MAGIC KINGDOM
Hell Spawn » Interviews » MAGIC KINGDOM
Wow, it's been a while since we last heard from Magic Kingdom. But now with their latest effort "Symphony of war" they are back with a vengeance! We had a talk with mastermind Dushan Petrossi.
Your first cd "The Arrival" was released in 1999, the second one "Metallic Tragedy" in 2004 en your third and current album Symphony Of War" in 2010, why some many years inbetween albums?
First of all,thanks a lot for your great review. Well, we had lot of lineup changes during those years, also I had a serious family problem(my mother died), then the mixing guy had a motorcycle crash, so we had to wait for his recovery,and also I released 2 Iron Mask album in between the 2 last MK albums. But finally we succeeded yeah !
With Olaf you have a perfect replacement for Max Leclercq! Was it easy finding the right replacement?
Not really, Belgium is not a cradle for melodic heavy metal singers. I really wanted to change singer because I wasn't really satisfied with Max, especially in recordings and studio time, also he was a heavy dope smoker and he always lost his voice after a song or two on stage... So we did auditions, we contacted several known and unknown guys. I wasn't sure on who would sing untill I had the idea to contact Olaf, and he agreed when he heard the music of Magic Kingdom. I almost knew immediately he would be perfect for us .
No chance you will re record some old songs with Olaf on vocals?
Oh no, there's so many new stuff to record in the future, it's better to focus on new adventures!
Where did you get the idea to experiment with female vocals and grunts? It's a good move according to us!
The first time we used our grunter was in 2000, live on stage, later on an album in 2004. I just wanted to create something new with symphonic metal music. I had that idea for the first time in 1997, even before I decided to do Magic Kingdom. I wanted to do a metal opera, but a real one, including all shapes and faces metal could have, not limited by only clear melodic singers. It's a very cinematic approach.
The second cd of "Symphony of war" consists out of "Metallic tragedy chapter II : The holy pentalogy", which sounds amazing! Why the second disc? Is it considered a bonus or ...??? Why did you not choose to release it separate or do you see it as a part of the new cd?
Thank you! The only reason we decided to put it on a second album is that we have 2 more songs as bonus for the limited edition. On the regular cd edition you don't have the 2 bonus songs, so the long epic metal opera is included on one cd!
Dushan you often get compared to Yngwie Malmsteen (looks, guitarplaying), how do you deal with this? Don't you find it frustrating or do you consider it an honor?
Well,I 'd say both, better to be compared to him than a shitty grunge or rap band, but on the other hand it starts to get a little on my nerves. As my music is different than his and my way to compose is very different, I focus way more on vocal melodies and catchy stuff most of the time, and my solos are shorter. Of course its neo classical and of course I did learn a lot of things thanks to Yngwie's albums when I was very young. But now I hope people can understand and see the difference in my vision of the symphonic and neo classical metal. About my look, I always had this head and long hair for 20 years, even before I ever heard about him. So that's just a coincidence..Yeah, I like Fenders too, but he's not the only guy using those guitars, so why should I hide my fenders on stage and record only with it in studio!? These guitars are the best for me, so I use them!
In our humble opinion with Magic Kingdom it's the songs that are the most important and not the guitar orgasms like on the last Yngwie albums! What's your opinion on that?
Like I previously said,my goal is to do great songs, not only solo's. I'm a songwriter first of all!
Are the plans of supporting the new album live?
We are working on it you'll know it as soon as we get confirmations!
We off course know you are also active with your other band IRON MASK, which band is the most important to you? Or is it too hard too choose?
Both are important,to me, they are like my children... I can't choose! :-)
Wouldn't't you like to have both your bands under one label? Or is it fine the way it is right now?
Oh no, the best is always to get separated labels when you have different bands!
You played Graspop in 2010 with Iron Mask? How was it?
A great gig, lot's of fun! Awesome people, we had like 5000 fans in a full metal dome tent! Thanks to all of them!
We hope you won't keep us waiting long for a new Magic Kingdom? Do you already have some songs finished for a follow up?
Yeah, I started writing! So hopefully next year my friends!
Your albums always come with great artwork, do you consider it also as something important?
