Metal Rules!! Interview With RogueM. Vocalist for the U.K. band
ShadowKeep
Interviewed by Rick, July 2000
ShadowKeep are a great new metal band from the U.K. They play a
potent blend of classic and power metal that will definitely bring them
to prominence on the worlds metal scene. I recently had a chance to
speak to the voice of ShadowKeep, RogueM.
Hey
Rogue. Thanks for dropping by.
ShadowKeep is from the U.K. Can you tell me how you all came together to
create such a great new band?
Well both Chris and Nicki on one side and me on the other were
looking for motivated songwriters to complete the music/vox symbiosis. I
was quite disappointed with the response I had sending tapes here and
there as bands were only looking for death type of singers and these two
were overwhelmed with unrequested responses from such singers. Fate made
us cross the same road at the same time.
Well it seems like you have hit upon something very special. Can
you give me a quick idea of the kind of music that ShadowKeep set out to
create? What kind of metal would you classify your music?
Traditional Metal certainly. I think we tend to deliver a US style of
Power Metal rather than a European flavour... it is not that surprising
in a way as Chris and Nick are certainly quite keen on that type of
Metal, the likes of Queensryche, Fates Warning, Vicious Rumours, etc. I
am myself more influenced by Scandinavian bands such as Conception, TNT
or Pretty Maids... I guess it is why our music is not quite a clone of
anything but rather a good mixture of the two.
Your music cannot be classified as strictly power metal as to
me it has some progressive elements. Is that by design or is it just the
bands natural sound considering the bands influences?
Well your comment is very pertinent. I think US Metal is more
straight ahead and Scandinavian Metal usually quite unconventional so I
think this is where we come from. There is no research from our part for
an overly complicated music that could make ShadowKeep a progressive
band. I believe these days, Power Metal is associated with German
Melodic Metal as on your side of the Atlantic the term of True Metal has
not spread like the plague... don' t get me wrong, I like that style but
"True Metal" has no other connotation for me than a commercial
one. I can do without.
Bands like Manowar and Hammerfall are often ridiculed in metal
circles here in North America for their True Metal Stance!! Kings of
Metal and all that stuff.
You
have a great song in the Metal Rules!! MP3 archive
called "Dark Tower" which is a great classic metal tune! How
does it compare to the rest of the material on your CD?
I would say we deliberately chose it to represent the band. First
because is it more or less an eponymous song. Second because it is one
that catches you straight away or never does. Our songs are usually
slightly less accessible at first listen but then grow on you. It is
certainly even more the case with the new material but more importantly
we want people to find our albums diverse. They will listen to their
favourites first and then the others will grab them by the hairs and
never let them go hahaha!
That is exactly how I found your material first when I heard
it. After a few listens I was completely hooked!!
ShadowKeep has recently signed with Limb Music. Can you tell me
how you came about signing with them and was there any other label
interest in the band?
Sure, we had loads of companies interested in the band but the kind
that any half decent musician can attract but honey moons never last
with these ones. I have been involved at this level for 8 years before
joining SK and it was completely out of question for me to waste our
actual potential by signing to anything else than a serious player. LMP
turn out to be a perfect partner with realistic goals and the power to
achieve them.
What is Limb offering you in the way of distribution etc.? Will
Limb be picking up your cd "6 Song Mini album" for
distribution?
The distribution will be similar to what they do with all their bands
which is not a bad start. LMP don't actually sign bands to leave them on
the side and I am convinced they believe in our music. If we don't sell
the first album then I don't know but that won't happen.
I
am sure that when your sound gets out that you will have no problem
selling CDs. Now back to your first release."6 Song Mini
Album" was recorded when the band was only months old. Why did you
go into the studio so quickly. I assume you felt really comfortable as a
band at this point to actually record a disc?
As for the 6 track, most of them will be on the album
"Corruption Within" due out in Sept/Oct 2000. The CD was
almost a private release and we know there is a much larger public for
it than we have reached so far.
With the hype about the Maiden thing we wanted to
be ready to post a decent production to any promoter or record label
interested, all of a sudden, when the brave new world would have begun
... so it was a bit rushed but I think the songs are still very mature.
