Exclusive Interviews Only Found Here at MetalCore!
Maelstrom
Maelstrom is a band I knew way back when I was doing the print version of Metal
Core back in the early 90's and I recently got an email from Gary Vosganian
from the band saying that the band were back together and working on new material.
I thought it would be a perfect time to interview them so I emailed Gary some
questions and below is what he said to the questions I sent him:
MC: You recently contacted me to let me know the band has gotten back together.
Please let me know how this came about and how many members from the old line
up are in the band now and if there is any new members let me know a bit about
them?
GV: First Chris Let me say
Thank you and I really appreciate the opportunity to
do this interview with you and Metal Core. Almost 5 years ago Joey Lodes
(guitarist and main songwriter) and I decided that Maelstrom was a piece of
unfinished work in both our lives. We thought the timing was right and that
this project was something we needed to do and get out to the world.
Joe and I are the only original members of Maelstrom this time around.
We have a new drummer named Daniel Kleffmann, He is fantastic great guy,
he is 25 years old, and has a ton of energy. Dan is actually in school for Jazz
and just about graduated now. He was a part time teacher at a music school
that Joe used to own, and that is how we found him. He is really all about
the work, No Drugs, No Drinking, just all about the work, amazing ethic
and incredible to work with.
MC: What led to the break up of the band the 1st time around. Was it like
a mutual agreement or was it a bad break up at the time?
GV: Well we broke up In 1993 I think, so I will do my best to remember the
particulars. John Koltai (original Drummer) had left in 1991 and moved down
to Atlanta, and that was a blow to us. Me, Joe and Jon Modell (Bass) decided
we wanted to keep going so we started to look for a new drummer. Joe and Jon
pretty much took the reigns with that and after a while they found this guy
named Elliot Hoffman who had just come up from Virginia and was looking for
a project.
He was real young and truly a monster behind the kit. He went on to win just
about every Long Island / New York drum contest you could think of, so we
had an amazing replacement. We jammed with him on the old material and
started to work on some new stuff. But the feel was different, Elliot could
execute like a medieval axe but his grooves were way beyond what we had
originally written. His head was just so intricate and syncopated that it
just put a different spin on everything.
He was too far beyond the thrash feel we had and Maelstrom was just loosing
its identity. So Maelstrom was changing and I didn't Like it much, and They
all knew it. The other guys were happy with the new sound and feel, it was a
whole different rhythm and Joe and Jon were grooving with the more
progressive off time music. I was stuck feeling like the material was just
making no sense anymore and that we just lost the feel we had and were no
longer writing songs for the songs sake. I could not even write lyrics to
the new stuff we were putting out and I was very frustrated. Eventually they
asked me to leave and although it hurt like hell, I knew it was right. I
remember Joe was the one who put it to me and I always respected him for
that. Together we had done all the other things involved with a band, like
mailing lists, flyers, etc., and he was the tightest with me.
So that's how it happened, Yeah I felt really crappy cause I worked very
hard on Maelstrom, But I knew it was just not Maelstrom anymore. So it was
the right thing for us all.
Those guys wanted to go on as an instrumental band at first, but later
changed that idea and found a new singer. They continued under the name
Spooge which was a totally different style then Maelstrom, more like Mr.
Bungle. And I became a big fan and used to go to many of their shows. I
also thought it was cool that they changed the band name, cause it
definitely was not Maelstrom.
MC: What was it like getting together with your old band mates after so
long and was the feeling, emotion and passion there when you practiced for
the 1st time?
GV: It was very natural for me to get back together with Joe. We
always remained very close and I consider him my best friend. Feelings of
being on stage or of jamming in a 101 x 101 room rushed back and it was
amazing. I knew I had some work ahead of me cause I had not sang in almost
15 years at that point.
But besides getting my chops back up, I knew we were doing something that
needed to be done for ourselves. Honestly I felt like a part of me that was
dormant for a long time had been awoken and now had to be let out.
MC: What are your plans for the band and will you re-record any old tunes
are you going to be doing all new stuff? Is there any leftover songs that
might see the light of day?
