Interview: KNIFE
Hi there Marco and KNIFE, I welcome you to the interviews with Rocket Queen *Promotion* I thank you for the request and so now I got some questions for you:
1. Please introduce your band to us first of all.
Marko: The Band KNIFE started in 1999 from an idea of Samuele Venturini (Guitar, Former Leader of Flash-terrorist).
He completed the first formation of the band and they released "The Soul Of The Bull", with a strong crossover melodic sound, and an EP, "Vertebra" (2003).
In 2005 Theo Milani (also former member of Flash Terrorist) entered the band as Lead Guitar, and the Bass Player was substituted with Soliman Biolo. This new formation led to the faster and heavyer sound of "The Gloomy Side Of Things" (2008).
After a short break we started touring again in January 2010 playing with 69 Eyes, Neaera and other important bands, and the best has yet to come...
2. When did you have the idea to for a metal band?
Marko: The idea came up in 1999, a short time after Flash Terrorist split. Samuele wanted to experiment with the new sounds, and generes of metal which were growing at the end of the decade, so he started this project. After eleven years the techniques, the sound, and the styles of the first songs in this band brought their influence even to the present. It's interesting the fact that after 11 years we now came back again experimenting new sounds, even if the scene around our band is totally different.
3. How popular is heavy metal in the italian scene?
Marko: Actually it's kinda sad... from a general point of view, musical culture has been raped by wrong educational politics since the '50es, so we have the 99% of Italians from 15 to 35 who listen to the same old shit... and it's a mean cycle: people don't realize that there's more, a part from what they listen everyday on the radios, and so they become 'addicted' to the product which is offered by the media. On the other side, the media are not interested in trying something new, because people always listen to the same commercial music, and it would be economically risky.
All the 'easy' and accessible venues for young bands to play in, are closing both for the economical crisis and because no one is no more interested to hear new bands. And all the new bands are of course getting technically and culturally lower and lower because they can't afford to pay for reharsal rooms, instruments, and they don't have any kind of money income with the gigs.
It's really common that young bands even have to have EXPENSES to play in really small clubs, with 20 people hardly listening... The only solution would be a cultural musical revolution, or a strong serie of fundings from above... so for unless I'm very much mistaken, Italy will remain in the mud for a scarily long time.
4. Your next concert is in Italy how do you prepare for your concerts and which bands are you playing with on 13 February 2010? Friends of yours?
Marko: Saturday 13th we played with Ashcorn and Disease Illusion near Rovigo. It has been a very good show, we never played with these bands, we only know each other, so we was also quite curious. We don't dedicate much reharsal time specifically to live shows, just because our style, and our forma mentis IS the live show. When we write a song, it comes out of the studio already arranged for live shows... Basically it's much harder for us to lay in a recording studio than on a stage...
5. Your latest video is FAKE MAN... how long did the recordings take and who was the man behind the camera? Is more video stuff planned?
Marko: The recording of Fake man was simply awesome! We shoot it in one day with Salvatore "Xavy" Perrone, who directed videos for Underoath, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Bury your Dead, August Burns Red and many many others... we had a great time and of course we are going to shoot other videos, but now we are already busy with the new songs....
6. As I know some bands from Italy :-) i saw that you will be playing with my friends Adimiron next month. I am sure it will be fun for you. So are they friends of yours too? And while talking bout concerts.. when will we see you live here in Germany?
Marko: Actually we didn't get to know each other, but I hope we will very soon! And about touring Germany... well we would be happy to play around in your country, but at the moment we're simply looking for. we have so much work to do here in Italy, and we really hope to find some time to focus on some gigs in germany!
7. What is KNIFE doing at the moment?
Marko: We are currently playing live all around Italy, and writing some new stuff for the next record, but first we wanted to write down some new material to be tested live.
8. Which bands to you like to play with most?
Marko: We usually play with a lot of different bands, and we don't do very long tours with the same headliner, or supporter, but of course some of the bands we played with are definitely good, and it's always a real pleasure to play on the same stage, and have fun together, like Linea 77, or Extrema, to say a couple of italian bands.
9. Which music are you listening when you didn´t make your own music?
Marko: Well, there are really different tastes about music in our band... there are some bands which we all like, and they are also the same bands that influenced the general sound of the whole band, like Machine Head, Slayer, Sepultura, Fear Factory... But each and every one of us has different favourite bands. I love Scandinavian bands like Meshuggah and Opeth, and also big beat electronic, like Prodigy, Pendulum and Chrystal Method. Theo loves Slayer and Sepultura, while Tony is a fan of Metallica, and is fond of classical Heavy Metal and Hard Rock. Soliman also produced electronic music, and likes other alternative bands.
10. Please leave a final message for all your friends and fans now.
Marko: You must be the change that you want to see in the world. Keep on Rockin!
Thank you so much for the interview guys, it was nice talking to you. I wish you all the best, Susi
Marko: Thank you very much Susi, it has been a great opportunity to talk with you and having an interview. I'm so sorry for the Delay, i hope to talk you soon for some other reasons!
© Jan. 2010 by Rocket Queen *Promotion*