It rode up on hell's hot wing, a heavy metal album with its feet defiantly planted in the past which nonetheless had to be taken seriously: _Heavy Metal Chainsaw_. Of course, Metalucifer -- lead by Sabbat (Japan) frontman Gezol (aka Gezolucifer and Geniesoluzifer) -- had already delivered such an album with 1997's _Heavy Metal Drill_ [CoC #33], but with _HMC_ they bettered themselves ten times over. In the West, _HMC_ saw Metalucifer leave the ultra-small underground imprint Iron Pegasus (run by Costa Stoios of Tales of the Macabre 'zine) to join the growing ranks of small, US-based underground label Rest In Peace. After its release early last year, _HMC_ began slowly but surely to garner ever more praise and interest from around the globe. Metalucifer played Germany's Wacken festival in the summer and, at year's end, topped at least one leading extreme music magazine's end of year poll. It may sound like just another story of a band who were marginalised by distribution restrictions finally getting the exposure they needed to reach a wider audience, but I think many of us doubted Metalucifer would ever get anywhere. Great as they are, Metalucifer are so god-damned excessively old school heavy metal that you'd think there'd be no place for them in today's scene. But if you thought that, perhaps you just weren't looking hard enough -- or for the right things -- when you cast your eye over the metal scene, looking for a place to park Metalucifer. Old school metal is really growing again, in popularity and quality; Wolf's ultra D'Anno-era-'Maiden styled _Black Wings_ made an impact almost as surprising as _HMC_'s last year. Perhaps the ground -is- still fertile for a band as dedicated to old school metal as Metalucifer. Who knows? In fact, who really cares? I think I'll just get back to my headbanging and let you get on with reading what Gezol had to say. Oh, and just in case you're confused, this interview was conducted in early 2002: before Metalucifer's Wacken performance. (Apologies for the time-lag.)
*[Disclaimer of sorts: I have left most of Gezol's sentences as they were because I feel his "Engrish" (see
http://www.engrish.com for an explanation of this term, if necessary) has a certain charm to it -- also, even meticulous rewriting might well not convey what was -meant- by a given passage, even if it might read more cleanly. One other good reason to leave things as they were was that this was an email interview -- what you see here is all that I had to go on. That said, I actually think Gezol's answers are perfectly understandable -- even if a second reading is required to fully grasp the meaning of some sections/sentences. I think the best way to 'get' what Gezol is saying is to get into his mindset, into the -spirit- of what is being said. If you can do that, I think you'll not only be able to find out a lot about what goes on and has gone on with Metalucifer, Geniezoluzifer and Sabbat, but you'll also start to understand how much passion and sincerity, I believe, lies behind Gezol's words.]
(Credit: Translated by Yohta Takahashi / HMSS / FETU)
CoC: In what circumstances did Metalucifer first form? What was the thought (if any) behind forming a traditional heavy metal band like Metalucifer?
Geniezoluzifer/Gezol: First of all, the Metalucifer project was born in a very simple reason that I just wanted to play a sort of traditional metal music with pureness. I was... I was an innocent pure guy for metal, a traditional one.
Around 1984 when Sabbat was founded in the countryside of Japan, the world metal scene was at the very beginning of the thrash metal movement. Me and other members of early Sabbat were of course so young to understand the situation that we directed ourselves to play a kind of satanic metal. Sabbat was in a part of Japanese metal underground as pioneer satanic/black/thrash metal and performed violently, as the scene people expected of a satanic band. Yes, we were young. We put all our energy into our stage and always storms of violence blew up on our stage. And in my opinion, playing music as Sabbat was much better benefit for me to let metal fans understand what I want to express. Yes, that's satanic metal at the moment. Still now I haven't changed this thought. Sabbat can sound what I really want to do through metal. However, I have kept listening to traditional/typical metal music besides playing in Sabbat. From NWOBHM to Euro/US power metal, my ears were hungry for various metal. I just love metal! So I can't remember exactly, but one day in the very past I got an idea to form a band to play a sort of -traditional- metal, not as Sabbat.
Well, time run so fast and back in 1995 I thought, "The time has come." In 1995, I think the scene of traditional/typical metal was totally declined. Maybe there were a few bands in the very underground around the time who would be the core of today's (2000-2001) new metal movement. But the scene itself at that time was "fulfilled" with thousands of black/doom/death metals. And it was crisis for pure metals, that many of these brutal bands were trying to do cross-over music with quite different kind of sound far from metal. I asked myself, "Gezol, can you accept this situation?", "Gezol, what can you see in the future of metal scene with such crossover shits?", "Gezol, now is the time and chance to look over the real substance of heavy metal, isn't it?". These self-questionnaires and rage against the scene brought me a pure spirit for metal. Not only to destroy the crossovers with my pure metal, but to bring hammer down on the semi-critics who proudly said, "METAL IS DEAD". I wanted to prove traditional/typical metal isn't dead. It lives forever. Rise it from the dead!!!!
