Manticora
This is the third interview
that I did with MANTICORA and I really hope to continue this way. I can't
hide that I am big fan of the group because they simply are something out
of the ordinary power metal bands. I believe that you have to give them
a try, cause I can't explain why this superb band doesn't play live to
full stadiums. So, let this interview be the reason for you to know better
this group. Finally, I would like to wish to Kristian, that recently became
a father, the best of luck to their new born babe. You are really a lucky
man my friend cause having a child makes you understand the world better...
1.I DON’T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER ME, BUT WE
HAVE DONE AN INTERVIEW FOR THE “HYPERION” ALBUM…
Yeah I do remember you. It was Lars you talked
to last time…
-NO, NO I’VE TALKED WITH YOU. I WAS TALKING WITH
LARS VIA ICQ, BUT I’VE LOST HIM LATELY.
-OK LET’S START. FIRST OF ALL I’VE LISTENED TO
YOUR ALBUM “8 DEADLY SINS”. IT’S A VERY GOOD ALBUM! I LIKED IT A LOT! I
WANT YOU TO TELL ME WHICH THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN "HYPERION" ALBUM AND
"8 DEADLY SINS" ARE.
The biggest difference between those albums
is the fact that this is our own concept. On “Hyperion” we made a science
fiction concept based on a novel we’ve read. This is our own concept something
we’ve got from ourselves and the music is also a little bit different…in
my opinion it’s darker, moody and the tone in general is more intense.
-YES! I THINK THIS TIME THE ALBUM IS HEAVIER AND
MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD!
Yeah, exactly! Also the production is a lot
better this time and I think that the whole songwriting is better than
“Hyperion”, not that “Hyperion” is a bad album at all, but I think that
we have managed to…to create a wholeness on this album.
2.WELL, KRISTIAN FOR ME ALL YOUR ALBUMS ARE GREAT
BECAUSE I’M A BIG FUN OF THE BAND. OK! I KNOW YOU SINCE YOU WERE CALLED
MANTICORE.
-FROM THAT MINI CD YOU HAD RELEASED
Yes…(note: sorry, I couldn’t make out what
he told me)
-OK, SO WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM THIS RELEASE?
Hopefully, this will take Manticora into a
bigger league, because we’ve always been in the shadows of all the big
bands and nobody seemed to mention Manticora, but hopefully this album
with our new record label will help us do our next step and become much
bigger than what we were before. This is a dream of course, but I really
hope that this album will get out to more people than our previous releases
and so far it seems that this will happen.
-OK, LET’S HOPE SO BECAUSE I WANT TO SEE YOU COME
FOR A LIVE SHOW IN GREECE!
Yes! We really want to come to Greece and
play. Really! But let’s see what the future brings now…
3.I BELIEVE THAT THIS ONE TOO IS A CONCEPT ALBUM
OR AM I MISTAKEN? PLEASE TELL ME FEW THINGS ABOUT THE LYRICS OF THIS ALBUM.
WHICH IS THE STORY BEHIND IT? IS IT ONCE AGAIN ABOUT SCIENCE FICTION, THE
FAVOURITE THEMATOLOGY OF LARS?
-IS IT A SCIENCE FICTION CONCEPT?
No it’s not a science fiction… It’s more eh…
It’s really a life story about a man who thinks back on his life and the
old testament tells about 7 deadly sins, but in our opinion those 7 deadly
sins are old and really ridiculous to the modern person. We have created
8 different deadly sins that we think are more relevant to the modern person
and this time if you commit all the 8 deadly sins you die. I don’t think
you die, if you commit the 7 old deadly sins, but in this case the poor
guy dies because he has committed all our 8 deadly sins and he thinks back
on what occasions he committed the sins. That’s why this album takes him
back in time, eh, to think, to tell where he committed the sins and in
which occasions. So, it’s a life story really.
4. AFTER RELEASING 2 ALBUMS WITH SCARLET RECORDS
AND WHEN EVERYTHING SEEMED TO GO WELL, ONCE AGAIN YOU'VE CHANGED LABEL
AND YOU SIGNED WITH MASSACRE. WHICH WERE THE REASONS THAT LED YOU TO SUCH
A DECISION?
Well, in the beginning we were pretty satisfied
with SCARLET Records and I think that Scarlet were satisfied with us too.
But as time went on we found out that we didn’t have the same plans for
MANTICORA. Our plans are really to become a big metal band in the world
and I don’t think that was the intention of SCARLET… not that it is a bad
label at all, but we didn’t speak the same language about the future of
MANTICORA, so we had some discussions about what should happen… and really
we had other plans and we wanted to try something new and hopefully get
a bigger label who had the same plans as we did and I think that MASSACRE
is such a label. I think that we speak the same language. I really,
have a good feeling about this record label.
