Sonic Perspectives

Markus Hirvonen is enjoying his break. Fresh off the European festival circuit, a four-city jaunt through Mexico, and a triumphant headlining gig at Night 1 of ProgPower USA XX, Markus and his fellow insomniacs are eager for a few weeks off before they hit the road again in support of their upcoming record, “Heart Like a Grave.” Taking a cue from fellow Finns Sentenced (which he charmingly pronounces “SEN-ten-sed”), “Heart Like a Grave” sees Insomnium applying that glorious Suomi melancholia even more liberally than before, managing to cook up a listen that’s as engaging as it is despondent, and evolving to be an epic tour de force, drawing inspiration from some of the bleakest tales, lyrics and poems of the north.

With four composers in the band the sound of Insomnium is now richer and more versatile than ever before. And yet the essence and core of the music is the same as 22 years ago. The tree grows new branches but the roots go deeper into the black, rimed soil. “Heart Like a Grave”  is currently available for pre-order and will be released in North America on October 4 through Century Media Records.

Sonic Perspectives Texas’ troublemaker Gonzalo Pozo sat down with Markus Hirvonen  to talk about their recent tour dates in Mexico, their headlining set at Atlanta, the infusion of the popular Finish downhearted themes in the new album, its musical diversity and many other topics. Remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

Slideshow photographs by Norrsken Photography and Design, Wilkinson Image and Design and Stephen Schmidt Photography

The post INSOMNIUM’s Drummer MARKUS HIRVONEN On Latin America’s Love For Metal: “If You Go Further South, It Just Gets More Intense and I Don’t Know If I’m Ready for That” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Fans of The Dead Daisies were surprised with rumors a few weeks ago that Glenn Hughes would be joining the band, replacing singer John Corabi and bass player Marco Mendoza. The confirmation of the lineup change finally happened this week, and the band is now working on a new album, with a tentative release for early 2020. A taste of what’s to come was recently revealed, with the song “Righteous Days” being offered to the fans on the band’s website.

In the meantime, while we wait for a new album of original songs, the group has released “Locked and Loaded”, a compilation of live and studio takes on classic hard rock songs. From The Beatles‘ “Helter Skelter” to Deep Purple‘s “Highway Star”, with a stopover in The Who‘s “Join Together”, the album is a fun journey through the history of rock and roll, and works as a comprehensive compendium of influences of all members of The Dead Daisies.

Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf had the chance to catch up with The Dead Daisies guitar player Doug Aldrich earlier in the year to talk about his other endeavors, and a some days ago they reconnected and covered even more ground, including the dynamic of the band with Glenn, his plans for the remainder of 2019 and what is in the pipeline for The Dead Daisies. As usual listen to their talk below and remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

The post DOUG ALDRICH Talks Upcoming THE DEAD DAISIES Plans: “GLENN HUGHES Involvement Will be a Mix Between BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, THE DEAD DAISIES and His Solo Records” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

The Dutch band Knight Area has been something of a shape shifter in its 15 years of existence.  Only one original member—keyboardist Gerben Klazinga—is still with the band.  At various points, the group’s style has been prog, or symphonic, or prog metal, or a variety of other sounds.

For their seventh album, “D-Day”, Knight Area has created a concept album focusing on the key battle of World War II.  It’s a subject dear to their hearts—and to many in the Netherlands, where the subject of Nazi occupation and Allied liberation are imprinted on the national consciousness.

Recently, Knight Area drummer Pieter van Hoorn and guitarist Mark Bogert spoke with Sonic Perspectives’ collaborator Mark Boardman about the band, the album, and their unique process of creating music. Listen below, and remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

Slideshow photographs by Hans Korbee

The post PIETER VAN HOORN, Drummer for KNIGHT AREA: “This Album Is Also a Warning: We Must Protect Our Freedom, and That Takes Work” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Eirikur Hauksson has had quite the career.  He started singing in Icelandic rock bands nearly 40 years ago.  He’s performed in the Eurovision Song Contest on multiple occasions.  Uriah Heep founder Ken Hensley hired Hauksson to sing with his band—which meant performing songs once presented by the legendary Dave Byron.

