• Ok Ok... And I thought I was the only one with such a huge love for RUNNING WILD...hahahaha!!!Thank God these guys here proved me wrong and made me realise once again that even people who live miles and miles away and who have never met in person can share the same ideas, tastes and have a common way of thinking in general. Well... surely it was one of the interviews I enjoyed the most!
• There is a saying that suits these people very much : " Metal 'Til Death"!!!
• Reign on...

• Hi !! Thanx a lot for your compliment iit’s cool that you like « March… » so much. But, just wait to hear our upcoming album ah ah !! So, let’s go for a short bio. LONEWOLF started back in 92 till our split in 96. During this time, 2 releases were made a demo « The calling » and a 7EP « Holy Evil ». This EP has gone very well in Greece ! We reformed during 2000, released « March…. » as a self - production, now it’s on the spanish label GOIMUSIC, we signed 3 albums with them and right now (august 2002) we’re in studio to release our second album.

2.HAVE YOU NAMED THE BAND LONEWOLF AFTER THE RUNNING WILD SONG WHICH WAS IN THE BLAZON STONE CD? WHY HAVE YOU NAMED THE BAND LIKE THIS? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU?

• Yeah, absolutely. Back in 92 we didn’t find a name and i remember that RUNNING WILD took their name from JUDAS PRIEST’s song. So i took all my RW LP’s and realised that LONEWOLF was fitting very well with a Heavy Metal band. I must say that, for a while, i hesitate with Diabolic force… This name means a lot in my life, sweat, beer, joy, desillusions, ah ah and TRUE METAL !!!

3.WHAT ARE YOUR LYRICS TALKING ABOUT?

• Most lyrics deal with legends or the urge of freedom (you know, escaping those moralists always dicting behaviour…) and most are situated during medieval times cause there’s an atmosphere in these old ages that really fits Heavy Metal spirit i think.

4.IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN THIS IS A SLEF FINANCED RELEASE. I AM QURIOUS AND CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE IT THAT NO LABEL WAS INTERESTED TO RELEASE IT. WHICH ARE THE
FANS AND ZINES REACTIONS?

• Ha !! Thanx again, i’m really pleased by your enthusiasm. The first reactions were really great, it was amazing, we have found only 2 negatives reviews. As i said, we’re now working with GOIMUSIC, small but very good label. « March… » has been re-edited and is now available wordwide. When we recorded « March… » we didn’t contact any label or whatever, we were pretty sure that none should be interested. We just wanted to do a demo CD, and it happens to be a true album.

5.YOUR ALBUM "HOLY EVIL" IS VERY RARE HERE IN GREECE AND IT'S CONSIDERED TO BE A CLASSIC AMONG THE RUNNING WILD AND THE EPIC METAL FANS AND IT IS SOLD VERY EXPENSIVE. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT? IS THERE A CHANCE YOU'LL RE RELEASE IT?

• Yes, i begin to realise and it’s really, really a big honour for us. Greece supports us strongly since a long time (it began with Holy Evil and it continues now !). I shall say that it’s one of our dreams to go to Greece one day to play and to thank all our fans there ! I hope we’ll have a beer together right !? There are still some copies available (not much !) just write or mail if you’re interested ! No, « Holy Evil » won’t be re-edited as both songs are on « March… ». Maybe we shall re-record the intro « The Dark Ages » on a further album… We sometimes use it as an intro for our gigs.

6.ARE YOU AWARE OF THE CONTEST TAKING PLACE IN THE RUNNING WILD SITE FOR THE TRIBUTE CD? ARE YOU THINKING OF TAKING PART? IF YES WHICH SONG WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

• Oh yes, as we now are in studio, we’ll also record a Running Wild cover song with the hope to appear on this tribute. We’re still not 100% sure about the song we’ll choose. The only sure thing is that it’ll be a « Gates to purgatory » or « branded and exiled » period song.

7.MANY CLASSIC FRENCH BANDS LIKE NIGHTMARE REUNITE AND PLAY METAL THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR PAST (SOUNDING LIKE HELLOWEEN). WOULD YOU EVER DO THAT IN ORDER TO SELL MORE?

• Oh no, i don’t think so. LONEWOLF means TRUE HEAVY METAL, nothing else. Anyway, if we’d change our music to sell more, i think that after we came back in 2000, « March… » would have sounded more Helloween and that’s really not what we make best ah ah. No, we play for people who like us, not for those who would like us if we’d been more « fashioned ».

8.ARE THERE IN FRANCE ANY NEW CLASSIC METAL BANDS? CAN YOU NAME ANY OF THEM?

• Yes, there are some who really deserve attention like OVERSTEP (sounds a bit like a RUNNING WILD & KILLERS mix), MALEDICTION ( old french style a la SORTILEGE), they both sing in french. Finally, french underground is waking up, there are SEYMINOL, KRAGENS (killer live band !), REST IN PEACE (more progressive), some of these bands are working with BRENNUS french label who give a hand to many french true metal bands.