Let me say something about traditional/typical metal. I think the base of this metal has already been developed out in the end of the Eighties. Of course digital technology brought a kind of revolution to the sound quality, later. But about composing, I think the traditional metal got its final style with _Painkiller_ by Judas Priest, Blind Guardian and Helloween. Metal bands of today are trying to make a good song in the categorised field even if they're well aware that there are no new ideas coming up. Can you make a masterpiece metal song by using these accomplished ideas/phrases/rhythms? Is it impossible for us to do it? I wanted to prove: YES, WE CAN! That was the core-reason why Metalucifer appeared suddenly in mid-Nineties. Metalucifer shows we can make the awesome great metal songs by using Eighties ideas only. I want to say to you, "YOU NEED THIS ONES WE ARE PLAYING NOW, YOU LOVE OUR MUSIC IN REAL, DON'T YOU!? DON'T YOU!?
And I think modern black/death metals are one of the results of the development of speed/power metal affected by thrash/grind/HC. Dividing by so-called speed/thrash as the border-line, the metal is categorised in two: black/death/doom, and the other one is traditional/typical/speed/thrash. I had known that there were many and many traditional/typical metal fans in the musicians of black/death metals too, so my strategy was to blow 'em up with simple Metalucifer sound and let them be sympathise with us -- and also let them be big Metalucifer fans... And then... we can possibly make a giga-wave in the metal scene! I think true metal fans are listening to any kinds of metal music from NWOBHM to brutal metals. Metalucifer should be one of their heavy rotations!
However, to tell you the truth, I didn't expect to get such great reactions from whole world. I thought that was a kind of miracle for Metalucifer to release the second full-length on US/German labels, and additionally we are going to play at the Wacken Open Air!! In the very beginning of this project, I just wanted to play heavy metal in my ideal. And I did it. Of course I had many inspirations and thoughts mentioned above along with this project, but it don't matter. My first priority was to play what I really wanted. I had confidence in the songs, but my pronunciation and lyrics were too kiddish Japanese-English. Technique and sound itself were based in the Eighties one. I was a bit anxiety wondering if the young metal fans would say "No" to Metalucifer. But now the reactions sided on me. My project Metalucifer was accepted by the scene and I can proudly say, "METAL is SPIRIT!" People want high-level masterpiece and metal anthems anytime.
CoC: Your first full-length, _Heavy Metal Drill_ [CoC #33], was released by the Iron Pegausus "label", run by the editor of Tales of the Macabre, in Europe (and the US?). How did the deal with RIP come about, and how did you feel about Iron Pegasus's release of _HMD_?
G: Before the release of Metalucifer's Euro version CD on Iron Pegasus, I pressed 1000 copies of the original version of _HMD_ album on my own Evil / Metal Proof label in 1996. It was fate that Sabbat had a German tour next year and the owner of Iron Pegasus was in front of our stage and... he was very impressed with our performance. He was also into Metalucifer sound and offered us the release of Euro version on his label. Anyway, he made 1000 copies of _HMD_ and sold it out in a year. I was really proud of the release in Germany and satisfied with the situation, that many European metal freaks had got a chance to listen to Metalucifer. Well, Iron Pegasus helped us to spread the name of Metalucifer to the edge of the world. The metal scene of today is based mainly in Northern/Mid/Latin Europe. Getting good reactions from the mid-Europe was very effective for us to let people in Asia / America / Latin America be interested in Metalucifer. Fortunately Metalucifer has got more and more fans than I expected, except UK.... One English man wrote me, "Metalucifer is ultimate! But too late. It must be come 10 years ago." Something like that. Uh, he couldn't catch my spirit and faith for metal. Probably English men, not only him, want to say "Metalucifer is an anachronism, old-fashioned, etc." I am okay to his opinion if he is really honest to the music of Metalucifer. But I want to ask you English men, what is going on with the UK metal scene of today? Is there any new metal bands coming up and any new scene or movements in the underground? I haven't heard any news from UK today. Before criticise my UNIQUE vocal style (laugh), what you English men should do is to look over yourselves and your scene!
