}
Translation by:
Paula Jabür
}
Questions by: Cezar
Augusto
}
Replies by: Artur Grabowski
Hellfire
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TGZ:
Tell us about the beggining of HellFire
and why such a feverish name for the band.
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Artur: Hi, this is Artur Grabowski from
Hellfire. Hello to all readers of THUNDERGOD
zine. Roots of Hellfire go back to 1999, when
young Kuba Olejnik (guitarist) with his colleagues
created band inspired by THRASH music from
the second half of the 80’s. At the
very beginning they played covers of their
favourite bands, they started creating their
own stuff. They called themselves Hellfire
due to their hot and hellish blood which was
flowing through their veins? (hehe) Up to
now only Kuba has stayed in Hellfire and the
current line-up, much more hellish, is: Kuba
“Oley” Olejnik – guitar,
Gregory “Eliminator” Olejnik –
drums, Artur “Arturos” Grabowski
– guitar and Tomasz “TomTheStorm”
Twardowski - vocal. But if you want to know
all spicy details please visit our website
– www.hellfireband.com
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TGZ:
Have you guys played in other bands?
Which ones? |
Artur: Yes, we have, but I
think they weren’t important enough
to mention them. Anyway none of these band
exists any longer and for a long time our
music way have gone in different directions.
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TGZ:
Talking about the album “Requiem
For My Bride”, how was the deal to release
it through the greek Sonic Age Records? |
Artur: In 2004 we recorded our Promo-CD
– “where is the answer”
which was sent to music labels throughout
the world. One of them - Sonic Age Records
- received a copy and they liked it very much.
They offered us good conditions connected
with issuing, promotion, and advertisement,
and after hot and long negotiations we signed
the deal.
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TGZ:
Are you satisfied with the partnership
with the label? |
Artur: Partnership with SAR is a big
surprise for us. We didn’t think we
would met so professional people. We heard
from other bands very strange information
about labels, co-operations etc. (especially
when we talk about Polish labels ?). As a
matter of fact you know nothing before you
sign the deal, so when you sign your first
papers it’s some kind of hazard. Few
bands signed the deal with famous labels at
the beginning of their career. Anyway, up
to now we are very content with the cooperation
with Sonic Age Records. The guys from Greece
are making a great job for us. Send us all
of the news, inform us about all events. There
is a big amount of reviews, a few songs were
on the air in a foreign radio station. Even
though they are a young label, Sonic Age Records
hire very experienced and professional people.
|
TGZ:
“Requiem For My Bride” brings
on its cover a crying blood face in detail.
Explain the meaning of this artwork and tell
us whose idea it was. |
Artur: The whole design was made by MUSIC
FORWARD. Layout, front cover, pictures etc.
were created by this Greek graphic studio.
We really wanted to fit layout to the album
lyrics, and believe me, we had a huge problem
with Polish graphics to do it well. No one
was able to materialize it as it should be.
Hopefully, Sonic Age Records closely cooperates
with Music Forward and we sent them our sick
vision of booklet. The effect was amazing.
When we saw the project we said – ‘What
a fucking great vision!!!”.
As regards the meaning of this artwork I will
tell you nothing because I think that every
person should interpret the vision on their
own way.
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TGZ:
So the lyrics of “Requiem For My Bride”
follow a concept idea or are independent lyrical
subjects? |
Artur: RFMB is a concept album, and lyrics
create logical integrity. Album is a really
thrilling story and sometimes I think the
climate is very similar to the novels of the
king of horrors - Stephen King, but I can’t
tell you more, you must buy the album to know
what I’m talking about!
|
TGZ:
About the composing process, you ally agressivity
to melody very well in the moments that it
is explored. Comment about the inspiration
to create the arrangements and construction
of the songs. |
Artur: We listen to all various kind
of Metal music and our style is combined with
our preferences. It’s hard to say which
band influences us the most. Music is created
mainly by the guitarists (me and Kuba), but
the final product is finished during our rehearsals.
Our brainchild grows in our heads very spontaneously.
