 don't be nervous it's not this is just it's just like a rock show there's really something stuck we're live okay people I'm sorry I know I'm supposed to be a vocal coach and but this is not really bad for your voice it sounds bad though but I need to scrape it a little bit more you know you could get a if you want to go for it got other guests go for pee breaks they took their heads owns off and they went for pee breaks but it's okay all right on the show today Laura I'm gonna pronounce your last name Laura Goldemond yeah that's the English pronunciation in the Netherlands Goldemond I'm used to it okay I'm from a Greek background so we have that's easy alright on the show today Laura the singer of Burning Witches and of course with me Milwaukee Tom Laura your album is coming out to do do do do on May 28th yes and a nuclear blast yeah what is it the witches of the north the witch of the which the witch of the north let me ask you on the album cover you're the one with the sword yes you're the one with the sword right yeah okay all right good stuff right off the bat just tell it okay people haven't heard your album yet because it hasn't been released but just tell everybody about that sort of what you do different on this album that you didn't do on the last few albums how have you evolved or maybe you haven't evolved what is the change yeah we have lost a little bit of thick I mean you know that you know the kind of the thing that we didn't really decide to do before it's just to have a little longer story telling songs and not all the songs are like this you know but there are more epic dynamic storytelling songs on this album so that's that's one thing for sure that's different they are a little longer five minutes plus yep and we have an extra intro we always had intros like at the beginning of the album at the end you have one in between you know all right Tom you want to ask yeah one thing that I am interested to know recording this record were you did you do the vocals at home in your home studio were you together were you able to be together I actually I mean I'm always the one you know not everyone lives in the same city in Switzerland in Brook and I'm always the one that's you know in the Netherlands so that's that's pretty far away you know it's you can travel there in one day it's not too bad but it's not like you visit each other easily or something so I did everything at home except for recording so I actually did you know make my demos and I could just send it to Romana and we could you know right back and forth to make songs to finish them but I did record there and I'm really happy of course it in the studio you know that you always get you know in the in I would say in the second creative process because it's kind of finished but you have some fresh air so he heard the song or not all of them but he heard a lot of the songs for the first time and that's kind of nice because then he has a fresh air and you know in the studio you finish the songs basically together so alright you know you know what I find interesting like most female bands and I'm not gonna generalize here there's they're always gothic you know there's always like you know the the goth and then you have the other extreme other female bands are all like death metal vocals but you guys you know not to say you're the only not you're not the only ones but you're more of the classic priest maiden that's what I find refreshing you know I'm listening to the album and I can't pinpoint what which band you sound like yeah now we do have a lot of influences yeah so tell me about and actually I'm happy because I don't like the other extremes I don't like the goth I don't like the death tell everybody the muse what's the music like if you had to describe this album oh yeah I think you know we kind of we actually did one cover on this album and it's from Savatach and I hope all everyone that's listening knows Hall of the Mountain King so you know you this is the kind of song structures we went for you know so yeah we loved we just love that song and specifically now for this album because it also is super dynamic a storytelling and epic so that's why we chose that one but I think that the main or one of the main influences is Manawar because Romana just loves Manawar and so that one for certain but I think you can also hear a bit of creator a bit of Iron Maiden you know yeah there's so many influences you're like that you're like the female stew block your voice is like wicked gymnastics you know stew block his voice is all over the place and I got to say out of the four albums this has got to be the best vocal performance and I know you're only on two but from the four like this is definitely Tom yeah what I've noticed is there's a little bit more of the growls going down a little bit more a little bit more a little bit more but it's not overbearing whatsoever yeah yeah but I like it very very much and what Jimmy said yeah there's a really good vocal performance with a lot of mixtures a lot of yeah a lot of holding longer notes I like that I've only listened to it twice it's only the amount of times that I was able to listen to it but I've noticed it that's already a lot yeah yeah stop now let's just stop right there at two yeah but it's great I had written notes because I'm gonna do a written review too so I wrote some notes down and you sing with some anger with some emotion very aggressively I like that it's really good this is your I believe you have come into your own here you've done it yeah I think I think you're probably right and what helped of course is these dynamic you know the dynamic songs you know because then you can really go soft and then of course it also stands out more if you go super aggressive after that right so kind of this album is just really fun for as for me as vocalist too you know it's been a lot of fun to do what about like touring now okay what's going on there in the Netherlands and Switzerland are you doing these one-offs what's going on yeah well yeah we're expecting someone else because some places are going to be possible again soon and you know tours are still difficult because not everywhere is the same and yeah of course when you do a tour you kind of want to just go on and on because if you miss a few gigs it will already be a bit tricky sometimes financially and we do have a tour planned in autumn we're skeptical about it a little bit to be honest and you have a video coming out too right yes it's it's really cool what we are really cool team helping us record it it's a group at 13 in Poland and wow yeah I'm very curious of how it will look are you allowed to say what song it is I don't know let's just do it I mean it's almost time anyway I'm not sure yeah probably I could almost guess should we guess yes I'm gonna guess let's do a guess here oh I'm gonna guess what's the dragon one there dragon's dream all right Tom give me cool I think it's I think it's the big hit there okay but I want it to be for eternity that's what I want it to be I'm sorry it's another one it's okay yeah yeah okay yeah it's do it of the north oh okay the title track I like that I have a star next to that one too when I when I first listen to records if I am gonna review it I just I'll put a star next to the tracks at standout I have eight I have eight stars yeah that's one of them I do like that song yeah tell tell me the importance of the imagery like there's a lot of imagery going on you know with the album artwork and you ladies it's like you're like caricatures caricatures sorry yeah tell me about that sort of because every album has its own little imagery and it's very pronounced and it's and it's and it really it's a good package you know tell me about that yeah we definitely were you know we were looking for something like that from from the artist from and discuss case Claudio Claudio Bergaman did a really good job we're very happy with what he did and and yeah we kind of had the same idea you can also see us as like comic style on the dance with the devil album and we just love that because you can make yourself a bit superhero like you know and and we love that style it's a little bit you know the same thing that you know the bigger than life feeling that the Manowar for example also puts forward you know I would have guessed Manowar I would have guessed more like Blind Guardian this album yeah the cover of Manowar is fighting the world before they're doing this kind of jazz yeah yeah yeah yeah exactly like the only thing missing is the muscles but that would be a bit weird with all girls that you compensate with the sword okay you have the sword instead of the sword okay Tom oh there you are that's a little one it's a little close enough it looks like a short the smear did the production for this is that correct I didn't see I wasn't able to see in the liner notes is he managing the band to or not yes yeah we have now separate management for America yeah but yeah he's doing a perfect job yeah no it's so nice that he's just a great guy that just loves to be involved yeah he helped producing to and the good yeah he's a singer and a bass player and it's nice that he knows both sides you know the singing and the instrumental part so just to you know for the finishing touches and to have a good view on how a song should sound I think he's perfect it's really cool I was telling Tom this I go I was thinking about this the other day you know you're all women banned would you accept the guy in the band maybe a keyboardist you know what would be the stand there would be the decision I think because yeah I think we kind of count because now