In my opinion, these English critics are not honest to heavy metal music as art work, because you are always mentioning the ability to speak English when you guys review bands from non-English areas, especially from Asia. Heavy metal is artwork of spirit! To tell you the secret, Iron Pegasus was very afraid when they decided to release Sabbat/Metalucifer albums in Europe, saying like this, "That's desperate war for Iron Pegasus to promote a Japanese band in the current European scene because of kamikaze-English". Haha, but it was easy for me to guess there was also prejudice existing in European mind to Asian playing metal. However, Costa of Iron Pegasus challenged that risky game and carried out to blow up the scene with Metalucifer/Sabbat. And his belief in metal sympathised American RIP records, I guess. Well, I had already spread 100 copies of _HMD_ album to US distributors before getting touch with RIP. I don't know how they were interested in Metalucifer and I don't care of such matter right way. And what I can remember now about RIP Record was that the owner rang up me but was ripped by my Samurai-English, haha! He wanted to release some Sabbat albums on his label at the first contact on the phone, but one day he changed the subject to Metalucifer. Please ask him why.
(Stan (RIP): I did call him on a phone once and yeah it was way too kamikaze for me but I never dropped the idea of Sabbat on RIP. Actually the new album will most likely be released thru RIP, so be forewarned!)
G: Iron Pegasus advised me that it was much better for Sabbat/Metalucifer to have a contract with an American label if we wanted to go America. So all of us -- me, RIP and Iron Pegasus -- had a discussion about the contract offer from RIP and got the best result, I see. Well anyway, the things went so naturally with the Sabbatical circle and Metalucifer's strong impact to the metal scene. Actually Metalucifer is under control of Iron Pegasus and we trust on the label perfect. They have done tons of benefit on Sabbat/Metalucifer and I respect him, of course. I get agreement from Iron Pegasus about the issues of any offers according to Metalucifer. No need to have a new contract with Iron Pegasus about our management, because I trust on him 100%. That's SAMURAI's mind.
CoC: Would you say Metalucifer are "a serious band"?
G: Metalucifer is not "BAD NEWS"! And in my opinion, Metallica of today is more comical than us. Metalucifer is definitely not a comic band, but really a serious band. We are not playing music as parody of Eighties music. To prove for this, I put on _HMD_ album some Sabbat songs which were written in mid-Eighties when Sabbat was at beginning. And there is no comic bands of metal without technique and ability. So-called comic bands can let people enjoy because they are highly technical and performing super. Metalucifer is an old-metal band being totally against atmospheric epic/symphonic metal which is under influence of Rhapsody or Angra! Hey, I guess these atmospheric epic/symphonic metal fans whom brains have meltdown in eating too enough McDonald's will judge us down as a joke metal band if they have a chance to listen to Metalucifer, haha. But that's not my business.
I would like to tell you one episode about one Finnish metal fan. One day, the guy had had a dinner listening to Metalucifer. Unfortunately that was his first time to listen to Metalucifer music. And when his CD player turned to "Heavy Metal Hunter", he couldn't stop spitting out the things in his mouth because of funny sound. The things flew 5 meters away! Well, he couldn't have the dinner at the night because he couldn't stop laughing all night. But... from next day he couldn't stop headbanging and Metalucifer became his heavy rotation. I think he could understand what Metalucifer means and what I really wants to say. That's METAL!
CoC: Do you care how 'the scene', 'the media' or other collective opinions on metal see Metalucifer? Do you have any opinion on the state of metal today, or any proclamation to make as to what Metalucifer are going to do about it?
G: Honestly I am totally not taking care of media saying. Anybody has any different opinions about artworks. FEELING is not given by critic's words, but by LISTENING ONESELF to the music. There are countless reviews by many fans and these opinions direct the intention of the scene itself. It's a very important factor that the environment of Metalucifer movement and affection consist simply of these general metal fan's opinions! We welcome metallers arguing about the metal scene or Metalucifer. But I just do what I want to play. I just want to reach to the ideal style of ultimate metal. And also I am doing Sabbat with the same attitude with different members.
Sometimes I read some "GOOD" reviews for Metalucifer on medias. But sadly some of them are not so serious to our music that I got mad at the writers. Not only about Metalucifer, but always MEDIA lies. I am sad that many unable writers do ugly articles without understanding metal music. It's too hard for us to find true faithful writers in current scene. So I could say, the most important thing for the scene people, especially fans, is to judge yourself with your own ears. It's stupid to believe what the media says blindly. Not only the media can make the scene, but need your power!
