DRAGONHAMMER
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DRAGONHAMMER
IS AN EPIC/POWER METAL BAND FROM ITALY. RECENTLY HAVE SIGNED WITH SCARLET
RECORDS AND ARE READY TO RELEASE THEIR SECOND OFFICIAL ALBUM. WE GRABED
THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A SMALL CHAT WITH THE LEADER OF THE BAND MAX. HERE
ARE WHAT WE SAID :
1.GIVE US A BIO OF THE BAND. HOW MANY
YEARS DO YOU EXIST? WHICH IS YOUR CURRENT LINE UP? DO ANY OF THE BAND MEMBERS
HAVE PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER BANDS?
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Max: Dragonhammer project is pretty
young in confront to our artistical past. We made a long trip (Gae and
Max play together since about 13 years!), and we saw a lot of people passing
by! After our first settlement, we decided to pubblish our own web
site and to record a demo tape, in order to let our name know. After that,
we met Elevate records first…after “the blood of the Dragon” we passed
to Scarlet Records, and here we are! We have a new line up, because we
changed the drummer. Now we’re: Max Aguzzi (vocals and guitar), Gae Amodio
(bass guitar), Alex Valdambrini (keyboards-ex member of Timestorm), Raf
Condemi (drums).
2.HOW HAVE YOU CHOSEN THIS NAME? WHERE
HAVE YOU INSPIRED IT FROM?
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Max: We really liked the meaning of
the hammer and the dragon fused in the same symbolical substance…it represents
the positive energy we all have inside and, at the same time, the strong
way to pull it out.
3."THE BLOOD OF THE DRAGON" IS YOUR
DEMO TAPE OR AN OFFICIAL RELEASE? TELL US A FEW THINGS ABOUT IT. ARE YOU
STILL SATISFIED WITH IT OR IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO CHANGE?
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Max: “The blood of the Dragon” is an
official release. It’s our debut album and we’re very happy about the result.
We made a lot of experience working for it, and the new album will be surely
better thanking this previous recording work.
4.WHY HAVE YOU DECIDED TO CHANGE LABEL
AND JOIN SCARLET? HAVE THEY OFFERED SOME MORE MONEY OR A BETTER PROMOTION?
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Max: Scarlet Records is, in our opinion,
the best Italian label in this moment for our genre of music, and, we think
that the choice we made is the right one for the future of the band. With
Elevate we found less interest, scarce professionality, inexistent promotion,
few lies, and, first of all, no respect in the effort musicians do… They
lost their own opportunity losing us and our strength of mind.
5.HOW DIFFICULT IS IT FOR YOU, MAX
AGUZZI, TO PLAY THE GUITAR AND SING AT THE SAME TIME?
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Max: I’m in it totally! It’s a very
long time that I work in this way, and it’s a kind of habit! Well, performing
live for me is a bit hard, expecially in switching sounds between rhythmic
and solo parts, but to be honest with you, today I’d find difficult to
sing or play guitar separatelly.
6.WHAT PROCEDURE DO YOU FOLLOW WHILE
COMPOSING NEW SONGS?
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Max: I do the job of lyrics and music
at the same time, it sounds more logical to me and then I propose the stuff
to the rest of the band, and anyone of us arrange it in his own particular
way.
7.WHAT ARE YOUR LYRICS TALKING ABOUT?
REAL LIFE OR FANTASY THEMES? WHICH IS YOUR SOURCE OF INSPIRATION?
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Max: Into “The blood of the Dragon”
we talk about honour, pride, war between good and evil…always in a particular
Fantasy way. Fantasy stories are surely fascinating, but if they don’t
represent something deeper they could result sterile, the line between
real and unreal is very thin…The new album will be named “Time for
expiation”, and we’ll talk about tormented souls and episodes of
life. We decided to avoid abused clichés like “swords and pride”
in order to obtain a better quality of themes treated in our music.
8.DO YOU THINK THAT KEYBOARDS PLAY
A FRONT ROLE IN HEAVY METAL MUSIC OR JUST TO CREATE ATMOSPHERE? DON'T YOU
THINK THAT SOMETIMES KEYBOARDS MAKE MUSIC SOUND A LITTLE BIT "SOFT"?
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Max: No, I don’t think so. We simply
use keyboards ‘cos they’re perfect for our sound. Every single
instrument has a specific role (encluded voice) in the big drawn of a song;
the important is to create a good balance among them.
9.WHICH IS YOUR MOST BELOVED BOOK AND
MOVIE?
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Max: Salem’s night (King), Lord of
the rings (Tolkien),1997-Escape from N.Y.(Carpenter), Jaws (Spielberg).
10.HOW ARE YOU PLANNING TO PROMOTE
YOUR WORK? HAVE YOU DONE ANY LIVE SHOWS? COULD YOU DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DRAGONHAMMER
LIVE SHOW?
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Max: We really hope, that now that
we’re into Scarlet group, we could receive an help in arranging a promotional
tour. We’ll try to play everywhere will be possible. Regardind the description
of our live show…well, a lot of energy and a pure wish to play our music
for the people. Come to see us then, we wait for all of you! .
11.WHICH IS THE BEST AND WHICH IS THE
WORST REVIEW YOU HAVE RECEIVED? WHICH WERE, IN GENERAL, THE REACTIONS OF
THE FANS AND PRESS?
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Max. We are having a positive confirmation
by many sides of the World, and this is giving us huge satisfactions! Have
a look of our web site: www.dragonhammer.com
or search for our band on the Internet…you’ll find the confirmation to
my words through other people words.
12.IF YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO COMPOSE MUSIC,
WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO?
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Max: I should bet on horses, ahahah…I’m
joking…Well, composing music for me is a physiological need. I really don’t
know what else should I do.
13.WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY TO ALL THOSE
WHO JUDGE A BAND'S VALUE BY THE AMMOUNT OF CD'S THEY SELL?
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Max: There’re people like this??? Oh
God! That’s sad…A person who really like music doesn’t think this, I’m
sure.
14.IF SOMEDAY YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO
MEET THE CREATURE THAT CREATED THE UNIVERSE, WHICH WOULD YOUR BIGGEST QUESTION
BE?
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Max: Why the interviewers get drunk
before making questions?J
15.IF TIME TRAVEL WAS POSSIBLE, WHICH
HISTORICAL PERIOD WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT AND WHY? WHAT WOULD YOU MISS
THE MOST FROM OUR TIME?
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Max: Jesus’Age…and, if possible, to
speak with him (so I could ask him in private the things I didn’t want
to tell you in the previous question!!! I’m sure he could answer for his
daddy as well!) J
16.WHAT PROLOGUE AND TITLE WOULD YOU
LIKE THIS INTERVIEW TO HAVE?
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Max: Entering the Light with DRAGONHAMMER!!!J
17.THANK YOU!HAVE I FORGOT TO ASK YOU
ANYTHING AND YOU'D LIKE TO MENTION?
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Max: Ohhhhhhhh!!! Wait!!! You forgot
my greetings!!! THANK YOU …VI AMO TUTTI!!!!!
NIKOS "William_Kidd"
PARASTATIDIS