my works.We have got contacts all over the world. I'm honestly disappointed with italy...cause all you need in Italy is money...if you don't have money you cannot grow up as a musician even if you play the best music ever! Unfortunately noone would give anything on a penniless band as mine is !

What do you think about the actual metal scene?

This question it's a hitch ! If you asked me this question 15 years ago i would have answered with pleasure.I got great memories of that days when metal was great..there were lots of cool bands. Nowadays if you go look on the net you can find lots of genres of metal (this is a good thing!) lots of bands that need to get their chanses! Thanks to internet metal,by my modest point of view, is the most followed genre in the world.The good side of the net is the fact that lots of this people just plays for passion and not just for money...so no needs to copy paste the music.

How did you get in touch with Giuseppe & Fog Foundation?

There are ecceptions, like meeting Giuseppe (Fog Foundation) that for BW it'sa blessing! Between us there is friendship there isn't money but just passion for the music. For us this means to get chance to have a say.We did get in touch by the net ...the listened to my demos and they trust in my project...things are going on very well!

Let’s talk about the album…I see that it sounds epic and heroic…but there’s a sort of “journey” into the twist and turns of metal….shadows of classic metal are mixed to Viking…what does the songs describe?
Is there a concept or a particular idea behind the meaning of this album?

The battle will never end it's a kinda concept album about the end of world as tale in the Book of Voluspa. If you have read something about the poetic Edda you surely know that the epic and eroic  ambient is a background so music goes on this way. Anyway in my musi words follows the music.In my songs instruments goes first and after the words..metal music flows into my blood and i can't help it that's why i had to mix some metal into viking. It's our sound, not for self-conceit but i've never listened to a band with our sound till now!Almost all compares us to Bathory (and they're right !!)it was my choose and i'm proud of it.But,as you will see in my next works ,things are changing,i can do everything i want as i'm alone composing,but without changing our eroical-epic sound.

Can you tell us your main influences?

You know,when i was 12 i bought my first metal album -the Ozzy Osbourne Blizard Ozz-but i already knew all Iron Maiden  album till 1987.I was born with metal, metal it's my life ,but just after family and job! In the '90 i first listened to Bathory and since then my musical ideas moved to nordic sounds,that i never left till now and that i will never leave!

What about the future? Are you already planning a new release?

Yes, BW are continuously in studio. I'm recording now 7-8 new songs and if everything goes well you still hear about bw as Bathory successors. I do not even try to approach the genious of Quorton,but i needed to let his viking sound that only Bathory proposed to be still alive! Now there're lots of viking band that plays viking,but noone (by my opinion) plays pure viking as bw,some years ago there was ereb altor,but now they changed too.

The Game of the Tower for you…this is our old “game” you’re on a very high tower, and three bands are with you…you have to push down two of them, saving the third one…For you there are…. Bathory    Iron Maiden     Amon Amarth

(laughing) This is an amazing game ...first of all i'd pull Amon Amarth, only 'cause it would be a sacrilege to pull down Iron or Bathory..can't and wont do it at all! Anyway i rescue Quorthon!

Thank you!!!!!

Thanks to you for this wonderful chat ,and i hope to hear from you soon so we can talk about new album ..

Hail
Drakhen