ATOMKRAFT Interview!!!!!!!!

Fans and Musicians who can't read/understand German but want to contribute to this page - here's your sacred place!

Here you can also find the official SNAKEPIT forum entries...

Beitragvon The Exhumator » 23. Mai 2008, 19:19

Only will be published in Spanish ... Here,I leave the words of Tony Doland!..Enjoy!

ATOMKRAFT INTERVIEW


Greetings Tony!!!
It is an honor for us to have a part of Atomkraft history in our pages, moreover when in our country it is an unknown band for many people? do you want to present Atomkraft in a different way regarding the manner in which you have done it before, as it was the first time?

Tony: It's an honour to be included in your pages and to reach a new body of
fans.Yes it would be to be regarded in a new and different way!

1 Well Tony, tell something about the history of the band. We understand that it was formed near 1979? in those days, what was it that motivated you to do this kind of music? Which bands were your inspirations? Did you always have clear the style you wanted to play?

T: Yeah it was summer 1979 that myself and Paul Spillett,who became the first Atomkraft drummer,decided to form a band proper.We'd messed around with music before but that summer,we decided that a proper band was the way we wanted to go.
I suppose the biggest inspirations back then and the music that influenced us was by Motorhead and Black Sabbath.Motorhead were an extreme band back in the day.Louder than loud and fast,Overkill seemed almost unbelieveably fast,makes you laugh now when it seems positively sedate compared to a milllion other acts!I used to be into Punk before that.I loved it because again it was extreme.The agression was always intoxicating.It was youth screaming at everyone,the way it always is.Motorhead I saw by accident around 1978 and saw there was no turning back after that.Whatever I did I wanted to do something like they were doing was my one and only decision.Paul loved Motorhead too,as well as Thin Lizzy,Saxon and ACDC in particular .He wanted to do metal also and although we had no clear vision of how we were going to achive our goal or what we ourselves would sound like at the begining,we did know we wanted to be the dirtiest band in the world!There was a famous quote by Lemmy once where he said,"If Motorhead moved in next door to you,your lawn would die!".We wanted your whole world to collapse if we moved in!Although that never exactly happened,I guess we were at thevery least bad neighbours!!!

2 Having played during the years you did must not have been very easy, but without any doubts bands such as Atomkraft were the foundations for all metal we have today? what were the most remarkable moments that you had as band and the most disastrous ones that you?d like to delete from your history?

T: Thanx that great to know that people think we are part of the current metal foundations.It wasn't that easy to gain recognition back then.Only a handfull of magazines and no internet.A small number of independent labels that housed up and coming metal bands.Plus in the UK we had a government that didn't seem to care anymore,there was no money and no employment for anyone but especially the youth.Music was a salvation for us.
Most remarkable moments?Wow,there's a question!I don't know about remarkable but ones I liked the most and won't forget.............opening for Slayer here in London(their only Uk show at the time) on their Hell Awaits tour.
I was a big Slayer fan(still am!).Another memorable moment was watching Exodus for the first time in London in 1985 knowing that that night we'd be joining them on tour.Dynamo 1987,Holland,playing on the bill with Destruction(another fav band) and Testament,15,000 Ducth and German fans,amazing day!Finally,as there is so many I've narrowed it somewhat,playing the Spodek stadium in 1988 to 25,000 Polish fans of Metal,that show was videoed and I had it recorded,every time I play that audio it makes me feel good!
Moments I'd like to delete?Not one,the fights,the arguing,the fun was all part of it and us,so deleting any episodes reduces it from what it was to something else.There were moments that should have been done differently but there always is.What happened in total is what shaped us and still does now.

3 In our previous number we had Angel Witch within our pages, what makes us remember those days in which NWOBHM gave many bands to the world, especially heavy metal. What do you think today of that time you lived? Under your point of view, which ones were the best? Are you in contact with some of them nowadays?

T: Ahhh,Angelwitch,yet another favourite band and a great influenec to many.Underrated and not given the credit by some they deserve,a very influential band to many believe me!
I stay in touch with lots of artists and bands from the day.The best in my opinion?Well I think whatever I say are the best,some may disagree and then there is the fact that when you list bands someone always thinks it's shameful that you missed a certain band out!So I will give an example of my favourite bands from back then,Destruction,Slayer,Anvil,Saxon,Motorhead,Raven,Hellhammer,Bathory,Backwater,Crucifixion,Satan,Demon,Iron Maiden,Judas Priest,Black Sabbath,Rose Tattoo,ACDC,Girlschool.Jaguar,Avenger,Artillery,Angelwitch,Holocaust,Metallica,Exodus,English Dogs,Testament,VoiVod to name but a few.I ahve included a mix there so no one feels I left a period out!
The time I lived back then?No money,wrecked apartments that were cold in winter and cold in summer.More booze than you could shake a stick at, if you cold salvage enough money from the government handout or convince your parents you need to have some money for something else!Musically?Amazing,everyone was in a aband and metal ruled the world!!!!AHHHHH,what more could you ask for?