The main message of Metalucifer is, saying frankly, that I hope the countries like the UK will revive the metal scene. I guess you English men have always looked down on other countries and still now you guys haven't been noticed your stupidity. Like Mini-cooper and fish & potato, what you can make brag of is Iron Maiden & Judas Priest only. Certainly NWOBHM was a legend. The movement left countless metal classics and still now bands like Saxon, Tank and Motorhead is going on. And you have some bands like Curdle of Filth and Bolt Thrower following... but... but... what's the reason why your country cannot have a new band of traditional/typical metal coming up nowadays? Is there no scene in the UK for that kind of metal? Are your young people dead out? Don't you have any rebellious spirit against heavy music featuring stupid RAPS???? Even our Japan -- known as a developing country for metal music -- we have some strong newcomers and the scene is beating hard. Nobody in Japan mentions Loudness anymore. When you got the NWOBHM, it was the real glory for the UK scene. UK was the sanctuary for every metal fans as their destination. However, I want to ask you again. Was it really over now? You English-spoken people are sometimes saying stupidity like this "WE'RE ALWAYS NO.1 IN THE WORLD", but do you know that the metal-THIRD countries like Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Mexico, Czech, Hungary, Greece have got tons of new bands and getting the new scene bigger and bigger these days? In old time, Japanese metal fans only listened to English-singing bands because of prejudice, but now they open mind to ethnic vocal styles and accept bands singing in own language like French, Spanish and Eastern block language. This time, I put the song called "Lost Sanctuary" in the end of the new album. This is my message to UK people and the scene; "We hit the road to new sanctuary. The time has come. What we need is new place to get the new glory." I think that being proud of the past glory is transient. New-aged fans cannot understand the glory in the past. There is no future for the UK scene if you can't say bye to the "great" glory and stupid pride. Now is the time to brave new world. I really hope the UK scene will be back to the forefront with new metal anthems.
Anyway, the traditional heavy metal scene in the UK is totally dead now. And Metalucifer proves METAL AIN'T DEAD YET. That's my conclusion right away. The world must be into the chaos of metal war. Anybody can join in the war and battle for getting the better result. To polish up each other, this kind of war is benefit for the future of the scene. I hope UK bands will think forward to my suggestion... and join us.
CoC: Metalucifer's music is unashamedly unoriginal -- and I love it. But what would you say people who: a) claimed that Metalucifer are a pointless band, because people would be better off listening to HM records that are genuinely old; b) claimed that Metalucifer are a pointless band, because they're not as good as Primal Fear, Hammerfall or other 'true metal' bands?
G: As I told you before, I think the basic development of traditional/typical metal has already been completed by many bands in the past. Can you see something very new in today's bands playing that music? The main theme for the bands of today is how to compose unique songs which give listeners strong impression and braving spirit. Hey, I could say, the sound with all very original methods cannot be METAL. You know what I mean and you know Metalucifer proved it, so in result you're possessed by Metalucifer, aren't you?
A) So I say UK is dead. That's why you're sticking with FISH & POTATO even if the World War Three has happened. Don't you have any desire to know what's going on in the underground? Metalucifer is a point-device band to ask you the question "Why have we released such old-fashioned sound now?". If you can't catch what I mean, it's waste of time.
B) I don't like Hammerfall. That's a problem of subjectivity, but when I finished listening to their first album, I had no impression left in my mind except one ballad song, haha. Sorry, but their music was boring. I can't understand why many people are exciting with the band and making a fuss. Primal Fear is, in my opinion, just an ape of Judas Priest's _Painkiller_, isn't it? But in the point of composing, Primal Fear is good enough, so I am not beating them down.
Well, I would like to thank you because you compared Metalucifer with such big names like Hammerfall and PF! Fantastic. Yeah, as you say, Metalucifer may be "lesser" than these TRUE bands. But let me say one thing. Suppose Prime Fear or Hammerfall plays music of Metalucifer without telling people who is the original, definitely they can make more and more big sales than today. Let me ask you what is the "TRUE METAL" you mean with question? Can't you say Metalucifer is much more "TRUE" than them because we are not doing the band for making money? Can you? If your band play metal music with pure mind and without any gimmick for making money, you're a true band, I guess. I am proud of Metalucifer as the true band even we have no contract with Nuclear Blast and we have no debut CD on big labels. The bands you have mentioned are just lucky to succeed in spreading their names to the market. Any metal bands like Metalucifer, Hammerfall and Primal Fear... what we believe on is the spirit and the spirit is METAL.
CoC: Roughly speaking, is there any thought put into Metalucifer's lyrics, or do you feel that as long as they mention "heavy metal" as often as possible, they're good?
