Interview With Tarja Turunen

Interviewed By Jessica Clingempeel +Various

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Jess: How has the writing process been going? How is it compared to My
Winter Storm?
Tarja: It has been very successful so far. I think I will have a good amount of new
material until the end of this year, in order to start recordings in the
beginning of next year. This time I am much more present in the song writing
process than on my first album. The reason for this is that last time there
was not really time for it, nor I had enough courage for it since the
writing of songs had never before been my strongest field in music. Now I
feel I am much more free to explore what lies in my heart and soul. I am
very happy to be able to put it in words or melodies. You will definitely
hear even more personal album than MWS is.

Jess: In your blog you revealed the title "The Crying Moon", as a song
for your new album. What inspired the title?
Tarja: It's about the suffering and pain that the moon witnesses between two
persons that are fully in love but cannot be together.

Jess: You said before you were still thinking of an album title, any
ideas on one yet?
Tarja: I have an idea for it already, but I give myself still more time to decide
it.

Euphoric_Thunder: Will you be doing another cover song on your new
album and maybe a possible duet with someone well known?
Tarja: I would love to make another cover song for the album. I have also an idea
for it already, but that needs a lot of work. Let's see if I manage to
finish what I have started. Finding great duet partner is another challenge
on this album. It would be just great to have one duet for the album.

Lady Christabel: Will the new album be very different stylistically
from My Winter Storm? If so, what different elements can we expect to
hear in this album?
Tarja: The new album will continue the line of MWS, but it will be more mature and
personal album. The concept of the sound is getting more clear to me and
also the elements that you already could hear on the first album, will be
even more present on the new album. There will of course be new things for
you to discover, but that I cannot tell you yet. :)


Josh: What was the greatest challenge you faced when creating My Winter
Storm? Have you faced any challenges yet with the new album?
Tarja: To get the album ready in a tight schedule that my record company gave us
for MWS was the biggest and hardest challenge to work out. It is always a
challenge to make a new album anyway, because what matters for me the most
is the fact that the album really should be my own creation. I love taking
challenges because they keep me making progress as a musician. I need to
train a lot to become better with my singing also.

Jess: People here in the United States are still hoping for tour dates,
any news yet?
Tarja: Unfortunately, no matter how much I wanted to go there to sing for you, this
depends on my record company and their support. They were not ready for the
tour in USA at this stage. I will keep on trying...

Aaron: What would you say has been your greatest accomplishment in life
apart from music?
Tarja: I have been able to understand better the world we are living in, through
travelling and seeing different cultures. I would really have a much smaller
view of life without having had that chance.

Jess: Are there any other goals in life you would love to achieve?
Tarja: I wish to live a healthy life and to have a chance to be a mother one day.
To be an artist is my great privilege in life. I hope I can keep on
performing, because singing is my way of life.

I wish we could have had more questions but we all know you are very
busy and you have an upcoming tour in South America awaiting your
arrival. I hope you have fun during those shows and congratulations on
the success of My Winter Storm. Also, happy early birthday Tarja! :)

Thank you so much for your kind words! I really hope to see you soon in USA.
As everything in life, you always need to keep on dreaming so that one day
your dreams would come true. With me it has always been like that.
God bless you all and once again, THANK YOU!

With love, Tarja

Godyva Interview

Interviewed By Renée Gschaid

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MQ: Where did the name Godyva comes from?
Godyva take this name from the legend of the beautiful Lady Godiva that rode naked, covered only by her long hair, for the roads of Coventry. The Y inserted in our moniker has been taken by her original name Godgyfu that means "God's Gift."

MQ: There are a lot of bands coming from Italy, what do you do to stand out?
Godyva: We don't do anything special to differentiate us from the other bands or to be more in sight, simply we work a lot on the promotion of the group and our albums. Fortunately we don't need compromises to be able to play in some important event yet or to read our interviews and the critiques and reviews of our albums on newspapers of national and international circulation. All comes because you deserve it.

MQ: So the new album is called Planetarium, why did you pick that as the title?
Godyva: We have chosen this title because the song Planetarium seemed us the most representative for the album. We consider Planetarium a complete song and with a great pathos, with a direct and immediate refrain indeed.

MQ: On the site it claims "Intimate Gothic Metal," what does that mean?
Godyva: On the album In Good and Evil you can listen to a song called Intimate. That song has been the point of our beginning, of a new sound that we were creating in that period, changed and matured with the entry of Botys in the band. We decided therefore to label us as Intimate Gothic Metal for this reason, but also because we wanted to make a kind of gothic metal deep and psychological, and I believe that Planetarium is an album with these characteristics. Don't you agree?


MQ: How did it feel being signed to SorceryStudios/Razar Ice Records?
Godyva: We signed for Sorcery Studio/Razar Ice Records after the summer of 2005 and our label has helped us a lot to grow and to become a professional band. When after many
years finally you succeed in finding someone who believes in you, you feel yourself satisfied and happy to know your music is arriving in all the globe. For them we have released 2 albums, In Good and Evil in 2006 and Planetarium in April of this year.

MQ: Is American tours something that you really wanna do since there has only been European tours?
Godyva: We would like the dream to play in America can become reality very soon. Europe is a concrete scenery for our music and America is distant indeed and to organize some live dates there would cost a lot. However we will keep on believing in this, hoping we will be able to make an American tour at least once in our life.

MQ: Where do you draw your inspiration for the songs from?
Godyva: We take inspiration from our feelings and from what these feelings succeed to instigate in us, love, anger, desolation, abandonment, but our music and lyrics are characterized by a thick dose of hope and desire to go on. I always say that Planetarium is the album of the passage and the change, a lot of things are matured and evolved in us, in the last two years we have had painful experiences that have divided us and then reunited, stronger than before.


MQ: Do you think when it comes to gothic metal there has to be a certain style to outfits/costumes?
Godyva: Being a gothic metal band also means to dress in a certain look, it is not only through the music that you have to communicate, but also through yourself, with your body and your image. Costumes, outfits, theatrical and gothic dresses, nighttime and mysterious aspect fascinates us, but we don't think we are a band so much dark or too gothic. Then the look is important, but it doesn't have to be a thing divided by the music, it has to be united with the music, before everything the music comes first and its content, then the wrap comes that owes to obviously be pleasant to the eyes. We don’t want to frighten anybody.



MQ: How did it feel playing on the same stage as Macbeth and Theatres des Vampires at Dark Fest 4?
Godyva: Playing with Theatres des Vampires for us is always a beautiful experience, we have played with them more times during the last years and we have seen how a band as them is able to go on and to believe in what they strongly do. Macbeth, we don't know a lot them as people, but we can say that they are indeed a professional band on the stage. They make a good show, but they are not theatrical and with a shocking impact as the Vampires, that I esteem and I appreciate more then Macbeth.