we're already put ourselves forward as an all-female band so if there's a guy we'll be a bit yeah it will be a bit either way no just asking I'm just asking yeah you'd have to you'd have to kind of change the name of the band keyboardist burning witches and the warlock has there were thoughts ever anybody said you know we're getting a new guitarist no nothing okay so yeah did did Larissa did she audition over she had to do it on a video didn't she audition I think we asked people to you know to send something in I guess yeah in the end it was not too difficult of a choice I mean it's you know we also were thinking that you know she actually lives close and everyone okay except me because I don't live everyone knew her already so that's right right yeah okay what about the biggest bands you've ever performed with so far like you know opening up for yeah I mean as a band I think you know I wasn't there yet but everyone was there yet I would have loved it but they were going on tour with Grave Digger I think that's pretty cool yeah I love I love them so that was there any other bands that you went on tour with that you're saying oh wow this is great no it's a great band but we kind of know them pretty closely of course because smear manages the band but yes we went on the corona proof tour five gigs but yeah to be honest also besides that I haven't really on tour yet with Burning Witches it was always festivals we've been on Wacken you know so there were a lot of great bands playing there yeah so that was really amazing that at least we could have done that I'm really glad with the gigs we did but yeah we only did six or yeah five or six gigs I think your first show was your first show at Sweden Rock was that for you in the that was your first that's a hell of a festival I mean that's really really special yeah that's really cool to start all like that really cool yeah can you tell everybody you started off what in in like the voice or American Idol not American Idol but Netherland Idol is that what was it yeah it was indeed idols and they had a break for no no no five years or something so it wasn't on TV and then it was the first year that it came back on TV and for me it was kind of nostalgia and I just wanted to join this kind of a program one time I just did it I knew like it wasn't really my thing you know but I also wanted to do it anyway so I just and I look I don't we don't watch it here but how did it turn out like like when your experience well I got to the last 20 people and the last 20 people they actually you know put them on a plane so me included we all went to Bali in Indonesia it's the one of the islands there and I was really special to do that and it's very stressful because they wanted you to learn a song like on the how do you say that on the spot on the airport actually and then you had the flight and then when you arrived you had just the morning to rehearse a little bit more and then you had to do the song really weird like crazy stuff but it was a nice experience but also very stressful and it's yeah I'm a stick to metal but it was fun all right it's an experience as an artist as an artist I definitely want to stick to metal I was just thinking I actually enjoy songwriting and maybe I can you know get better at it or maybe sometime I can actually write maybe a pop song for someone else but I wouldn't want to perform it myself you know what I mean it's just yeah different but I do like all kinds of music but anyway yeah well it's about you not about us go ahead anyways so when you were in this idol like did they make you only perform pop songs well you could choose yourself a little bit because sometimes they would choose for you what to do and sometimes you could choose yourself so it was half half to be honest and the last song what they cancelled me out of the program with was not my own choice so I would have thought you won I bet who won like was it like a really like a terrible singer well I she was okay but she was not in my opinion she was really good at what she did but not very versatile but they kind of probably wanted her to win I kind of have a feeling about that because they had this electronic music they wanted her to sing ready kind of at a ready probably this is what I think they did I don't have proof of it but I'm really you're probably right about that yeah so they had a really she had a really light voice and she fang very cute and light you know and I think they were kind of looking for yeah so are you gonna be doing some more online vocal classes yeah actually I'm yeah I mean I'm a vocal coach also you know so I give people here in Eindhoven I give lessons but not everyone can go to Eindhoven yeah so I'm giving Skype lessons or zoom lessons or whatever platform you know it doesn't really matter but I'm online and I also recently started videos because I was like you know what maybe it's fun for people to have short videos sort of just like five minutes and just about some specific questions so if you have a question and you're looking for something specific then you don't only have to watch for five minutes you know what I mean we could do that right here do you have a question for Laura yeah there's a lot of people texting it's just okay go no no continue as I just asked I'm looking at the questions but you go continue I don't know I don't know what to say I was now waiting I was now waiting for the question to be honest so anyway I do the five minutes vocal coaching things I have something like I started with you know kind of breath support thing kind of basics basically everyone always starts with you know breath support but yeah and then I just went with all the questions but I only got three videos now so anyway please feel free to comment a lot of questions so I know what to do for next video all right also I'm on my video on YouTube baby here's the question here's a question you ready for the first question yeah who's your favorite metal vocalist yeah that's that's difficult because I always like to you know take a lot of different influences but I have to go for Rob Halford because he's so he's so extreme in what he does and he kind of you know he developed this sound himself and I'm not really sure where what he got inspired with a kind of planning on reading this book he wrote you know he wrote an autobiography I think and I really I really want to read it it's on my to-do list someday to do it maybe if we go into organ you know you always you're not really focused enough to really work on stuff but maybe then it's the right moment for me to read those kind of things so kind of waiting for that moment but yeah he's just such a special approach and he developed his sound himself and I'm basically I'm there just thinking oh I love this I'm just going to do that too you know what I mean but he just came up with it and it's so special I really love that what about female female vocalist female metal vocalist I when I started singing I definitely just loved the distortion the sound that Lizzie Hill had in her voice and I really listened to that and I was like because I couldn't in the beginning I couldn't do this distortion and I just listened to that and I was like this is what I want to learn and I went to my singing teacher at that moment at some point like I told her this is how I want to sound like to teach me that you know so Lizzie Hill actually yeah definitely I loved I just love her sound yeah and what about in terms of your your top three bands your top three bands that you like metal bands I guess top three that's that's always difficult at the moment I always have these moments I listen to some bands a lot so let's just go for what I listen to at the moment also a little bit I think it's more fun than just sticking to the classics you know what I mean but I was really really really surprised by the view I'm not sure if you heard of them or the who or whatever yes and I'm kind of an audio file so I just love the production and you know I was so impressive wolf totem I really love and so definitely that's that's kind of now on my top three because of that so the other one Judas Priest has specifically the album painkiller because it's such a special sound again so I was kind of blown away by the song painkiller but the whole album has this cool vibe it's such a nice production again I always love it when an album has a really you know specific approach this is to be honest that's kind of what I missed oh but it's kind of what I missed because I was really blown away by a few songs and the rest kind of like I was almost wondering if they produced it at separate times or something that okay that's just a question for another time and there's okay let's go for another album there's this one album that that wasn't metal bands or albums I'm sorry what was the question over you we're talking about bands you're talking about you know let's change subject here before we go did you write the lyrics for the album did you write the lyrics all the lyrics for the album the new album that you're coming out with the themes and and and just quickly not just tell me in like 10 seconds nine worlds what was that about or the 10 seconds 10 seconds okay now that's possible nine worlds is reckon a rock so you have like this this mythology they talk about the nine worlds so there's this world of the you know the underworld you maybe you have wall holla so the hall where all the fallen warriors are with Odin we also have another hall I have there are all kinds of worlds and halls and stuff going on anyway nine worlds is the story they all are connected by Iqtrasil by this this huge tree of life