We did a good interview with Gus recently where he talks about the new album "Allegiance", his influences, and playing ProgPower. enjoy guys.
Here's a couple excerpts;
2. I think with Allegiance it is Firewinds strongest collection of songs and definitely the most cohesive album. So what has attributed to that?
GUS: Well thanks I appreciate that and I think Allegiance is our best as well so far also. Well I worked with everyone in the band on this record and everyone contributed to the writing. Bob our keyboard player and myself co wrote at least most of the album, Mark Cross our drummer also came up with a song. I made sure everybody was involved this time and I think the chemistry was just right this time around. I think also I was more relaxed this time around since I only had to worry about Firewinds music. Not that it effected my playing before when I worked with Dream Evil, Mystic Prophecy or Nightrage, but I just didnt have so many things on my mind. In that respect maybe some Dream Evil material maybe could fit on a Firewind album but other than that I always wrote songs which were specific to those bands.
4. Now are you officially done working with Dream Evil, Mystic Prophecy and Nightrage?
GUS: Yeah, its been like a year or so since I started dedicating my time to Firewind.
5. I hear a variety of different influences in guitar playing but mostly hard rock/heavy metal players. Can you tell us about some of your influences? What about the players from the 80s where many guitar shredders came from?
GUS: Yeah I like a lot of different types of guitar players but like you say my favorites are the hard rock/metal guys like Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath, Uli Roth from early Scorpions and Michael Schenker from UFO. You can hear the Scorpions influences on a track like Where do We go from Here? from Allegiance, it has that Big City Nights vibe Haha, thats actually an Apollo song.
7. How did you get the opportunity to play ProgPower USA?
GUS: That came through our booking agent actually and I know we have been trying to do it for a couple of years but we always came in a bit late until now. I am very happy to play it and I know its an important festival. I think that festival sells our like every year and we get to play sixty minutes this year so I am excited.
you can read the rest here: http://www.metalasylum.net/interviews/2007/i0714.html
Here's a couple excerpts;
2. I think with Allegiance it is Firewinds strongest collection of songs and definitely the most cohesive album. So what has attributed to that?
GUS: Well thanks I appreciate that and I think Allegiance is our best as well so far also. Well I worked with everyone in the band on this record and everyone contributed to the writing. Bob our keyboard player and myself co wrote at least most of the album, Mark Cross our drummer also came up with a song. I made sure everybody was involved this time and I think the chemistry was just right this time around. I think also I was more relaxed this time around since I only had to worry about Firewinds music. Not that it effected my playing before when I worked with Dream Evil, Mystic Prophecy or Nightrage, but I just didnt have so many things on my mind. In that respect maybe some Dream Evil material maybe could fit on a Firewind album but other than that I always wrote songs which were specific to those bands.
4. Now are you officially done working with Dream Evil, Mystic Prophecy and Nightrage?
GUS: Yeah, its been like a year or so since I started dedicating my time to Firewind.
5. I hear a variety of different influences in guitar playing but mostly hard rock/heavy metal players. Can you tell us about some of your influences? What about the players from the 80s where many guitar shredders came from?
GUS: Yeah I like a lot of different types of guitar players but like you say my favorites are the hard rock/metal guys like Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath, Uli Roth from early Scorpions and Michael Schenker from UFO. You can hear the Scorpions influences on a track like Where do We go from Here? from Allegiance, it has that Big City Nights vibe Haha, thats actually an Apollo song.
7. How did you get the opportunity to play ProgPower USA?
GUS: That came through our booking agent actually and I know we have been trying to do it for a couple of years but we always came in a bit late until now. I am very happy to play it and I know its an important festival. I think that festival sells our like every year and we get to play sixty minutes this year so I am excited.
you can read the rest here: http://www.metalasylum.net/interviews/2007/i0714.html
