Battleroar - Epic Metal Anthems

BATTLEROAR is a known band to most of our Greek(and not only I hope) readers. They exist for 3 years now and the time has come to release their first album full of Epic Metal Anthems. Since the album is more than amazing, the next step was an interview with the band. It was a nice day of July when I called Manolis Karazeris of BATTLEROAR to arrange this interview. So, along with the drummer of the band Nick Papadopoulos and one friend of ours(Greg “Heavy Load” Varsamis) we headed for the basement somewhere in Menidi that the guys use as rehersal space(and not only). Here it goes...

Metal Invader: First of all, make an introduction for those unfamiliar with the band

BattleroaR were formed in September of 2000. Through the years the band has released some material in official and unofficial forms, has played many concerts while the line up of the band has changed from what it was in the very beginning. The music influences of the band is mainly the American heavy metal of the 80’s and especially bands like MANILLA ROAD, OMEN, BROCAS HELM,MANOWAR etc. There are also some good European bands to mention with best example the mighty DOOMSWORD. But I think we can go on with the interview and analyze a bit more the unknown aspects of the band .

Metal Invader: You are going to release your first, self titled album in August. Tell us some more things about it.

Battleroar: The album will be released within the first days of August, it will contain nine tracks and it will be released through Omicron Music Productions which is already known as a concert organizer. There is one exception though. The album will be first released in Keep It True 2003(editor's note: a classic Metal festival that is taking place on the 19 of July on Germany with Omen, Brocas Helm, Doomsword and Gunfire among other Heavy Metal bands ) and will be exclusively sold there until it's first release date (mentioned above).We are also in contact  for a possible vinyl version of the album by Metal Supremacy (Doomsword, Slough feg etc.).

Metal Invader: How did you come in contact with Omicron Music Productions;

Battleroar: We have a longtime friendship with the label boss Makis Naskos  (the owner of Omicron Music Productions), and when we where looking  for a label he told us that he was very interested. So he made a very good proposal and the rest is history.

Metal Invader: Did you have any other proposals from other record companies;

Battleroar: We had some proposals but we did not have something that was worthy talking. We had a very good offer from Omicron Music Productions. The terms were ideal .It was better than we expected so we didn't send any promos etc to get any other offers. We knew that we wouldn't find any better offer than Omicron's one.

Metal Invader: When did the recordings started;

Battleroar: The pre-recordings were done here in our basement  , but the official recordings started in studio Versus the 3rd of March and lasted until May. After the recordings finished we mastered the cd at Athens Mastering for one week.

Metal Invader: Until now you have 3 releases: The promo cd, the"Dragonship" 7" and the Mortal Affair cd. Tell us some things about those releases.

Battleroar: The promo cd was released on the BROCAS HELM live on the 25th of November 2001. It's not a regular release. It's a recorded rehearsal that wanted to present the band to those who saw us on that live, and was given away to friends (120-130 copies).The single is a private release(limited to 1000 copies) and now it is almost sold out (850 copies gone).It is the best the band could do on that time. It is a good release that helped us a lot. Without major promotion, we managed to make a good name in the underground. About the Mortal Affair cd ,the guys from "metal morfosi" radio show(editor’s note: a very good metal program that is broadcasted every Sunday from 90.1 FM at 22:00 ) came to us after the Manilla Road show ,liked us and they made an interview with us. So, when the guys decided to record the project/compilation they invited us to collaborate. We participated with a rough-mix version of victorious path and Kostas and Marco participated in the “stream of nothing” track.

Metal invader: Which was the best support show you did:

Battleroar: (Manolis) We will definitly choose the Manilla Road gig if you ask about our best performance , but if your question is which was more fun to us then I would say that every concert had so  much passion and strong feelings cause we played with the bands we grown up and this is something we will never forget. It's a Sacrilege for someone to say that he liked more to play with Brocas Helm than with Omen for example. We are very proud of playing with these bands and we will never compare them.

