Twilight
Odyssey
Twilight Odyssey have recently
released their debut self titled album and you shouldn't expect to listen
to anything less than quality classic 80s heavy metal with female vocals.
However, don't misinterpret the fact that the band has a fontwoman, because
Pamela has the guts, the vibe and power to sing like a man! Don't expect
to hear anything mellow or operatic in her performance, but pure energy
and passion is her thing! Here's what she told us about the band and their
debut album...
1. FIRST OF ALL POINT OUT THE MOST IMPORTANT
MOMENTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF TWILIGHT ODYSSEY UP TO NOW AND INTRODUCE THE
LINE UP TO THE READERS.
First, I’d like to thank you for taking the
time to conduct this interview and for your interest in the band. To answer
the first part of your question regarding the current line-up, we’ve got
Ben Asaro, guitarist extraordinaire; on bass we have Gennady Khirich and
the stout, muscled fellow clanging away on the pots and pans in the back
is Sal Pellerito. Then there’s little old me doing the vocals. As far as
some of the most important moments and achievements for the band are concerned,
I would have to say that having our demo spend 10 weeks on the US metal
radio chart was a pretty big highlight. We had a several weeks where we
were charting above Black Label Society!
2. TELL US A FEW THINGS ABOUT YOUR NEW ALBUM WHICH
WILL BE OUT IN A FEW DAYS. WHICH IS THE MUSICAL DIRECTION OF “TWILIGHT
ODYSSEY”? HOW CAN THE FANS PURCHASE A COPY OF THE ALBUM?
Well, the new album is all about the classic
metal vibe. That’s just what we do. Musically, it’s a combination of all
the things we love about traditional metal (dual guitars, great riffs,
cool melodies) combined with some of the more challenging and interesting
elements of progressive music. We also wanted to try and capture that feeling
of being in the room with the band which I think we did. In the end, our
goal has always been to just write really good songs and to produce an
album that we ourselves would be psyched to buy. A lot of time and care
went into every element and I’m proud to say that it’s also 100% filler
free! In other words, we didn’t write any of the tracks just to take up
space or because we were pressed for time. Fans can purchase the album
directly from the band or through Old School Records in the US and Hellion
Records in Germany. We’re still locking in the global distribution, so
there will be more countries added in the near future.
3. FROM ONE TRACK I LISTENED TO I HAVE THE IMPRESSION
THAT THE ALBUM MOVES ON THE OLD FASHIONED CLASSIC HEAVY METAL SOUND WITH
SOME SLIGHT PROGRESSIVE TOUCHES OF THE EARLIER ERA. HOWEVER, IF YOU WERE
GIVEN THE CHANCE TO PRESENT AND REVIEW THE ALBUM, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY, TRYING
TO BE AS OBJECTIVE AS POSSIBLE?
That’s exactly right. As I mentioned, T.O.
is really a combination of classic metal and progressive elements thrown
in for texture and flavor. I often joke that we’re a NWOBHM band that didn’t
come out during the new wave and isn’t British! I confess that I don’t
know if I can be that objective about the album after putting so much work
into it, but I think it’s safe to say that it will appeal to fans of 80’s
metal. It’s our first album and we had certain financial/production restrictions,
but the songs are strong and they totally capture what we do.
4. WHAT’S THE BEST AND WHAT’S THE WORST PART IN
YOUR MUSIC? ARE THERE ANY ELEMENTS YOU’D LIKE TO ADD OR EXPERIMENT WITH
IN THE FUTURE?
Personally, I think the best things about
our music are that it’s hopelessly sincere and every element in there is
designed to serve the song. Nobody showboats or grandstands in ways that
detract from the spirit of the song and the tracks take as long (or as
short) as necessary to resolve themselves. So many bands today are doing
“power metal by numbers” and the material is formulaic. Now, I’m not saying
that we’re some great innovators or that we’re “reinventing the wheel”,
but we do try to let material develop very naturally. T.O. exists as a
result of a shared love of 80’s and NWOBHM metal and every band member
is steeped in the genre, so the music just sort of happens by osmosis.