MQ: Do you enjoy playing Dark Fest even since the first one in Italy 2007?
Godyva: We have certainly had a good time. I remember that the first Dark Fest has been in Modena and we preserve a beautiful memory of that event, the people and fans under the stage, the organizers of the event, the stage and the place, the food and drinks, the hotel, a special treatment indeed and that time we played for the second time with Theatres des Vampires.

MQ: Is collaborations with other band like Necrodeath something that is a benefit for inspiration?
Godyva: Necrodeath in Italy is a very important band and an icon for fans of thrash death metal. Here their name is a guarantee and the collaboration with them was born following the friendship with Peso. To collaborate with a band as them, for us that we are still a band in growth, has been a confirmation. Then it has us supercharged and it has stimulated us even more.

MQ: What do you look for when looking for band members to "fit into the band's unique chemistry?"
Godyva: Being a musician in a band is very important, here there are many good musicians but not all of them unite in a band definitely, many of them was not serious for us, or they don’t want to share costs and passions for a band with us, so when we used to say on our bio “fit into the band’s unique chemistry” we mean that a musician enters in a band sharing everything with the others, from the compositions, to the improvements. Anyway we have found our chemistry now, and every member in the band do their job as the best, going on and over in front of problems and issues.

MQ: Will there be any North American tour dates?
Godyva: Oh, it could be a dream for us! We really hope we will be able to find a booker there, so we can travel for the North America, but not only, and bring our music to the other side of the Earth.

Mistyland Interview

Interviewed By Joshua Becker

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©Photo by: TINEBRA - WWW.DARKKNOT.COM

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MQ: How exactly was MistyLand formed?

Mistyland: Mistyland was formed by Alessio at the end of 2000, at first just for fun and to play songs of Gamma Ray, Stratovarius and other bands that we loved at that moment. One year later, with the arrival of Walter at the guitar in first and Sandro at the bass then, we started to write our own songs,recording our first demo "Call of destiny" in 2004 and the successor "Moonlight" in January 2007 with two new members Francesca at the voice and Francesco at the drums. At the time Mistyland was formed by Francesca (voice), Alessio and Walter(guitars), Sandro(bass), Francesco(drums).

MQ: How did you come up with the name "Misty Land"?

Mistyland: Initially the name was "Mystinen" (a Finnish word that means "Mistic", or "Misterioso" in Italian). Alessio chose this name after a travel in that country. Later we decided to change in Mistyland, maintaining a similar sound but in English, most popular.

MQ: Has anyone compared you to any other bands, I've noticed a few similarities between you and Lacuna Coil, has anyone else?

Mistyland: Someone said Children of Bodom especially for the musical parts, others compared us to Nightwish. We all love these bands and we're very fond of being compared to them. It's the first time we are compared to Lacuna Coil, maybe because we are Italian too, even if sometimes someone defined us as a 'gothic metal band'.

MQ: What do you hope people will gain from your music?

Mistyland: We hope people will gain a positive experience, good feelings and true emotions. In this musical panorama, full by now, we try to make in our music a few of originality and personality, besides a lot of love for our songs that we hope could be replayed by the people.

MQ: According to your Myspace you do not have a record deal yet, have you gotten close, or are you close to one now?

Mistyland: We have not gotten close and unfortunately we aren't close to one.

MQ: What is your hope to give to people that listen to your music?

Mistyland: Good mood, good vibes and a lot of headbanging.

hAND Interview

Interviewed By Joshua Becker & Jessica Clingempeel

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©Photo by: Tony Stubbings

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MQ: What is the influence of your music, not necessarily the lyrics, but the music itself?

Kat: We like to think we draw influence from many styles – in the past people have identified elements of prog rock, classic metal even jazz etc. We just play what we want to hear, with our own twist on it.

Cris: very bizarre influences, it goes from bands like The Fall Of Troy to Machine Head to InMe, It’s a bit peculiar.

MQ: How exactly did you pick the name "hAND", as the name of your band?

Kat: We were on a train going to gig when we decided; we’d only recently started to play around as a band and didn’t really know what style we wanted to pursue, but we needed something to call ourselves. We tried to stay away from names that would give too much of a preconception and hAND just seemed to stick.

MQ: How was the band formed?

Kieren: In our first incarnation we were a guitar/synth duo. Cris joined us after coming to a gig in early 2006 and we haven’t looked back since.

MQ: Are you looking into American Tours, as I really like your music.

Kieren: We’d love to tour all over the world. We are all hard workers and after weeks in the studio it will be a while before we can tour.

MQ: Why are your song introductions so long, before the singing starts?

Kat: To us everything should be balanced. A lot of the time the emphasis of a band is on the vocals, especially bands with female singers. We feel that every part of the music should be interesting and have its own appeal.

Kieren: Sometimes it seems a little selfish but after hearing some final mixes we feel that sticking to our guns has paid off. It gets the message across even better than we had hoped.

Cris: Our songs aren't structured the way most songs are structured, ours are constantly building up to something, and you’ve got to start somewhere.

MQ: How did you come up with the title, for the album "Dead Room Journal"?

Kieren: It was a harder task than some might think. We had loads of ideas floating around for a few months- ideas like “Play Dead” nearly made it. Deadroom Journal captured the idea of an album being a snapshot of the band in its current place.

MQ: How did you feel when you finally got a record deal?

Kat: Very, very happy but a little apprehensive as we weren’t quite sure how it would all work. We felt like we were given a great opportunity. It was a real turning point. It’s a great thing to have the chance to focus your energy on something creative.

Cris: Better than anyone ever

MQ: What was one thing, if any, that you feared when you were signed to a record label?

Kieren: We quickly realised we’d have to put all our effort into the album. It felt like quite an undertaking in terms of pinning down what we do live as we weren’t sure how much we might have to change or slim down the tracks on the album. In the end we didn’t have to at all.

Cris: I wasn't really thinking about what there was to fear, I just got really drunk and celebrated that fact that we had a record contract.

MQ: How much work was it, producing your latest album?

Kat: It took months of preparation, transcribing all of our songs and creating midi files for the click tracks. Commissioning the artwork, as well as photos, coming up with a title & theme etc. Of course loads of practice and 3 weeks solid in the studio! It was pretty intense.

Cris: Sooooooo much work, the drumming hurt so much, randomly in the middle of recording the drums it also started getting really hot, so I was dying whenever I was locked in that room for hours, whenever I went out for a fag to cool down, it was still boiling hot, easily drank and smoked my own weight in Water, Red Bull and Fags... easily. But great fun, really want to do it again.

