Made
Of Iron
The two-headed eagle on
the cover of their album, made me think that MADE OF IRON is not a usual
German metal band and I was right. Since 2 of the members of the band are
Greeks that live in Germany. Except that. the band plays classic heavy
metal based on the teaches of IRON MAIDEN and I can guaranty you that the
result is very good. So if your lust for classsic metal never ends, its
time to learn about these guys...
1. HELLO, SINCE YOUR ALBUM “MADE OF IRON”
IS YOUR FIRST RELEASE AND YOU ARE A NEW BAND, GIVE US A FEW INFO ABOUT
THE BAND’S HISTORY AND PRESENT US THE CURRENT LINE-UP.
Hi Nikos, first of all I want to thank you
for giving us the chance to make MADE OF IRON more popular. Me, Andreas
and Daniel were playing in a death/thrash band called Dark Creation since
1997. In 1999 I decided with Jim to make an Iron Maiden cover band, just
for fun cause we are big Maiden fans. The other 2 guys were more death
metal fans but they wanted to play in this cover band. So we played for
2 years some gigs until I came up with 5 songs of my own which I recorded
at home, playing the drums with a keyboard. These 5 songs ended on our
first demo. After a few months we made the second demo. In February 2004
we went in a studio to record our first 9 songs, hoping to find a label.
After summer 2004 Daniel and Andreas had to leave the band because we were
not very pleased with some things. Holger is now our new drummer and we’re
still looking for a bass player.
2. AS I SEE IN THE BIO THAT YOUR LABEL SENT ME
YOU HAVE RELEASED BEFORE YOUR DEBUT ALBUM A 7” DISC IN WHICH YOU HAVE THE
SONGS “FIGHT FOR THE CROSS” AND “MADE OF IRON” WHICH ARE ALSO INCLUDED
IN THIS ALBUM. HAVE YOU CHANGED THEM OR ARE THEY PLAYED IN THE EXACT SAME
WAY?
They are played almost the same way with only
a few differences.
3. YOUR MUSIC IS VERY CLOSE TO IRON MAIDEN AND
ALSO YOUR NAME MADE OF IRON REMINDS ME OF THIS GREAT HEAVY METAL BAND.
DID YOU DO THAT ON PURPOSE? DO YOU CONSIDER THAT A GOOD NAME IS IMPORTANT
FOR A BAND AND IF YES, WHY?
Well, we took the name from the song Made
Of Iron, we thought this would be our Hymn song so we should call ourselves
Made Of Iron. It is also a strong name you can’t forget and I think it
characterizes our music. I think the name is not so important as the music
and the stage-acting of a band but its always better to be good and have
a good name.
4. EXCEPT FOR IRON MAIDEN WHICH ARE YOUR MAIN
INFLUENCES? ARE THERE ANY OTHER BANDS THAT HAVE PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE
TO THE CREATION OF YOUR SOUND AND WHO ARE THEY? PLEASE ALSO NAME 5 OF YOUR
ALL TIME FAVORITE ALBUMS.
Iron Maiden is for me the alfa and omega,
without them I don’t think I would buy a guitar. My second favorite was
Sepultura in the “Beneath The Remains”/ “Arise” era. I also like bands
like Slayer, Running Wild, Black Sabbath (with Tony Martin), Metallica,
Kreator, Dio, Manowar, Iced Earth and so on. I believe my guitar playing
was influenced by Maiden and Malmsteen.
Here are my faves:
1. Seventh son of a seventh son (Iron Maiden)
2. Coma of souls (Kreator)
3. Seasons in the abyss (Slayer)
4. Arise/beneath the remains (can’t choose
just one!-Sepultura)
5. Death or glory (Running Wild)
6. Into the mirror black (Sanctuary)
Ok, they are six but I could’t decide
hahaha.
5. I READ IN YOUR BIO, NICKO AND JIM ARE FROM
GREECE, SO DO YOU COME OFTEN TO YOUR COUNTRY AND WHERE IN GREECE IS YOUR
ORIGIN FROM? DID YOUR ORIGIN PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO YOUR DECISION TO
SIGN WITH A GREEK LABEL?
I come from Thessaloniki and Jim from Mytilini.
We come to Greece every summer. It’s the best place for holidays. We signed
with Sonic Age not only because they come from Greece but also because
I believe these guys make a serious job and they are fucking heavy metal
fans. They wouldn’t sign a band only for commercial reasons but only because
they like this band and love their music.
6. NOW TELL ME A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE LYRICS.
WHO IS THE MAIN LYRICIST OF THE BAND AND WHAT KIND OF THEMES DO YOU LIKE
TO WRITE ABOUT THE MOST?
I wrote all the music and Lyrics on this album.
I like to write things about death and the unknown, also about history
and the middle-age, about fantasy but also about reality and the world
we live in.
7. CAN YOU TELL US IN A FEW WORDS WHICH IS THE
THEMATOLOGY OF EACH SONG INCLUDED IN THIS ALBUM?
“Fight for the cross”…is about the crusades
and the cruelty of this age. “The storm just began”…is about the world
we now live in and the bad things of this world. Things like environment
pollution, holy wars and terrorism. “Made Of Iron”…is about believing in
what you like to do and not to let other people deceide for you. It’s also
a song dedicated to our fans. “Alchemist”...is about the secret arts of
alchemy. “Never Deny Your Fate”…is about following your fate until your
dreams will become true. “Peace In Flames”…is about the middle east conflict
between Israel and Palestina, where so many innocent people die. “Time
To Repent”…is the ballad about the wrong things we do in out lives and
not thinking about the future and the life of our children. “Gates To Purgatory”…is
about near death experience, when the body of this man leaves his body
but finally returns back cause his hour to die hasn’t come yet. He sees
the things he has done wrong and the pain he caused to other people. “King
Of All Kings”…is a fantasy story about a warrior whose father is murdered
by an evil man. This warrior comes back to take revenge and after all is
revealed that he is the king of a prophecy.
