Metal Assault: Interviews

By Andrew Bansal

German epic metal storytellers Blind Guardian have returned to grace the spotlight with the release of their tenth studio album ‘Beyond The Red Mirror’, put out in late January and early February worldwide by Nuclear Blast Records. The band’s first album since the 2010 effort ‘At The Edge Of Time’, this one has been in the making longer than any previous Blind Guardian release, and has been gleefully accepted by eagerly awaiting fans. With the band now planning to embark on a world tour, I spoke to vocalist and lyricist Hansi Kürsch to discuss the album and touring plans in detail. Check out the conversation below. Continue reading “Blind Guardian Frontman Discusses New Album & More”

By Andrew Bansal

Blending elements of thrash, glam and power metal with traditional vocals, riffs and harmonies, Skull Fist are a quartet based out of Toronto, Canada that excels at creating instantly catchy tunes and thrives as a live band. I was part of their journey on their recently completed US headline tour with support acts Elm Street and Night Demon, and got a chance to see them from close quarters. Freshly nominated for the 2015 Juno Awards, Skull Fist look ahead to an eventful year. Minutes after they got off stage at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz last Sunday January 25th, I spoke to guitarist Jonny Nesta about the tour, future plans and other things. Enjoy the converstaion below. Continue reading “In Conversation With Skull Fist Guitarist Jonny Nesta”

By Andrew Bansal

Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Elm Street have been bringing their brand of high-octane thrash metal to the American masses over the past four weeks. The quartet just concluded a US tour with Skull Fist and Night Demon, a tour I had the pleasure of being part of. On the last night of the tour, before they took the stage at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz, California, I caught up with vocalist/rhythm guitarist Ben Batres to talk about all things Elm Street and more. Enjoy the conversation below. Continue reading “Elm Street Frontman Discusses US Tour & More”

By Andrew Bansal

Los Angeles’ very own heavy metal band Legal Tender formed five years ago but following the independent release of their debut EP ‘Lust In Demons’ in 2013, they rose to prominence in the local scene with a string of undeniably impressive live performances. They also incorporated newer songs into the live set and kept enhancing it further. Going through a few lineup changes in the formative years but finally settling down into their current incarnation in 2014, Legal Tender got a small taste of tour life this year and with a new EP coming soon, they are not only poised to conquer the LA scene along with some of their peers, but are also ready to kill on a nationwide level, and beyond. A few days ago, I sat down with vocalist/guitarist Jonah Nimoy and bassist Sam Harman at the In-N-Out burger joint in Hollywood for a detailed chat. Read the conversation below and check out some of their music. Continue reading “In-depth Interview With Legal Tender”

By Andrew Bansal

Hailing from Orange County, California, Morbid Eclipse is a space-themed extreme metal force that emerged earlier this year. Playing their first show in August and few since then, the band has already captured the imagination of those in Southern California that truly support the local and underground. With a blend of face-melting musical elements and visuals based on science fiction themes, Morbid Eclipse have the potential to reach out to a much larger audience and induct large sections of earth’s population into their self-created ‘atomic cult’. A few days ago, I sat down with vocalist/guitarist Zach Friedberg, guitarist Andy Hicks and drummer Chris Vega at the In ‘N Out burger joint in Hollywood to talk all things Morbid Eclipse. Enjoy the highly insightful and entertaining conversation below. Continue reading “Leaders Of The Atomic Cult: An Introduction To Morbid Eclipse”

By Andrew Bansal

Swedish melodic death metal veterans In Flames released their eleventh studio album ‘Siren Charms’ earlier this year, and are currently on the ‘Communion Of Sirens’ North American co-headline tour with their fellow Swedes and longtime friends in Opeth. On this tour, In Flames are presenting a hefty chunk of the new album along with selections from their long career, all encapsulated within a duration of 75 minutes, in an attempt to please not only their own fans but also those of Opeth. The tour came through Los Angeles for a gig at the Hollywood Palladium on December 9th 2014, and a few hours before the show I sat down with In Flames guitarist Björn Gelotte to discuss the tour, their relationship with Opeth over the years, gear and more. Enjoy the conversation below. Continue reading “In Flames Guitarist Björn Gelotte Talks Touring, Gear & More”