Metal Invader: Now I would like each one of you to tell me his 5 favorite bands, his 5 favorite albums and his 5 favorite songs

Battleroar: (Manolis) I will say the first that come to mind and I will leave quite a few bands outside

Albums: “Resound The Horn”(DOOMSWORD), “Mystification”(MANILLA ROAD), ”Powerslave”(IRON MAIDEN), “Into Glory Ride”(MANOWAR), “Frost and fire”(CIRITH UNGOL)

Bands : DOOMSWORD, MANILLA ROAD, IRON MAIDEN, MANOWAR, CIRITH UNGOL

Songs: "One Eyed God"(DOOMSWORD/DOOMSWORD LP), "Gates of Valhalla"(MANOWAR/INTO GLORY RIDE LP), "Skullfucker"(BROCAS HELM/SKULLFUCKER 7"), "The Guitar Is My Sword"(HEAVY LOAD/DEATH OR GLORY LP), "Ride Of Templares"( WOTAN /THUNDERSTORM DEMO TAPE)

(Nikos): Albums: “The Deluge”(MANILLA ROAD), “Doomsword”(DOOMSWORD), “City Ad Mortis”(DEFENDER), “Battle Cry”(OMEN), “Forged In Fire”(ANVIL)

Bands: DOOMSWORD, BROCAS HELM, MANOWAR, OMEN, MANILLA ROAD

Songs: "Blackwing"(THUNDER RIDER/TALES OF DARKNESS AND LIGHT LP), "Skullfucker(BROCAS HELM/SKULLFUCKER 7”), “The Ninth Wave”(MANILLA ROAD/OPEN THE GATES LP), “King Of Crows”(WOTAN/THUNDERSTORM DEMO TAPE), “Full Moon's Eyes”(OSTROGOTH/FULL MOON’S EYES EP)

Metal Invader: What is your opinion about the Greek metal scene and what can it achieve in the future;

Battleroar: (Manolis) I believe that at this moment Greece has one of the best (if not the best) scenes in Heavy/Power Metal in Europe. There are a lot of bands and there will be more in the future. The only thing missing is the "connections" but now there are a lot of new Greek labels rising and with them the scene will rise.

Metal Invader: You answered about the bands. How do you see the things concerning the fan base:

Battleroar: (Manolis) Things are tragic

(Nikos) This is where masturbation begins. I believe that it can never be possible to attend all the shows from the moment that there is a lot of supply. But, for example, a few years ago Marauder and Mystery could make a sold-out show in AN CLUB(e.note: a well known club in Athens which is capable of holding 500 people), and few months ago in the 3 day festival in Gagarin 205 club where on the first day(e.note:a festival with about 30 bands, 6 euros ticket and it had less 300 people and the 3 days!!!!!) it had 20 people, most of which were not there for the bands but out of curiosity. So this is a bit disappointing.

Metal Invader: Where do you think this is due to; Could it be in the low popularity of Epic Heavy Metal in favor of t(h)rash, death, black (metal) ;

Battleroar: There is something mysterious with the Greek bands. I believe that the band must first build up a reputation outside Greece

and then to get recognition in it's own country.(for example ROTTING CHRIST). I don't believe that this is due to our style. There is indeed an attempt not to promote bands of this style, but Heavy bands with a more modern approach than ours, still remain underground though they play better than a lot of European bands and especially the German ones

which are the most average they exist.

Metal Invader: Now I want your opinion about the world metal scene.

Battleroar: (Manolis). If your Question is concerning only for bands that came after 2000 I consider the best scene in our field the Italian which has exceptional bands (DOOMSWORD, WOTAN, BATTLE RAM, HOLY MARTYR,) . The American scene is very weak nowdays (if we exclude SLOUGH FEG, SKULLVIEW ) and has very few bands, especially if we take into consideration the fact that is a very big country. Personally talking I believe that one of the best new coming bands in heavy metal,  hails from France and their name is Malediction, I suggest this band to every metal fan who wants to listen to heavy metal of the 80's in 2003, remember that name in the future.