G: Sorry for the lyrics of _HMD_ album which was hard to understand. I ought to study English hard and deep... But _Heavy Metal Chaisaw_'s lyrics were checked by ex-Death drummer Bill Andrews, so I think these is no problems in the lyrics. The problem is my pronunciation, so check the lyrics sheet when you play the CD. There is no difficulties to understand the Metalucifer's lyrical imagination. Please do understand the lyrics simple and straight, that's all about Metalucifer. The meaning of lyrics depends on your imagination. We're not giving any serious story-lines to the lyrics, we're not like modern black or gothic metals.
And as you point it, I use the word of HEAVY METAL so frequently so much. I really love HEAVY METAL music and a rhythm of the word and its background. I dedicate 100% of my life to heavy metal. Well, my small challenge to heavy metal is getting today's reactions to Metalucifer and it goes on now. Probably you English men cannot understand the situation, but it's true that I have got countless e-mails from whole world saying they are sympathised with the way of metal which I put on the Metalucifer sound. Need I say more? Yes, they are 100% understanding my lyrics. These is very important meaning in my lyrics, but in other hand, there is no meaning with it either.
CoC: How are Metalucifer related to Sabbat excluding the fact that the two bands share some members -- in terms of music, or the thought behind making the music, for example?
G: My main life work project is Sabbat. Metalucifer project is done as my side-project (fun-project). I have lots of things to do with Sabbat. As you can listen, Sabbat is playing black/thrash/death metal as the advance style of evil-metal, and much more brutal than Metalucifer's. So-called metal is sub-divided into many categories today. In its basis, Sabbat has darkened themes like worshipping evils, occult, anti-religion, anti-pop metal, anti-hypocrisy etc. etc. But these are just theme. These blacky themes match very well to evilized music like Sabbat plays and that sounds exciting. When I am a member of Metalucifer, I am just a traditional/typical metal nut. You medias often ask us what the goal as a band is, but I have no goals for sure. I have no intention to change the world with my music and no political ambition. I am not interesting in the news like USA and UK bomb Afghanistan... I am not interesting in making money, either. I live free, I play free. However, there is only one exception in my life. I can't be silent to the metal scene of today. So I sometimes attack the scene with our music.... The meaning of "band" for me is one of mankind's sixth sense, one of daily life habits same as eating or excreting. I play music for myself the first, and for fans who enjoy the music as art, and for heavy metal kids who go crazy in the concert. And then there is the SCENE and medias like you following the Metalucifer movement. Enjoy Metalucifer music straightly, and imagine something crazy from my great lyrics in your way! That's the way of art called music, isn't that?
Well, about the point you mentioned... yes, some members are sharing both bands Sabbat and Metalucifer. The reason is just simple. It's very hard for us to find able players in our area and that's better for me to do Metalucifer with all my friends or Sabbat members. These German players on _HMC_ we're getting from connections with Iron Pegasus. Hey, they worked superb and I was satisfied very much with their way of metal! One thing I asked the Metalucifer members was "Enjoy it in your way". Metalucifer session was full of joyment, but in other hand, that was full of battle with originality/personality/potential each other. I didn't care of the result. Some members asked me about my satisfaction, but that's not a matter. I asked them to join the next sessions and told them, "Everything was okay if you really enjoyed Metalucifer and had a confidence that you did your work 100%". There is one thing I have to take care all time between members of Sabbat and Metalucifer. My main project is Sabbat, and Metalucifer is a part of Sabbat. I don't ask Metalucifer and Sabbat members to do lots of things... they are not victims for my satisfaction and they should be free from any pressure and stress.
CoC: What specific bands (if any) inspired the music of _Heavy Metal Chainsaw_? What bands inspire Metalucifer most in general? Do the primary inspirations vary between different albums: I notice a marked (general) difference in style between _Heavy Metal Drill_ and _Heavy Metal Chainsaw_?
G: The music of _HMC_ wasn't inspired specially by any bands. I myself am influenced by Iron Maiden, Manowar, Accept and many other NWOBHM/European metals. _HMD_ consists of 40% of remaked/arranged versions (done in 1995) of my songs written in the early Eighties, 30% of early Sabbat songs written in the mid Eighties, and rest of 30% were brand new songs written in 1995. _HMC_ songs were in the same vein of _HMD_ songs written in 1995. You know Metalucifer had a chance to release the _Warrior's Again_ 7" EP around 1998 and the _HMC_ songs were written at the same time as the EP materials. I did the composing for all the _HMC_ songs in six months. I mean, the _HMC_ album is very tight and not done in loose idea. When I was doing the job for _HMC_ album, I had some discussions with Iron Pegasus to let some German players join in Metalucifer. So I tried to give straight edges to the songs more than dramatic rhythm changes, because simple feeling would be effective to German fans who know well of the glory of metal Eighties! Well, I could say there was a bit change of musical direction between _HMD_ and _HMC_, but it's alright. Additionally we recorded it at a new studio with new musicians.
