Persuader
Persuader is one of my
most beloved new bands. I was amazed at their potential with the release
of “Evolution Purgatory” and after the re-release of their debut album
“The Hunter”, it was confirmed to me that we are dealing with a great band
that has the ability to compose catchy songs! So, read below the discussion
we had with the band’s drummer, Efraim, who proved to be a really friendly
person, and find out things about their history and future goals!
1. HELLO! FIRST OF ALL, TELL US WHAT HAPPENED
TO THE PERSUADER CAMP SINCE THE RELEASE OF “EVOLUTION PURGATORY”.
Well, basically we have done some gigs all
over Sweden and we’ve started writing songs for the new album, we’ve finished
with that and we will start recording the new album very soon!
2. I DID AN INTERVIEW WITH EMIL BACK THEN AND
HE TOLD ME THAT YOU’D RE-RELEASE “HUNTER”, BUT AFTER RELEASING A NEW ALBUM.
SO WHAT HAPPENED AFTER ALL?
Well, the main reason was because we needed
some more time to have the new album done. We are a bit lazy! Hahaha! So,
we didn’t have all the new songs ready, so we thought it would be better
to re-release “The Hunter” first, so that everybody would know that we
are still alive! We got more time to finish up the new songs!
-IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN 4 YEARS HAVE PASSED BETWEEN
THE RELEASE OF YOUR DEBUT AND YOUR SECOND ALBUM. RIGHT?
-WELL THEN I HOPE WE WON’T HAVE TO WAIT THAT LONG
AGAIN FOR THE NEW ONE!
No, just 2 years this time! :) I think we
will release this album in March.
-CAN YOU TELL US A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE NEW ALBUM
OR IS IT TOO SOON?
Hmm, well it’s… I’m not sure! It’s a little
bit of everything! A lot of heavy tracks like on “Evolution Purgatory”
and a few slower songs that are different, but all in all I think it’s
a natural continuation from the last album.
-HAVE YOU FOUND ITS TITLE OR NOT YET?
Yeah! Well, it will be probably named “When
Eden Darks”. (note: The line was bad so I’m not sure I got the title correctly).
-OH ONCE AGAIN AN OPTIMISTIC TITLE THEN!
Hahahaha! Yes, yes! The concept behind “Evolution
Purgatory” is that humans destroy and fuck up everything! This is like
we have REALLY fucked it up! Hahahaha!
3. YOU BELONG TO SANCTUARY’S ROSTER, HOWEVER,
YOU’VE DECIDED TO RE-RELEASE “HUNTER” THROUGH DOCKYARD1. WHY?
We are no longer in Sanctuary. We have inked
a new deal with Dockyard1 and this label is basically the people that created
Noise records. They started a new label and they wanted us there with them,
so we went there. They are really nice people, with good contacts and it’s
a pleasure working with them! So, there was no real hesitation. We knew
that this was the label for us!
4. HOW WERE THE REACTIONS OF THE METALLERS AND
PRESS ABOUT “EVOLUTION PURGATORY”?
Most reactions were good actually! Really
few reviews were so and so. Of course there are people who still insist
that we sound too much like Blind Guardian! Hahahaha! All in all there
have been some really good reviews.
-WAS THE POSITIVE FEEDBACK WHAT “FORCED” YOU TO
PUT “HUNTER” TO THE MARKET ONCE AGAIN?
Well, it was never released properly in the
first place. We had a lot of requests to re-release it over the years.
The fans couldn’t find it. We wanted to re-release it on Sanctuary, but
you know they wanted to release a brand new album, but in that case we’d
have to put that on hold, but now we have some time since we release the
new album and Dockyard1 seemed really interested!
5. IF I’M NOT MISTAKEN YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
THE LYRICS. AM I RIGHT?
Yeah! Some parts of it! Yeah! I’m the guilty
one! Hahaha!
-AND YOU MAINLY DEAL WITH SOCIAL AND DARK PSYCHOLOGICAL
FACTORS OF HUMAN’S PERSONALITIES?
-SO, CAN YOU TELL US A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT
THE LYRICS ON “HUNTER”?
Those were young I think! Haha! Maybe more
fantasy compared to the ones on “Evolution Purgatory”, which were more
reality based. I think “Hunter” had more fantasy stories!
-HAVE YOU STOPPED WRITING FANTASY STORIES?
Yeah mostly I write realistic ones, if you
read the new lyrics you’ll see that there are stories in them, but it’s
not about dragons and warriors! No more of that! Now it’s more like the
human side and what you listen to when you watch TV. I get inspiration
from the real world.
6. THE COVER ARTWORK HASN’T BEEN ALTERED. WHY?
MANY BANDS TEND TO CHANGE THE IN THEIR RE-RELEASES.