and that connects all the worlds and somewhere at the root of this this three years this dragon I don't know how to pronounce it let's just call it the dragon it's a dragon with a very Viking his name that I can't pronounce please just Google it it's easier and the dragon comes up during this time and burns the whole all the world so at some point everything's burning and kind of get the story right there anyway yeah so that's just pretty cool so everything goes to shit and and also the story is they believe that when it goes everything goes to shit it will all start again so it's kind of not too sad but there will be a period of time where everything's frosty and nothing's there and that's kind of cool so that's why it really fits the winter theme like the album starts with the wintery sounds and it finishes with the wintery sounds you know and this kind of this story kind of makes sense of that also you know so that's fun so I have one last question though sorry um that was not that's alright so um hall the mountain king is that gonna be unlike a is that only on a bonus song or is that gonna be you know if it's on the regular cuz battle him last one was on just like the regular issued cd I believe I was on mine we really really really would love to go to Japan with this album and they are yeah Japanese people are just always really loving the limited editions yeah yeah so we chose to put the cover now on the Japanese edition oh okay because in the audio files when I was listening to it the song titles there was one extra and it I didn't know what it was like I open it up it's like holy cow you got you got the Japanese special right there you got because it you do a great job on that that is not an easy song to sing and you do really good I'm gonna wrap this up here this album is really good it's probably the best out of all them it's coming out May 28th which the witch of the north you do a really excellent job yeah congratulations and I'm not just saying that all right just great I want you to hang on for 30 seconds as I bring I'm gonna bring on two people now okay and I'll let you go okay I'm gonna bring on Neil Turbin who's the the first vocalist of anthrax and I'm gonna bring on Michael Baston doll the singer of artillery because he's our next interview but everybody could say good-bye all right yeah and here we go I'm bringing them on all right there no Michael Neil Michael yes Hillary so I want to everybody say hi to Laura and Tom brings everyone we're gonna have to let Tom and Laura go though we're gonna continue with artillery thank you Laura yeah all right guys okay thanks see everybody have a nice day have a nice night I just click the red button now or do you click the red button where is it what can I knock you off to leave meeting okay adios bye bye have a good day all right bye Tom thank you bye cheers hey Michael Michael you there you we lost your video Michael oh let's see what's happening I think I lost him I know what's going on the Michael you're on two okay now you're on one can you hear us I can hear you guys can you hear me yeah what's going on man hi Michael hello Neil nice to see you guys finally yeah great to see you we're not in the rain at a show or something well new album the new album let's just I'm gonna put a picture of it here right here cool the new album x or 10 is it 10 or x I mean it's 10 yeah it's just a woman next to yeah but but I mean it's just like the Roman litter for 10 so it's just like that it's a 10th album I would assume right that's yeah mm-hmm so I love the album cover just for starters that's probably one of the best album covers the bands ever had oh thanks yeah I just I just love it just looks so cool yeah don't forget about this one I know I was just going to say something about the fact that you were wearing the first open it up open it up let's see oh look at that that's like what the demo tape and what is it the first album that's the first that's the first album by artillery yes the fierce tomorrow yeah pretty cool the band gave it to me when they played in LA last time they were one of the last time they were in LA I think it was a long time because we hung out it was a lot of fun and you guys yeah it was all right so May the 7th artillery's new album X or 10 on metal blade records true that's when it's coming we heard it me Neil have heard it man it the production is awesome some serious thrash very melodic it's really good man it's really good I'm you guys are doing a great job and of course Michael you do a great job on the vocals well thank you very much I mean concludes the show we're done so all right tell us about the making of the sound Morden is no longer with us right true yeah tell us tell us about you know the the challenges with Morden they were his input that you know that wasn't there this time around oh well I mean first of all when we finished off the face of fear album we knew that the moderns health was was not that good you know so but we went out and played as we always did and then have done and so forth but there was some decline in there well when we now started out with recording of X and the writing process obviously of course we were looking for something that would justify to do this album first of all one of the reasons that we decided to go on was that that was you know Morden's wish you wanted us to go on and all of a sudden all these old demos from Morden started to appear I mean Peter the bassist he said oh well I actually got a lot of tapes lying around you know back from actually back from the days you know back from the days about by inheritance and all that stuff he said hey I got a lot of songs was done like demoed out and when Morden had demoed songs for the face of fear as well I didn't really made it so so I think that we actually took quite a bit of material that Morden had prepared and put into the album so that was nice because it felt like he was there you know some in some sorts so so so so actually the whole recording process and also the writing process was actually like a bit like you know therapy in the hall you know the morning but also just simply to honor his legacy you know and the memory of him and so on so I think that he was I mean I know that he was very much present in everybody's minds including Søren's you know the producer Søren Andersen he was I mean he's always very very precise and thinking about things and he was like okay what would Morden have said of this in this situation because Morden would always hang around in the studio and say oh you should do like this and that so we tried to to think about what what Morden might have thought about the specific thing you know so so he was very much present in the spirit yeah you know it's funny I brought Neil here because I think the first time I met you and I met Neil in person was in Montreal Canada and we did an interview all three of us so and I think that was like five years ago now maybe no what even more than that Neil was it like six years ago seven years ago I don't even something like that 2014 2014 wow man time flies right that was the artillery onslaught tour but we won't go to the onslaught we won't get into that I promise you I won't say a thing you know I just remember that interview actually because I I found it to be a lot of fun and I was a little bit you know what you call it you know I was just yeah in honor of you guys so it's just like whoa this is cool you know so I think because at the beginning it was just like we going to be you and Neil and then Neil said oh you just take along and I was like yes of course I would love to do that then you like cleared the room and we just kind of like put you in there and we yeah it was fun it's fun good times good times yeah yeah Neil yeah I just want to say that you know my condolences about Morton to the band and of course to Michael Stutzer and family but you know just a pleasure and an honor to have the opportunity to you know have known you and been on the road and you know so it's not just this one time on the interview but you know you've come to our you know we did some shows out in Denmark together back in 2016 so it was really cool that time to hang out with artillery some of the guys from artillery of course Michael and Michael Michael Baston doll and Michael Stutzer and then also it was my band death writers at the time and then also we were of course on the tour that was through Canada and through the US North America was at the thrash invasion tour right 2014 you know slot and artillery and vx 36 and I guess striker was supposed to be on that tour and that that was a cool tour but it was kind of a quite a routing disaster they had routed the tour you know throughout Canada I think we went in and out of Canada about three times across the border here you recall that Michael yeah I did yeah we did yeah I do yeah because it was a genius I mean it was like long drives extremely long drives I remember that I was I was bringing along George R. Martin's the Game of Thrones like I had two books that I had at the beginning of the tour and I was finished you know when we were we came back you know because the drives were so long but I do remember another great night though I mean I think that we had a great party night in Canada I can't remember what city though right now it's a bit embarrassing but I can't remember but I know that you had I think that me and the bassist from onslaught Jeff and you Neil we had like a you know a bottle of some honey whiskey you had I think that I remember that as being a good night yeah yeah we've had some we've had some a good bad and the ugly right but we don't