Rockezine.com interview with Bolt Thrower on Feb 27, 2006

with Karl on Feb 27, 2006

New Bolt Thrower album “Those Once Loyal” is one of the things, which will be actual in any time. Let’s as those once made undying classics about how they come to such a magnetic album.
		First of all, congratulations! “Those Once Loyal” is a fantastic album! You have been playing music for almost 20 years, how would you describe your style changings through these years? Have anything changed for you since the 80’s? Next year will be our bicentenary year, its amazing isn’t it, I feel that the sound of BT has progressed somewhat from when we started out, yet we attempt to retain the raw energy that it features, many people often criticize us for sounding the same, they are missing the point. With each album there is something different in the timings and structures of the songs, yet we still keep all the elements that create the BT sound together.
		What does the band name mean for you? A BoltThrower is a medieval weapon of war, like a huge crossbow, it is particularly devastating when used against mass ranked infantry!
		Your new album cover is full of war attributes. How would you tell what the lyrics on the album are about? There are once again many lyrics relating to the horrors of war, there is a leaning towards WWI with the imagery we have used and songs like Entrenched and Salvo, Anti tank is about an incident that occurred on the battlefield in WWII, The Killchain is about technology in modern warfare.
		What does the title mean? Is there any concrete idea behind it? The title is a form of tribute to all of those once loyal that have contributed to the success of BT over the 20 years of our career as a band. This includes Ex members, crew past and present, the press and individuals such as John Peel, and most importantly our fans and followers who have stuck with us throughout the years
		What do you consider war to be? In Iraq for instance? Some would consider the struggle to survive in everyday life a form of warfare. War is the product of the failure of discourse. The situation in Iraq is very difficult and cannot be brushed aside, the issue involved lies at the heart of world peace. The basic problem at the heart of all humanity problems is religious fundamentalism, it always has been.
		How do you write songs, is this a group effort or is someone at a point entering the rehearsal place with a complete song? Baz usually comes up with the initial riffs that the songs are based around, he works with them on his studio at home then we meet up to listen to them, at this point they are often rearranged several times with the rest of the band until they flow clearly and are structured well. I then take this near completed demo version of the song and work out the timing structures for the vocals, I then check these with Gav to make sure they work smoothly, then I work with the words to the song along with Gav. We used to write in the rehearsal studio, but I feel that this newer way is more natural; the songs are not forced and evolve gradually.
		Do you make any suggestions to each other how to record or to play something during rehearsals, for example a drummer to a vocalist or to a guitarist Yeah once we have listened to Baz’s demo we all suggest different approaches and work together to formulate the best structure, the drums are very basic at this stage so these are always being sorted. We work as a democracy and if someone really doesn’t like a riff or a lyric we change them so everyone’s happy.
		So do you believe in “X-factor” or “chemistry” in a band? Does it work for your band? For a band to succeed they have got to have the correct chemistry for it to work, this is definitely the case with BT, you get very close when you have known people for a long time, together you have some pretty extreme experiences, band members become closer than family even.
		Do you separate lead and rhythm guitar parts for concrete person or do Barry and Gavin play both rhythm and lead? Both Baz and Gav record their own rhythm sections and Baz then records all the lead fills at the end. Gav focuses on Rhythm Baz the leads.
		Are there any bands that you would like to credit for how they have inspired you to create a similar type of music? When we first started out we developed our sound from listening to bands like Discharge, Sacrilege and Onslaught, all from the UK, then later we heard bands from the USA such as Slayer. We kind of merged the attitude and ethos of punk with the musical style of metal to create what is BoltThrower.
		What music do you usually listen at home or in the car? Your favorite album? Currently I am rather fond of Falkenbach – magni blandim ok megintiri features a lot in my stereo. I like the epic Nordic feel to the whole thing, it works for me. I also am listening to all the classic old stuff Trouble – the Skull, Candlemass – Tales of Creation, stuff like that.
		Do you remember your first show? What was it like? My first gig was at the William Morris club in London, the vocal P.A packed up during the support act, So I just had to shout and jump around, a good live rehearsal! I will never forget it.
		What’s your favorite joke about musicians? Sorry don’t know any jokes about musicians, but my favorite joke has got to be. What’s Brown and sticky? – A stick…bloody hilarious that one gets me every time!
		And in the end what would you like to add for REZ readers? A bit shout of appreciation to all our followers/supporters/fans…we look forward to seeing you at one of our gigs in 2006. Check our website for further details on the band. Grind On!
		Thank you for the interview! Nice one…Hope my answers are sufficient, thanks for your valued support and interest in BoltThrower. Good Luck!
		I hope to see you live some day! Wellcome!
(Julie Michael)