Joey DeMaio : " Welcome everybody and thank you very much for coming this evening, it's wonderfull to have you all here. It's kind of unusual that we play rough mixes, but we're very proud of what we have done so far. I think all of you know our reputation is one of perfection, and I think it's a good thing, we wanna do our best and that a good reason to wake up everyday. With the invention of the Internet, it became kind of interesting, because now every asshole and his brother think they have the right to voice their opinions about things that they really don't have any right too, but it's a free world, so we gotta allow it, but I just love the responses and some of the e-mails that I get, it's pretty humurous, like : " Joey, just write some songs, put it together, and let's have a record, as soon as possible ", it's pretty hilarious when you think about it and I wish we could be that way, but what we do comes from a special place, it comes from the heart, it comes from the soul, and it's real and what we do we think it's magic and it's magic to our fans and those are the people that we listen too and believe me, nobody is sorrying than we are, that people have to wait for the music, but great songs come from a special place inside and you never know when that's going to happen and there's a lot of work into the record and we look forward to let you hear the whole thing. As we've been off the road the last 2 years, we certainly haven't been sitting on our ass, we put together 4 different DVD's : " Blood in Brazil ", which is going to be our first full-lenght 5.1 concert ever released, and Hell on Earth Part 1,2 and 3. And also the history of Manowar is on its way, there is a book being been written about the band, there is a host of things are going to happen over the next couple of years and I can tell you, we're not going to stop touring, we're not going to stop playing, and I have going to keep my promise, there is going to be another studio album out, next year. So, thank you all for coming, it's a pleasure to have you all, and I know you all suffered in your own way with the time - lack in between the records, but we made the record for ourselves, but we also made it for all of you, the fans that are out there, and I know that the people who are here, are the people that care, and everybody else can get fucked, because they mean nothing to us. Ok, you're free to ask any questions ".
How many songs have you recorded for the new album, and do you plan to do bonus tracks?
Joey : No, there will be 10 songs on the record, 10 songs we're very proud of.
Why do you mix the album in Belgium ?
Joey : We've always considered ourselves pioneers and on the cutting edge of technology, the fact is we are the first heavy metal band to have a recorded digital record, and we were also one of the first group to build our own studio, home - studio's when the equipment became portable enough. And this studio co-incidentely is the development center for super audio cd, that is a format that allows you to listen to music exactly as it's been produced and Ronald Prent is the head of development, he is in our opinion, the engineer of engineers, and it was a combination of choosing him, him recommending this studio, because he prefers to work here, and wanted to achieve the best possible sound for the record. And Belgium is a fun place to be, Scott likes their wafels, and the beer, Karl said " girls " ( laughs ).
How long was the composing process ?
Joey : I think the composing process never ends, eventhough we don't sit and write songs while we're on the road, we think you take in every experience, that is the composing process, from signing autographs till hanging out with the fans, to being on stage, to blowing up the power in the building and get fucking arrested by police for doing video's without a permit. All that stuff affects you, and you store it up, inside of you, untill it's time to let it out. So, I guess, we started composing this record the minute we stopped composing Louder than Hell.
How do you get the idea to record a song like Nessun Dorma ?
Joey : It is as a song, the most widely recognised piece of opera - music, a lot of people recorded it, and when we headlined the Gods of Metal Festival in 1999, which was our second time, we wanted to do something special for the Italian fans, and why not do something completely radical, which opera would be, and also do a piece which is certainly recognised. Incidentely, we will headline the Gods of Metal Festival this year. I can in between say, we also headline the Lorca Fetival in Spain. we are starting to put together a world tour, which actually is centered around the fall of this year.We go out there and play and go crazy again.
When you write the songs, do you think of how to perform this song live ?
Joey : I think, we as a band feel, we don't wanna do anything in the recording studio that we cannot produce live on our own. For instance, Nessun Dorma, we did it in Italy. And I know it's popular for most of the bands today, to make records that are very very orchastrated, and very big and they play live with a tape machine, and I think it's kind of ridiculous. One or 2 songs maybe, when it's a purposefull mission, but I think should be able to do on stage what they do on record and do it the best of their abbility. So, we think a lot about it and we like to be able to have people leave the concert say : I enjoyed the record and when I heard them live, it's just as good, as not better.
Manowar are still named the Kings of Metal, aren't you affraid Heavy Metal will be put down by the new - metal of these days ?
Joey : You mean the dogshit music, when people are barking ? I don't think anybody should ever be affraid by this easy made music. People said " Heavy Metal is going to die ", I don't know why they say it, it's just as ridiculous as they say that classical music would die or jazz, Heavy Metal is what it is, Heavy Metal is Life, and there's Life all over this fucking planet.
Eric, how did you feel when you first had to sing Nessun Dorma ?
Eric : A lot of planning, and a lot of rehearsel, and a lot of trips to opera's, to study how they sing. We were never able to play the song, untill we went to Italy, because we wanted it to be a surprise. I have to tell you, the first time I did it, I had butterflies in my stomach, because it was the first time ever that a heavy metal singer is attending opera. And I knew some reporters out there, I saw them making notes during the songs and I tried to kep my eyes closed and concentrate on the song and midway through the piece I opened my eyes and I could see everybody with the lighters on on they had cell phones in the air calling their families and friends to let them hear it, I knew it worked. I knew it was a good take when we did it in the studio, I can feel it, I was proud to do it.
Did you take special lessons to do this song ?
