THUNDER
RIDER
Thunder Rider is one of my
most beloved bands, despite the fact that they have only released 2 albums
in over a decade. Their music, the feeling pouring out from their songs,
their compositions, John’s vocals which is a trademark for the band are
simply astonishing and perfect to my ears. When I was listening to “Tales
Of Darkness And Light – Chapter I”, I could never imagine they’d be able
to release a greater album. I was wrong!!! Thunder Rider have no limits!
Always going upwards!!! Great, Incredible, Magnificent! No one should lose
the chance to meet with the band and their music, so the first step is
to read this interview and the second one is to purchase their album.
1.FIRST OF ALL CONGRATULATIONS! YOU
HAVE MANAGED TO RELEASE ONE OF THE BEST ALBUMS I HAVE EVER HEARD!
Thank you very much, it means a
lot to us to know that our work is being appreciated.
2.WHY DID IT TAKE YOU SO LONG TO RELEASE
YOUR SECOND ALBUM? I MEAN FROM "TALES OF DARKNESS AND LIGHT - CHAPTER
I" TILL "TALES OF DARKNESS AND LIGHT –CHAPTER II" IT'S BEEN A DECADE MORE
OR LESS. WHY?
Thunder Rider has gone through
a lot over the years. We have had a few line up changes, but I’m sure every
band that’s been around for as long as we have, has gone through similar
experiences. I think the simplest phrase one should use to excuse
the time lapse between the first and second album would be “life gets in
the way”. The fact that Thunder Rider is an auto-financed independent band
also weighs on the how long it takes to complete a project. It was by no
means a lack of material; we had enough songs to do two or even three albums
when we recorded our first album.
3.HOW DIFFICULT IS IT FOR THUNDER RIDER,
AND FOR EVERY BAND IN GENERAL, TO TAKE CARE OF EVEN THE SLIGHTEST DETAIL
OF THE CD?
I can’t speak for bands in general,
but when you have a great team of people to work with as we do, it’s usually
only a question of time and money.
-IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO CHANGE SOMETHING
NOW, WHAT WOULD THAT BE?
I think we did a pretty good job
on this one. We’re very happy with the complete project, I don’t think
we would change anything.
4.YOUR MUSIC IS EXTREMELY UNIQUE, BUT
ABOVE ALL I THINK YOU HAVE AN INCREDIBLE VOICE, WHICH IS THE BAND'S TRADEMARK.
WHAT ARE THE USUAL COMMENTS YOU GET TO LISTEN FROM THE METALLERS?
We are very happy when people can’t
quite pinpoint a single band to compare us to. Usually people say we sound
like a multitude of bands all rolled into one, so I guess each band we
are compared to gives people some sort of reference point or guide. I’m
flattered that you consider my voice to be a trademark for the band but
I hope people realize that the vocals and the music feed off of each other,
one could not exist without the other. Most people like my voice, some
don’t, but they all agree that it’s different. It all depends what style
of music they’re into.
5.WHERE WAS THE ALBUM RECORDED, HOW
LONG DID IT TAKE YOU?
The album was recorded at Tempo
Studios in Montreal, Quebec, Canada through a great musical arts training
school called Musitechnic. The entire recording process took quite long
because of the structured recording schedule required by the school. We
would record three or four songs in three months, usually on the weekends.
We went through drum microphone set up exercises, guitar amp mic set up
exercises, vocal, backup vocal setups, etc…Then we did all the mixing exercises,
all this to say we helped some students to learn the fine art of recording
which was very cool for us. I would say it took about five months of studio
work and then about two years of mixing on and off.
-DID YOU USE THE HELP OF A PRODUCER?
The production was my job; I oversaw
every facet of the recordings, final mixing, mastering, artwork conception
and execution.
-WHAT KIND OF PROCEDURE DO YOU FOLLOW
WHILST COMPOSING THE SONGS?
We usually begin the writing process
with the lyrics, to give us some direction and an idea of the mood we wish
to set, then usually Bruce Corian or I will have a whole bunch of riffs
or chord progressions that we’ll mix and match until we have the basic
structure for the song. At the point where we’re comfortable with
the tune, we will then present it to the rest of the band and work on the
arrangements together.
6.TO WHAT, ARE THE LYRICS REFERRING
TO AND HOW IMPORTANT ARE THEY FOR YOU?
The lyrics refer to the endless
struggle, the battle within, the ongoing conflict between good and evil.
