INTERVIEW WITH EVILE |
LH:
You recently played at the Annihilator Christmas Party (17/12/05), So
are Annihilator a pretty big influence to your music? LH:
And who would you say are your main musical influences?
Ol:
Annihilator are a huge influence on Evile on my part. Other than Just
practicing as usual, I spent the last 3 or 4 years learning Jeff Waters'
guitar work. He is the most underrated guitarist in the world of metal.
Mike: I wouldn't say that Annihilator was a big influence on me because
I hadn't really heard of them until Ol spoke to me about them.
Ben:
Until maybe a year ago I didn't know much about Annihilator, only that
most people think of them as Canada's answer to Metallica, but theres
SO much more to them - as a drummer the band have opened my eyes to a
more aggressive/faster/harder style of playing, something I wasn't aware
of before, and also more complexity in song structure. If we can apply
that to Evile's music then Yeah, sure they're a big influence.
Ol:
For me, the other bands that have made the most impact and Influence are
Testament, Megadeth, old Sepultura, Obituary and Metallica Matt: the four
bands who I look up to most would be Metallica, Slayer, Exodus and Testament,
which definitely influences a lot in my musical writing style.
Mike:
Personally my main influences are Exodus, Slayer and Pantera. R.I.P Dimebag...you
were and always will be the best. Ben: Personally, my own influences are,
in no order of favouritism, Metallica- who basically woke me up and introduced
me to metal, AC/DC, Kiss (believe it or not!) and more recently Slayer,
Anthrax and of course Annihilator. I'm also taking influence from a lot
of power metal bands such as Rhapsody and Helloween.
LH:
Evile are really a thrash band. Aside from thrash, are there any other
bands or particular styles of music, which influence your band in any
way? LH:
So changing the subject, what are your plans for 2006? LH:
Can you tell us about the video you are filming? Can we see it anywhere? LH:
How would you say your newer material compares to All Hallows Eve? LH:
Ol, have you ever taken guitar lessons and how long have you been playing? LH:
Are you going to do a thrash metal cover of ABBA's "Dancing queen"
on your next CD? LH:
Mike, you are originally from London. What made you move up to Yorkshire
and how did you meet the others in the band? LH:
Were you in any bands before Evile? LH:
Ben, your other band, Mary Jane are a very different style of music to
Evile, being more punk. Are you into that sort of music yourself as well
as metal? LH:
Which kind of drumming do you prefer? LH:
How long have you been playing drums and what made you take them up? LH:
Matt, what have you been doing longer - guitar or vocals? If you had to
choose between one and the other, which would you rather do? LH:
Seriously though, what kind of things do you write about in your lyrics?
Would you say your lyrics have any kind of theme? LH:
What was the best gig you ever played, and why? LH:
and the worst? LH:You
seem to play a lot of gigs with "Headless cross", are you all
good pals? How did the two bands meet? LH:
Are there any other bands you particularly enjoy gigging with? LH:
So on the whole, what are your opinions of the metal scene today? LH:
Are there any bands at the moment that you think stand out from the rest? LH:
Do you think there is a place in the market for bands like yourselves? LH:
And on a more serious and important note, what are your plans for the
rest of the day? We
would like to thank all of Evile for taking the time to do this interview.
Ol:
I'm pretty open minded on music. If it's awesome I'll listen to it. If
it's shite I won't.
Mike: None of your God damn business...God dammit!...hahaha!
Ben:
Im in the way of thinking that if someone has put the effort in to their
music, it will show - So pretty much any band from a wide range of styles
will make me go WOW. As long as theres a bit of passion and complexity
involved - im not going to get worked up over a 4 chord trick......
Matt:
Get our new demo out as soon as possible and get it heard by as Many people
as possible and get the name and the music circulated around the world
of metal.
Mike:
Start doing more gigs and build up a bigger fan base outside of Huddersfield.
Ben: If we can get to a point where people will travel further afield
To appreciate our music live, then that's great - equally if that escalates
and we do a gig further afield and people already know what to expect
due to cd's going out then that too is great. We just want as many people
as possible to thrash to our shit at the end of the day...
Ol:
We're filming a music video with Sleeping Giant Productions for the song
"The Living Dead".