Metal Invader: Now let's talk about your future plans for live shows

Battleroar: We will not be playing very often from now on, because we want to do only good shows. We don't want to do live shows for 40 people. If there is such a case, we can play in our basement (the rehearsal space the guys have ) for 40 friends of the band. We want live shows with good sound quality, good promotion in order to get the attention of more people. Our future plans include a live show on the 26th of September in Milan with JAG PANZER, DOOMSWORD, WOTAN, THUNDERSTORM etc and a live show on the first days of November with OMEN and then we want to do live shows on cities outside Athens because we

have only played in Thessaloniki once.

Metal Invader: How can someone who likes your music (or you personally) come in contact with BATTLEROAR and what BATTLEROAR material is available;

Battleroar: Every Thursday night in Texas Club ( Ippokratous 56).HAHAHAHAHA. Seriously talking, the official site now is www.battleroar.com , and our older site (www.truemetal.org/battleroar) has become the official fan club of the band which is run by Nick Gregoriadis. Also there is an E-mail, band@battleroar.com. Finally, we have some copies of the 7" single, our debut album, the MORTAL AFFAIR CD and some t-shirts.

Metal Invader: On 10 days (the interview was done on the 8th of July) you will go on KEEP IT TRUE 2003 festival. Tell us some things about the bands that will play there.

Battleroar: First of all we must say that we are very excited that we will meet all our friends we have around Europe and States and especially Marco our singer also the guys from Doomsword , Omen and Brocas Helm. Now about the bands.

ETERNAL REIGN never heard anything

OMEN.gods

BROCAS HELM.... gods

DOOMSWORD..ok again gods

SOLEMNITY.never heard them

MAJESTY.I don't know

SOLITAIRE .who knows

GUNFIRE .. Incredible band

MALEDICTION.. one of the reasons for going to the festival

KILLER .. not something to go wild for

KILLERS.. not something to go

BLOODSTAINED..we are very happy that a greek band will play on this festival

Metal Invader: Tell us your goals as a band.

Battleroar: (Nikos) The whole situation with the band has become more serious than we expected. In the MANILLA ROAD live show in Athens we understood what is going on. I mean, we saw a lot of people that knew our songs, in which they participated in etc. It was a very special experience. At some point, I was playing mechanically while I was watching the reactions. The messages that we are continuously receiving are very well (even from abroad), and we shall see what happens. Now about a Greek career, there aren't really any goals for that. I mean, we all have our own jobs that we don't intend letting go. By the way, in order to be able to earn a living from heavy metal music, you must be playing in a band at least the “size” of Jag Panzer!! But, the important thing is all those who ,have heard us in the past and will hear us in our debut album, likes our music as much as we do. After all this is what every new coming band seeks for.

(Manolis) : First of all we expect the comments for the album, I am very satisfied from what we have done and I hope people will like it .After this we have to do a lot of live shows in places that we have never been here in Greece or even abroad, with first to come the gig in Milan and hopefully some German Festivals next year..

Metal Invader: What do you have to say to those who accuse bands like yours as old-dated, graphic, etc

Battleroar: (Nikos) simply. Epic Metal To The End!

(Manolis) We do what we want and we don't care about what they say , I believe that the best compliment can someone tell us is that we sound old dated, since that's  our goal to play the way the 80's metal bands did.

Metal Invader: Thanks a lot guys for your time. I wish the best for the album. Send a message to all those reading this interview, to your fans and all the Epic Metal maniacs out there!
We would like to thank all the people that have supported us from the very beginning, that stood by the band through all the good and bad times and all to the people that will give away their money to buy our cd. We hope that we will live up to your expectations! But most of all mighty hails TO ALL THE SWORDBROTHERS OUT THERE WHO RAISE THEIR SWORDS AND RIDE TO VALHALLA!!!!!