THE HEAVY METAL SNACK

MERENDINE ATOMICHE

Most of the metalheads have one dream. Pick up the guitar, bass, drums or microphone and start playing their most beloved music. The people raving while listening to their music and headbanging unstoppably. Well, unfortunately all people don't have this talent. Some others have the talent and work hard to gain the place that they deserve. In this position we can find a much promising Italian band, Merendine Atomiche. Metal Thrashing Madness reigns!

1.HOW WAS THE WHOLE BAND IDEA CREATED? TURN BACK TO DAY ZERO TILL NOW AND BRIEF US. WHO ARE MERENDINE ATOMICHE?

WELL, IN THE BEGINNING WE WERE A LITTLE BAND WHO DIDN'T KNOW WHERE IT WANTED TO GO, BUT YEAR AFTER YEAR WE FELT INSIDE THE CHANCE TO GROW AND TRY TO BECOME A VERY BIG METAL BAND, SO NOW WE ARE A GREAT BAND IN THE UNDERGROUND AND WITH THE NEW ALBUM WE WANT TO TRY TO GROW EVEN MORE BUT WE ARE ALREADY HAPPY FOR WHAT WE DID IN THE PAST AND NOW WE WANT ONLY TO PRODUCE A GREAT ALBUM AND AFTER THAT PLAY THE BIGGER TOUR WE CAN, AFTER...WE WILL SEE.

2.HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC? WHICH ARE YOUR MAIN INFLUENCES? YOU BRING TO MY MIND A LOT SACRED REICH. DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT?

WELL, OUR MUSIC IS A MIX OF MANY INFLUENCES BUT MAINLY IS THRASH METAL, I THINK OUR ALBUM "THE HOLY METAL" WAS A THRASH OLD STYLE AS JEFF WATERS SAID BUT NOW WITH THE CHANGE OF OUR GUITARIST I THINK WE WILL BE NEAR A LOT TO A SOUND LIKE THE LAST ALBUM OF PANTERA "REINVENTING THE STEEL", LESS MELODIC AND MORE HEAVY. INSIDE THESE NEW SONGS AS IN THE HOLY METAL WILL BE OTHER THINGS AND IT DEPENDS OF THE VARIOUS BANDS THE MEMBERS LISTEN BUT ALWAYS I HAVE TO SAY WE WANT TO PLAY THRASH, IN ALL OF ITS WAYS, MELODIC, HEAVY, SPEED... THE NEXT ALBUM WILL BE MORE AMERICAN SOUND THAN THE HOLY METAL. I THINK YOUR IDEA ABOUT SACRED RAICH IS RIGHT CAUSE MANY PEOPLE TOLD US THIS, I THINK THIS DEPENDS ON THE MELODIC PART, AND I AGREE WITH YOU, BUT I HAVE ALSO TO SAY THAT NEXT ONE WILL BE HEAVIEST THAN THE HOLY METAL.

3.WHAT DOES YOUR BAND NAME MEAN? WHY DID YOU SELECT A NAME IN ITALIAN AND NOT ELGLISH LIKE YOUR LYRICS?

WELL THE MEANING OF THE NAME IS UNTRANSLATABLE IN ENGLISH CAUSE I CAN'T FIND A MEANING FOR THE WORD "MERENDINE", ATOMICHE MEANS ATOMIC BUT MERENDINE...WELL MERENDINE IN ITALY IS CROISSANT IN FRANCH, CAKES...I CAN'T FIND A WORD IN ENGLISH THAT IS PERFECTLY RIGHT. I THINK THE BETTER IS SNACK...ATOMIC SNACK...WE CHOOSE THIS NAME CAUSE IN ITALY IS VERY HARD TO GROW AND MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN TO THE CHAOS OF ALL THESE BANDS, AND WE WOULD TO CHOOSE A NAME FOR DEMOSTRATION THAT THIS IS POSSIBLE WITH VOLONTY AND SACRIFICE AND WORK. MERENDINE ATOMICHE OR ATOMIC SNACK IS THE VOLONTY OF A YOUNG GROUP OF KIDS WHO WANT TO BECOME A BIG METAL BAND IN A COUNTRY WHERE IS SO DIFFICULT AND FOR THIS WE CHOOSE SNACK A LITTLE THING, A STUPID THING, BUT WITH VOLONTY AND SACRIFICE, WORK AND BRAVITY WE COULD DO IT AND BECOME THE WORST THING FOR EVRYONE, THE ATOMIC BOMB, AND FOR THIS WE CHOOSE TO MIX THESE TWO THINGS, LITTLE, HAPPY THINGS WITH A POWERFULL AND MOST DANGEROUS THING IN THE WORLD, THE ATOMIC BOMB, AND THIS GAVE BIRTH TO MERENDINE ATOMICHE. WE CHOOSE AN ITALIAN NAME CAUSE IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BECOME FAMOUS IN MUSIC IF YOU DON'T SING IN ENGLISH AND WE CHOOSE, IF WE HAD TO SING IN ENGLISH, TO KEEP OUR ROOTS IN OUR NAME, AND WE KEEP THE ITALIAN NAME, AFTER ALL I THINK MANY BANDS HAVE VERY SIMILAR NAMES AND FOR THIS I THINK THE ITALIAN NAME IS VERY HARD TO DELETE AND YOU SURE DON'T MAKE CONFUSION!

