Greetings from Metal Temple magazine! It's (not?) long ago since we saw IGNITOR on stage (2 years!) at Germany's Keep It True festival, and I was wondering whatever happened to this beautiful US Metal band. Well, what has the status been the last two years, from the KIT days 'till your newly released Road Of Bones album?
We came home and began writing more songs for the album, playing shows around Texas.
Signing to Cruz Del Sur: this label is truly supporting old-school Metal bands and I think you made the right choice. What are your expectations from this collaboration?
To reach a wider audience and to be able to travel and play for them. We think it's a great label, too. They're making a good impression among the metal faithful, aren't they?
Bearing in mind Road Of Bones is the result of writing songs and rehearsing for more than a couple of years, did you feel fed up at a certain time?
No, not really. With our various personal lives and schedules it's impossible to concentrate on songwriting every day, so we may move a little slower than your average band.
Does the 'patience' term exist in the IGNITOR camp?
Yes, but it is dwindling with each turn of the hourglass (just kidding)!
Many metalheads first got familiar with IGNITOR due to the band's 2004 mini-CD demo, Take to The Sky. Why didn't you include even one song in the Road Of Bones album? You wanted to have a completely 'new' official album?
Although it was intended as a demo, T.T.T.S. far exceeded those expectations so we did not feel like rehashing the songs for our first proper full-length. It stands alone, but it is possible that you will hear one or two of the songs on an upcoming album.
Looking from afar, in what ways has the band developed its songwriting in these three years?
Along with a darker tone of lyrics, we are incorporating more thrash and less gallop, focusing more on simpler rhythms and complex lead parts.
Road Of Bones is the result of hard work for the IGNITOR quintet. What's the way of deciding stuff in the band? Are the two women in charge, as in families (laughs)? Seriously, is IGNITOR a full team in everything regarding the band's music/promotion?
Well, we are democratic but we're also friends so we respect each other's opinions. We don't always agree on stuff but we try to keep it together and make it work even if one or two if us is unhappy about a band decision. Nothing too horrible has happened so far, anyway.
Three men and two women playing 'classic' Metal music in the USA: you know you're more 'lean' to achieve things in the European market/audience but – we'd like to know – what's the band's status in the difficult market of America, where trends come and go in the blink of an eye?
Not too great. Everyone here in our hometown loves us but getting them out to shows is like a call-up for military service. People in the States take their entertainment for granted, especially anyone under 25 years old. Music is so low on the list of entertainment choices to American audiences (you can get it for free, you know) and metal suffers greatly because of it...
Are the band's musicians self-taught? We see lots of blistering guitar work and complex grooves, plus Erika's voice is rather ample and passionate. How important is studying music, when it comes to Metal mayhem?
Erika has had formal vocal training (obviously!) Pat and Annah were in the school band. Batlord learned to play by listening to KISS's Destroyer 75,000 times and Brendon was born with a fretboard attached to his wrist, or so we hear.
Inspiration in lyrics is drawn from...? I didn't manage to come up with a valid opinion...
Dark, old-school skullduggery. Serial murderers, child molestors, capital punishment, insane asylums, haunted ocean liners etc. And beer.
Road Of Bones features a great cover artwork. Who's behind it? Did you reject other artworks in order to keep this one?
The great Joe Petagno of HIPGNOSIS and MOTORHEAD fame.
I saw you're playing with LEAVE'S EYES this September in Texas. Phew, a rather contradicting billing! Do you listen to this kind of ethereal/female-fronted music or you're mainly 'stuck' to the 80s in-your-face Metal bands?
We have a pretty wide variety of musical tastes. Stuart, Erika and Annah are the most devout and conversant metalheads in the band. Tiny breakable angel-doll singers kind of depress us, like sad clowns.
Speaking 'bout the gig, have you fixed any other dates yet in order to support Road Of Bones? I think you owe a German tour to your fans, right (laughs)?
Fall 2008. Visa issues, whadd'ya gonna do?!?!
Thanks a lot! We hope all the best for Road Of Bones!
You're welcome.