But for the last 12 years, Hauksson has made a name for himself as the singer/frontman/lyricist for the Norwegian group Magic Pie.

Hauksson recently spoke with Sonic Perspectives’ collaborator Mark Boardman about his background, Magic Pie, their new album Fragments of the 5th Element, and the lessons one learns in 60 years of living. As usual you can subscribe to our podcast to be notified of all our interviews in a timely manner. And don’t forget to stalk us on social media via Facebook and Twitter.

Slideshow photographs by Norrsken Photography and Design

The post EIRIKUR HAUKSSON, Singer/Lyricist for MAGIC PIE: “You Make Some Decisions in Your Life, and You Think You’re So Right. Then You Realize It Wasn’t Paradise” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

It’s a warm September day in Georgia. I’ve got my recorder, mic, and a friend’s LPs in hand. I’m nearing the end of my hedonistic holiday, I’m almost late to my interview, and freaking Waze is sending me south when I need to go north because it doesn’t realize I’m not driving.

I arrive at the Demons & Wizards tour bus with about ten seconds to spare, and after a number of unanswered texts and calls, I do what journalists of yore did back when the crust was cooling and actually banged on the bus door.

“Oh hey, come in.”

Hansi Kürsch, frontman for the band, is courteous and affable as he welcomes me into the remarkably tidy Demons & Wizards tour bus. Offering me a bottle of water before offering me a seat, Herr Kürsch looks rested and completely at ease. He has, after all, been doing the album-tour cycle almost non-stop ever since his main band, Blind Guardian, released their debut album in 1988. Soothing his throat with hot ginger tea and speaking with great deliberation and restraint, Kürsch is the antithesis of the rowdy rock star archetype: he is thoughtful and reserved, taking much inspiration for his lyrics from the mountainous stacks of books that surely accompany him everywhere he goes. I didn’t even see a single groupie or line of coke on that bus. Nerds.

Kürsch, you see, was taking great care to save all of his aggression for the moment he and his old friend Jon Schaffer take the stage to close out the twentieth edition of the most prestigious metal festival in the United States: ProgPower USA. That performance would also be the final show the very first tour Demons & Wizards had made in North America, and it was taken in commemoration of the group’s twentieth anniversary, in celebration of the reissuing of both of the duo’s records, and in preparation of their upcoming third album, due sometime next year.

Listen below, and remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

Slideshow photographs by Norrsken Photography and Design

The post DEMONS AND WIZARDS Singer HANSI KÜRSCH: “The Main Reason To Make Music, Other Than Expressing Oneself, Is To Make People Happy. And We’ve Made Very Many People Happy On This Tour” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

If you are an addict to the NWOBHM, or a fan of traditionally sounding heavy metal in general, most likely you know of Steve Grimmett and his former band Grim Reaper, which achieved major success worldwide with three highly acclaimed studio albums along with single releases and MTV airplay. Steve not only was the vocalist in those excellent records (“Rock You To Hell” brings back so many memories of teenager years, with long hair, torn pants and jackets with denim and leather patches), but he also had a brief spell with Onslaught, before forming Lionsheart and in more recent times, GrimmStine and a new incarnation of Grim Reaper called Steve Grimmett’s Grim Reaper.

Not all has been a bed of roses from Grimmett though, and he’s had his fair share of health issues, the more significant being an aggressive infection on his right leg below the knee in January 2017, that led to it being amputated in the process. Nonetheless his heavy metal spirit remains in good shape, and Steve Grimmett’s Grim Reaper has remained active, making several successful appearances at festivals around Europe, including Keep It True, British Steel, Muskelrock and Sword brothers in the last decade. Their debut full-length album “Walking in the Shadows” was released on 23 September 2016, and now the follow-up record “At The Gates” is announced for October 11th, 2019. The album contains eleven tracks, with the CD version available via Dissonance Productions, while the vinyl will be released through Back On Black.

