METALMORFOSIS - Nick Banger
Some days\r\nago, Metalzone had the opportunity to have a little chat with Nick Banger the\r\nmain man and songwriter of the Greek Heavy Metal band “Metalmorfosis”. We\r\nquestioned Nick about Metalfosis, Heavy Metal In general and many other weird\r\nkind of stuf
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\r\nMetalzone : Hello Nick
\r\n\r\nNick: Hello Lampros \r\n
\r\nMetalzone : So, let us begin with the interview for Metalzone.gr
\r\nNick: Ok, let’s start then.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: What is Metalmorfosis? When did they start?
\r\nNick: Well, Metalmofrosis is a rather old story. Steve Breaker and I, founded the High school band called “Mad Ages”. During the 90’s we changed our name to “Spectre” and we released three demo tapes, until we decided to work in a more professional way, with an official release, and we changed the name again in 2003 to Metalmorfosis. \r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: In general, which were the Metalmorfosis influences?
\r\nNick: Somewhere in Between the U.S. and the European 80’s metal Scenes.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: So, How you can Characterize the music Of Metalmorfosis?
\r\nNick: I consider that, metalmorfosis plays the Pure Heavy metal, the way it should be played.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: A couple of days before you played your first live as Metalmorfosis, supporting Brocas Helm. Would you mind telling us the way you felt, sharing the same scene with Brocas Helm?
\r\nNick: Although it took us long to play a gig, due too the change of our line up, it was something we wanted badly. As for supporting the legendary Brocas helm from the first even gig, was the start that many bands would dream of. The whole atmosphere was great, many friends of the band where in the front row, the others two supporting bands, Embrace Fire and Wrathblade were perfect, and of course it was a great show by Brocas Helm, and in general.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: You also played a cover song to Jag Panzer’s “License To Kill” am I right? And the next day you got some very good reviews about your performance.
\r\nNick: Yes we did the Cover only for this event.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: What about the rest of the set list?
\r\nNick: We played five tracks, two from the “Metalmorfosis Mini LP”, two songs from the forthcoming release and the Cover song. The next day I read the reviews and was great.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: Since you referred to the Mini LP, you have released a 12’’ inch with two tracks in it , in 2006, right? Self financed, Self Produced, Self Distribution, a Private release. How did people or press react to this release?
\r\nNick: So, in the fall of 2006 we have released our first work in 350 copies only, the reason of the limited copies was our will to thank all the people that have already heard these tracks for our demos, so they demanded to release something official, so we did. All of the reviews I happened to read, rating the Mini Lp in a very positive way. Even form the second day of the release we have sold about 100 copies.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: As far as I know, the mini released only on Vinyl, and CD version of the release does not exist. Also you have not sent any promo material at all. You probably thought, “You know the band, just get this Mini LP”
\r\nNick: Exactly! Our priorities were our old fans and the people that still love vinyl. We did not sent any promos, and we were against the releasing of a cd version. It s something that, first of all pleases us and of course our loyal fans.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: So, should we wait from Metalmorfosis the first Full length, in shortly time?
\r\nNick: Yes, we are planning such a release. We were about to enter the studio, the previous summer, but due too, line up changes, (the other two founding members of the band, left the band). So now on guitar is Billy Blade, on Bass Guitar is Dennis Bleak and as soon as we rehearse 8 or 9 older tracks, we ‘re about to enter the studio session.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: Nick, Metalmorfosis is a band that does not have a record label to be supported, so all the money that you need for rehearsals, equipment ect, is self financed.How difficult is this situation, how difficult is to save money for the band and finding spare time for all these?
\r\nNick: I think that a band needs money and spare time, for sure. So each member of the band tries to save money for rehearsals, recordings, etc and each of the members tries to find some spare time. \r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: Did countries like Germany or Spain, in which countries the metal fans support Classic Heavy Metal, support Metalmorfosis in larger amounts than Greece?
\r\nNick: I think that the support from metalheads outside Greece, support the band in larger amounts indeed. During first week of the release date, we sent copies to the U.S.A, Spain, France, Germany and Japan. In Germany have been sold the most of the copies. In German ‘Zines we got a two or three pages interview and of course the metalheads in Germany supported the band with e-mails or whatever\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: You also had an invitation to play live in Germany, am I right?
\r\nNick:Yes, in “Soul Brothers Festival” but due too line up problems we didn’t.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: Nick despite a musician you are also and a very dedicated fan of Classic Heavy Metal, right? So would you please tell us, your opinion about the now day’s state and evolution of the scene?
\r\nNick: I can still locate bands that have all the good will to play pure Heavy Metal, without non-metal elements. In Greece, I ‘ve heard some very good Heavy Metal bands, for example “Embrace Fire” that really make good work, also bands outside Greece.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: If Metalmorfosis were born in Germany, do you believe that you could achive more things than in Greece?
\r\nNick: hmm, It’s a difficult question, I believe that if we were all the guys from Germany we would have more changes and this because there many labels in Germany with people that support heavy metal, something that does not exist In Greece. But yes, if we were in Germany probably things would be better for Metalmorfosis.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: Nick, Tell me an album that you have listened to it recently and you enjoyed it very much.
\r\nNick: Another Weird Question! The last time that an album really got me was many years ago, I’m Sorry none of the recent releases got me!!!\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: which is the band that you wouldn’t spend even an euro to buy a release of them?