GV: We are re-recording all our old material with some very new takes on it,
a
lot has been changed but many of the underlying structures are there.
We had a 10 song debut album that never saw the light of day.
The plan is to Do that Album, we have just finished three songs and will be
releasing them very shortly. You could consider this an EP or demo # 1. I
suppose but there is nothin demo # 1 about it is a Final, just three songs
long. A teaser for the album, if you will. It is entitled "It was
Predestined."
We will see if we gain any interest with this and what kind of response we
get from the industry, and press, Radio and the Net. And move forward from
there, We will finish the ten song album, one way or the other - whatever
happens with this three song disc, we need to do it for ourselves at this
point.
I write conceptually so I really needed to keep most of the songs lyrically
to stick with the story I started 20 years ago. One song has been completely
scrapped and in its place a brand new song has been written. I am stiff fine
tuning lyrics on that one, but the music is finished and drums recorded.
Another song from back then has been so retooled that only the intro is
recognizable, it is a completely different song at this point. And the final
song Titled Son Rise which was never recorded at all, has had at least 3
versions over the years (we could never get the final song the way we
wanted it). So when Joe and I got together to reassess the material we both
agreed that Son Rise needed a rewrite again - from scratch. So we sat down
and I think we finished the music in about 45 minutes. Using some riffs Joe
had, some things we came up with on the spot, and a solo section he had been
tooling around with for 17 years that had never made it into a song. -
Lyrics however are still being worked. I - like Peter Jackson - can't finish
my story!!!
Just kidding it's basically done and I just take time to re-write words
here and there to fit better and make it flow more.
That is the current plan - we want to do more in time, it takes a lot of
effort and money - we are really leaving no stone un-turned when it comes to
production value, we are using Tue Madsen of Antfarm (Dark Tranquility,
Himsa, Halford, The Haunted) for mixing and mastering. Artwork is also
absolutely incredible and is being handled by Jan Yrlund of Darkgrove
design with me art directing he is know for - Korpiklaani, Satyrian, TYR,
Three Headed Monster . It is all Truly Top Notch.
After we finish this ten song album, Joe and I will see what we want to do,
There are still 3 or 4 songs that we had done that would have been for a
second album that was some of our favorite material we had ever written, I
would love to release that and a whole second album.
Additionally there are a few covers that we would like to do but we want to
make them very special-so that needs to wait for now.
MC: Did any band ever try and steal or use your band name and how did you
come up with it if you can remember?
GV: Yes Many have taken the name, In fact many have even Jacked the Logo or
at least tried. I only acknowledge the hard core band from Boston that was on
Tang Records and put out an album called "Step One" as any one else
that can
even sort of claim the name. They were around when we were and I don't think
they took it from us I just think we both had it. But if you go on myspace
you will see many with a very similar logo style - not cool at all in my
opinion. There is even a thrash / death metal band from NY - I mean come on
from the same place as us. At least they chose a slightly different spelling.
We came up with the name in 1988 after a brief start under the moniker of
insurrection - we realized it has nothing to do with us at all and besides
we found out someone else had it.( Logo I did sucked anyway) So we started
the usual quest for a name and as we were batting around lists we had all
come up with independently, Jon Modell and I both said what about Maelstrom,
it was on both our lists and his was a suggestion from his father and Mine
was from my mother.
We all kind of figured it was Fate at that point and we decided it was a
great name. Then I did the logo, which is still basically the same core
design today. And that was it.
MC: Give me and my readers a bit of band history. Did you join or play in
any other bands after Maelstrom broke up?
GV: Maelstrom un-officially started 20 years ago last week when Joey
Lodes and John Koltati asked me to sing with them in a band they were
starting. We were at a mutual friends graduation party But I really did not
know them. We went to different High Schools I had met Joe a few times
playing street football with some other mutual friends and He used to hit
on my girlfriend all the time (she went to his HS) So I knew him as the annoying
fat kid who used toplague Karen's life. (Ha HA) at least one of those relationships
lasted.
