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Interview
Deutsche VersionInterview mit Manticora (07.11.2004)
Manticora with 8 Deadly Sins have delivered a very good power metal album that hopefully will make the name of the band more known in Europe, just as they deserve. We asked bassist Kasper Gram about this and other things.
HH: Hi! First of all, congratulations on your album 8 Deadly Sins; it is one of the best power metal albums of 2004, I think. Now that the album is released, how do you feel?
Kasper: Hi there! Thank you very much for your kind words about the album! It's a very good feeling when the album finally reaches the shops, so we are really happy in the Manticora camp at the moment!
HH: To be realistic, Manticora is a band not much known in the European metal scene, in spite of four excellent albums and one headliner club tour so far. How do you explain this to yourselves?
Kasper: I'm not quite sure, but I could imagine that our former record labels just wasn't able to promote us enough around Europe. But I think Massacre has done a great job so far!
HH: Will you be able to tour more in the coming future?
Kasper: That is definitely our plan, and I know that our management is working their asses off to get us on a European tour later on this Winter! Hopefully it will happen so we can get closer to the top of the European metal scene!!
HH: If so, when will we see you in Germany?
Kasper: We haven't got any tour dates yet, but hopefully we will drop by Germany on our way!!
HH: How is the music scene in Denmark? Is it more like Finland, where metal bands dominate the charts or more like Germany, where metal is largely ignored by public and media?
Kasper: The music scene in Denmark doesn't care about metal bands at all! I would say that it is much worse than in Germany!! Last time Blind Guardian visited Denmark, 70 people showed up at a small club in Copenhagen!! But things are getting a little bit better up here, but not anything to mention.
HH: How do you go about writing songs? Is there one band member who is the musical mastermind or do you develop the songs together?
Kasper: Normally Lars, Kristian and Mads do all the lyrical stuff, I'm actually the only one in the band who's not writing lyrics :-). When it comes to the music, Lars and Kristian deliver most of the riffs and themes and then we all 4 turn it upside down and put the pieces together! Sometimes Mads and I show up with some riffs aswell, but we are all part of the song writing!
HH: How do you create your unique blend of music? There can be found pieces of power, epic, thrash and progressive metal.
Kasper: That's because we all have different influences. We all like almost the same kind of music, but some are more into U.S. power metal and Bay Area trash, and others into European melodic metal. In the end we just mix the whole stuff and out comes Manticora!!
HH: What bands are your musical influences, then?
Kasper: It's everything from Helloween, Blind Guardian and Gamma Ray to Nevermore, Slayer and Iced Earth. Our progressive influences come from bands like Pain Of Salvation, Shadow Gallery and of course Dream Theater.
HH: The main lyrical story on 8 Deadly Sins is about a dying man reflecting on his life. But in Catholic lore there are only seven deadly sins... Can you tell us more about the lyrical concept of 8 Deadly Sins?
Kasper: The whole idea behind the lyrical concept of the album, is that every single person has his own deadly sins. Some can have 1 others maybe 14 and in this case it's 8! You will commit them during your life and at the end of your days, these sins will turn in to internal bleedings and you will die!
HH: What would you say if someone compared your sound to Blind Guardian (in older times) and Brainstorm?
Kasper: I wouldn't mind at all :-), I really like both Blind Guardian and Brainstorm!
HH: Who is responsible for your stylish homepage?
Kasper: That is Claus Jensen from our management!
HH: What are your goals both for the immediate and longtime future?
Kasper: That is to sell as many 8 Deadly Sins albums as possible, go on a European tour and write new songs for our next album!!
HH: Thank you for your time - the last words are yours!
Kasper: You're welcome. I really hope that you German guys (and girls) like our new album and we will see each other on the road......Heavy F...... Metal!!