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toroddfuglesteg ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Retired Joined: March 04 2008 Location: Retirement Home Status: Offline Points: 3658 |
![]() Posted: February 11 2011 at 13:00 |
Adramelch are formed in 1987 in Milan. The original line-up features Gianluca Corona at the drums, Franco Avalli at the bass guitar and Lorenzo Marconi at the guitar. Later, in Art High school, Gianluca meets Vittorio Ballerio, lead singer of Phoenix - a Hard rock band playing its own music in live gigs in the Milan Area, and asks him to join Adramelch Initially the band performs solely cover songs of other "HOLY MONSTERS" bands: Queensryche, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. Vittorio will be major influence in pushing Gianluca and Adramelch, to write their own songs. Two albums has so far followed. I got in touch with the band and they answered my questions. #############################################
When, where and by whom was Adramelch formed? Why did you choose that name?[Vitt]
Adramelch was born in Milan in 1986, when Gianluca, in this very
beginning
as drummer of a cover band performing the metal monsters’ tunes
(Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Queensryche…), started instead playing
his own stuff.
I
was in the band since a few months but singing music written by other
wonderful bands was not my aim… so I told them that for me the only
way to continue playing together was starting to play our own music.
That was the time when Gianluca abandoned the drums to raise the
guitar and wrote the song that gave the name to the band: Adramelch.
The
origin of this name is in the bible (I should say in the Torah) and
it’s the name of an ugly demon, although during the centuries this
name has been used in many different mythological contexts. It was
discovered and chosen by Gianluca in the far 1987. Still the best
explanation of its roots is given by Sig: The
word Adramelch comes from the ancient Hebrew, and is composed by the
words Ad (Adonai: lord, master), Ra (evil, cruel) and Melech (King).
A first translation could be "The king is a cruel master".
But there's also an interesting variation, "God is a cruel
king", which might give the idea of a tyrant who, in his frenzy
of almightiness, sets himself as a living god: fearful
visions of men without God
(from
the song Fearful Visions, opening the debut album Irae Melanox).
To
close the argument I want to add that this name was indeed perfect
for us, for our music, in those years... probably today, especially
considering our current mood and attitude which is gradually turning
to the prog side of our soul, might sound a bit misleading... but
that's our name, our history and we feel a thin but brilliant red
line joining that sound with our today's stuff!
There is some other bands with the same name too. That includes a progressive death metal band from Finland with 3-4 albums. Have this created any problems for you?[Sig]
Somebody may assume from our name that we're playing satanic metal,
but who cares about those who judge without reading lyrics and
listening to music.
[Vitt]
The only thing I know about them, the Finnish Adramelech, is that
even thought the inspiring “demon” is the same, they have choosen
a slightly different name. I wouldn’t say we had “problems”:
maybe just some small bother, as they might have had being confused
with a “spaghetti metal band?!” :) In any case, if this has some
relief, we were born before them... But we did not copyright the
name...
![]() To start with; please give me your (long or brief) thoughts and lowdowns on....... Irae Melanox from 1988[Vitt]
Life of Adramelch has been quite strange indeed: we “died” a few
months after the issue of our first album Irae Melanox (meaning we
had no more than 3 years lifetime) and reborn from our own dust (but
not only from there) some 15 years later. During this “age” each
member of the band run different paths and lives… probably the main
similarity amongst us was the almost complete ignorance about how our
one and only LP was riding across Europe during our lethargy!
Irae
Melanox for us was a dream come true… we were a band since a few
months and already recording our first demo. This brought us the
invitation to take part in one of the first
Italian metal compilations and a few months later we were signing a
contract with the most important Italian metal label! Our very
beginning seen from today's perspective looks incredible.
But
frankly speaking, looking at our past, I think that the most
extraordinary part of our story does not involve us directly: in fact
during our very long absence - 17 years! also considering that most
of us were 17 when we formed the band - our debut album, printed in a
few thousands copies and so poorly produced and distributed, reached
the status of cult album in Europe and brought us the “fame” that
our short first life couldn’t aim.