Anyway I was pretty well on my way into a good beer buzz and I was singing
Hell Awaits at the top of my lungs on the girls backyard patio and the two
of them just came up and asked. We got to talking and I said sure. Then they
said they were gone for the next two months so I figured that was over
before it started.
But they stayed in touch while up at camp - they went to Berkley Music
College for a summer session and we talked about twice a week - I learned
some of the songs they wanted to do and they learned some of mine. The had
a little more American thrash / speed tastes - Overkill, Testament, Flotsam
and I had a little more European likes - Kreator, Destruction, Celtic Frost.
But we ALL agreed on SLAYER! So when they got back they asked me over johns
house and the three of us jammed for the first time on the most crazy stupid
rigged-up amp / PA setup you could ever conceive of-my mic was about 9
dollars at radio shack and I plugged it into a gorilla single cone that my
brother had in a closet left over from the week he decided he want to play
guitar. Joe had these Marshall white cube amps with 4 singles daisy chained
together and I think we started a fire if not the first jam then the second.
They played for me the first song they had written together and I had lyrics
already done that I fit into it - that was the first and only time we wrote
a song like that where I just fit the lyrics in. But it worked and that song
became Predestined twenty years ago. Almost to the day.
After that first jam, John told me they already had booked a show at the
local gig spot where many of us long island metal acts would do their first
gigs It was called February's at the time and Twisted Sister got their start
their.
So I thought shit these guys aren't fooling around - the show was for late
October and it was already end of august.
We put out an add in a local music paper for a bassist and got a response
from this 14 year old kid named Jon Modell, he was about 30 minutes away
from us and I was the only driver, I was 17. So we went to his place to pick
him up the next Saturday night and we met his parents. They were great but
his dad insisted on driving him to the rehearsal studio - we booked near him
that night cause like I said he was 14! The whole ride the three of thought
that even if he was great how could it work with his dad driving him
everywhere - well we got a few laughs in that car ride, But he just blew us
away - and he was definitely the most mature 14 year old I ever met. So his
parents met us a few more times and they became very cool with us and me
driving Jon around. So that was it - we had a band. First rehearsal with
Johnny was Sept 25th 1988 so we call that the official Start date.
Then we just jammed for that first gig which was less then a month away,
We had a 40 minute set and we crammed in 10 songs. 9 covers and one original
- Predestined, it is still in my opinion one of the greatest metal set lists
of all time.
South of heaven (Slayer) Curse of the legions of death (Testament) Deny the
Cross (Overkill) Pihrana (Exodus) Predestined (Maelstrom) First strike is
deadly (Testament) Invincible Force (destruction) Terrible Certainty
(Kreator) Postmortem/Raining blood (Slayer).
We went thru a few second guitarist through the years and finally settled
on just Joe. But we may need to keep looking if and when we play this
material out live.
We cut our first demo as a 5 song in Dec of 1988, its very nostalgic for me
but really raw and not well recorded. It was the first time for all of us in
a studio, and a great learning experience. I just ran into an old friend/fan
that told me he saw it go for 35 dollars on ebay a few months ago!
Maelstrom went on to win the year long top drawing act at that club
Februarys I mentioned for 2 consecutive years, and cut our second demo this
battle to make history yet history never comes in 1990 after winning the
first years contest. Now that was really well done, huge difference in both
the way we played and in the recording value. We had Greg Marchak R.I.P. do
everything that time around and it was stellar. The packaging was really
well done too, I had painted that one as well as the first demos cover but
this one was huge undertaking for me.
We got a ton of great press including from you for that demo, it was in
metal forces top ten readers poll demos and it was in top ten metal
underground radio in Portugal for 7 months. I am very proud of that effort.
It is also the last
- until now- maelstrom recording in a proper studio
MC: Do you plan on maybe putting your demos onto CD or making some tunes
available on My Space? Any videos floating around that might make it on You
Tube?