want to focus on that but I just wanted to you know I think it's cool when we can put our minds together and kind of think about you know some of the interesting or cool times that even we are recollecting right to try to remember but I just wanted to say when you guys were out in LA you guys played one of the low you know one of the venues in downtown LA the five-star bar and that was a great show that I saw and of course I watched you every night on the tour because I mean you're such a great singer and you know the band is so great and you know listening to the new album 10 artillery I wanted to say that I I I definitely listened to most of the album I haven't had a chance to listen to the entire album but I wanted to replay it a few times and kind of dig in so I've listened to probably the first group of songs like probably about eight or somewhere about that and I just wanted to say that my I mean we're not doing an official review yet but I just wanted to say that since we're we're talking about the album you know I just wanted to get your input Michael about some of your influences and some of the bands I know that you know one of the things that we know when we we go to see artillery I think is is unquestionable a theme of sorts is that Khomeini song I mean that thing is just you know that thing sticks in my head and I saw you sing it in every night and it's just like wow what a hook I mean you know it's one of it's the song that that I hear from artillery it's like wow you know if I could have wrote that song you know if you hear a song by Boston or by you know Kiss or Journey or it's like wow we wish we could have wrote that song that's to me that song is like you know I mean an old-school artillery song that really you know showcases your voice to say the least and I'm listening to the new album and I'm like okay so the first song the first track you know it kind of goes in a direction that I would expect of artillery but then you know in thrash reach we trust we have this this two-step shuffle you know it's kind of fast shuffle that you guys are not unknown for right yeah that's in all of those homes yeah but that really you know it's like okay excuse me that that's really in the core of what I would expect from our Neil you should let him review the album I know but then when I heard and then when I heard turn the page I mean turn the page I'm thinking Bob see your turn to the rage turn up the rage okay turn up the rage turn up the rage yeah yeah that was so melodic and so interesting the way you sang it I mean I'm getting some European Power Metal I'm getting some Scorpions Uli Roth era maybe later as well and then I'm also on Silver Cross really loving that as well and the ghost of me that was like wow that just blew me away and I thought it was kind of you like wait a second you know this is artillery you know they're kind of are they going soft on us I mean is this a morbidity and what a brilliant fault I think well tell us this Neil I know I know you're excited about this but but Michael tell us the musical so people haven't heard this they just heard two songs tell us about the musical direction of this album versus the last music well I mean I think that very often I mean people ask us about that about the musical direction and what we choose to do and I think that in general we don't really we don't over think it that much I know that we got this I mean especially now Neil you mentioned Khomeini yak and you know once again that you know the unavoidable album you know by inheritance which is like if people talk about artillery then that's the album and but I don't feel that we are thinking about it too much and I mean I mean we're just trying to do what we feel is natural for us and what we would like to hear and if we think about where we are now because I know that a lot of people think oh well we want artillery to sound like they did on the first two albums or we wanted them to sound like when when Sarah and Aidanson was the singer and but as it is right now I just I don't I mean think things are flowing quite naturally but obviously of course we wanted to have an album we would say okay it would be one thing would be to to feel this feeling of something that was moving forward and trying out new terrain and all that stuff and still also honor the you know the old elements of the band as well so it's the one part in your logic because obviously of course I have some fault in that I suppose but also of course the heavy and the thrashiest stuff but I mean we have been doing ballads as long as I've been along and and I think that it wasn't really something that I was aiming for but it was just simply something that we were trying out and and I enjoy you writing songs like that also because you can do more with it you know as in having these you know contrasts in a song where you can you know intensify riffing and then also make it you know more melodics and then you have like these contrasts going on and then and so on so but I mean this time around I also got like some lyrical help as well I mean I had a good friend of mine who helped me out on writing some of the lyrics and that helped me your mother no okay I thought maybe the devil symphony that's all your mom no but no but it helped me you know maybe look at my own writing and my own approach to vocal lines and so on so that that then maybe helped me to to maybe you know try and reinvent some stuff I think very good but also you know you know melody wise and I see as far as as the vocals go yeah sure sure so I'm hearing a couple of other influences I didn't mention yet and that was actually anthrax later era after I was not with anthrax Joey Beledon era and then also and maybe that's just certain stylings that might might have similarities but I don't know if that's an influence but also Lane Staley Alison chains harmonies I'm hearing some of that so I don't know if that's an intentional behavior or if it's just something that kind of is part of you know maybe stuff stuff that you listen to in the past that kind of in you know we all have our influences and our you know what kind of our methods yeah I mean I think that we always got stuff that are sort of like in our DNA music wise there's always stuff there that might make us do things that are reminiscent of something I mean but I always when I'm doing melodies especially when it comes to to you know the choir thing and the second harmonies and all that stuff I mean I really rely on the help of Surin he helped me a lot with that stuff so but I mean I mean yeah you know probably I mean I haven't really thought about it but I guess you're right you know because Alison chains got some cool stuff in there as well you know how many wise so you know yeah probably you know I think that's what makes you guys different than most thrash bands is that you have that melody in your voice and you're you know you've got more of a I don't know if we call it an 80s metal singer you know a lot of melody a clear singing that's a difference between you and most the majority of the thrash bands out there that even though the music is thrash the vocals are super melodic and you know especially on this album I think it's really good you guys did a great job you still keep it very you know there's there's there's still a lot of thrashing going on there's still a lot of two-step shuffle and you know I don't think that fans of artillery will be disappointed to say the least you know with that with the thrashing element it's definitely there but also there's this incredible melodic element an incredible you know variation of some different sounds going on different you know kind of different writing and I think you know it really it opens it up more for artillery I think in terms of you know maybe approaching some new territory what do you think about that yeah well I mean I hope and probably but I think that the whole I mean they when I came into the band they decided that they wanted the singer that sounded like that and I mean obviously of course playing in the thrash metal band that also divides the waters in some respects I mean I got people who said oh well it would all be very much cooler if you were like you know being more gruff and maybe scream and you know be more I wouldn't say cookie monster like but you know still in some respects like that and I'm just gonna say well you know I can't do that and now I know some other guys can and then if they can you know God bless them for it because that's what they what they do and I sound like I do and I'm just trying to do the best I can with you know with the with the stuff that I'm given so I'm very glad that you're saying that Neil because I mean then then I I know I reached my goal in some respects you know that and that's you know a great thing you know I'm just I'm doing the best I can and if that's working out I'm very grateful you know so who helped you with the lyrics and I was kidding before but who helped you with the lyrics you had a friend that he helped you with all the lyrics or just some of them oh well just some of them it turn up the rage in the in the ghost of me was written by a very nice friend of mine yes so and and yes she helped me up with this one and it's you can you can tell on them you can tell it on there on the on the record sheet it will tell who the that is you know it's a secret oh it's not a really secret but no many I mean no but I was just you know writing lyrics and then all of a sudden we start talking about that stuff and then then yeah it became something where we were you know putting lyrics back and forth and so on so that's yeah it