4.TELL US A FEW THINGS REGARDING YOUR NEW ALBUM. SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCIES BETWEEN YOUR ALBUMS?

THE NEW ALBUM "WALK ACROSS FIRE" WILL BE HEAVIEST THAN "THE HOLY METAL", LESS MELODIC, MORE HEAVY, LESS SPEED, MORE HOT, WILL BE VERY DIFFERENT I THINK COUSE IN THE LAST ALBUM MOST OF RIFFS WERE WRITTEN BY THE OLD GUITARIST WHO PREFERED A SPEED METAL, AS OLD THARSH BAND STYLE , NOW WITH THE NEW ONE WE HAVE A PREFERENCE TO THE LAST DEVELOPMENT OF THRASH METAL AS PANTERA WITH VERY POWERFULL RIFFS BUT NOT SPEED AND SO HEAVY AND WITH VOCAL PART STRONGER AND LESS MELODIC. I HOPE IT WILL BE A GREAT ALBUM. WE ARE WORKING A LOT FOR THIS, THIS ALBUM WILL BE RECORDED AT SUNLIGHT STUDIOS IN STOCKHOLM WITH TOMAS SKOGSBERG AND WE WILL GET TWO IMPORTANT METAL STAR AS ANDERS LUNDEMARK (KONKHRA) AND JEFF WATERS (ANNIHILATOR) AND THE ALBUM WILL BE OUT I THINK IN NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER OF THIS YEARS ON DEADSUN RECORDS.

5.YOU USED TO BE A TRIBUTE BAND TO METALLICA. WHICH IS THE MEANING OF IT? DON'T YOU FEEL TIED UP WITH NO SPEAK OF YOUR OWN?

WE CHOSE TO PLAY METALLICA CAUSE IN THAT YEAR (1998) THE BAND WAS DOWN. IN EARLY 1998 THE BAND WAS DEAD AND WE RESTARTED IN MARCH AND NONE OF THE NEW BAND FEEL TO PLAY OWN MUSIC AND WE WAS ANYONE IN ITALY, THE ONLY CHANCE WAS TO PLAY WHAT WE LIKE AND IN THAT TIME WAS METALLICA. WE WOULD IN THE SAME TIME FOLLOW A DIFFERENT ROAD FROM ALL THE OTHER LITTLE BANDS WHO PLAYED A MIX OF FAMOUS BANDS. WE CHOSE TO PLAY ONLY METALLICA AND WAS THE BEST DECISION OF OUR CARRER, WE PLAYED A LOT IN 1998 - 1999 AND AT THE END OF THAT YEAR WE PRODUCED AN ALBUM CALLED "TRIBUTE TO METALLICA" WITH FIVE OF THE BEST METALLICA 'S SONGS. THIS ALBUM BROUGHT US ON THE ITALIAN METAL SCENE, PLAYING A TOUR IN ITALY IN 2000 AND HAVING MANY REVIEWS NOT ONLY IN ITALY BUT IN A COUPLE OF COUNTRIES ABROAD AND WE BECAME THE OFFICIAL ITALIAN METALLICA TRIBUTE BAND. ALL THESE TITLE OPENED US THE DOOR TO PLAY OUR OWN MUSIC AND WHEN WE RELEASED THE HOLY METAL WE HAD THE NECESSARY EXPERIENCE OF TOURING FOR ONE YEAR AND OF HAVING A GOOD PROMOTION AND OF HAVING THE CHANCE TO SELL THE ALBUM. IT HAS BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE WHICH WILL CONTINUE ALSO IN THIS YEAR IN THE TOUR WE ARE PLANNING. THIS WILL BE THE LAST. AFTER THE NEW ALBUM "WALK ACROSS FIRE" IS RELEASED WE WILL DELETE FROM THE SET LIST METALLICA'S SONGS...OR WE KEEP ONLY THE BEST FOR THE ITALIAN FANS WHO SUPPORTED US SINCE THE BEGINNING OF OUR CARRER.

