The
Conspiracy
A while ago (it must be
a year more or less) we had a contest running in Behind The Veil and the
lucky ones got to win CDs of The Conspiracy previous demo. We loved their
music and actually we believed this is a band that no one should miss and
by no chance should pass unnoticed. Their previous demo was remarkable
and we thought that spreading it out wasn't only helping the band, but
mainly helping the fans come across and excellent group and offering them
some great songs. However, I'm a bit confused now, cause I think that "3000
Crosses" is even better that their previous demo... Imagine what they still
have in store for us! So, check out what my friend Michael told us about
the band, their music and several other issues...
1.HELLO MICHAEL! "3000" CROSSES IS FINALLY
OUT AND IT REALLY ROCKS! NOW THAT YOU HAVE FINISHED IT HOW DO YOU FEEL
ABOUT IT? HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO COMPLETE THE COMPOSITIONS AND PRODUCE
IT?
Hello again Nikos! Thanks again for the interview
and opportunity to talk with you and Behind The Veil Webzine. Well overall
the band and myself are very pleased with the outcome of “3000 Crosses”
but Jim & I had a couple of sound issues as far as certain frequencies
were in the final production and these issues are definitely being addressed
in our studio before we start recording our third release. Which is scheduled
to be out in January 2006. We went into the studio September 2003 completed
and released it September of 2004. Half of the compositions were already
written in March 2003 with some final polishing, and the rest of the album
was written before we entered the studio. The only song that was written
in the studio during the recording sessions was “Unknown Faces”.
2.FROM THE PROMO CD THAT YOU RELEASED IN 2002,
YOU HAVE INCLUDED ONLY THE SONG "SHINE" WHICH YOU HAVE ALTERED A LITTLE
BIT. WHY DIDN'T YOU INCLUDE THE OTHER SONGS AS WELL? DO YOU HAVE PLANS
TO ADD THEM TO A FUTURE RELEASE OF YOURS?
To me personally the track “Shine” off of
the 2002 demo was incomplete, like it was the beginning of a story and
needed to be finished. The song actually and coincidentally when it was
written had the same theme as “3000 Crosses”. It is about losing someone
and they come back shining as a ghost watching over a loved one. In the
chorus it say’s “Three Thousand Crosses Rise” several times referring to
all of the spirits from 911 coming back in a powerful way letting us know
they are still with us. Jim and I discussed putting some of the demo stuff
on the album, but I thought that in keeping a concept in place like a monument
to 911 that some of the demo material might conflict with the debut. Although
I have been considering revamping “Trapped” off of the demo. That song
does very well when we play it live and would fit well on the next release.
3.WE KEEP IN TOUCH ALL THIS TIME AND YOU HAVE
INFORMED ME THAT YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH SOME PERSONAL PROBLEMS. I WANT TO
KNOW HOW THESE PROBLEMS HAVE AFFECTED THE BAND. DOES MUSIC HELP YOU ESCAPE
FROM ALL THESE PROBLEMS?
Well it is a pleasure for the band and myself
Nikos to keep in touch with a good friend like you and unfortunately my
family isn’t doing well relationship wise and it did at one time have an
effect on The Conspiracy. But our project is professional and we always
bring certain issues to the table with regular band meetings and they actually
work like support groups with communication and understanding. As far as
the overall affect on the project, it was more like an attendance issue
with me missing a lot of rehearsal time. But we are back on track again
excited about the new material we have been writing for the new album.
Music for me first is a love that I have, “Metal of course” and sometimes
I do use it as an outlet or an escape because my guitar is always there.
I will have to admit, there is a guitar in every room in my house!
4. IF THE PRESS OR THE FANS HAVEN'T ACCEPTED WELL
TO YOUR DEBUT RELEASE, WOULD YOU CONTINUE TO PLAY YOUR MUSIC OR WOULD YOU
QUIT?
“3000 Crosses” has been doing very well since
it was released last September with reviews in webzines, sales in store
fronts in Europe as well as some small indy labels selling it online. Our
project takes very well to any kind of criticism from the fans and the
press. Our fan base is actually growing locally but the true fans of power
metal are in Europe and South America. We still have a lot of wanna be’s
and imitator’s that think they can play metal only by playing covers and
being the hometown hero. These bands still don’t know what being original
is about and do not have the mental capacity to think beyond Traverse City
Michigan. The Conspiracy because of its professional content and maturity
level doesn’t have the time to worry about what other people think. The
only people other than what The Conspiracy keeps close to them on what
we think are the fans like yourself Nikos, Behind The Veil Webzine and
the people in the industry that give us reviews and believe in heavy metal.
