BLACKSTAR

The former Carcass guys along with an ex-Cathedral fellow didn't remain to rest on their laurels, but instead keep going on. In this interview part we have focused on their new band named Blackstar. Here Jeff Walker slightly sheds light on the background and the forthcoming album of Blackstar.

C: Blackstar being a real neutral name indeed, but why did you end up in picking up one of track names from Swansong for a monicker of the new band ?!?

JW: Well firstly it just sounds like a 'band name' and doesn't have too many restricting conotations (unlike, say CARCASS).The reason (for me anyway) to use the name taken from the song is to illustrate the direction we've gone in - it isn't too far removed from the style of "Swansong" - if only it works better.

C: Would it have been wiser or easier to make up another name instead of Blackstar ?!?

JW: It was easier to keep some kind of connection to the past.

C: Did you want to remind the people of your existence after Carcass by taking that Blackstar from Swansong ?!?!

JW: Yes, I mean after all 3 of us played on that album and you can stil hear that. If people liked Swansong then they'll like this stuff, If not then they know to stay clear !!!!!!

C: Oohh By the way before forgetting this one entirely I was supposed to ask about the current line-up of Blackstar, could you politely introduce it as well as the guitarist who replaced Bill Steer

JW: Well no-one replaced Bill Steer, this isn't CARCASS !!!! It's myself on bass/vox, Griff on guitar, Carlo on guitar, and Ken on drums.

C: The debut Blackstar demo was done more or less in the relaxed spirit in my opinion. Did you have some kind of no panic, no pressure pysche, just only relaxad feeling and let's play some nice heavy rock'n'roll stuff which you happen to like, right !?

JW: Well the attitude was "it's just a demo", so we we'ren't at pains to make it sound that great - in retrospect we shouldn't have let anyone hear it !!!! The album was recorded with a really good vibe - I think it comes across. It sounds a "100 times better than SWANSONG" - Colin Richardson's words not mine.

C: To select a few mandatory names coming up from your stuff, the first one is definitely Cathedral, then some people have found similarities from Motorhead and even Tygers of the Pang. Well how much do you agree with these comprarions and possible similarities after all !?!

JW: I'd go along with them , I mean Griff formed CATHEDRAL !!! But I'd also say we sound nothing like them !!!! The influences are diffinately 'classic' rock stuff, but hopefully the album doesn't come across as retro sounding.

C: How would you like to describe the Blackstar style to people who haven't heard your stuff,but only familiar with releases of your previous band ??

JW: Less 'death' metal -more like aggressive rock'n'roll.

C: Do you view that |being compared to some amuzing category | is some kind of obsession for people to find possible influential factors in the music of a new band ?!?

JW: I think people like to relabel things to make them seem new.I mean music goes 'round in circles - it's all been done before, we're not original.

C: What about a few new tracks for your forthcoming album, which you have put together, could you reveal something about them !?

JW: The full track listing is; GAME OVER (a bit of a The Obsessed/Motorhead influence in sound) SMILE (Sabbathy/Thin Lizzyish) SOUND OF SILENCE (Sisters/Cultish) ROCK"N"ROLL CIRCUS (Trouble/Rage against the machine) NEW SONG (Tygers of Pan Taang!!!!?) GIVE UP THE GHOST (Cult/Whitesnake) REVOLUTION OF THE HEART (Thin Lizzy/Sabbath) WASTE OF SPACE (Rolling Stones) DEEP WOUND (Thin Lizzy) BETTER THE DEVIL (?????) INSTRUMENTAL (Rage against the machine/Maiden) It's a bit childish (the comparison's), I'm merely pointing out what some of the riffs sound like to me, obviously we don't really sound like those bands - I mean the vocals are a dead giveaway !!!!! I could have made some of the same comparisons about HEARTWORK !!!!

C: The first Blackstar album...well... who is going to issue it and when ?

JW: On PEACEVILLE on August 26th, through SHOCK in Australia.

C: Whenever making up questions for bands I just can' avoid one silly question yo askabout their current fave bands,the same goes to you as well, so what's up in your musical taste at the moment ?!

JW: VERUCA SALT, THE CRUCIFUCKS, SOCIAL DISTORTION, not much in the way of 'metal' to be honest.

C: Well do you regularly follow what is in and out in the metal genre in general !?

JW: Sort of -can't say I'm interested in KORN or MARILYN MANSON or any other of the 'trendy' bands of the moment, nor all these crappy attempts at 'goth' bands.

C: Oh... Michael Ammott has formed |Arch Enemy| along with the ex-former growler of Carnage and Furbowl, the ex-drummer of Eucharist and his brother, how do you like it ?!

JW: I'm pretty out of touch with 'death metal' I don't think my opinion is worth anything.

C: Ok. Jeff...all in all 28 questions should be more than quite enough, well obviously you will be having the tea-time, but give now your words to conclude this interview ?!

JW: Well thanks for the interest - people should check out our debut album - it was recorded on a shoestring budget but doesn't sound like it !!!!

Shine on........

Interview by Arto Lehtinen