became those two songs and I think they worked out really well so I was just happy to to bring them to the studio and and make them work and then see them grow right so yeah you know yeah really nice work on those songs especially I really enjoyed those I obviously mentioned those what about beggars in black suits what's that all about well beggars in black suits it's it's about and I wrote that one it's it's about you know we got all these charity events going on or at least we did but we always have these charity awards going on and I think that sometimes you know people are you know feeling that they and I'm going maybe I'm going to be a bit rude right now but I'm just gonna say it as it is I think that we are having all these award shows and sorry these are shows where people are putting you know they're you know holding hands and singing songs and putting money into some big bowl and then they're sending it to this or that cause but it doesn't really seem to change that much to me it's like a political tool you know it's like making people feel better about themselves and then they feel like this problem is taken care of but in reality there is no political will behind it and it's just going to stay the same it's just too precious you know you can make people you know feel that they're doing a good deed but in reality nothing really changes so the biggest and backs black suits is politicians who are holding out their hands to the general public who don't really have the money for it but they have the good hearts and they're selling those hearts you know just for you know for you know political posturing yeah political posturing yes they're smiling oh look at me look at me yeah I guess the word would be subversion yeah there you go what's Vargy Venom yes the wolf man well yes actually I mean in some respects yes it is it's an old Norse expression Valkyrium yeah yeah I mean you said it absolutely correct you know it's it's I don't know how they say they're not around anymore but it was an expression that the Vikings used when they you know they're also as you said a wolf in the Holy is the holy and especially if they committed a heinous crime but obviously of course it's a euphemism of something it's like the idea of what would you do if you were in a holy place and are you the wolf for doing your committing a crime and why are you doing it and what are these things that are making you know things holy so it's the whole but but in the lyrics I know I as I seem to dabble a bit about the whole idea of just simply being the wolf man in some respects but but overall it's it is about the whole good or bad you know reflection you know what makes you a bad person and what makes things good you know and why is it that whatever you do is deemed bad by others and yeah and so on but but yeah in some yeah that's what it is about yeah all right I didn't understand it so that's why I'm asking oh well but you're in Denmark right you're in Denmark yeah it's like King Diamond like the biggest thing in Denmark well I mean yeah you could say yeah he's like he's the King Diamond everything like I mean people like when King Diamond plays Denmark or King Diamond pizza yeah just kidding I mean does he play like arenas there no not it no not like that no I mean I think that the merciful fate in King Diamond have still maintained that sort of like I wouldn't say it's not no it's not underground because they're still playing big venues but they're not really playing arenas in Denmark no I think that they could do festivals they could probably do a Copenhagen festival right for sure yeah I mean merciful fate were booked for the Copenhagen festival so yeah they could do festivals obviously of course yes they could do their own festivals I mean they're they're quite a you know what I mean like the common person there like the milk man knows King Diamond uh yes I think he does yeah all right just want to know what the vibe is like what's the metal scene like there in in Denmark well is is it good is it bad or is okay now okay obviously now we're in covid but in general what's the metal scene like over there I think healthy I mean I think that it's a it's a it's a thriving community and I think that the community as well as it is more embracing of different genres now more than they have been for you know a long time you know in the 90s it was all about death mill and then we had a period was all about you know power metal and so on and I think that the now it's more all right to play whatever you want to play so you can go out and watch and you know and black metal show you can go out and watch a heavy metal show and it's still going to be something that people are going to you know enjoy and say that's all right it's not so narrowed down anymore and I think that's a good thing and I think that the heavy metal as well is getting more media coverage as it is now it's it's it's more accepted and so I think that in overall I think that it's it's it's all right it's pretty good yeah Neil have you been to Denmark oh yes yes I've been there more than once and we had the opportunity to play together and actually we played with the same backing band actually we did a little jam thing on the first night of the festival and Michael was playing with the band at the the I'm trying to remember the name metal magic festival yeah true they're in Frederica at the time I think they moved it to a different part of Denmark just because of the venue itself you know kind of not leasing their space or what have you they had a really cool property that had like abandoned train cars and things like that and it was a really wild scene there so we played at this this really cool festival really wonderful and you know the weather there in Denmark in the summer you know you're looking in the summertime according to the US and North America so we're over there in Europe and in Denmark and you know it's like 50 degrees during the day and it's like 40 30 degrees at night you know it's raining and and cold and and some of some of the times are warmer when the sun's out and then it gets a little colder and you got some blowing smoke so I so not unlike the weather every day there in Montreal Jimmy you know what about Lars is he like revered there like Lars Erlrich from is he like wow everybody wants to be everybody knows Lars in Denmark he's like the biggest success story out of Denmark I get I get Lars from Metallica everybody Lars from Metallica I'm just gonna get the idea of what it's like to live there and the music I think that I mean by you know I think that bands like Volbeat have been doing a lot of good general community in the acceptance of rock and metal and so on because I think that Michael Paulson has been doing a great job at sort of like exposing these important figures of music you know in that genre and I think that that have given a more of an understanding of what Lars Erlrich has been doing for these many years because I think that Lars has been having a long career with Metallica and maybe the most successful metal band of all time and I think that I think that in these years I think that he's been you know really approached and liked and and looked upon as being you know a successful musician but also an interesting person and and someone you can relate to now I don't think that it was the same 20 years ago I think that people have thought him maybe to be a little bit more of a rock star in those days but I think that if you go out and ask people now on the street whether they like him like him or not I think they they would say that they like him as a person I think but he's like he is the that successful homeboy you know what I mean the successful local like the milk man knows who he is yeah I don't even if there are milk men anymore they're an even milk man no I don't think so oh I think the guy who sells the milk at the grocery store does he know who he is I think they deliver it by drone now that's how old I am we had milk man when I was young Neil we had milk man now they got drones that's right uber drones did you have a milk man when you were growing up Michael uh no I mean no I think we're older than you they had cows Jimmy no like they had cows well I don't think you guys are that much older than I am well I'm 52 Neil's what 53 54 398 and Michael how old are you how old are you like you're 45 I'm 25 yeah you're still rock man who cares no I'm 40 I'm 41 yeah oh yeah you're young so yeah you missed the milk man era you missed it by 10 years so we used to have these guys deliver our milk to us yeah yeah it's like you had to you have to have a milk man Jimmy that was a 60s man no I had milk man here in Canada we had milk man it didn't last long but we had milk man and they were hockey players too that's right they used to do a slap shot onto your plate Denmark's gotta you know they play hockey there too in Denmark yeah they do yeah yeah they play hockey Europe Europe League they play in the summer it's frozen but but you know what strange enough Neil Neil knew Lars back in the day back in the uh the Jamaica Jam house back in the in New York right oh yeah well we know we knew Lars uh even in LA too I mean I met up with Lars the cat house one time he gave me his phone number he wrote he wrote Lars metallic crap on the on the piece of paper and I think they were playing uh they're gonna go play the LA Coliseum it was the monsters rock so that's what was happening around there I think it was the 90s actually Michael are you ever gonna do or maybe you have I don't think so like a live album of sort of like you know you you know the older stuff the inheritance era you