-DO YOU THINK THAT MASSACRE AS A BIGGER LABEL
WILL HELP YOU MORE AND IN WHAT PART IN SPECIFIC?
First of all the distribution of our album.
We’ve had a lot of countries who never heard of us and tour support. Scarlet
couldn’t help us in that direction and it’s very difficult for a Danish
band to organize a European tour if you don’t have some kind of financial
help from the record label or at least some interest in getting MANTICORA
out to the audience live. That’s a big problem, because that’s what MANTICORA
is all about. The music of MANTICORA on the CD is great, but we really
live to play live and we’ve heard before when we’ve played live that when
you hear us live it gets a whole other dimension and that is why we wanna
come across the Danish borders and play for as many people as we can. To
convince them that MANTICORA is something different from other bands.
-YES, THAT WOULD BE GREAT!
5.MASSACRE HAS PUT A STICKER ON YOUR CD CHARACTERIZING
YOU AS DARK POWER METAL. DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS DESCRIPTION?
-OK, BECAUSE I DISAGREE WITH THAT TOTALLY…
Haha…, I don’t disagree at all. I agree with
MASSACRE that we are a Dark Power Metal band and that was our intention,
especially in this album – that the atmosphere had to be dark, sad and
with a dark tone… Eh, and that’s something that we have worked a lot to
achieve, because if you don’t do something different nobody will ever listen
to MANTICORA… I have this feeling that you need to just, at least, try
to make another approach in typical power metal. That’s always been my
idea, not to play just as everyone else, but to make my own atmosphere,
sound and so on… So I really agree with MASSACRE records when they call
it Dark Power Metal.
-PERSONALLY I CAN SAY THAT ON YOUR FIRST 2 ALBUMS
THIS TITLE WAS VERY PROPER, BUT NOW YOU HAVE EVOLVED INTO SOMETHING MORE
COMPLICATED. FOR EXAMPLE THE SONG "KING OF THE ABSURD" IS MORE PROGRESSIVE
OR THE SONG "PLAYING GOD" HAS A THRASH FEELING... YOUR COMMENTS ON THAT...
Ok, haha. That’s fine to hear, because we’ve
always been told that we are a Power Metal band, but it is difficult to
put MANTICORA under a label…
-YES…
…Because none of us intend to play Power Metal.
It’s just something that happens and every time that something sounds like
typical power metal we stop and say this no good at all, it’s been done
billion times before. So, when you say that the label is unfair, it’s nice
to hear it because I really hate to be just a power metal band, if you
understand what I mean.
6.YOUR NEW RELEASE, LIKE "HYPERION" OF COURSE,
IS NOT AN EASY TO LISTEN TO ALBUM. IT NEEDS A LOT OF HEARINGS IN ORDER
TO UNDERSTAND IT COMPLETELY. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT NEW METALHEADS HAVE THE
PATIENCE TO LISTEN TO SUCH A RELEASE LIKE YOURS?
I think it’s important that cover artwork,
lyrics, concept should be a little bit complicated, because music is music,
but if you dig deeper into it – read the lyrics, understand the concept
– I think that that dimension is extremely important especially in the
modern heavy metal world, because there are so many bands who release a
record just for the money and sadly they sell many albums, more than MANTICORA.
I believe it’s important to get that extra dimension, that you can read
the lyrics, understand them and maybe make you feel something. You may
agree, you may not, but it’s really important for us everything to have
quality: lyrics, cover artwork and music.
7.I AM BIG FAN OF THE BAND. I HAVE ALL YOUR RELEASES
EVEN THE MINI CD THAT YOU HAVE RELEASED UNDER THE NAME MANTICORE AND YOU
HAVE PROMISED ME THAT YOU WILL COME FOR A LIVE SHOW HERE IN GREECE WITH
ANGRA. WHAT HAPPENED AND YOU'VE NEVER COME AFTER ALL? IS THERE A CHANCE
NOW WITH MASSACRE TO COME HERE FOR A LIVE SHOW?
Haha, well… That’s a very sad story, because
we go back to Scarlet Records again. That was in the phase where we talked
about the future of MANTICORA and the live shows around Europe and as I
said before in the beginning Scarlet really liked us a lot, but that opinion
somehow changed and suddenly they didn’t want to help us in that direction.
It’s really expensive for a band like us to buy a European Tour from our
pockets, to go in Greece, play in Athens and to all the southern Europe
countries. If you don’t have a record label behind you financially and
with all the correct contacts, it’s basically impossible for a band like
MANTICORA in Denmark to travel that far and play. That’s sad because we
were actually going to play in Athens and some gigs in Italy, but they
looked out of it and that’s also one of the reasons that we broke up the
deal with Scarlet records.