They are extremely important to me because, as I mentioned in the previous
reply, the lyrics give us direction, the lyrics are the foundation of the
song.
-IS CHAPTER I AND CHAPTER II A CONCEPT?
COULD YOU TELL US SOME THINGS ABOUT IT?
It is indeed a concept that will
continue through Chapter III, and possibly beyond. I think the name
says it all: “Tales of Darkness & Light”. The stories portrayed in
the songs are often rooted in fact, and sometimes in fiction. They
concern the state of the world – past, present and future - and the fact
that recorded history is a superlative lesson and it seems like no one
wants to learn from it.
7.WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ARTWORK
AND LAYOUT?
The graphic artist that assembled
everything for the CD is François Brisson, who also did our website.
Tanya Goulding and I worked together for the LP layout.
-IT'S VERY BEAUTIFUL AND WHAT I LIKED
VERY MUCH IS THE FACT THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENT DRAWING/PICTURE FOR EVERY
SONG.
I was very fortunate to find ten
incredibly talented artists who were willing to help us out. I gave every
artist their choice of the recorded songs and the lyrics, to study. I then
asked them to draw, paint or photograph how they felt or what they imagined
when they listened to the music and read the lyrics. In some cases, I gave
them a little direction. For the most part, they were able to amaze me
with the ideas they came up with.
The front and back covers were skillfully
painted by an incredible air-brush artist by the name of Sylvain Béliveau.
He also painted the image for the song Devil’s Playground. This guy paints
Harleys, helmets, cars, vans, guitars - you name it, and he’ll paint it.
Then we have another master amongst
masters: Henry Fong. He is an animator with an extraordinary
imagination. His work is very wild, as you can see in the images
for Thy Kingdom Come, Child’s Prayer and Day of the Damned.
Randy Duncan is a caricaturist with
an important ability to make people think when they see his art, which
is evident when you study the talent expressed in his interpretations of
New Born, Lucky Devil and Evil Slayer.
Sossé Menakian has what I
like to call the third eye; she can use her camera and her creativity to
capture fantastic images, which is obvious in the magic she displays through
her interpretations of Death Angel and Holy Terror.
Linda Forcione’s creative genius
is more than evident in her composition of a brilliant watercolor interpretation
of Interlude in D-Minor. I would say, masterful art for a masterful piece
of music.
Andrea Carroll’s impression of Final
Eclipse is spiritually daunting. This depiction of Kalimar with the fate
of humankind in her grasp marries perfectly to this disturbing musical
interlude.
Patrick Gravelle’s watercolor painting
for Dark Castle is to say the least, a masterpiece. Patrick has captured
the true essence of the story of the haunted castle on the hill.
Renaldo Lucherini is the artist
that allowed us to visualize the conjuring up of a rock storm and a molten
metal blizzard, for the song Heavy Metal Wizzard. This artist is
a true talent and all his work is breathtaking.
Steve Richard’s stained glass design
depicting the power that evil has over humankind and the wars we wage,
is a statement in itself. An awesome, judicious illustration to accompany
the song Mid Evil.
Tanya Goulding has achieved a naïve
rendering of a scene at the gates of hell, with an aptitude for displaying
an innocent child’s nightmare on canvas. Her brush strokes reveal an infernal
image of Satan’s Wrath.
-WHO CONCEIVED THIS IDEA AND WHY DID
YOU DO IT?
I conceived the idea to capture
the charm of the LP and transfer it to the CD. How cool is it to
rush home with the record you just bought, blast it on your sound system
and sit there and let the music take you away, while you read the lyrics,
sing along with the band and trip out on the artwork.
-WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SHOW?
I wanted to give our fans their
money’s worth; I think we should never forget what it’s like to be fans
ourselves, and I wanted to show them the respect they deserve.
8.WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
I KNOW THAT YOU WANT TO RELEASE SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE CHAPTER III. DO
YOU HAVE ANY SONGS READY? CAN YOU TELL US SOME THINGS ABOUT IT? I JUST
HOPE WE WON'T NEED TO WAIT FOR A DECADE AGAIN! :)
We have already started production
on Tales of Darkness & Light - Chapter III. In fact, we have recorded
four of the ten songs we have written so far for the next album, that is
all I can say for now. One thing is certain; Thunder Rider
will not lapse into silence for a decade again. I must admit that our future
is truly in the hands of our fans. Thunder Rider only has so much control
of its destiny. Our fate can only cross that of our fans, if their faith
in us is true. This faith will carry us to them so that together we can
experience a Thundering Ride.