Irae Melanox 2010 de-luxe reissue versionNow,
some twenty years later, to pay the due homage to it, a De-Luxe
version of such debut album that so much fortune brought to us, has
been issued by Underground Symphony, a small but glorious label
driven by people who have always appreciated us since the very
beginning, (the same label that issued also BH in 2005). This De-Luxe
version is composed by 2 cds, the first is a remastered version of
the original Irae Melanox, the second contains the demo (also
remastered) issued one year before the LP and a couple of black
pearls: 2 new-old songs, written in 1988 and arranged / recorded by
the current line up, yet unpublished: the very first instrumental
tune and the very first ballad ever written by Adramelch. ![]() Broken
History from 2005 [Vitt]
In 2003 Gianluca, Franco, Luca (respectively the original bass player
and drummer) and I, together with a great pianist friend of mine
(Davide Doviti) tried to give new life to the band. First aim was to
record the tunes written after Irae Melanox before our Diaspora.
But it did not work: Luca
lives in Rome, 600km away from us. Also, he didn’t play drums for
too many years. Franco
is a great musician, playing different instruments and different kind
of music and last but not least one of the most enjoying people I’ve
never met in my whole life. But the band was too tight for his nature
and playing. Davide… well the piano gave an interesting flavour to
our music but per haps it was too far from our nature and for sure it
was too far from the nature of the stuff we had in our hands. So
we (Gianluca and I) had the luck to meet Sigfrido (drums) Fabio (lead
guitar) and Mau (bass) the wonderful musicians that today made this
new dream possible. Yes because the few old tunes written in the late
eighties were juxtaposed by new compositions written during the 17
years by Gianluca and the music for a complete new album was ready to
be recorded! Lyrics
are a quite important side of this new project for at least a couple
of reasons: first their genesis: just as when in 1987 I asked Gianluca and the other guys to start making our own music or I was going to leave the band, so in 2003, Gianluca told me: write the words for these tunes or the music will remain buried... second, the contents of this which became a concept album: in fact I faced this challenging opportunity to give life to an issue that I deeply felt: the tragedy of the crusades. The knight is also a typical heavy metal icon so the “game” was really interesting. I really wanted to talk about them but my aim was to show the real face of such deeds. So, in a nutshell, it's about the crusades, seen by the other point of view: it was a time of war and death, time of an impossible comparison between different cultures, different universes… time when the old Europe had shown its worst face. When
Maurizio Chiarello (Underground Symphony), captive fan of Adramelch
since a long time, knew about our new life, immediately offered
us a contract and in late 2005 our come back album “Broken History”
was already in the shops! Distribution
and promotion pitifully were poor and this affected sells but the
point is that each and all reviews we know about, were so cool… no
vote below 7/10 (or analogue) and so many 9 and 10… ps: on our
website we collected all the ones we know about, and it’s really…
embarrassing!
There is a seventeen years long break between your two albums. What happened ?[Sig]
One day some of the band members had to go out to buy cigarettes.
[Vitt]
many things happened during this... lifetime! I became 4 times father
for instance, but probably this is not the main point! (although it
surely helps in understanding why my life is so full!). Musically
speaking some of us continued in a personal musical path... I pursued
different musical projects, some quite interesting some definitely
not... from the pure progressive, with a guitarless project to a Jazz
rock band...
Three
of us (Gianluca, Franco -the former bassplayer- and I) tried several
times to resuscitate the project, in various shades and line up but,
until 2003, we did not succeed: it was always something not
satisfactory and therefore not made to last.
How would you describe your music and which bands or scene would you compare your music with ?[Sig]
I've always found difficult to classify music (not only our music,
but music in a broad sense). I think we succeeded in putting our
different backgrounds and experiences in our songs, thus enriching
them from the very beginning, when they are composed and arranged.
Gianluca gives the "Adramelch fingerprint" to the music
because he is the author of the main melodies; but then everybody
else from the band puts something into Adramelch's songs.
I would describe our music as a painful work of art which involves five musicians with their creativity (and limitations as well). We try to be honest, to look inside ourselves, to say something with our music. [Vitt]
Yes, I fully undersign Sig's words. And I know it ain't nice but,
believe me it is not a matter of arrogance: indeed I can't find a
band that I feel similar to us. In the past many names were told to
describe our music, to help the reader of the magazines to understand
what kind of “animal” was this strange band (and I must say these
were among our favourite) names like Queensryche, Warlord, Fates
Warning, Crimson Glory and of course a bit of Maidens... I repeat we
were fan of such bands but believe me or not, we couldn't (and yet we
can't) really find a similarity.