-NOW WITH MASSACRE, DO YOU HAVE PLANS FOR LIVE
SHOWS? OR IS IT TOO EARLY TO SPEAK ABOUT IT?
Nothing is confirmed yet, but right now we
are working hard on going on a European tour in February in Southern Europe
for 16 days, but again we haven’t signed a contract, so I don’t want to
promise anything because it’s a tough world and if you don’t sign a contract
nothing is certain. We learned that from Scarlet Records hahaha…
8.HOW DID THE FANS AND ZINES ACCEPT TILL NOW THE
"8 DEADLY SINS" ALBUM? WHICH WAS THE MEANEST REVIEW YOU'VE RECEIVED?
We’ve had a lot of good response all over
the world. We haven’t had a bad review yet and that’s quiet encouraging
and it’s really nice that all the internet reviews, all the radio stations
and our fans say to us that this is the best album that MANTICORA ever
made. This really means a lot to the band, because it is really a hard
world especially for Danish metal bands. So the nice words and all the
nice reviews really mean a lot to us.
- I BELIEVE THAT YOU MUST HAVE RECEIVED MANY GOOD
ONES... DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ESPECIALLY ABOUT GREECE AND HOW MANY
COPIES YOUR PREVIOUS RELEASE HAS SOLD HERE?
I don’t know where it came from, but we had
a review and basically he didn’t like it at all. He kept on saying that
and on they go again and blah, blah, blah and please get some singing lessons
and what ever happened to old power metal and I hate when they do that
and too bad that they’re playing like this because some of that is ok and
the keyboards sound fresh and everything. But basically I think he was
the wrong guy who was put on this test to review our album. I think it
was on the “Hyperion” album and he really hated that album hahaha…
-OK, SINCE YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT THE VOCALS.
I’VE READ HERE A REVIEW IN A GREEK METAL ZINE MENTIONING THAT THE VOCALS
OF LARS ARE RUINING THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE ALBUM. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT
IT? I THINK THAT THEY GIVE PERSONALITY TO THE BAND, BUT SOME PEOPLE SAY
THEY DON’T LIKE IT AT ALL. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS AS A BAND?
Well, it’s a difficult question, because everybody
knows that MANTICORA is a different band also in the singing part. And
it is because when you hear power metal you expect some high pitched vocals,
but that’s really not what MANTICORA ever wanted to make. I think. It’s
because there are so many bands with the same lead singer, singing the
same things and that’s not what Lars does. He sings on his own way and
maybe that annoys some because it’s not what they expect to listen to,
but lot of people around the world love the way Lars sings.
-YES I LIKE HIS VOCALS TOO. I LIKE THE VOICE OF
LARS BECAUSE I’M TIRED OF THE HIGH-PITCHED VOICES! ACTUALLY, MY FAVORITE
BAND IS RUNNING WILD AND MR. ROLF DOESN’T HAVE THE GREATEST VOICE IN HEAVY
METAL!
Oh, it’s the same thing. It’s not the typical
high-pitched metal singing. Not that it is bad this kind of singing, but
I think that people just want that kind of singing in the music that we
play, but they won’t get it hahaha…
9.SO, WHICH ARE THOSE 8 DEADLY SINS THAT THE TITLE
OF YOUR NEW ALBUM STATES?
Ah, come again! Ah, you want to explain you
the 8 deadly sins?
-YES BECAUSE YOU SAID THAT THESE 8 DEADLY
SINS ARE NEW. NOT THE ONES THAT WE KNOW FROM THE TESTAMENT.
Eh, we’ve got self indulgence, hatred, betrayal,
aggression, jealousy, arrogance, ignorance and apathy and if you take it
from the back, apathy is the theme of the last track (before the outro)
and the title of it is “Help Me Like No One Can” and it really means being
in a situation that you are in apathy. You are unable to help yourself
because you‘re so sad and tired.
- WHICH OF THOSE SINS HAVE YOU DONE AND ENJOYED
THEM?
Hahaha, I think that my favourite sin that
I’ve committed will probably be jealousy, because it’s something that I
think every person has. Everyone is jealous about something or someone,
maybe a neighbour won a million dollars. You get jealous about that hahaha…
10.BY THE WAY HAVE YOU SEEN THE OLIVER STONE'S
FILM "ALEXANDER"? IF YES WHICH IS YOUR OPINION? HERE IN GREECE MANY PEOPLE
SEEM TO BE ANNOYED BECAUSE THERE ARE RUMORS THAT THE MOVIE SHOWS ALEXANDER
AS A BAD PERSONALITY. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT?
