Interview with Ádám and Imre
(Fanatic Attack)
Hail Ádám and Imre, you are very welcome to my small work Archangel’s Lantern. Let’s start with your latest news: Fanatic Attack will release its 3rd full-length called “Withstand the Storm” around Spring/Summer this year. Share with us all the important information about your new album (song and lyric-writing process, cover art and tell the readers “Withstand the Storm” track by track in your own words).
Ádám: Hail! Thank you for the support and this interview! The material of the 3rd album was written for 3-4 years. I wrote most of the guitar parts and songs at home and after that the others made their own parts. And finally we rehearsed them together. Imre could speak about the themes of the songs and lyrics in details.
For the cover art we wanted some different stuff than before. We wanted a real painting made by a real artist. We would like the presence of death on the cover (because the black-death metal parts) but the whole with colors, not just a typical picture in black and white. The phoenix bird and our new logo (made by Zoltán Soós-great guy!) are symbolizing our musical revival and a new era with the new members. The cover artworks made by Bettina Tóth – she is very talented and also makes movies in England!
The CD - release will be managed by the Hungarian Metal Ör Die Records.
Imre: Hails Georgius!
Thanks for your questions and interest to our band.
I think this album will be an ultimate mixture of extreme Metal Genres.
For example, I think Black metal was not the part of the first and the second album. But I think this material have a strong Black Metal influence! And Thrash and Death of course…Call it what you want, it doesn’t matter for us.
All the lyrics are written by me, except “Time”. It’s from Adam’s mind.
I have a simple, but straightforward lyrical style.
Some words about the songs:
The Darkness Beyond
It’s a salute for the master of Italian old school horror films, Lucio Fulci and his masterpiece “Beyond”. Simple Thrash/Black attack about gore and zombies.
The Void
It’s a song about death and reincarnation. My body is a part of the universe and my soul have an eternal wandering.
Fall of the West
It’s about the twilight of the not just the western culture but the modern culture.
I had a strong inspiration from a book called “Pagan Imperialism” from the great Italian thinker and philosopher Julius Evola. Back to the pagan roots!
The Ferryman
It’s just a great travelling to the Greek Mythology’s castle of the king of the underworld, Hades! The forepart of the song is really epic but the other parts are really fast Black/Thrash metal.
I think it’s one of the best songs we have done.
When Death had Ruled the Earth
Tribute to the king of Aquilonia Conan! Robert E. Howard and his world are really big inspirations for me and his novels are timeless classics.
Stonewall Labyrinth
Song about an innocent victim in the dark and deadly dungeon of the Minotaur.
This night is eternal; never find your way out!
Withstand the Storm
There is a song about a veteran soldier and his passion about to process the memory of war and his fallen comrades. On the other hand, there is a hymn of our band, to look towards the future and leave the past behind.
Time
It’s Adam’s song. I think it’s about the most terrifying think about our life, the pass of time.
Thanks to Bettina Tóth for the illustrations of all these songs!
Will you plan to make video-clip(s) for your new material?
Ádám: Yes we spoke about it and we would like to have one in the future but nothing concrete for now. We don’t want any too conventional clip that’s why it need some time I think. 😊
Imre: Sure, if it’s possible!
Ádám, if I’m not mistaken, Fanatic Attack has
been formed in 2009 and through the
years released 2 demos, 2 EPs, 2 LPs and a split (“Fantomania Ultra”) via
Hungarian Metal Ör Die Records. Tell us please briefly the history of the horde
from the beginnings to our days and your alliance with Metal Ör Die Records. Characterize
the genre of Fanatic Attack.