CoC: Geniezoluzifer, your vocal style is distinctly Japanese-accented and is the only thing about Metalucifer which isn't really blueprinted on classic NWOBHM material. Is the Japanese accenting intentional or can you not help it? Personally, I really like it because it is comedic yet (for me) captures that "warrior spirit" that makes traditional HM vocals sound so powerful, and grip one's attention so much. What would you say to that?
G: What I want to say is as follows... uh. I just can't DO English well and I don't make any effort to let my English better than now. And I have no enough time to study it either. However the MUSIC of Metalucifer is rising above the matter. Please don't misunderstand our stance. We're not a kind of NWOBHM clone. We play the Eighties-styled traditional/typical heavy metal with a touch of NWOBHM and I was inspired by not only NWOBHM, but all kinds of trad/typical metal from whole world. Right? And then, I want to ask you one question along with your feeling and opinion about Metalucifer. You said "Metalucifer sounds great as classic NWOBHM songs", in other hand, denying Japanese-accented vocals, but you liked it... uh? Why don't you fall into dilemma with your pointless question?
Or... are you a gentleman taking care of my less-ability of pronunciation? What do you think of these metallers who refuse Metalucifer because of my terrible pronunciations?
Find the fact that the situation surrounding Metalucifer rises above your questionnaires. Bad English? So what?? My samurai spirit says you that the real substance of Metalucifer magic blow off away the negativities of Japan-esque English. That's the reason why I don't make effort to go to an English school (paying huge money) or I don't share my composing time with studying Englsih. Saying frankly, if you love Metalucifer, you should study JAPANESE-ENGLISH. You British people speak British English. Americans do American English. Aussie people do Australian English. Europeans do European English. Asians do Asian English... If all of Chinese people speak Chinese English, absolute number of the spoken-English people are consist of Chinese people as the main, you'll be sub. One stupid nut American said like this, "Don't play metal without speaking English!" Crazy. He addled his brain with his stupidity to be against many domestic bands singing in ethnic languages. Quite nonsense. One German said like this, "Gezol's English is not acceptable, but I really love it sang in Sabbat and Metalucifer." He continued, "Almost all of listeners in non-English countries are not taking care of the pronunciation and they don't understand the words without lyric cards while listening, but that's okay enough!" Many people are listening to my ugly vocal as a part of metal sound, a part of artwork. Don't you think the words can be an art? Even if somebody rejects, even if somebody worships, I live free from any chains and go on playing music. Actually our language Japanese itself is become broken by young ages. I asked myself, is there any must-rule on my work to express what I want to say with PERFECT and CORRECT words? In result, I tried to create new language based in some elements of Japanese (language) for Sabbat's _Karisma_ album, and fortunately Japanese fans accepted it with open arms even if they couldn't understand the lyrics.
Definitely you can't understand my lyrics because of my kamikaze pronunciation, but you can catch me with your free imaginations. That's the way of art. We can say nobody can understand the art without imagination and inspiration, can't we? As you know, music is a sort of artwork to create some feeling from zero. Feel it free with pure mind for your metal spirit! If Metalucifer is okay to you at this point, everything is OKAY!
CoC: I was not denying the Japanese accented vocals as "acceptable", I was merely noting that they were not a part of the original NWOBHM style-template and thus were additional to it. There was not a dilemma; I was not being a "gentleman". I like the way you do your vocals in the sense that it fits the music and sounds good and METAL! I also find the accent sounds, from my perspective, rather absurd singing the words that it sings, and so that aspect amuses me.
