Monday, June 13, 2016

BattleX Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

We’re a four-piece from Maribor, Slovenia that plays a mix of thrash metal and heavy metal with some modern elements to keep it interesting.

2.In January you had released your first full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

The first EP was, in a sense, more “traditional” in terms of song structure. We also had a dedicated singer, who had a completely different vibe than what the album offers.
The album is what I’d call straightforward but effective. We didn’t overdo the production elements; we went with a simple but powerful sound that conveys what we wanted to without making too many detours. We wanted to write a varied but relatable piece that every metal fan could enjoy and find themselves in, which I think we’ve achieved.

3.The band has been around since 2007 but so far has only released an ep and a full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap in between releases?

It was mostly due to line-up changes and difficulties with securing a rehearsal space. We usually mention 2007 as the band’s “birthyear”, but in reality, the band has been active since 2010 and though the line-up has been the same since then, it has only been stable since early 2013. That’s why it took a bit longer than most bands to make our first record and EP.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

The topics explored are mostly socially critical; nearly all the songs deal with an aspect of modern society. Corruption (Dignity), war (Whispers in the Sand), prejudice and mistrust (Circus of Trust), religion (The Hierophant), hypocrisy (Face to Face) and of course, the human obsession with destruction (Imminent Downfall). Even Break Your Bones and Raise Hell, which are a bit lighter in tone have a social undertone since they are about the metal community. Final Confrontation stands out a little because it deals with personal struggles, overcoming something that burdens you.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'BattleX'?

The inspiration is a bit anti-climactic; I wasn’t in the band at the time, but I believe the band simply chose a word that sounded cool and added X to the end. To be honest, I wasn’t particularly fond of it when I joined the band, but over time, it subconsciously grew on me and the more I wrote both music and lyrics for the band, the more meaning it came to have. To me, it means remaining a combative spirit, fighting for (or against, whichever fits your situation) something, whatever it may be.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Actually one of the best shows we’ve had was pretty recent: we played on the End of All Nights festival in Temelin, CZ. Our time slot was really late, I broke a string, Simeon broke a spring on his double-bass pedal, but even though it seemed like everything went wrong, the crowd went crazy and we had a really good time.
Also, a local show in Maribor in early 2016 really blew my face off. There were a lot of people, but folks we know and new faces, we gave it everything we had and the people fed us the energy right back.
I’d say people appreciate our relentless energy and no-bullshit approach. Recently I’ve noticed a lot of bands give speeches between songs (mostly American bands, for some reason) on God knows what (usually not particularly related to the song) and while I respect those bands (not dropping any names), I think it’s a waste of time and the people’s attention. Plug in, rock out.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Right now we’re buckling down again to write some new material and hopefully make another music video. We had a ton of fun making the video for “Imminent Downfall” and we want to do another one.

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Nothing so far, but we hope our debut will stir up enough attention to land us a record deal.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of thrash metal?

Pretty positive actually! We’ve had positive reviews from South American and European webzines, and our like count on fb went up a lot after we released the video. If any of your readers would like to review our album and post it on-line, for example on http://metal-archives.com, you can hear it on our bandcamp site: http://battlex.bandcamp.com.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We have two (well two and a half, I guess) songs for the new record and I’d say they’re moving in a more intense and streamlined direction than the previous record. I’m still a bit torn on the vocal style for the future, so far I’d say it’s also leaning towards the heavier side of the spectrum.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We come from very different musical backgrounds, but heavy metal and thrash is what we all seem agree on. 80s thrash bands like Testament, Kreator or Metallica were a huge influence on us, there’s no secret there. There are also less conspicuous moments, like the intro for Whispers in the Sand, which was inspired by Pink Floyd and 70s psychedelic rock, or the bass line in the chorus of Face to Face, which is basically “walking bass”, not something you’d normally have in thrash. Like I said, we like varied music, and I think it shows.
Personally, I keep moving from one thing to the next fairly often; nowadays, I’m on a huge mid-2000s Exodus kick, Tempo of the Damned and Shovel Headed Kill Machine all day long. Lately I’ve also been rolling Satan’s Atom By Atom; Satan is one of my favourite bands and while I still prefer Life Sentence, Atom By Atom is a Satan record through and through.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Support metal bands both small and big, buy the merch, discover new bands, share your on the music and above all, never stop headbanging!

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