MQ: What is your favourite song on the new album, and why?

Kat: It would have to be Birth. It’s a new track that we’ve never played live, but it has a lot of tension and emotion. Also it’s the only song on the album to have only 1 vocal track so it’s very intimate throughout.

Cris: Translation, I love that song, it’s time to get my funk on.

MQ: What was your least favourite song from the album, and why?

Kat: Manuscript, purely because it took the longest to mix and get right. We heard it so many times during our session, I think it’s ingrained. The extra effort was definitely worth it though!

MQ: Do you relate with any of your songs personally?

Kat: All of them! Lyrically every song is taken from a personal experience, thought, feeling or interest.

MQ: When people hear your music, do they compare you to any other bands?

Cris: "If Opeth were a rock and Tool was a hard place, hAND would be somewhere in the middle" BEST QUOTE EVER.

MQ: What are the meanings, behind the lyrics of your songs?

Kat: Each song has quite a dark and melancholic feel, but I try to write about a range of subjects. For instance one is about a book of poems, one delves into pagan imagery, and others cover more serious subjects like suicide.

MQ: What do you hope for people to gain when listening to your songs?

Kat: One thing we’ve found is that people interpret the lyrics to mean completely different things, which I think, is great and makes our music more personal to the listener. I hope our songs stir emotions, get people fired up and that they just enjoy listening to the album.

MQ: What was the greatest challenge you had to overcome, before you started making your albums?

Kat: I think getting noticed was the hardest thing, there are so many good bands out there and everyone is looking for gigs and deals, to be picked out and given a chance to show what we’re about was a real confidence booster. Keeping positive when you’re sending out 20 press packs at a time and appear to be getting nowhere is quite disheartening, but persistence and belief in what you do is the key.

Rott Interview

Interviewed By Renée Gschaid

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©Photo by: Kristi Denney

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MQ: Where did the name Rott come from? What's the story behind that?

Molly: When we were thinking of a name for the band, we kicked around a few ideas looking for something that sounded kinda cool, but was heavy too. Rott sounded like something that was decaying and it was short. Also, we can say Rott on, instead of rock on or right on. Besides, my favorite breed of dogs is Rottweilers and I have a beautiful female as our mascot. There is a hidden meaning to it as well, an acronym for what the letters stand for.

MQ: How do you set yourselves apart from all the other female bands in your genre?

Rott: I am going to let Carrie Anne answer part of this. (Carrie Anne) Well I don’t really think the gender matters, to me it’s about the music and I would much rather people notice that, at least that is how I look at it as an artist. As far as setting apart from other bands I think if you listen carefully and hear the deeper meaning in the music then I think that is where most of the difference comes from. (Molly) It is not something deliberate as much as the various influences that blend together from artists I admire and listen to. I am from Seattle originally and growing up there I was impacted by Heart among others from an early age.

MQ: Do you think your style on stage is important to performances and appearances?

Molly: Of course, absolutely! Stage presentation is very important. It’s all about entertainment after all. Much like going to a play, watching a movie, or an athletic event. Except with music it can be even more emotional. The energy from the band and back from the crowd creates an atmosphere that is surreal at times. When you go to an event where the intensity is there and are spending your hard earned cash, you want to be transported to that alternate musical universe, or reality. You want to experience something that is magical and unique.

MQ: So ‘Out of Time’ was just released online and in stores on May 27th, how is that doing? It is flying off the shelves?

Molly: Our fans never cease to amaze us with their kindness and support. Sales are very strong thanks to Ravenheart Music in the UK promoting us and with our label Renaissance Records behind us. The album was independently released prior to May 27th and since then everything has been overwhelmingly positive. I am so grateful to everyone. The media has been very supportive as well, with interviews, airplay, contests and reviews. What we are planning to really generate excitement is gain some additional sponsorship and partner up with our label mates for an upcoming tour. Once you see us in your hometown there is no stopping the momentum.

MQ: What was your reaction upon finding out about the record contract?

Molly: Well you know when you see people on shows like ‘American Idol’ freak out when they get the chance to go to the next round? Well it is nothing like that, is euphoric a strong enough adjective? The day I found out is still vivid and always will be. Of course I was trying to figure out how to get the snow off my roof that day in a snowstorm but seriously, to be given the affirmation that our talent is recognized and dreams becoming reality is such a warm fuzzy. It’s like being given the tools to get the job done. I’ve been trying to fix this leaking pipe with a spoon and you just came by and gave me a wrench =)

MQ: Do you feel like you were having the "making it big moment"?

Molly: The definition of “making it big” always changes. Yes I did feel like that for sure, I would be lying if I said otherwise. I am truly happy, grateful and humbled by the whole deal really. To have Renaissance Records and John Edwards as my new boss and see the label logo on the CD is constantly making me smile. Yet, I’ll truly feel like we’ve accomplished our goal when the masses can have easy access to more than just the usual genres that are currently popular in the USA. It is the determination of not only the artists but also people like you Jess bringing more attention to this genre that has me really excited. Metal, Goth, Club, Industrial, Symphonic and Ska are just a sample teaser of what I would love to see commercially successful. Can you imagine what a happy place it would be if our genre had their own awards shows? I can.

MQ: On the homepage of the website, what is the meaning behind the dog with the cross in it's mouth?

Molly: Well, it would be fun to say it actually is a symbol I saw displayed in a crop circle near Stonehenge, or ancient hieroglyphics from the pyramids but I will be serious. This is a very good question! No one has ever asked us this before. It is symbolic for life, rebirth from death and how music can help reach people in ways many other things cannot. Satanism has nothing to do with it and I will leave it at that.

MQ: Do you find being from the United States that the fans are different in North America then in Europe?

Molly: American fans are hungry for this style and genre of music. Some of them just don’t know it yet. They are searching for something different and when they do find it are ecstatic, at least the ones I have come across anyway. They just know they’re tired of all the white bread, commercially pre-packaged boy/girl band crap. Europeans have quite an advantage. They had Nightwish fed to them in their baby bottles it seems and they’ve stayed loyal. I remember when I saw a Wind-Up Records ad for Fallen from Evanescence on TV. I literally started bawling I was so happy. I didn’t even know other bands were out there with the same agenda of non-conformity and being positive. And this one was succeeding big time.

MQ: Molly - How did you first know that you wanted to sing?

Molly: Isn’t singing like breathing? Even if you are not sure whether you are good its like one of the first things you do when you’re happy, sad, bored, playful, ect. As a kid I remember my mom being amazed I could remember all the lyrics to songs on the radio. I never lost that love and it just blossomed from there.

MQ: Dan - How does it feel working with these talented women?