G: Okay, okay, I can catch you. What I am taking care the most for composing the riffs of vocal is to find the most suitable vocal-lines which fits perfect to the sound. There are countless combinations of different patterned riffs in general. Just like an architect thinks of the plan of a house, it's possible for me to find thousands of riff patterns/combinations from my past experience and knowledge for my "house" (music). But when I write the lyrics, I can find what's the best vocal-riffs which fit perfect to the sound with ease. That comes from my spirit for metal so natural that I think it's not a difficult task. I give enough priority to the vocal's riffs/melodies, as same as the sound itself. That's the most important point to understand the real substance of Metalucifer. Therefore, in my opinion, to pronounce the English-written lyrics perfect is not given the first priority for the sound of Metalucifer, but Metalucifer should be a great project created by those who believe in our own style of metal which we must do and have. For example, sometimes Spanish-singing metal bands are really attractive in point of powerful lyrics/vocals which is not like English-singing ones. That's sure that my style is based on Japanese language and accent. But I myself think it's a sort of Japanese/English mix juice! I think my/our Japanese vocal style is very original. What you said to me "...not a part of the original NWOBHM style-template..." is right and I accept it as an excellent opinion. But let me tell you that I don't want to play NWOBHM under the name of Metalucifer. What I want to do with Metalucifer is the Eighties sound in the European/Japanese style which was played by people (except English men) who wanted to ape NWOBHM and wanted to be a follower of NWOBHM but who couldn't be that because of their nationality, language barriers and original feeling with own background. Also the metal scene was rapidly developed in the past 20 years and it seemed that there was no place for these maniac metallers to play this kind of music. Metalucifer is attack to give them a good chance to look over the history and show you the proof that we can make the new metal sound by using the Eighties style which you have lost away somewhere. Metal ain't dead yet! That's the core-message from us Metalucifer. I've heard that the word Lucifer means "Morning Star", doesn't it? Yes, Metalucifer is a new morning star for the metal next generation.
CoC: Further to what I said about your lyrics in Metalucifer, I have an appreciation for the amusing qualities of "Bad English", as I call it, in metal lyrics; like in Sodom's "Blasphemer" when the lyrics go, "Midnight, the clock strikes twelve / Masturbate, to kill myself / Blasphemer!"; or when Kreator talk of kicking away flowers with power in "Riot of Violence"! The best "Bad English" I have ever seen was on one of your songs: Sabbat's "Baby, Disco Is Fuck", which is a monstrous evil metal disco destroyer anthem: "Stop singing such your song!"
G: Sounds great! Are you the guy who gave the review for "Baby-Disco" of Sabbat? I've got a mail from the owner of Primitive Art and he told me someone wrote in the review saying, "Gezol is the world's greatest metal poet". Did you do that article?
CoC: No, unfortunately not. But to continue... In fact, my biggest problem with _HMC_ is that there aren't -enough- problems in the lyrics. The lyrics, as you say, have almost no mistakes in them. But they are a little repetitive and dry. Before, I thought the scattered pronunciation gave them an obscure quality which gave them more charm.
G: That's the problem on my side. I should show you more crazy English in next album with CARE! HA! Anyway, telling frankly, I cannot imagine how you feel good and bad to my vocal style because I am a Japanese resident and no chance to pronounce English sentences in my daily life. But let me add one thing about my vocal. Well, I AM TOTALLY SATISFIED WITH MY VOCALS!! That's my pure style and probably I can't sing better or worse than today's style. If you metallers want to critic Metalucifer, you can do it free. If you simply like our music, I just want you keep listening with relax feeling. I see, even if metal fans in general is against my vocal style, they cannot be satisfied with Metalucifer without my vocal! Right?
CoC: Pretty much. Who do you consider the biggest wimps, posers and disco-sluts in the world today?
G: Metallica. The guy who was an European in the past [Lars "'Do I have to play double bass drums? But it's so much work!'" Ulrich --PS] answered to a Japanese magazine like this... "We were all fool while we were a thrash band. We can't play stupid thrash metal anymore right way." So I could say Metallica could get today's ugly position in the music scene. He has eaten so much rotten American pizzas that his brain seems to be meltdown. Sometimes major bands answer to the interview, "Last album wasn't good enough, but this time everything (new album) went perfect (so buy this one !)"... something like this. ... How many times do they repeat the same answer in each time when they release the NEW albums? They look down their fans, music fans. After reading the interview, I let myself cool down and go to a second hands record shop to make small money by selling their brand new album. That's enough to buy some toilet paper... that's all. The bands announced through the media interviews that their materials were not worth listening, lesser than toilet paper.
CoC: Who do you consider the greatest heavy metal warriors in the world today?
G: If you don't mention your band to this question, you're a false metal. Of course Metalucifer is the world's greatest metal warriors. Metal artists are always trying to be better than other rivals. We believe ourselves that we are the best and our albums are the best, too! Am I stupid? Do you play live to let yourselves silent than other bills? We ought to be always on stage with belief to play the very best show and performance than any others. That's not strange if there are many BEST metal warriors in the world. You know, there are countless "ultimate" black metal bands in the current. I am not conceited about myself and I am not a rock star (see my looks). However I am always spending energy for metal to be 100% honest to my fans, "We're always on the 100% way of heavy metal. We're the best metal warriors!". And hope, the readers of this interview, you must be another metal warriors and try being the best any time.
