for
Painkiller Mag #7
March 2003
Interview
with Fabio Calluori - Guitar
all pics are linked from www.scarletrecords.it
and www.elevaterecords.it
by any problems refer to webmaster
Tell us more about the situation when you formed the band back in 94, incl. influences, background of the band name, your style in the begining, maybe former bands or why you decided to do this kind of music etc.
In 1994 my brother Nicolas (drummer) and I decided to play music that we love and, so, to give life a heavy metal band. After some changes of line-up, the bass player Giovanni Canu, the guitarist Carmelo Claps and the singer Claudio Gallo joined the band. With this line-up, we recorded a demo in 1997 that received great reviews by the specialized press and gave it the opportunity to sign a record-deal with Elevate Records. In May 1998 we recorded “Lord of the Sky”, our first album. It is a concept-album based on the story of the Nordic god, Heimdall. “Lord of the Sky” had immediately a great success from the public and from the press. Besides, it was licensed and published by Dreamchaser in Japan. In the meanwhile, Sergio Duccilli (keyboards) joined the band, giving a more symphonic and majestic aspect to our sound. At the beginning of ‘99, Nicola left us for personal problems and Ottavio Amato became the new drummer. With him, we went on tour together with Labyrinth and we completed the songs for the second album “The Temple of Theil”. It was published by Elevate Records in Europe and by Dreamchaser in Japan. “The Temple of Theil” received very good responses but after some months from its publication, Claudio Gallo, our ex-singer, left the band. We spent much time to search for a new singer and, in 2001, luckily we met a great singer: Giacomo. In the meanwhile my brother Nicolas came back to the band. With them, we completed the songs for the new album, titled ‘The Almighty’. We spent a very difficult time after our second album but now we are back and we want to recover all that we have lost in these years!
About the choice of the name Heimdall, it is the name of a Nordic god: he is the Lord of the Sky and the guardian of Bifrost, the bridge that links the world of the mortals with the one of the gods, Asgardr. When we started in 1994 we wanted a name that sounded epic and powerful as the music that we play. I like very much history, the ancient legends/tales and the mythology and, of course, also the Nordic one. We liked the figure of this god, noble and brave, who presents many values which we believe in and the sound of his name - so powerful and majestic - so we chose it for the band.
Being one of main acting Italian power metal bands of the late 90s can you introduce the Chinese metals this upcoming wave of power metal that you are involved in? Tell us something about the developments and situation now.
Now there are more bands that play this kind of music than 98 when our first album was published, even if before there was more enthusiasm around the scene. When we started in the first part of 90’s there were very few possibilities for the metal bands: few and not well-organized labels, few places where to play, no real professional studios specialized for metal, just a great passion and love for this kind of music. Five, four years ago - when we came out together with Labyrinth, Rhapsody and someone else - the situation started to improve. Surely the success of bands like Rhapsody and Labyrinth has been very important and has contributed to open many doors for the new bands. Today there are many bands, good labels and it’s easier to sign a record deal and to produce in a very good way a cd but probably many new bands have less personality than some years ago when there were 10 main bands, everyone different from the other
Italy is full of cool metal acts, in which part of the country are the metal happenings more concentrated? Where do you all life?
The most important metal happenings are above all in the north of Italy and also many bands are from there. Instead we all come from Salerno in the south where sincerely there are very few metal concerts.
From Germany I know that metal music are more active on the country side or in big industrial areas/cities. Is it the same for Italy?
No, in Italy I haven’t noticed this difference, but probably that situation in Germany is due to the fact that in the big cities you have many possibilities, in the small towns you have to create your possibilities!
It seems to be little weird that an Italian Bands epic concept is about an Nordic god instead of roman empire or something what Italy is famous for. Are you such a fan Nordic Tales?
I like very much Nordic mythology but in reality I am fond of history and mythology in general. It’s possible that in the future we’ll write something about our culture but so far we have preferred to talk about something else and in many cases to create stories. However only our first album has been totally inspired by the Nordic mythology and by the saga of the god Heimdall (even if some passage and some situation were invented by us). I think it was a perfect way to introduce a band with the name Heimdall! In the “Temple of Theil”, we wrote a fantastic story. There are some hints at your Greek mythology. But I would like to underline that Temple of Theil is a story created by us and not a new version of some mythological and fantastic story already written. In “The Almighty”, except “The Search” and “Last Journey” - inspired the first by the myth of Grail and the second by the figure of Baldr -, I totally create the other stories.
Is there any competition fights under Italian power metal bands when it comes to come out on international level?
Sincerely we are in good relation with many other bands and we don’t feel in competition with them; we want only try to improve writing songs always better. We are following a way of our own without thinking about the other bands. If others feel in competition with us certainly it’s not a problem of ours!!
How is your relationship to your local underground scene? Do you think you ever were underground?