Grimmet and his band are touring the US through this month, and contributor Michael Francisco took the opportunity to talk to Steve one more time, after being completely floored with the material contained in “At The Gates”. As usual listen to their talk below and remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

The post GRIM REAPER Front-man STEVE GRIMMETT Talks New Album: “We Wanted to Keep The New Album Sounding Old-School Heavy Metal” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Phoenix-based thrash veterans Sacred Reich recently released Awakening, their first studio outing since 1996’s Heal – and their first with former Machine Head drummer Dave McClain back in the fold. The album was produced by Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, POWER TRIP and CODE ORANGE, among others. Showcasing everything a fan would expect and hope for from the Arizona crew, Awakening is a collection comprised of blistering thrash, crushing grooves, killer solos and socially conscious lyrics that demonstrate a true understanding of everything that matters most in the world today. “Going into it, we had a loose idea as far as knowing that we wanted some fast, heavy songs to honor the old school fans that have supported us and gotten us to this point,” states vocalist/bassist Phil Rind. “We wanted everything to happen naturally. We didn’t want to force anything and we are super stoked with every song. It is easily the best thing we have ever done.”

Formed in 1985, Sacred Reich were an integral part of the 80s and 90s thrash movement, dropping four albums before splitting in 2000. They would go on to reform in 2006 but strictly as a live act, dropping the Live At Wacken DVD in 2012, but it was only in 2018 that they started to work on new material. “Over the last year, we wrote and demoed the songs for the new record. Our drummer Dave was still on tour with his old band so our buddy Tim Radziwill played drums on the demos along with his son, Joey, and they recorded it all at their studio. We wouldn’t be here today without their help, they helped get down the basic framework of the songs. They rule, and the whole process of recording was so positive, cool and fun.” Being very much aware of how their approach to the record affected the outcome definitely played into the finished product. “Leading up to it, we talked about the fact that you can’t separate the process from the result. Everything you do, how you do it, your attitude while you do it, all comes out in the end. So we tried to do things the right way – and by the right way, I mean, being open to what came.”

Sacred Reich follower since the band’s inception, Michael Francisco had a blast talking to Phil Rind recently. He first knocked Rind‘s socks off with introducing the interview with phrases combining the band’s songs album titles and later engaged in a clever talk touching upon the album recording process, the dynamics of the music business nowadays, and even the existence of a certain Surf Nicaragua vintage t-shirt. As usual listen to their talk below and remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

The post SACRED REICH’s Front-man PHIL RIND Talks New Album: “We Wanted Fast And Heavy Songs And A Nice Mix with New Stuff, and The Songs Came Out In a Natural Way” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Michael Schenker is a legendary figure in rock, one of the most gifted and influential guitarists of all time. His work with Scorpions, UFO and the Michael Schenker Group made him a hero to millions of fans and inspired a generation of musicians, including Steve Harris of Iron Maiden, Kirk Hammett of Metallica, and Slash of Guns N’ Roses. And with Michael Schenker Fest, an ambitious and unorthodox project featuring four singers with whom he has worked since 1979 – Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet, Robin McAuley and Doogie White – the drive to create new music is based on the same ethos that has shaped Schenker’s whole career, ever since he recorded his first album “Lonesome Crow” with the Scorpions in 1970 at age 15.

Michael Schenker Fest was born on stage. The first show, in 2016, featured Barden, Bonnet and McAuley performing songs from their respective eras with Schenker, backed by bassist Chris Glen, keyboard player Steve Mann and drummer Ted McKenna . As Schenker says, “It was the perfect time to get this together. If something is meant to be, you don’t have to force anything. It just went so easy even though it’s a complex undertaking, getting everyone together. And the fans loved it so much that I thought, how about Michael Schenker Fest in the studio?”