We just wanted to re-release it exactly as
the first edition was. We’ve just included some bonus songs, but we didn’t
remaster it or anything. We thought of adding or changing some solos, but
if we started something like this, then we’d end up redoing the whole thing!
So, we thought let’s keep it exactly as it is. Most people have never heard
it, so I don’t think it would matter that much after all…
7. BY THE WAY, THE ALBUM’S TITLE IS “HUNTER” AND
WE ACTUALLY SEE A FEMALE WARRIOR IN THE ARTWORK. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE COVER
FOR US? WHAT’S THE THING IN THE BACKGROUND? IS IT A MONSTER OR SOMETHING
ELSE?
Yeah, it’s like a dark shadow on her path,
the path that this female hunter chose to follow in her life. There is
the dark path with all the shadows and there is also the “white” path…
8. LET’S SUPPOSE THAT YOU WERE ASKED TO REVIEW
AND PRESENT THE “HUNTER” WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TRYING TO BE AS OBJECTIVE AS
POSSIBLE?
Hmm… I don’t know! You know I played on it
so I can’t review it! Hahahaha! I can only say that it can still work nowadays.
Don’t you think? It brings up a lot of memories, since this was the first
time we entered a real studio. We were all kind of new in this recording
“business”. So, everything was new stuff for us and a while ago I was interviewed
and asked a similar question and I said that this album always reminds
me of how much coffee I drunk back then. I was drinking 20 coffees each
day!!! Hahahaha! A lot of coffee!!! I think it’s a good first album and
still works!
9. WHICH ARE THE MAIN DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES
BETWEEN THE “HUNTER” AND “EVOLUTION PURGATORY”?
I think on “Evolution Purgatory” we have learned
more things about songwriting, we did things in a better way you know.
We wrote a little bit more aggressive stuff, a little bit faster… It’s
better produced also and we did the best possible each time for both the
“Hunter” and “Evolution Purgatory”.
-I’D SAY THAT ON “HUNTER” YOU ARE MORE INTO CLASSIC
POWER METAL AND THAT ON “EVOLUTION PURGATORY” YOU ARE MORE AGGRESSIVE AND
APPROACHING IN PARTS THE MELODIC DEATH METAL SOUND.
Yeah, yeah! I agree with you! You are absolutely
right! The first album was more classic power metal. On the second one
we have put in like you said a lot of melodic death metal elements.
10. YOU HAVE ALSO ADDED 2 SONGS AS BONUS MATERIAL.
THE SONGS WERE TAKEN FROM THE DEMO “VISIONS AND DREAMS”. WHY HAVEN’T YOU
INCLUDED THE WHOLE DEMO?
There are only 2 songs of the demo? Which
songs? I haven’t still seen the promo CDs…
-“THE CURSED” AND WAIT… I HAVEN’T GOT THE PROMO
NEAR ME… SORRY I CAN’T REMEMBER THE TITLE OF THE OTHER ONE…
-YOU DIDN’T KNOW?
NO! I thought the whole demo was going to
be included. I have to ask the record label about it. I’m not sure why
they didn’t include the whole demo. Is it “escape” the other song?
-YES! “ESCAPE”!
11. MOREOVER YOU HAVE A SPLIT RELEASE WITH FRETERNIA.
WHY HAVEN’T YOU INCLUDED ANY OF THOSE SONGS ON THE “HUNTER” RE-RELEASE?
THEY TOO ARE HARD TO FIND…
The split single you mean?
-YES!
Well the thing is that the songs included
in this split single are the songs from the demo. That’s why. They are
the same songs and this is one more release that almost none got hold of…
12. I THINK YOU HAVE TO AGREE WITH ME AND EVERYONE
THAT PERSUADER’S MUSIC BEARS STRONG RESEMBLANCES TO BLIND GUARDIAN’S EARLY
PERIOD.
Well I suppose that Emil has a familiar singing
style, but I think the vocals are the one part, but the music is different…
-WHAT AMAZED ME IS THAT EMIL HAD TOLD ME THAT
NONE OF YOU HAS EVER LISTENED TO BLIND GUARDIAN. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE.
PLEASE COMMENT ON THAT…
Well, it’s true! You know I’ve heard some
of their songs, but I don’t own any of their albums. I think it’s OK, some
of their older stuff is good, like…hmm.. what’s it’s name… I don’t remember
the title…
-BATALLIONS OF FEAR?