We will always be confident and a great metal band as long as its members
are realistic and dedicated and take criticism.
5.THE LYRICS OF YOUR ALBUM ARE INSPIRED BY THE
TRAGIC EVENT OF SEPTEMBER 11TH 2001. HOW DOES THIS EVENT AFFECT YOUR
EVERYDAY LIFE? DO THE U.S PEOPLE FEEL SECURE NOW OR ARE THEY STILL AFRAID
OF A TERRORIST ATTACK?
911 is still a horrific thought in my mind
that changed my life in such a way that it goes to show you that for a
country as strong as we are, we still are very fragile people. Americans
these days are now stronger than ever before and we do not take anymore
shit from anybody. I think some people around the world do not have any
idea of how much we have given, helped and been there for other countries
in need. Take a look at the $350 million dollars we raised in a matter
of a few weeks for the tsunami relief fund. A large portion of that went
to help thousands of Islamic believers devastated by that catastrophe!!
And that was the pay back we got because of some stupid overrated religious
belief. We were the first country to raise that amount of money and come
to their aid. The threat of attack will always be there because we do exist
in a sick society.
6.DO YOU THINK THAT THE WAR OF U.S AGAINST IRAQ
WAS A RIGHT DECISION? HOW DO YOU COMMENT THE STATEMENT THAT THE U.S.
GOVERMENT DID AFTERWARDS THAT THEY DIDN'T
FIND ANY DANGEROUS WEAPONS OVER THERE? DO
YOU THINK THAT U.S. LEADERS MIGHT HAVE MISLED THEIR PEOPLE?
Well for starters, history shows that Iraq
has been gassing their own people, taking over defenseless neighboring
countries, participating in rape squads, having found further evidence
of “torture chambers”, mobile weapons labs that have been dismantled to
appear like regular machinery. Mass graves and pressing the issue with
nuclear arms with Iran, beheading of citizens from around the world by
Al Quieda. Suicide bombings by dedicated Sadam loyalists and insurgence.
The death toll still rises daily and I think there is plenty enough proof
of weapons of mass destruction. After 911 our leaders took a good look
at that physco-path and made the right decision. Iraq was about to lose
its grip on reality and as always we have to step in before someone in
the Middle East will finally pull the plug.
7.ANOTHER TRAGIC EVENT WAS THE KILLING OF DIMEBAG
DARREL OF PANTERA. HOW SECURE DO YOU FEEL PLAYING LIVE ON STAGE AFTER THAT
TRAGIC EVENT? DON'T YOU THINK THAT THE U.S. HAVE TO TAKE MEASURES SO NOBODY
CAN FIND OR EASILY BUY GUNS?
Dimebag to me other than the fact that he
was such an inspirational guitarist and musician was actually pretty careless
and a reckless human being. Don’t get me wrong but the guy did not care
if there were fifty people on stage with him during a Pantera show jumping
around and moshing. “Which is dangerous and a high security issue”.
Pantera’s music is not something you would listen to while riding in an
elevator or sitting in church on a Sunday morning. With its drive and lyrical
content it is pretty violent and influential especially to the younger
crowd and kids these days are far too exhumed in the gimmicks, imagery
and fantasize about acting out what they see and hear. When I play live
there are always people at the show that are envious of the band and talk
shit about us and act suspicious so we have people within our label that
make sure there is no bullshit with the members of The Conspiracy and the
show. Security is nothing to joke about at any kind of event and I would
like for someone to explain how in the fuck did security let that kid in
a bar with a loaded weapon at a metal concert!!!! On top of that Dimebag
let him on the stage with him while performing and actually tried to acknowledge
what the punk was saying to him and then got pumped with lead. Pretty sad
if you ask me and the whole thing actually turns my stomache. Anyone can
get a gun anywhere and anytime in this country.
8.ENOUGH WITH THE SAD STORIES. I WANT TO KNOW
YOUR PLANS. WILL YOU TOUR IN THE U.S. TO PROMOTE YOUR DEBUT ALBUM? WILL
YOU DO ANY LIVE APPEARANCES ABROAD?