Sometimes we can make a whole song in one
evening (like “Twist of Knife”)
, but sometimes we change a structure thousand
times before we reach the final version, but
mmusic is first, riffs after riffs, when the
music is finished (more or less), the vocal
makes his melody parts, writes lyrics and
then we make it all into one piece. This is
our best tested formula. Because RFMB is a
concept, we had a little problem, we had to
suit lyrics with aggressiveness and with melody
in order to receive proper climate of the
whole production. Believe me – concept
album it’s really a hard piece of work.
But honestly I can say we did it well ? I
think the next album will be independent lyrical
subjects but who knows, we have some crazy
ideas in our minds.
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TGZ:
How are the reviews that you have been
receiving? |
Artur: Very positively. Everybody
sees in this material relations to the 80’s,
technical, speedy stuff. And that is what
we wanted. So we are satisfied. - as of today,
from all of the reviews we have read, only
three, maybe four gave us a medium score.
The rest were reviews with good or very good
scores and that encourages us to do material
that will be scored even higher! Of course,
the last word belongs to fans, because it
is them who we aim our music at.
|
TGZ:
Do you play live a lot and been in festivals?
Name us the most important ones in which you
had the pleasure of being part of. |
Artur: Recently we have not had many
gigs. But we are planning to make some concerts
in Poland. I have very likeable memories from
the “Raise your fest II” in Cracow.
Day before we had a gig in Malbork and everything
went badly. It was an open air fest, it was
raining, we had a problem with the sound,
and during my solo part I broke my string.
Wow, what a nightmare!!! So we didn’t
have good humor when we reached Cracow, but
fortunately, the situation changed. The hall
was full of hanbangers, great atmosphere,
and pure madness during gig. Yes, I think
till now it was the best fest in my life.
|
TGZ:
What are your opinions about the metal scene
in your country? |
Artur: In Poland black and death is
very popular when we talk about Metal. But
slowly (as form me too slowly) heavy/thrash
scene is growing in strength. People from
small cities, villages are very thirsty
of metal fest. In big cities we have totally
different situation. Only huge metal show
is able to attract people and it has to
be a very famous star. Attendance during
smaller shows is very week and I think the
main problem is that there is no metal music
in the Polish media. Critics don’t
see or maybe don’t want to see other
bands, especially from heavy/thrash metal
wave. People from Polish records companies
rather want to promote bands from abroad
than invest money in local bands (especially
in heavy metal). Believe me, we have a great
number of young heavy/thrash groups but
no one have heard of them.
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TGZ:
What do you know about the Brazilian
metal scene? |
Artur: Sorry, but I don’t know
well what is condition of the Brazilian Metal
today. When we started with metal we knew
much more ? When I was a young headbanger,
between the 80s and 90s, I listened to Sepultura
(especially “schizophrenia” i
“beneath the remains”). In these
days when someone asked me about the Brazilian
scene I assciociated it with Sepultura. Besides
I have in my discography SARCOFAGO and RATOS
DE PORAO. I think than even RDP had gigs in
Warsaw in 2004 . But now I follow by Sepultura
and Soulfly.
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TGZ:
Before closing the interview, tell us
about the meaning of Metal in your lives. |
Artur: METAL is very important in my
life. I love to play concerts, enjoy with
Metal brothers, drink beer with all headbangers
and metal-fans. Metal gives me a mental madness,
life power, energy and strength to live. Metal
is the most important thing in my life. I’ve
listened to metal music since my 10th birthday
and till now I remember my first MCD –
VENOM ‘The singles 80-86”. Every
day I try to listen to the music and I cannot
sleep if I haven’t listened to the music
before. I have the best dream after “The
sham Mirrors” ARCTURUS’ and “Enemies
of Reality” NEVERMORE ? . Sometimes
when I’m walking pin the streets, and
I’m whistling my favourite songs, killer
riffs in appear in my head, especially when
I’m really pissed off after work
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TGZ:
Thanks a lot for the oportunity and presence
at ThunderGod Zine. We wish lots of strength
to Hellfire on its road... |
Artur: Thanks a lot for the interview.
Thanks for good words about “Requiem…”.
Hail to all readers and crew of ThunderGod
zine. Stay in Metal forever.
|
by
Hellfire. Very few must know this excellent
heavy metal band in the line of power metal,
that burns its aggressiveness
associated to melodies that are well balanced
on its sonority filled with compatibility
and "feeling".