Dan: To be in the same room with Molly and Carrie Anne gives me goosebumps actually. Their talent is mind-blowing. When we play together I really have to focus – a lot! It feels like an enormous power you are next to and I am not talking Marshall stacks. I guess it is magical in a way, kind of like supernatural stuff. It really is hard to describe in words. I know when we play people are overwhelmed by whatever energy is behind it. I would best describe it as love but in a way that gives and radiates outward.

MQ: Do you find that the band has an advantage or disadvantage being only 3 members?

Molly: Definitely an advantage. Three strong personalities are just the right amount. Not to say we wouldn’t welcome other “family members” in at some point. We consider ourselves a family and are very close. If the talent and compatibility were there, I would consider it. For the moment, work for hire has been great! We also have some very talented close friends who will be filling in spots on the tour.

MQ: How do you deal with all the attention from fans from all over the world?

Molly: I am actually very honored and humbled by it. Our fans continue to amaze me every day. I read the letters and emails and put the gifts and things up they give me and feel very blessed. I guess I deal with it by knowing that I am helping make a difference to someone as others did for me. Sometimes I think, “gosh is this for real?” Well it is and I want to thank everyone reading this from the bottom of my heart. All my love.

Carrie Anne: Ditto to what Molly said, it doesn’t quite seem real. As with anybody putting out a product into the world, it’s just really nice to have the positive feedback to know that people enjoy this music that we have put all of our time and effort into. Having the fans there to support us, really just makes us want to work harder and give more back to them.

Interview With If Man Is Five

Interviewed By Jessica Clingempeel
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MQ: To start this interview off tell me how the band got together...

Brianna: I met Angela at a Punk Rock show while she was still in High School. I was playing guitar that night with my band Plotting Revenge and she was playing guitar that night in her band the Surgeon Generals. I was amazed by her because she was playing with only one hand so I decided to break my shy streak and strike up a conversation with her.

Angela: It was my first band ever, so it was nice to have someone in the scene talking to me. I remember specifically sitting on a couch just making small talk about music and what not. At the young age of 15 it felt great to feel accepted into a scene that was very new to me. I remember we hit it off right away. Later, we met up in the music program at Broome Community College. That’s when she approached me about working together.

MQ: Who came up with the name If Man is Five and how did the name come about?

Angela: The Pixies came up with it. It’s a lyric from their song Monkey Gone to Heaven.
Brianna sort of had a tradition of being in bands with names related to the Pixies.

MQ: There seems to be a mixtures of sounds and genres in your music, is this something you wanted or did you just experiment with music and like it?

Brianna: The mixtures of genres is done on purpose in a way. My tastes range from Beethoven to Hatebreed. Angela and I made it a point to always experiment with the beauty and brutality of music, we also wanted the music to have a lot of dynamics and sound original.

Angela: Brianna and I are both classically trained musicians. So it was only a matter of time until that influence worked its way into our style. I’m a huge fan of contrast, so leaping back and forth between opera, classical guitar with double bass and distortion makes for interesting composition in my mind.

MQ: Tell me a bit about your music video, Post Cranial Debris, and how long did it take to film?

Angela: The concept of the video was based on a short story called The Lottery. We shot that video over the course of two days. The extras we filmed on the first day and then did all the band shots the next.

Brianna: The Post Cranial Debris video was a race against the sun setting and a huge lightening storm on the first night…that made for a challenging first day. We were able to save the cameras from being ruined by the rain but all of the extras got soaked. The extras were all good sports about it. On the second day we had to deal with a last minuet location change half way through shooting the band shots after a run in with the Police, who were nice enough to not arrest us but made us leave the location where we were filming.

MQ: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Where were you 10 years ago?

Angela: I’d love to say ten years from now, I’d be at a place in my life where music consumes my life and its my full time job. Ten years ago I never dreamed we’d get as far as we have. I’m very grateful.

Brianna: I agree with Angela about where I want to be in 10 years. As far as where I was 10 years ago, I was in High School playing bass guitar in my first serious band. That band was the stepping stone for me to start gaining experience playing out and writing music.

MQ: How has your life changed since doing your music?

Brianna: All of a sudden we are not perceived as the unpopular, orchestra geek, band geek, or choir geek. Somehow through this band people think we are cool, but really we are still the same shy nerdy people we were in High School. It is flattering when people recognize us on the street and say, “hey aren’t you guys in If Man Is Five, I love your music.” It is great to know that you are connecting with people, in the same way that the bands you grew up listening to connected with you.

MQ: Did you always see yourself doing music or was there something else you wanted to do instead?

Angela: Music was always a passion for me. I always knew I wanted to perform. I just wasn’t sure in what way. I dabbled in musicals and choral music for years but there is nothing as rewarding as being in an original band where you create the music you’re performing.

Brianna: I played violin since I was 9 but I did not know that I wanted music to be my life until I was in my teens. My mother actually told me that when I was younger I wanted to be a mortician.

MQ: Any new stuff coming soon?

Angela: We have a new album on the horizon. It’s exciting and pretty different from our older works. We are planning for a release date of Jan 13,2009 so keep your eyes and ears open for it.

Brianna: We just shot a video for our song Hemorrhage that was on both our albums Azraela and Blood is the Ink. The song is a fan favorite so we decided to go back and shot a video for it even though we already had made one for Post Cranial Debris. The video should be available on Youtube for everyone to see in July of 08.

MQ: When it comes to writing do you all contribute lyrics? Does it come from life experiences or does it just come to you?
Angela: By and large I write the lyrics but there are songs where Brianna took a bit more of the reigns. Our lyrics are almost always very personal and drawn from life experiences. I think it helps relate ability as people are always going through tough times and it helps to know other people have been there and survived it.

MQ: What do you hope for the listeners to gain when they hear your music?

Angela: I hope that they can find some personal meaning in our songs. Its great to write a catchy tune but it doesn’t move people. They aren’t affected. I hope people can find something different in our songs every time they hear them.

Brianna: I hope that our music continues to connect with listeners and that it inspires young girls to pick up instruments and follow their musical dreams.


MQ: Who did you listen to growing up and did they influence you to play music?

Angela: Strangely enough I grew up mostly on the Beatles, who greatly influenced my sense of harmony. As an adult I got into weirder stuff like Mike Patton’s various projects and Tom Waits.

Brianna: I grew up listening to Neil Young, Metallica, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, L7, Bikini Kill and Veruca Salt. They all played an influence on me musically, but mostly they inspired me to play in bands.

MQ: What kind of music do you enjoy?

Angela: Honestly almost all kinds of music. I’m not a big fan of rap or country but there are even exceptions there with Johnny Cash and Salt N Peppa. I’ve always been mostly interested in stranger music, experimenting just outside of the norm.