No, another album after that… I think it’s
“Imaginations From The Other Side”. I like that album a lot! Perfect songwriting
and Hansi sounds really aggressive. I can say I like that album, but not
the new stuff…
13. SO, TO MY AMAZEMENT I FOUND A FEW MONTHS AGO
THAT EMIL AND JENS FORMED A SIDE-PROJECT CALLED SAVAGE CIRCUS. SO, IS IT
THEIR BAND AND WAS THOMEN INVITED IN ITS RANKS?
It’s Thomen’s and it’s not a project. From
what I can understand and from what they’ve told me it’s a totally different
band and they’ll have to share their time between Savage Circus and Persuader.
14. THOMEN IS A STRONG NAME IN METAL MUSIC. AREN’T
YOU AFRAID THAT EMIL AND JENS WILL FOCUS ON SAVAGE CIRCUS AND NEGLECT PERSUADER?
WHAT BAND IS THEIR PRIORITY?
No! I’m not afraid of that! The music they
play is pretty much similar to the one that Blind Guardian play, so I don’t
think there will be a problem with that. Perhaps Emil will have more things
to do, write more stuff, but I think he is capable of working with both
bands.
15. ANYWAY, WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR PERSUADER?
WOULD YOU EVER CONSIDER ENRICHING YOUR MUSIC WITH OTHER SOUNDS OUTSIDE
YOUR SOUND’S MUSICAL RANGE?
Yeah, well you know of course, but never do
something intentionally… Now, we’re gonna add this or that… It’s not the
way it works. All we do is try to compose new songs and see where they
take us. So, I don’t know how the next album will sound… well actually
after the new one, which I already know! Hahahaha! But I think we will
add more death metal vocals and parts here and there…
-SO, THIS MEANS THAT YOU BELONG TO THOSE MUSICIANS
THAT WANT AND LIKE TO EXPERIMENT WITH THEIR MUSIC…
Yeah sure! I like putting in different things.
For example on the new album we have some really fast stuff, one song that
is kind of mellow another that becomes really slow… Stuff like that and
we hope people will like that! We try everything we like. We don’t say
no to any new ideas that come up. We try out everything and we are open
to new elements!
16. LET’S SUPPOSE THAT TERMS SUCH AS HEAVY METAL,
EPIC ETC. HAVE NEVER EXISTED. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE PERSUADER’S SOUND,
THEN?
Hmmm… which words? I don’t know… aggressive,
melodic metal perhaps? I don’t know! I wouldn’t call it power metal! I
don’t like labeling our music, I usually say we play metal, aggressive
metal with a melodic touch and I let people make out what they want from
that… hahahaha!
17. WHICH ARE THE THOUGHTS, FEELINGS AND IMAGES
YOU WANT TO CREATE TO YOUR LISTENERS?
What kind of feelings? Hmmm… That’s a tough
one! Well, I don’t know how people react when listening to our album… So,
I can’t answer to that question, but I can only say that we only write
music we like to hear ourselves.
-WELL, WHEN I FIRST LISTENED TO “EVOLUTION PURGATORY”
I THOUGHT YOU MUST HAVE BEEN REALLY PISSED OFF WHEN WRITING IT…
Yeah! Pissed off! That’s right! Hahahaha!
That’s good!
18. DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS FOR LIVE SHOWS?
Not at the moment. Something like that will
come in the second half of 2006, after the release of our new album. Until
then we are just going to record the album.
-OK JUST PROMISE ME THAT YOU WILL COME TO GREECE!
Yeah sure! I promise we will come… Hopefully!
Hahahaha!Hopefully we will get a huge tour. We want to go out and tour
a lot! We want to go everywhere and I hear you have a lot of metal fans
in Greece, so that will be awesome!
-SO, WHAT SHOULD THE METALLERS EXPECT TO SEE IN
YOUR SHOWS?
We don’t have dragons or fairies on stage…
Basically we play as good as we can! We enjoy playing live so much and
hopefully we can show to people how much we enjoy doing so and help them
have a nice time too!
19. WHAT’S THE IDEAL TITLE THAT WOULD SUM UP PERSUADER’S
HISTORY UP TO NOW? LET’S SUPPOSE THAT PERSUADER WAS MADE A MOVIE. WHAT
TITLE WOULD YOU GIVE?
Aha! Wow! I never had that question!
-PLEASE DON’T MENTION “LORD OF THE RINGS”!
Hahahahahha! Nooo! I don’t know… Hellraiser
perhaps! Hahahahahha!
20. THANK YOU! THESE LINES ARE YOURS, LEAVE A
MESSAGE TO YOUR WORLDWIDE FANS…
Thank you! If you like our band, thank you!
If you buy our albums, thank you! If you come to our shows, thank you!
If you haven’t checked us out, then I’d advice you to do so and say once
again thank you! Hahahaha!
Nick “William_Kidd”
Parastatidis
Special Help: Christine Parastatidou
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