NORTHWINDS - Tom

\r\nThis month we had the great opportunity to conduct  an interview with Northwinds, a Doom metal band from France with heavy progressive rock influencies. Tom answers some questions about the forthcoming album "Eternal Winter" , their lastest LP "Winter"and introduce us the band.\r\n\r\n

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\r\n\r\n Metalzone: Hello Tom and thank you for this interview, so Northwinds, give me a brief info of the band so our readers can be introduced to Northwinds properly
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\r\nTom : Hello Lampros, The first real NORTHWINDS line-up dates back as far as 1990 under the name of R.I.P. with a lot of influences like Trouble, Candlemass and progressive and folk music too! R.I.P. became Northwinds and after 2 demos we got a contract with Black Widow Records, from 1998 with Great God Pan (1st album) to Winter (4th album) last year.
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\r\nMetalzone: About Northwinds music now, I can tell is a great mixture of Black Sabbath with progressive rock and folk elements, Give me your definition about Northwinds music
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\r\nTom : That’s not very easy to answer because we put some different kind of styles in our compositions, some are saying we are a “Progressive doom metal band”….But your definition actually reflects what our music offers.
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\r\nMetalzone: “Winter” is your latest album on the Legendary Black Widow Records. What feedback did you receive on your latest album, did your fans enjoy the album?
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\r\nTom : Yes we have a lot of very good feedbacks about winter, this album was expected since 2006, we take 2 complete years to recorded it and I think we have a very good feeling on it, of course some people prefer others album but for 95% we’ve got some very positive reviews  and we are very happy every time we read another one with cool words about Winter.
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\r\nMetalone: As far as I am informed, your are recording your next album to be entitled “ Eternal Winter”.  Is this going to be a typical Northwinds album, what should we expect from the new album?
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\r\nTom : Yes “Eternal Winter” is already recorded but still in preparation and we hope it will be out on the middle of 2014, maybe March or April. It’s in the vain of “Winter” because we recorded them together but the label prefered to make two different albums than a “double” one. However it won’t be a copy of “Winter”, the compositions have a different vibe.
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\r\nMetalzone: Any Live shows this year? Any festivals?
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\r\nTom : For the moment, no live shows planned. We have been part of a doom festival  3 months ago and we shared the scene with Children of Doom, Bottle Doom Lazy Band, Stone Birds and Stangala. Great memories. It’s quite difficult for us because we have all our jobs and families, but if somebody want to invite us to play, we will do our best to be part of the event. Due to our duties we had to cancel a possible participation in october to the Malta Doom festival.
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\r\nMetalzone: Well as a Black Sabbath heavily inspired band, what is your opinion about the latest Black Sabbath album, have you listened to it?
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\r\nTom : I can tell it’s a good album, it is just awesome. It’s maybe the last album and for me they make a very good one. No disappointment.
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\r\nMetalzone: I dare to say that Northwinds is still an underground band, after all these years, I guess you have your day jobs and you are not making such a profit from your music. How hard is to keep on playing music and releasing album under these conditions?
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\r\nTom : Yes we have all our jobs, and sometimes it’s hard but it’s our pleasure,  so we always fight to find the time to play and record. Maybe this is  why we don’t play a lot of live shows, we take our free time to rehearse and to record, we are still here and I hope for a long time.
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\r\nMetalzone: A Fan question now…Some long time ago I managed to find your demos is there any possibility to re release those demos, not re worked but the original recordings.
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\r\nTom: Unfortunatly we don’t have any original copies of the demos left. Maybe a reissue of the demo works will see the light of day, we have been contacted for that. We will keep you inform.
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\r\nMetalzone: Any Future plans ?  What’s in the future to come for Northwinds?
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\r\nTom: For the future, of course we prepare the next album “Eternal winter” and for the end of the year we plan to make a split 7” with Marble Charriot a French doom metal band from Bordeaux.We are also  working on the live ritual project, a compilation of new tracks, old ones and cover songs.
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\r\nMetalzone: Well, thank you very much Tom and Northwinds for your time, the last words is on you.
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\r\nTom: Thanks to you Lampros for your work, the interview and the support.
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