Skyward
This is our first interview
with Skyward, a new and very promising act that has started gaining lately
the respect and critical acclaim of both the press and the fans. Actually
their debut album is sold out and a second print is on its way to the stores.
If you want one of these copies to find its way to your house, then start
by reading this interview, find information on this band and then simply
enjoy their superb music!
1. HELLO! YOUR DEBUT ALBUM IS A VERY INTERESTING
WORK! HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO COMPOSE AND COMPLETE THE SONGS? DID YOU
INCLUDE ANY SONGS FROM YOUR DEMO? IF YES, WHICH ONES AND HOW DIFFERENT
DO THEY SOUND ON YOUR NEW ALBUM?
I suppose all the songs were composed during
2000-2004. When we went to the studio we had maybe 15-16 good songs to
choose from. The songs “Vaya con diablo” and “Guardian” were also on our
first demo. Those songs gained the most positive feedback, so naturally
we included them on the album. On the album we had more time to do them
properly so we added some harmonies to the vocals and the guitars. There
were (are) many good songs we could have put on the album, but maybe some
of them will be used in the future. On the other hand, the new stuff will
be much stronger.
2. IN 2000, WHEN THE BAND STARTED, YOU HAD ANOTHER
SINGER, MISS K. WHICH WERE THE REASONS THAT MADE HER LEAVE THE BAND? WHERE
DID YOU FIND SANNA?
I don´t remember an “official” break-up
there. I think she just stopped coming to the rehearsals and we never heard
from her since. Then it was time to look for a new singer. Usually Finnish
bands recruit musicians from bars, but Sanna was found at a barbershop
where she works. My girlfriend found her and she was in immediately.
3. HAS SANNA DONE ANY MUSICAL STUDIES OR IS THE
WAY SHE SINGS A NATURAL TALENT?
She is taking lessons in classical singing.
I think her style is mezzosoprano... I hope I got that right.
4. WHICH ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FROM YOUR DEBUT
ALBUM? WHICH ARE, IN YOUR OPINION, THE ELEMENTS THIS ALBUM HAS THAT CAN
MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE TO THE METAL FANS?
So far it has lived up to our expectations.
Thundering Records told us that the first printing is sold out. That was
a pleasant surprise. We hope that the 2nd edition, which also has a video
of the song “Guardian” as a bonus, will find its way to many homes. We
are not ashamed of using the good old ingredients of heavy metal. We keep
it simple, but try to add something fresh into it. It´s all about
dynamics and melody, that’s it.
5. I NOTICED FROM SOME TITLE TRACKS THAT YOU LIKE
TO PLAY WITH WORDS. FOR EXAMPLE YOU HAVE ONE SONG ENTITLED “YESTERNIGHT”
AND ONE OTHER “VAYA CON DIABLO”. WHY DO YOU DO THAT? IS IT A WAY TO INTRIGUE
THE FANTASY OF THE LISTENER?
Absolutely. I try to steer away from cliches
as much as possible. Playing with words is also a device to get the words
flowing. A title like “Yesternight” intrigues me to write a song. Anything
can happen under that title and I don´t know what it is until it´s
ready.Maybe not even then. I´ve always loved lyrics that mean different
things to different people. “Vaya con Diablo” is a warm, heavy metal way
to wish someone good luck. May the Devil be with you...
6. SINCE WE TALK ABOUT THE LYRICS. WHO IS WRITING
THEM? CAN YOU TEL US IN A FEW LINES WHICH THE THEME OF EACH SONG THAT YOU
HAVE INCLUDED IN YOUR DEBUT RELEASE IS?
Opening: Seize the moment, live to
the fullest and make a lot of noise.
Guardian: A figure that´s there
for you. An angel? A demon? It´s there inside you.
Die Happy: An ode for the simple request
of a small person to die happy. That´s all that counts, when world
seems to be doomed.
Burn It Down: A sarcastic take on the
doomed world of ours. What the hell, a little napalm never hurt anyone.