Matt: We're all fans of horror films, particularly zombie films, so we
thought it would be a worthy idea to do a video for the living dead, because
it'd be fun to do.
Mike:
No Comment!...(Touchy subject!!!)...God dammit!
Ben: In appreciation of Mr Romero's stirling efforts we decided to get
something done, the video to The Living Dead pays homage to many great
zombie flicks whilst giving us a chance to be maimed and slaughtered to
metal. So Everyone Wins! Dunno where it will be screened yet, at first
it'll be up on our site, who knows from there???
Ol:
We put alot more time into writing the new stuff. It's heavier and faster.
Expect Slayer crossed with Testament crossed with Sepultura crossed with...Carcass.
Slestaturass.
Matt:
I'd say it's a lot closer to the sound and style we've been trying to
achieve.
Mike:
Don't know haven't heard it yet. Ben: I think All hallows eve was an ideal
starting point, good grounds to build upon, and we're certainly pushing
ourselves technically to bring a more aggressive and faster evile sound
with the new stuff. We're not in the mindset that we're going to sell
out to get signed, we're gonna do ourselves justice and keep writing better
material. Anyone who's heard "enter the grave" or "Russian
roulette" will tell you.
Ol:
I've been playing nearly 5 years now, started when I was 16. I didn't
take lessons, Not that I don't believe in them, cos they help alot of
people, I just didnt want to be taught how to play something how someone
else plays it. I just sat down for a long time and listened.
Ol:
There's no answer I can give to this without getting mocked so; Yes, Yes
I am.
Mike:
I moved to get away from the toilet known as London (By the way don't
you think Buckingham Palace is a dump!!!) and I met the band by answering
an advert for a Bass player that they'd posted in GTR's.
Mike:
Yes
Ben:
Ive played so many styles of music over the years I don't think it's a
case of being more punk, its just another outlet for my musical ability.
Ive played Jazz, Blues, 50s Rock and Roll, allsorts since I started, so
its just something different for my ears. I'll always be a thrasher at
heart, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!!!
Ben:
If I don't feel totally knackered when I come off stage then I feel I
haven't done myself justice, so thrash is ideal for me. I love the aggression
and the feeling of power. I love playing in general, but Evile is firmly
where my heart is.
Ben:
Not many people know, but I play bass, guitar and I sing, but I've always
felt more comfortable kicking ass on a kit. I started about 10 years old,
in my garage playing Buckets and cardboard boxes, and took it from there.
I got into it more seriously at high school in my teens. Like Ol, I'm
totally self taught on anything I play - I prefer to use my ears rather
than end up playing in someone elses idiom.
Matt:
Secret 3rd option; Both. Been playing guitar longer and found out I could
sing by accident at our first practice.
Matt:
I write about anything Evil and cool. Blood, skulls, death, films etc.
Mike: The songs I write/wrote such as Prophecy, Killer from the Deep Etc
etc all come about from the mood I'm in at the time, which is generally
not very happy because there's a lot of people out there that aggravate
me for one reason or another. Don't think there's a hidden theme/message
the songs are pretty self-explanatory. Ben: Ive only just discovered my
ability to write lyrics, but theyre all based around dark subject matter
i.e. things that keep some people awake at night, black magic, death by
random shark mishap...
Matt:
I have two favourites actually. A local gig we did recently at The Gas
Club in Huddersfield and the Annihilator Christmas Party at the Snooty
Fox in Wakefield in 2004.
Mike: I would say the first gig we did as a cover band at Ukrainian Club
in Halifax...it was barbaric...blood, bricks...madness! But as Evile I've
enjoyed playing at the Gas Club and Snooty Fox.
Ben: For me, the first Militia gig, Ukranian club, Halifax. It was the
first real gig with the Evile line up as it is now, and I'd like to think
of it as the gig that said "we're either gonna pack up after this
if its shit, or were here to stay". Thankfully, the fact that EvilE
was born from Metal militia means we must have got something right that
night.
Ol:
There hasn't really been a bad gig, show wise (other than shite sounds
etc), just a few incidents that made things a bit.......................................shit?
Matt:
I don't think I have a worst gig, because I enjoy gigging that much that
I just couldn't be brought down by anything.