GV: This material will definitely
be put up for listening and maybe for sale
through snowcap up on the MySpace - we are not decided yet. As far as the old
stuff, we are batting around some ideas about what to do with it. Maybe it
stays archived and in my closet, maybe not. Don't know yet, I have this Idea
that I would like to finish off this album and then as a special release
maybe done on double vinyl put these new recordings on one record and the old
original versions on the other platter. Make it limited addition, signed,
and do some great art/packaging along with some history and liner notes and
maybe some really old photos that no-one has ever seen. That would have 2
tracks which will never be released again, and never re-recorded again
either. But that is a while off - if it even ever happens.
As far as video - I really don't know about the old stuff - unfortunately
that was one thing I never held onto was our old videos of our shows. I
think John Koltai has our first show. But I don't have it and its probably
deep in some storage facility in Atlanta - where john lives. Maybe model
might have something but I am not sure but Joe and I do not.
MC: What were some highlights and low lights you remember about the band
back in the day? Do you still have a lot of your old reviews and stuff? Do
you have any original copies of all your demos as well?
GV: Highlights were definitely recording the second demo with Greg, Playing
Joe
and Johns High school auditorium and the place getting trashed - teachers
pummeled bodies everywhere - legendary. Some of the better shows at
Februarys with bands like Cold Steel, Kronin, Apparition, Demolition Hammer.
Playing the Speed of Sound Studios Party with 420 people packed in a place
with a legal occupancy of about 90. Winning the best Draw at Februarys 2
years in a row. Seeing our demo in the case at Slipped Disc. And the Writing
process in general - as painful as it can sometimes be - being part of
something that came from nothing is incredible.
I did hold on to many of our review from back then they are still boxed and
sitting in my parents basement.
Yes, I do still have copies of the original demos I have some here with me at
my place, and I think there are still some at my parents place with the
reviews. There are VERY few copies that I can account for of our Debut demo.
MC: Do you feel the underground press treated you pretty fairly back then
and what were some of the reviews like and what band or bands were you
mostly compared with?
The underground press was great to us. - it was a different time and it was
a real effort to do all this stuff - kids would copy off handwritten stuff
and distro it one at a time - Kids in Poland and Chechelzovakia that
weren't even allowed to own this stuff cause their government forbade it,
trying to tape trade and write about our stuff to anyone they could. It was
a brotherhood. You know the deal Chris - you lived it! The reviews were very
positive especially for the second demo which we pushed very hard to the
press. As far as bands we were compared to, I heard Nocturnus a few times, I
was definitely compared to Mille of Kreator and Martin Walktier of Sabbat -
which made sense because they were my two biggest influences - but we also
got a lot of non - compares - which I thought was better because many just
thought it was very inventive music - different , thought provoking - and
full of passion and feeling. And that seems more then fair to me and
something I would love to hear again.
MC: Do you miss the days of hand writing all those letters and mailing
tapes and stuffing flyers etc. and then going down to your local post office
to mail the stuff?
GV: You know since we have been doing the recording and now mixing and I am
handling all the art direction and basically producing most of this (Joe
just has other personal commitments right now) I haven't gone full ahead
into the promotion aspect of things in today's new world. So I can't say yet
the difference cause I haven't done it with modern tools yet.
As far as the old way - It made you work and if you did not work you did not
get results World governments were different and timelines were based off of
mail currieries.
But I think even with all the tools we have at our exposure today - you
still have to really work to get somewhere. Back then if 5000 people heard
your stuff in the course of six months and you were independent that was
pretty damn good, now with MySpace - not so much - kids don't need to hold a
physical tape or catch the right radio broadcast anymore.
The numbers have been upped but I think it is relative - you still have to
work to make a difference, and get results.
MC: In an earlier answer you mentioned your voice was holding up. Now that
the band has been back a bit how is your voice holding up and is it pretty
easy to get a frame of mind to sing the way you do?
GV: My voice has been fine in fact it seems to be stronger then before. But
right now we are working towards a recording project so it is a little
different then prepping for live shows.
I work with a training CD/dvd from a wonderful woman named Melissa Cross
She has a product called "The Zen of Screaming" and it has been a
huge help.
