Interview conducted by Rene Engelaan of God of Thunder fanzine in Spain. This will be available in Spanish when he prints up issue #21 in 2016!
After a bit of time, I finally got the answers from AXXION. The interview questions was answered by Emily the drummer of the band. She gives us a very good insight into what the band is doing at the moment and I hope you guys will enjoy. Okay, before you read the interview, I would like to thank Nathan for giving me this opportunity for posting this interview on his site. Hails!
1. Axxion started the band back in 2011 after two band members left the band SKULL FIST. How were those first days? How did you meet each other? How were the first rehearsals and live shows?
Emily: Well, DD and I started jamming that summer in 2011 and it was just in a jam space, doing some covers and looking for other members. Eventually we had the first line-up and a couple shows which went over well in the local scene. We’ve had a couple member changes, and most of them have gone on to do their own projects which is great for the local scene as well. The local scene isn’t that huge or anything so everyone knowns everyone and we’ve all known each other for a long time. Obviously I’ve known Shred from Skull Fist and DD I’ve known for almost a decade as well so things happened really naturally for us.
2. The first song I ever heard from AXXION was CRAZY NIGHTS thanks to the video on you tube, how was the response of that track and the first EP that was released back in 2012 on HEAVY FORCES RECORDS?
Emily: We were surprised and also really happy with the attention of the first EP. I think the sound on that compared to the full length was a bit more adventurous, by that I mean there were some things that stepped outside of the NWOBHM box, so people were digging it. That track, Crazy Nights, is definitely a crowd pleaser I think because it’s great to sing a long too, but the EP overall I think was received well by the public, though we definitely received our fair share of criticism from the critics. It‘s funny because though the critics can be harsh, it doesn’t seem to affect how the fans feel about it, which of course is great for us, because they’re so willing to listen to the music regardless of the critics.
3. The vinyl had an extra song, a cover song by the band BLACK AXE. You did another cover song on your first full-length LP WILD RACER by the mighty THOR but what other bands influenced you in general, from the 80s?.
Emily: For me I take influences from all over the place but I know the boys like everything from Tygers of Pan Tang to Dokken to Helloween. I think it depends on how the music makes you feel above all; I’m all over the place everything from Blind Guardian to Dissection, again it comes back to how the music makes you feel!
4. About WILD RACER, did you feel that the popularity of the band got bigger in the underground thanks to that record that was released on the bigger HRR label???
Emily: Of course it’s always better to have a record with a label because they’re able to give you that extra push, the extra promotion that you wouldn’t be able to do yourself. Of course, we play a genre of music that is not too popular in North America and we always do better in terms of shows and sale in Europe because it’s much more popular, and there are more metal fans in general.
5. WILD RACER was already released a couple of years ago, are you already working on a new record??, will it be any different then what you did till date?. Will it have a cover song again? What label will release it?
Emily: Right now the new record is in the recording process, and we’re aiming to have it out be early 2016. I think the feel will be quite similar, but we may have some changes to how songs are played, riffs etc.
6. Do you feel you are part of the world movement NWOTHM together with bands like CAULDRON, STEELWING, ENFORCER, and WHITE WIZZARD etc...? Do you have contacts with some of the bands from this movement? Tell me some names of bands you did gigs with?? By the way, a lot of people come to your shows? How is the traditional metal scene in Canada at the moment?
Emily: We are certainly not as big as these guys, they’ve also been around a lot longer than us and have had more of a foundational influence, where as we are more carrying on the flame. We have played a few shows with Cauldron, and international bands like Screamer and played some festivals with bigger names like Angel Witch, so we’re looking forward to more of that in the future! Right now, the traditional scene is rather small in Canada, a lot of the local shows you see the same faces every time because it’s not as big as in other places (like Europe).
Okay, thanks for the answering my questions. Thank you so much for the interview!
https://www.facebook.com/AXXIONCANADA/?fref=ts
After a bit of time, I finally got the answers from AXXION. The interview questions was answered by Emily the drummer of the band. She gives us a very good insight into what the band is doing at the moment and I hope you guys will enjoy. Okay, before you read the interview, I would like to thank Nathan for giving me this opportunity for posting this interview on his site. Hails!
1. Axxion started the band back in 2011 after two band members left the band SKULL FIST. How were those first days? How did you meet each other? How were the first rehearsals and live shows?
Emily: Well, DD and I started jamming that summer in 2011 and it was just in a jam space, doing some covers and looking for other members. Eventually we had the first line-up and a couple shows which went over well in the local scene. We’ve had a couple member changes, and most of them have gone on to do their own projects which is great for the local scene as well. The local scene isn’t that huge or anything so everyone knowns everyone and we’ve all known each other for a long time. Obviously I’ve known Shred from Skull Fist and DD I’ve known for almost a decade as well so things happened really naturally for us.
2. The first song I ever heard from AXXION was CRAZY NIGHTS thanks to the video on you tube, how was the response of that track and the first EP that was released back in 2012 on HEAVY FORCES RECORDS?
Emily: We were surprised and also really happy with the attention of the first EP. I think the sound on that compared to the full length was a bit more adventurous, by that I mean there were some things that stepped outside of the NWOBHM box, so people were digging it. That track, Crazy Nights, is definitely a crowd pleaser I think because it’s great to sing a long too, but the EP overall I think was received well by the public, though we definitely received our fair share of criticism from the critics. It‘s funny because though the critics can be harsh, it doesn’t seem to affect how the fans feel about it, which of course is great for us, because they’re so willing to listen to the music regardless of the critics.
3. The vinyl had an extra song, a cover song by the band BLACK AXE. You did another cover song on your first full-length LP WILD RACER by the mighty THOR but what other bands influenced you in general, from the 80s?.
Emily: For me I take influences from all over the place but I know the boys like everything from Tygers of Pan Tang to Dokken to Helloween. I think it depends on how the music makes you feel above all; I’m all over the place everything from Blind Guardian to Dissection, again it comes back to how the music makes you feel!
4. About WILD RACER, did you feel that the popularity of the band got bigger in the underground thanks to that record that was released on the bigger HRR label???
Emily: Of course it’s always better to have a record with a label because they’re able to give you that extra push, the extra promotion that you wouldn’t be able to do yourself. Of course, we play a genre of music that is not too popular in North America and we always do better in terms of shows and sale in Europe because it’s much more popular, and there are more metal fans in general.
5. WILD RACER was already released a couple of years ago, are you already working on a new record??, will it be any different then what you did till date?. Will it have a cover song again? What label will release it?
Emily: Right now the new record is in the recording process, and we’re aiming to have it out be early 2016. I think the feel will be quite similar, but we may have some changes to how songs are played, riffs etc.
6. Do you feel you are part of the world movement NWOTHM together with bands like CAULDRON, STEELWING, ENFORCER, and WHITE WIZZARD etc...? Do you have contacts with some of the bands from this movement? Tell me some names of bands you did gigs with?? By the way, a lot of people come to your shows? How is the traditional metal scene in Canada at the moment?
Emily: We are certainly not as big as these guys, they’ve also been around a lot longer than us and have had more of a foundational influence, where as we are more carrying on the flame. We have played a few shows with Cauldron, and international bands like Screamer and played some festivals with bigger names like Angel Witch, so we’re looking forward to more of that in the future! Right now, the traditional scene is rather small in Canada, a lot of the local shows you see the same faces every time because it’s not as big as in other places (like Europe).
Okay, thanks for the answering my questions. Thank you so much for the interview!
https://www.facebook.com/AXXIONCANADA/?fref=ts