know like and then you know with your voice are you planning on doing something like that well I mean I I have been having this idea for quite a few years actually that we would do this blu-ray whatever and nowadays you have it where blu-rays are gone maybe DVD yeah okay go ahead where you have like a show recent show and then you would have maybe you know all the music videos on there as well and maybe all the recordings as well I would love to have that and I've been pushing the idea for quite a few years and I hope maybe now we could do that but obviously of course due to covid we don't really know when but obviously it would be great to have a big show where we could do that I'm sure you have some some recordings regardless you have live show recordings right yeah we do yeah we have a few I mean we have a few really good ones actually we have one where we which we did in Germany we actually got that one so we definitely just release it if you want to and I remember that when we were doing Kawasaki in Japan together with Exodus and Sanctuary in Voivon that was also an option maybe that we could buy out that because that was TV transmitted oh wow so so that that could be something as well that would be really cool so I would love to do that and I mean I'm a huge you know nerd myself when it comes to having everything that a band has released and I would love to have I like to see your I like to hear your voice on the older and the newer material you know like a complete concert like that I think it would be great yeah I mean me too I would love that you must have sound listen out we want to make a live album I mean I had the privilege and honor of hearing that that what you're talking about pretty much every night on the tour with artillery and yeah chromaniac Michael was always on point and the band was always on point and I gotta also mention that you know the band artillery just the greatest group of guys I mean you know as far as camaraderie and participation and just people that actually care about one another to care about the other bands that care about you know personnel and just you know the fans I mean just really a great band to be on the road with I mean it's like in the bands that I've been in it's it's always been like well these guys are like a family you know and it's like why can't it be like that you know always and you know but such a tight knit family and and you know I found myself on on the road hanging with artillery because they're just very very accepting very warm people and I remember Michael we were on the boat going to Victoria Island and that was one of the times where I'm trying to remember we were crossing yeah we were crossing over from the US for the third time and you know that was a challenge it's like okay well we went in through this port now we're going through the other port now it's through you know the Vancouver and Victoria Island side and you know we're just a band touring you know bands touring we weren't doing anything out of you know that's illegal or anything like that just trying to get our instruments and play the show it's you know it wasn't like you know there was anything illicit or anything like that it was just like hey we're crossing over it's just the way the tour was routed was so I think just everybody and I saw that tour like I looked at it and just everybody gets an understanding if you put it in the US perspective you go from New York to LA and back to New York it just doesn't make any sense and back to Chicago again but I remember I've got photos even we're on the boat and that was a lot of fun it was like we're on a vacation of sorts for five minutes that we're on this this this ferry boat you know it was surreal and we're going to this this venue over in Victoria Island and I guess this venue is kind of like some old casino or some kind of weird little shin dig of a place it was just like one of these old 70s early 80s kind of you know decor places I don't know if you recall that that place just just guys somebody says Jimmy recall really Canada still had milkmen in the 70s they were long gone when I was growing up I think let me just tell everybody about this milkman thing all right I was born in 68 so that up until 75 when I was a little kid and I was drinking milk because I told you drink milk we had guys deliver milk cartons outside our door but it did get phased out before the 80s that stopped I wasn't in the era of those glass bottles Neil in New York did you have milkmen man I was there when they were pulling a horse in carriage and they had they had him in a metal ball and Abe Lincoln said I was looking kind of old so you know wondering you know I was wondering should I grow a beard or something you know I don't know anyway yeah they told we were drinking milk man they were telling us drink milk drink it's like the worst thing for you but they kept telling us to drink milk in school in school did you guys have this yeah we do have gave us free they gave us free milk at school so the school bought milk from the farmers so they could give kids free milk they wanted us to be addicted to milk from a young age it's like they were giving us free cigarettes you know what I mean man if I was in Canada and I was a kid I would have protested for Lobots and Molson because that's the right way these are the milk stories the untold milk stories the trauma so when you guys were kids in Canada did you guys drink Lobots and Molson like when the parents weren't looking what was going on there well you know here let me just tell you something about Canada it's probably a lot like Denmark the the legal drinking age is 18 in Montreal it still is but that's just a suggestion right like Europe it's just a suggestion I mean if you kind of looked 18 they let you in if you had a fake a really fake a bad idea they let you in when I used to go to New York to visit my family I mean it was hardcore man it was like 21 you need an ID a picture you need a passport Canada is nothing like that I used to go pick up cigarettes for my uncles and beers for my uncles and they couldn't care less that was growing up then that's what I'm saying is Denmark like that well yes 18 just a suggestion no I mean you you must be 18 to drink and but you could buy alcohol when you're 16 and I think that if you bring a nice litter from your parents and you're picking up some some booze for them you're gonna you know it's going to be fine the local shop letter yeah letter yeah little Jimmy is allowed to pick up a bottle it's going to be fine I remember I remember trying to buy cigarettes in Florida and I wasn't I don't think I was I think it was like 19 I couldn't they wouldn't let me buy cigarettes and like and but here in Montreal it's like nice to buy I was like five I was buying people's cigarettes for my uncles and yeah yeah so Michael has the writing process changed since you've joined artillery since you know the beginning till now and with this lat latest album you know artillery 10 is there um you know are you I mean is there a certain process that you go through or is there a few different processes that in other words you take riffs or you take lyrics and work from that or you take you know maybe ideas and from each member or is it primarily you know one person that comes up with certain ideas and brings it to the other people in the band or is it you that comes up with it and brings it to other people different methods well I mean I have you know first of all I would like to say thank you very much for all the nice words which is said about you know the whole trip the tour and so on you know I have to address that because before I go on because you know it was really nice to tour with you and it was a nice trip to Victoria Island as well and I do remember that very interesting venue as well and just to finish that off I would just like to say that the thing is about you know being together and being together as a band I mean I know that I read I think that Rob Holford once said that you don't necessarily have to be friends with the people that you're in the band with that the band is a very weird creature and I tend to agree but the thing is that in the end you're still spending time and I think that if you're spending time with people it's better to have a good time than not to and I think that you know you you know you you you learn a lot about people if you're spending time with them and you'll let yourself be open to them and that makes you you know whiter on yourself so that's I think that's that's the approach that we have been having obviously of course we are having roles as well and being you know having disagreements and so on so that's not like that but in the end the end of the day you know having an argument that goes on for too long is just a waste of time so but anyway moving on to the next question the thing is that I think that the the creative process has always been like in two parts for us the one of them has been that Michael and Morden and now also Crane the new guitarist is preparing you know melodies and riffs and so on and then they are sending him to me and you know we're having like this drop box thing going and I I flesh out the lyrics but I always start just simply with the with the title actually because I'm very much inspired by by words and by books and you know literature is the key to me to to sort of like hang on to something or to have like a you know a small piece of you know a line that's that I really like then I just simply go from there and and then we we just simply tend to meld it together you know and that's the way it works and then when we are recording