No I really want to see that movie, but I
haven’t had that time yet. I’ve just become father, so all my time goes
to that…
-THAT’S GREAT NEWS (note: KRISTIAN WE WISH YOUR
NEW BORN BABY THE BEST OF LUCK AND TO ALWAYS MAKE ITS PARENTS PROUD)
Yeah, I am a very busy man!!!
- YEAH BUT BUSY IN A GOOD WAY…
11.SINCE WE TALK ABOUT CINEMA, WHICH MOVIES HAVE
YOU SEEN TILL NOW AND WHICH ONE YOU'VE ENJOYED THE MOST AND WHY? WHAT BOOK
THAT YOU'VE READ WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ON SCREEN?
Right now I am reading a book by Clive Barker
called Abarat.
- THE NEWS IS THAT IT WILL BE MADE A FILM.
- YEAH!
Ok, that’s good news haha… I am really a fan
of that book because I like all Clive Barker works and I really think that
this is a work of genius, cause it is twisted mixed up with child things
and… it’s a wonderful story and I love his story telling. So, that’s really
good news that it will become A movie.
12.DENMARK MIGHT NOT HAVE A HUGE METAL SCENE,
BUT IT HAS BANDS WITH QUALITY. SO DO THE PEOPLE OF DENMARK LIKE HEAVY METAL
MUSIC? HAVE YOU LISTENED TO ANY NEW PROMISING GROUPS FROM YOUR COUNTRY?
CAN YOU NAME THEM?
People in Denmark don’t know what this kind
of music is. When I play our music to my friends they look at me and say:
Ok, I didn’t know that that kind of music exists. Denmark is a very small
country and all they know about is what MTV plays. So maybe you can imagine
what would happen inside a poor guy’s brain when he listens to MANTICORA
because all he knows is Britney Spears. And those that listen to Metal
music mostly play it themselves. A very good thing of course, but there’s
no real audience for metal in Denmark, sadly… We have lot of great bands
like MERCENARY, MANTICORA of course, PRETTY MAIDS, BEYOND TWILIGHT, KING
DIAMOND is Danish too.. MERCENARY is a very good band.
13.THE NEXT MATCH FOR THE PRELIMINARIES OF THE
WORLD CUP IS BETWEEN MY NATIONAL TEAM AND YOURS. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT
THIS GAME?
Hopefully, Denmark wins of course.
- HA HA I LIKE YOUR NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM A LOT…
Yeah, and I really like the Greek Team as
well in the European Championship because it reminded me somehow of Denmark
when we won the European Championship. It was the same thing coming as
an outsider and beating all the others, so I really enjoyed watching Greece
becoming European Champions!
- DO YOU BELIEVE THAT DENMARK WILL MANAGE TO BE
PRESENT ON THE FINALS OF THE WORLD CUP FOR THE FIRST TIME?
No I don’t. Right now the Danish national
team is in a bit of a crisis, because we don’t produce any strikers anymore.
We of course have Jondal Tomasson, but he is the only one. Unfortunately
for us we have created a lot of defenders and middle fielders, but no strikers.
So I think that the Danish national team will have a very hard time in
the future unless a miracle happens of course.
14.YOU HAVE RELEASED MANY ALBUMS AND I WOULD LIKE
TO ASK YOU IF YOU HAVE ANY PLANS FOR RELEASING A LIVE CD OR A DVD OR EVEN
A VIDEOCLIP? IF YES WHEN SHOULD WE EXPECT FOR ANYTHING LIKE THIS?
That’s a funny question actually, because
yesterday we were talking about it again. We have plans on making a DVD
with some live songs and shows. We have so many hours of video clips from
the studio and from our small European tour and from other gigs. They are
all very funny clips and we really wanna make this DVD, somewhere in the
future. Maybe with lot of interviews and maybe some kind of documentary
about MANTICORA - about the beginning of the band – and hopefully we will
record a live show. We are right now planning on, together with a camera
team, on shooting a live show. But we don’t know if it succeeds. However,
I think we will do this no matter what, because it has been a dream for
MANTICORA to make this special think.
15.THANK YOU VERY MUCH! IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO TELL
ANYTHING YOU WANT...
I want to say to the readers that they really
should listen to this MANTICORA album. Keep on supporting the band cause
it is a tough world out there and especially for Danish bands. I believe
that MANTICORA represents quality both musically and lyrically. And I think
that MANTICORA stands as a 100% for quality.
-THANK YOU KRISTIAN, HAVE NICE HOLIDAYS YOU AND
YOUR FAMILY.
Nick "William_Kidd"
Parastatidis
Special Help: Dimitris Pantsiopoulos
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