9.WHAT HAVE YOU LISTENED TO LATELY AND LIKED A LOT? WHICH ARE YOUR 5 ALL TIME CLASSIC ALBUMS?

• I really like the latest RUNNING WILD ( !!), bands from our label GOIMUSIC like DRAGON LORD, NORTHWIND, i also really appreciate RAGING STORM’S demo – It’s time i buy their album. You greek always had a great scene !!
• My top 5… Hey friend, i need at least a top 10 ah ah !!
• 1 RUNNING WILD : Gates to purgatory/Under Jolly Roger/Black Hand Inn (i know, i’m a cheater he he !)
• 2 STORMWITH : Tales of terror
• 3 OMEN : Battle Cry
• 4 MANILLA ROAD : Crystal logic
• 5 GRAVE DIGGER : the Reaper
• 6 WARLOCK : Triumph & agony
• 7 WASP : The Headless Children
• 8 IRON MAIDEN : Piece of mind
• 9 HELLOWEEN : Walls of Jericho
• 10 PRETTY MAIDS Future world
• Tomorow i might change one or two, depends on my mood ah ah. But at least, you got an idea of my tastes.

10.IS THERE A CHANCE TO USE OTHER INSTRUMENTS EXPECT FOR THE CLASSIC METAL ONES (EXAMPLE VIOLIN)?

• Honestly, i don’t think so. Perhaps for intros but probably not as a whole part in a song.

11.WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO COMPOSE MUSIC?

• Live a real simple life, friends, job, listening Metal etc… or another full time hobby, who knows ?

12.IF SOMEDAY YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO MEET THE CREATURE THAT CREATED THE UNIVERSE, WHICH WOULD YOUR BIGGEST QUESTION BE?

• When you created mankind, did you ever imagine one second how stupid he can be sometimes (often ?) ? (Religious wars all along history….).

13.IF TIME TRAVEL WAS POSSIBLE, WHICH HISTORICAL PERIOD WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT AND WHY? WHAT WOULD YOU MISS THE MOST FROM OUR TIME?

• Very simple, it won’t be far, Heavy Metal means so much to me that i’d like to live the rise of true Metal in the 80’s, see RUNNING WILD on tour for « Gates to purgatory ». Just to see a pure and new born scene, not yet poisoned by shity trends like now. Seeing the rise of all bands i now hail, yeah, that would be great ! What shall miss the most should be internet, a great way for promotion and for meeting crazy « metal ‘til death » maniacs like me. Chains & leather forever ha !!

14.WHICH IS MAN'S BIGGEST TEMPTATION?

• Sex & money, it rules the world no !?

15.MANY METAL MUSICIANS ACCUSE POP STARS FOR THEIR LIFE STYLE, YET WE SEE SUCH BEHAVIOURS IN THE METAL SCENE AS WELL (BANDS PAYING TO MAKE A COVER FOR SUCCESFUL MAGAZINES, HAVING A GOOD REVIEW, METAL LABELS PROMOTING SPECIFIC BANDS AND GENRES EACH EPOCH,ETC).IS IT MAYBE AFTER ALL TRUE THAT THE METAL INDUSTRY DOESN'T DIFFER FROM THE POP? WHICH ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?

• I don’t think both industries differs much, money always rule everything… The most important is that, in both industries, there are artists and bands that still are true to themselves who play with their hearts.

16.WHAT PROLOGUE AND TITLE WOULD YOU LIKE THIS INTERVIEW TO HAVE?

• « Metal ‘til Death » or « Chains & leather forever », something like that. It fits LONEWOLF he he.

17.WHICH IS THE MOST IRRITATING QUESTIONS SOMEONE'S EVER DONE TO YOU AND WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE ASKED AND NO ONE EVER ASKED YOU? ASNWER IT AS WELL.

• « Don’t you think that studds and leather and the metal you play are old-fashioned ? ». You can imagine what i think of them… To be honest, there’s no question i’d like to answer that no one asked me. You know, every interview is different, i answer with pleasure to all question. There are always question that surprise me or i didn’t think about, that is really cool !

18.CLOSING I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT I AM A BIG FAN OF YOURS AND I WAS TRULY VERY PLEASED TO KNOW THAT YOU STILL EXIST. I HOPE TO SEE YOU FOR A LIVE IN GREECE. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE HERE THAT LOVE YOUR MUSIC. END THE INTERVIEW THE WAY YOU LIKE...

• First of all thanx a lot for this nice interview, i had fun doing it, i hope you enjoy reading it. Also, your support is an honour for us, we really hope coming to Greece one day. We know there are many maniacs who like our music, and we’ll never thank you all enough for your everlasting support ! It helped us a lot to carry on, i hope to never deceive you. Our second album will be released at the end of the year, i’m impatient to hear the greek reactions !!
• HAIL TO YOU ALL, METAL RULES !!!!!!
Nick  "William_Kidd"  Parastatidis