 Thank you Carlos for your valuable time. Vhaldemar has just released their second album to date entitled "I Made My Own Hell" on Arise Records. The album is just a fantastic power metal album and really keeps the genre fresh and new. Vhaldemar really stands out from the rest. How do you keep this genre sounding new and fresh after so many bands have played this style?
I think that the reason for sounding so fresh is that we are a real strange mix of influences, some of them are into the metal world and some of them not, but from literature to cinema we are four writers in different ways, it makes as rich and its ok when we share it. That's the way our music sounds like a new born child, a new born from hell!!
With this new record, the band seems to have greatly improved from the first album, "Fight To The End". What changes were made from the debut to this record?
The most important change is that during this time we have be more close to each other and all of us know what the other wants to include into music that make us stronger and smarter. Because of this the new album sounds more powerful than the other. Also, we have opened our minds to include new rhythms and different melodies, always on the heavy side of the life."...if we can't live from metal then we will die for metal..."
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Who produced this album and are you pleased with the record's sound?
The album was produced again by the mighty "Carlos Creator" on his Rock Studios. We are very proud of the sound that he brought to the cd and though one more thing and that is that we needed to sound more heavier if this possible but we will see on the following ones.
Who decided on the catchy album title "I Made My Own Hell"?
Everyone of us, 'cause with this title we try to define the hard way that you have to climb as someone inside the metal world. For us it is easy; if we can't live from metal then we will die for metal--we made our own hell.
With you as a founding member of Vhaldemar, do you do a majority of the songwriting?
Yes, most of the lyrics are mine but this is not because I am a founding member, that's because I really like to sing what I wrote. It is easier to sing histories that you been involved in than sing other histories. By the way Pedro does most of the music so we are a litte bit like Mick/Keith of the Stones.
How well has the album done during the first few months of its release?
We don't really have exact numbers, but in the way the company (Arise) talks to us we feel that it is going well. I think that question really has to be answered by the company. | |
Band
Vocals / Guitar : Carlos Escudero
Guitar : Pedro J Monge
Bass : Oscar Cuadrado
Drums : Edu Martinez
Links
Band Website
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Is the record only out in Europe right now? Is there any US distribution?
I think that we have it also in Japan were we have sold a lot of cds from the first one, but as I told you before this is more a question for the company.
For the debut album, the band did an 8 date tour with Lost Horizon. What is on the agenda for 2004? Any festivals planned?
We have our own Spanish tour with 14 dates as headliners and later we are thinking we may get toghether again with Lost Horizon and go to see what's going on in Brazil. We did last year we were the best upcoming band in the most important metal magazine over there and later we will see. Hope we can rock the USA but most people told me that metal is not so big over in this country that the people are hearing to Jumper Dwarfs and Limp Aguilera and hip hop. Hope we can recover the years that Manowar and other bands ruled the Earth...If you controlled the world, who would you like to go on tour with?
Definately this will be the perfect tour: Iron maiden+Black Sabbath (W/Ozzy)+Manowar and as a Headliners ..VHALDEMAR. Why not? It's good to have your own dreams.
What are your thoughts on the current power metal scene. A lot of bands such as Hammerfall and Dream Evil seem to be the spotlight power metal bands. Who do you feel really demonstrates true power metal? Who deserves recognition for this genre?
I don't belive in Hammerfull. They are not true metal and are a joke for litte kids. They started writing songs for children and now they appear in any TV show in German, things like Jay Leno's Late Show and stuff like those Stupid sitcoms and talks shows like Oprah. About Dream Evil everything goes in the same way. You wanna know the truth...because this is real, they started the band as a joke about metal, you know like playing covers in carnivals, but for some strange reason they had success with the songs they used to ridicule the metal people and the metal bands. So, I don't really think that they are true metal. One of the most representative bands for true metal I think is Lost Horizon. Did you hear the words? They are amazing.
When will writing for the next album begin?
I think it is too early to know because if we start working now I think it will sound more similar to "I Made My Own Hell". We'd prefer not to contaminate ourselves a litte bit and start maybe in September after the tour but always if we are alive...
Well Carlos, again thanks for your time. Everyone at Maximum Metal greatly appreciates it. Keep up the great work!
Thanks to you for appreciating us and for giving us the chance to explain our way of thinking to the people from the USA. Regards and hope to see you soon up on any stage.
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