CoC: Where did you think up the crazy pseudonyms for the members of the band and the instruments they play [e.g. "Elizablumi: erotic Thai guitar of death all backing riffs, solos and chorus"]? Can you take us through them individually as they appear on Heavy Metal Chainsaw and tell us... "WHY??" :)
G: My pseudonyms are Gezol, consisting of Gel and Sol, both are colloidal liquid making human body. On the activities through Sabbat, I am calling myself Gezol. And on the Metalucifer project, I just add Lucifer to my name. Then when we had sessions for _HMC_, I replaced some words with German word Geniesser (= enjoy) and Luzifer (= lucifer). While we had recording for _HMC_, I said, "Enjoy!" many times to German guys. One of them, Tomentarou had flashed the idea. "Bratwurst" means of a bread+sausage, doesn't it? I add "senf" (= mustard). I really love the food and when I go to Germany, I am always eating it. Of course we have the same one in Japan, but it's Americanized and terrible tasted. German ones are the BEST! Tomentarou was enjoying to give new pseudonyms to members. One day, he asked me about pseudonyms of Zorugelion (drummer of Sabbat), so I explained it. He is similar to me, so let my name Gezol reverse... "Zoruge" and in the beginning when he joined Sabbat, he had blonde hair and it seemed like a lion to me. "Zoruge" meets "lion", that turns to his name. Then Tomentarou wanted me to give him a new stage name as a member of Metalucifer. He is/was a fat guy, so I got "Tarou" from Japanese dictionary meaning of fat. And added it to his name on "Desaster". And I thought it was perfect if adding "Kamikaze" and "Sumo" to his weapons. Sounds great as the drummer of Metalucifer. Elizaveat was one of the original Sabbat members in the very past. I took his name from Elizaveat Bathory. Nowadays he has some problems with his BALLS, so I wished his balls would be back to usable and gave name of "Spermy Splash" to his weapon. Elizabigore is a real older brother of Elizaveat. Both of them are playing in a local band, "Gore". He is older and bigger than Elizaveat, so.... Eliza+Big+Gore. He is a figure artist of Godzilla monsters, so his weapon became "Ecstasy Screaming Godzilla". Elizablumi, he wanted as a member of Elizaveat family. "Eliza" meets "Blumenthal", his real name. When we had the recording session, he was a frequenter of a prostitute house in the town. He was possessed by a cute girl from Thailand, and he enjoyed her like hell... That's why his guitars is called, "Erotic Thai Guitar of Death".
CoC: Which of the following words best describes Andrew WK: "great", "good", or just "gay"? Is there a better word?
G: Tell him that anus is better than a cunt, I think he'll like that!
CoC: Did you like the last Iron Maiden album?
G: Fans and medias are supporting _Brave New World_, but I am not. In my opinion, Iron Maiden is finished with _Seventh Son of a Seventh Son_. There is no albums coming out from Iron Maiden which is actually better than _SSoaSS_.
CoC: Should Rob Halford get back together with Judas Priest?
G: The scene people and the fans seem to let him come back to Judas, but I don't want it come true. If he has very new ideas to make a new album which is superb better than _Painkiller_ album, he should come back. If not, they should keep distance each other. Remember Accept please. U.D.O was simply great than re-union Accept, wasn't it?
CoC: What do you think of _Warriors of the World_, and of Manowar post-_Kings of Metal_ in general? Were they not better in the days of _Sign of the Hammer_ and _Battle Hymns_?
G: For me, _Louder Than Hell_ was a great album. I think the album was stronger than _Kings of Metal_. I liked "Brothers of Metal", "The Gods Made Heavy Metal", "Number One", "Outlaw" & "The Power" a lot!! Still now I've been listening these tunes. They are heavy rotations when I drive!! BUT -- sorry for Joey Demaio -- honestly, _Warriors of the World_ is not good enough, but boring. The sound is just Manowar fulltime! However, The Quality [sic] of the tunes is inferior to their past masterpiece albums. I feel sad.
CoC: Anything to say in closing?
G: Before closing the interview, thank you again for this chance. Sometimes I was aggressive to answer to your questions, but I just wanted to be honest to myself. If you can speak Japanese, probably you can catch me 100%, but I think I did my best right now. I hope readers will understand the way of metal and what's what in Metalucifer. Arigato.