Come December: A wintersong that doesn´t
glorify the pain of it. I tried to find a poetic way to say “winter sucks”.
Yesternight: Something sad. Yearning
for something or someone from the past.
Travel in Time: The title says it all.
Wouldn´t it be cool to see how it all happened?
Crossroads: The ultimate tragedy. How
many eternities must they stay apart?
Vaya Con Diablo: A song that urges you
to explore the world while it still is there.Go!
7. SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT LYRICS ARE NOT SO IMPORTANT
TO THE METAL MUSIC. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT? DID IT HAPPEN TO YOU TO
LIKE A SONG ONLY BECAUSE OF ITS LYRICS?
Many people don´t give a shit about
lyrics. I do. Infact some of the finest lyrics ever are found in metal
music, also some of the worst. I hate preaching lyrics, but songs that
make you think can be great. A song doesn´t have to make sense at
all if the words are cool. Metallica´s “Battery” is one of the coolest
songs ever and I don´t have a clue what it´s about.
8. IN MY REVIEW I WROTE THAT YOUR MUSIC REMINDS
ME OF NIGHTWISH WITHOUT HOWEVER COPYING THEM. HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN THEY
COMPARE YOU WITH NIGHTWISH?
We don´t mind. It´s just not the
whole truth. If we had a different singer, no one would make that connection.
We do it the old fashioned way with two guitars, whereas they base on keyboards.
9. I HAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU ARE FANS OF
NIGHTWISH. NOW THAT TARJA LEFT, DO YOU THINK THAT THEY HAVE LOST AN ELEMENT
THAT MADE THEM DIFFER OR WILL THEY CONTINUE AS IN THE PAST?
Sure, it´s a great band. I just don´t
want to give the impression that they have influenced us much. You see
we are old school metal people and I bet they went to the same school as
we did. I think they will go on strong regardless of the singer, cause
songwriting is their strength. Besides, they have Marco Hietala, one of
the finest voices in metal.
10. LET’S SUPPOSE THAT YOUR LABEL TELLS YOU TO
WRITE A FEW WORDS IN ORDER TO ADVERTISE YOUR DEBUT ALBUM. WHAT WOULD YOU
WRITE?
“The long awaited, exuberantly majestic hyper-masterpiece
from the charismatic geniuses is OUT NOW”.
11. IS THERE A POET OR A WRITER THAT YOU ADMIRE
A LOT AND IN THE FUTURE YOU’D LIKE TO WRITE MUSIC INSPIRED BY HIS/HER WORK?
I don´t read much poetry, but I have
played with the idea of doing something with Edgar Allan Poe´s poems.
I´ve been planning that for years now, but I don´t see it happening
anytime soon. And I understand it has been done to death already.
12. NAME 5 OF YOUR ALL TIME FAVORITE ALBUMS AND
ALSO 5 BANDS THAT YOU LISTEN TO, BUT THEY’VE DISAPPOINTED YOU LATELY…
It´s evil to ask me to name just 5.
But here goes in no particular order.
1. Metallica: Master of Puppets, 2. Iron Maiden:
Powerslave, 3. Pantera: The Great Southern Trendkill, 4. Megadeth: So far,
so good, so what, 5. System of a Down: Mesmerize/Hypnotize.
Metallica has been disappointing for years
now, but I just saw them live in Estonia. All is forgiven, the show was
magnificent. Maybe the best I´ve ever seen. I will continue to be
loyal to that band.
13. IF YOU COULD TRANSLATE YOUR MUSIC INTO A PAINTING
WHAT WOULD IT SHOW AND WHY?
Some sort of a landscape with a lot of action
going on. Plenty of sharp edges combined with mellow colors. Dark shades
and vivid details.
14. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME! GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR
NEW ALBUM! THE LAST LINES BELONG TO YOU…
Thank you! And remember to carry on, stay
hungry and may the force be with you.
Nick “William_Kidd”
Parastatidis
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