the other guys would be in the studio and they say well Michael it sounds like nothing like it should be in there you know I have to change that and sometimes I had to ride on the spot and sometimes I have some stuff I prepared that I might you know just simply put in so and that's the way it's been just from the very beginning you know artillery is very much you know sometimes you spend what type of teacher are you uh you know I mean I I teach adults but it's like public school level in some respect you know but I'm teaching Danish English psychology and yeah you could say it's so there's a lot of thought in what you put in your writing in your literature you know it's it's you right yeah I mean usually your background sort of dictates how you know you want to write and you approach writing you know I try to I mean I I mean I'm a huge I mean I love at Gelenpo you know I love Lovecraft I love Stephen King uh Oscar Wilde all that stuff I mean I really like those old guys you know and the good thing about you know I know this is maybe especially for you know people who are familiar with it but you know a poem like The Raven by at Gelenpo is a poem that you could read you know maybe in some respects literally but you can also read it from with a you know with all the depth there is to it you know there is another level there's another dimension and I think that good lyrics have that and I mean I try to to put that in there sometimes you can but sometimes it's it's possible hopefully just a little bit and I think that's that's good you know because then it gets accessible for more people than just simply you know this song is about you know well how about Moors I don't know if I'm pronouncing this right Moors ontogia yeah like how do you pronounce them ontoglika uh yeah it's last Moors ontologica ontologica okay yeah ontologica and and that's actually from another that's from American writer Philip K. Dick the guy who wrote uh Blade Runner uh to Andrew Blade Runner yeah now you're talking yeah he uh he wrote another novel it's called A Scan of Darkly and it's about this drug it's called you know death and um uh they are talking about you know if you're doing that drug you will you will find this flower you could use for that share you know is more is Moors actually Latin for death yes and what day which is uh you know malt which is the Latin okay gotcha yeah and so a direct translation is the death of the spirit you know the death of being who you are and to me that was a really scary thing because one thing is that you might die off you know physically that's one thing but you know if you die in the spirit that to me is really scary and that get me you know that got me started with also the whole pandemic thing because now we are not sort of like having to face ourselves every day you know sometimes you you don't really know what to do because all you have to do is you know spending time with yourself perhaps and then it gets really relevant that you know who you are and and the value of being who you are and defining that and so that's a gift and when people are starting to do something to themselves that might take that away that to me is uh is a very scary thing you know you're making yourself disappear by by by either doing drugs or drinking yourself into a stupor every day or whatever you do and that's to me is like the death of the spirit you know or maybe just simply giving up you know you give up on life um sometimes it's your own choice sometimes it's not you know but but it's still a very scary thought so that's why I went with that yeah I know it's good I like how you you really care about the words you know that that's you know it's admirable you know even when we were talking with burning witch uh with Laura from burning witch before her too she put a lot of thought in the lyrics that she was writing more mythical but nevertheless thought you know and that's cool so do you have a I wanted to ask you I Jimmy Jimmy stole my thunder on the question about the uh literary influences but you know right in point right in line with the questioning as you were talking about it I just wanted to ask you if there's any challenges challenging authors that you know as you were maybe discovering some of these authors I mean of course you know in school and probably the course material typically in different countries I mean I'm sure Shakespeare's thrown into the mix and other types of literary um you know brilliant authors I do like people like Mark Twain just because there's a lot of wisdom I like uh you know Buchowski there's nothing with Charles Buchowski I mean there's quite a few interesting and deep thinkers and I just wonder you know as someone who really appreciates that that Raulman reads a lot and and his current reading I mean has there been certain authors that you find to be you know challenging just to even understand what is it that they're trying to say you know I remember trying to read John Steinbeck in school and uh you know George Orwell and trying to understand some of these concepts and uh you know it's kind of strange that we're kind of living through that now but I just wonder you know from your perspective trying to did you ever find that you know it didn't really connect at that point maybe at a school time level early on but then it started coming together with certain ones that were challenging maybe Shakespeare maybe others I wonder you know J.R. Tolkien I mean some of these authors are some of them are complex you know and you need to have kind of a perspective to understand where they're coming from yeah I mean I think that some authors authors you are approaching maybe early on and then later on you realize that you didn't really get it right or maybe just you know thought it would be something else I'm currently reading Frank Herbert's The Dune novels you know there's six of them that Frank Herbert wrote are you are you are you reading this in English or you're reading this in uh Danish in English oh wow it's pretty commendable yeah well I mean I think that's the way it's written and I try to to you know better my my English skills as much as I can you know but I mean I I I realized at some point because I read the first three novels many many years ago and then I was like stuck because I couldn't really you know it's getting tough on me just like you said Neil that sometimes you know you're like oh I mean maybe I need to have a little bit of fresh air here or maybe I don't really get it then I started out reading the last three novels and then I realized that the point that that Frank Herbert is trying to make here is that we must be very very careful of what societies we create and how how we are looking upon the whole approach to existence when it comes to to you know living together in a in a society that's a galactic but because there could be possibly you know if we don't die of ourselves you know you know some horrible thing but the responsibility that lies within that and then how we could move in a very scary and wrong direction if it comes to the focus of in this case melange which is this like you know uh the spies for those of you who haven't read it which is like this we're getting into the book club at territory we're getting into book club there yeah but I mean okay well just to be fast about it I mean I think that that okay it's okay I'm just kidding like you gotta know that about me I just kind of like I have to break the the sort of seriousness for a while yeah we have to lighten up just a comic relief that's what yeah well but I mean I read a lot of philosophy I because I studied that as well and I think that to read about especially the Greek philosophers back the day that to me is always something that's giving something back and Aristotle wrote a lot of great stuff there because even though it's more than 2000 years ago he can still be appearing funny because he's so logical you know he's sometimes saying things you know what is gravity well gravity is because one thing is seeking another thing you know that's the way gravity works there you go have another one yeah cheers something's out there in your window who's that your window I see it's actually a window yes it is yeah but someone's there yeah well someone just walked by okay I wanted to ask you know as far as some of the the stories on the road I mean you guys have toured with artillery so many places around the world and I'm sure you must have some pretty cool stories I know a story that you I'll let you elaborate on but I know one that happened in Canada I won't say we're yet because I'll I'll see if you have that story because we have I'm sure more than one story but I just wonder some stories that you have from your experiences with artillery and some of the odd things that you've experienced maybe in Latin America or in United States or in Canada or in Europe I'm sure there's all kinds of good things even that happen in Europe and you know certain eastern countries and so forth yeah well we got a lot of stories and I think I think I know what story you're hinting at when it comes to Canada because that's the whole story about the blizzard right we almost died due to you know running out of gasoline in the middle of the night where a very I don't know what you would say where your enthusiastic driver was it was Mikey at the time who was the drummer of onslaught who whose grandfather was a race driver in the 50s in in wales or something and I I think that he thought that he inherited the the abilities to drive and he was swearing words that I would never mention public gay you know as he was swearing and you couldn't