Yeah, that's very important to me. The visual aspect is as important as the music nowadays. That's what gets people's attention first, at least people who enjoy a fantasy medieval world and symphonic metal music!
Anything left to add?
Thank you for the interview and support, see you on the road!
http://www.myspace.com/magickingdommetal
Thierry & Nico
First of all,thanks a lot for your great review. Well, we had lot of lineup changes during those years, also I had a serious family problem(my mother died), then the mixing guy had a motorcycle crash, so we had to wait for his recovery,and also I released 2 Iron Mask album in between the 2 last MK albums. But finally we succeeded yeah !
With Olaf you have a perfect replacement for Max Leclercq! Was it easy finding the right replacement?
Not really, Belgium is not a cradle for melodic heavy metal singers. I really wanted to change singer because I wasn't really satisfied with Max, especially in recordings and studio time, also he was a heavy dope smoker and he always lost his voice after a song or two on stage... So we did auditions, we contacted several known and unknown guys. I wasn't sure on who would sing untill I had the idea to contact Olaf, and he agreed when he heard the music of Magic Kingdom. I almost knew immediately he would be perfect for us .
No chance you will re record some old songs with Olaf on vocals?
Oh no, there's so many new stuff to record in the future, it's better to focus on new adventures!
Where did you get the idea to experiment with female vocals and grunts? It's a good move according to us!
The first time we used our grunter was in 2000, live on stage, later on an album in 2004. I just wanted to create something new with symphonic metal music. I had that idea for the first time in 1997, even before I decided to do Magic Kingdom. I wanted to do a metal opera, but a real one, including all shapes and faces metal could have, not limited by only clear melodic singers. It's a very cinematic approach.
The second cd of "Symphony of war" consists out of "Metallic tragedy chapter II : The holy pentalogy", which sounds amazing! Why the second disc? Is it considered a bonus or ...??? Why did you not choose to release it separate or do you see it as a part of the new cd?
Thank you! The only reason we decided to put it on a second album is that we have 2 more songs as bonus for the limited edition. On the regular cd edition you don't have the 2 bonus songs, so the long epic metal opera is included on one cd!
Dushan you often get compared to Yngwie Malmsteen (looks, guitarplaying), how do you deal with this? Don't you find it frustrating or do you consider it an honor?
Well,I 'd say both, better to be compared to him than a shitty grunge or rap band, but on the other hand it starts to get a little on my nerves. As my music is different than his and my way to compose is very different, I focus way more on vocal melodies and catchy stuff most of the time, and my solos are shorter. Of course its neo classical and of course I did learn a lot of things thanks to Yngwie's albums when I was very young. But now I hope people can understand and see the difference in my vision of the symphonic and neo classical metal. About my look, I always had this head and long hair for 20 years, even before I ever heard about him. So that's just a coincidence..Yeah, I like Fenders too, but he's not the only guy using those guitars, so why should I hide my fenders on stage and record only with it in studio!? These guitars are the best for me, so I use them!
In our humble opinion with Magic Kingdom it's the songs that are the most important and not the guitar orgasms like on the last Yngwie albums! What's your opinion on that?
Like I previously said,my goal is to do great songs, not only solo's. I'm a songwriter first of all!
Are the plans of supporting the new album live?
We are working on it you'll know it as soon as we get confirmations!
We off course know you are also active with your other band IRON MASK, which band is the most important to you? Or is it too hard too choose?
Both are important,to me, they are like my children... I can't choose! :-)
Wouldn't't you like to have both your bands under one label? Or is it fine the way it is right now?
Oh no, the best is always to get separated labels when you have different bands!
You played Graspop in 2010 with Iron Mask? How was it?
A great gig, lot's of fun! Awesome people, we had like 5000 fans in a full metal dome tent! Thanks to all of them!
We hope you won't keep us waiting long for a new Magic Kingdom? Do you already have some songs finished for a follow up?
Yeah, I started writing! So hopefully next year my friends!
Your albums always come with great artwork, do you consider it also as something important?
Yeah, that's very important to me. The visual aspect is as important as the music nowadays. That's what gets people's attention first, at least people who enjoy a fantasy medieval world and symphonic metal music!
Anything left to add?
Thank you for the interview and support, see you on the road!
http://www.myspace.com/magickingdommetal
Thierry & Nico
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