Interview with IRON SLAUGHT

The Band: Iron Slaught

Country: France

The Man: Iron Jérémy (guitars, vocals)

http://ironslaught.bandcamp.com/releases

Interview by Vpower

Iron Slaught is a band from France that has just released his new album, the debut album, named “Crusading Metal Mercenaries”, high quality Speed/Heavy Metal all the way. They have not a name around yet but they do have what it’s needed to get: quality, at least in the underground scene. So, it’s a pleasure to talk with guys as Jeremy that play Metal and feel Metal. There we go...

  

Hello Iron Slaught, thank you for you time. The band  was formed in 2011, please tell us a little about the origin of the band

Thanks Alberto for the interest in our band!

Yes the band was formed in 2011 by the drummer Romu and myself after a jam session covering songs of ac/dc, Iron Maiden ... Later we started to work on some riffs I had on hold to create the first track now called "Battle Ready". Then we decided to become a real band with the aim of playing some gigs and recording some stuff. This way, one year and a half later we asked Arixon to join us as a bassplayer because he is a friend who has got similar musical tastes and that used to play in the same band than Romu in the past: Eviternity.

The combo is formed by three men, how is the composition process inside the band?

Most of the time, I play some guitar parts and if the rest of the band enjoy them, then we make a recording so that everyone can work on it and when all is refined enough,

an then only we add the lyrics that are written by a friend. You have to know that the songs are played on the album in the same chronological order they were created.

Very cool and unsual, I would add. And I suppose that friend of you writing the lyrics will have a place in your thank-you note. Crusading Metal Mercenaries is a very amusing work, displaying fast tempo and thunderous guitars, how long have you been working on it?

We've been working on the album for one year. We have been lucky enough to have Stéphane Elkine as a producer cause he is also an old school metal addict that really managed to capture the band's energy and he gave us many advices concerning musical arrangements.

Yes, it sounds really old school. What are the lyrcis about?

The lyrics are as varied as the different musical influences taken from the bands to which we try to pay some kind of tribute; but are mainly dealing with stories belonging to a past most of the people would consider as middle ages or are about metal... I myself prefer focussing on music and the lyrics are here to enrish the music; it's their sole purpose, don't try to find any political or religious claim.

You sing in English, why not in French?

We decided to sing in English because I feel a stronger influence from the German, English or US metal scene than from the French one; even if we are great fans of the 80's french metal bands.

Yeah, Metal in our blood drives us all. In my opinion you sound modern but classic too. I think we can find influences from bands such as compatriots ADX, Maiden, etc. What bands have touched you more?

There are many influences in IRON SLAUGHT's music: as an exemple, we enjoy at the same level NWOBHM than 90's swedish death metal. So we try our best to play a music based on heavy/speed métal cause in France the scene is lacking of bands playing classic metal; anyway we include other metal influences as an implied reference to the bands we listen to. We are not musician but above all metalheads.

The album is so complete, but the guitar riffing and solos are really awesome, sometimes you seem from another world. Where do you get the inspiration from ?

 I really like many guitar players; to name just e few that really influenced me, i would say : Adrian Smith for his surgical precision and his rich palate of sound, Wolf Hoffmann for his slicing efficiency the german way, andy Larocque for his ability in creating moods and changes in moods; and another totally different guitar player in the name of Steve Rothery that plays solos with so much emotion.

 

Good selection. I think the song Night of the Witch summarizes very well what your approach is, we can find classic Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, clean and gutural voices, killer riffs, a catchy chorus, tempo changes…, well, an astonishing combination of things.

I agree with you! I think that "Night Of The Witch" is the most representative track of the music we play. It also can be considered as the more refined song we play. I really like this track and I will without a doubt work on other metal hymns like this in the future.

That is great, it guarantees more killer songs coming! How do you see the Metal scene in France?

I think the nowadays French metal scene is one of the worst and the poorest in the world....Too many bands influenced by new metal, technical brutal death the american way etc... I would enjoy talking about underground metal bands with people of my age (26); but 99% of them have erections while listening to gojira, ramstein or marylin manson...As a result, I choose to spend my time with metalheads older than me and going to gigs and festivals like (for example) keep it true where you often have incredible line ups and performances.

Well, I understand you and I would run to the festivals without looking back too. By the way, you are still very young, 26... Have you toured with your debut album? What are your touring plans?

We have played several gigs before the recording of the album sharing the stage with local thrash, black and death metal bands and also had the honour to play at the

"Pyrenean warriors open air" last week: a fest organized by our metal brothers and members of Tentation: a band that symbolize the best way the true 80's french metal scene with their music reminding perfectly bands like Sortilège, Blasphème, H-bomb..............

Awesome, a name to remember those Tentation... In France you have that huge festival that is Hellfest.  That would be a perfect place to show your catalogue of sound, wouldn’t it?

Hellfest is a huge festival without interest because it's too mainstream to be metal and it's a place invaded by too many ignorant posers..... I attended this fest only one time

and spend my time drinking more than heavily to avoid an endless fight against most of the people cause they doesn’t seem to be concerned by music.

In Spain we have a saying: “you have not hair in the mouth”, what means that you speak sincerely, telling what you really think, and I think it’s your case. I agree about the posers... Then you have to come to Spain, to the Pounding Fest for example, or try the KIT, that fits you as a glove. Your cover art  has a very underground flavor, that was planned? How did you get it?

Concerning the frontcover, we asked to Laurent Roca who is a friend of Steel Converter (the person who is responsible for the lyrics). We gave him some guidelines and talked to him about the several references we wanted to include as for example the portrait of King diamond. For the rest, it's the result of his own imagination combined with his skill.

A good work, indeed. Talking about other things, I think in December you will have an international environmental summit in France, how to save the world and so on… What do you think about it?

To be honest, I did not know anything about it. I must confess that I'm not really involved in ecology and I will leave it to others to save our planet!

If you could send a song to politicians to show your disagreement, which one you would choose?

I'm not interested in politics and never voted.... Anyway , maybe it would be interesting to see the reaction of François Hollande if he'll be listening to a band from Holland : why not the first album of Pestilence?

I can imagine his face... Iron Slaught is meant to be a profesional project or you will combine it with your own professional careers? In other words, you think you can make a living with Metal?

We are simply real metal passionates who never will be able to make a living from their passion like most of the bands....Each of us got a job except me but my unemployment gave me spare time for the album. I think it's impossible for new bands to earn enough money playing metal.

Well, you are new now, but after ten years or so... who knows! Thank you for your time Jeremy, if you wanna add something…

As the album  is not out yet , we still haven't been reviewed by any fanzine or magazine. You're one of the few people from outside our close friends that made a review and an interview of us; so I raise my glass to you!

Cheers then, Jérémy! I listened to it in your bandcamp and I strongly recommend it, pure Heavy Metal, satisfaction and joy guaranteed.

Thanks again for your support ; I hope we will be able to share the stage with some south american bands; a very active and talented scene.

KEEPER OF THE FLAME!!!

Iron Jeremy.