Eric : I come from the school of " hard knocks " and that means I try to do it the best I can. I went to opera's and studied the way they sing, I sat at the frontrow and watched the breathing technics and tried the things on my own, and just by listening to so many opera singers I did it myself and rehearseled, the rest of the band said it sounded great, so we did it.
You are still a great heavy metal singer, but aren't you sometimes affraid that your voice wouldn't take it as long as your Brother's arms ?
Eric : I guess when that happens, it's by the time I'll bound out. I don't see that happening, I keep trying to do the best I could possibly do and everybody at this band does that, it makes the band what it is. If anybody wants to give advise, we all in the band have open ears here, if I'm singing something, and Joey seem to think I could do it a little better I'm open ears for that.
To sing the opera part, does that reflect on the other songs, the technics you learned ?
Eric : No, because every piece has it's own different character and I do all kind of different technics also in one particalar song.
Why are you doing the listenings session in this studio ?
Joey : Because we are recording here, and we thought it was absolutely a very very convinious place to come to this location. We were going to be here and we didn't want everybody to wait till the end of the record and we've thought everybodies patience certainly was tested enough so we thought : let's get some rough mixes together and let's fucking rock, the sooner the better.
When I was listening to the song " Warriors of the World United " I thought it is a nice start for a show, when you were working on this song did you thought of that ?
Joey : No, we did't think of that, but it's a good idea, so we'll certainly remember that.
The new single will be released before the new album comes out, which tracks will be the bonus tracks on this single ?
Joey : there will be 2 special bonus tracks, two songs from the Gods of Metal Festival, they will also have video's on it, so when you put it in your computer you'll be able to see and hear the songs, one song is " March for Revenge " and the other one " Carry On". So, very special live - recordings.
Don't you think it's a danger to bring out 4 DVD's with live music, that people don't wanna see live anymore themselves what the band is like ?
Joey : Well, I get e-mails from people who bitch me out about songs we didn't record live, I think that's one of the biggest compliments the band can get. After we made Hell on Wheels, people were unhappy, because it wasn't enough, we never ever expected that, so we had to make the second live album and to tell you the truth, it was so much to do this, that we are going to release another live album in the very near future, it's a great experience and it's a great for the fans, it marks a moment in their lives, when they were there, they participated and it's a part of their lives. We into the DVD's also big time, because it's a memory for all of us, and it's no different than you do film your family, these are also things to be remembered forever, and all of our fans are part of it, it wouldn't be much of a show if it was just us all playing by ourselves, when you go to a Manowar concert we're only half of the reason, and the other half are the fans there.
What are the differences between your old songs and these new ones ?
Joey : It's funny, because, people who have listened already to the album all have a different opinion, like some said : " You've gone back to Battle Hymns ", another said " for sure this is like Hail to England ", another is sure that we went back to Into Glory Ride. I think that's a compliment, because we have never ever forgotten what the all albums were like. I think of our career as a book, called " Manowar" and each chapter is just a different chapter. We stay true to what this is all about, and not like these assholes who ever week have another haircut and look, it takes more than to wear funny clothes and put a sword in your hands in a fuckin' magazxine to be a warrior, you got to give your life to the fans and give your blood and everything you've got and that's what we have done for years to good times and bad times, and there has been a lot more bad than good, but through it all we never lost the side of the fact that no matter what, it'snot all about us, it's all about the fans, and they are the ones that made us the Kings of Metal and that's what we're living for and that's what we'll die for.
What was the hardest to improve for you, the production, the songwriting, the musicianship ?
Joey : For us it's always everthing together. We've never said , ok we play tonight, the lightning is not so good, so we make sure the sound is good. It's not like " we're going to have a great sound on the record, but the songs will be like shit ". We just try to do all the very very best we can.
Do you have a life next to Manowar ?
Joey : I'm not trying to make fun of other bands, I never do this I only care about Manowar and the fans, but when you pick this life and you make this kind of music, you know that you're going to have a lot of struggles, and a lot of obstacles to take, which is clearly not commercial, when you know you're fighting all of the things out there that will make you successfull and happy , you better plan on a long, hard road, and that leaves not much time for everything else, but for us it's not like we gave up something to do this, this is what we all wanted to do, we've been through hard times and that gaves us the balls to deal with whatever we have. It doesn't matter to us if we're up and have money or whether we are fucked, we can survive. Nothing is going to stop us and nobody is going to tell us what to play. We do what we do from from the heart, and those who like it we love, and those who don't we hope they die.
You produced the new Bludgeon CD, why you choose this band and can producing be a next level of your musical career ?
Joey : I think in everybodies career there comes a time, where you do something and somebody sees it, they cannot deny you. That's how it went too with Manowar when we started. When I saw this band Bludgeon, and I saw these 5 guys play, I just couldn't believe it and it kind of reminded me of Manowar. I don't know if they'll ever sell any records, or that they are going to be the biggest band in the world, but I can promise you that they are a motherfucker of a band, and I just had to produce a record for them. And speaking of our label, there will also be released this year a CD of our ex - drummer Rhino, who made a brilliant rock - opera, based on a vampire myth, his group is called Shadow Symphony, it's tremendous. Also there will be a release of David Shankle, probably later on in the year, he's also a Magic Circle Records artist. And another project I"m working on, producing on and writing as well is called " Holy Hell ". So, it's going to be a busy year for the future of Manowar, but I promise you all a lot of Metal, a lot of fun, good vibes, good concerts, and from us to all of you a lot of love, lot of respect for all of the years and all of the tears, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts and we truly fucking mean it.