In my city there are few metal bands, we know each other, there is a good relationship among us, but consider that only two or three bands have recorded some cds. So I cannot speak about a real scene and also the places where we can play are very few! I don’t know if we remain underground…sincerely I would like to live exclusively by our music!
You were one of the new hopefulls of the same generation with LABYRINTH, RHAPSODY etc. Now they all become international big names, but not much Chinese fans do know your name yet (maybe because there are no piracy copies of your CDs to buy). How do you see your career compare to them. What do you thing was the reason for the difference.
You have to consider some factors. First of all three years of absence are too many for a band like Heimdall…we have changed the singer and the label so “The Almighty” has represented for us a new start after many difficulties. Then consider that Labyrinth and Rhapsody have behind very important labels that assure great productions, tours and important promotion, fundamental factors to promoting the music of a band.
In Italy, there are many epic styled metal bands. Don’t know if it comes from the long history of your nation or if is base on the special mentality of your folk.
The great sense of melody and the use of some classical and epic elements are linked to our culture, to our story that inevitably influence our approach to music. This is probably one of the most reason why in Italy many bands love to mix heavy metal with these features.
Where do you think lies the success of "Lord of the Sky"?
Probably in the spontaneity, in the great energy and power of the songs present in “The Lord of the Sky”. Besides many people go on telling me that it is very particular, personal and original.
The success of "Lord of the Sky" let you become quiet famous for a while. With "The Temple of Theil" you set another solid stone to your foundation. The more you going forward the more your success was ensured. But it took such a long time for the new album, were there any problems to be worked out to take this long time for?
After the publication of “Temple of Theil”, there were some problems inside the band between Claudio Gallo, our ex-singer, and some members of Heimdall, that had begun during the recording sessions of The Temple of Theil. The situation didn’t solve and got worse so, at the end, Claudio decided to leave the band. The period that followed this split was very difficult. The album had been just published and we cannot play live. It was a very frustrating situation. We checked many singers but no one revealed to be the right person until we met Giacomo. Besides, at the beginning of 2001, my brother Nicolas returned in the band after leaving it for some physical problems before the publication of our second album and this change has given again more power and energy to our sound. Besides we had some problems with our previous label Elevate Records: the promotional work for our second cd “The Temple of Theil” was not good and, above all, they didn’t respect some points of our contract! So it was impossible to work with them again and it was natural to change. Now we are with Scarlet records that has soon showed a great enthusiasm to produce our new album.
In your early outputs there were many male/female ballades or slow songs, will these continue in the new album?
They are an aspect of our music and one of the different ways to express our feelings, so its natural that you can find these features in “The Almighty” and in the next cds. However the songs that we are composing for our next album - even if preserve our features - are more heavy and aggressive. Real killer songs!
Can you give our epic power metal wannabes some advice and discription how to create music that sounds epic or tell something about the techniques around doing epic metal.
I don’t think that a real technique to create epic melodies exists. It’s something spontaneous influenced of course from the musical tastes and from the sense of melody that a person has. If you want to play epic metal without feeling attracted and involved really from this type of sonorities and also from the epic themes, everything you will do will be not spontaneous.
In Heimdall a song can be created in different ways…it depends on the moment we write something, but there is no a programmed way to composed a track. In our music you can find many epic elements simply because I love this type of sonorities. However I think that in our songs you can find much more because everyone in the band adds something special and personal!
Do you see any difference between "epic" and "fantasy"? Both attributes seems to be very similar in the way how they are usually arranged in metal music. How much of your "tales" are fantasy?
Yes, I consider fantasy and epic as two different things even if linked each other in many cases. Our stories are inspired above all by mythology and epic poems instead than fantasy even if many fantastic subjects are present above all in our second album “The Temple of Theil” that can be considered a mix between the two elements. In “the Almighty” the most of lyrics have epic and mythological backgrounds even if what influenced me during the composition of the lyrics were some particular moments, moods or experiences lived these last years. However also this time there are some hints at literature, legends or mythologies as in “Last Journey” and in “The Search”.
We only have one new song to rehearsal, the new singer sounds more maskulin/lower, was it a great help to change the shouter?
We have chosen Giacomo because we love his way of singing. Not only he is technically a very good singer but also he has a powerful and warm voice which is perfect for our music…surely what we need for our songs! However Claudio - our previous singer - has also a low voice.
Please introduce us what the new album "The Almighty" is all about. Lyrics, concept, any songs that means special for you, difference to older releases, or anything want, but please more details.
“The Almighty” is our third album after “Lord of the Sky” and “The Temple of Theil”. I think that they are different each other because each of them catches the sensations and the emotions of the time when it was composed and recorded! “Lord of the Sky” can be considered as the result of our first 4 years of life…in this album you can hear the best things that we composed from the birth of the band. Some of its tracks were written between 1994 and 1995. The cd is a storm of metal, rich of emotions, anger, power…that album has all the spontaneity that has always characterized our sound. It’s a true storm of energy!