Brianna: I like anything that is good. I love listening to female fronted bands. Lately I have been listening to a lot of Epica, and Eyes Set to Kill.

MQ: Tell me a bit about your fashion style? Is it different everyday?

Angela: Definitely. My mood always influences what I wear. I do a lot of shopping at thrift stores and looking for more retro styles.

Brianna: I like to wear cloths that are comfortable and make me feel sexy, for example a cut up band t-shirt, a pair of jeans and some kicks make up my daily style. I am not really one for skirts or dresses, they are uncomfortable for me to wear because I do not like to sit like a lady. *laughs*

Interview With Battlelore About Upcoming Album

Interviewed By Jessica Clingempeel
Questions Answered By Jyri Vahvanen (Guitar, Lyrics)
© www.metal-queens.com

© Photographer: Jarmo Katila

Battlelore's Official Site

MQ: How is the recording process going?
JV: We have just finished all the recordings in Sound Supreme studios with our producer Janne Saksa and the next step is to send the material to Sweden where the legendary metal icon Dan Swanö will do the mixing and mastering.

MQ: How did you come up with the title "The Last Alliance"?
JV: It just came to me like half year before the recordings and I felt that it might be a good title for our next album which is also the last album for Napalm Records with the present recording contract. It doesn’t mean that we won’t continue with Napalm, but there might be some other options also.

MQ: Was there any inspiration for this album?
JV: Tolkien as always. There isn’t any continuous story between the songs, but all of them are about Tolkien’s Middle-earth like before. Like I have said thousand times before, Battlelore’s main source of inspiration is Tolkien’s written poetry and we are almost like a tribute band to his amazing work.

MQ: Who wrote the lyrics for this album or did everyone contribute a little something?
JV: I wrote most of the lyrics and Jussi (lead guitar) did a small Finnish part in one of the songs.

MQ: What should we expect from this one?
Are you keeping the same sounds?
JV: I think that the new album will be something between Sword’s Song and Evernight. I tried to give ‘back to the roots’ touch for all of my arrangements and so did everyone else. There’s quite epic stuff with some killer choruses and a lot of catchy melodies, but still in the vein of true metal. The sound will be a bit different comparing the Evernight, because we did the recordings with different producer and Mr. Swanö will do the mixing alone and he will be responsible for the final sound of the album. We truly trust in his vision, after all the guy has produced over 200 albums if I’m not wrong.

MQ: What got you all into the folklore scene?
JV: I think it was me who drag all the others into this stuff, hahaha! I just love folklore’s and folk music united with metal and so do most of the others in our band. I think that musically we are quite far from folk music, but lyrically you may say that our music has folklore influences.

MQ: This is going to be a random question but do any of you play World of Warcraft and what are the levels? :)
JV: Nope, sorry. Our ex-bassist is quite addicted to WoW, but I haven’t got time to start playing (yet ;) )

MQ: Back to the new album, how long did it take to write the songs and everything?
JV: It took about a year to finish everything. I did the first songs right after Evernight. We didn’t try to hurry or anything the new songs just came very naturally and we actually recorded more songs than we really need for the album and we are not sure yet that are there any so called ‘weak’ ones which won’t fit into the package. It is a good situation, because now we have a plenty of material where to choose.

MQ: I love Finland's culture and the language, will the album have a lot of finnish elements or even a song in finnish on this one?
JV: There will be a few verses in one song in Finnish. We have tried to put some Finnish elements on all of our albums. On WtSL’s booklet was this Tolkien’s poem in Finnish, War of Wrath on Sword’s Song included also some Finnish lyrics and the intro of Third Age of the Sun is spoken in Finnish. We also recorded a song with quite a lot of Finnish lyrics for the new album. We’ll see if the song will end up in the album.

MQ: Is a tour expected in America after the release?
JV: There’s been a lot of conversation and if everything goes well, there might be a good chance for the tour in US. Usually it is not up to us, but booking agency, promotion, timing etc.

MQ: Did anyone have to do anything special or any changes for this album?
JV: Actually everything went quite easily without any major problems or changes. It was very easy and pleasant to work with Janne and his methods of working fits us well.

MQ: Will there be any guests featured?
JV: No, at this time we have done all the stuff by our selves. Well, there is this one small speech part in the end of one songs which is made by Janne. He has a bad flue which made his voice very rough and impressive that we asked him to do this speech.

MQ: When do you expect a release date?
JV: The releasing is planned to be in the end of August.

Interview With Melissa Ferlaak

Interviewed By Jessica Clingempeel
© www.metal-queens.com

Official Site

MQ: At what age did you start singing?
When did you realize you wanted to be a singer?
Ferlaak: When I was very young, but didn’t think of being a professional singer until college. I’d always loved music, but in high school, was training to be a professional figure skater actually.

MQ: How did you get into the metal scene?
Ferlaak: Through Earl Root, guitarist for Aesma Daeva and my dearest metal brother. He introduced me to the music (prior to that, I hadn’t even really known that metal still existed!) and I instantly fell in love with it and it became my favorite genre of music.

MQ: What would we most likely find you listening to after waking up?
Ferlaak: Gosh, depends on the day. Right now I have Amy Winehouse, Rasputina, Ulver and Wolfpack Unleashed in my car so generally those lately.

MQ: Have you done any or thought of doing any Operas?
What is your favorite opera?
Ferlaak: Yes, I’ve performed in quite a few operas (Hansel and Gretel, Candide, Seijo, La Boheme) and many opera scene programs. My favorites would be Penderecki’s “Devils of Loudin”, Puccini’s “La Boheme” and “La Rondine”, R. Strauss, “Salome” and Wagner’s “Die Walkurie”. I could actually go on about my favorite operas…there are many.

MQ: How did you find Aesma Daeva and what is the story with them?
Ferlaak: John and I went to school in River Falls, WI together, we were both music majors. I was actually quite intimidated by him at first…he was the guy on campus who actually had a recording and a very cool group that all the singers wanted to sing with. I think it was between my junior and senior year that he asked me to record on Eros. I was blown away he even knew my singing! Haha! So, after I moved to Boston to go to school there, John called me up and said he wanted to make AD a band and play shows and asked me to sing. So for four years I did that. The end, well, it was just time for a change. The VoA gig got offered to me and it felt right at that time to end my days with AD and move to VoA.

MQ: What about Visions of Atlantis? The beginning and ending...
Ferlaak: VoA was introduced to me through a mutual contact to Napalm Records. I liked the direction I heard they wanted to take (I thought songs like Realm of Fantasy needed to be stricken from the earth forever…). So we got going on that, did an album that was heavier than the rest and was with them for 2 years. The end, well, I’ve pretty much said what the end was. And the end has really just been a new beginning.