I work very close to her studio in Manhattan and I hope to take private
lessons with her some time soon, but it is pretty pricey. She helps a lot of
extreme metal vocalists and is pretty much one of a kind.
My voice has definitely pitched down since I last sang with Maelstrom -
which makes certain higher range stuff a little harder, but most of my
material is centered on my natural range so it has not been such a strain. -
I had one blow out in practice one night during the song "the Mirror Calls"
the beginning of the song has a very fast vocal progression and
I don't really know what happened I just know I had to stop, anything I
tried after that hurt - so that is a good indication to STOP at that point,
note to any of your readers who are singing or learning or want to do this
stuff - if it hurts it is wrong - STOP and buy Melissa's DVD! I went to a
specialist who scooped my throat and I was fine no problems just strained it
that night; it was a long time ago. But I took a break for about two weeks
cause like I said this was all prep for a recording material and Timeline
was not controlled by anything but us. So I had the luxury to let my voice
rest.
As far as getting into the mindset to sing this way, that is something that
is just inside me. It is a passion, a fury, a desire to tell a story in
words, coupled with emotion and set to music. I get in character so to speak
by becoming who I am singing about or the story I am narrating or the role
of the person/creature I am singing about. In that sense it is a lot like
the art of acting, it is a becoming or a quickening. I just kind of live the
perspective of what's happening in my story and express it to an audience,
or as in the case of recording Just out to the universe. It is living in
that moment with sincerity, that is what its all about to me.
Before I went in to start recording this time around I talked with Joey for
a while and said to him that as he listens back (he is usually not there
when I record) if he notices that any part or any moment does not FEEL like
I left it all out there in that isolation booth, that any line does not have
the passion and sincerity that it should, then let me know and I am doing it
over, and that is how it went.
Ultimately we are extremely happy with the performance and I feel it is
finally the right testament to these songs.
MC: The new songs that you are writing and stuff. Is the music and the
lyrics coming along rather easily or is it taking a bit longer and harder?
GV: Well we finally wrote Son Rise - which is the final song on the album and
the last chapter to my story. We also completely scrapped 'Childhunt" and
Lament of the Fallen is pretty much gone too we only kept the songs intro
the rest of the song is completely changed. The music writing seems to
have gone pretty smooth, Joe and I work well together and he writs basically
everything and I help with arrangements and saying hey this part needs to be
evil this should be pretty this is dark and gloomy, that kind of thing. So
the music came off easy cause there really is just him and me we have to
write for.
Lyrically I always seem to start, get a great deal done, then put it down
for a while and come back to it sometimes even months later. That is only
because we are on a slower pace with this project - it is self financed and
Joe is out of the country most of the time right now.
If I needed to I could finish it off, just sometimes I like to come back
and look at it again later from a fresh perspective. I wrote a song with
another band and I knocked it out in a night so I know I can do it, Just
taking my time cause we have it right now.
MC: What has the response been at practice so far? Has the band been getting
tight and stuff and are you all just happy jamming away and playing songs
with the goal to getting this stuff on CD soon?
GV: Practice has been great, but just to clarify for you what we did was Jam
once a week for a year getting down the 10 songs we knew we were doing and
getting the new drummer completely familiar with all of it, once we had it
down then we retooled a lot of the work taking suggestions from Dan on what
he would like to change. Joe and I reassessing the songs themselves for
integrity and how they all fit as one body of work. Then we Re wrote the
songs we wanted to kill. As it got closer to recording the Drum tracks,
which we had booked the next October, we began to map out and truly lock
down tempos of the individual parts of each song.
We got pretty tight it is easy with just 3 of you but at the same time
you really have to envision the recording in a different way, cause all the
layering we wanted and the arrangement with harmonies all had to be in our
heads cause we could not play it out in practice. If you ever saw how our
rehearsals were done you would not believe it. It is really a lo budget
rehearsal situation but real raw and fun, But the recording was very hi end.
MC: Do you guys plan on playing any live shows in the near future and how do
you think you were as a live band back in the good ole days he he?
GV: I would like to but it needs to be right - I don't really want to play for
4 people in the basement of the Danceteria ever again. Those 4 people being
the next band on and hoping we stick around to see their set!