see a thing it was just like white all over just like heavy blizzard you guys where were you like in north of Canada yeah I think we were under Bay Area where the Rocky Mountains we went coast to coast and we had a high that was coming because I remember it snowing back then I was like it must have been up north somewhere like really high up north we were on the other side of the Rocky Mountains we were coming from Winnipeg then we went to yeah Winnipeg's probably and then we went through to it must have been October though you're there because I remember it was cold but I didn't remember it was at least a month we went across from Winnipeg and we went to I'm trying to think I know we went to Calvary but I'm thinking we went to the last stop was all the way deep into oil town and Edmonton yeah Edmonton so we we went to Edmonton and it was like the biggest drive to go from Edmonton to Vancouver so I was part of the one of the drivers you know so it was Mikey and myself and you know some other folks might help out driving but it was primarily us driving the people people don't realize it's a five-day drive to go from one end to the other of Canada that's if anything so five days so so Mikey thought oh we'll just get gas later oh yeah good luck with that so here's what here's what I remember so we went to this gas station at three in the morning because that was to just get gas later we'll just get gas later you know get hot dogs and gas and fill up on some french fries and some yeah you can't you can't get hot dogs and gas in Canada like you can go to Tim Hortons and maybe get a burger coffee yeah probably a burger and I'm like I ain't eating this I mean I was lucky that Tim Hortons had a bagel you know I'm like okay that'll work I mean at least it comes from somewhere other than Tim Hortons but and then we ended up going we were driving there's there's a main road and then there's another road so all the guys wanted to go to McDonald's or somewhere like that and I'm like I won't even touch the door handle there but I'll go to the health food store and go get some juice or some fruit or something that's like in Canada everything's frozen you know like you don't have any nothing's growing it's a tundra right it's the winter like you can't even get a strawberry well the thing is about you gotta know about Canada you can go for like miles without seeing a gas station if you're in the wrong part of the country or a strawberry field or or now that you might see at the side of the road but really I'm going I'm coming back then when it's a possible but uh yeah so we're so we're going through Edmonton and it was really cold in Winnipeg but I remember that at our hotel it's like I was I know Michael was saying that you really get to know people when you're on the road with them you're spending time together and you know the the the artillery guys were lovely people just amazing people like family and they were very warm and accepting and we hung out a lot and it was amazing and the vx 36 guys are really you know nice guys too very cool it was a band that you know had some people that joined them but they were great guys and so we're you know used to being together and we're a team you know we're trying to be and then I was in the room with about three people I mean I was supposed to have my own room and then it turned into okay you'll have a bed and then another person will have a bed then it turned into you know I'm sharing the room with three people well for me myself and two other people so when we got to I think Winnipeg sorry we don't have uh two hotel rooms we've got one so it's like five people plus the crew you know in one bed you know like like you got seven people in a bed they're all guys you know and then they try to they try to you know they try to lambast me in the press in the media but regardless it's like this is not what I signed up for seven people in a bed and you know three weeks to learn everything before everything was finalized to get on board you know I'm not trying to rehash that but it's just like you really get to know some things that you know had you known it beforehand it's like if you knew you were taking a test in three weeks you would have prepared the last three months like really hard if you if it was confirmed that you were going to be scheduled for that date sort of thing but it was really scary when we got to this gas station I remember it was an ESO station because they don't have them in America anymore and uh we're out there and they had you know they put up the sign sorry closed till 6 a.m so we're out there for I think it was 3 a.m we're out there three hours below 50 degrees below zero weather somewhere around there and we're in this van and there's no gas we can't even like we need it for the battery just to charge a phone or something we we don't want to use up the last drops of gas and we're there right right at the gas pump we're parked right at the gas pump and we're waiting for this place to open at 6 a.m you know and it'd be nice if they had a bathroom and a coffee too you know or or an orange and a banana you know we're we're like I mean it was like we were tired we were on the road hard and not getting a lot of sleep and running hard and there we were at this at this rest station and we didn't know if we're gonna wake up and be a nice cube frozen to death and they you know call the coroner's office in the morning dead you know I remember I remember Montreal you know you you know I saw you guys both of you and I remember there was a lot of tension there was a lot of tension because you were a lot of tension there I didn't know what was going on but I was going wait a second wait a second I felt a lot of tension there a lot of tension in the air well I was just trying to have a good time and that's why I was hanging out with artillery because they're they're they're great guys and I had a great time with them yeah that's cool all right so let's wrap this up we had a nice little chat guys a little nice a Friday night chat uh coming out May the 7th artillery X or 10 whatever you want to call it yeah me and Neil heard it we were blessed to get to hear it beforehand and it's aces man you got to go and get that artillery 10 album and check it out it's really good and I would say absolutely I guess out of the three that you've done you've done what are which one do you do do I have them here no you've done this guy here right is a great album too penalty by per penalty by perception right mm-hmm face the fear yeah and and legions as well but uh well you think I didn't have it hey look at that look I got all three there's a fault coming up yeah with me on it yeah so I mean you've been in the band a long time now so we're looking forward to it we're looking forward to hopefully a tour eventually yeah and great talking to you and Neil thanks a lot for jumping on thank you we really talked for an hour straight but it's okay we had good fun talked about uh Neil's adventures talked about your adventures we talked about my milk adventures especially to the milk adventures that was the best part I think that was that was really something you know that's right I bet you I bet you when King Diamond was growing up in Copenhagen when he was growing up he had a milk man yeah he did for sure that's why he got that voice you know he was forced to drink milk you know that's like where it comes from you know I think and the closing question is how much beard how much beer was consumed by by death by artillery and the death writers you know by you guys in my band in Denmark when we were at Metal Magic by the end of the last day how much how much beer do you remember there was I think the last the last night or I think when Uli Roth day was when he when his band was playing the day after my band played and that was the day after he played yeah it was a three day or so so I'm just wondering like three kegs you guys pretty did you guys drink a lot of that is that what happens at the at these festivals in Denmark tell us what happens I mean I think Denmark is just like every day there it's like they just drink that much beer in that place wasn't it yeah I mean I think that in this festival Metal Magic I think people tend to drink just a little bit more than they are usually doing but I I mean I I think that um it's quite plausible that we were drinking quite a bit I think everyone was having a lot of fun there was a few you know non not us but other folks that were pretty much like you know one that fell asleep I think there was a photograph of someone that fell asleep because they were so drunk and they fell asleep sitting up against the wall and people were posing with them stuff like that it was just it was a good time and the people were so gracious and kind and and it was you know even the artists were just hanging out together what are they called them people from Denmark the Markians Danish Danish Danish Danish it's not the Markians right no not Denmark I made that up I knew it was Danish yeah again you see what I do you see what I do when everything's serious I throw out a curve lighting it up that's what I do making it all a party that's good that's right that's right all right man thank you so much for being on Michael we're gonna talk to you guys and artillery Michael and you know my condolences again to Michael Stutzer and really looking forward to when you guys can get back out on the road and hopefully back over to the states and North America again in Latin America yep yep all right man have a good good night everybody much success the new album listen to the new album yes yes artillery x a metal blade