MQ: On a personal level, has there been any one song that you've sung that has really connected with you?
If so, what and how?
Ferlaak: Well, Return to You from VoA, which I wrote about my niece. Its extremely personal and very hard for me to sing and even listen to. Its just too personal and brings up emotions of the event that happened that she was taken from us here. With AD, Since the Machine was always a good one to sing because it is so relevant to our world today, even if it was based on the book 1984.

MQ: Do you like touring? How does it refelct on your personal life and being away from home for so long?
Ferlaak: I like doing shows, I like touring too. I like seeing new places, but on some tours, its hard to see the places you are playing. I generally like traveling a lot.

MQ: What are you plans for the future?
Ferlaak: Wolfgang and I are writing for a new album currently…though we are taking it a bit slow because our personal lives are a bit busy at the moment. : ) but once the wedding is over, we will be focusing on music a lot more with plans to release an album with a new group by the end of the year.

MQ: I know a lot of singers of techniques for preparations before shows; do you have any techniques, rituals, etc.?
Ferlaak: I try to stay relaxed. I get really anxious to get on stage, not scared, just super excited. So I have to try and keep those in check. Right before going on stage, I try to meditate to ground myself, connect with my band mates and connect energy with the audience. I also do the usual vocal warm ups, stretching and doing makeup and hair. ;)

MQ: Do you still see yourself in the music business ten years from now?
Ferlaak: Of course. Its what my life has been dedicated to. Though I don’t imagine I will be in the metal world anymore (will be too old I think), but the classical world more probably.

MQ: Have you always wanted to be a singer or are there other goals you have in life?
Ferlaak: I’ve had many goals. Originally in college my major was elementary music education, I wanted to teach kids to sing and play music. And currently as the Education Manager of the MN Shubert Center, I’m still realizing that goal by helping to provide free dance and music education to schools throughout Minnesota as well as giving private singing lessons. The goal to sing professionally is of course something I will always have in my life as well.

MQ: As a kid, what did you listen to and who were your role models?
Ferlaak: Oh god…um, I loved Dolly Parton and Crystal Gail…as a child you tend to listen to what your parents listen to though. When I started picking out my own music, I loved Poison (the whole men in drag thing rocked my world), Samantha Fox, Paula Abdul (such a child of the 80s). Strangely though I also used to get the kids together in the neighborhood to “stage” the Phantom of the Opera. I was in love with Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford and the whole dark love story. I remember performing it in my garage for our parents. Haha! I can imagine it wasn’t the best performance of the musical in history. ;) Teenage years…I really got into Indigo Girls, and Grrrl rock.

MQ: Are there any singers you would like to work with? Maybe duet?
Ferlaak: Well, the last two years, my life was nothing but duets with Mario. I have recorded two duets for a band called Withering Soul and another called Drachen with another recording on the way with a band from Croatia. But I’m always open to duet work.

MQ: Now moving onto training. Have you had any vocal training?
If so, how long and what school(s) did you attend?
Ferlaak: Yup. Bachelor degree from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and Masters from New England Conservatory in Boston, MA in Vocal Performance, Opera Emphasis. Since then I’ve trained with various coaches and teachers here.

MQ: Are there certain drinks or food you avoid to keep your voice strong?
Ferlaak: No. Though I don’t have any dairy before singing because it mucks up my throat and I definitely don’t drink before going on stage. But no, I’m not particularly sensitive to food, drink or much actually in general.

MQ: Do you have any family members who are also in the music business?
Ferlaak: Nope. Well, my godfather is a polka accordion player. :D

~Personal Issues~

MQ: Sex & Love, well how is your love life going? Also, what do you feel, as a woman, should our limitations be to sex?
Prositution, Public display, etc.?
Ferlaak: Haha, love life is going well! Getting married in 2 weeks!
Hm, limitations…well, I don’t know. Everyone woman is unique and I cant possibly put myself in the mind of a prostitute or stripper. I don’t understand it but I’m not about to chastise it. I think people should make decisions on their own about whats best for them, BUT should always ask themselves if they would regret that decision later.

MQ: Fortune & Fame, nowadays for many celebrities and plain folks like myself, it is all about the money and who is the best. How do you feel about this issue?
Ferlaak: I think that is a shit attitude. I mean, yeah you gotta live, you gotta keep your ass out of debt and you have to have food to eat. But to place your sole existence on making money and the attitude of ‘he who makes the most money is the best’ is trash. See my blog on What is Success and you can see what my thoughts on that are.

MQ: Looks, a lot of people are pressured to be thin or to be beautiful and the best and because of it a lot of people are turned away from their dreams, what are your feelings to that? Do you believe in plastic surgery and anything related to this?
Ferlaak: I think it is sad people place so much emphasis on appearance when we have so many other issues that are not self-centric in the world. Sure I would like to have bigger boobs but I would much rather spend that money on donating to a cause like keeping arts education in the schools or eliminating non-Hodgkins Lymphoma which my best friend suffers from. I think people should look at the things that REALLY matter in the world, and spend less time on focusing on their personal appearance.

MQ: Friends, do you still talk to any from before you became famous?
Ferlaak: First, I’m not famous. Second, of course I do. And not just friends from the past, but new friends that I’ve met on the road as well. Meeting new people is one of my favorite things and creating new friendships is the cherry on the cake. But I do spend a lot of time with my closest and dearest friends and family.

MQ: Children, how do you feel about them and do you have or want any?
What about abortion?
Ferlaak: Yup, definitely want 2 or 3 of them. : ) I love kids and have 11 nieces and nephews. Abortion, again a personal choice. Who am I to judge someone’s situation?

MQ: Violence, do you feel the people (presidents, government, courts, etc) have done all they can to eliminate the crazyness in the world today or do you think there is more they can do?
Ferlaak: I think the leaders need to move onto other tactics, such as conversations, talking out issues and differences. I think people don’t believe in the power of words anymore, which is sad. I hate violence/war, I don’t understand it. I’ve never been a violent person so I cannot possibly understand why someone would resort to such barbaric behavior.

MQ: Religion, are you a very religious person and what are your beliefs?
Ferlaak: I used to follow a pretty rigid Wiccan belief, but now I guess I would call myself spiritual. I think all religions preach the same message for the most part, but all carry hypocrisies that I just cannot accept. So I guess I consider myself spiritual, that's all. I just believe that you should treat others and the earth with respect and treat yourself with respect. It also feels like maybe if people would stop looking up at the clouds looking for heaven, and started looking right in front of them, here, on earth, and MAKE earth your heaven, we might have less conflict in the world.