I would very much like to do Europe and My ultimate goal is Waken. I would
do just about anything to get that gig-I would love to do a supporting tour
in
Europe maybe 3-5 weeks opening for one of my all time favs - KREATOR -
hey Mille what do you say - (shameless plug and request!)
But live is a different story then what we are concentrating on now and we
would need to solidify certain commitments to do it. Last thing we want is
to do it half assed cause we got pushed into it and then not deliver - there
is a lot going on in the recordings that require the right kind of people
and equipment and I want it to be right!
I thought we were a Kick ass Live band back in the day, Lots of energy lots
of emotion I thought we could have perfected a better sound - but a lot of
that has to do with budget- and not just equipment but with sound guys that
are always working your stuff - some house guys are great and some don't
care- so if you have someone in your corner at every live show it makes a
huge difference. I also would have liked a bigger "show" props lights
effects etc. If and when we do it now I would really try to get that part
of the experience going for the audience.
MC: Looking back were you proud at what you accomplished as a band?
GV: Definitely, but it was un-finished and that is why you and I are talking
right now about Maelstrom again. There was a ton of hard work put into it
and a lot of time and energy and we got to be pretty big in the tape trading
underground - but I want more- and I need to finish this for my own life's
dreams.
MC: As far as live shows go, what were some of the bigger names that you
shared the stage with? Did you ever get a chance to play at the Lamour's in
Brooklyn? If you did what was that like?
GV: We played very consistently with Cold Steel, and Kronin, the fury, SA Adams,
we also played with Demolition Hammer and Apparition - who eventually went
on to become Sorrow who released 2 albums under roadrunner, we also played
with Winter several times.
We opened for Watchtower at the Sundance and interestingly enough the
infamous Suffocation opened for us their first live show - also at the
Sundance. We never played L'amours
MC: What are some of your favorite and not so favorite shows and were any of
the bigger bands that you played with, were any of them dicks or were they
all pretty cool with you?
GV: I would have to say that my favorite show of all time was the Speed of
Sound recording/rehearsal Holiday show. They were a studio that many of the
bands in the local scene rehearsed at and did their recordings, guys who
worked there also worked the local Metal club I had mentioned before -
Februarys (Hammerheads) where Twisted Sister and Dream Theater as well as
many of us other acts got our starts. So SOS studios would do a party there
once a year and would ask many of us regulars to be on the bill. We were
real big in the local scene at that time and were the biggest drawing act at
that club for two straight years so I think we went on next to last which
was a prime time slot. Anyway between the fans there and the bands that had
played - like 15 of them there were well over 400 people in Febs, whose max
occupancy was probably 90.
So it was hot, there was no where to move, it took me 20 min to get from the
bar to the stage and that was like 50 feet, (almost went on late cause of
that) since there was so many bands everyone only got 3 songs - I think they
gave us 4 songs cause were in the top 3 acts. It was all the same equipment
on
stage for all the bands except guitars and maybe the snare - so we had no stuff
to
haul so it was a real pleasure tojust show up and Jam out. There was such a
crackle
in the air when we tookthe stage I mean real electricity so much energy - we
had like I said 4
songs so we stuck to the crowd pleasers and Oh My God! 400 kids in a sea of
unbridled fury just went friggin apeshit it was so dense a pack that I body
surfed for almost 2 whole songs. We also just played so well - fed off the
energy I guess and it stands out for both Joe and I as a Favorite.
Also Our First show was one I will always remember - especially when Joe
just as wee came on fell in a hole in between the stage and a floor PA
cabinet - he had one leg in and one on the stage - classic first time on
stage experience. We played a ton of great shows with Kronin and Cold Steel.