4 We imagine that you must have a big collection of NWOBHM bands, for the number of bands that existed was incredible. Currently, many of that material must be hard to get and also very expensive. What are the most precious records from that time which you?d never sell for nothing in the world? Do you think some Atomkraft albums in vinyl still can be found somewhere and also in their original edition?
T: OK,well yeah there were an amazing amount of bands that's true.I think some records can be found and some are difficult for sure!These days and mainly thanx to the Sanctuary group,all those band s from yesteryear are coming out again on CD.There are anthologies from lots of NWOBHM bands and also there are many compilations out also on CD from that period bands.Oldschool Records and Grinder who runs his NWOBHM radio show has a compilation out titled,'Total Metal Attack',whci is a great one,check out tonydolan.net the discography page for deatils and links to the Oldschool metal show etc.Sanctuary put out this year(2006) a 25th anniversary 3CD pack,called simply,NWOBHM 25th Anniversary,that is a great collection.There's the Metal Masters collection from Castle,4CD's and lots of good stuff from the days. My collection?Well tonnes of cassettes and around 100 pieces of Vinyl(A small amout really!).Quite a large CD collection though.
Albums(original)I wouldn't sell?My original Welcome To Hell - Venom.Black Metal(grey) also Venom.Rock Until You Drop and All For One - Raven.Court In The Act - Satan.Angelwitch - Angelwitch.Crucifixion - Cricifixion mini.Saxon Wheels Of Steel.
Motorhead - Motorhead.Overkill - Motorhead.Bomber - Motorhead.Anvil - Forged In Fire.Girlschool - Demolition.Girlschool - Hit and Run.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath.Black Sabbath - We Soul Our Souls.Rose Tattoo - Rose Tattoo.Rose Tattoo - Assault and Battery.Metallica - Kill 'em All(UK and US versions).Megadeath - Killing Is My Business.Meatllica demo - Hit The Lights.Hellhammer - Demo.Oh and lots of other demos etc.This list could last but I'll stop there.
There's more of course but I can't look right now so let's just say that's enough vinyl for now!

5 Tony. What is it that you think any person who doesn?t know your history and music should know about the band at first?

T: Well,we are still alive,we with a different lineup than the one that did Future Warriors(the first LP release)or the one that recorded Conductors Of Noize(the last released by Neat records)mini.The new lineup will be seen in 2007 with the official release of the new ATOMKRAFT album through Iron Pegasus.We began in 1979 and demoed and play mainly live up until I moved back to Canada in 1983.When I returned in 1984,I found Ged Wolf(drums) and we looked for a guitarist.We auditioned a few and then a young 16yr old was recommended to us.We eventually decided to take him.We demoed more material and got signed to Neat Records in 1985 and recorded our first official album,Future Warriors that came out that same year.We had a management come in in 1986 that I wasn't happy with so I stepped out after recording several tracks for an E.P. I went on to write for my own Atomkraft album but unfortunately was signed to Neat still so needed to return to get the music out.Ged and the guitarist recorded 2 new tracks and added them to mine and released an E.P. titled Queen Of Death.They also recruited a new vocalist to complete recordings in my absence and a bassist to stand in for 2 tracks on recording and in new photo's.I was approached by the new vocalist and Ged to return in early 1987 and agreed.We then began work on Conductors Of Noize.Myself and the new vocalist wrote together and even our guitarist composed a track that appears on the album.In 1988 we had all wrote some new material and were set to leave Neat records and a large scale tour of Europ was set with Nasty Savage and Exumer(Germany).I took over rythm guitar and we brought back into the fold the bassist that had done work on the Queen of Death E.P.This was easier than auditioning and adding another guitarist who would need to learn everything.As I wrote mainly on guitar it seemed an obvious conclusion.The tour was a success and the recording were OK but once we had completed the tour things fell apart.The singer wanted to leave,I was offered the role in Venom and the rest went their seperate ways.

6 Was it difficult to play metal those years? At first, how were Atomkraft concerts? Trouble with cops, fights for example?

T: NO!!LOL!!The only fights were casued by ourselves.No cop trouble at all.People came,got drunk,banged their heads,shouted at us and left!!!

7- I?m sorry Tony, but it is impossible not to ask about this part of your history? you played in the great legend and what we call the fathers of ?Black Metal?, we refer to VENOM. Tell us how you became part of VENOM and how was it to spend time with them. Did you share the same likes, ideas and the satanic attitude of the band?

T:That's not a problem,it's part of mine and their history now,no changing that.The band were based around a theme and I have no problems with themes.Theirs was Satan,it wasn't a religion,although some of the ethos of Lavey and his Satanic Bible I truly believe some members of Venom and to a degree myself,found to be worthy.So if that's sharing Satanic ideals then I guess we did.Jeff(Mantas)and myself were close friends,Abaddon?It's funny,you can never really trust him but it's kinda hard to dislike him!We got along very well,all of us,we had a great laugh and enjoyed playing music together as well.It was a bumpy ride though and because of the Venom curse,it was one that was ultimately doomed.How did I get there?Cronos split from Abaddon and took his 2 guitarists(they had all just done the 'Calm before The Storm' LP).Meanwhile there was an offer for Venom and subsequent album's.I had just came back from the last Atomkraft tour where Abaddon was tour manager for us and we had together played a jam onstage in Gdansk,Poland with some members of Wolfspider(Poland),we performed Welcome To Hell(I have a live recording of this!).I guess when Atomkraft returned to the UK and the singer decided to leave,Abaddon and the Venom manager thought I may be interested in joining Venom.There was no Mantas at this point but after many meetings and with them agreeing with Jeff(Mantas)that his guitarist from the Mantas band,Al Barnes,could also join the band,we all came together and Venom continued.
It was great at first and Prime Evil was a joy to do.Temples Of Ice was not as good I think but Tear Your Soul Apart was pretty cool and Kissing The Beast where I did some Classic Venom song was cool(this was a special album for Russia originally and featured 2 new tracks also).The final album,The Wastelands I liked most of but I was never really as happy or content as I was with Prime Evil.

8- In Venom always demons nicknames were used? why didn?t you choose a demon name? what is the origin of Tony ?demolition?
The Exhumator
NU-Metaller
 
 
Beiträge: 5
Registriert: 22. Mai 2008, 20:34


Zurück zu English speaking SACRED METAL-Forum

Wer ist online?

Mitglieder in diesem Forum: 0 Mitglieder und 28 Gäste