Gianni Pontillo

The Order

Back to the greatest years of Metal music, back to the borderlines of 1986, yet in reality time travel is still not optional, unless you know something we don't, so there is the music for that. THE ORDER, a Swiss Hard Rock / Heavy Metal band, blasting the 80s way, recently issued their third album, "1986", through Massacre Records. Yngwie Viking spoke with Gianni Pontillo, the band's vocalist, about the new album, the band, and its influences.

By YngwieViking

• December 9, 2012

Hi, can first tell us about the history of the band...Your past or actual involvement in such acts like JERK / GURD or PURE INC.!

Hey I'm Gianni The Singer of the Band, hope it's OK too. Bruno is off for Holidays at the moment! Well, Bruno started the band in 2004, he asked his friends Andrej and Tschibu to join his idea of plying Hardrock and recorded a few songs that he later put on the internet! I heard about those songs coz I knew him from Gurd and liked that stuff, so I called him to tell him I'm going to sing that shit. Just a few months later we were recording the album "son of Armageddon" Great experience

How your switch from Dockyard 1 to Massacre Records worked at first? Do you plan on touring? If yes how do you going to split the set-list between old & new songs?

Actually Dockyard got bankrupt so we just recorded some songs and later on we finished the album. Mat Sinner helped us out looking for a label coz' he likes us and so we found with Massacre records a very great label, that's likes the sound and giving us the opportunity bring out 1986 which I consider it's a very cool album

In my review for the new album ,,1986" I states that the album is sounding very much like a mix between RATT / DEF LEPPARD/KING KOBRA / QUIET RIOT / CINDERELLA / ROUGH CUTT / KICK AXE / ICON the whole boosted by a dash of Euro Metal...like JUDAS PRIEST & co. ...What do think of that?

You're absolute right, you can bring some Van Halen and Motley Crüe and many bands from that era too! I mean that's why we called the album 1986 it's an homage to those years, too bad they're gone but still there are some bands left recording this kind of Glam/Metal/Hard/Sleaze Rock, I love it!

In the same review I pointed the similarities between the voice of Gianni and Sammy Hagar / Paul Shortino with a little Paul Stanley hints from time to time...What do you think of such comparison?

Hey Man, thanks a lot, I mean all these Singers are fantastic I love Sammy and Paul Stanley has a very great voice! Didn't hear often that I sound like Stanley maybe I have to listen carefully to his timbre!

I suppose that it wasn't easy to keep it as a tribute not a caricature , made with respect and subtlety…Not a spoof satire…Except for a short time in "fire it up" where the lyrics are borrowed from "panama" by VAN HALEN ...Tell us about that!

Exactly Man, you listened very good. When Bruno sent to me fire it up I suddenly thought about panama from Van Halen that's why I wanted to put a short line in the lyric, it had to happen I felt it, it fits very well, I think!

The traditional Hard Rock Swiss sound slightly present on "Welcome To The Metal Casino", isn't there anymore...Did you try to step away from the KROKUS / GOTTHARD / SHAKRA style?

Well that's difficult to say, actually yes! We wanted to be more a band who's going back in the time! I mean Gotthard, Shakra and Krokus are recording more in a modern way. We wanted to bring back the 80's spirit and that's not so easy with the technology nowadays but I guess in someway we made it happen!

I also refer to some contemporary bands like WATCHMEN / SLIPPERY / JETTBLACK / KORITNI / DIAMOND LANE / GUNNERS SIXX ...Do you know those acts?

I just know Koritni I think the're from Australia, right? They're very great don't know about the other bands but I'm sure they kick some ass!

Talking about ,,1986" and it obvious reference/ tribute to OLD HAIR METAL what can you tell the readers about it ? Has something changed in your musical perception?

Oh yes it changed a lot, this kind of music became very rarely but that's exactly what we wanted, going back in a time where rock music was high, it ruled! It was a great experience doing it and it would be great if all the bands from that time, or let's say the few left, would try to bring that time back in the future! I mean Steel Panther, Kiss, Aerosmith, Van Halen and a few more are doing that, this is fantastic!

I think the style switching between the new album and ,"Rockwolf" is huge, do you have any conscience of that or the everyday life with those songs keep you away from some realities? Please let us know your Alltime TOP 10?

We don't think about the difference between those albums ore between any album we recorded. Every cd we did has its own character and spirit and was recorded in a time when we felt it right. Probably is Metal Casino one the best we did so far but Son of Armageddon, Rockwolf and 1986 are great too and everyone has his own taste!

Mama I love Rock n Roll
Satisfaction
Bridge is Burning
Long Live Rock n Roll
Son of Armageddon
Why Dreaming Hollywood
Generation White Line
Sweet Stranger
In the Heat of a Lonely night
Little Wings

I wish to thank you for the interview and wish you guys the best of luck with the new album. Any last words for the fans out there?

Yes, keep going to concert and support bands it's a heavy job, we love it but we need your help, buy the album and give us the chance to record a lot more cd's so we can bring some cool music to you all! Thanx Gianni

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