Touring is something we have been trying to
plan for but money is kind of tight right now because we are in the process
of upgrading our studio with new equipment and all of our earnings from
shows are going towards the upgrade. I have been looking at some other
figures financially and after the new album is out next year we possibly
will come over to Europe for a festival and some shows. Right now we are
booked solid until the end of the year locally and with a few shows in
other states. At this point and time the way things are going I would feel
more comfortable with a bigger catalogue to support the band. Hopefully
Mad Messiah Music can get some kind of support agreement with another label
or agency to help fund a trip to Europe to promote the band.
9.YOU HAVE RELEASED YOUR DEBUT ALBUM FROM YOUR
OWN LABEL. WILL YOU DO THE SAME FOR THE FUTURE RELEASES OF YOURS OR ARE
YOU SEARCHING FOR A DECENT DEAL WITH A BIG METAL LABEL? WILL YOU RELEASE
OTHER BANDS FROM MAD MESSIAH MUSIC AS WELL OR WILL YOU ONLY FOCUS ON THE
CONSPIRACY WORKS? WHO WILL HELP YOU TO DISTRIBUTE YOUR ALBUM TO COUNTRIES
OUTSIDE THE U.S.?
Mad Messiah Music is our safe haven and will
always be our label until I get a realistic, bonified agreement/contract
that will take care of the band and not just use us as a tax write off.
The music scene is so over saturated with lousy bands that get a big record
deal and after the record company gets their cut, the band gets cut! In
all actuality a record contract is a lot of work and not what it is all
what it is cracked up to be. I am confident as we continue to mass mail
our press kits and promotional material out worldwide as well as getting
our music to the public and consistently playing live, something worthwhile
will come our way. I wait the day when that contract is signed and is a
realistic situation then I can consider putting bands on Mad Messiah Music
because I would have the appropriate funding to get the label going and
support its bands.
10.WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT INTERNET? DOES IT HELP
THE NEW BANDS TO DISTRIBUTE AND PROMOTE THEIR MUSIC? HOW WOULD YOU REACT
IF YOU SAW A PERSON DOWNLOADING YOUR NEW ALBUM?
The Internet has been a great tool for our
band. I don’t know how any musician can go without the web. It has become
second nature for everyone and you cannot do anything without it. Our lives
revolve around it. But keep in mind you always have to be working it if
you want to become successful at getting to the level you deserve to be
at. Downloading The Conspiracy’s music in a way is wrong but at the same
token it promotes the band. But it is stealing and even if the music was
bought in a store, no matter what it will end up on the Internet as a music
file. Not to contradict myself but I do not agree with downloading entire
albums off of the Internet. I always thought that a collection of music
compact discs looks much cooler than a screen full of song titles.
11.HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC TO SOMEBODY
THAT HASN'T LISTEN TO IT YET? WITH WHICH FAMOUS GROUPS DO YOU THINK THAT
YOUR MUSIC HAS COMMON ELEMENTS?
Powerful, fast, heavy, melodic and in your
face. We get referenced a lot in reviews to bands like Iced Earth, Old
Metallica and Megadeth. But its hard say from my point of view because
of the music politics that are concerned. In Metal there are always comparisons
to other bands that play heavy music.
12.WHAT KIND OF EMOTIONS OR IDEAS DO YOU WANT
TO CREATE WITH YOUR MUSIC TO THE LISTENER?
Melody, catchy verses and choruses with well-written
lyrics and guitar solos. As well as a lot of double bass drumming
and a thick bass guitar. I like writing with a theme for an album and not
a bunch of stupid half assed senseless ideas that mean nothing. Intelligible
song creating is what we are about. I cannot believe some of the recycled
crap that bands write about over and over and get signed with a huge contract.
Really, that’s why I hate a lot of American bands that say they are heavy
metal and fucking suck. Europe and South America by far have the best metal
bands in my opinion.
13.THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE INTERVIEW AND GOOD
LUCK WITH YOUR NEW ALBUM! THE LAST WORDS BELONG TO YOU AND SEND A MESSAGE
TO THE READERS OF BEHIND THE VEIL WEBZINE...
On the behalf of Mad Messiah Music, The Conspiracy
and myself, we all thank you very much for this opportunity and continued
exposure through Behind The Veil Webzine. You guys fucking rock and keep
up the great work promoting bands and remember…….METAL IS THE LAW!!!!!
Nick “William_Kidd”
Parastatidis
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