In “The Temple of Theil” you can hear a more attention towards the arrangements than the first album and a more symphonic aspect due to a major presence of orchestral parts. In spite of this, it preserves energy and spontaneity. “The Almighty” is more direct than “The Temple of Theil”, and the guitar sound is more present. Someone told me that it can be considered a natural continuation of the previous albums, someone else that it’s something different…. however the people that have listened to the new album have defined it as a personal and involving work. For me “The Almighty” is a fist in your face, a mix of energy, melody and anger pervaded by a sense of melancholy, probably due to the particular and difficult period - characterized by many changes - both for the band and for me when it was composed! This album is also rich of force, pride and braveness…it’s Heavy Metal!
As regards the lyrics, like “Lord of the Sky” and “The Temple of Theil”, “The Almighty” is a concept but it’s very different from them. While “Lord of the Sky” was a concept about the Nordic myth and the god Heimdall, from his birth to the twilight of the gods and his death, and “The Temple of Theil” was a mythological and fantastic story - created by us - based on the deeds of two warriors, Sidgar and Iselin, in the new album each song has an own story even if the lyrics are linked by some common subjects. They are all about the search, the journey, often, towards something difficult or impossible to reach and seen through different experiences such as dream, death, art, love, war, glory, immortality. In the opener “The Calling”, the epic melodies follow a lyric that talks about the journey towards the glory and freedom in the battle. It is inspired by those men who, during the history, have been able to lead their armies to fight in the name of what they believe in, even in the darkest times.
In “Wanderer” the protagonist finds itself to roam in a dark and unknown world where words have lost their meaning and where the gods also have died in search of something or someone that appears always distant. In “Return to the Fatherland”, a warrior goes back to his land after many journeys and many battles, but he discovers that it has been destroyed…in spite of this, he can still feel the power and the ancient grandeur of these places that will never die. In the lyric of “Eternal Race”, the human existence is compared to a frenetic and melancholic race towards someone or something probably unreachable, a race where we often feel alone. What we do, what we create arises from a lack and from the wish to fill this gap. Art can be the only way to feel nearer what we search for. The main character of “Symit” creates to live again a very single and deep moment, even if he realizes that the words cannot give back what he previously lived. Sometimes the impossibility to reach what we want transforms this frenetic race in immobility or wait for something. In “Godhall”, an old pilgrim remembers his life, spent travelling and roaming in search of a noble and magic land. But only now that his power is fading away and his dreams and his hopes left him, he feels this land nearer..
In “Beyond”, the main character is a semi-god. He has the power to make his creations live but, at the same time, he is a man and so destined to die. He would like to reach the world of the gods but he cannot so he feels immobile, imprisoned in this condition of suspension, condemned to roam in the “land of no one”. This time also there are some links with legends or mythologies. “Last Journey” is inspired by the story of the god Baldr, one of the most tragic figures of the Nordic Myth, who sees in his dreams his sad destiny of death. “The Search” is inspired by the myth of the Grail. It talks about a knight who is destined to search for it. His life has an only aim: find the holy object and sees his mystery. When he discovers it, he dies.
Some says, that the general reaction to the new album isn’t hat good like it was for "Lord of the Sky", is it just because there are too many bands doing this kind of music and its more difficult to come out these days?
“The Almighty” is in part different from our first album. In three years we have changed and of course our music has changed…so it’s normal that there are people prefer our old things. But it’s also true that many people have said that our last album is the best in our discography…everyone has its own tastes. We think that The Almighty is a very good album full of very good songs, probably - as many have told me - it’s necessary to hear the songs more times before to understand in a very good way the melodies.
How is the market for metal music in Italy now? What is the most imported first step If you want to go more international? To develop step by step with countries own labels or sign international major companies?
Now it’s not good like three, four years ago, there are too many bands and always less people buy cds but I think that this situation is similar in all Europe. To become international? I think that the support of a great label is very important because it can assure live tour (the best way to present your music!) and good promotion, of course the band has to write great songs!
Your debut was also published in Japan, how was the reaction? Will the new album also be released somewhere in the east near us?
Great!! The first two albums were published by Dreamchaser in Japan and the reviews were very enthusiastic both from the metal fans and from the magazines like BURRN! I receive many letters from Japanese fans. About the last album, it was published by Soundholic, the first reactions were very very good too, but sincerely I don’t know anything precise about the sales yet.
We are from China and we also have a proud long history that gives us influences in many ways. Do you thing the historical culture has influences or gives at least little help on musicianal creating in some ways?
Yes, as I told you before, I think that the culture of a country represents a great influence for our music. I have started to read and to be fond of mythology and epic poems many years ago so for me it was natural to write about these arguments.
Thank you very much for the interview and for your support.
Glory and Honour to you!
Fabio Calluori - Heimdall
Discography
The Lord Of The Sky (1998/Elevator Rec.)
The Themple Of Theil (1999/Elevator Rec.)
The Almightyl (2002/Scarlet Rec.)