I am glad to see that these songs will not be forgotten. Who
produced "6 Track" and where? Did the finished product sound
the way that you had hoped? What is the significance of the name "6
song mini album"? It seems like an odd name for a bands first
release.
Karl (Groom) produced our material so far (including the additional
recordings that we have just finished) and we are so happy with his
input. He is just incredible. He did not try to put his ego on the
board, he simply synthetised what ShadowKeep was all about: power and
emotion.
Its has the feel and diversity of a full cd as there are bands out
there today who are putting out CDs of only 35 to 40 minutes of music.
.Are there any songs that you are especially proud of on
"6 song mini album" cd?
I'm tempted to say I like them all but then I have my favourites but
still find that they all are very special to me in different ways.
Overall, "Altar of Madness" and "Silver Sword" are
the ones I'd certainly want everybody to listen to. The middle bit in
"Cast Out" is by far my best presentation on the CD and I'm
particularly proud of the background vox where I sound like a dozen
bikers outraged by pop music hahaha.... Murder is the band's favourite
song as it is such a great song to play live!
To change gears a bit.. Rogue, you yourself have a great vocal
style reminiscent at times of both Midnight of Crimson Glory and Geoff
Tate of Queensryche. At least that is what it seems like to me. Who do
you count among your influences both vocally and musically? What bands
or CDs are you listening to now?
None of the above really. I am very much influenced by Tom Mallicoat
(Lethal) which is why I have that "Tate" curse on me I suppose
as well as Warrel Dane. If you listen to the Bridge of "Cast
Out"" or Corruption" (on the forthcoming album) it will
become obvious that Warrel's mark is on me.
I believe I have heard that you are from Belgium? Did you move to
England for the music scene?
Well,
music wasn't the main reason for me to move to England although I must
say I was expecting a Metal scene a bit more healthier. My first attempt
to find a band over here were pretty frustrating. In fact I took a break
of almost 18 months before I joined SK and it was more or less the first
time I was singing in that long period when I turned up to the audition.
What do you think of the music scene in the UK now?
It is a bit better than it was the last few years but the magazines
are just not giving any support to traditional Metal as yet. It is all
about K**n and Slipknot and the likes but with Maiden back they will try
to catch another rainbow very soon, no doubt about that. I'm not that
excited about the Maiden reunion myself but I think if this doesn't sort
out things over here than nothing will. It is a great hope for any
British Metal band!
Back to the new CD. "Corruption Within" Can you tell me
anything about it? Will it be more of what we heard on "6 Song Mini
album"?
The material we just recorded is pure ShadowKeep and it is difficult
for me to say I am not excited about it! It just reinforce my impression
that we are truly finding new ingredients for every song. The album will
contain 10 or 11 songs and they will all be a different angle of our
song writing skills.
When do you expect it to hit the stores and do you have any plans
to do an extended tour behind the release of this CD? Will you be
getting to North America to do any shows? Also did you do any touring
behind "6 Track Mini Album"?
The album should be out in Sep/Oct and certainly before the end of
the year. I hope we will be touring soon after that but I think this
time we'd like to support a great act rather than doing a headline tour
as we did last march (4 dates in the Benelux - where the Euro Cup just
took place). Supporting Dio brought us much more interest from the press
and our egos can wait a bit for the day we'll be ready to fill up a
stadium in Athens. I'd like the band to do a few dates in the states but
obviously the logistics and cost is out of reach for a newcomer like us
right now. I can't say for sure we won't play the states in 2001 and it
is only a dream at the moment.
What was it like to play live with one of the legends of metal?
Did you meet him and how is he offstage?
He
is very friendly but as all superstars his environment is very
claustrophobic. He was overprotected and he did give me the impression
he regretted all this artificial world around him but then again
sometimes you must be freed up of the more extreme behaviors coming from
your fans so I guess it has to be that way... unfortunately.
Thanks for your time Rogue.
That's cool!! no problem man!!!!!!!
©2000 Metal Rules!!