You are currently recording your third album. What is the title and what can we expect from it ?[Sig]
The title is "Lights from Oblivion". For now I can tell you
it will not feature electronic drums, voices at the megaphone or
similar bullsh*t. It will feature Adramelch's new songs.
[Vic]
We are alive. But it’s worth is more than what appears: this is the
truest, most mature and longevous Adramelch's line up ever. The music
today we produce is indeed the result of a team working and you can
hear it, and it really satisfies each one of us. What you can expect
from it? … a further growth! I should say that, notwithstanding the
above mentioned thin red line, someway this is our first album,
because IM was done by another band, 20years ago, BH was born first
by our need to give light to the music that had been thought mostly
in late eighties and partly mid nineties... whereas this is the first
time that the band worked on the rough material brought in rehearsal
room by our mastermind (Gianluca) that has been drawn, shaped,
arranged during a long period, to get a final result that indeed
represents the band today.
There
is an evident bend.
I would say that direction is a kind of progressive rock. Today
recording and mix are finished. Mastering is being done in the
Finnvox studios in Finland. Now we “only” have to find the right
label. “Right” in terms of distribution, promotion... What is your experiences with the music scene and the industry?[Vitt] ???
provided I'm understanding correctly your question... the first
consideration is: Italy is not the right place to live if you want to
do music (but in general if you make Art). Notwithstanding an
important role played also in recent History of Music (for instance
the 70's progressive rock) during the last 30 years we had
to helplessly
watch
to a progressive cultural impoverishment... music industry in Italy
pumps the worst bullsh*t and there's no room for good music anymore.
And be careful: when I talk about music I don't mean just “prog
metal” or similar I mean good music: I'm used to listen to several
different musics: a lot of “new” jazz (mostly European but also
USA), ethnic music, some death metal, some John Zorn Masada music...
By now in Italy only the huge events are still an attraction for
people, probably because the day after they can say “I Was
There”...
I'm
convinced that the biggest fault of this situation is in school
system that never gave any importance to music teaching. If your ears
are not educated you will hardly be able to appreciate even the good
rock/pop music! Think of Dave Matthews Band for instance! Touring
from stadium to stadium, always sold out, for months up and down the
USA... in Italy they are still more or less unknown...
And
so people grows thinking that music is for kids only. Being convinced
that you can be a music fan until 18 / 20 y.o. When you're an adult
music is... something broadcasted, chosen by a dj, that fills your
ears while you drive your car. No will at all to discover... too
tiring!
Our
adoptive motherland is Germany! Where we are invited to participate
important festivals... where our music is known.
Just to wrap this interview up; do you have any regrets in your music career ?[Sig]
I should have studied and played drums more. Much, much more.
[Vitt]
yeah, me too! I should have started before! That's the only regret.
For the rest I must say I have been lucky: I've had the chance to
live various musical experiences that helped me to grow, musically
speaking but not only. And I always did only what I choose across the
never ending music fields, with no compromise at all.
What is your five all time favourite albums ?[Vitt] Each
time I have to answer this question I must specify that I change my
mind more or less every day… it depends on the mood, the period…
Today
may top 5 might be:
Porcupine
Tree: Deadwing or In Absentia
Black
Sabbath: Black Sabbath
Rush:
Moving Pictures
Motorhead:
No sleep till Hammersmith
Ian
Gillan Band: Clear Air Turbulence
Anything you want to add to this interview ?[Vitt]
well, of course a Huge thanks to you for the chance you offered us
and for the patience you had with us. I guess that asking you to
accept my personal excuses ain't enough... so I'll add a copy of our
reissue as a special gift for you and I promise that we'll keep you
posted about next steps, also because our forthcoming album will be
way nearer to the beloved prog world than ever.
[Sig]
Check out our website (www.adramelch.com) and myspace page
(myspace.com/adramelch) for updates on the forthcoming new album! Thank you to the band for this interview |
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tupan ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() VIP Member Joined: August 22 2005 Location: Brazil Status: Offline Points: 1241 |
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I have downloaded three songs in their official homepage. Good epic prog metal!
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"Prog is Not Dead and never has been." (Will Sergeant, from Echo And The Bunnymen)
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