As far as ones I was not found of - well the danceteria show I mentioned
before was for real and not just to get a laugh so that sucked. we did this
death metal show up in buffalo which was not a bill we should have been on,
hell to get to middle of winter in buffalo, we had our time slot switched
and wound up on like second out of 20 bands so no one was there and those
who were really just wanted brutal death metal. Jonnie got some equipment
stolen, we almost got the car crushed by a deer on the way back, and I think
Jon got arrested. Played another show in jersey that we got lost going to,
we got there on time and it seemed like people were into it, then some guy
gets up on stage piss drunk and threatens to kill me if we don't play
slayer. Which normally would be pretty metal but he was a real dick about
it. The promoter was a kid who knew nothing about the scene and kind of
screwed us so we tormented his life with prank phone calls for the next two
years.
As far as dicks - I would say the bands were all pretty cool - occasionally
some healthy competition but pretty cool for the most part. Except Winter -
their main guy, he is a total choad. Love the music - but top awards for
choadism goes to him.
MC: Do you think if you had all the stuff that we have today (internet, my
space, cell phones, mp'3, etc) that the band might have gotten bigger than
it did back in the day?
GV: Probably cause Joe and I were workaholics back then and we had the time
now we have all these tools and so little time so we will see over the next
few months if we can exploit the new technology. But either way you have to
work, and work hard.
MC: Do you have any goals for the band or are you just kinda ride it out and
let the chips fall where they may?
GV: FINISH THE ALBUM!!
That is the main one, other then that from a business point of view if we
get label interest we will look at every offer very seriously. I would also
be interested in licensing out so we retain rights and allow others to press
and sell - that is something I am very interested in. It is a lot of work
cause you have to handle everything else - but there is a level of control
you maintain. Its all a wait and see kind of thing.
But within our current control is get this out to as many people as possible
and promote the crap out of ourselves. Oh and tour Europe with Kreator.
MC: How has the response been as far as feedback goes?
GV: It is too early to really say the release has not yet happened, but anyone
that has heard the pre-release has crapped their pants. They all have said
that they are totally sucked into this world we are creating musically and
lyrically, and they all think the Production is Top notch- which it is - we
had Greg Marchak do the Drums, Vudu studios do the Gtr bass and Vocals,
Steve Booke captured solos and acoustics, and Tue Madsen of Denmark's
Antfarm Studios (Dark Tranquility, Himsa, the Haunted) Mix and Master it. So
there were a lot of chefs in the Maelstrom kitchen- but it sounds KILLER.
MC: I know you have a website and a MY Space page. What are the url's to
both of them and tell me a bit about what is on each site.
GV:
www.myspace.com/metalmaelstrom
Both are in the process of being worked / re-worked. Jan Yrlund of Darkgrove
design in Finland is doing the website. He is also doing our CD art, which
is absolutely incredible He is still finalizing CD art so the Web site is up
next on the list. The MySpace is just generic right now but by the end of
August will be totally redone and look amazing. We will have these 3 songs
for a listen and downloads though snocap. As well as shirts, Posters, Hats
and all that good stuff available for purchase, all with some Kick Ass
artwork on it.
All the rest is up in the air my friend, we will see in time.
MC: How do you plan on promoting this CD? Do you plan on shopping it or
putting it out yourself or a bit of both?
GV: We plan on putting this 3 song out ourselves, I am meeting with a friend
who
runs the US division of a label tomorrow, he will help us lay out a
promotional plan for this release and Yes we will shop it around. I suppose
you could say it's a demo, though there is nothing really demo about it
other then its length. If something comes up with a label we will definitely
consider it, but I think it is different then it was back when we were 17
and the ultimate goal was to get signed.
The music industry is very different and labels seem to be hurting, but I
think there are still advantages to them as well. It is a give and take. We
are also coming at this with a different head then when we were younger.
I would also consider licensing a release out to someone to press and
sell.
MC: Gary thanks for doing this awesome interview. Any last words and horns
up
for the interview.
GV: You are sincerely very welcome and I am really glad and grateful that it
was
you who we did our first return interview with - you have been grinding it
out since the 80s and I really admire that you are still at it. It takes a
lot of devotion to stick to something the way you have, even when you love
it the way you do. So much respect brother.
As far some final words - just do what you love with passion and sincerity,
respect others and their works and try to be cool to each other. And live
for crushing metal!