As Luck would have it , even when not searching , sometimes we find exactly what we are looking for. I love to hear new music. I have a Full Metal Background incase you haven't noticed with our site. I love it easy as Dokken or as hard as Slayer. and all points in between. So when an obscure band from France invited me to take a listen, well I was all over it. I do not remember a band from France, to my recollection. Lots of German and English invaders but not a French band that I recall. The band that invited me to listen was Lovecraaft., and no I did not mispell the name it has 2 a's. The Band consists of : AMC: drums and vocals, Max: Guitar, Grant: Guitar, Agat: Vocals, and Gil: Bass...The Band has a Death Metal backgound and were influenced by such bands as Opeth, Inflams, and Dark Tranquility who are all personal favorite of mine. The band recorded a demo in Feb 07 and you can get that on their myspace page. After listening to the complexity of the music and the agressive and somber mix, I felt this band deserved a little futher investigation as they were really new to me, and I liked what I heard. So I drummed up an interview and Gil who was only too cool to respond and comply, so without further B.S. here is the interview with the band Lovecraaft.


Metal Mike: So wow you Guys are from France, can you tell me which part? and what is the music scene like there?

Max: We come from the outer ring of Paris. The Music scene was predominately hip-hop for a long time, but is coming back to rock nowadays. There have never really been that many rock bands - in a broad sense of the word-as there are now. Its become a sign of quality, I like to mix electro, but I like rock mostly. Anyways the style lives on because a number of concert halls in Paris started promoting Metal. In Paris, Metal has been big for years, but its spreading throughout the entire country, with bands like Gorjira and Hacride who are doing very well.

Metal Mike: How young were you guys when you first got into music?

Max: I was about 12 when I started listening to The Ramones, then Guns n Roses and Metallica, Then I listen to speed n thrash bands from the bay area especially Megadeath and Testament. I also got into the renewal of Scandanavian Metal, and as well as Entombed. But the Revelation came when I heard Colony by In Flames, they were reinventing a genre and creating something new. AGAT: I have two brothers with very distinct musical tastes, Heavy Metal, and Techno. They showed me the way when I was a Kid and I used to go see them perform and listen to their tapes. AMC: I have always been surrounded by music. In My family everyone plays an instrument. I took up the drums when I was 8 or 9. When I met MAx in the 90's I started to listen to hard rock and Metal.

Metal Mike: Growing up, how much was music a part of your life?

Max: Of course when I started listening to music with guitars in it, my first reflex was to swap from my acoustic guitar( and at that moment I was taking classical lessons) to an electric one and turn the amp to max. In high school I met Max and we started to play at once. AGAT: I rather followed the voice of electronic music as of high school, platinums and vinyls. I even thought of becoming a sound engineer at one time. I gave that up and a year later I met Max and he proposed that I sing in this Group. AMC: During my first 10 years as a drummer, I followed lessons regularly and I played withe assiduity on some jazz and rock n roll music.But with high school , I had to stop lessons for lack of time. Then I started to play in a group with Max, that was the release. It became a paramount element in my life. To compose and play with the band teo see it evolving according to out tendencies is a true passion.

Metal Mike: Any Classical influences in your backgrounds or just bands like Opeth, In Flames , and Dark Tranquility or the ones in your profile?

Max: It is true that when I compose, it is obviously about the trinity that I think. Especially like Opeth, Mickael Akerfeld is such a genius! But I do listne to some heavy 70's bands as well and am a big fan of Black Sabbath. In another style , I always adore the folk, of Joan Baez and Dylan. I usually try to tighten towards the feeling of folk when I compose the acoustic parts of our songs. AMC: I like to pick up the fell of Jazz and Blues music to add more flow to our songs.

Metal Mike: What were some of the concerts you were able to see as a youth?

Max: I especally remember The Ramones. which I saw at a rotted concert hall at the time of the penultimate tour. I went to see Joey backstage but was to impressed with him to say much of anything.Other than that I remember my first Megadeath concert, in the concert hall it was rather violent! REally Funny.

Metal Mike: As a new and upcoming band , has there ever been a point where you wanted to call it quits?

Max: The hardest thing is to find motivated and assiduous musicans. We wasted a large amount of time with people to whom the music was only a pastime. So it is true when you fell motivated and that others are not , It breaks a little the dash. AMC: I always motivate the group, even in the hardest moments. I believe in what we do.

Metal Mike: Do you have a lot of stuff written for a new CD? or is it a work in progress?

Max: We have enough to fill an album, some songs in progress, and a lot of ideas.

Metal Mike: When might we expect to see this in the U.S.

Max: the thing wouel be to find a label ready to distribute on both sides of the Atalantic. But it is a long and difficult path. Especially since we do not play music that is easy to sell. AMC: We are starting to have some contracts for selling on the internet. The producers are being very carefull and want to take a wait n see before offering a contract.

Metal Mike: Any Tour Plans, and if so where and when?

Max: We are in full upheavel right now as we are currently looking for a new singer. As soon as this question is anwsered we can tour. Prob first in the PAris area.

Metal Mike: I noticed there wasnt alot of Evil in your image, from what I got from your Profile. Erie but no Evil. Is this an image you are trying to change about Death Metal?

Max: The imagery of the devil and sempiternal topics is of the rough force and the destruction is naturally associated with this style, since the music itself is rather brutal.Actually I dont see myself writing devil remarks or treating this topic,since as an atheist, I do not believe for a second in Heaven or Hell. I prefer to write about creation rather than destruction. But i believe this comes from my Hippy side. At the same time when you play this style,it is true that you endorse a panoply which goes with, would be this to be a minimum taken seriously. But Lovecraaft is an atypical band, with muscians coming form different musical universes.We hop that our songs leave enough all-common the kind: and thus we try to have visual in adequacy with our personalitys. A kind of mix between ateheism and hip culture and magic. AGAT: For my part, I am in full discovery of the metal scene. It is the music more than the image that attracts me. there are really various influences in Lovecraaft, maybe a bit of melancholy more than aggressiveness.

LoveCraaft finished a demo in Feb 07 and you can check that out on their myspace page www.myspace.com/lovecraaft As I am pretty new to this band I felt their music deserved to be heard and some insight wasnt too bad either. This is a unique band to say the least!

Metal Mike and The Montalian