\r\nNick: mm…. This one is just a difficult question…hmmm … This Band Would Be Metallica.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: Despite the fact that you are in the band, you are also a great fan of metal music and a record collector with a huge collection right? Would you mind telling me some of the most rare LP’s you own?
\r\nNick: You keep on making difficult questions, hmmm… I own many albums indeed, now the most rare… hm… This is really difficult. Well, “Black Death” from Brocas Helm, some Japanese vinyl, the first album from Colombia ‘s Kraken, the first and the last album of Berserks from Italy, I can’t come up with anything else right now\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: Ok then, As a metal fan, are you into classic heavy metal, or you like to listening to other metal genres, of some non – metal music? And what is your opinion about the “other” genres of metal?
\r\nNick: Well, these last year I listen from classic rock to more death / black metal music and probably some non metal music but heavy metal have been and will be my most beloved music genre, my way of life. Now about the second part of the question, there are some music genres that do not fit to have any relation with Heavy metal and these days. I think that is forbidden to give the label heavy metal to some of the last releases. Let’s call it extreme alternative music, but not heavy metal\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone : Well, last years is a common phenomenon to have releases from female fronted bands, singing in a more “opera” way, What is your opinion about this female vocals that are not Doro, or Jutta from Zed Yago…
\r\nNick: My beliefs probably can be called narrow minded from some people, but I think that these non-metal additions do not fit to metal music\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: With what bands you would like to play?
\r\nNick: First of all, we can play with every band that loves heavy metal and lives for it. On the other hand, as metal fans from the 80’s, of course we have some music idols, and many heavy metal underground heroes we would like to play with, but there are too many to mention them.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: you played the guitars on the 12’’ icnh
\r\nNick: I played all the guitars\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: right, you have now a second guitarist that he will be the only guitarit of the band?
\r\nNick: Yes Billy (Blade) took over the guitar for the shows. In The studio I’m the main songwriter and I play all the guitars but on stage we use only one guitarist, probably in the future we may use and a second one.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: So you are on the Vocals only?
\r\nNick: Yes, Vocals and Songwriting.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: Which are the main influence of a High – Pitched vocalist, or better which one is your main influence?
\r\nNick: Who is he? Ok, I’m very font of Rob Halford and in general Judas Priest, but also Tim Baker of Cirith Ungol really is a influence for me.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: Can you Imagine Metalmorfosis after ten years?
\r\nNick: Ten years after? Right now I’m not in the process of thinking the band after then years, I ve been thinking about the future of the band, but for two years from now. After ten years I hope that we have more releases, more shows and been heard widely.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: Talking once again about metal, this last years, there is the phenomenon of uniting Metal (all Genres), Punk, Hardcore and even more alternative bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers by Magazines, TV, Web Zines or whatever. How do you feel about it?
\r\n\r\nNick: First of All, I respect the work of every Artist that he is good his music style. But I thing that there must be a separation, like this is heavy metal and this is some other kind of music. I can’t accept this “unity”, I believe that heavy has some boundaries.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: Do you Thing that the Greek audience is a little bit negative about the Greek bands? Do they prefer something foreign?
\r\nNick: I saw this phenomenon during the late 80’s and 90’s in a huge amount. What I see now is that there are some people here that really support the Greek efforts but still is a small number. The Greek audience has been always font of foreign releases, but maybe even the Greek bands needed to be better to be noticed here\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: Maybe the press doesn’t promote the right way the Greek bands
\r\nNick: My opinion as a former editor is that there are some bands that are really very good and have never been mentioned by the press, while other just good or not so good bands have been supported very much, In general I believe that the press uses a way of brainwashing especially for the younger fans, and is all fault of the press and the people involving in that.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: ok, back to the mini again, I ‘m impressed by the artwork of it, the embossed logo and of course the collage of the sleeve, which to me seems very cult just right out of the 80’s. Who came up with the whole idea of the artwork?
\r\nNick: So… I like this question; this whole concept starts eleven years before, when we made a promo in order to press it. Unfortunately then, it was so difficult to be due too financial reasons. So the cover exists since then (1996), made by two classmates of mine and me, when we were in some graphic designing school. I still consider it as a perfect work, so we used this one for the mini LP. As for the Collage is also such a story, because on the one side there are some pictures from the 90’s,while on the other side there is the recent photo session we did about the album.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: Since I know that you are working as a seller in a very well known music store I d like to ask you, if ever someone came to you and asked for some lesser-known album of the 80’s probably rare or something
\r\nNick: No! Never, since the store is not specialized in Metal music and really anyone came to me to ask me. I realize that people buys whatever media advertise.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: Do you believe that still exist people that buy Vinyl Records?
\r\nNick: Of course do the still exist. On E - bay some albums reach very high prices\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: I think that you are not a download fan? Right?
\r\nNick: No, personally I’m not good at computers and stuff at all.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: So how do you think about it? About downloading illegal music?
\r\nNick: Ok, it’s all about money… But if the only way to own a very rare album is only by downloading this, I ‘m ok with it, the music is in the first role.\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: All right Nick. Where can people find metalmorfosis?
\r\nNick: Anyone is more than welcomed to contact us through our “My Space”\r\n
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\r\nMetalzone: An the Last question for now Nick. Just give a personal message to your Fans, people that helped you through all this.
\r\nNick: First of all I d like to thank Metalzone.gr, and of course all the good people that helped us the past years, they know who they are…Metal ON!
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\r\nLampros “Witchfinder” Tennes
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