We don’t try to cram everything into a 3 minute, 34 second, verse/chorus/verse/chorus
format. Of course, the down side of this is that some people might feel
that the material is “dated” or that we’re living in the past; it probably
doesn’t make us all that commercially viable (whatever that means) with
the present trends in metal. Not that we care mind you. I’m just happy
making a living doing what I love. If I wanted to be a multi-millionaire
I’d build a porn empire! *laughing*
5. WHAT KIND OF PROCEDURE DO YOU FOLLOW WHILST
COMPOSING SONGS? DOES DEMOCRACY WORK FOR YOU?
Basically, Ben and I write the material as
a team. He writes the music and I write the lyrics and vocal melodies.
The process starts with a lyric or a riff one of us has penned. We then
build off of that developing the main riffs and lyrical concept and then
we work out the arrangement together. From there, Ben makes a demo for
Gennady and Sal. They pretty much have the freedom to write their parts
as they see fit and to give free reign to their natural playing styles.
That being said, T.O. is not, however, a democracy. All of the material
originates from Ben and I and we do have the final say. It all ends up
working very well since it lends a consistency to the material and lets
everyone focus on what they do best. Every now and then there’s a bit of
switching hats, but we generally stick to our respective areas of expertise.
We’re certainly not the kind of band that just jams on ideas until “something
happens”.
6. “TWILIGHT ODYSSEY” WILL BE RELEASED THROUGH
STEELHEART RECORDS. SO WHICH ARE YOUR AIMS AND GOALS FOR THIS ALBUM? UNDER
WHICH TERMS AND WITH WHICH CONDITIONS HAVE YOU SIGNED WITH STEELHEART?
Actually, the album is not going to be released
through Steelheart. We simply had different business ideas and goals, so
we opted to go our separate ways. The album has been picked up for
distribution by Old School Records in the US and Hellion Records in Germany
and we’re talking with several labels, so there are new deals in the works.
We have very clear ideas about the direction and nature of the band, so
the ultimate goal for us is to find a label that’s willing to allow us
creative control and get behind the direction that we’ve already decided
on.
7. WHERE ARE YOUR LYRICS REFERRING TO? WHAT KIND
OF TOPICS INTRIGUE YOU TO TALK ABOUT AND WHICH ARE YOUR SOURCES OF INSPIRATION?
Lyrically, I cover a really broad range of
subjects, but the common element is narrative. The song has to tell a good
story! Our current songs cover everything from ancient curses to the American
civil war. I have a strong interest in history and in classic literature
and poetry, but honestly I can get my ideas from just about anywhere since
I read anything I can get my hands on. The only thing I don’t do is love
songs. I think the world has more than enough of those.
8. I FOUND THE COVER ARTWORK OF YOUR NEW ALBUM
“TWILIGHT ODYSSEY” EXTREMELY BEAUTIFUL! SO, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT?
HOW IS IT CONNECTED TO THE ALBUM TITLE AND LYRICS?
The album cover was done by the very talented
Matt Stawicki. He’s probably best known for his book covers and his work
for Wizards of the Coast (Magic game cards, D&D, etc.). We had originally
toyed around with artwork connected to one of the album tracks, but decided
that we wanted a cover that would capture the essence of the songs and
Matt did just that with his painting. It’s mystical, it’s fantastic and
it hints at limitless possibilities that could take you just about anywhere.
9. WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK HAVE YOU RECEIVED THIS
FAR? WHAT WAS THE MOST FLATTERING AND WHAT WAS THE MOST UNFAIR REVIEW YOU
READ?
Well, the album just came out a week ago and
the first review I’ve seen rated it as “one of the best CDs of 2005 and
one of the best ‘debut’ albums ever released”, so I can’t complain right
now!
10. DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS FOR LIVE SHOWS OR FOR
A TOUR? WHAT CAN TWILIGHT ODYSSEY OFFER TO THOSE WHO ATTEND YOUR SHOWS?
Ultimately, we’re a live band, so we’ll be
setting up more festival appearances and work on getting over to Europe.
Our live shows are all about interacting with metal fans. We were fans
before we became performers, so the live show is about having as much fun
as possible and just letting the music take over. We’re all a little hyperactive,
so the live show is absolutely frenetic. In the end, it’s good old fashioned,
head banging, fist pumping fun.