MQ: Abuse, be it spousal or child abuse, do you think justice for abusers and molestors should be more severe than it is?
Ferlaak: Well, that is hard. right now, there is a movement to allow the death penalty for child rapists. In some places, there isnt any justice for such abuses. I dont believe in violence, but I do believe in experience and I feel sometimes that if someone does something like rape a person, that person should find out what that feels like back. Eye for an eye I guess. I dont know, I'm not really qualified to answer that question really....but if I was in a situation where I was raped, or my child was raped, I would want that person to suffer the same as I did. Maybe it would change their thinking in a more profound way.

Interview With Aizen

Interviewed By Stephanie Marie
© www.metal-queens.com

Official Site

*Note* The band once known as Media Lab is now known as Aizen.

SM: Hey guys how’s it goin? What’s the latest?

Aizen: writing, writing, writing....

SM: I wanna know how you guys started off, how did you all form “Media Lab”?

Aizen: Each of us were from different San Diego based bands... Each band was relatively big during their prime.
Sean used to sing for Life Hates me. Alexandria and Steve played in the hardcore band SWAN. Will toured around the world with Sprung Monkey. Joe played bass in Element 54. Ironically, all of our bands had broken up around the same time. We decided to form a sorta "All Star" San Diego Metal band. Media Lab.

SM: Being such a great band and making to me in my opinion, awesome music, do you find yourselves saying “hey this is as good as we're going to get” or do you constantly push for new better sounding material?

Aizen: We're constantly progressing musically and creatively. We have no boundaries and all of us are pretty open minded as far as writing goes. We generally think that songs can only get better. We never try to settle with material that is just "o. k. ".

SM: You have a CD out right now “Bleeding Memory” have you gotten as good as feed back from the fans as you were hoping?

Aizen: We received amazing feedback. Obviously, we love our fans very much and love hearing what they gotta say. The only thing that sucks is that our label never pushed our album as much as we wanted them to. A lot of our fans don't even have our album. There's not many copies printed and it's very hard to purchase "Bleeding Memory" let alone buy it at your local record store because it's most likely not there. WHICH SUCKS!

SM: Can the fans have any new material possibly a new CD to look forward to later on this year?

Aizen: if everything goes accordingly, we'll be in the studio later this year and be releasing our 2nd album early next year.

SM: My favorite song would have to be “My perfect storm” I’m sure a lot of people not just myself can relate to your music with their own personal experiences.

SM: So does “Sean” do most of the lyric writing, or just everyone puts in ideas and suggestions?

Aizen: Sean has the freedom of writing the lyrics which we all identify with. He usually has old notebooks or journal entries and incorporates the words into our songs.

SM: You managed to do a couple summer shows, will you be touring anytime soon, maybe with some of the bands that have influenced your music?

Aizen: Hopefully soon. There's no set tour schedules but we'll definitely keep the fans informed on our main myspace page.

SM: Most of your videos on your page are from live shows, and from how those look I’m sure you never leave the fans disappointed , are you hoping to make a real band video soon, one that could possibly be featured on HeadBangersBall and Fuse TV. ?

Aizen: Once we record our next album, a pro video will definitely be in the works for one of our new songs. We're looking forward to that because we never experienced or had the full production of a professional music video.

SM: After a show, I love meeting the bands getting pictures all that good stuff, what’s your guys favorite thing to do after a show?

Aizen: We like talking to fans. Once the edge is off from playing a show, we all like to chill and maybe drink... Get acquainted with the other bands or fans... We definitely enjoy interacting with our audience.

SM: Well you guys, I look forward to hearing new tunes and seeing you live! Which I’m sure would be a kick ass show!. Keep it rockin. By the way Alexandria is a killer on guitar.

Interview With Mercedes Lander of Kittie

Interviewed By Jessica Clingempeel

© www.metal-queens.com

Kittie's Official Site

When did you start playing the drums and how long did it take you to learn?
ML: I started playing drums in 1996 at the age of 12. At first I could only make noise and I find that drums are one of the very few instruments that take a few weeks to get the hang of.
But as I practiced it became easier and easier for me to learn new things.

Any tips for beginning drummers?
ML: Be persistant and dont get to frustrated. It takes a lot of work to be able to play well.

Can you play any other instruments?
ML: I can play basic guitar but am much better at bass. I also took 6 years of piano and 2 years of trombone. On top of that I took 2 years of classical vocal training.

Do you like playing along side your sister?
ML: I couldn’t imagine playing with anyone else. We’re best friends.

Do you and your sister have a close relationship?
ML: We’re very close.

How is your relationship with the other members?
ML: Amazing. Tara and Ivy are two of the most fun people to be around. We definitely goof off a lot.

Have you done or plan to do any side projects?
ML: I have a band with some friends from high school called Night of the Demons. We just play local shows and have fun while our other bands have down time.

Do you have a strong connection with any of Kitties’ lyrics?
ML: I wrote quite a few lyrics for Funeral for Yesterday along side Morgan so that album definitely has a strong connection for me.

Have your family and friends supported you and your music?
ML: I have had nothing but support from my family. They are amazing.

What has been the best show of any of your tours and why?
ML: I think our recent trip to South America is very high up there because the crowd response was so crazy but it's very hard to pick a favorite.

Do you love getting close with the fans?
ML: It's nice to meet the people who made your dreams come true and give them something back, even if it's a little bit of your time.

What is your favorite country to visit? Why?
ML: I love Europe as a whole because its so different but I will have to go with Chile because the fans are rabid there.

What is your favorite drink and food?
ML: I'm actually a big fan of water and coffee. I don’t really drink much else. I love sushi so much. Just thinking about it makes me hungry.

If you could play in any one band, who would it be?
ML: Kittie. :)

Besides Metal, what other music genres are you into?
ML: I actually don’t listen to too much metal anymore except for the classics. I’m into a lot of classic rock and weird indie stuff nowadays.

What would we most likely find you doing when not rocking out?
ML: Playing with my cat or cooking.

~Onto The Questions From Various Fans~

Vinnie:
Will you get the band to sort out a Vampire Freaks account?
Do you think Morgan gets more publicity than you? If yeah, do you ever get jealous?
ML: We should probably get on our VF account shouldn’t we? Being in a band is about being a team and not who gets more attention. I like where I’m at just fine. :)

Andres:
On Funeral For Yesterday and at the live shows, I noticed you do backing vocals while drumming, when did you start adding your vocals to Kittie's music?
Is Kittie working on a new album?
ML: We really needed some good harmonies for the live show because we were definitely lacking in them before. So I started doing them around 2005. I also did some for the recording of FFY. No plans for a new album yet. :)

Trav:
Who are your influences?
ML: My band. :)

Brittany:
What was the inspiration behind the song titled Pink Lemonade?
Who came up with the cover Run Like Hell?
ML: With Pink Lemonade Morgan wanted to kind of show that some things even if they look pretty and inviting sometimes have a darker ugly side to them. With Run Like Hell we were actually supposed to be a part of a Pink Floyd tribute album but, when that fell through we were left with this really different song that we decided to put on Oracle.