6.WHAT ARE YOUR LYRICS TALKING ABOUT? FANTASY OR REAL LIFE?

100% REAL LIFE, NEVER FANTASY, BUT WE TRY TO TALK ABOUT THINGS IN COMMON WITH PEOPLE, WE DO NOT WANT TO USE MUSIC AS A POLITICAL WEAPON, WE HAVE MANY IDEAS, MANY OF THEM DIFFERENT AMONG THE BAND MEMBERS, BUT ALSO WE SHARE MANY SIMILAR VALOURS IN COMMON, AND STARTING FROM THESE WE TALK ABOUT MANY THINGS...

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

WHEN I WAS YOUNG I USED TO PLAY FOOTBALL, BUT IT WAS MORE DIFFICULT THAN PLAY MUSIC! I THINK MY DREAM IS TO BECOME A TEACHER, I LIKE SO MUCH HISTORY AND I'M AT UNIVERSITY, I HOPE A DAY TO BECOME THIS.

8.WHAT DOES HEAVY METAL MEAN FOR YOU?

LIFE, OR A LIFE STYLE, WE ARE DIFFERENT IN MANY THINGS WITH OTHER PEOPLE,WELL, WE DON'T DRESS LIKE MANY YEARS AGO METALLER'S USED TO BUT IS A LIFE STYLE, WE LIKE TO PLAY IN CLUBS, BARS, MEETING NEW PEOPLE, COMPOSING MUSIC AND WRITE WHAT YOU FEEL, MAKING KM AND KM AROUND THE COUNTRY, IS A GREAT SENSATION, TO BE A MUSICIAN, IS ALSO A BIG WORK, BUT IT'S BEAUTY IN THE SAME TIME. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DIFFERENT FROM OTHER "NORMAL" PEOPLE AND HEAVY METAL IS MY AND OUR LIFESTYLE AND A METHOD TO EXPLAIN TO OTHERS...

9.WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE CASE OF THE GERMAN SATANIST COUPLE? DO YOU THINK THAT A CHASE WILL START ALL OVER AGAIN FOR THE METAL SCENE?

I'M NOT A SATANIST, I DON'T LIKE ANY KIND OF RELIGION CAUSE I THINK RELIGION IS THE BEGINNING OF WARS,I STUDY HISTORY AND I CAN SAY MANY THINGS, FIGHT FOR A RELIGION IS VERY STUPID, WHO IS THE RIGHT GOD? CHRISTIAN GOD, MUSLIM GOD, BUDDHIST GOD...WHO?? EACH ONE IS FIGHTING FOR THE SAME CAUSE. THE HUMAN RACE NEED TO BELIEVE IN SOMEONE SPIRITUAL, CAUSE WE ARE NOT ABLE TO APPRECIATE WHAT WE HAVE, WE WANT ALWAYS MORE AND MORE. WE WANT A SYMBOL AND SOMETHING TO FIGHT FOR. IT'S STUPID! WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT LIFE IS SHORT AND BEAUTIFUL, AND THIS WORLD IS WONDERFULL. WE HAVE TO TRY TO LIVE IN PEACE WITH ALL PEOPLE AND NOT FIGHT FOR A THING THAT IS NOT CERTAIN AS ARE GODS! BUT THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE AND EVERYONE USES GODS TO EXPLAIN THEIR FRUSTRATION AND THEIR PROBLEMS...I DO NOT AGREE NOT ONLY WITH SATANISTS BUT WITH EVERYONE WHO USES RELIGIONS TO FIGHT AND NOT FOR PRAYING OR FOR THEIR NEED TO BECOME A BETTER PERSON.

10.WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON WORLD POLITICS AND TERRORISM?

