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MM - With rave reviews
for 'Five Serpents Teeth', what is Evile's feeling with regards to a
review I saw saying that 'In Memorium' the tribute to Mike Alexander is
Evile's answer to Metallica's 'Nothing Else Matters'?
Ben
- People are
always going to draw similarities and it's just another parallel to put
on the list, we aren't annoyed by it. We didn't write it for Mike,
we wrote it as a tribute.
Ol - It started
off for Mike, but the more it grew, it became about what happened but it
was like saying that song would not exist without what happened to Mike.
Ben - Sooner or
later we had to put our feelings about what happened out in a piece of
music.
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MM - I just think the
misconception is there because you used to do Metallica covers and
people cling on to that.
Ben
- We are not
ashamed of our past, we would not be doing what we are doing now without
doing that and we are really aware of what our influences are, and why
shy away from that. we don't write a piece of music because we
want to continue that, if you can hear the musical influences then fine.
MM - What are your
stand out tracks from the album?
Ben
- Either 'Xaraya'
or 'Long Live New Flesh' ... 'Xaraya' because we had not really
attempted anything like that before, it's maybe because it's a bit like
'Metamorphis' off the second album, a bit off the wall and
progressive. 'Xaraya' I would like to think is like two songs
bunged together to make one epic song.
Ol - It makes
people have to think rather than just ... "Metal ... whatever"
... it's a song that has so many intricate bits, people go mental for
thrash, but 'Xaraya' is a track where people are stood there listening
thinking ... WOW!
MM - What are your
feelings on mosh-pits?
Ben
- We are lucky in
respect that when we do have mosh-pits, people seem to look after each
other, that's key we think. we did have an incident a few days ago
when someone jumped on stage to stage dive and they caught Joel's lead
and brought the stack down on him. That could have been expensive
and dangerous for Joel, but it's part and parcel of our genre you know,
if people are getting up on stage and enjoying themselves that's
brilliant, but they have just got to have their wits about them, as they
could quite easily injure someone else or themselves.
MM - I really love
Evile's artwork, have any of your guys got them as tattoos?
Ben
- No we
haven't.
Ol - But some
people are getting them aren't they?
Ben - Yeah we know
some of our fans are getting the 'Five Serpents Teeth' logo as a
tattoo. All my tattoos are personal and remind me of my
childhood. I'm taking my youth with me.
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MM - The crowds ...
are they all different age ranges?
Ol
- It's completely
mixed, there are kids from 15 years old to the originals from when
thrash first started out in the eighties.
Ben - There were a
couple of guys at a gig last night in business suits, who had just
finished work. We were like ... What are you doing here!!
But
yeah, it's always varied and good, we would like to think especially
with the new album, that there's something there for everyone. Old
school thrashers to people who haven't heard of us before.
It's
always varied and everyone always seems to enjoy it.
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MM - How do you feel
about reality shows like the X Factor etc?
Ben
- Bollocks!
It gives the general public a false idea of what the music industry is
about. We know of bands who work their arses off and sometimes
they are out there playing to just ten people in a room. It must
be soul destroying.
Ol - It is really
... X Factor is just a factory line of the same old crap, the programme
seems to think it can make automatic superstars, but if you look nice
and can sing a note, you will get far on X Factor. But in reality,
the outcome is that 4 - 5 people make millions and millions out of the
industry. For this programme to think it can make that and
engineer that year after year ...
Ben - In reality
it's a massive kick in the balls for the people who are out there
playing 300 plus shows a year.
MM - What tours have
you got lined up for next year?
Ben
- We have got a
European tour lined up for January and February, the we're probably back
to the UK late next year. We'll try to get back to America.
Then Australia, Japan, just try and get to as many places as possible,
places we have not played before ... like South America, but with that
king of tour, it's just the budgeting side of it.
MM - What do you think
has been your biggest accomplishments to date?
Ben
- The Megadeth
tour we did in Europe for six weeks or so. It was the first tour
we had done which was a higher level, so much professionalism instead of
just playing a gig and leaving. To be at that kind of level, it
just changed the way we see touring.
MM - What was Dave
Mustaine like?
Ol - Awesome,
lots of people said like be careful, he's an arsehole, but he was great,
really intellectual and down to earth. Problem is he has an
entourage and he's like in a bubble ... he will talk to you when he
wants to. You can't approach him when he is busy because, you
would feel his wrath. An an individual he's great really, really
straightforward. Like anyone else he has his off days.
Ben - When we met
the guys, we got on the bus and Megadeth were like ... we have left you
presents on your bunks ... it was all gay porn!!!!! We were like
thanks!?! Then it all disappeared!?! Very strange, very dodgy ...
(laughs).
MM - Any other
accomplishments?
Ben
- Playing
Download, Sonisphere, touring the States ... we've done so much in a
short time ...
MM - Any bands on your
wish list?
Ben - The
obvious ... the M word, but I don't think Madonna would have us on a
tour! (laughs) Obviously Metallica!!!
MM - I see you started
your tour down the South West, how was that?
Ben
- Yes very good
and well received. We've had some great gigs so far on this tour
and in towns we have not been to before, and people coming out and
getting into our music. For some people its been their first Evile
gig.
MM - What bands are
you listening to when you are travelling?
Ben
- I think
everyone has an alternative to metal, you can't listen to it all the
time. We are surrounded by it all the time. We love metal of
course, but when you have been un a venue all night, it's nice to just
chill and listen to something classical or just a radio channel to wind
down.
MM - I love the fact
you are being dead honest, some bands would be .. ohhhh we just listen
to metal and nothing else.
Ben
- Well you can
get ideas from Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky.
MM - If the
opportunity ever came up, would you play something like the S.O.S.
Festival?
Ben - A
gig's a gig. Some of the best gigs we ever had were ones you aren't
sure about. we played a gig in Holland, like a street party, with
a table top sale in a car park. The stage was in front of
this. It was like a bring and buy sale, but it was one of the best
gigs we ever played!! we won't turn anything down.
And if our manager and
them could sort it out ... Yeah!
MM - What are your views on
the current metal scene?
Ben
- Really good,
lots of British bands. It is very healthy, there are loads of up
and coming bands, the thrash scene is viable again. You have to be
self-sustainable though as downloading is killing music.
MM - I love the way
you look after your fans and the way the band personally delivered the
new album to a fan.
Both
- We want to have
time with the fans. We will always be like that, having time for
the fans, no matter how big this gets, we will always have time for
them. After all it's them who pay their money to buy the albums
and tickets, we could never be like some bands who hide away in a
dressing room.
Thanks for your time, it
was great meeting you and hope you have a fantastic gig tonight.
Interview By Alison
Bear & Seb Di Gatto