Joshua:
What is going to happen to the band since Trish isn't there?
ML: We're going to rock out harder than ever. :)

Mark:
Is your new album going to be hard rocking, like most of the songs from Spit?
ML: No plans for a new album but I’m guessing that it’s going to be super heavy. Much heavier than Spit.

Caleb:
Do you ever get any shit from assholes during a tour?
ML: Nope, people don’t tend to fuck with me for some odd reason.

Alex:
If you had the chance to change anything, would you?
ML: Maybe one or two things but probably not. I’m happy with the way things are now.

Do you still keep in touch with friends you had before becoming famous?
ML: I still have most of my friends from over 10 years ago.

Terry:
Does Kittie plan on doing a show in North Dakota or surrounding states anytime soon?
ML: I hope so. We’ve never been there I don’t think.

Jake:
What is your favorite band?
ML: At the moment, Van Halen, Lucero, Aereogramme

Alex:
How big is your drum set?
ML: I play a 6 piece kit with 8 cymbals

Daisy:
What inspired you to become a drummer?
ML: I was honestly just really bored and wanted to take up something new. It obviously worked out okay :)

Interview With Cathy Soler Of Anaphora

Interviewed By Jessica Clingempeel
© www.metal-queens.com

Anaphora's Official Site

What are the pros and cons of singing?
Soler: I have no answer to this

Why did you choose the name Anaphora?
Soler: We chose this name RV Math (Guitarist-composer) and me for its meaning which is The Ascension Of The Stars in Latin. But it also means the symmetry that you can find in our logo.

How is it to be in a band like this?
Soler: It's really fantastic. There is a real osmosis between all the members of the band and I really enjoy singing with them because they are very great musicians.

How would you describe the band?
Soler: Like an entity.

Why are most of your songs in french? Any plans for english songs?
Soler: Because we are french and also to make discover some rock/Prog/Metal sang in french abroad. Sincerely I am agreably surprised because we have some excellent comments on the net about that.
For the second question, I would say that we don't consider making songs in english for the moment.

What are your plans for the future?
Soler: To do more shows than we do for the present and of course a lot of albums.

Are there any songs from your album that relates to you personally?
Soler: No, all have been created.

What is your biggest goal in life?
Soler: Music, music and more music

Have your friends and family supported you with your music?
Soler: I have some friends, my family and especially my parents who support me hugely. They are almost at all the shows.

Are you currently working on any other project?
Soler: Yes, the second album is in progress and we hope it could be released for the end of 2008.

Is your album going to be released in any other countries?
Soler: This album is already released in Belgium, in the Netherlands, in Luxembourg, on the net and in download on itunes, emusic etc...

Do you like performing on stage?
Soler: I love being on stage, to share our music with the public, it's fantastic. I don't imagine making music without the stage.


How do you warm up before a show?
Soler: I do nothing special except drinking a little glass of red wine (preferably a Bordeaux) to warm my voice, it's very effective!!!

What was the greatest performance?
Soler: The show we made near Niort in France in november 2007.

Who would you like to share the stage with?
Soler: There are several. Among others there is Kamelot because I really love Khan's voice, for me he is one of the greatest singers of the moment. Otherwise there is Within Temptation, Toto too for I really love Steve Lukather's playing style and I don't forget Dream Theater! And I think I wouldn't be the only one.

Anything else you would like to add?
Soler: My greatest wish would be to make shows all around the world.

Interview With Otep

Interviewed By Jessica Clingempeel
© www.metal-queens.com

© Photographer: Samantha Rapp

Otep's Official Site

So, talking politicians, which candidate are you hoping will win?
Otep: I hope that a Democrat will take the Whitehouse back from these miserable failures that are running our nation into the ground. I support both Hillary and Barack.

Would you ever run for president? If so, what would you change in America?
Otep: I don't think I would as I don't (currently) have the stomach for that kind of public and political scrutiny. I am much more comfortable as an activist, finger pointer, and provocateur.

How do you deal with those against your music? The ones trying to ban you because of controversy? Isn't it our right to speak freely?
Otep: I don't really pay much attention to them. I just keep doing what I do and hope that it touches as many people as possible.

If you had your way on dealing with child molestors and abusers, what would you do? What would you say to them?
Otep: I would research all of the torture tactics used throughout history and apply them accordingly. Anyone that hurts a child in this way deserves nothing but eternal suffering.

Would you ever consider using a fan's poem/song in one of your albums?
Otep: I am always impressed by how creative and talented and imaginative our fans are and we've used fan artwork to make shirts before but I've never considered a poem or song. I think I'd be open to including a poem from one of our supporters in a future release, but it would have to be the right circumstances and for the right reasons.

How did you deal with the problems with the release of The Ascension? It seemed like the fans and even you were getting tensed up at the end.
Otep: It was extremely difficult but was the right thing to do. We are very happy with our new record label (KOCH RECORDS). They are true believers in our message, music, and movement.

Have you ever ran into any problems with the fans?
Otep: Our music incites emotion and decimates all of life's repressions. For some, that can be overwhelming and they take it a bit further than most would which can be a little strange and frustrating in the wrong circumstances. But overall, our fans and supporters are amazingly caring people that aren't afraid to be themselves & support each other.

How about a freestyle for us? :)
Otep: Sunday poem. Burning beneath the coiling of a reptile sky. Romancing the wound. Here, in the empire of sin and skin. Blessed is the safety of this sound. Keys clicking their agile defiance. I find myself smiling and sipping life from the fingers of eternity.

8 8 8 8 8 8

~Now below are questions from numerous fans~

Stephanie M: Over the years you've become more popular with thousands of fans, where do you see the band in 5 years?
Otep: Hi Stephanie, I see the band living in a fortified compound somewhere in the mountains of Tibet, preparing for world domination, in the spiritual realm, polishing weapons of the mind, and saving the souls of all mankind ....... actually ........ I just hope we keep making music that is important to us and we keep evolving as musicians and songwriters and are able to increase the power of our live performances.

Linda: How is the vocal exercises?
Otep: Bon jour Linda, they are helping greatly. The polyp seems to have disappeared and my voice feels strong again. Thank you for asking.

Andres: How did Otep hook up with the new band members?
Otep: Greetings Andres, we found them at the bus station panhandling for change. No, that's not true. Brian Wolff (drummer/ninja/squid) was introduced to us by a friend of the band. Brian is the most amazing drummer we've ever had and is the creator