THIS IS MY OPINION AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BAND AGREE WITH ME, I TALK FOR ME AND NOT FOR MERENDINE ATOMICHE. UNFORTUNATLY I'M NOT WITH EVERY PERSON WHO FIGHTS AGAINST AMERICANS. IS TOO EASY. MY COUNTRY AT THE BEGINNING OF XX CENTURY LOST ITS FREEDOM FOR A DICTATORSHIP AS FASCIM AND AFTER NAZISM, WE LOST MANY INNOCENT LIFES AND IS ONLY THANKS TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, THAT HAVE SAVED US AND BUILT A DEMOCRACY (WITH ALL THEIR MISTAKES BUT ALWAYS A FREE COUNTRY) AND AFTER THEY SAVED US TO ANOTHER BIG DICTATORSHIP AS COMMUNISM. AMERICAN GAVE US THA CHANCE TO LIVE FREE, AND FOR ME IS THE BEST THING ABSOLUTLY. HEAVY METAL WAS BORN IN AMERICA AND AMERICA IS THE COUNTRY WHERE EVERY RACE COULD LIVE TOGETHER, AND AMERICA IS A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN THINK, DO WHAT YOU FEEL, WE ARE ALL FREE, AND WOMEN ARE FREE. THE EUROPEAN PEOPLE GAINED IN THE PAST AFTER THOUSAND YEARS OF WAR, FROM AMERICA'S HELP. U.S.A IS A YOUNG COUNTRY, BUT HELPED US TO CONTINUE IN THIS ROAD. YES, AMERICA IS ALSO THE MEANING OF BUSINESS, MONEY, SOME INJUSTICE, BUT NONE CAN SAY THAT THE FREEDOM WE GET IN AMERICA AND IN EUROPE ARE WORST THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WHERE YOU COULD BE DEAD CAUSE YOU ARE A WOMAN, CAUSE YOU SAY A DIFFERENT THING ABOUT WHAT REGIM WANTS OR CAUSE YOU BELIEVE IN A DIFFERENT GOD OF THE MAJORITY. I HAVE BEEN TO CANADA LAST YEAR AND WAS SO GREAT, AT THE END THE TERRORIST WHO ATTACKED THE WTC LEARNED TO FLY IN USA! I THINK THE EUROPEAN PEOPLE FAUGHT MANY YEARS TO HAVE ALL THE FREEDOM WE GET NOW, AND AFTER AMERICAN PEOPLE STARTED TO BE THE DEFENDER OF THIS. SURE THEY USE THIS ALSO FOR THEIR INTEREST, BUT AT THE END IF I WANNA SCREAM SOMETHING NONE PUT ME ON THE JAIL AND I'M FREE TO DO WHAT I WANT, IF SOMEONE DOESN'T LIKE TO BE FREE CAN SIMPLY CHOOSE TO LIVE IN A COUNTRY WHERE FREEDOM IS UTOPIA.

11.WHICH SONG OF YOURS DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IDEAL TO REPRESENT YOUR WORK WORLDWIDE?

I THINK "HOLY METAL" SPEED, AGGRESSIVE AND WAS MADE WITH HEART WITH THE LYRICS WHICH REPRESENTED OUR LOVE FOR HEAVY METAL

12.IF YOUR MUSIC WAS A SENTIMENT WHAT WOULD IT BE AND IF IT WAS PAINTING WHAT WOULD IT SHOW?

PASSION AND COULD BE SHOWN WITH A MAN WHO ARE SWIMMING IN THE OCEAN,ALONE, SMALL, BUT STRONGER THAN ALL, READY TO COME ON THE OTHER SIDE AFTER FACING MANY STORMS!

13.WHICH IS THE WEIRDEST AND MOST ANNOYING QUESTIONS YOU'VE BEEN ASKED AND WHICH QUESTIONS WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE ASKED AND NO ONE HAS EVER DONE TO YOU? ANSWER IT AS WELL...

THE WORST? "WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT METALLICA NOW AFTER LOAD AND RELOAD" ...BLEAH, MANY PEOPLE ASKED US, BUT SINCERLY I PREFERD TO TALK ABOUT OUR WORK AND NOT ABOUT METALLICA, OUR OPINION IS NOT IMPORANT ON THAT! THE BEST THAT WE HAVE NEVER RECEIVED? NONE, MANY PEOPLE GAVE US GREAT QUESTIONS AND I DON'T HAVE ONE IN PARTICULAR.

14.EPILOGUE...

THANKS FOR THIS CHANCE, I HOPE YOU'LL APPRECIATE "THE HOLY METAL" BUT I WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT OUR NEW CD "WALK ACROSS FIRE" WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR CARREER. I HOPE YOU BUY IT AND LIKE IT. KEEP IN MIND DECEMBER 2002 "WALK ACROSS FIRE". I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE FANS WHO WROTE TO US FROM ALL THE WORLD, AND ALL OF US WHO SUPPORTED THE BAND EVERYWHERE, I HOPE A DAY TO COME TO PLAY A CONCERT IN YOUR COUNTRY. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU, WE NEVER FORGET! MERENDINE ATOMICHE.

NIKOS "William_Kidd" PARASTATIDIS

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