9.WILL YOU PERFORM LIVE? CAN YOU DESCRIBE
US THE WAY YOU FEEL EVERY TIME YOU GET ON STAGE?
We will most certainly perform
live again - when and where remains to be determined. The success
of Chapter II is the decisive factor to embarking on a tour of any sort.
The stage is a wonderful place to be. When you feel the energy in the air,
the connection between the audience and the players is exuberating and
electric, the feeling is second to none.
10.WHAT DOES THIS SYMBOL YOU HAVE IN
A FORBIDDING CYCLE MEAN? IS IT SOME SORT OF BLADE?
If you look carefully you will
see that the blades are a series of three intertwined sixes, with a forbidden
circle over the top of them. Therefore, we have entitled this symbol ‘No
Evil”. It is a part of the concept of Tales of Darkness &
Light.
11.HAVE YOU SENT THE CD TO ANY LABELS?
DO YOU HAVE PLANS OR WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN RELEASING IT FROM A LABEL
OR NOT?
Thunder Rider is an independent
project and will remain so for as long as possible. The only deals we are
interested in at the moment are for distribution.
12.WHICH IS, ACCORDING TO YOU, THE
BEST AND WHICH IS THE WORST ELEMENT OF YOUR MUSIC? WHY SHOULD THE FANS
LISTEN TO YOU? WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE TO OFFER?
I think the best element of our
music is its ability to touch the souls of the people who take the time
to listen to it carefully. The worst element of our music is the fact that
the style renders it accessible to only a few people that appreciate its
nature. Our fans should listen to our music because it says something to
them, because it makes them feel something, because there’s something inside
of them that believes in a better world. All we have to offer is Thunder
Rider; nothing more, nothing less.
13.IF YOUR MUSIC WERE AN EMOTION, WHAT
WOULD IT BE? IF IT WERE A PAINTING, WHAT WOULD IT SHOW?
This is a very heavy question.
Our music can’t be described by only one emotion because it is the sum
of all emotions. If our music were a painting, it would be the portrait
of whoever is admiring it.
14.WHICH WORDS DO YOU THINK COULD SUM
UP ALL THE BAND'S EFFORTS AND YOUR MUSICAL VISION?
Thunder Rider Tales of Darkness
& Light – Chapter II
15.WHAT I'VE NOTICED IS THAT MOST OF
THE CANADIAN BANDS ARE SKILLFUL AND MANAGE TO CREATE A PERSONAL SOUND.
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THIS IN THUNDER RIDER'S CASE
IN SPECIFIC. WHICH ARE YOUR INFLUENCES?
I think maybe our skill is a side
effect of our long cold Canadian winters. I would say our biggest
influence is life itself. The lessons we learn through our experiences
are priceless. We have a chance to express our thoughts and aspirations
through our music and song - this alone is the greatest inspiration.
16.IN WHICH MOVIE SOUNDTRACK WOULD
YOU LIKE TO HAVE TAKEN PART OR HAVE COMPOSED?
It’s funny you should ask that
because my friend Tim Rideout, who was responsible for the CD-Extra Integration,
called me after seeing Lord of the Rings (The Two Towers) movie… he was
going on and on about how great the film was, and then he said the only
element that was missing in the film was a Thunder Rider sound track. I
thought that was pretty cool. Then, when I went to see the third film,
there is a scene where all the knights and warriors are preparing for battle
and all the women and children are saying their sorrowful goodbyes; it
is at this point that I realized that our song Thy Kingdom Come, had been
immortalized in one of the greatest films ever made and only Thunder Rider
and their fans would see it.
17.THANK YOU! HAVE I FORGOTTEN TO ASK
YOU ANYTHING AND YOU'D LIKE TO MENTION?
It is I who must thank you for
the opportunity to let people know a little more about Thunder Rider. I
think we have covered quite a bit. I would like to send sincere heartfelt
thanks to everyone who encourages us by purchasing Thunder Rider Tales
of Darkness & Light Chapter II. We are truly grateful to have such
dedicated fans. As always, we invite you all to e-mail or write us with
any comments you may have with regard to Thunder Rider. We look forward
to hearing from you.
Take care and keep the faith,
John
Christine Parastatidou
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