Mike: Manchester Jilly's Rockworld...not because of the venue but because
of some of the people in and around the area who thought they could single
me out of a crowd and treat me like scum...they can kiss my ring!
Ben:
For me, every gig has its ups and downs. The only one that stands out
is the Piece Hall Gig as Militia, a venue that size playing to best part
of 500 people with basically a Karaoke PA was just ludicrous!!! You just
gotta take the good with the bad and keep thrashin I guess!!!!
Ol:
We just met when we played a gig with them. They're excellent guys and
a fucking awesome band. Circle of Madness!!!!
Mike:
Don't know how we met???...Good bunch of Guys. Ben: I think we met at
the snooty fox or at a gig somewhere. I agree with Ol, the guys are very
professional and could go a hell of a long way. Theyre young enough to
make it their living and with the way the thrash scene is at present,
they'll be around a long time. CROWN OF THORNS!!!!!!!!!
Ol:
Pitiful Reign, they're an excellent young thrash band. Very very 80s.
The riffs are fucking metal. Matt: Pitiful Reign, because the bill with
HC and PR is just a really good thrash combo. The Thrash Trio. Mike: Like
gigging with Pitiful Reign and Headless Cross...but I'd also like to do
a gig with a band called Warchild!
Ben: Warchild blew me away at Dominion, so if they're reading this - Get
us on a gig!!!! Other than that, Pitiful Reign kick my ASS every time
I see them. So young and yet so ANGRY!!!!!!!!
Ol:
The metal scene kicks ass if you know where to look/listen. There's a
fuck load of excellet un-signed thrash bands out and about, so i'm not
pessimistic about the future of the metal scene. Headless Cross, Pitiful
Reign, Caustic Strike, Nailgunner, Warpath, Mass Extinction, GamaBomb.
You've also got the big bands still thrashing. Onslaught, Sadus, Testament,
Destruction, Annihilator, Mega fucking Deth, Death Angel, Obituary (YES!!!).
Matt: Commercially speaking, it's terrible. The underground metal scene
Is definetly on the rise and hope it can kick the crap out of this commercial,
hollow, screamy nonsense that's around at the minute.
Mike: Crap
Ben: You gotta know what to like to fit in in a commercial sense, but
we're not about to become commercial to gain a fan base. Pretty soon the
underground scene is going to grab peoples attention because people will
only listen to commercial SHITE for so long. If the bigger labels looked
to the underground scene for bands I think it would scare the bejeezuz
out of them, as there's a better quality of musicianship there and also
a lot of talent that could take over from the old masters like anthrax,
metallica and slayer.
Ol:
Crotchduster.
Matt:
Obvious choice for me is Opeth. There's no band like them whatsoever.
Also I've been really getting into Nevermore. Warrel's voice fascinates
the hell out of me.
Mike: No
Ben:
MetallicA, for trying too hard. STICK TO WHAT MADE YOU METAL!!!! Other
than that, everything else is lost in a sea of EMO.
Ol:
I don't know if there is one for us in particular, but I do know alot
of metal fans are screaming out for OLD metal once again. Anthrax and
Testament reuniting, there's a very old thrash atmosphere, I just hope
people start to pick up on the bands no one's heard of! Matt: Definitely,
as the market seems like its screaming out for a breath of fresh metal
air.
Mike: yes but a very small place you have to be in the right place at
the right time and hopefully Headless Cross, Pitiful Reign and Evile are.
Ben: If the time is right we'll be there, purely cos I believe that every
20 or 30 years, music goes full circle. The time is right for a "NEW"
New wave of Heavy Metal, and I for one want EvilE to be included in it!
Ol:
Gonna go back in time and kick Napolean in the balls. Just, because.
Matt:
Drink Beer, wake up, do the same tomorrow. Cheers.
Mike:
Unlike Matt who's gonna be drinking beer while he's still asleep. I'm
about to watch the Toronto Maple Leafs beat New Jersey Devils back into
their filth ridden state!...Go Leafs Go!......GOD DAMMIT !!!
Ben:
I guess I better do some work before I get fired...........LOL Mike doesn't
know what he's talking about - F**kin Leafs.........