Ádám: Yes, you are correct about our releases. About the history of the band in short: in the winter of 2009 three young dudes wanted to make some hard – thrashy and fast metal music in a county where the - not so heavy- bands have hard times too. After some weeks we choose the old German thrash metal formation - a three-member squad: Patrick Ploner - drums, Gábor Kuczkó - bass and I did the vocals and guitars. Because I’m not a big guitar solo-guy we tried the 4-5 member formations too. We found solo guitarists after some years to make our music more interesting (and a little more technical?). I stopped singing in around 2014 because I had enough of some things during the live shows and couldn’t play the guitar too well beside the vocals. I passed the microphone to György Rettegi (you can hear him on our second album). But these formations worked maybe until 1 year long only. From 2016 Gábor was the new singer and played the bass guitar too. We continued as a three-piece again and did some shows (we did maybe 4-5 shows only per year by the way). But in 2019 he left the band because he had some issues with some things. He was a founding member of the band so it was a little hard to say goodbye.
But we found our new singer really fast! Imre and his vokillz are very good for this music as I think and after some months we tried a bass player-not worked- but after that in early 2020 we met with our new bass player too (Péter Wolf)!
About our label: Metal Ör Die Records released our first two albums on CD. It is one of the best underground metal labels in Hungary and as I remember we always could work fast and easy together! It deals with old school metal bands only as I know – maybe that’s why we are on the list. 😊 I can’t remember exactly how it started with M.Ö.D. but we can say many thanks for the help and the work! Thank You!
What is the genre of our music? It always changed a bit during the years. In the first years we played a classic and simple thrash metal like early Sodom and we had some speed-punk metal songs too. We were not so good on our instruments – we played what we could (and wanted of course). Then we improved a little and wrote some darker and a few more complex riffs. After some years we had a little slower thrash music on our second full-length with a few death metal parts in it. Now our stuff is some mixture of thrash-death and black metal. The tracks are longer (with more tempo changes) than before and have more riffs and themes. We think this direction is the best for us. We started to listen and love these genres many years ago so why not make something more interesting? 😊
How and when did you join metal underground? What was/were your very first metal stuff you bought back in the day? Which metal band(s) you see live first time?
Ádám: I started listen to metal in 2004 – I was 14 years old. I was into old school heavy and thrash metal only and for 3-4 years I listened to these old bands 4 hours per a day, haha. I was a lone wolf so I joined metal underground years later when we made Fanatic Attack. In 2007 was the first time when I was at a metal concert and it was a power metal night with some Hungarian bands (Wisdom and Tűzmadár maybe?) It was very-very loud, haha! When I was 15 I bought my first metal shirt (Iron Maiden). 😊
Imre: I listened to Heavy Metal since my childhood. My first tape has been a really classic Pokolgép- Totális Metál!
I remember that how I loved this record and love nowadays as well! My parents were not into music so they hoped that one day I’d outgrow this madness! 😊
When I was a teenager, (in the year of 13, 14) I listened some Nu metal bands (which at the time were fashions).But in the college of Debrecen I listened to Bathory first time and it’s changed all the things in my life about Metal music! And the love to the true metal grew higher and higher!
Now I am 32 years old and this possession of true Heavy/Black/Death/Thrash metal are going on and on for eternity till the time I die! I hope that my child will carry on this heritage! 😊
Which musicians (guitarists and vocalists) inspired you in the beginnings and have you any favourite ones nowadays?
Ádám: My influences were from the beginnings:
Tom Angelripper, Mille Petrozza, James Hetfield, Darren Travis, Jeff Hanneman,
Varg Vikernes, Adrian Smith and Piggy from Voivod. Some years ago I found
Emperor and I really like the style of Ihsahn and nowadays I love the riffs and
vocal parts of David DiSanto from Vektor. It’s a very unique band and something
special.
Imre: Ronnie James Dio, Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford and some Heavy Metal singers. From the extreme Metal for example Kaldrad (RIP), Quorthon (RIP), Dead (RIP),Varg Vikernes, Nocturno Culto, Rob Darken (Graveland) etc.
Ádám, before Fanatic Attack did you play in any band(s)?
Ádám: Yes, I was the guitarist in a HC-thrash band for 2 years and really enjoyed it but sadly the band fell apart. But then I wanted some more brutal and speedy music so after some months came the idea of Fanatic Attack with Gábor.
Imre, let’s speak about your past activity in underground before joining the forces of Fanatic Attack.