8. I LIKED A LOT THE COVER ARTWORK OF YOUR ALBUM
WHICH SHOWS A TWO-HEADED EAGLE, THE SYMBOL OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE. WHO
IS THE CREATOR OF IT AND HOW IS IT CONNECTED TO YOUR LYRICS AND MUSIC?
The guy who did it is Patrick Romanowski but
the idea came from me. I know it is the symbol of the Byzantine empire
and the symbol of my fave football team in Greece (I won’t say which hahaha).
I am also a sword collector and found the idea in a catalogue with swords
and stuff like this. It’s a metal cover but not too cliche. It’s simple
but very strong and I think something different from other metal covers.
It shows an iron eagle who is symbol of power. This is the power of metal
in our songs.
9. SO SINCE YOU HAVE SIGNED TO A GREEK LABEL,
IS THERE ANY CHANCE TO COME HERE AND PLAY LIVE? WILL YOU ALSO PLAY ANY
LIVE SHOWS IN GERMANY AND ABROAD?
If we’ll get the chance to come to Greece
and play we will do this surely. But I believe we must become more popular
first. In the moment we are still looking for a bass player, but when we’ll
have one we will make many gigs here in Germany and maybe play in some
festivals.
10. THE RELEASE OF THE ALBUM IS PLANNED FOR 17
OF DECEMBER, BUT I AM SURE THAT YOUR LABEL HAS ALREADY SENT THE PROMOS
TO ZINES AROUND THE WORLD, SO HOW DID THE PRESS ACCEPT YOUR DEBUT ALBUM
TILL NOW? WHICH WAS THE MEANEST REVIEW THAT YOU READ? WHAT DO YOU THINK
WHEN YOU RECEIVE NEGATIVE REVIEWS?
I received 10-12 reviews untill now and 90%
are great and very positive. The zines compare us with Iron Maiden which
is a big honour for us. There was also a review from a Greek internet zine
which says that there is nothing special about Made Of Iron and their songs.
My opinion is that everyone has an opinion and that’s ok. Music is a matter
of taste but you have to be objective.
11. THE SONG THAT OPENS YOUR ALBUM IS ABOUT THE
CRUSADES. A PERIOD THAT I HAVE STUDIED A LOT. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THEM?
DON’T YOU THINK THAT IN THOSE TIMES THE TRUE BARBARIANS WERE THE CHRISTIANS
AND THAT IN OUR MODERN DAYS THE ROLES HAVE CHANGED (WITH ARABS BECOMING
THE BARBARIANS CAUSE OF THE FANATISM OF THEIR RELIGION)?
You are right, at that time the Christians
were very fanatic because of the brainwash of the Pope and the Vatican,
but the world history is full of wars and crimes. I think the first and
especially the second world war were more barbaric than the middle-age.
Instead of using the technology for the progress of mankind we use it for
self-destruction. I think there are only some Arabs who are violent terrorists.
The second Iraq war was the biggest crime that could have happened. Without
a reason and without the permission of the United Nations, just for power,
money and oil so many innocent people have died. I think if someone would
do this to Greece we would act the same way, as we did in the past. The
best way is to let these countries live their way of life.
12. YOU EXIST AS A BAND FROM 1999 AND I WANT TO
ASK YOU IF YOU HAVE COMPOSED ANY OTHER SONGS THAT YOU DIDN’T INCLUDE IN
YOUR FIRST ALBUM. IF YES, DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO PUT THEM IN A FUTURE WORK
OF YOURS? WHEN SHOULD WE EXPECT YOUR NEXT STRIKE?
Well, if I will say how many songs I have
composed after the recording of the first album you’d think I am crazy.
The second album will contain 8 killer songs and I think it will be released
in the end of 2005, we will plan this with our record company.
13. HAVE YOU SEEN THE MOVIE ALEXANDER? WHICH IS
YOUR OPINION ABOUT IT? DO YOU BELIEVE THAT IT WAS REALISTIC OR DO YOU THINK
THAT IT CREATES A FALSE IMAGE OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT?
No, I haven’t seen it yet. I think it comes
at cinema in the end of December. I think you speak about the film where
Collin Farrel plays the role of Alexander or not?
14. IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO COOPERATE WITH FAMOUS
MUSICIANS ON YOUR NEXT ALBUM WHO WOULD THEY BE AND WHY?
To be honest I don’t want to cooperate with
other musicians at the moment, I’m happy with the guys of Made Of Iron.
We have the same taste of music and know how the songs should sound. I
don’t like experiments or this kind of shit. But I would like to meet the
guys of Iron Maiden and tell them how I love them hahaha.
15. THANK YOU FOR THIS INTERVIEW! SEND A MESSAGE
TO THE READERS OF BEHIND THE VEIL AND MAKE A WISH FOR CHRISTMAS AND THE
NEW YEAR…
Thanx very much, I hope the readers
of Behind The Veil will hear our music and going to like it. You
can download some samples of our songs in our homepage www.madeofiron.com
and if you like it, it would be great if you would buy the album to support
us. Keep supporting heavy metal, there are many “small” bands who are better
than the “big” ones and need your support! Santa Claus gonna get ya, no
matter how far! Stay heavy!
Nick “William_Kidd”
Parastatidis
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