Resurrection, is Schenker upcoming an album of brand new material, on which Doogie White was also enlisted. Unfortunately during its making, just a month before Ted McKenna was scheduled to record his drums he passed away at the age of 68. McKenna had first played for Schenker way back in 1982 on the Michael Schenker Group’s album Assault Attack. Schenker says. “Ted remained the same humble person that I first met back in the ’80s. He was all heart. When Ted died, it was very hard to come to terms with it. But deep down I knew that he would have said, ‘Keep on rocking, Michael.’ That was the only way I could move forward.”

In the wake of this tragedy, the Revelation album was completed with two different fantastic drummers, both trusted friends of Schenker’s. Simon Phillips had played on the Michael Schenker Group’s self-titled debut album from 1980, and in a long and distinguished career has also worked with Jeff Beck, Mike Oldfield, The Who and Toto. The other drummer on Revelation is Bodo Schopf, who was a member of the McAuley Schenker Group, fronted by Robin McAuley, in the late ’80s. Energy and emotion are words that Michael Schenker keeps coming back to, and those qualities run deep in Revelation from the first song and single “Rock Steady”, an anthem lit up by those four great voices, all the way through to the finale “Ascension”, an archetypal Schenker instrumental in the tradition of his 1980 tour de force Into The Arena.

Skilled interviewer and lifelong fan of Schenker‘s music Michael Francisco took the opportunity to talk to the guitarist about how Revelation came to be, the studio challenges with so many vocalists, the collaboration with Rainbow‘s singer Ronnie Romero and Schenker‘s long and storied career in a relaxed conversation that can be heard in the links below. As usual remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

The post Legendary Axeman MICHAEL SCHENKER: “When Writing I Like to Keep Music Snappy and Energetic, I’m The Architect and The Blueprint” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Øystein Brun hears color: “When I listen to music, I see colors,” the brains behind Borknagar explains. “I have green riffs,  brown riffs, orange riffs, and together they make certain colors and shapes. It’s mental mapping, in a way.”

It’s refreshing to hear a guy who demands absolute honestly in the arts actually practicing what he preaches. Since 1995, Brun‘s exacting standards has propelled Borknagar to the forefront of the more forward-thinking extreme metal units out there. Heavy on Nordic, progressive, and avant-garde elements but firmly rooted the black metal that made Norway a focal point, Borknagar‘s personnel has featured such luminaries as Asgeir Mickelson (Spiral Architect),  Ivar Bjørnson (Enslaved), Andreas Hedlund (Vintersorg), and the inimitable Kristoffer “Garm” Rygg of Ulver notoriety. Borknagar, however, has always been Brun‘s baby, as is evidenced by the songwriting credits on their eleven albums; his name appears alongside nearly every song the band has composed. 

The affable Brun is by no means ready to take a break, however, and his incredulity seems to have served both his inquisitive and creative streaks. “At this point in life, I’m just done with bullshit,” he blurts out. “I’m done with religion, superstition, etc. If I want to learn something about the environment, I talk to a scientist, not some jerk with an opinion.” 

Brun chatted with Sonic Perspectives scribe and fellow humanist Gonzalo Pozo for nearly an hour, where the two discuss Borky‘s upcoming album, the possibility of a long-overdue US tour, and how he managed to get the three frontmen the group has had to all perform together on the 2016 album Winter Thrice. Brun also sheds his tough exterior to discuss the passing of his father during the making of that album. “I’m a big guy,” he confided. “I built my own house. I built my own studio. But I couldn’t help my father when he needed me. My way of giving back to him, was to make a song, because that’s something I can do. The lyrics to “Wild Father’s Heart” are in honor of him, his open-mindedness, and his free spirit.”

Listen below, and remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.

The post BORKNAGAR Boss ØYSTEIN BRUN: “I Hope I Find My Sound, But I Also Hope I Don’t, Because Then My Journey Will Be Over” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.