Imre: I was a singer in one band in Debrecen (I was 16-17 years old) but we never played live and did not release any demos or songs. It called Arkenath and I think it was really cool Black Metal music in the way of Darkthrone.
After the high school I leaved my hometown and moved to Szombathely.
The distance killed the band and I weren’t playing any bands since now.
One demo song of Arkenath is on YouTube, check it out!
What live performance(s) has/have been the most successful for Fanatic Attack? How many covers you play live by the way?
Ádám: The most successful gig was in Bratislava with Radiation and Drünken Bastards and the one in Budapest with the German speed masters - S.D.I. We don’t play live so often.
We play one or maybe two covers per gig. We covered songs from Sepultura, Darkthrone, Sodom, Kreator, Motörhead and Toxic Holocaust.
How do you describe Hungarian underground movement of 80s/90s and our times?
Ádám: I am too young for this question – but I see the old concert clips, fanzines and the stories by older metalheads. The 80s/90s were better I think.
Nowadays there are some hardcore fans that make fanzines and distros etc. in the underground. There are small crowds at the venues. And of course we have good and legendary underground metal bands.
Imre: The past was better because the world of the internet is the true enemy against the psychical formats. I remembered those days when we copied tapes and gave it each other. That feeling was really good and I still prefer tapes, vinyls, CDs better than YouTube for example. (I have a really big collection). The (Hungarian) movement now is small and I think it’s really divisive and adverse. Underground has to move on and it’s about much more respect to each other! Hail to the exception! And I think we have some really great bands.
Respect to the Underground Metal and our friends! Fuck off to the current Hungarian mainstream!
It is a bit hard question but what are your eternal top 10 favourite releases?
Ádám: Here are 10 from the many brilliant albums I love:
Metallica – Kill ‘em All
Iron Maiden – Fear of the Dark
Emperor – Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk
Sodom – Agent Orange
Kreator – Terrible Certainty
Destruction – Release from Agony
Slayer – Reign in Blood
Grave Digger – Heavy Metal Breakdown
Running Wild – Gates to Purgatory
Helloween – Walls of Jericho
Imre: Top 10 Heavy/Thrash Metal:
Iron Maiden-Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Slayer-Seasons in the Abyss
King Diamond-The Eye
Sodom-In the Sign of Evil
Pokolgép-Adj Új Erőt
Judas Priest-British Steel
Helloween-Keeper of the Seven Keys 1-2
Black Sabbath-Heaven and Hell
Motörhead-Sacrifice
Manilla Road-Crystal Logic
Top 10 Black/Extreme Death Metal:
Bathory-Hammerheart
Mayhem-Live in Leipzig
Revenge-Infiltration.Downfall.Death
Burzum-Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
Darkthrone-Transilvanian Hunger
Fullmoon-United Aryan Evil
Graveland-Carpathian Wolves
Deicide-Once upon the Cross
Kataxu-Hunger of Elements
Barshasketh-Ophidian Henosis
etc..
Do you have any favourite authors/books and actors/movies?
Ádám: I love Stephen King and some old sci-fi books and movies from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Favorite actor is Clint Eastwood maybe.
Imre: Authors: H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E Howard, Friedrich Nietzsche, J. R. R. Tolkien etc.
Movies: Old horrors and sci-fi films and Of course ACE VENTURA 1-2!!! 😊
Apart from the music have you any special hobbies?
Ádám: Nothing special.
Imre: The music is enough to me as a hobby. Sometimes I prefer books of course and watching old films.
Before the birth of my son I did weightlifting in Szombathely, Haladás but now I don’t have any time to do it.
Nagyon szépen köszönöm/Thank you very much, my friends! Send please our message from Fanatic Attack to the readers to complete this interview.
Ádám: Thanks for the questions and thank you for the opportunity! Please support your local metal bands and go to smaller shows too (if this virus-madness ends)! There are many little unknown bands that are surprisingly great!
Imre: Thank you for your interview questions! All the respect for you my friend!
Stay tuned as the “Withstand the Storm” is coming! Hail The Underground!
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