11. IF YOUR MUSIC WAS AN EMOTION, WHAT WOULD IT
BE? IF IT WAS A PAINTING, WHAT WOULD IT SHOW?
Wow. This may be the toughest interview question
I’ve ever had to answer! *laughing* I don’t know if I could narrow it down
to one emotion since the music is certainly a reflection of the personalities
that create it and we’re all a bit manic; some might even say a tad eccentric.
What would it be if it was a painting? Well, I think Matt already answered
that with the album cover. Our music is designed to take you on some type
of journey and I think his artwork captures that.
12. WHAT TITLE WOULD YOU LIKE THIS INTERVIEW TO
HAVE THAT WOULD BE USED AT THE SAME TIME AS A REFERENCE TO TWILIGHT ODYSSEY?
HA! Dangerous question! I’ll take the plunge
and say “Contenders for the Crown” because we’re here to play and we’re
in it for the long haul. That might sound hokey to some, but that’s my
answer and I’m sticking to it! *laughing*
13. IF YOU COULD INVITE FAMOUS MUSICIANS TO PARTICIPATE
IN YOUR ALBUM, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
As I’m a singer, I would love to work with
any of the following: Leather Leone, Elisa Martin, Tony Moore, John Arch,
Russell Allen, Michael Kiske and of course, the gods of metal, Dickinson,
Dio and Halford. I don’t think I need to elaborate too much since they
all kick major ass, but they’re all strong singers with distinctive voices
and great melodic ability.
14. NOW SINCE YOU ARE A WOMAN IN METAL I’D LIKE
TO KNOW WHO OTHER WOMEN HAVE BEEN AN INFLUENCE TO YOU AND TO YOUR SINGING
ATTITUDE AND WHO WERE THE MALE SINGERS THAT “MARKED” YOU WITH THEIR INTERPRETATIONS
Well, as I just mentioned, Leather Leone was
a big influence as far as metal goes, but Pat Benatar was always the queen
to me. There are tons of other women though - Wendy O. Williams, Ann Wilson,
Chrissie Hynde, Doro Pesch and Debbie Harry. Bands like Girlschool and
The Runaways also had a huge impact, but ultimately I got hooked on heavy
music because of Bon Scott. The first time I heard him sing he just had
so much attitude it was an instant addiction! Te male singers who really
shaped my singing are Dickinson, Dio and Halford. I spent most of my adolescence
singing Maiden, Priest, Dio and Rainbow into hair brushes and beer cans.
15. BY THE WAY LATELY I SEE MORE AND MORE WOMEN
ENTERING THE METAL WORLD OF MUSIC, HOWEVER WE ARE STILL VERY FEW. WHY?
WHAT’S THAT THING THAT THEY FIND SO REPELLING OR APPALLING IN METAL?
I certainly can’t speak for other women, so
I don’t know why it is they don’t feel comfortable getting into metal,
but I think it has to do with perception. At the risk of sounding like
a shrink, metal is very aggressive and I think that aggression is traditionally
perceived as “unfeminine”. There are also guys in the scene who still think
that women should be seen and not heard or that women aren’t tough enough
or some such bullshit. The fact is, if you’ve got the goods and you really
love the music you shouldn’t care what anybody thinks. My personal experience
has been overwhelmingly positive. Every now and then I have a run-in with
some jerk, but it’s pretty rare. All the bands we’ve performed with have
been very supportive and have welcomed me and the fan response has just
been overwhelming. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that my singing
style is very traditional and not operatic which tends to be perceived
as being more “feminine”. Honestly though, I think the scene is changing
at a rapid rate. I expect to see A LOT more female faces up on the stage
instead of in front of it in the next few years.
16. THANK YOU! IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE
TO MENTION AND I FORGOT TO ASK YOU? LEAVE A MESSAGE TO ALL THE METALLERS
OUT THERE.
Thanks again to you for taking the time to
do the interview. My message to all the metallers out there is: SUPPORT
THE UNDERGROUND!
Christine Parastatidou
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